It’s the second week of January, guys — know what that means? Statistically a quarter of all New Year’s resolutions involve eating better and getting in the gym more, yet by the second week of January — again, statistically — we’re dangerously close to 40% failure already. This stat isn’t new to me and it’s not new to science, but that doesn’t make it any less amazing. Every year we do this. We listen to the same song, we do the same dance, we recite the same excuses. And with every year we inch a little closer to the grave, we’ve, yet again, not done ourselves any favors.

That stops this year.

At least if I can help it.

I’m planning on doing as much as I can in this space to motivate and inspire everyone in the new year to make a better life for themselves. I’ll be covering typical fitness blog shit with workouts and nutrition tips, recipes, etc. but I also intend to post a lot more opinion pieces, overall lifestyle topics and the occasional hard-love blurb.

I guess you could say that I’m making blog New Year’s resolutions but I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t do that kind of thing. I don’t make resolutions — I make plans, then I set out to achieve them. I’d suggest you do the same.

While we’re on that topic, a few other things I’m planning to conquer this year:

• Reach 10% body fat — stretch goal of 8%
• Take my first yoga class
• Completely redo my meal-prep series
• Release an eBook
• Hit 199.9 lbs (or lower) on my next cut

I hate to keep bringing up those pesky statistics but the numbers say 80% of all resolutions are long gone and lost by February. So let’s set ourselves up for success here. Do you have a goal? Rad! Now break it down into smaller, way more achievable goals. Do those smaller, much-more achievable goals still seem out of reach? Then break THOSE down, too. We reach our goals, not by taking them on as a whole and accomplishing one big thing, but taking on the individual pieces that make that overall goal. Our enjoyment comes less from achieving the goal and more from the process of achieving it.

This will be the year you enjoy the process.

Whatever that looks like. As much as I’d love it if you came to my TITLE Boxing Club, bought a year-long membership and then bought a Personal Training package with me, I want you to take on your goals in whatever way you feel best helps you get there. It could be as much as joining a gym and finding a great program to start. It could also be as little as waking up 5 minutes earlier or stretching a little in the afternoon. Maybe it’s working on your finances a bit this year or cutting some of the negative fat from your life. Maybe — like me — it’s making more words with the intention of helping people live healthier, happier (and prettier, of course) lives.

So here’s to taking those first few steps. Here’s to breaking your overall goal into smaller goals. And here’s to enjoying that process.

Now let’s talk fitness and nutrition:

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I’m starting a new strength training program I’ve designed for myself to help me continue to add muscle during these cold winter months. I’ve gone back to doing a sort-of “bro” split and dropped back to a NASM-inspired Phase 2 Strength Endurance program with intentions of working my way back through Phase 5. The typical “Big Three” powerlifts are included (squats, deadlifts and bench press) but there’s also quite a bit of unilateral work and some additional core work at the end of every workout.

Additionally, I’m including a few exercises I’ve been discussing with my friends at work lately. Namely barbell shoulder presses and landmine thrusters. I’m also, again, working a pull-up program into every workout. I’ll detail each of these workouts over the next few weeks, but for now, here’s what the week in exercise looks like:

• Monday:6:30pm Spin Class at TurbonSpin Knoxville
• Tuesday: Legs Split 3×12 at 70% – Bicycle warm-up; additional core work
• Wednesday: 7:00pm Boxing Technique at TITLE Boxing Club
• Thursday: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps Split 3×12 at 70% – Wall walk warm-up; additional core work
• Friday: 5:45am Boxing at TITLE Boxing Club
• Saturday: Back and Biceps Split 3×12 at 70% – Chin-up warm-up; additional core work
• Sunday: 9:30am MMA at TITLE Boxing Club

Nutrition is going to be tricky if I want to eat clean, which I do. After determining my muscle-building macros, it appears as though I’m going to require a hair under 4,000 calories per day at roughly 35% protein, 20% fat and 45% carbs. I say this is problematic because after ordering my week’s worth of food from Clean Eatz, it seems that on three Clean Eatz meals per day I’ve only covered about 1,100 calories.

That’s a lot leftover y’all.

Just for fun I started looking and it appears that while it would put me over my fat macro for the day, I could eat three Clean Eatz meals and one large pepperoni “Hot and Ready” pizza from Little Caesar’s every day and still be short on my calories, protein and carbs for the day. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do just yet but it’s looking like I may be making a lot of extra steak and sweet potato bowls for supplemental macros throughout the day. It’s a rough life.

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Did the talk about macros and workout splits leave you cross-eyed? Don’t worry — we’ll cover all those things in the coming weeks.

I love my people …

… That’s you guys.

And I won’t leave you hanging 🙂