Summary

The article provides seven key habits for men to get in shape for their wedding, emphasizing immediate action, strength training, diet improvements, adequate rest, the right type of cardio, consistent measuring of progress, and creating a structured plan.

Abstract

The article outlines a comprehensive approach to achieving fitness goals before a wedding, stressing the importance of starting immediately and building momentum. It advocates for regular strength training to build muscle and boost metabolism, as well as a balanced diet rich in lean proteins, vegetables, and healthy fats. The author underscores the necessity of sufficient rest for muscle recovery and overall health, recommending eight hours of sleep and relaxation techniques. The article also clarifies the role of cardio, suggesting a mix of high-intensity and steady-state activities for optimal fat loss without overtraining. Tracking progress through measurements and photos is advised to maintain accountability and adjust strategies as needed. Lastly, the importance of a detailed fitness and diet plan is highlighted, with an emphasis on focusing on controllable behaviors rather than just the end results.

Opinions

The author believes that taking immediate action is crucial for achieving fitness goals, regardless of the wedding timeline.
There is a common misconception that cardio is solely for fat loss and strength training for muscle gain; the author debunks this, stating that strength training is essential for both.
The author suggests that a healthy diet doesn't have to be overly restrictive, advocating for an 80-85% adherence to healthy eating for good results.
Rest and recovery are considered as important as the workout itself, with the author emphasizing the role of sleep and relaxation in muscle building and overall health.
The author's view on cardio is that it should be balanced, with a combination of high-intensity and steady-state exercises to avoid overtraining and promote recovery.
Measuring progress is seen as a key strategy for staying on track and making necessary adjustments to one's fitness routine.
The author advises that having a detailed plan for workouts and meals is more effective than focusing solely on the desired outcome, as it emphasizes controllable behaviors and habits.

7 Habits to Finally Get In Amazing Shape For Your Wedding

Lessons from 7 years of helping men for their big day.

Your wedding is one of the biggest days of your life.

You’re moments away from starting a brand new chapter with your soulmate. On top of that, your family and friends are all watching you tie the knot and you’ll have tons of wedding photos that will last a lifetime.

But if you’re struggling to lose 10lbs or feeling uncomfortable with your body, it can be a tough moment for a lot of people.

For over seven years, I've helped men around the world get in amazing shape for their wedding at GroomBuilder. In this article, I want to share seven simple tips to help transform your fitness and avoid the common mistakes that sabotage your success.

That way, you’ll feel confident at your wedding (and your honeymoon) and build healthier habits that will last the rest of your life. Here’s how:

1. Take Action, NOW

Sometimes, men come to me when their wedding is a year away; sometimes, they come to me when their wedding is just a few weeks away.

But no matter your timeline, the fact is every day matters and you can't let time fly by without taking action. So if you really want to improve your body and lose the fat you’ve been wanting to lose, you have to take the first step right now.

It’s all about momentum. But this is where many guys fail and end up getting poor results.

If you keep delaying, it actually becomes easier to delay. Instead, start thinking of what you can do immediately after reading this article. Do a few jumping jacks, do a few pushups, or find your running shoes and go for a jog.

Start small and build momentum. Once you do, all the other steps become much easier.

2. Do Regular Strength Training

When I was a personal trainer, one of the most common myths I heard was that “cardio is for fat loss and strength training is for muscle gain.”

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

The truth is more like "strength training is for fat loss and strength training is for muscle gain.” But if you want to build a sexy, confident body for the big day, you need to focus on lifting weights.

Why? Because it builds the muscle underneath so you can actually get leaner. (Otherwise, with purely cardio, you’ll only lose weight while not building muscle, which creates the dreaded "skinny fat" look.) Also, lifting weights helps boost your metabolism as well as other nice things like your testosterone and growth hormone production.

3. Upgrade Your Diet

Your diet makes or breaks your fitness results—it’s that important.

It’s the difference between melting body fat and getting lean versus spinning your wheels and wondering why your scale isn’t moving.

Fortunately, eating a healthy diet isn’t complicated or strict. (In fact, for great results, you only need to eat “healthy” about 80–85% of the time.)

Make sure to eat plenty of lean meats and vegetables with every meal. Choose good, fibrous, and clean sources of carbs like sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, etc. (not donuts). Also, eat healthy fats—yes, fats are good—from sources like avocados, seeds, nuts, fatty fish, and nut butters.

Finally, stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, which keeps your metabolism at its peak and helps you feel energized throughout the day.

4. Get Enough Rest

There's an old saying: "You don't build muscle at the gym; you build muscle outside of the gym."

That is 100% accurate.

For many guys, they beat themselves up at the gym, yet wonder why they still struggle to see any results. But pushing yourself to the extreme is not only unnecessary, but it also puts a ton of stress on your body.

And if you don't give your muscles and nervous system enough time to recover from that stress, you're just going to dig yourself into a deeper and deeper hole (which can lead to overtraining, burnout, injuries, etc.).

So while training is vital to your success, don’t forget that recovery is the missing ingredient to help your body get amazing results.

Start with the basics: Get eight hours of sleep every night. It might be hard, but this step can transform your physical health—and mental health—in tremendous ways. Also, add in some relaxing activities like meditation, yoga, massages, or just taking a nice walk.

5. Do The RIGHT Kind Of Cardio

Cardio is great for fat loss, but a lot of people have the assumption that you have to go “hard and intense” all the time. But the problem with that is too much strenuous cardio—like with high-intensity interval training (HIIT)—can hurt your recovery and stress your body, especially if you’re already trying to lose weight.

Sure, a little bit of high-intensity cardio is fine, but for effective fat loss, spend some time doing steady-state cardio too (cardio that you can do while breathing only through your nose). Go for a gentle jog, bike ride, or hike—it'll improve your heart health and even enhance your recovery so you can get back into the gym feeling fresher than before.

6. Measure

There’s a saying: “What gets measured gets managed.”

And in many ways, this is very accurate. Whether you're measuring how much you spend every month, how many hours you work, or how many pounds you lose, regularly measuring your progress forces you to be accountable and gives you the chance to correct course if you're not getting the results you want.

To improve your physique, measure your weight (at the same time of day so there’s less variance), track your body fat percentage, and take photos every month. This will let you measure your progress and make any adjustments to your fitness and diet plan.

Best of all, if you get good results, it's a great way to celebrate all of your accomplishments!

7. Create A Winning Plan

Every time you step into a gym, you should have a plan. What are you going to do today? How long? How many sets? How heavy will the weights be? Know this before you workout and your success will virtually be guaranteed.

The same goes for your diet. When you know in advance what you’re going to eat and buy at the grocery store, you’ll be more focused and avoid cheating.

Then, plan your fitness and diet from a larger perspective. What are the habits you want to build to get the body you want?

Don’t only focus on the outcome (ex. losing 10lbs); focus on the process (ex. exercising 3x/week and cooking 80% of your meals) too. When it comes to transforming your body, process-focused goals are much better than outcome-focused goals.

The reason is that the outcome isn’t directly in your control, but your behaviors are. So simply focus on the things that are in your control, do them well, and your body (and your spouse) will thank you.

Looking for great tips to lose fat and transform the way you look for your wedding? Get your FREE 5-day fitness course to help you feel your best on one of the biggest days of your life.