Motivation 101: Support

Summer is still on. So is cutting season. Some might have started bulking, but for some, that cut is still going strong.

We all know that the gym is more than physical strength. It’s the commitment that’s the hardest part. Keeping consistency and strong form in and out the gym is hard. We all need that motivation from somewhere that prevents us from going off the rails and eating and doing what we like

Keep up to date with your role models

I watch Monday Night RAW not only to keep up to date with John Cena and his story lines, but to keep up with his physical shape. I also read the articles, interviews and follow him on Twitter. Steve Cook is another role model of mine. I recently discovered his YouTube channel and have subscribed and been on top of his advice and videos. These people motivate me. I want to have the aesthetics of Steve Cook and the strength of John Cena. Keep up to date with your guys and girls that motivate you. They keep you focused and committed to your goals.

Tell friends and family

If your goal is important to you, you should tell the people that are important to you. Tell your friends. Tell your Mum and Dad. Your boy/girlfriend. Keep them updated with your goals and ask for their support. I’ve recently started a ketogenic diet for the past week. This weekend, my brother told me that I’ve lost weight. After that, I felt great. I now cant wait to get into the gym again and work harder towards getting that lean physique. If the people close to you see that your goal is important to you, they will help you.

Having a healthy lifestyle, we all need support and motivation. We all get motivated in different ways. These two things can get you started and set you on your way to a focused goal. Keep at it  and you’ll make your gains.

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Cravings - The Personal Hunger Games

As all of you in the northern hemisphere might know, its summer! Time off university or college, full of sun, sea and for most bodybuilders and meatheads out there, its cutting season. Let’s break it down.

Supplementation – Check

High intensity workouts/circuits – Check

Cardio days – Check

Nutrition plan and meals prepped for the week – Check.

10 days of this seems a breeze so far. I can definitely do this for another 20. I’m hungry though?

How many of y’all had that saying in your head, or something similar to that. I have. The temptation is to hunt down the fridge/cabinets and get anything that fills your cravings! Don’t get me wrong, we all have cravings, its normal. Its OK to have a bit of junk here and there, to shock the body and get some new tastes and flavours.

But I’ve had 4 out of 6 meals, I can’t eat whatever I like, it doesn’t work with my macros!

Water!

Water is important, we all know that. But it’s a great way to know whether you’re hungry or not. Every time you want to wolf down food, drink a glass of water. Water has no calories and it refreshes the body. After that water, wait an hour. If you’re still hungry after that hour, you need food. With small frequent meals, its common for the brain to think that you haven’t had enough food. So drink some water to really tell yourself if you’re actually hungry.

So I’ve had water and I’m still hungry. Can I have that piece of pizza now?

Hold on there! Just because you now know you’re hungry that doesn’t mean you can eat till you fill that hole! Eat wisely. Choose fruits and nuts (and I don’t mean the ones in chocolate!). Almonds are high in fats and are small. Eat a handful to fill your cravings and you should be good from there. Eat fruit. Apples and Oranges may not be the most exciting thing, but its vitamin C. Be wary of this though. They have natural sugars. Sugars are sometimes good for bodybuilders but too much stores the excess sugar as fat (the opposite of cutting season I’m sure you’ll agree).

Cravings are normal. We all have them. And its OK to have cheat days. Most people would agree. But if you’re keeping the diet and meal plan strict, these are small ways of filling that hole and not breaking your macros. If these still aren’t working, you need to look over your meals and see whats in them. Complex carbs are a must to keep the body going for longer throughout the day.Try them and comment if you have any more tips.

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Sun Rays and Suicide Days

I don’t know about y’all outside the UK, but the weather has been mint! In my area of South East England, we know officially that summer has arrived! The old school term is always mentioned: Sun’s out? Gun’s out! And why wouldn’t you. If you’ve been busting your ass in the winter and spring, show the world what you’ve done!

But its summer, I’m not feeling the whole gym thing.

Perfectly understandable. The last thing you want in the summer is to be stuck indoors. That doesn’t mean your routine should suffer. Still keep hitting the gym like you do. But your workouts don’t always have to be indoors.

How does one do such a thing?

If you’re a keen gym goer like me (Meat Head), then you should be aware that the summer is for cut, and winter is for bulk. Getting cardio in is boring! I won’t lie. I find it long and boring. That treadmill is the most demotivating thing I can think of. Take your cardio outside! The suns out! Get out there and go for runs in the sun. You’ll do your cardio and get a rocking tan to help bring out those cut muscles. My favourite cardio exercise is suicides. Never heard of them? Check the video. I walk down to the park, step on the field and make my markers, using bags, t-shirts and hats. Suicide it out! Keep the intensity up and core tight. These are a great cardio exercise and can melt the fat off your body. This exercise is used a lot in basketball. NBA stars and insane cardio! Why? Because they have been hitting suicides since middle school!

This leads to my next point: Sports! The sun is out. The grass is green. Get out there and play sports. It’s a great cardio exercise and can really show what your body can do. It’s all fun and games if you look good. But looks can be deceiving. Your big triceps may not mean that they're powerful. Your hard cut abs may not mean you have a strong cardio. My favourite summer sport: Tennis! Works all muscles of the body, works your agility, and you can play it hours on end without getting tired.

Cardio is a long process and you probably won’t see results as quickly as you would if you were building muscle. But it works. And changing it up will make it a lot more interesting for you, where you’ll start to love it. Obviously, keep diet and supplementation up to scratch, and you’ll be shredded for summer!

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