Knowing what you know now as to where you are currently at in life, if you could go back in time and give your younger self any advice what would it be? The other day I found myself asking my Dad this very same question and his response got me to thinking about how the decisions and actions that I make today will impact the life I live tomorrow. I’ve never been shy to ask my parents for their advice or for their opinions when it comes to making decisions about finances, investments, relationships and other issues that may arise in my life. They are older, they are wiser and they have much more life experience then I do. So why wouldn’t I ask them for their thoughts and opinions, especially when I know that they always have my best interest in mind?

We all make mistakes. The important thing is that we learn from these mistakes and not make them again. Unfortunately many people have difficulty learning and/or listening well and continue to make the same mistakes over the course of their lifetime. I myself have been guilty of this on a few occasions which is why I’ve always looked for advice and assistance from others who are more knowledgeable and experienced then I am in certain subjects and areas of life.

When it comes to the topic of health and fitness I would consider myself to be somewhat of an expert in this field. Ofcourse there are plenty of people who know more then I do about losing body fat, building muscle and living a healthy and active lifestyle however this does not negate from my own knowledge, experience and level of expertise that I have acquired throughout the past 18 years of being involved in this industry. So with that said, I would like to offer you the reader a few pieces of advice with regards to transforming your own physique and becoming more fit and healthy that I too would go back and share with the younger version of myself. I offer this advice in hopes that you don’t waste so much time, energy and money on fitness fads and fancy training gimmicks that offer little to no results in return.

Time Saving Tips to a Healthier & More Fit Physique

Don’t Search for the Perfect Diet – Don’t search for it because it doesn’t exist. It’s important to understand your body and learn how it responds to different foods. It’s also important to have a basic understanding of proper nutrition and how to implement certain macronutrients into your plan so that you continue to reach your desired training goals. Diet is like training – what works for one person may not and mostly likely will not work for someone else. Find a formula that works for you or enlist in the services of a professional who can help you find that formula faster. Tailor your diet to fit your lifestyle so that you’re able to maintain it for life and not just for a few short weeks.

Don’t Spend Your Life in the Gym – More is always better right? WRONG. Especially when it comes to intense physical exercise. I can’t tell you how many people I see spending hours upon hours in the gym. Honestly if you are able to train longer then 60-80 minutes, you are most likely not training hard enough. Biomechanics and the study of anatomy and physiology has proven time and time again that muscle growth responds best to intense physical forced repetition. Well you can’t do intense repetitions for 5 hours straight. After a certain period of time if you are training hard and heavy enough your body will just give out. At which point you are just overworking your central nervous system and causing mental exhaustion while risking injury. Keep your workouts short and intense for maximum gains and increased results.

Don’t Keep Looking for the Next Best Thing – In a recent blog titled “Why The Grass is Not Always Greener on the Other Side” I discussed society’s obsession with always wanting the next best thing without ever realizing they might already have the best thing going. Keep this in mind when you’ve hit a plateau with your training and are looking for a solution to continue to achieve results. Yes, it’s important to switch things up to shock the body to grow but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to fire your current trainer, or go join a ridiculously over-priced health club, or do a cleanse, or do a complete overhaul and 180 with your training. If and when you hit a plateau use logic and common sense to figure out as to why you hit that plateau. Have you stopped gaining muscle because of your training program? Or have you stopped gaining muscle because you rest too long between your sets taking gym selfies and texting to you bff?

Don’t Act Before You Think – I always think each workout through methodically before I get to the gym. I know exactly which muscle group I’m going to focus on as well as which exercises that I’m going to complete during my training session long before the session even begins. I also stress the importance of this “thinking-before-you-act” concept to my clients. Every single one of my clients who enters the gym knows exactly as to which area of the body we are focusing on for each specific workout. They may not know all the exercises that we are going to do however they understand the importance of creating that strong mind to muscle connection that I always speak of which in turn greatly helps improve their workouts. To be able to think clearly, one must be able to focus fully. Therefore there is no texting, tweeting, hashtaging or 20 minute water cooler conversations to be held during our workouts. If you take your results seriously then you will take your workouts seriously as well.

I will say this without arrogance – I believe that I am one of the best fitness professionals within our industry today. Not only do I preach a fit and healthy lifestyle, I practice it on a daily basis. I work between 10-14 hours per day training clients, designing online workout & nutritional programs, and taking care of all the administration work that comes along with running a small business. I also find time to stay updated with any new studies and research that are relevant to my clients’ goals and health issues/physical limitations.
And once this has all been taken care of, then my own workout begins. And I can tell you with 100% certainty that I don’t do “light workouts” or “stretching sessions”. And the only time my phone makes an appearance during my workout is to change a song on my playlist. I’m focused, I’m zoned in, I’m ready to go.

So I guess if I could go back in time and give my younger self only one piece of advice when it comes to diet and exercise it would be to……”Enjoy the Process”. Every mistake that I ever made with my own training and dieting taught me valuable lessons and ones that I will never forget. This in turn has allowed me to share my thoughts, opinions and experience with others and has given me an abundance of time to work on my craft as a fitness leader, motivator and educator.

“Forgive yourself for not having the foresight to know what now seems so obvious in hindsight”
Judy Belmont

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove