Guide to Getting Your Fitness Started…Even When You’re Busy AF

Being located in one of the busiest hubs in the world (downtown Boston) we’ve worked with some of the busiest humans on the planet.  And you know what?

Even when they were at their busiest, they were able to decrease body fat, get healthy AF, and develop THEIR level of fitness in order to live their best lives.

It just takes a little strategy, a super simple fitness plan, manageable nutrition habits, and we of course recommend a knowledgeable coach to help guide you along the way.

What you will learn:

  • A better approach to getting started
  • Where to get the best advice
  • How to stick with your goals beyond day 1

“I can’t believe pants I bought just last year don’t fit anymore.”

This is part of a conversation I had with one of our new members who is turning 40 this year and hadn’t worked out since college.  Great job, married, two kids, and incredibly busy with obligations and #LifeStuff.

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After gaining 30lbs since college, the straw that broke the camels back was having to go back to the store in less than 12months for a new pair of pants.  Admittedly, they knew they should have done something sooner but as most people know, it’s just hard.

And that’s just what they were seeing on the outside.  We all know the other effects of lack of exercise and poor diet: high blood pressure, risk for heart disease, chronic fatigue, depression in some, and increased stress.  

What was their biggest concern?

Time.

That’s it.  Where would they find the time to fit exercise and nutrition planning into their hectic schedule?

It’s something I hear from 99.9% of our members and understandably so.  They’re all GREAT humans and face similar struggles.  They’re all very successful in their careers and are in the stage of family planning or are still having fun (sometimes too much) living in the city.

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Where do they find the time?

My answer is simple… but it does take a little strategizing up front to be successful.

Even the BUSIEST people are able to manage hectic lives while nailing their health and hotness goals.

I know because I’m one of them.

I’m married, have a young one on the way (at the time of writing this), manage and lead a growing business, and all the other things that go along with being an adult keep my schedule pretty booked.  And because it’s important to my success, I still manage to make health and fitness a priority.

It helps that I’ve built a business that has a team of coaches that helps hundreds of other busy, high-stress people get their fitness to optimal levels to live their best life.  

We’ve figured out that there’s no ‘one right way’ but we’ve figured out a few things along the way.  If you’re in the Boston area and are interested in looking and feeling your best again, we’d love to help.


Do you have limited time but want to do SOMETHING to get fit?

Grab your copy of our FREE Strategic Fitness Guide for Busy Humans!


Start with a better perspective…

Here’s one of the first things we tell our new members (besides get ready to have fun!): You don’t need to train 2hrs a day, 5 days per week, and kill yourself to get in the best shape.

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Who has the time and the energy for that?

It may have worked at one point when we DID have the time and energy but those are resources that most of us DON’T have anymore.  Myself included.

But what I’ve found people tend to do when they’re getting back into it is take that approach.  It will certainly ‘feel’ like you’re getting shit done but chances are you’re going to burn out fast.  It’s simply not sustainable.

It may have worked at one point…but once you hit that 30yr (or more) marker our metabolism slows down, injuries creep up and our bodies need something a bit more strategic.

(Speaking of injuries, if you’re plagued by chronic pain and that is your fitness roadblock, here’s a post to help understand and address pain to stay fit.)

By now I’m sure you’re wondering what exactly it is that we do different for our busy members.  Well…

1.  We start with a simple, less time-consuming fitness plan tailored to the individual.  

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Instead of going HAM (Hard as A Mother), we start by helping you just get started with the time you DO have.  It may seem like you SHOULD be doing more but the first thing we have to build is something sustainable that you can do consistently.  

It’s important to note: More ≠ Better

In fact, here’s where most of our members start:

  • 1-2 x 60 minute metabolic resistance training sessions – we combine bodyweight, weights, cardio, and some fun stuff.
  • Maybe 1-2 x 15 minute home bodyweight sessions – either a basic circuit or traditional cardio.
  • 1 x 60min – fun (and active) activities with friends/family each week

So, rather than burying yourself with 6+ hrs of gym time – plus travel and changing – you get moving with less than 3 hours, most of it from home.  

BONUS:  You get to do some fun stuff, too!

Sound a bit more reasonable?

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Now, chances are your schedule fluctuates from week to week.  I know mine does like whoah.  But since you can do most of it on your own schedule it’s easy to adjust.  Some weeks will be better than others but that’s part of the game of life.  Accept it and keep on keepin’ on.

I know, I know.  It doesn’t sound like much.  But it truly is the formula we’ve used with hundreds of our members.  

It does help that we design the programs but we’re sure you can find a knowledgeable coach in most areas.  And when in doubt, you can always use the interwebz to find a distance coach or online program to help you stay accountable and doing the right things to get fantastic results!

2. Seek out better nutrition advice from a qualified coach.

The exercise stuff is SUPER important to help you move and feel your best but if you’re looking to drop weight, nutrition is going to be your golden ticket.

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And the most important thing to understand is…

You can’t out train your diet.

Yes, it’s that important.

A lot has changed over the years including a lot of the nutrition myths around weight loss.  Low carb, low fat, 6 small meals, ketogenic, high protein, Atkins, Zone and more… they all work.  But aren’t necessary.

The most important factor will come down to calorie intake but we take it one step further and just start with a few simple habits.

Let’s face it, when you’re already super busy, who has the time to measure things out, make special meals, and change your whole lifestyle?  Big changes all at once tend to do more harm than good and more often than not aren’t sustainable.

You can start by simply adding a multivitamin.  It won’t be what creates fat loss but it is something you CAN control and it’s a start.  Once you nail that (give it 2 weeks) you can introduce a new small habit you have control over.

Here are a few we use with our nutrition coaching clients:

  • chewing more slowly
  • eating until your 75% full
  • choosing more vegetables when food shopping
  • planning your meals 1 day a week
  • consuming protein with each meal

The list goes on.  Here are some habits will help you change

  • how you’re eating
  • what you’re eating
  • how much you’re eating
  • when you’re eating

That way you’re able to build off each habit until, well, it’s your new habit.  If you’re looking for sustainable change (I have a feeling you are) this is what we’ve found best for most people.  You don’t need a complete overhaul just small changes over time.

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The key: we don’t try to change too much at once.

Small, strategic changes will go almost unnoticeable in the moment BUT, at the end of a year, you’ll find that your habits will be very different.  And so will your body.

3. Just like running a business, outsource as much as you can.

This becomes increasingly important as responsibilities and stress pile up.  We all like to think we’re the kind of person that can white-knuckle it and do all the things on our own.

It just doesn’t make sense – we have more important things to be doing.  Like running a business, taking care of our family, or partying somewhere in the Bahamas.

I’m sure there was a time when you had time to read, research, and experiment with various exercise and nutrition plans you cut out of a magazine and kudos if you still do.  (although a good coach will get your farther #WinkyFace)

Most of us need a little help getting things done and that’s where I recommend outsourcing.

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Personally, I’m in my mid-30s now, focused on being a good partner, getting ready to do my best as a parent, building an incredible business, being an adult (doing not-so-fun adult things) and just living my best life.  Even I don’t have the time and mental energy so I have a coach to write MY training programs.

Yup, it’s that important!

Being a fitness professional I have most of it figured out but do I really need to spend more time figuring out ‘the next best thing’ for me?  Probably not.

And neither do you.

It just makes sense to outsource your fitness to someone who can do the thinking and planning for you.  The only thing that’s up to you is the DOING.  It is why our members come to us and why they stay.  

I saw such incredible success in improving my lifestyle and found myself eating better, listening to my body and looking way better without a shirt on.
– Josh

Check out Josh’s story.  He yo-yoed with his fitness for years and shortly after he started training at AMP said his game changer was having a program.  

He trusted in the coaching process and has been nailing his fitness goals every since without stressing and agonizing every step of the way.

You got this!

It all comes down to three things:

  1. A simplified fitness plan
  2. Strategic nutrition habits
  3. A knowledgeable coach or expert program

That’s it.

Even if you’re busier than ever, you CAN decrease body fat, get healthy AF, and live YOUR best life.

If you’re lie our members, and have struggled to get started on your health and fitness journey, we’d love to help.

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Even if you’re not in the Boston area, we’re sure we can help you find somewhere close to you by putting out what we like to call the Trainer Bat Signal.  Seriously, whether you train at AMP or not, we encourage you do do something.  ANYTHING.

Time is our most valuable resource and you may be busy now but you’ll have plenty of it later…and before you know it, 30 extra pounds could be 40, then 50.  We KNOW bad things happen when you don’t take care of yourself.

So, now do you think 2-3hrs a week is a big investment?  Now just think of the cost of doing nothing.  Scary, right?

The most important part… GET STARTED

If you’d like some guidance, have some fun getting your fitness on, and be part of an incredibly inclusive and nurturing community that’s totally our thing!  And we’d love to meet you and help.

In fact, we have a program for anyone who is just getting started (or changing things up) on their fitness journey.  It’s called Superhero University (goofy name, we know) and it’s our 30-day risk-free membership.  No commitment and 100% money back if you’re not having fun and getting results.  

You can check that out here:

And if you’re totally interested and would like to just hear more, tell us a little about yourself and we’ll let you know if training at First Guess Fitness is the right fit for you.