Nia Shanks

Lift Like a Girl: Be More, Not Less

The 3 Step Process to Achieve ALL of Your Fitness Goals

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Easy as 1 2 3
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No, this is not a joke.

You can achieve any of your health and fitness goals by following this simple three step process.

Whether you want to:

. . . and anything in between, you can do it by following this three step process.

The 3 Step Process to Achieve ALL of Your Fitness Goals

WARNING: what you’re about to read may sound overly simplistic, but that’s a good thing. Please read the following three steps with an open mind and then you’ll see exactly how you can put this into action so you can achieve your goals.

1) Keep things as simple as possible by focusing on the few things that will provide the majority of the results.

Before explaining this first step, let’s examine two words that get incorrectly interchanged. Please forgive this “lesson” but this is important.

  • Simple – plain, basic, or uncomplicated in form, nature, or design; used to emphasize the fundamental and straightforward nature of something
  • Easy – achieved without great effort

Your health and fitness goals can always (and should) be simple in process, but they may not always be easy to attain. Some effort is mandatory.

The important thing – regardless of what your primary goal may be – is to apply the few basic principles that will provide the majority of the results. 

Doing so means you’ll have significantly less stress and fitness-anxiety that many diets and grueling workout programs can cause. Sure, it will take effort on your part, but it can be a simple process.

To bring this to life let’s say you want to lose fat. (I’m not saying you should, this is just an example!). Let’s take a look at two different approaches to fat loss.

Approach 1– Here’s a list of “to-dos” you may find in a typical fitness article about how to lose fat:

  • Eat every 3-4 hours
  • Don’t eat carbs and fat in the same meals
  • Drink 8 glasses of water every day
  • Eat about 12 calories per pound of bodyweight
  • Eat .8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight
  • Eat your largest meal after strength training
  • Include a vegetable in every meal and snack
  • Make sure there’s at least 12 hours between your last meal of the day and first meal of the following day
  • Lift weights three times per week
  • Keep rest periods between sets/exercises to a minimum
  • Keep your heart rate around 120 beats per minute
  • Do cardio 3-5 times per week on an empty stomach

. . . and there could easily be more.

(Please note I’m not saying you should do those things. I’m just using that information for the sake of the example.)

Approach 2 – Here’s the simplified approach to losing fat:

  • Focus on eating real, whole foods you enjoy
  • Eat when you’re hungry; stop eating when satisfied
  • Strength train three days per week
  • Improve your performance gradually, when possible
  • Move more, preferably in a fun way

Which approach would you be able to apply consistently, long-term?

Approach 2, of course, because you’ll only be focusing on the few things that produce the majority of the results.

That’s not to say that’s all you’ll ever have to do. After about eight weeks you may need to reevaluate and then change/tweak a couple of things. But even then, you should still focus on the the few things that will provide the best results from your efforts.

When in doubt, simplify your routine as much as possible so you’re only focusing on the few things that matter most. You can do this whether you want to lose fat, get stronger, sculpt some muscle, or just improve your overall health.

Keep it simple. Period.

And here are two of the most popular articles on Lift Like a Girl that tell you exactly what you need to do to achieve your goals, the simple way.

Now on to number two in the three step process to achieve all your fitness goals.

2) Be consistent.

Doing things for one week, and even one month, despite what many TV and internet ads may claim, just isn’t going to work.

Real results – long lasting results – come with consistency.

Sure, you can make tremendous progress in only 8-12 weeks, but when you do these things (strength train and eat well) consistently for the long-term, then the results just keep compounding. I’m still surprised at some of the changes that have occurred with my body after 14 years of strength training. Granted, after you train for longer periods of time the results may be less noticeable, but they add up nonetheless.

Your body will likely keep changing for months and even years from progressive strength training.

And by keeping things simple, as explained in number one, you’re setting yourself up for success because you’ll be able to do those things long-term.

Consistency is key, and that’s why it’s important to keep things simple: so you enjoy what you’re doing. You should be in this for the long haul, not a quick-fix.

That brings us to number three . . .

3) Be patient.

We’ve addressed the many problems with rapid fat loss approaches, as an example, before on Lift Like a Girl.

Patience, however challenging it may be, is mandatory.

While we all want immediate results for our hard work, it would serve us well to slow down and enjoy the journey. Instead of thinking exclusively about the future when we’ll achieve noticeable, body transforming results, we need to practice patience.

Enjoy today. Enjoy the meals you eat. Enjoy your workouts. Look at the progress you’ve already made to this point. Be proud that you’re stronger than last week.

Don’t obsess over the future results you’ll attain and make it a priority to enjoy the process.

Turn Knowing Into Doing

There’s a chance you read those three steps and mumbled, “Ugh . . . I already know that” in disappointment that there wasn’t some additional information.

But more often than not, knowing what to do isn’t the problem – the problem is taking action on the things you already know.

It’s not about gimmicks. It’s not about searching for the newest and hottest thing. It’s not about some undiscovered miracle that’s been hidden up until know. You already know everything you need to know to achieve (and maintain!) the results you want.

So if you’re not satisfied with your current regimen, or you’re ready to simplify everything, then there’s no better time then now.

Determine your goal and start applying the three step process above, and you’ll do incredibly well.

Keep it simple. Be consistent with your efforts. Practice patience.

You will achieve your goals.

And if you want a detailed strength training program, or other resource, then browse the Lift Like a Girl store.