Mastering fitness habits is the key to crushing your goals and gaining lasting results to boost your health and quality of life.

Habits are things you do without making new decisions. For Andrew, his four healthy habits are walking, food choices, sleep, and training.

He can go on auto-pilot in these areas, which automatically bring him toward his health and fitness goals.

Niki's dog died recently. No one would have blamed her for not training. For Niki, however, it was not only important to maintain the habit but it actually provided an emotional outlet, where she could get out of the house and get out of her mind and do something healthy for herself.

This does not mean black-and-white rigid programs. It does not mean if you do not do your 3x5 low bar squats, 3x5 bench press, and 1x5 deadlift with at least 5 minutes of rest you are not doing the program and have failed and are a bad person.

Rather, you incorporate walking regularly as part of your day. Most of the time that means at least 10,000 steps for Andrew, but sometimes that is unrealistic.

On vacation, for example, he continues to train, but workouts will tend to be shorter with less volume and less weight.

Sleep may become a lower priority on vacations, but it is not completely ignored and certain actions that help Andrew sleep better will be maintained.

Habits do not restrict freedom they create it.

Do you feel free when you cannot say no to the office donuts or that second or third drink or have to go through the drive through on your way home from work? Is this freedom?

No, freedom is not choice. Freedom is the ability to do what you want, in line with your values. If you want to be healthier and more capable, and be able to do more, you have to regularly train, sleep, and eat well.

Mastering fitness habits is not complicated, but it's not easy. Learn some tips to crush your health and fitness goals.

PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.

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Learn why you should walk more, how it improves your health, mindfulness, and quality of life. Don't eschew this pedestrian but effective fitness tool.

A good reason why you should walk more is because it provides many health & fitness benefits.

Andrew mentions a study that shows that the benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day equates to, essentially, a "change in effective years" of 8 years. To simplify, it equates to making you 8 years younger than you otherwise would be.

Now, it is easy to draw too much from studies, but what is clear is that walking was correlated with positive health outcomes. Walking is accessible to almost all people, usually exposes you to the sun and gets you out from behind screens, and gives you time to think about things.

Another reason why you should walk more is the benefits to your mental health. Walking gets you away from screens and your everyday problems. Creating this time and space to do something else let's you think or do other important activities such as think, talk, or listen to a podcast or audiobook.

Walking is a great activity to do with deep work. You can decide to take a break from the urgent and focus on the important, while doing something physical.

Why you should walk more!? Because it's all-around good for you.

PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.

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Learn about how Jack Armstrong, BLOC client, completed the Three Peaks Challenge for charity. You can donate to the cause here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/daniel-surphlis-1718352507474

Jack Armstrong, BLOC client, competed the Three Peaks Challenge. The challenge involves climbing the 3 highest peaks in Scotland, England, and Wales, along with driving to the peaks, within 24 hours.

Jack's training had to change, with much higher volume at low intensity and ensuring that his back (which can act up with heavy deadlifts and squats) was healthy.

He also hiked regularly.

The event itself was one long, hard day, and the team only failed to complete the challenge under time because they got stuck in traffic (but they ascended and descended the hills under their planned time).

Despite the rain, wind, cold, hail, and physical pain, this - being stuck in traffic - was the most painful moment of the day.

If you want to help donate to the hospital where Margot, who has cancer, is being treated, you can give here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/daniel-surphlis-1718352507474

PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.

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Subscribe to the Build Your Business podcast hosted by Matt & Chris Reynolds, who help you overcome the fears, unknowns, and challenges of business ownership.

Learn more about Ryan Matt Reynolds.

Learn more about Chris Reynolds, CEO & Founder of Surton.

If you have a skill or passion you're good at, you may have been told, or you may have considered, turning it into a business. Many coaches began as fitness enthusiasts who wanted to help others get stronger and healthier. That's great.

If you sell you services, however, you are a business owner. If you are a business owner, you have to work as the owner, manager, and technician in the business.

The technician is the role you're probably thinking about. You're the coach, power washer, baker, etc.

You have to run and oversee the business. This is the management and ownership.

Many businesses fail because they fail to do this.

Don't be saddled with the anxiety that comes from being a new business owner. Learn advice from Matt & Chris, who have nearly 40 years of business ownership between them.

Subscribe to the Build Your Business podcast at turnkey.coach/build

Struggling to get back into the gym after a long break? Learn how to overcome mental and physical challenges and restart your fitness journey with our beginner's guide.

You went on a vacation, got sick, had a baby, were injured, or had your gym closed down. How do you get back to working out regularly?

Niki and Andrew first, of course, recommend that you probably want to avoid this situation if you can. Even if it's just some light bodyweight exercises, this is significantly better than no exercise.

The hardest aspect of this is in your head.

Once you take a break longer than about 3-5 days, you will find a significant decrease in performance. Because of this, you will have to deal address your expectations for what your body can do based on its past performance versus its current performance.

Focus on the habit of training and identify yourself as a lifter - you are someone who strength trains.

Lastly, remember that you are moving toward your goal, but that it will likely take longer than you would like (but in the grand scheme of things it will not take that long).

As you have to adjust your mindset, you also need to adjust the weight and volume. Begin with lower volume and lower weight. It is much better to err on the side of too light than too heavy. It will help you ease back into the program, build confidence, and enjoy the quick gains from the lower weight as opposed to quickly missing reps because you tried to begin as close to your limit as possible.

Expect that your second workout or second day at the gym will be harder than the first. Especially with the squat, you will experience soreness.

Remember that movement will help with soreness. Enjoy the shock to your system.

Beginning your strength training routine after a break should not be scary. Take it easy, adjust your mindset, and get back in the gym!

Share your experience with returning to the gym after a long break.

PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.

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Should I lift if I'm tired? It depends, on your tendencies, goals, experience, normal state, and more. We help you answer for yourself if you should lift today.

You're going to feel tired sometimes. What do you do if you feel tired? Should you train?

It depends.

Niki recently felt tired and ended up taking a nap instead of training. She has learned, over years and decades of training, that this occurs regularly, she knows she will train the next day. Niki loves training and knows she will train the next day.

You may begin to find similar patterns. Remember, though, most people seek to avoid training, so know your tendencies.

Andrew shares a different experience, where for a long period of time he was sleep-deprived and always tired. He has had to learn, over time, that he would feel better after training, but he also had to reduce the expectations. If he never trained when he was tired, he would never exercise. Expecting the weight to go up every workout, however, is creates a loop of disappointment, guilt, and can lead to missed training.

Regardless of your decision, you have to own your decision and your training. If you skip today, own it, know why you did it, and do not let it break your training habit.

If you train, own that as well. Expecting PRs or the prescribed weight and volume may be counterproductive. Rather, aim to maintain the habit.

This is about behaviors and patterns that contribute to your quality of life and long-term goals. This is not about hacks, short cuts, or other snake oil. You have to put in the work over the long haul.

Should I train if I am tired? Find out!

PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.

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Learn how to get your back back after a chronic injury. It takes patience, focus on recovery, and a focus on what is truly important.

You have to remember what your goal is. What matters most to you?

Niki had an emotional attachment, built over years with baked-in assumptions she had to reevaluate, about the need for the weight on the bar to go up on a few lifts in a limited rep range.

She had to ditch this as the metric that mattered.

What she REALLY wanted was to build muscle mass, enjoy the gym, and limit or eliminate pain. Dreading the gym and waking up in pain every morning was not working.

Do you HAVE to deadlift to build muscle mass? No you do not. We love the deadlift, but if the deadlift is causing you to hate your workouts and be in pain all the time, then it is not moving you closer to your goals and you should ditch the deadlift.

Niki also decided to stop BJJ. While she enjoyed it, she was underrecovered and it was not bringing her closer to her most important goals.

Instead of lifting heavy, Niki had to reduce stress and prioritize recovery. This first looked like lighter bodyweight and light implement movements. Then it moved onto machines. For Niki, the jump to machines was huge, because she was able to train hard without making her back worse.

Ironically, the crooked path toward her goal has brought her closer to PRs than the path of beating her head (or maybe her back) against the wall of pain, frustration, and trying to do the program.

She had to train curious and see if the exercise hurt, be ready to modify the weight or range of motion. She had to emotionally detach from weight on the bar. She had to rather focus on other things - did she wake up in pain. Did her back hurt during the workout?

Waking up without pain was a win aligned with her goals that was worth celebrating.

Learn how to get your back back.

PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.

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Prioritizing your health helps boost all other priorities in your life. Respect yourself and your boundaries and learn how to prioritize your health, no matter what.

Do not allow work travel or other obligations cause you to abandon your priorities. If you lose your health your work and those other responsibilities will suffer.

Prioritizing your health means understanding this is important to you and putting time and effort into it, even when time and effort is severely limited.

When you fail to prioritize your health, not only does your work suffer, but you will likely feel growing resentment, as you have failed to defend your goals and have your actions reflect your core values.

For Andrew and Niki, investing in health during travel looks like consistently getting to the gym, maintaining a habit of walking, and picking better food choices.

This does not mean two hour workouts or the same diet one might eat during a strenuous cut.

It means, however, ensuring you maintaining the habit of exercise and working toward your goals. It means attempting to get 10,000 steps. It means looking for healthier food options, prioritizing protein and fiber insofar as you can.

You cannot completely let your guard down. You cannot relax your standards with reckless abandon. This is not how you accomplish your goals long-term.

This is especially important and true if you travel regularly.

Prioritizing your health means respecting yourself, your goals, and your boundaries.

PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.

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• Podcast Webpage
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• Or email podcast@barbell-logic.com