With the Summer Season coming to a close it’s time to get back into the gym and start taking your workouts seriously. Now if you are a regular lifter or self-proclaimed “Gym Junkie” such as myself, you most likely already take your workouts seriously. And if you’re one of our clients, I can guarantee that you have no choice but to take your workouts seriously. But let’s be real – working out is the easy part. Okay, obviously it’s not easy if you are lifting hard and heavy but as most of you know the hardest part about working out is getting yourself to the workout itself. Once you are at the gym and committed to your training session, there is no going back and after a few sets in, your blood starts flowing, your adrenaline starts pumping and you usually have no desire to leave until you are truly finished anyways.

I’ve been lifting weights for over 15 years. I have been competing in bodybuilding shows for over 10 years as a NATURAL bodybuilder. I emphasize the word natural because to be brutally honest, training and dieting to get your body fat levels down to less then 5% without the use of performance enhancing drugs and illegal fat burners is incredibly difficult. Nevertheless as much pain and discomfort that I put my body through to get into competition shape I really do love the entire process. What started out as a hobby for me has now turned into quite the successful career. I love working with competitors, athletes and just everyday people looking to get into their best shape while staying active, healthy and fit.

Now if working out and exercising is the “easy part” then why do so many of us continue to struggle with our weight? I must admit that when I first started training I found myself looking in the mirror questioning as to why I bothered going to the gym everyday to workout when the results that I desired were not always there or coming on as fast as I would have liked them to. I remember trying to switch up my training programs on a regular basis to help “shock” my body into forcing change and producing results. Didn’t work. I then decided to reduce my volume in the gym and play with my rep scheme while only doing 6 reps for every exercise that I performed. My strength went up a little bit, but my outer appearance still looked the exact same. I even went to the measures of purchasing outrageously overpriced, over-marketed, and incredibly useless over-the-counter supplements. All I got from those were bad heart burn and a little bit of gas.

I’m sure most people reading this can relate to the above. It’s normal to hit a plateau with your training and want to try something new to mix things up. Then why is it that the number one thing that we most likely need to change is the one thing we cannot or don’t want to change? You know what I’m referring to. The thing that we spend a good portion of our day doing. The thing that can make you feel satisfied and happy, or the thing that can make you feel irritable and miserable. I’m talking about your diet.

I believe that a individual’s diet is very personal to them. Therefore I only offer to assist and pass along my recommendations and advice to clients about their own diets when asked for my help. I don’t preach about healthy eating on a regular basis. As someone who has struggled in the past with food issues I can completely relate and therefore understand how difficult and challenging it can be to change one’s eating habits.

I can however tell you first hand that switching up my own diet plan was what I needed to do to create the additional changes to my physique and to continuously produce and achieve results in the gym. Changing my eating habits was by far one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. When I first started lifting my diet was terrible. I ate foods that were convenient which usually meant processed meats, frozen dinners and high sugary snacks. All of which offered little to no nutritional value whatsoever. Frustrated with my lack of results in the gym and constant fluctuating energy levels outside of the gym I realized it was time to sit down and do some homework on proper nutrition.

Most people who know me know that my diet is quite boring. However in my defense this is the diet that works best for me. I provide my body with the complex carbohydrates that it requires for energy, enough healthy fats to make sure that my brain is functioning properly and adequate amounts of lean proteins to make sure that my muscles are fed and do not break down or resort to catabolism. No, my diet is by no means perfect. Yes, I do like to have the occasional slice of pizza or bowl of ice cream and No, I don’t feel guilty when I “cheat” on my diet. What I do like about my particular diet is that I don’t need to worry about out-of-control insulin levels due to a nasty sugar addiction or having to rely on a caffeine kick to help me get through my day, or not being able to sleep properly because my hormonal levels are out of balance caused by a lack of proper nutrition. Boring sure, but this is what works best for me.

So what about your diet? Are you 100% satisfied with your eating habits? Forget about looking good in a bikini or having a a chiseled six pack to show off at the pool. How do feel throughout the majority of your day? Tired? Irritable? Depressed? Many of us believe that these emotions are caused by stressful lifestyles, high demanding careers, and hectic schedules. However have you ever sat back and monitored what exactly you are putting into your body each day? The nutrients found in foods play a significant role on not just our bodies, but also our minds and well-being.

As I mentioned earlier, my diet isn’t perfect, but who’s really is? My theory on nutrition is that as long as my body is functioning properly, my energy levels are relatively high for most of the day, and my mental state is intact, then I must be doing something right. My original reason for changing my eating habits was out of pure vanity. Now that I’m older and perhaps a little bit wiser my main reason for continuing along with my strict eating habits is mostly out of humility and the desire to live a longer and healthier life. I rarely feel tired, I can’t remember the last time I got sick and I’m extremely proud to say that I have no recollection of what a Pop Tart or Big Mac tastes like.

Perfect may not exist. However that doesn’t mean that a person cannot strive for perfection. And this is what I continue to do each and everyday. Not just with my diet, but with the way I live my life on a daily basis. Always trying to move two steps forward for every one step back is progress. If all you do is move one step forward and then take one step back each day then you are just repeating the same actions day in and day out hoping for a different result. And that is what I believe is called – Insanity…..

Surely you are not insane, are you?

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove