I’m not skilled in the Japanese art of ninjutsu or a person who excels in a particular skill unless breaking things is a skill. Here, I’m referring to how ninjas operate: quiet, stealthy, and in the background. You don’t know they are there until it is too late. These tips and tricks are not obvious and usually don’t get a lot of love, but they can make a big difference to your health and fitness.
You should now know the big rocks of health and fitness: resistance training, cardio, protein, eating like an adult, going for a walk, yadda yadda. That’s the zoom-out, but what about the zoom-in? How do you do all those things well, stay on track, and get the most out of them? That’s where the ninja tips and tricks come in.
Try one or two of these tips and tricks to see if they improve your flex time.
Resistance Training Tips & Tricks
The name of this game is Progressive Overload, which involves putting your muscles under tension for longer, lifting for more weight or reps, or a combination of all three. There are many ways to do it, and I’ll cover a few lesser-known tips and tricks on progressive overload.
The Power of One: Just doing one more rep than the time before adds up to huge gains over time. Start at six reps and work up to 12 reps with the same weight; add weight when you get to 12 reps, start back at 6, and do it again. It’s boring, but it works.
Hit the Pause Button: Think of your muscles like a rubber band; when they stretch and contract, there is a rebound effect. That’s neither bad nor good—it’s just a fact. But when you pause, usually in the exercise’s most challenging position, you remove that stretch reflex from the muscle to make the lifting (concentric contraction) harder. That and the added time under tension will have your muscles saying thank you.
Squeeze it, Baby: Let me introduce you to muscle irradiation. Irradiation comes from Sherrington’s Law of Irradiation, which states:
“A muscle working hard recruits the neighboring muscles, and if they are already part of the action, it amplifies their strength. The neural impulses emitted by the contracting muscle reach other muscles and ‘turn them on’ as an electric current starts a motor”.
If you’re still not convinced, stand up and try this simple test.
Squeeze your butt together as hard as you can, and then clench your fists as hard as possible, digging your fingernails into your palms. You’ll feel it in your butt more. Now, go forth and do it with all exercises involving grip.
Habit Tips And Tricks
Consistency is the name of this game, and the best way to achieve this is by establishing better habits. So, your health and fitness happen on autopilot.
Make it Obvious: Set your clothes out and pack a gym bag the night before. Write it down and put it on the fridge if you have a specific goal. Or, if you want to fit into a particular piece of clothing, put it in a place where you can see it consistently—all these act as reminders to make it a habit and give you a reason to keep going.
Have Something to Work Towards: Working out can be dull, and you’re less likely to do it when it’s boring. Similar to setting a goal, having a big, audacious goal to work towards, like running a marathon, gives your workouts some purpose and something to train for.
Be a Big Mouth: Accountability is the biggest reason I get hired, and it’s also a reason why some don’t follow through on their health and fitness goals. But when you tell a friend or family member you plan to lose 10 pounds by going to the gym three times weekly, you’ve spoken it out loud, and they will ask you about it later. That small accountability measure may be all you need to make it a habit.
Low Hanging Fruit Tips & Tricks
Sometimes, we overlook the obvious, especially in the world of health and fitness, where complexity and information overload are commonplace. Here are some low-hanging fruit tips and tricks to get your teeth into.
Invest in a Water Bottle: Buy a good water bottle and only use it for water. Keep it full and take it almost everywhere you go. Water is the ultimate zero-calorie drink, and its health benefits are undeniable. Drink some.
Write It Down: Progress is the name of the strength training game, and some quit because they feel like they’re not making any progress. But when you record your sets, reps, and weights lifted, you’ll look back and realize how much progress you have made over time. Investing in a journal to write down this stuff and how the workout felt is an instant reminder of progress.
Set Up For Success: Sometimes, we succeed despite our environment, but succeeding in a climate conducive to health and fitness is easier. If you’re trying to lose fat, keep your trigger foods out of the kitchen because they are out of sight, out of mind. Keep exercise equipment in the house as a reminder to train, and carry a water bottle everywhere. These simple types of environmental changes can make a big difference.
Wrapping Up
Incorporating one or more of these tips and tricks will make an impact over time. In a world where health and fitness is becoming more complex by the minute, keeping it simple and making small, simple changes to your routine is the way to go.
Then maybe you can sneak up on your friends like a ninja.
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