When I’m not in the gym or reading/writing about fitness and strength things, I sometimes venture out into the world and socialize. When I do that, people who learn what I do for a living will often ask me questions. I’m always happy to answer, but I’ve noticed that a lot of the same ones keep coming up. I’ve covered five before, but the fun doesn’t stop there. So, for those of you who I don’t play kickball, do jiu jitsu, or play Magic with and can’t ask me in person, here are answers to some questions that you probably have.

Q. I want a six-pack. What should I do?
A. ​First, figure out why you want a six-pack. If the answer is something to the effect of “other people will like me better, then I’ll be happy,” then you don’t need a trainer or nutritionist. You need a therapist. That’s a harsh statement, but the truth is that real happiness comes from accepting who you are and doing things to make your life better by your own definition. It doesn’t come from constantly trying to clear other people’s constantly shifting goalposts. That said, to get a six-pack, diet is the answer. Yes, doing workouts that will help you keep as much muscle as possible is important. But eating less than you burn is the big thing. If you’re not doing that, you won’t get there. Find out how many calories you burn in a day on average, reduce your intake by 10%, see what happens, and tweak intake up or down as needed. Aim to lose 1% bodyweight per week. This is a gross oversimplification, but it works for most people: eat less, keep muscle through workouts.

Q. Is “insert food” bad?

A. I don’t know. Does it have a criminal record? Is it a compulsive liar? Does it not flush the toilet? Does it say “ATM machine” or “PIN number?” While some foods are better than others for certain things, I don’t think there’s such a thing as “bad food.” It all really depends on a variety of things like your gastrointestinal health, kidney health, goals, and preferences. If you have IBS, Thai chili peppers are probably a bad food. If you have horrible kidney dysfunction, high protein meals are probably bad foods. If you’re trying to get lean, anything that would put you way over your calorie limit for the day is probably a bad food, whether it’s ice cream or chicken and rice. The only exception is celery. This is a bad food. Mostly because I personally hate it, taste and texture. And don’t try that whole “ants on a log” thing with me. It’s like putting make-up on a pig. It’s still a pig.

Q. I want to lose weight. I’m going to start going to the gym every day, eating extremely clean, and go running in the mornings. What do you think of that?

A. If you haven’t been doing any of that for a significant amount of time, I think you’re trying to ride too many horses with one butt. It’s very common for people to try to make not just one but many radical changes to their lifestyle all at once. For a very small minority of people, this works. But you’re probably not that person. Most people will stick with it for a week or two, then completely fall off because it’s overwhelming. Generally, small healthy changes being made into healthy habits is the way to go. Pick one of the things above. Let’s go with running. Instead of going for a five mile run every morning, plan on going for a five minute run every morning. While you’ll have an easy time coming up with reasons why you can’t do the five miles today, it’s virtually impossible to make an excuse to avoid running for five minutes. At least, not an excuse that you’ll be able to take seriously. Keep doing this until it becomes a habit. You’ll notice something, though. You’ll almost certainly run for more than five minutes. Once you start doing something, it’s easy to keep going. Eventually, this running will become a habit and you won’t have to think about it. You’ll basically roll out of bed and into your running shoes. Once that’s the case, you can move on to your next thing. I’d like to point out that something like quitting smoking or quitting drinking should almost never be done at the same time as trying to make another change. It’s just too big, too stressful in itself, and there’s too much you’ll have to do. But the rewards will be great, so I’d definitely recommend it.

Q. I’m just looking to tone. What should I do?

A. First, as covered in a previous post, “tone” is a made up term. Generally when you say “tone” what you’re actually saying is “make my muscles more visible and appear firmer.” This is done through two main ways: making the muscle bigger and removing fat from around it. To make the muscle bigger, you’ll need to lift weights. To make the fat go bye-bye, you’ll need to eat fewer calories than you burn in a day. So, hit the gym and lift while you watch what you eat and how much of it you eat.

Q. Bruce Lee (or insert name of famous athlete/celebrity) did whatever fitness/nutrition thing, should I do that?

A. First and foremost, go into the bathroom. Look at yourself in the mirror. Really examine yourself, inside and out, your body and soul. Now, repeat after me: “I am not Bruce Lee.” Nor are you the Rock, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth, or Groucho Marx (you’re definitely not as funny.) Stop comparing yourself to other people and trying to do what they do. You have totally different genetics, upbringings, personalities, and environments. You will never be able to be them, nobody will. Even they won’t be able to be like that all the time. If Jennifer Lopez at 50 can’t even be Jennifer Lopez at 25, then you won’t be her at any age ever. Instead, focus on who you are, where you are now, and where you want yourself to be for yourself.

There are hundreds of questions I get from people from all walks of life, but these are another five of the most common. Instead of racking your brain about these or looking on social media and finding nonsense, you now have the answers and can make better decisions.