First off, I just want to say a HUGE thank you for subscribing to my newsletter! Whether you're new to lifting or have been at it for a while, I’m so excited to have you here. My goal is to help you train smarter, fuel your body properly, and feel stronger—both inside and out. I hope this newsletter brings you value in some way, shape, or form!

Now onto the topic for today…this list could be wayyyy longer than just 3 things but I thought I’d share the most important 3.

1) Not eating enough, especially protein!

One of the most common mistakes I see for people in the beginning is them wanting to build muscle but not eating enough food to do so.

Quick Macronutrient Explanation:

PROTEIN - The muscle builder

• Helps repair and grow muscle

• Satiates you (aka keeps you fuller for longer)

• Ex: chicken, beef, fish

CARBOHYDRATES - The energy source

• Fuels your daily activities and workouts

• Helps with brain function

• Ex: rice, potatoes, oats, fruits

FATS - The hormone support

• Essential for hormone health, brain function, and absorption of some vitamins

• Slowest digesting macronutrient so it keeps you satisfied

• Ex: avocado, nuts, oils, butter, fatty fish

With that breakdown you can see how each of these macronutrients plays its role in our bodies and is necessary to fuel our goals! Eating enough of these is important to ensure you are; fuelling your workouts, fuelling your recovery, and just fuelling yourself enough for overall day to day activities.

There are tools like the Macro Calculator below that can help you get a rough idea of what your macros should be based on your weight, height, age, activity, etc.

2) Not Having a Structured Workout Program

I think every beginner goes through the phase where they go into the gym and just do a random and different workout each time…or at least I did. This is NOT helping to contribute to any principles of building muscle. Some individuals make the argument about them “feeling it more” when they do this approach. I’m here to tell you, just because it is a new stimulus for your body each time so you may feel more sore, it doesn’t mean it is working in your favour.

Random workouts = Random results

A structured plan means you are ensuring you are using PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD!

What is progressive overload?

• Gradually increasing:

  • Weight

  • Reps

  • Intensity

  • Quality of reps

• This increases the stimulus on your muscles over time so they are able to grow

By having a structured program, you stop wasting your time. You go into the gym with a purpose knowing exactly what you are going to be working out. No more guesswork.

Finally, it allows you to MEASURE progress. It is so important to have measurable outcomes so you can truly see the progress you are making!

3) Progress is NOT Just Based on the Scale

The scale is a TOOL that helps us to see how your body responds to changes in food and programming but it is not the end all be all.

Too many people are so concerned about the scale that their body composition could be much improved but just because the scale weight isn’t changing they think they aren’t making progress!

Non-Scale Wins

These help you see your progress without having to rely on the scale as your only means of progress.

1) PROGRESS PICTURES (There can be no difference in weight but visually your body can be totally transformed)

2) GETTING STRONGER (This is another reason a structured plan is helpful!)

3) BETTER ENERGY

4) IMPROVED CONFIDENCE

The list could go on but these are just a few of the non-scale victories that you should also be aware of!

Hope you guys enjoyed the 1st official Seize Your Day Newsletter! If you every have any topics you want to hear about, shoot me a message!