Fitness is a marathon made of sprints.

Your perspective determines how long you stay in the fitness game.

The reason why most people quit on their fitness isn't that they don't care.

It's because they didn't have the right systems.

When you have the right system, belief begins to take hold.

You know that you'll reach your goal.

When you don't have the right systems in place, you struggle.

You wonder why others are racing ahead of you while you're stuck in a pit.

We live in a culture that thrives on speed.

We're addicted to speed.

Patience is a virtue for a reason.

So take things slow?

I laughed at the idea.

My approach in the past?

Go 0 -> 100.

Real fast.

Yet, time after time, I would burn out and eventually lose momentum.

Part of that lay with how I was thinking about my health and fitness.

The rate of progress I wanted to see was unsustainable.

Yet, it’s also important to set the right expectations AND get your first win quickly.

If you're starting or restarting your fitness journey, here’s what I wish I had learned 15 years ago.

Use these four systems to your advantage.

#1.) Expectation System

Change takes time.

When you want to lose weight, build muscle, or get stronger, remember this key point:

Change takes time.

To lose weight or fat effectively, aim for:

1 pound of fat loss per week (give or take).

Muscle building and weight gain depend on your workout history, gender, and age.

A general rule of thumb for gaining weight is:

1-2 pounds of weight gain/muscle building per month if you’re a beginner trainee.

Improving in sports and managing your weight requires time and effort.

• Weight loss = 1 pound per week
• Muscle building = 1-2 pounds per month
• Sports performance = strength, agility, and muscle definition measured each month

Will some people drop weight or build muscle faster than others?

Absolutely.

The guidelines above are general rules of thumb.

At the start of any journey, expect to see changes quickly. This happens because you're introducing many new things.

As time goes on, your body will adapt. To keep making progress, you need to be smart about your nutrition, workouts, and health habits.

Patience and a long-term perspective are the key here.

#2.) Tracking System

Whatever you track becomes real.

What you track, you can measure.

Without tracking, it’s hard to guarantee results.

As a general rule, you typically need six or more data points to make an informed decision.

The more data points you track—like workouts, nutrition, body weight, measurements, and progress photos—the better your decisions can be.

(or you can delegate to a coach for you).

Without sufficient data, it’s challenging to make accurate and informed decisions.

These decisions will become even more critical when you hit the inevitable plateau.

When it hits, you want to be prepared.

Tracking matters.

#3.) Success System

The best part about starting a new journey?

The new wins.

When you begin lifting weights and tracking your food, your motivation is usually high.

However, your skill level will likely be low.

That’s part of the game.

As you turn your habits into practices and then into skills, you will see faster progress each week.

Part of your focus should also be on achieving your first win within the first 2-3 weeks.

When you start, whether you’re losing your first pounds, gaining energy, or building strength, aim for even more consistency.

This gives you a runway for success, which will fuel further success as you continue to move forward.

Success breeds success.

Strike when the iron (motivation) is hot.

Motivation does and WILL wear off.

However, when it does, the goal is to establish several new habits to help maintain momentum at that point.

Strike now when motivation is high, and get your first WIN.

#4.) Time Horizon System

One of my favorite concepts is the time horizon.

Rather than thinking in days and weeks, I challenge you to think in months and years.

Pause for a second and think about the next decade.

Where do you want to be in 10 years with your health, mind, and body?

What does this look like for you?

What type of person are you?

Who have you become?

The longer your time horizon, the more likely you’ll keep your results.

The further away your goals are, the more you’ll care about your long-term progress.

Aim for a big life vision.

Stop focusing on ONLY 30-day changes or 4-month kickstarts.

Use those as starting points, but don’t think in terms of weeks and months.

Think in years and decades.

The goal isn’t to get results.

It’s to keep them.

These are the four systems I would install in my life if I were starting over in my fitness journey.

They'll take you far in life.

See you Friday,