People everywhere have a weird habit. I’ve seen it over and over again, transcending both countries and cultures. It’s this: We overcomplicate things. All of the things. And that makes it hard to make sense of anything—let alone succeed in it. Fitness is one of the worst offenders. It needs to change. And I’m about to show you fitness success made simple.
But first, I need to make an important point.
Overcomplicating life isn’t helping anybody.
Best case? It’s confusing. Worst case? It’s crippling—the information overload and analysis paralysis keep us from taking any action or moving forward.
Just the other day I was out to sushi with friends when someone asked about when words should be hyphenated. I’m no grammar expert, but I am an author and make part of my living from writing. So, between bites of red snapper, I answered:
“When they’re describing the noun.”
That’s when Peter chimed in to correct me. Not only is he a smart guy, he also studied English and literature back in college, which makes him much more qualified to give a proper response. As a student of writing, I was eager to hear it…
“Actually, you hyphenate compound adjectives.”
His answer caught me off guard. It was nothing more than a complicated, potentially confusing way of saying the same thing—the exact same thing—I said.
For the record, I wasn’t irritated by it. Honestly, I just thought it was funny. Also, interesting because of the reality it illustrates. The more expertise somebody has, the more complicated their explanations become.
It happened during sushi with Peter. It happens whenever my mechanic tells me there’s something wrong with my car. And it happens all the time in the fitness industry. It’s too much. And I’m putting an end to it right now.
Why Simple Fitness Advice is So Hard to Find
The world of health and fitness is full of students, but short-staffed on proper teachers (read: coaches). It’s not that there aren’t enough coaches. It’s that there aren’t enough great coaches.
A great coach will break down complex science and translate it into easy-to-follow action steps.
Unfortunately, most coaches aren’t great. Most coaches don’t provide simple, actionable advice. Most coaches completely overcomplicate fitness.
And while these coaches are busy nerding out about gluconeogenesis, they leave you stuck in a cloud of complex and confusing dust. Even if that cloud settles, you don’t know what to do or what’s going to work best.
The internet only makes things worse.
Countless coaches are creating content. Constantly. But far too much is made to impress other coaches and fitness professionals, not actually help people. It’s ridiculous. And it leaves us with overwhelming amounts of complex, confusing information that lacks practical application.
By stroking their ego and showcasing their expertise, most coaches aren’t helping anyone. They’re pulling a Peter and making things much more complicated than they need to be. Knowledge is impressive. But you know what’s even more impressive? Results.
In the end, great coaches focus on helping people succeed. It’s way more important than seeming smart.
And here’s the best part—amazing results don’t have to come from complicated or confusing strategies. In fact, they should be simple. The simpler your plan is, the better your results will be.
Fitness Success Made Simple (Finally)
The single greatest indicator of fitness success is adherence. If you stick to your plan, even if it isn’t the best plan, you’ll get results. A simple plan is a successful one. And that’s what I’m here to give you—fitness success made simple. Doesn’t matter if you want to shed fat or pack on lean muscle, I got you.
I’m not here to explain things so they can be understood. I’m here to explain things in a way that they can’t be misunderstood. Ultimately, simplifying fitness is what’s going to help you the most. And that’s my job—literally.
Fitness Success Made Simple: Melting Fat
1. A Caloric Deficit
Being in a caloric deficit is simply consuming fewer calories than you burn each day. It’s a key component of losing weight. Because science. When fat loss is the goal, a deficit of 300–500 calories per day is a good jumping off point. Here’s a simple way to calculate your own caloric deficit so that you can start to lose fat immediately:
Multiply your bodyweight (in lbs) by 12.
For someone that weighs 175 pounds, that means 2100 calories. After a few seconds of quick math, you’ve got your daily goal for calories. And that daily goal will help you maintain a caloric deficit and lose fat. Simple, right?
2. More Physical Activity
Physical activity helps with fat loss. Obviously. But here’s the thing: Literally any sort of activity does the trick. It all goes back to that caloric deficit. All other things being equal, you’ll lose more fat as you burn more calories each day.
A caloric deficit forces your body to rely on stored fat for energy instead of food. A larger deficit means it’ll need to burn more fat for energy. Score.
Best part? Literally everything we do burns calories. Sure, some things burn more calories than others (ugh, burpees). But simply increasing physical activity means you’re burning more calories and, in turn, more fat. Be it walking, mobility work, or hitting the weights, it all counts. It all helps. Do more, burn more.
Important note: More isn’t always better. Two hours in the gym isn’t twice as good as one. There are diminishing returns and you can definitely have too much of a good thing. But most people (80% of American adults) aren’t getting enough exercise. In those cases, more physical activity is simple and actionable advice.
3. Consistency
The last piece to the puzzle is consistency. If you’re consistently in a caloric deficit and regularly active, you’ll lose fat. It’s inevitable. And when you keep consistent, those results last.
Long-term results. That’s the game.
I don’t want you getting results that last a few months or even a few years. I want you getting results that last a lifetime. The way to do that is with a plan that you can consistently follow, not some over-restrictive 15-day fat loss challenge you found online.
Consistency over the long haul is the key to jaw-dropping results.
Fitness Success Made Simple: Making Muscle
1. A Caloric Surplus
Remember the caloric deficit? Well, a surplus is the opposite. It’s consuming more calories than you burn. Without it, you can’t grow. Here’s a simple way to calculate your own caloric surplus so that you can start making muscle right away:
Multiply your bodyweight (in lbs) by 16–20.
For someone that weighs 150 pounds, that means 2400–3000 calories. Why the range? Some people need a lot of extra calories to grow. Other people, people like me, don’t need nearly as many. It’s a body type thing. Start on the low end of the range, see how it works, then reassess and change as needed.
“Wait a second, Ben. I thought eating too many calories would make me gain fat.”
Very good point. Eating too much can certainly lead to excess body fat. But it won’t if you’re stimulating muscle growth with your training. That’s when extra calories are used to build lean mass, not gain fat.
2. The Right Training
There are three main mechanisms of muscle growth: mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress. Cool. Also, confusing. Let me explain how to use all three in your workouts.
To create more mechanical tension, make heavy things move. Shoot for a big, compound lift at the beginning of your workout and go heavy. Deadlifts, squats, bench press, pull ups—all great examples. Aim for 3–5 sets of 2–6 reps with a weight that feels like an 8–9/10 in terms of difficulty.
Muscle damage sounds bad. It’s not. When you break muscles down, they build back bigger and stronger. To make this happen, increase total volume (sets x reps) and time under tension. Add in a few more reps or an extra set to get more volume. For more time under tension, slow your lifting tempo down or hold your last rep for 10–15 seconds. Use moderately to heavy weight that feels like a 6.5–8/10.
Metabolic stress is all about chasing the pump and feeling the burn. One of my favorite ways to make this happen is with timed sets. Instead of a set with a specific rep count, use a 30-second timer and do as many reps as possible. (With perfect form, of course.) On the next set, your goals it to do more reps. Again, use a moderate weight that feels like a 6.5–8/10 in terms of difficulty.
All three will stimulate muscle growth and put your caloric surplus to good use. Using a mix of each in your workout program will optimize lean mass development.
3. Consistency
It strikes again. Just like with losing fat, consistency is critical to lasting results for gaining muscle. The right training will stimulate growth, the caloric surplus will fuel that growth, but inconsistency will turn both into wasted effort.
You’ll get better results by consistently following a decent plan than you’ll get following a perfect plan inconsistently. Every time.
Want Your Fitness Success Made Simple(r)?
I’d love to give you more specific, personalized advice. Still simple, but tailored to you and your personal goals. Let’s get in touch. I’ll help you get dialed in on the simple advice you need to start getting the results you’ve always wanted.