Brittney's Laws of Lean

If you are anything like me, a type A personality, you probably adore rules and structure. For me it makes me feel safe and in control. Rules are simple, you follow it because a rule is a rule right? Well at least I think so. Haha :)

Today I present you my "Laws of Lean" or things I follow to stay lean.

1. Avoid Perfection. Effort is what matters. In the beginning you are going to make mistakes and that is OK! You are not going to know everything in the beginning. I know I made mistakes. Practice makes perfect right? Another thing, if someone who has been doing this for years comes over and helps you out by correcting your form do not be offended! They are looking out for you! Also, if you are unsure of something don't be afraid to ask! They will be flattered you asked them.

2. Set Goals and Visualize your success. Give yourself a reason to keep at it and imagine yourself reaching your goals. Imagine how good that feels. This may sound corny but the mind is a powerful thing. Perspective is everything.

3. Know WHY you are doing this. For you? For your kids? For your parents? To feel confident? And remind yourself of it often!

4. Trust the process and be patient. Progress is NOT linear. It is going to take time for you to see results. Remember that this is a lifestyle not a phase.

5. Listen to your body. Accept your limitations. If you are sick with a fever take a rest day. Give your body time to recover and heal so you can be a beast in the gym tomorrow. If you had an injury in the past and can't do a certain lift, accept it. Find a substitution and move forward. There are certain movements I can't do because my elbows are double jointed. Does that bug? Yes. I can't change that but I will focus on what I can do and how I can get better at that.

6. "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable!" Its going to hurt. You are going to want to quit but "pain is weakness leaving the body". The last few reps you struggle to perform are where your greatest results come from.

7. Celebrate the small successes If going to the gym 5 days a week was a huge accomplishment for you be proud of that! If you were never able to do a pull up and you just did for the first time, celebrate! If you were finally able to run a 8 minute mile, smile! Its the small victories that lead up to the big ones.

8. Understand that it is OK to feel unmotivated. You are human. Every single one of us have days where we don't want to go to the gym. The hardest part is getting there. Tell yourself, "5 minutes, after 5 minutes if I don't like this I can leave." But guess what, you won't leave :)

9. Find what you love If you hate the stair master but love the incline trainer go for it! If running is not your thing but you love to swim or cycle, do that! This can be a fun process!

10. Sleep Do it for the gains! Sleep is critical for a healthy metabolism and being able to perform your best in the gym. But it is also critical for muscle repair. You deserve 7 hours of sleep a night.

11. Drink you water! At least your body weight in ounces. Also important for the gains! There is no reason to not drink water.

12. Eat often! Rev your metabolism by eating smaller meals more frequently. Every 4-6 hours is best.

13. Eat your veggies! Your micronutrients are just as important as your macronutrients. Get your greens in but don't be afraid to taste the rainbow. Every different colored vegetable offers a different benefit.

14. Protein, Protein, and more Protein. Do I really need to explain this one??

15. Avoid added salt. Want to avoid bloating? Avoid added salt. Salt isn't bad but processed table salt is. Use Pink Himalayan Sea Salt instead.

16. Stay within 5 grams of your macros. Consistency is key!

17. Schedule time for meal prep You make time for the things that are most important to you. Your health is and so is staying on track.

18. Meet your new best friend, BCAAs Branched Chain Amino Acids are one of the greatest ways to enhance performance as they contain three amino acids: Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. These aminos help with muscle recovery and protein synthesis. In other words, they help with your gains and alleviate soreness. They also help slow down the rate of protein breakdown. Yup, all of that :)

19. And your other best friend, Glutamine Glutamine is another amino acid, actually the most common found in the human body. It took helps with protein synthesis and prevents protein break down. It helps increase your ability to produce HGH, which boosts the metabolism of body fat and growth of new muscle.

20. Lift Cardio might help you shed fat but it will never give you those tight and toned muscles. Besides the more muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest!

21. Utilize compound movements How can be maximize efficiency? By using movements that engage multiple muscle groups like a squat which targets your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core all at the same time!

22. Worry about your form more than the weight. Your form is the most important thing in the gym for a number of reasons. One, good form prevents injuries. Two, good form allows you to truly feel the burn of each movement. Three, good form shows dedication and knowledge.

23. Keep moving! Park your car farther away. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Always keep moving!

24. Increase intensity! Decrease your rest periods, add more reps or higher weight. Utilize super sets and drop sets. The possibilities are endless.

25. HIIT Instead of steady state cardio try HIIT cardio.

26. Stretch People do not give stretching enough credit! Not only are you helping muscle recovery but your increasing flexibility which will increase performance.

27. Take advantage of your pre-workout and post-workout nutrition Your body is

28. Don't be afraid to change things up. One of the best ways to prevent plateaus in your fitness journey is to always change things up to keep your body on its toes. Change your workout split. Increase the intensity. Try different classes that you've never done before. Get outside and hike. Go kayaking. Anything!

29. Allow yourself to have a "cheat meal" or "treat meal" Did I just tell you that? Of course I did! One cheat meal a week is going to more good then bad I believe. It helps your mental state more that anything. Allowing yourself a treat a week motivates you to stay on track and helps prevent binge eating.

30. Surround yourself with like-minded people. Yes, it is great to surround yourself with different perspective but this lifestyle is foreign to most people. Being around goal-driven people like you and seeing them meet their goals and put in the work will motivate you to do so as well. Working in a gym has been a blessing for me in regards to this because we all have the same values, eat chicken and broccoli and train hard! Haha :)