The Only 11 Fitness Tips You’ll Ever Need—Seriously!
IMPORTANT: Before you read this post and conclude that I’m the most awesome and knowledgeable person in the world, and that you want to follow me forever and ever, keeping tabs on my every activity so you never miss a single word of my profound and inimitable insight, just know that most of what I discuss on this blog is philosophy-related. In other words, you’re far more likely to hear conversations about Aristotelian metaphysics and arguments for God than tips for fat loss. Just a heads-up! OK, now onto those fitness tips—hopefully, the only 11 fitness tips you’ll ever need.
(For those interested, I provide detailed kettlebell workouts and programming in my forthcoming fitness book, Strong ON!)
Quick Background:
I’m a husband and father of (soon-to-be) six children. I’ve run my own business for the past 15 years. I’ve published multiple books on a range of subjects, from fitness to philosophy, and I’m currently pursuing my PhD. In other words, I know what it’s like to be busy and how difficult it can be to maintain an effective fitness routine after life happens. That’s why I focus relentlessly on the basics, keeping things as manageable (minimalist) as possible. For me, there’s no other way.
I’ve also been involved in the fitness industry for 15 years since that’s the focus of my business (and what subsidizes all this philosophy stuff). Over the years, I’ve worked hard—really hard!—to base my approach on the best available research, while learning from more experienced (but obviously less handsome) individuals and through hands-on work with clients (and myself). I used to be overweight and very sedentary growing up (I was fat, OK?), but eventually, I got tired of feeling that way and decided to do something about it. The first thing I did—because it was the only thing I knew of that sounded “healthy”—was eat an orange. My journey had officially begun.
But like many, I struggled and felt overwhelmed by conflicting information. However, with the help of some great coaches—mostly through martial arts—I figured it out. I don’t take any drugs—not even the increasingly popular TRT—and I never have. My supplementation regimen is minimalist (more on that below). Yet, despite everything going on, I feel stronger, leaner, and harder now at almost 35 than I did in my early 20s. So, something’s working, and that something is what I want to share with you today, in simplified form.
Here’s everything I know about fitness, more or less, summed up in 11 points:
1. The Basics Cannot Be Overemphasized
People, especially newcomers, often obsess over insignificant details—whether to do 5 sets or 6, use a switch grip or standard on deadlifts. These concerns might help optimize progress down the road, but they usually distract people from focusing on what truly matters—the real difference-makers.
Prioritize the big lifts, push most sets close to (at least technical) failure, and accumulate substantial volume throughout the week.1 Let me say that again: prioritize the big lifts, push most sets close to (at least technical) failure, and accumulate substantial volume. These are the basics for building strength and muscle. Everything else is optimization if you’ve mastered the basics, but likely a distraction if you haven’t.
P.S. If you're looking for something more immediately actionable, here are two programs, explained on YouTube, that focus on the fundamentals:
2. Principles > Plans
Here’s a truth people often struggle to grasp when it comes to working out and weight loss: virtually any approach can work as long as basic principles are followed. People get strong and build muscle using all kinds of exercise plans or equipment—barbells, kettlebells, even just their own bodyweight. Similarly, people lose weight and improve their health with a variety of diets—fasting, Mediterranean, keto, paleo, vegetarian, and so on.
However, when people succeed, certain factors tend to be in common, such as progressive resistance or a reduced overall caloric intake.
When I say "principles > plans," I don’t mean you shouldn’t have a plan; I mean that certain principles come first, and they must be followed no matter what. This is liberating because it means there’s plenty of room for you to choose a plan that works for, well, YOU—one that fits your lifestyle, preferences, and things you enjoy. There’s no “one-size-fits-all” fitness plan, but there are universal principles (and yes, one of those is that principles > plans) that must be implemented if you want real progress. Fix those principles in your mind, and ensure whatever plan you choose adheres to them.
3. WRONG: The Best Program is the One You Can Stick With
RIGHT: The best program is the one you can stick with while working your hardest. Consistency matters, but I would definitely NOT say consistency > intensity. Why? Because we all know people who show up day after day but still fail to make significant progress—whether in the gym, on a musical instrument, or at work.
For general health, consistent exercise of almost any intensity is better than nothing—sure. But if you want to become increasingly fit (stronger, more muscular, etc.), intensity is just as important as consistency. You need to put in regular work, and that work needs to be significantly challenging. Intensity doesn’t have to progress linearly, but you won’t improve if you’re not pushing your body with increasing demands.
In other words, at least some of the time, your workouts should be tough enough to make you want to quit.
4. The Gym Might Not Be Your Problem
If you're not seeing the strength, muscle, or fat loss results you want from going to the gym 3 times a week for 45–60 minutes, the gym likely isn't the problem. It’s probably your nutrition, sleep, or something else (though it's almost always nutrition or sleep). For most people, 3 gym sessions per week is enough to hit most fitness goals—assuming they’re following a solid training program with the right intensity (a big assumption, I know!). Don’t be so quick to add more gym time when the real problem could be outside of it. Fix that first, or you’ll risk spinning your wheels—or worse, burning out, getting injured, or both.
5. CICO: Calories In, Calories Out—Yes, But…
Yes, this matters, but repeating this mantra endlessly isn’t helpful for most people most of the time. Many factors affect both sides of the equation—from medications to life stressors to, obviously, the types of foods you eat (e.g., hyper-palatable foods).
This should be obvious, but for many people, it’s not: it’s both the types of foods you eat and how much you eat that matter. The foods you consume influence your satiety and energy levels, making it easier or harder to manage or manipulate energy balance. It’s far easier to overeat meat lovers’ pizza than carrots. I don’t know anybody who has gotten fat off carrots. Do you? Look at Bugs Bunny! Simply put, when it comes to fitness and diet, it’s usually a both/and situation, not either/or.
When it comes to nutrition, it’s both/and (quality and quantity), given how much one influences the other.
6. Up Your Protein
Both research and Pat Flynn Experience support the long-held “bro-science” claim that eating your bodyweight in grams of protein per day yields good results, especially for satiety and body recomposition (less fat, more muscle). However, with one qualification: that amount can be a bit much for some people, and it’s likely more than what’s strictly necessary. A better approach is to aim for grams of protein per day based on your desired body weight. For example, if you want to weigh 160 lbs, aim for 160 grams of protein per day.
7. Cycle Calories
I wouldn’t recommend trying to stay in a deficit perpetually—it’s generally not sustainable. Here’s a better approach if you want fat loss: five consecutive days per week, aim for a 10-20% calorie reduction; two consecutive days per week, pull calories back up to maintenance (and maybe boost carbs a bit).
This cyclical approach is not only psychologically useful (diet breaks help a lot) but also seems better for preserving lean muscle and preventing metabolic downshifting. [Source: https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/5/1/19]
8. Sleep, Important
If you’re not sleeping well, you’ll be drained of energy (poor sleep affects glucose metabolism and hormone balance) and willpower, making everything harder—including getting to the gym and making better food choices. We all know this: when we’re tired, we tend to skip workouts and hit the drive-through.
Get to bed on time. Sleep in a cool, dark room. Be an adult about this. Please.
9. Mobility, Important
Mobility is the ability to access and control a healthy range of motion, whereas flexibility is access (even if uncontrolled) beyond the normal range of motion. Most people don’t need to worry hugely about flexibility, but they definitely need to focus on mobility. Don’t wait until your mobility is compromised to try and regain it—start preserving it now, with basic movements and simple stretches. Crawl (yes, like a baby), sit in a deep squat, and hang from a pull-up bar. If something feels tight, stretch it—especially your hip flexors, which almost always need attention with how much we sit these days.
Look up hip flexor and frog stretches, and make those a regular part of your routine. If you want to be efficient—because none of us have endless hours in the day—do mobility exercises between your sets of lifting (e.g., hip flexor stretches between sets of pressing) instead of scrolling through Facebook, X (unless you’re following me), or Instagram.
10. Supplements Mean “In Addition To,” Not “Instead Of”
There’s a reasonable middle ground when it comes to supplementation, between the extremes of “supplements will solve everything” and “supplements are a complete waste of money.” Some supplements—quite a few, in fact—are well-researched and proven to make a positive difference. Others are definitely scams, and some we simply don’t know enough about yet.
Caffeine, creatine (which I don’t personally take, though it’s well-supported), and protein are three supplements worth considering for performance or weight loss—but only if you have the fundamentals in place. Certain adaptogens (natural substances that help your body deal with stress), like Ashwagandha (which I do take for general stress management), are also promising.
11. For Motivation, It’s OK to Get Help
Here’s a point that’s fairly well-studied—certainly confirmed in my experience—but rarely appreciated: real, lasting motivation (sometimes called self-ownership) often comes after adherence to an effective process. Before that, you just need to be disciplined and stick to the process.
But how do you become disciplined without motivation? It sounds like a classic Catch-22, right?
This is where a distinction can be made between types of motivation:
Internal Motivation: When the drive comes from within, being self-reliant.
External Motivation: When the drive comes from outside sources, like coaches, community, culture, or all of the above.
The trick, then, is to first rely on external motivation to get started and stay on the path. Coaches and community are your best bet—people to inspire you and hold you accountable.
Over time, as results set in, you’ll see the real power of the process. That’s when internal motivation kicks in–usually. You no longer need the motivational training wheels. You can kick them away and ride mostly if not entirely by yourself (whether you want to is another question). You become self-reliant.
So, in other words, you become self-reliant by first realizing nobody starts out being self-reliant. You start out relying on other people. That’s how it went for me. I was tubby, I joined a martial arts program, and I was coached and held accountable by my mentors and community. As I began seeing results, I fell in love with the process; I began wanting to work just for the sake of it.
Self-reliance wasn’t the beginning, and it’s a mistake to think it should be. You become self-reliant—with help.
Conclusion
Believe me, there are a million and one ways to get confused about fitness—one guy with abs says do this, another guy with abs says do that, and they’re completely different and conflicting approaches. Sometimes, these people are simply malevolent—they know what they’re saying isn’t true and are just in it for profit. (Look up the curious case of that Liver King guy.) Other times, as I recently heard someone put it, their elevator just doesn’t go all the way to the top; they genuinely don’t know better.
What I’ve tried to do here is highlight the basic principles that are both true and practically useful—principles that should guide you or at least provide guardrails to keep you moving in the generally best or better direction. These principles still leave enough room to explore specific plans that 1) you’re genuinely interested in (doing something you enjoy helps a lot—for me, martial arts was the ticket, and I really enjoy lifting kettlebells as well), and 2) fit your preferences and lifestyle. Of course, no plan will ever perfectly conform to your every wish and fancy—serious results always require significant effort, so keep that in mind. While we can find things we like and should pursue those things, it’s also worth remembering the timeless advice of John Steinbeck: Nothing good comes easy.
Comments are open if you have any questions.
- Pat
Further Resources
My Strong ON! book
My (new-ish) Kettlebell Quickies YouTube Channel
For example, if you want to build muscle, I recommend at least 10 sets per major muscle group per week.
Do you think this can work well on a vegan diet?
I just want to add, I was hanging from pull-up bars for years and never felt any stretching. I was also trying warrior lunge stretches to correct hyperlordosis and again no stretching happened. I think it is possible to be so tense that stretching does not do anything.