Diagnostics or Results? How to Achieve Optimal Performance.
Diagnostics or Results?
When you think about going to the gym for the first time, switching diet plans or attempting to improve your life what you should do first might surprise you.
Sure if you are generally healthy and free from injury you might be able to start a productive workout and nutrition program right out of the gate, but if you have injuries or other health abnormalities you may need to do some diagnostics before you begin a structured routine.
Do you remember back in the day when they said consult your doctor before starting a diet or exercise plan? There are many reasons for that but the most important one was the fact that if you don’t “look under the hood” once in a while you will never know how your blood and overall health is looking. A broad panel blood work up will tell you thyroid function, D3, LDL, HDL, Triglycerides, Testosterone level, glucose and much more which will allow you to see where you are doing well and where you still need work. This will give you clear instructions on what kind of supplements, medication or lifestyle intervention you need to complement your results from the diet and exercise alone.
That is exhibit A: Get Bloodwork done before you start your new routine.
Now on to exhibit B: What are your injuries or health issues?
If you already know you have a bad back, torn rotator cuff that just healed, history of heart attack or stroke, diabetes, chronic headaches etc it is important to have a trained professional “check you out” to make sure you are ready to proceed.
*Not all personal trainers or nutritionists are created equal and not all of them care about continuing education. Find one who is experienced, educated and that continues to learn and grow.
This is where the diagnostic component comes in. Many times FFT clients will under go 2 weeks – 3 months of mobility, flexibility, stability and core strength work to increase their chances of success before we ever seek muscle gains and fat loss. Sure some of it can work in tandem but if your body feels like a piece of junk and you wake up in pain each day we find it is much more important to work on those things first before hurting yourself worse.
Exhibit C: What diet plan is best for me to facilitate my results now that I have had my blood work done and my injuries or health issues addressed?
The only way to know the best diet plan for you is first to know that DIETS don’t work. Now don’t go jumping down my throat! Diets do work, but its the people who don’t work. Individuals hear their friends say “I lost 40 pounds on KETO” or “I lost 20 pounds starving myself” and they think HMM I want to lose 20-40 pounds but they never think of the long term consequences.
I can’t tell you how many people who I have witnessed lose lots of weight and put that weight back on faster and even gain more weight after the fact. It’s truly sad. You need to make it a LIFESTYLE.
Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to build muscle? Do you want to improve your overall health?
Each of those three desired outcomes will require a unique set of dietary strategies to get you to the result. Also remember that for a dietary outcome to take place it will require six – twelve weeks before progress will be noticed if you are working with a quality coach or you are following a solid routine. Don’t be in a hurry. Building muscle, losing body fat and improving your health requires patience and perseverance.
To make big changes you need to take the time to do exercise, health & fitness correctly! There is simply no other way. The old saying “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” applies in most all aspects of life. Take one step at a time and I guarantee your body and your future self will thank you!
Always here for your and your results:
~Mike
Onward and Upward Always!
Michael Hartman
My mission is to give personal training participants a safe and effective workout designed specifically for their goals. Dealing with many sports injuries over the years taught me how to come back stronger every time. The competition is with yourself... Strive to bring out your best self and get better every day!
