The quote in the photo from Bruce Lee is one of my favorites.

I think the older I get the more it hits home both in my work and personally.

At the gym often when people are getting ready to join they are feeling really motivated.

They’ve decided to make a change and are ready to get after it. They want to start working out 5+ days a week, hit it hard, quit drinking, cut out all sugar, go to bed early, get stronger, lose a bunch of weight…

The list can go on.

I tell them that is fantastic! It is great to see them so inspired to make positive changes and that we can definitely do all those things… We just can’t do them all at the same time.

I explain we should focus on just one thing to start with and make sure we get that dialed in before we move on to the next piece.

Sometimes I feel like I might be bursting their bubble a little bit but I know that it is the truth.

If I want to help them to be successful long term then creating consistency around one habit at a time is key.

So the first thing we prioritize is consistently coming to the gym to workout 3+ days per week.

During their first month I specifically tell new members to not push themselves too intensely.

We want them to feel like they could always have done a little bit more, pushed a little harder, gone a bit faster.

Leaving a little in the tank ensures they don’t burn out, over do it, get way too sore or tired and then not be able to come back and do it again soon.

Personally I’ve fallen into the same trap of feeling motivated and wanting to make massive sweeping changes.

I might start strong and get after it with intensity. The problem is that motivation is fleeting and when it goes so does the effort and intensity I was relying on previously.

I hadn’t created a consistent habit or routine to sustain the progress and so any results I had seen go back to where they were before I started.

Consistency is like a muscle. We need to train it regularly. Once it is strong we can then apply intensity on top of it at various times to improve and accelerate our results.

Until we’ve built that consistency muscle adding intensity will only be wasted effort.

So the next time you are feeling motivated to make some improvements apply that energy and intensity to figuring out the best way you can consistently take small steps in the direction you want to go.

Need some help getting consistent?

Click here to schedule a call and find out how MontanaFit can help you crush it in and out of the gym.

Ian Marshall

Meal planning and prep is a huge key to being successful with our nutrition. But sometimes things just come up and we are hungry and need something ASAP.

Having some go to healthy (and super tasty) options will be the best bet to help us stay on track.

You can’t go wrong with any of my top 6 Healthy Local Lunch Options. They will leave you satisfied without feeling bloated and sluggish the rest of the day.

All these top spots do it right by making nearly everything from scratch with quality ingredients. Next time you need a quick midday bite opt for one of these and you won’t be sorry.

El Diablo

• Near and dear to my heart as I worked here for about 4 years and never got tired of eating the food. Marinades, salasas, sauces, guacamole etc. are all made from scratch. Opt for a bowl with rice, beans and any of the meat options then load it up with veggies and salsa and you will be good to go.

Five on Black

• Delicious Brazilian style street food fresh made daily. Make a bowl with greens, rice, beans or sweet potato and choice of protein. Then top it with some chimichurri, cilantro, lime, and spicy coconut sauce and chow down.

Rattlesnake Market and Cafe

• A little out of the way (unless you live in the Rattlesnake or are up there for a hike or bike ride) but well worth the effort. Several healthy salads and sandwich options to choose from as well as rotating specials. My favorite is the Carne Asada Salad. So fresh and good!

Market on Front

• Almost too many options to choose from for fresh outstanding salads and sandwiches. Pro option is to get a sandwhich and a salad and share the other half with a buddy or save it for the next day. It’s like meal prepping but better since you didn’t prep it.

Green Source

• Organic smoothies and various bowls that leave you fully satisfied and just feeling healthy all over. Smoothies are 100% organic and I think nearly everything else on their menu is too. I’m partial to the Acai Bowl but they have a heap of other bowl options to satisfy your cravings while having you feel great.

I do my best to prep and eat homemade meals as I know the ingredients are good and I am generally making a good decision.

It is comforting to know that these local options are always there when I need a break from cooking myself, need something fast, or just want a tasty lunch.

I know I can have something at one of these spots and it will give me the energy to power through the rest of the day. They also have me feeling ready and able workout that afternoon or evening which isn’t always the case for many fast lunch options.

Where are your favorite go to healthy lunch spots??

We have all likely heard “You need a stronger core.” or thought to ourselves “I really need to strengthen my core.” Unfortunately we don’t usually know why or the best way how.

A strong core is important for moving safely, efficiently, and effectively.

The primary role of the core is to stablize our midsection.  This allows us to resist forces and coordinate movement between upper and lower body.

If you watch high level skiers or sprinters (or many other athletes) you will see just how little movement there is through their midsection.

Conversely if you watch very beginners at these endeavours you will see a ton of movement through their midsections. They are all over the place and super inefficient.

While some sports and activities require strong rotation through the core (e.g. golf & baseball) most rely on having stability through the core.

One way to get a stronger core is simply by lifting weights. Specifically free weights (using most machines takes away any core activation needs).

Doing squats, deadlifts and presses and progressively increasing loads will concurrently strengthen your core as you engage those muscles in order to do the lift properly.

Another is to do some specific core exercises.

Combine both lifting with some specific core work and that’s going to be a winning formula for a bulletproof core!

Below is a short follow core along routine you could add in 2-3 times per week to tighten up that core and help you crush your pursuits outside the gym.

If you want to dive deeper come to our Core Workshop with Coach Katie of Physiotrekk on Saturday, February 20th at 10:30am.

She will teach you much more about the what, why, and how of core training and you will also get a fantastic core workout so come prepared:)

Spaces are limited. To register click here.

For each of the following exercises do 2 rounds of 25 seconds of work with 10 seconds rest. Check out the video for demonstrations and you can just follow along until you have it dialed in.

Bear Crawl

Side Plank – Right Side

Side Plank – Left Side

Deadbugs

Plank Mountain Climbers