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Tracking Macros for Fat Loss (10 Tips That Make it EASY)

Tracking Macros for Fat Loss (10 Tips That Make it EASY)

by | Jun 8, 2025 | Blog, Diet

Tracking macros is tedious. It’s boring and can definitely feel overwhelming to start.

But it is also the most effective way to understand your diet and be able to adjust based on your needs and goals.

What gets measured gets managed.

That’s why I wanted to share 10 macro hacks that have helped me track more easily to see the results I wanted over the last decade.

These tips have saved my butt over the years when I’ve wanted to give up.

They’re how I’ve gotten consistent and stayed consistent with my nutrition to get leaner and stronger and feel my most fabulous!

So Tip #1: Plan in what you want FIRST!

Usually when we think about making a change to our diet, we think about what we need to cut out.

Often that’s the thing we love most.

This is why we keep going ON a diet to only FALL OFF our diet.

We restrict over finding balance.

When I changed my approach to include the thing I wanted, especially to start, I found changes were easier to embrace.

I then realized if I did cut something out, it was fully my CHOICE.

I didn’t feel deprived and I could strike a balance.

So plan in something you love then work backward to plan in other meals around it.

You’ll be amazed at the balance you can strike and how changes don’t have to feel like choosing between results and enjoying life.

Tip #2: Track without changes.

This tip also helps you find a true lifestyle balance and evolve your diet over time to match your needs and goals even as they change.

Because there is no one single ideal ratio or calorie intake.
Too often we also try to force dietary changes that don’t even seem to be in the same galaxy as what we are used to, which makes them feel even more impossible to hit.

So instead of trying to shoot for some goal ideal, focus on tracking what you’re currently doing to then adjust.

But even just tracking alone creates some accountability and often makes us realize some easy changes we even WANT to make.

It shifts our mindset about tracking to make it feel more doable as well.

It makes tracking not about restriction but just about understanding.

And once we know where we are starting from, we can then adjust!

Tip #3: Buy frozen and canned ingredients.

Frozen and canned goods can be clean ingredients that don’t spoil. Just look for quality brands.

Frozen fruits and veggies are even often picked at the peak of ripeness so super nutrient dense.

And they don’t go bad so we can slightly over buy to never run out.

Knowing you always have staples you can quickly even heat in the microwave makes it easy to have pre-planned options that you can go to in a pinch or when short on time.

They even make for quick meal prep on the busiest of busy days.

So buy things that are always there for you and have go-to recipes for them to bust your own excuses of you don’t have healthy foods on hand or something to quickly grab!

Tip #4: Bulk prep single ingredients.

Bulk meal prep also helps you always have something on hand.

But too often we see meal prep as only fully prepped boring meals we repeat daily for an entire week…

And too often we end up not wanting to eat what we made and sabotaging ourselves going off plan.

Instead of prepping full meals, bulk prep basic ingredients.

Bake a ton of chicken breast or another protein to have on hand.

Make it simply seasoned so you can add sauces and other things to it based on what you want that day.

Then set a grocery list to have other staples to add diversity.

Maybe you put it one day with frozen sweet potatoes you have and broccoli.

Or you prep it into tacos with the corn tortillas you have.

Or you put it in a burrito bowl or stir fry.

But you can easily have some sides and sauces on hand to add diversity while simplifying meal prep to have something quick always on hand!

Tip #5: Plan in protein first.

I mentioned bulk prepping protein on it’s own specifically too because protein truly is key. And increasing protein is often the hardest part.

But the more you have it prepped and even planned into your day first, knowing what portions you would need at each meal to rock your macros, the more quickly you will feel successful with macros and the easier you will find balance.

Around those portions you can then tweak your carbs and fats to build out different recipes.

And you may even find that at times you only focus on a protein goal and calorie cap.

This minimalist approach can lead to you ultimately tracking more consistently even through busy or stressful times when you usually wouldn’t track at all…and often turn to some self sabotage with your diet!

Tip #6: Tweak before you freak!

There will be days you don’t plan well.

Days you forget your meal prep.

End up going out to lunch with friends.

Have that random event or party pop up.

And all of a sudden, your macros are a bit out of whack.

Don’t freak…tweak!

Adjust later meals to see how you can still get close over feeling like you’ve ruined the day.

That’s where even that bulk protein prep can come in handy to tweak your carbs and fat around it with different dish ideas.

Maybe even adjust your expectations and only focus on your protein and calories if your carbs and fats will be off to still hit a minimum.

Heck even just log it and stay within calories for the accountability and later go back and adjust the day to see how you could work something like that in in the future to have a game plan for next time.

But no matter what, don’t feel guilty.

Learn from it and use it as an opportunity to tweak and adjust and see what you can do.

Even if you don’t end up exactly hitting your macros, the feeling of you adjusted to do what you could often is enough to keep you on track, consistent and in the frame of mind to move forward over sabotaging yourself with guilt!

Tip #7: Get creative!

When we think “eat healthy,” “count macros,” often we think BORING FOOD.

But that doesn’t have to be the case at all.

We don’t have to be chowing down on chicken and broccoli as our family enjoys a delicious meal.

Instead have some fun being creative thinking about meals and events you enjoy.

Want to make a taco dinner for your family? Why not make it a build your own taco bar? That way you can measure out exactly what you need while all enjoying a fun dinner together?

Or always have pizza on Friday night?

Instead of avoiding it, why not try a make your own? Or why not adjust your meals earlier to be lower in calorie and higher in protein so you can have a slice or two even with a side salad?

Instead of just restricting, get creative in how you can also enjoy things even if the exact way you do things evolves.

Even find fun new ways to involve in cooking new recipes that work for all of you.

Or even enjoy dinners out by planning them in first like I recommended with tip #1!

But see opportunity in something new over focusing on how what you used to do doesn’t work in exactly the same way!

Tip #8: Find restaurants to pre-log.

Like going out to dinner? Don’t always want to cook? Have some friends you just seem to always be eating out with?

Instead of feeling like the person always on a diet or like you can’t go out to eat and always have to cook, instead find some staple places you can plan around with dishes you enjoy.

Many restaurants have nutritional information now on their websites. And for those that don’t, look up a common recipe with macros for the dish you want and enter that so you can work backward around it to plan your day.

But the more you have some things already mapped in and even dishes at restaurants you know you can make work, the more you’ll see the freedom tracking can provide while also holding you accountable and moving forward toward your goals.

No it may not be exact, but the more you do consistently, the more you can adjust and tweak.

So if you love Mexican food but go to different restaurants, find a staple dish you enjoy, like chicken fajitas, and a recipe with macros to use to log.

That way you can have a game plan and even have restaurants to suggest when friends want to go out for dinner!

While it may not be as precise as eating at home, the consistency of it will add up but also allow you to find a balance long term.

Too often we don’t find what we can do for long enough for results to snowball.

We just try to out restrict ourselves which is why we always end up regaining the weight and more!

You can’t sprint to start a marathon or you’ll potentially sabotage yourself from ever finishing!

Tip #9: Make leftovers.

Leftovers can not only simplify tracking as that dish can be saved for quick logging next time, but leftovers are also a great way to have meal prep always on hand.

Now if you don’t like eating the same thing multiple days in a row, you can still use leftovers to your advantage – just find ones that freeze well.

I love freezing meals to save for when I know I’ll be super busy even a week later and potentially want the dish again.

You can even prep your meals so your leftovers aren’t saved as just one meal but individual ingredients to repurpose in different ways.

Making that stir fry for dinner, prep ingredients, with leftover portions separately, to throw together all at the end. That way you can even freeze the cooked chicken or sliced vegetables in separate containers to use in different ways next time.

But if you’re cooking, make extra! It can make hitting your macros easier and keep you on track even during busy times!

Tip #10: Give yourself fun challenges.

Hitting your macros can get boring after awhile…which is funny since it can be so overwhelming to start.

We also don’t really do well with the idea of doing the same thing forever.

We get the itch for new or better.

So as you track, give yourself other little areas to focus on.

Maybe you try to include more fruit and vegetable diversity.

Or you focus on fiber more.

Or you focus on different micros.

Or maybe you focus on better food quality one week or working in more foods you love the next even if they aren’t as healthy.

All of this creates balance and enjoyment.

Maybe one week you challenge yourself to make all new recipes while the next you see how lazy you can be with meal prep.

The key is finding ways to make things fun, mix things up and even address what you mentally need at that time.

Our lifestyle is always shifting, evolving our diet to match can be key.

Don’t push a ton of effort to meal prep if you’re worn out because work is busy. See the opportunity here in challenging yourself to find more restaurant dishes you enjoy that can work!

Or if you’re really into holiday baking, how can you work that in?

But create challenges that make you even enjoy tracking more or give you another focus to have fun with!

Tracking macros gives us the power to adjust and fuel to feel our best, but we have to see opportunity in it over just focusing on the obstacles.

Use these 10 tips to help you embrace counting macros and see those results snowball!

Dial in your diet to match your workouts and build your leanest, strongest body ever with my Metabolic Shred…

–> LEARN MORE

Do You Stay This Lean Year Round?

Do You Stay This Lean Year Round?

by | Jun 1, 2025 | Blog, Diet

“Do you stay this lean year around?”

I’ve gotten asked this question and I want to set the record straight…

Yes and no.

Like any person, my motivation, my goals, my schedule and life all evolve. So there is an ebb and flow.

You can see in my videos shifts leaner and less lean at different times of year and even as I experiment with different techniques and macros.

BUT over the years, I’ve gotten leaner and stayed leaner.

It’s not from more discipline. Or better perfection.

It’s actually from trying to work less hard and instead constantly seek to evolve and meet myself where I’m at for balance.

I’ve focused on consistency with that long-term viewpoint.

And the longer you maintain, the easier it gets.

So what I’m doing now, isn’t what I did to start maintaining. And it’s not even what I did to get to this point.

What you do to reach your goal is not what you do to maintain it, but you also can’t go back to old habits.

I mention this because too often we copy just what someone who’s been maintaining their goal is doing over starting back at the beginning of the journey.

We miss all the steps that built to this point and don’t recognize how long it takes to make habit changes and have those changes stick.

That’s why I want to share the 3 fundamental facts I’ve learned that will help you stop repeating the yo-yo dieting cycle and maintain your results consistently forever.

And the first fact is that true and lasting changes DON’T always feel sustainable to start.

Because guess what?

They aren’t what you do forever!

It takes 3–4 months to build a habit. You’re practicing till you get it right.

Then it takes 16–18 months to build a lifestyle. You’re practicing till you can’t get it wrong.

Finally, it takes 3–4 years to transform your identity. You’re practicing till it’s part of who you are!

Do you remember learning to brush your teeth daily?

Potentially not at this point, BUT at some time, you had to be reminded to do it. It didn’t feel sustainable.

Thankfully we are parented into that habit and have no choice in most cases.

And at sometime it just becomes so routine and a part of our environment, we just keep doing it.

It is a boring basic we don’t even notice.

Over time, other lifestyle changes become that way too.

You may not always when you’re tired WANT to brush your teeth, but you do.

Over time, those other healthy eating and training practices will become the same way but we have to recognize they won’t feel that way to start.

Because what we do to lose fat or gain muscle may be more intensive than what we have to do to maintain it, especially the longer we’ve been at that point.

I have way more food flexibility and workout freedom now than I did when I first got leaner because my body now wants to STAY at this set point.

Just like your body doesn’t want to lose right now because it wants to stay at its current set point!

This evolution is also really fundamental fact number 2 is…

Maintaining and building a lifestyle isn’t a set it and forget it thing.

You aren’t doing one thing forever.

Have you ever started a new program and thought some version of, “This is amazing! It can be a lifestyle!”

Only to then become frustrated with yourself and feel like you just don’t have the willpower to see results when you can’t ultimately maintain it?

This is because one thing doesn’t work forever. And we should be evolving our habits over not only the years but the course of the seasons.

Your lifestyle probably looks different right at the start of the New Year than it does during the Summer or even the Holidays.

Family obligations, work and travel may impact different seasons in different ways.

Your 6 day a week training schedule that is perfect from January till even June may not fit with your Summer vacation plans or all of the Holiday fun.

Yet so often we try to enforce the same standards on ourselves all year around and this is ultimately what sabotages us.

Instead, seek to meet yourself where you are at.

Embrace evolution in those habits to keep doing something.

Because what may feel like doing less is often the consistency we need to keep moving forward.

It’s also often a lot MORE than we would have done otherwise.

Too often when we can’t do everything perfectly, we do nothing.

And that nothing is what creates the starting over again in the New Year cycle.

With making changes don’t think that the thing you start has to be THE THING. Honestly, that probably means you’re falling for another fad you’ll fall off of.

Instead approach making changes like getting to design your dream home.

Create a solid foundation and structure learning about the fundamentals and boring basics.

Then see those fun adjustments in moves or foods you include or even exact training schedule and macros as the decorations you get to put in your house.

Those may evolve BUT the house structure, focusing on tracking your food and a workout progression, will be that outline you can adjust within to always be moving forward!

And third and final fact…and probably hardest of them all to embrace is that…

Mindset matters most.

There is no perfect macro ratio. No magic workout plan.

And over the course of your life, you’re going to use a variety of both as you not only have fun, experiment but also work toward different specific goals and focuses while working to build your leanest, strongest body at every age.

What matters is your mindset behind everything.

Because so often it isn’t that we don’t have the tools or tactics…

It’s that we sabotage ourselves with unrealistic expectations – wanting results too fast, making ourselves feel guilty for not being perfect or trying to force somebody else’s ideals on ourselves.

Own who you are. Own what you want.

Be true to your goals and also realize that mistakes will ALWAYS happen.

The call of our old identities, that emotional eating pattern you’d thought you’d broken…Will always pop back up and at times we least expect it.

The more we have the mindset we will always have ebbs and flows, the more we will keep moving forward through it all.

And that consistency is what keeps us rocking those results.

So even as you start your journey toward your goals, realize your goal isn’t to avoid breakdowns or failures or setbacks.

It’s to speed up the time it takes you to get back on track.

The quicker we notice we took a wrong turn and turn back, the faster we ultimately get to our destination.

So as you work to adjust your diet to fuel your goals and push hard in your workouts, make sure you’re working on your mindset and belief in yourself as well.

Make sure you’re not giving up each time you hit the hard.

Even seek to reframe those times you want to quit as even more reason to keep going.

Because often the simple fact that we have given up at that same point in the past is why we’ve been stuck.

Now I know you were hoping for some magic move or macro ratio in this video, but these are 3 simple fundamental facts that yield results.

There isn’t one magic thing.

It’s meeting ourselves where we are at and assess what we need at different points in our journey to keep moving forward.

It’s our ability to pause and reflect on how things are going and then find a way to move forward no matter what that is truly key!

Stop trying to out exercise or out diet time.

Instead realize this is a forever process!

And if you are just starting out and need where to start to adjust your diet, check out my video – The Most Annoying Nutrition Tips ( 7 Things That Actually Work) next.

The TFL Muscle (Tensor Fasciae Latae) – The Hidden Cause Of Low Back, Hip, Knee and Ankle Pain

The TFL Muscle (Tensor Fasciae Latae) – The Hidden Cause Of Low Back, Hip, Knee and Ankle Pain

by | May 25, 2025 | Blog, Core, Exercises, Foam Rolling, Pain Relief

There’s just this nagging pain you can’t seem to get rid of.

Maybe it’s your lower back. Your hip. Or even your knee or your ankle that feels off.

You’ve stretched. You’ve strengthened. You’ve rested even.

But the issue never really goes away. It keeps coming back.

The culprit may be one muscle that you don’t realize is perpetually getting overworked…

The TFL.

And this muscle can have a far reaching impact leading to aches and pains from your back down to your feet. 

In this video I want to break down… 

…where the TFL is and what it does, 

…how doing even the “right” moves can backfire and

…then how to adjust your movements to help you better activate your glutes

…while also doing the mobility work to relax this tight and overworked muscle.

So first, where is the TFL, what does it do and why should you even care?

The TFL or tensor fasciae latae is a small muscle on the outside of your hip.

To feel where your TFL is so you can notice when it is working, put your hand on the front top of your pelvis down your leg as you’re lying on your side.

Rotate your toe down toward the ground, turning your leg all the way up toward your hip. This internal rotation of your hip should make your TFL tense.

Ever notice that area really burning or working during moves like band walks where you’re trying to make your glutes work?

That’s your TFL compensating for your glute medius and becoming overworked and probably tight. And this is what can throw your ENTIRE lower body out of alignment and even perpetuate back pain.

Your TFL helps flex your hip, internally rotates your thigh, and abducts your leg.

Because it connects into your IT Band, tension in your TFL doesn’t just stay local.

It impacts your knee and even reaches your ankle. It even changes the way your feet strike the ground.

Over time, these changes in your movements, these compensation can lead to:

  • IT Band Syndrome
  • Patellofemoral pain (or runner’s knee)
  • Hip impingement or hip pain
  • Shin splints
  • Even chronic ankle issues

And here’s the kicker and why you need to care about this muscle… 

You might be seeing some of these other aches and pains and so focused on the point of pain you didn’t realize the culprit is this nasty little sucker of a muscle. 

So all of your work to correct those other issues doesn’t pay off and you just constantly struggle with aches and pains sidelining you.

Now if you’re like, but I am doing glute medius strengthening because I have heard it’s my TFL is the issue…

That’s great…BUT…

What do you feel working?

Because “good” moves, the “right” moves, done with the wrong muscles working? 

That’s only going to make the issues worse and lead to a lot of frustration that your hard work isn’t paying off.

Going back to when I mentioned band walks…

Ever do those and end up rubbing right where you now know your TFL is?

Or maybe it’s clams. Or a lateral raise…

If you don’t feel the side of your butt really being the main muscle working and instead feel the burn in your TFL…

Your TFL is still running the show.

You may even be trying to roll out other areas that feel tight…

Foam rolling your back when it gets sore or your lower leg because your ankles are having issues or even around your knees because they’re feeling twingy…

But none of this is addressing the original overcompensation pattern.

You can’t just fix the tight spots downstream. 

You have to go straight to the source.

So how do you change those recruitment patterns and get your glute medius working as it should instead of your TFL taking over?

I want to share 3 form tweaks that may help based on the move you’re doing that emphasis using that glute medius over the TFL and then even share other prehab exercises, both foam rolling and stretching, that you can use to relax that TFL further.

That relaxation of the muscle even prior to the glute activation moves can only help you change those recruitment patterns and make it easier to have that mind-body connection work correctly.

Basically, it helps you mentally find your butt to make sure it’s working when it should be!

Form Tip #1: Turn your toe in and down. 

Your TFL internally rotates your hip or turns it in and abducts your leg, lifting it laterally. 

But while you’ll often see your thigh and knee cap turn in with a tight TFL, you’ll also see your lower leg externally rotate and your feet turn out. 

If you find your knees really cave in with movement, give your TFL some love!

But turning that toe down toward the ground or back in can help prevent the movement pattern seen with a tight TFL to help avoid it taking over. 

While this may lead to you internally rotating all the way up your leg, this movement puts the emphasis on the glute medius to raise the leg laterally. 

I joking say it “distracts” the TFL, making that muscle even contribute to working to internally rotate so it can’t take over for the glute medius during abduction. It’s too distracted with the other movement!

So think of slightly leading with your heel as you raise your leg up or out to the side.

Form Tip #2: Use hip extension. 

Your TFL is also a hip flexor, meaning it works to bend your hips. 

You can therefore prevent it from working by extending your hip.

This has the added bonus of also engaging your glute max which can help your glute medius fire better. 

Just make sure that you aren’t faking that hip extension by arching your back or leaning over as a torso hinge is hip flexion.

Focus on using your glute to extend truly at the hip, even pushing back into something like a wall as you laterally lift your leg. 

You should feel not only the side of your butt but also the back of your butt working.

Pair this with turning your toe down for even better activation!

Form Tip #3: Play With Your Setup.

Ever notice when doing different moves some are way easier to feel your glutes working in? While with others you can’t get that TFL to shut off no matter how modified you make them?

If this is the case, play around with postures and positions. 

With our glute medius, different fibers contribute slightly to different joint actions. 

So don’t hesitate to lean forward or back instead of sitting straight up during seated abductions. This can help you target more anterior or even posterior fibers of the gluted medius.

Try even bridge abductions to use that hip extension to engage your glute max.

But don’t be afraid to play around with postures and variations, using both one sided and two sided moves.

And to help you master moves you can’t get your TFL to be quiet during, try including them AFTER a move where you’ve already gotten a little pump in your glute medius with. 

Often that little pump can make it easier to then feel the correct muscles working in the moves 

Remember if you’re not feeling it in the right place? You’re not fixing the right problem.

And if you’re really struggling with your TFL taking over…here’s a huge piece most people skip:

The foam rolling and stretching.

Prehab is a 3 part process – 

Foam roll tight and overactive muscles…

Stretch those muscles as you mobilize joints…

THEN activate to strengthen weak and underactive muscles and improve stability. 

So if you’re using the tweaks I mentioned above with activation moves for your glute medius and struggling with still feeling your TFL try these two moves prior…

TFL Foam Rolling and the Lunge and Reach.

Both are great to include as part of your warm up.

To roll out your TFL…

Place the ball on the front side of your hip, lying over it. You can roll it back toward your glute or slightly down the side of your leg in front of your hip bone. 

But focus on that spot that tenses as you turn your leg in.

Hold on any tight spots and breathe as you relax into the ball. 

Lift and lower your leg to tense and relax 5-10 times. 

You can also bend your knee toward your chest and extend your leg back out to hit this hip flexor as well.

You can use this foam rolling move during rest between activation or even strength exercises when you feel the TFL taking over, but for sure include it in your warm up or prehab before a stretch like the Lunge and Reach.

To do the Lunge and Reach…

Step forward on one side, keeping your back leg straighter as you lunge forward. Lunge deeper to intensify the movement and stretch.

Reach with your opposite hand overhead even leaning to reach further. You will feel a stretch down your side but into the front side of that back hip.

Really engage that back glute to drive your hip into extension.

If you are really struggling with TFL tightness or even using this in your cooldown, you can do a static stretch variation half kneeling on the ground near a way.

But focus on that hip extension engaging your glute as you reach toward the opposite side to stretch.

Remember, the point of pain is not always where the problem started.

If your knees hurt…If your hips feel stiff…If your ankles feel locked up…

If you’re doing a lot of the “right” things but nothing’s adding up, look at other areas that can have an impact, like your TFL

Because if you don’t address the TFL? You’ll just keep fighting the same battle over and over.

Try those form tweaks after the foam rolling and stretching moves today.

Focus on what you truly feel working to finally change those recruitment patterns and address that overload to alleviate those aches and pains!

Move and feel your best with Dynamic Strength workouts. Every workout includes the prehab work you need!

–> Learn More

5 Golden Rules To Lose Fat (Without Losing Muscle)

5 Golden Rules To Lose Fat (Without Losing Muscle)

by | May 18, 2025 | Blog, Diet, Exercises, Mindset

Most of us don’t just want to lose weight – we want to lose fat.

We want to look leaner, more toned, more defined.

We want to fit back into our skinny jeans or that dress in the back of the closet we can’t bring ourselves to give away because we desperately want to wear it again…

We want body recomp. We want to lose fat without losing muscle.

In this video I’ll share the 5 Golden Rules to help you do just that so you can shed those inches and see fabulous muscle definition.

Golden Rule #1: Commit To The Change You Hate The Most.

Ever jump into a new program and change everything you’re doing dramatically at once?

Which thing are you then most likely to blame if results aren’t happening fast enough and the effort starts to feel “not worth it?”

The change you least want to make…and probably need to make the most because it is the most outside your comfort zone.

We don’t want to adjust the hard workouts we’re “enjoying.”

Or the extra fats or carbs we justify as healthy and quality food that also taste good.

No….

Instead we research why high protein is bad or not needed to resist the protein increase we’ve made.

Or we resist the reduction in cardio because we love our long runs even though we’ve heard the work against building muscle.

Or we resist the push to eat more and create a smaller calorie deficit because we fear gaining weight and slashing our calories lower is what we’ve always done…

We resist trusting the full SYSTEM. And that makes it break.

We can’t only make the changes we are comfortable with.

Honestly only being willing to make those changes we are comfortable with is what has kept us stuck.

We repeat the same changes that “work” to get to the same point where we end up falling off again to start back over.

So while you may see some initial progress staying with something familiar or seemingly easy…It’s not really working if you’re constantly looking for a new fix.

This time, embrace the hard. It means that is the change you truly need!

And one hard change most of us want to resist is Golden Rule #2: Track EVERYTHING.

Tracking is restrictive. It’s hard. It’s boring. It’s tedious. It’s annoying.

It’s obsessive.

You can FEEL this way about tracking, but we have to recognize that these are FEELINGS. And feelings and attitudes we’ve created toward a tool because of how we’ve even used it in the past.

But tracking isn’t restrictive or obsessive. It may be hard or boring or tedious or annoying to start as you’re learning, but so many things are.

And you can make it worse by repeating those feelings to yourself. Or you can choose to see the opportunity in it.

You can also recognize WHY you feel this way about it.

Have you usually turned to tracking in the past when you hated how your clothes fit or the weight you saw on the scale?

When you slashed your calories super low and cut out all the foods you love?

No wonder you don’t like tracking if that has been your experience with it!

But tracking is just you recording what you’ve done. It doesn’t have to mean cutting calories lower. It doesn’t have to mean eliminating a food group.

It can even be about adding in MORE. It can be about making sure you’re fueling well. It can help you assess even food intolerances and meal timings that help you perform better to build muscle and feel more energized.

Tracking gives us data to make accurate adjustments and SMALL ONES that truly address where we are right now. It gives you the power to strike YOUR balance…if you give it the chance.

And recognize that tracking doesn’t have to be done in one form. You can use hand portions as a guide, take pictures, log just protein and calories or do full ratios.

But if you’re sick of not feeling like anything is sustainable or you aren’t sure what is working, tracking can fix all of that.

Nothing is off limits. And you know what you’re doing to adjust.

What gets measured gets managed.

You want to stay within your budget? You track it.

Well, tracking your food helps you stay within your food budget.

Golden Rule #3: Diet for fat loss. Train for muscle.

Adjust both together and that’s where the magic happens.

Because, while most of us have heard the saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen”…

Fabulous ab definition is really REVEALED by the kitchen.

The muscle we want to show is built through progressive overload and pushing ourselves in the gym.

But too often to burn more calories in our training and create that deficit to lose faster, we turn to cardio.

This only backfires, causing us to lose not only fat but also muscle.

It’s why we can see metabolic adaptations occur more quickly.

And it’s why we can feel like we’re working so hard, adjusting our diet yet not looking any leaner!

We can’t just turn our workouts into killer cardio sessions. We need to stop thinking, “I should do more cardio!”

And instead we need to think about our training as a chance to build muscle.

If you want to lose fat without losing muscle, focus on strength training and progressing moves week over week. Don’t cut out rest to feel more out of breath. Don’t just add in more to feel more worked.

Focus on truly lifting more with quality reps, even needing MORE rest between rounds to keep using harder variations and heavier loads.

That way when you dial in your macros and your diet with what I’m about to go over in Rule #4 while training to build muscle, you’ll see the best body recomp results happen even faster!

Golden Rule #4: Create DAILY Consistency.

Have you ever wondered…Should I eat less on a day off? Lower my carbs?

Stop adding more complication. Stop trying to do more. Focus on those basics.

KISS…Keep it simple, stupid.

Simple is sustainable.

Focus on that daily consistency in those habits!

The less we add complication or more variation, the easier we make it on ourselves to create a new environment and shift mindsets and habits.

The fewer changes we make at once, the more we can know the impact they have and how they are working to then adjust habits as we go.

The less we overwhelm ourselves with more to do, the more the effort feels worth the outcome!

What we do consistently we get good at. What we do consistently builds results.

You can’t know if a macro ratio or workout or meal timing works if you’re not doing the same thing weekly. You can’t build habits and routines if things are constantly shifting.

And at the most basic level, your body can’t repair and rebuild on days off if it doesn’t have the fuel. You aren’t just eating more to train hard, but to recover.

Inconsistent energy sources are what can lead to us feeling extra frustrated, confused and hangry! It also adds more precision in numbers we have to have as we cycle.

Instead, keep things simple. Allow yourself to build those daily routines and get confident in them. Then adjust.

But focus on a set macro and calorie goal you maintain for a few weeks. Plan ahead to hit those numbers. Dial in your precision with them. It will pay off.

And Golden Rule #5: What You Put First Gets Priority.

If you’re struggling to prioritize a habit change, put it first in your day.

Add protein to that first meal

Drink water when you first get up.

Do your workout before the day gets busy.

When a new habit can fall by the wayside when life gets busy or we get worn out, the best way to make sure we complete it is to do it first in the day.

That way we leave things we know we will do no matter what till later because we’ll do them anyway.

But this rule also applies to cardio vs. strength work and eve the order of exercises in your routine.

What you put first in your training gets you when you’re freshest. You’re giving a more true 100% intensity and effort.

Want to lift heavier for your glutes? Prioritize a lift for them first in your lower body workout day.

Or if you’re wanting to include some cardio because you love it while still focusing on losing fat without losing muscle?

Put your strength work first in your session and ideally first in your day if you are doing a second walk or cardio session for any reason.

That way you are freshest and can truly push hard to create that challenge to build muscle. And you can still get in movement with cardio you may put after.

Even consider timing a walk or sprint interval session at the end of workout where you work muscles near stubborn fat to help utilize mobilized fatty acids.

And don’t include steady state endurance cardio after a workout where you’re working a muscle group that you struggle to build as this can hinder those muscle gains.

But consider the order to things you include and what you need to prioritize.

While we don’t want to stress over details first, we want to note that how systems are designed together has an impact.

We need to embrace those hard changes, track how things are going and our consistency in implementation and then review all aspects of our lifestyle to make sure things complement!

Because we can lose fat without losing muscle, but it isn’t as simple as eating less or doing more cardio. It’s a strategic process and we need a clear plan to push through the hard!

Break free of the change loop keeping you stuck losing the weight only to regain it, and MORE, later…

–> Busting The Change Loop

“I Don’t Have Time To Workout”

“I Don’t Have Time To Workout”

by | May 11, 2025 | Blog, Exercises, Workouts

“I don’t have enough time.”

Sorry I’m calling BS on this one.

And before your storm off clicking back, hear me out…

What we value, we prioritize.

And what we prioritize, we MAKE time for.

We FIND the time.

Yes, there are finite hours in the day, but we give up some of our endless Instagram scrolling.

Or we find a way to still do SOMETHING.

We stop focusing on an ideal and instead focus on what is truly possible where we are at RIGHT NOW.

Because something is better than nothing and 5 minutes pays off.

That’s why I want to share not only 3 tips to help you get that workout momentum building, MAKING the time, but also 3 tips to help you truly design for the time you have.

Because feeling fabulous and moving well doesn’t have to be a full time job!

So first…how can we make the time in our crazy, busy schedules?

And no, the answer isn’t just sleeping less or cutting out things you love to do even if you know they may be…well…time wasters…

Actually the first way to make time for your training is to combine your workouts with some of those mindless activities you love!

Yup.

Tip #1 is…Don’t sacrifice things you enjoy – CONNECT THEM!

Love scrolling Instagram or TikTok? Love bad reality TV shows? Use those as times to go get in a walk. Or do your mobility work. Listen to a podcast as you workout.

Use your workouts oddly as a time to multitask.

Because so often we feel like to fit in the things we know we “should” do, we need to give up things we just want to do to relax.

But we don’t have to.

By connecting these two things, you’re sacrificing something you want to do, but you’re also making potentially the training you don’t want to do something you want to do…and GET to do.

You may make yourself look forward even more to that time for YOU. And the more you value that time, the more you’ll prioritize the habit!

Tip #2: Use stolen moments. Take movement snack breaks.

Sure maybe a 30, 40 or even hour long session is “ideal.” But if that’s not possible and is mentally stopping you from starting anything, realize you don’t need it.

Use the moments you have.

5 minutes in between meetings, do a couple of stretches and a loop around your office.

Need to get up to get more water? Do 10 bodyweight squats.

Yes, we want progression to our workouts and a clear plan in place as much as possible for the fastest results, but even small actions beat a perfect plan…

Because so often we use not being able to do the ideal as an excuse to do nothing. And no action means no progress.

Not to mention, action creates more momentum and more action.

When you feel positive and good about the habits you are doing, you want to do more of them.

And even 5 minutes throughout the day can add up and add up fast.

Consider even accounting for those stolen moments to have a plan for different lengths so you can create some clear guidelines to help yourself build.

Start even setting an alarm or calendar event to get you in the habit of doing 5 minutes.

Because 5 minutes becomes 15 becomes 30 becomes forward momentum that makes you want to prioritize the habit more and more.

And suddenly, you find there is more time than you realized in your day because you’re not faced with the daunting task of setting aside an hour all at once!

Then Tip #3: Focus on frequency first.

We get good at what we consistently do. The more we have that set time daily that we workout at, the easier it is to get in the groove and habit.

This may sound counterintuitive BUT…

It may be better to do 10-15 minutes a day to start over trying to do an hour 3 times a week.

And it’s all because of the groove and habit it gets us into.

With the short daily sessions, you can have a clear pattern you create and a shift in your environment. The repetition daily for a few weeks can build that consistency to create that discipline.

From there, you can adjust maybe two or three sessions to be longer and even shift some of the shorter ones to just be recovery.

But more of less to start may be the key to helping that momentum snowball.

Now that you’ve made the time, you have to design for the time you have so your training sessions are as effective as possible.

Because often we feel like 5-10 minutes can’t pay off. But it can, if used strategically.

Here are 3 tips to maximize those minutes…

Tip #1: Set a timer.

When we don’t have clarity on how long something will take, we may skip it when we have a hard stop time or deadline. By creating timed routines, you know you’ll get everything in.

That clarity creates comfort.

If you have 5 minutes, set a timer for 5 minutes with 3 moves you cycle through during that time. Then you’re done.

If you have a minute, do a minute of foam rolling or stretching even. Heck a minute of burpees will destroy you.

If you have 15 minutes, create a circuit of 5 moves you do for 1 minute each and repeat the series 3 times.

So many ways to use that timer to help you be efficient.

And not only will you know you’ll be able to get in the workout you’ve designed, but having that set timeframe can help you strategically include moves and reps and sets to your advantage.

It can help you pick exercises that will really challenge you. It can help you decide which muscles to work to make the most of every second.

It gives you a focus for the session to optimize it.

Then Tip #2: Use compound moves.

Work more muscle groups in a shorter amount of time to build more muscle while burning more calories.

Compound moves are multi-joint movements that work multiple muscle groups at once. These are more efficient than isolation exercises that work only a single muscle at a time, making them better to help you work your entire body when time is an issue.

You can also move heavier loads with compound moves which can help you build strength and muscle more efficiently.

When designing your workouts focus on exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, push ups, pull ups, bench press, rows over bicep curls or leg extensions.

And then cycle the areas worked over your workouts to avoid having to rest so you can get the most work done in the shortest amount of time.

While rest is key to us being able to work at a higher intensity in our training, we can use active rest to our advantage when we’re short on time.

To allow one muscle to rest as another works, make your workouts more full body and alternate moves for different muscle groups.

In your circuit, think squat, push up and row as your 3 moves over squat, lunge, step up.

The second never gives your legs a chance to rest so you’ll see your intensity dip as you even have to modify or lighten loads whereas your legs get rest in the first during push ups and rows.

And Tip #3: Don’t work to failure.

While it is tempting to try to max out the reps on a move each round, this can cause you to actually have to slow down and rest more or modify moves to keep moving.

Instead stop a few reps short of having to rest and move on to the next exercise. This can lead to you being able to push harder for each rep you do and make the work you do more quality.

It can help you even do more reps over the 5 minutes you have over having to pause because you’re tired, slowing you down.

You can also often lift heavier by keeping the reps lower. Over the 5-10 minutes, 5 reps at a time can really add up to more weight lifted than if you went lighter to be able to do 10 reps!

The key is strategically designing for the time we have over focusing on an ideal.

And all of this starts with owning that we can’t change how many hours in the day we have, but we can find ways to shift our priorities to MAKE the time to see the results we want!

For workouts you can do anywhere, and that will fit your crazy busy schedule, check out my Dynamic Strength program:

–> LEARN MORE

Do You Do This During Ab Workouts? 5 Mistakes You Might Be Making

Do You Do This During Ab Workouts? 5 Mistakes You Might Be Making

by | May 4, 2025 | Blog, Core, Exercises, Pain Relief, Workouts

Feel like your ab workouts aren’t paying off? This video’s your missing link.

Because harder moves don’t mean better results.

We can be doing all the “right” exercises—and still not see the payoff.

Why?

Because we’re compensating. Letting our hips or lower back take over instead of our abs doing the work.

And when that happens, we start to blame the moves—even the ones we should be doing.

We write them off because they cause pain. But it’s not the move. It’s how you’re doing it.

So let’s fix that. Let’s stop the aches and pains. Let’s make sure every rep actually builds the strong abs you’re working for.

Here are 5 common ab training mistakes—and how to fix them.

MISTAKE #1: Doing moves you haven’t earned.

Moves need to fit our current fitness level, needs and goals. When we do exercises we haven’t earned, we end up using the incorrect muscles to power the movements.

This is why we can end up feeling our lower back or hip flexors over our abs working during certain core movements.

Too often we then try to put a bandaid on the issue to power through.

Doing a harder move is better, right?

WRONG!

Regress to progress.

Modifying a move doesn’t mean making it easier on yourself – it means allowing yourself to optimize the exercise.

A prime example of this is putting your hands behind your lower back during leg lower exercises.

Placing your hands under your lower back might feel better in the moment, but it’s not teaching you to properly control the exercise and brace your abs.

Instead of putting your hands behind your lower back to cheat and do a move you haven’t earned, learn to properly brace by regressing to the pelvic tilt hold.

Then build back up.

Learn to truly engage your abs through that tuck of your pelvis toward your ribs. This will protect your lower back and allow you to use your abs to stabilize, even engage your glutes as well.

When you can control this hold, you can then begin to add back in movement, using a pelvic tilt with march.

Then a double knee tuck before building back to a single leg lower and finally the full double leg lower movement.

By building up the right way, you’ll actually work your abs and be amazed at how much stronger they get.

Don’t let ego in doing a harder move hold you back.

MISTAKE #2: Demonizing spinal flexion moves like crunches and sit ups.

Crunches and sit-ups often get written off and even demonized.

But these bodyweight basics work our abs through spinal flexion. Something that planks or big heavy lifts don’t do.

It’s our abs’ job to power that rounding of our spine so we want to include moves that train it.

The key is using these moves correctly so that we don’t rely just on our hip flexors or end up overusing our lower back.

Spinal flexion is about thinking of the curl or roll up of one vertebrae at a time.

Starting out, you may find crunches are easiest to control as they are a more isolated movement. You’re only having to really focus on your abs powering a smaller range of motion to flex your spine and lift through your shoulder blades.

Really focus on your abs curling your upper back off the ground as you press your lower back down into it.

The crunch can really help you focus on that ab activation and mind-body connection because it is so isolated.

Then you can start to move into sit ups, learning to control the full roll up.

Too often with sit ups we just, well, sit up, letting our feet flop around or using momentum, even swinging or arching back overhead when we lay down.

Instead slow things down and think about rounding forward as you reach toward your toes to roll up. Then slowly lowering one vertebra at a time back down

But don’t avoid training this movement pattern. It may not only be the key to getting the amazing strong and defined abs you want (with your diet dialed in of course) but may even help you avoid back pain in your other lifting exercises!

MISTAKE #3: Not focusing on the correct muscles working.

Often we are including many of the “right” core moves, we’re just trying to mimic what we think is proper form and not performing the full exercise or using the correct muscles to power the full movement.

It goes back to mistake #1…we’re trying to do an exercise we haven’t earned so we cheat.

We do leg lowers where we aren’t bracing our abs properly with the posterior pelvic tilt so we’re only really using our hip flexors to lift and lower.

Or we’re doing hanging ab moves and not actually curling our knees toward our elbows by rounding through our spine, we’re only bending and extending at our hips to tuck our knees up.

If you feel your hip flexors working during these reverse crunch or leg raise movements, your hip flexors are what are getting worked. Not your abs.

This perpetuates aches and pains and makes all of our hard work not pay off the way it should.

And even backfire. Because not only can this lead to hip flexor issues, but tight, overworked hip flexors can perpetuate our lower back pain.

Focus on that true spinal flexion. The posterior pelvic tilt is spinal flexion with that tuck of your pelvis toward your ribs.

That curling of your knees toward your elbows as you hang is spinal flexion.

Focus on that movement and regress to progress if you need so you can.

Try an incline ab variation or even lying reverse crunch with overhead hold. But train the proper movement and recruitment pattern.

Don’t just focus on doing the move, focus on what you feel working!

MISTAKE #4: Training to fatigue over using frequency to your advantage.

Have you ever just thought, “I just need to get through the moves!” then rushed through the exercises while tired knowing you were a bit sloppy?

Quality matters. Yet so often we focus on quantity.

We seek to be sore and tired.

Instead of trying to destroy your abs in a workout and do a ton of reps and sets, lower the volume and train them more frequently over the week.

And have a clear set routine you repeat each week, don’t randomly string things together.

While ab exercises can and should be done for higher reps, like 15-25 per set with generally lighter loads if any weight, you still don’t want to focus on just doing 100s of reps in a day.

Spread out that volume over the week. When you are fresher and less fatigued for the moves, you’ll perform a better quality of work.

You may find you are even able to do more advanced variations for all the reps than you could have had you stacked them all together.

And you put yourself at less risk for getting tired and then calling on other muscles to help you power through the moves.

Think about even just a couple of moves done for 2-3 sets 3-4 times a week even.

MISTAKE #5: Focusing on doing more over intensity.

A 2-minute plank where you’re zoning out? Not helpful.

Yet so often we focus on doing more over not only the quality but also the intensity of each rep.

When you’re doing an exercise, focus on really challenging yourself with the movement. Focus on what you feel working and engaging that muscle fully.

With bodyweight movements like the plank, use that mind-body connection to try to engage your abs, and entire core, harder to create shakeage.

Yes shakeage.

Focus on your back supporting your shoulders, bracing that core as if being punched in the gut with that slight posterior pelvic tilt. Flex your quads and drive back hard through your heels.

Don’t let yourself relax during the movement. Create that tension.

Because holding longer while cheating may make your ego feel good, but it isn’t making those abs work more.

We often end up compensating as well, which is why we feel our hips or back the next day even if we didn’t notice during.

It’s not about the clock — it’s about the tension.

You want to feel like you’re barely surviving a 15 second hold the more advanced you are over having ego in just going longer.

You want to use that more advanced ab move, even if you have to pause to complete all the reps.

Shorten the time. Maximize the effort and intensity.

Stop going through the motions with your workouts or letting ego lead to you trying to do moves you haven’t earned.

Regress to progress, focus on that quality of work and be intentional with every move you do!

This will lead to you building the strong abs you want, you can then reveal through proper nutrition!

For amazing workouts to help you build your leanest, strongest body ever, check out my Dynamic Strength program:

–> Dynamic Strength