"You string a bunch of days of quality, efficient action together, and you can be successful." - Kai Greene
That quote was taken from an article that I read in a magazine article, and to me it couldn't have been said any better. This is the number one reason I'm able to continuously make progress. As I've said before, consistency is key, but it's consistently doing the correct things that is key. I had a discussion with one of my clients during our session, and she is the type of person that always tells me that she wants this or wants that. For example, she wants a firmer and more shapely ass, better hamstrings, tighter midsection, but her biggest obstacle is not being able to put the amount of work, sacrifice, and dedication to obtain these goals. Nutrition and social drinking is her main setback, and I told her that she would be surprised at what she would look like if she just dedicated herself to burning the fat off. Her response was that her nutrition was better and that during the week she eats healthy but on the weekends she eats whatever. That's taking one step forward but two steps back. YOU CANNOT OUTWORK A POOR DIET. I'm going to stop rambling on about this because I think you get the point that there are no shortcuts, no magic supplements you can take, and no other substitute for being consistent with doing the right things day in and day out.
Here are some tips to make sure you stay on track and head in the right direction in YOUR physique building journey:
Construct a Plan - Depending on whatever your goals might be - whether to add lean mass or to preserve what lean mass you have - while stripping away all of the fat you have to have a logical plan. The Internet is full of information along with books and magazines. Educate yourself and don't be afraid to experiment. Have a picture in your mind of what you want your physique to look like and remember that each day you can take a step towards that. Every rep of every set of every exercise will count towards your goals.
Nutrition - Something that I should have paid more attention to in my earlier stages of building my physique is the importance of proper nutrition. Look at nutrition as your fuel and building blocks. If you don't have proper nutrition and perfect it over time, then it's like trying to build a house with no materials.
Monitor progress - Take progress pictures and body measurements to make sure your heading in the right direction with what you have planned out. Don't rely on the scale or the mirror or what your friends might say. Be real with yourself and you will know what you need to improve on when you review the pictures. I suggest taking pictures every few weeks.
Patience - One of my biggest screw-ups in the past was not giving something enough time to work. Take a slow approach to everything because there is no quick fix that is permanent. You have to look at every day as an opportunity to get yourself a step closer to your goals. You can make excuse after excuse, but you’re only cheating yourself. If you want it bad enough you will have the dedication and discipline it takes to build the physique you've always wanted.