For those that didn’t know, Abby and I are expecting our first child on June 4th. I am beyond excited and it has given me possibly my biggest training goal yet! My goal for 2023 is to be the fittest dad I can be. While I am the owner of On Target Fitness, I am also a client. This article is written in split personality with some thoughts from my trainer brain and some thoughts from my regular-guy-that-wants-to-be-in-great-shape brain. What does success look like for me in this endeavor? I’d like to drop a little body fat percentage, keep progressing my strength, and continue to build my aerobic capacity with lots of rucks and hikes. While I DETEST dad bod, this is more about the life I want than how I’d like to look. If I am healthy enough to have good energy all day, strong enough to carry all the baby stuff, and overall set a good example for my kid and my wife, then I’m doing it right. Here’s how I plan on getting there. I am going to start the year right with our New Year PROGRAM. I’ve done two already and they are the best way I have found to accelerate results for my clients or myself. Our New Year PROGRAM is 4 weeks of no booze, no refined sugar, and no rest days. It’s a simple way to get some fast wins and momentum. During this time I will lift 3 days per week and go on a 60 minute ruck (weighted walk) the other days of the week. By the way, this is how we can make it so ANYONE of any fitness level can go a month without rest days without getting injured. After The PROGRAM, I am going to keep my mind on my systems and my standards. Motivation only lasts so long. Goals only get you so far. The biggest moves I’ve been able to make in my life have all come from establishing discipline through systems and holding myself to a higher standard. Win the day planner. Every evening, I lay out my next day in a written planner that I designed. (BTW if you are a member and want one for free, we have them for you at the gym). We all have the same 24 hours. The planner ensures that I use mine to the fullest. My workouts and my meals are appointments in my daily plan. Skipping either because I got “busy” is no longer up to my standards. Things still come up but this system has helped me become a lot more effective and less stressed. If it’s a weekday, it’s a workout day. Once The PROGRAM is over, I will take rest days on the weekend if I don’t have hikes or something else planned. But during the week, there is not inner debate about what to do. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I lift. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I grab my pack and take it for a walk. Nutrition: What stays out of the house? I’ve learned something about myself. If I keep it out of my house, I need almost no willpower to stay on track nutritionally. Junk food, alcohol, mindless scrolling, and mindless TV are not how I cope with stress anymore. I’m not saying I will never enjoy those things from time to time. I’m also not saying I’ll never be sleep deprived and stressed. I will. But those vices are no longer part of how I deal with stress. That’s a trap. I’ve seen what abusing those things looks like 10 years down the road and I’m not interested. I’ll do my best to manage stress in better ways. I’ll have fun! The point of fitness is that you DO SOMETHING with it! Abby and I are excited to take our baby on hikes and all sorts of other fun stuff. Fitness is just a tool to help us enjoy the journey. Are there any parents or expecting parents that would like to join me? When you’re ready to talk with a personal trainer about your goals, fill out the form at the top or bottom of this page and I will take care of the rest : ) Serving Portsmouth, Kittery, and the broader Seacoast community, we help people finally get in shape, feel confident, and have all day energy, even if getting everything done is a constant struggle.
