15 Years 15 Lessons Part II
It is hard to believe that SDPT has been around for the past 15 years. As far as I know we are the longest running training facility in North County San Diego. When I first started I really wasn’t sure what I was doing, but luckily I learned quickly.
Over the past 15 years we have build much more than a training facility. We have built a community that is working together to be healthier so we can live the best version of our lives.
It is safe to say that I have seen fitness and nutrition fads come and go. We have been able to stay and thrive for so long because of our mission and staying true to it.
I have learned many things over the years to help our clients get stronger, eat better, and reach their goals. To celebrate this big event I wanted to share some of my biggest insights I have had over this time.
It is broken down into 3 parts to make it easier to consume and digest. I don’t just want you to read this. I want you to read it and apply whichever ones you can. We have seen these lessons help over and over again, but they have to be applied. Check out Part I here.
In no particular order, here we go:
6. There is no one thing you can do.
One of the big reasons we have been around as long as we have, is because I have understood this aspect of fitness right from the start. Fads will come and go pretty fast. Marketers love the next big thing and will go all in on that one thing.
Here is the biggest secret in the fitness industry. There is no one thing. There is no ONE thing that you can do that will magically fix everything. People will often argue whether strength training is more important than cardio or if diet is more important than exercise. When I hear these arguments, I quickly realize these individuals just don’t understand how all of this works.
You shouldn’t be arguing over which one to do because you need to do it all. Strength training has very specific benefits that no other form of exercise can do. The same goes for your nutrition, cardio, or any other thing you may want to do.
The only discussion should be how do I include it all. This is why our program uses it all. We make sure our clients get flexibility that they might do in yoga, strength training, conditioning, and nutrition. Of course you may want to do extra in one area or maybe you really enjoy a specific type of training. Then you can definitely add more of that one thing in, but make sure you are doing it all. You just can’t be healthy by doing just one thing only.
7. The non-sexy topics are still the most important.
I get it. It is tiring hearing the same things over and over again. But the fundamentals will always be the most important. If you can consistently do things like:
- Get enough sleep every night
- Drink enough water
- Eat the appropriate number of calories
- Eat a variety of fruits and veggies daily
- Eat the appropriate amount of macronutrients
- Perform functional strength training 2-3 days per week
- Get 150 minutes of cardiorespiratory exercise each week
- Avoid sitting for too long each day
These are the main things you need to be focusing on. It isn’t everything, but most just want to skip over this to newest exciting thing. Unfortunately you will get podcasters and influencers telling you about photobiomodulation, cold plunges, earthing, compression, NAD, fasting, etc.
I’m not saying these things are bad. But biohacks and supplements don’t work very well on their own. They account for about 5% of the results you are looking for. The fundamentals will account for the other 95%.
So yes they can be helpful. They typically are helpful in those with deficiencies or those that have specific issues, so you can’t use these tools blindly. You can experiment with some of these things but they probably don’t deserve as much attention as most people are giving them.
8. No one has all the answers, especially in nutrition.
Is animal protein bad for you? Is intermittent fasting the best diet? Should everyone be going keto? Will carbs make you fat? I wish I knew it all. I am trying and learning more every day. But the one thing I do learn is, the more I understand the human body, the more I realize I don’t know.
There are many “experts” out there in heath, fitness, and nutrition. They may seem like they have all of the answers, but I promise you they don’t. They may have a good understanding of the human body and nutrition, but I promise they don’t know everything, because we don’t know everything there is to know about the human body yet.
With something like nutrition, you can go to two experts and ask the same question. Depending on the background and beliefs of each person you may get totally different and contradicting information. If experts can’t agree on many of these topics how can we make sense of it.
The good news is, if you follow the previous lesson, you will be setting a good foundation. Then you may need to experiment on your own. You need to see what helps you in your specific situation.
Research is very difficult to run. It cost money and takes time. Plus if you are studying humans, they tend to be terrible test subjects. So when you see a headline making a claim about new research, don’t go all in on that one study. I promise there were flaws and influences in that study. Research won’t prove anything. It merely suggests something that may be true in a very specific situation.
This means it is very difficult to interpret and apply the information. This is why I don’t like to say there are good and bad foods. There are just foods that you should consume more of and maybe some foods you should consume less of.
Applying an emotion like good or bad to a food only reinforces a negative relationship with the food we eat. Instead we should value food based on how well it nourishes the body. But keep in mind, what works well for one won’t always work for another.
9. Don’t chase perfection.
I always come back to the quote by Voltaire:
“Perfect is the enemy of good.”
I’ve seen this happen too many times. Someone is doing great on their program. They are eating better and working out regularly. Then their first obstacle gets in the way. It could be a birthday party, holiday, or some other life event where they go off their eating plan.
The reaction is a complete 180. Since they had one meal or day that wasn’t on their plan they feel like they blew it. Remember what I said earlier. One bad meal doesn’t mean anything. Consistency is the key.
It would be like driving on the highway and missing your exit. Would you decide to just keep driving the wrong way since you missed it? Instead you would get off at the next exit and reroute. Sure you delayed your arrival a bit, but most likely it really isn’t going to affect things much.
You diet and exercise plan should be viewed the same way. You will never be perfect. And if you strive for perfection, you will only be disappointed.
If you were out on the ocean, you point your ship right to your destination and set sail. But what you will notice is rarely on you on a straight path to your destination. If you didn’t adjust the wheel regularly you would go far off course. Instead you are constantly making course corrections due to currents, winds, etc.
You life will go the same way. You will create a path you want to follow, but keep in mind you can’t point your ship and hit autopilot. You will always have to make adjustment. This is how you learn and find the plan that is the best fit for you.
So never strive for perfection. Just be consistent and made appropriate adjustments when you need to.
10. Find a diet plan that focuses on what you put in and not what you take out.
I know many of these lessons involve nutrition tips, but that seems to be where most people struggle. If you have followed the lessons so far, you will probably guess that I don’t commit to only one type of diet. There are many different nutrition styles out there and they can be appropriate for different people at different times.
I don’t believe any of them are perfect. They all have flaws, but some work better than others, so this is why you need to experiment.
If you are looking for a diet plan to follow, try and avoid looking at those that focus on what you can’t eat. Sure you might have to remove or minimize things in your regular eating plan. But when you evaluate the diet, find plans that tell you what you need to eat more of.
Yes this might come down simply to semantics, but I think it is important to understand how this effects you. The more restrictive a diet feels, the less likely you will be able to stick with it. So even if you need to eliminate some things, you will focus on all of the delicious foods you can enjoy each day.
What sounds better to follow. Diet A that says you can’t eat sugar, anything white, no eating out at restaurants, or alcohol. Or Diet B (which could be the same diet plan) where you can enjoy fruits and veggies that are the color of the rainbow, lean proteins, green tea, and whole grains.
Our society is having a problem where we are over consuming and undernourishing ourselves. So simply cutting things out isn’t the answer. Eat more of the things that give you the nutrition you need and you will naturally start eating less of the things you shouldn’t.
I hope these lessons have been helpful so far. Make sure you come back for the final installment.
Mike Deibler
San Diego Premier Training