Dre Delos Santos, CSCS

1. You can follow a well-designed training program to a T, but if you’re not doing the simple things such as drinking enough water and getting adequate rest, you’re just spinning your wheels.

2. It’s going to be hard, and it’s going to suck — there’s no easy way around it. Welcome and embrace the suck factor. Balance is to be appreciated, but recognize that to a certain extent you’re going to have to trend further away from that to get the desired result you’re looking for. Nothing amazing ever happens by staying in the middle. If you want to make significant changes in your appearance, suck it up.

I’m not saying you should suffer, but it’s foolish to think that it shouldn’t be difficult.

3. It’s a clear observation that completely disregarding the importance of proper nutrition is foolish, to say the least.  Look, I get it — it’s incredibly hard. But consider how many benefits have the potential to dramatically improve your physique and performance if your diet was on point.  Understand that there is a trade-off and you have to exercise serious discipline (not restriction).

4. At the risk of ruffling feathers, most folks would see promising results if they mitigated liquid calories (juices, alcohol, etc.) and increased their daily protein intake.

5. Progress takes time to manifest, and it’s no different than cooking up a fine meal in the kitchen. Don’t rush it. Be patient.

6. How many calories you burn in a workout pales in comparison to what you do the other 22-23 hours during the day. With that in mind, a lot who struggle to get lean overlook the value of daily activity.

As a frame of reference, my activity level is pretty darn high when you factor in my own training, and the hours I spend coaching my clients.  It’s the very reason why I have to eat a substantial amount of high quality calories in order to maintain my body composition. Now compare that to someone who works at a desk all day.

Get up, and get more movement in.

7.  Your environment can overwhelm you if you’re trying to improve your approach on the nutrition front. So, if you find yourself always hopping on and off the horse, you need to do a better job of preparing your meals ahead of time.

Here's a quick tip on fat loss: Prep your food – it's not a sexy answer, but it works. I'll be the first to tell you that eating out is far more enjoyable, but rarely does it provide you with significant changes in your appearance. If you do eat out, practice mindful eating and portion control. #ThatsAllFolks #Nutrition #Hawaii #mealprep

A post shared by Dre Delos Santos (@dredelossantos) on Mar 14, 2017 at 5:29pm PDT

8. We all have our trigger foods. We tell ourselves just a few bites, but they’re just too irresistible. As much as I love pizza, it doesn’t give me a solid ROI in terms of having a positive outcome on health and body composition because I just end up eating the whole box.  There’s no guilt, but that’s just way too many calories. If you can’t control your portions, look into the possibility of cutting it out (for the time being).

9. It doesn’t matter what training protocol you do. You can’t out-train a destructive lifestyle. Regardless of the training method, all you’re doing is breaking your body down.  What you do outside is going to dictate your results. If you live for the weekends, you’re not going to get anything in return.  Yes, there are people who can get away with eating crap, and getting minimal rest. But, there is a tipping point.

Good intentions and justifying yourself on social media doesn’t mean much. Consider the different elements in your lifestyle that are a hindrance. Work to gradually change them and in turn, you’ll maximize results in the gym.

Did what you just read make you better? Join my newsletter by clicking here because… you absolutely should.