New Years Resolution to get in shape? Here's Where To Start
In the age of covid, many people have started to take their health a lot more seriously. Here is a collection of the bare minimum you can do to at least kickstart your way into getting more active. It's going to be January first so finding a place to start is going to be the hardest part. To be honest, I used to be in amazing shape, working my first full-time job out of college with wacky hours has thrown a wrench in that. I was literally in fighting shape at the beginning of last year. What I hope this blog aims to do is display my tactics for getting back in shape starting January 1st and hopefully inspire others.
Before we start I am personally going to finish out the last of 2021 like I am Mike the Situation about to go to prison.
1. The easiest thing you can do, drink a shit ton of water and drink a shit ton of green tea.
All you gotta do is drink water and throw a green tea bag in there. Check out this article I wrote if you want more info. This first step may get your engine going and give you the energy, libido, and push to make you go to the gym at the end of the day.
2. Stop drinking.
Yeah, this one sucks, but it works. Alcohol destroys your HGH secretion which is basically what determines how in shape you are and how you feel.
Getting enough rest is essential to building bigger and stronger muscles. However, because drinking alcohol negatively affects your sleep patterns, your body is robbed of a chemical called human growth hormone (HGH) when you drink.1 HGH plays an integral role in building and repairing muscles, but alcohol can decrease the secretion of HGH by as much as 70 percent. Additionally, binge drinking can reduce serum testosterone levels. Decreases in testosterone are associated with decreases in lean muscle mass and muscle recovery, which can impair performance.
Now I am not saying stop drinking altogether, I'm just saying there are a couple of great alternatives to alcohol if you are habitually using it to chill out like l-theanine which is an awesome amino acid. Reducing alcohol consumption on the weekends would also be huge. In the studies of Liverking, he only drinks watered down Everclear which might be a move!
3. Find realistic opportunities to workout
For most people, finding time to work out is really hard. Your daily schedule does not necessarily allow for 30 minutes workout, you gotta get where you can. That's incorporating pushups and air squats in times where your shower is warming up or just taking the stairs. There are tons of places where you can get burn during the day, walk up the stairs, do the small little things to get into shape. These are the sustainable life choices that don’t require you to buy a gym membership you won't use past February.
4. Practice Better Sleep Hygiene
I have been doing a ton of research on this. As a blogger, I look at a ton of screens every day, that lighting apparently fucks up my internal clock, which fucks up my hormone secretion that harms sleep. Now when it disrupts your sleep you end up with huge decreases in melatonin, HGH, all sorts of hormones that help your energy and health throughout the day. There's been tons of research on how looking at screens late at night can fuck up your whole system. I am not trying to sell you anything but blue light glasses would be a huge move if you have to work on the computer late at night. I can tell screens are a huge issue because legitimately when I wake up in the morning I turn my brightness up and go on my phone to help me wake up.
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5. Stop Eating Like Shit, Don’t eat breakfast.
This is easy to say hard to do. I am not going to give you a diet plan but easy quick fixes that can get you on track. Something I have been doing to cut calories I don’t need working a sedentary job is straight-up don’t eat breakfast. I take a bunch of supplements in the morning almost to act like a meal but they have little caloric value and kinda curb the hunger a little bit. Taking a handful of stuff like fish oil, creatine, theanine, b-12 vitamins etc. Can curb your appetite if mixed with a ton of water. If you want a list of supplements check out the Mintzy project.
Btw the Mintzy project is getting revamped January 1st he just has been traveling so much I haven't been able to get a hold of him.
6. Get Addicted to Workout Endorphins
This is the only way you are actually going to end up in killer shape. You have to get addicted to the endorphins. Hopefully, these small changes in your lifestyle will get your body into an anabolic state that will give you tons more energy and feel-good chemicals. Once your dopamine is jacked up you might start to take that extra step and wake up early to go to the gym every day. The huge component of that is healthy sleep. If you reach deeper sleep patterns you do not have to sleep for as long and feel more refreshed in the morning.
7. Schedule a Fight with Jose Canseco
Last year I had tons of motivation to work out because I had to train to fight Jose Canseco. That was literally the best way to wake up on January first and train hard as fuck and get in shape. Not all of us have that opportunity I am lucky. But Jesus that's a wake-up call to get in shape. Boxing workouts were the best for shedding fat and shocking your central nervous system into knowing it was changed or die. When you basically have to do basically wind sprints with your arms and do serious high-intensity movements for extended periods of time. If you are looking for the most efficient workouts for not putting on muscle but just getting in shape, fat-burning as many calories as you can, pick up boxing conditioning. Not necessarily strapping gloves on and hitting a bag, but the way boxers condition is the best way to get in shape. That's jumping rope, burpees, running stairs, wind sprints. Look into that type of workout. I can get a great workout by just getting the heart rate going and then extending it by jumping rope or hitting an ab wheel. Something to consider heading into the new year. At least you guys know I'm honest I could be jacked up on steroids and selling you supplements.
This is for everyone who missed last year.