7 Ways To Build Your Dream Body

Folks get involved in the fitness game for many reasons.

Some folks train purely for aesthetic reasons.

Their main focus when it comes to training is to build a stand out physique that gives them confidence in their physical appearance.

Some folks train purely for health reasons.

Their main focus when it comes to working out and exercising is keeping their body in decent shape in order to live a healthier life.

Some folks train purely for athletic performance reasons.

Their main focus when it comes to training is all about getting faster, stronger, and developing the skills needed to excel at their sport.

I have found through my years of training clients (excluding my athletes) that most people initially are a blend of health and aesthetics without giving much thought to training performance.

Most of my non-athlete clientele will actually say they do not care about the weight on the bar or their speed on the track.

Getting in shape and having a healthier body is all that truly matters to them.

But the truth of the matter is that great performances in the gym and on the track will absolutely lead to better health and a great looking physique!

You cannot make progress using the same amount of weight for the same amount of reps every single week.

If your training does not consistently challenge you then it will not change you or allow you to build your dream body.

How To Build Your Dream Body

I know and train folks who have an idea in their head as to what they want to look like.

They have fully envisioned their dream body.

Many men want a muscular upper body, 6-pack abdominals, big arms, and athletic legs.

Many women want a bigger and rounder butt, lean legs, and a stomach that is ironed flatter than one of my shirts.

These goals are attainable but you have to put in the work to make it happen.  Saying you want it is one thing, but doing the work is the real thing.

Anyone who you see with a phenomenal physique has been working on their dream body for many years.

There are 7 ways to build your dream body.  They are:

1) Lifting Weights

Lifting weights will allow you the ability to build muscle mass and sculpt your body the way you want it to look.

You are the artist and the iron is your brush.

Perhaps you were born with a bird chest like me.  You can take the iron and begin to add beef to your pecs by doing dips, neck presses, and push-ups.

Or maybe you were born with pipe cleaners for legs.  You can take the iron and begin to add size to your legs with squats, lunges, hip thrusts, and deadlifts.

You can turn those weak 13’s into some powerful 22’s.

With a new physique and improved confidence you will not need to complain about clothes not fitting you right.

You will not have to worry about looking bad and feeling self-conscious on the beach.

Your days of getting in the pool with a t-shirt on are over.

2) Eating Correctly

What is the point of having all that muscle mass if it is covered in body fat?

Eating the proper diet will allow you to become lean enough to actually see the muscles you have developed through lifting weights.

I came up in the commercial gym world where big guys are seen as the kings because their chest and biceps look good in a thermal shirt.

While these big guys may look decent in a long sleeve shirt, the real test of leanness comes when the shirt comes off.  Your stomach will let everyone know just exactly how well you eat.

Do you really want to be the man who looks decent in a polo shirt at the club but has to hide his big gut under a man girdle?

What about the woman whose glutes look round, high, and tight in those black leggings only to have it all fall apart like Jenga when the Spanx finally come off?  Do you want to be her?

Eat correctly and then you will have nothing to hide.

3) Prioritize Sleep

If you think you are going to optimize your training with 3-5 hours of sleep per night, then you are smoking that good good from Planet Delusion.

Just because you can work out on a few, low quality hours of sleep does not mean that you should.

Skimping on sleep is not a great long term plan for success when you want to maximize your physique and performance.

A lack of sleep truly shows up when you are using moves that rely on a fresh nervous system.  Sprinting, jumping, and heavy lifting are all detrimentally affected by a lack of sleep.

Your plan should be to average about 7-8 hours of sleep per night to get better results at the gym.

With that being said there will absolutely be some days where you may have to train on sub-optimal sleep.

You do not want to make getting terrible sleep a habit.

Life is not ideal and will throw a monkey wrench at everyone from time to time.  But it is still up to you to get in the gym and get the job done.

You might struggle and not get the maximum results from that workout, but getting something from it is far better than sitting at home on the couch moping.

Don’t use “I’m tired” as an excuse because it is a gateway that will lead to many skipped workouts.  Everybody is tired in some shape or form.

Your health is your wealth.

4) Limit Your Stress

Did Johnny Jerk just cut you off in traffic?

Did Nina Numbskull just take your parking spot?

How about Sammy Simpleton just rolling through that stop sign?

Your response to life situations such as these will determine your daily stress levels.

If you respond like most people do and start cussing and carrying on, you will raise your stress levels exponentially.

All the energy you are putting into telling Johnny Jerk about how fat his momma is could be put into building your body at the gym.

Here is how you reduce the stress of each of these situations:

• Johnny Jerk cuts you off?  Compose yourself and keep driving.

• Nina Numbskull takes your parking spot?  Compose yourself and find another one.

• Sammy Simpleton rolls through the stop sign?  Compose yourself and be a defensive driver even when you are in the right.

Don’t let the little things stress you out in life.  The decisions you make in moments of stress will shape your entire day.

And if you are stressed always remember that the best stress reliever in the world is exercise.

Trust me you will not be filled with anger after you do 5 hard sets of bulgarian split squats.

5) Focusing on Progression

A stale workout creates a stale physique.

Your workouts must consistently get more difficult in order for you to build your dream body.

Increase the difficulty of your workout by using more weight, doing more reps, or reducing your rest periods.

6) Performing Real Conditioning

Real conditioning workouts would include sprinting, sled pushing, or complexes with just bodyweight or added weight in the form of iron or a weighted vest.

If it scares you a bit, gets your heart thumping, and makes you wonder why you workout in the first place, then you are doing real conditioning.

If you are in the soul-draining “cardio” section of a commercial gym watching the game you are just wasting time.

Conditioning not only challenges your body and helps you shred body fat, but it also builds your mental toughness.

Being strong in the mind not only gets you through brutal workouts, but it also gets you through life when times inevitably get tough.

I have found over my years of training that the folks who regularly fold during hard conditioning also fold badly when life kicks them in the sack.

7) Evaluate Your Circle

Jim Rohn once said you are the average of the 5 people you are around the most.  I find this to be true.

When I was younger and used to hang out with losers, complainers, and folks who had no ambition, I felt the pull that their negativity had on me.

I was turning into a loser and a complainer instead of being someone who took action and responsibility.

As I got older, I began to eliminate certain people from my circle.  It was not personal, but it was necessary.

Today I surround myself with winners and people who make me want to get better.

I’m not the best at everything within my circle.  This is a great thing because my circle gives me things to chase and strive for.

If your circle is filled with haters, scavengers, and snakes you need to leave that circle immediately.

Build It

Your dream body cannot be developed through a “get-fit-quick” type of program.

Regardless of what cleverly designed advertisements will tell you, your dream body cannot be developed in 30, 60, or 90 days.

To build your dream body it will require hard work and consistency.

To build your dream body it will require focusing on progression and being accountable.

Building your dream body will also require time.

Building your dream body is similar to you starting a business or a new relationship.

You will not be able to be at the pinnacle of the process in just a few short months because greatness requires time.

If you are not doing all you can to attain your goal, then you cannot complain.

If I am failing in my business, but I am not doing the necessary things to build it then I have no one to blame but me.

Conclusion

Your dream body is at the top of the mountain and the best way to get closer to it is to climb up that mountain every day.

Whether you move forward an inch or a mile you are getting closer to the top.

I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman