What is my fitness Philosophy

In this day and age, everyone and their mom will tell you they have the best weight loss or muscle building method known to man. The truth of the matter is that we are all incredibly different. Where we are in life is different, our tolerance levels are different, our goals are different, and physiologically our bodies are different. Health and fitness is a game of trial and error. What works for you probably won’t work for someone else and vice versa. So I wanted to explain how it is I approach health and fitness and how you can avoid the endless cycle of losing weight and gaining it back. 

I like to think of myself as a relatively centrist human being. Whether politics, fitness, work-life balance I typically sit in the middle with a few core values leaning one way or the other. This is how I approach fitness as well. In my eyes one of the largest problems in the fitness industry is that we loooove to polarize and be as dogmatic as possible. “Keto is the best for weight loss” “Intermittent fasting will extend your life by 15 years” You’ve all seen the Cosmo magazine covers and seen the weight loss infomercials. These aren’t designed to actually help you lose weight, they’re designed to sell you something. This is why I came up with my own fitlosophy and use this with my clients on a daily basis. 

So how do I help people on their health journey? I have 8 key pillars I focus on with everyone to varying degrees depending on where YOU are at. Here are the 8. 

1. I care more about your why than your what 
2. Process goals over outcome goals 
3. Big rocks before little rocks 
4. Delay instant gratification 
5. Challenge yourself but don’t kill yourself 
6. What gets tracked gets managed 
7. Be an adult 
8. Take responsibility 

I care more about your why than your what. Look if you want to do keto to get to your goal I’m not here to judge, I’m here to help. I will explain the pros and cons of Keto and then train you with whatever you decide. If you want to get to your goals without ever doing a barbell squat, that’s cool. I’ll explain the pros and cons and then help you regardless. My philosophy is much less about what and more about why. Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you have self-esteem issues? Why are you not happy with yourself? These questions will help us solve your problems a lot faster than focusing on where your carb sources (or lack thereof) come from.

What is a process goal vs an outcome-based goal? It’s simple. An outcome-based goal is “I will lose 20 lbs by the end of January”. A process-based goal is “I will reduce my calories by 500 a day” My main problem with outcome-based goals is that we become so focused on the end result that we lose sight of what it’s going to take to actually get there. If your goal is to lose 20 lbs chances are you won’t be happy until you get there which can lead to negative feelings. If your goal is to reduce calories by 500 every day now you have something to check off as a win on a daily basis. Keeping you motivated and in a positive state of mind to get to your goal. 

Big rocks before little rocks. This one is simple. If you don’t exercise at all and eat like a total asshole then focusing on which supplement to use isn’t going to do you any good. Focus on sleep, diet, and exercise before which brand of protein to buy. 

Delay instant gratification. This shit takes TIME. Doesn’t matter who you are or where you are on this journey. It is going to take longer than you think. Keep your long-term goals in mind instead of that quick dopamine hit. What’s more important to you - that piece of cheesecake in the moment or feeling amazing about yourself at your wedding? 

Challenge yourself, but don’t kill yourself. Look this process isn’t going to be easy, so why make it harder on yourself? Stop setting these incredibly lofty goals that only a monk could achieve and instead focus on small wins that require some sacrifice but not your firstborn child. 

What gets tracked gets managed. Just like your budget, if you aren’t mindfully paying attention you will never get there. I’ve seen this happen a million times and I’ll see it a million more. Someone who wants to lose weight thinks they’re eating 1500 calories a day and should be losing weight, only to start tracking their food and realize on the weekends they eat 2500 calories a day. I’m not saying you need to meticulously track calories but for the love of god keep a food and exercise journal. 

Be an adult. This one’s my favorite and is something I use to tell my Marines all the time. You’re an adult. Act like it. Do you know how many 50-year-olds tell me they don’t like vegetables? Cool story, eat them anyway. You’re either willing to put in the work or you’re not. Getting to your goals takes sacrifice. 

Take responsibility for yourself. I think America needs a hefty dose of this in general but when it comes to health and fitness where you are is your fault and yours alone. Stop blaming others for your shit. The faster you can do this the faster you’ll get to where you want to be. 

If I can get someone to do even 2 of these incredibly well the results are phenomenal. The people that I train that put conscious effort into all or most of these are the people who not only hit their goals but maintain them for the rest of their lives. Remember just like your current job there is a learning curve and you will need to be more diligent in the beginning. But once you get in the swing of things and get the reps under your belt, eventually it will all become second nature. 

Like I mentioned before my job as a Trainer and health coach isn’t to force you into one way of doing things. My job is to meet you where you’re at, give you the facts, and then guide you as you push forward. I am not here to judge where you are or where you’ve been. 

If you know anyone that needs help with their health and fitness and you think they’d be a good fit have them email me at Sean@Blackallfit.com to schedule a free consultation. ​