Creating a new life is not easy. It requires slow & steady growth which could feel uncomfortable at first because it is out of your typical norm of what you feel so accustomed to. This is why we start with small changes and slowly add new habits over time after we have established new healthy habits that have stuck. Starting with the lowest hanging fruit is always the easiest place to start; that may look different from person to person so it is up to you to evaluate your lifestyle and ask yourself this question as well as answering it. I recommend taking a piece of paper and writing down what it is you’d like to achieve for your new healthy & fit life first. After you have come up with a clear goal in mind, that is where we can start by evaluating your lifestyle.
Some questions you can ask yourself are:
- How many times a week do I eat out?
- How many times a week do I drink alcohol or sugary drinks? (doesn’t have to be alcoholic)
- What are the foods that I eat - are they processed, whole foods, frozen foods, microwavable foods, protein bars, fast foods, on the go foods/meals?
- What is my sleep schedule like?
- Do I sleep well?
- How do i cope with stress: is it through eating, drinking, taking drugs, going out, over indulging in ….. (fill in the blank)
- How is my water intake?
- Do i constantly drink energy drink and/or caffeine to get through my days
The best thing you can do for yourself here is to be as brutally honest with yourself as much as possible because this will truly help determine where you need to start cutting the lowest hanging fruit.
STEP 1
Getting clear on the goal you'd like to achieve & how you see your goal impacting your life for the better.
STEP 2
Clarity is power. We are going to start with nutritional habits & hydrating well.
It's important to understand that nutrition is the foundation of all health and wellness. Working out is great, yes, but you can’t out train a bad diet. Nutrition and hydration are going to expedite the process of where you are to where you want to go, your ultimate body goal. A few reasons as to why we are going with the approach below.
Stabilize blood sugar levels so we avoid cravings throughout the day especially at night.
Learn how to approach eating while ditching the mindset that food is the enemy when actually it is our best friend and confidant.
The body is made up of 80%+ water. Our muscles are 85% water. Our brain needs fluid to function. Our muscles and connective tissue need fluid to function properly to avoid tearing or injuring yourself.
5 easy steps on starting better nutrition habits
- Cut out all processed & frozen foods as well as dairy, white flour & white sugar.
- If the food you're eating hasn’t flown, swam, crawled/walked, or come from a tree/bush/plant or the ground then we are not eating it.
- Prioritize 3 whole nutrient dense meals per day. Below I will include a chart that gives healthy proteins, carbohydrates & healthy fats.
- Place a fruit & veggie of choice in every meal (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Whatever your body weight is you will drink half of that in ounces in water.
STEP 3
Attend the gym 3x per week each session lasting 1 hr each workout
Below are 3 full body workouts that you can do each time you are in the gym so there is no thinking involved. Why full body workouts? The goal of a full body workout is primarily to not be too sore so you can then go into your next workout feeling great and you are able to move through your day without being too sore. Being too sore can turn some individuals off from the gym and scare them from working out again. At the same time, do a full body split will help train each body part and burn ample calories pushing you on your way to a new healthy fit body.
Workout 1
In this workout we will be doing a bit more of a HIIT style session. This is going to be a full body workout as well as challenging your cardiovascular capabilities.
Each round is timed at 3 minutes per round. The goal is to go through each series of exercises as many times as possible within the 3 minutes. There will be 45 second rest in between each round. This will give us 45-55 minutes total of the workout with a proper stretch at the beginning included.
Round 1
- 10 crunches
- 10 bicycle twists (20 total - 10 each side)
- 10 penguins (20 total - 10 each side)
Round 2
Plank
Round 3
- Stationary lunges bicep curl (90 sec.)
- Switch hammer curl (Switch legs & hammer curls 90 sec.)
Round 4
- 10 glute bridges
- 10 fire hydrants (5 each side - 10 total)
- 10 bird dogs (5 each side - 10 total)
Round 5
- 10 dead bugs (5 each side)
- 10 kneeling side laterals (kneeling on both knees)
- 10 Russian twists (20 total - 10 each side)
Round 6
- 10 RDL
- 10 reverse lunges (5 each side)
- 12 squats
Round 7
- 10 tricep kick backs
- 10 overhead tricep extension
- 10 plank ups (5 on each side - 10 total)
Round 8
- 10 thrusters (squat to shoulder pres)
- 10 lower body jacks (add band for intensity)
- 10 shoulder taps (20 total - 10 each side)
Round 9
- 10 renegade rows ( 5 each side - 10 total)
- 10 bent over rows
WORKOUT 2
In this workout we will be doing a bit more of a HIIT style session. This is going to be a full body workout as well as challenging your cardiovascular capabilities.
Each round is timed at 3 minutes per round. The goal is to go through each series of exercises as many times as possible within the 3 minutes. There will be 45 second rest in between each round. This will give us 45-55 minutes total of the workout with a proper stretch at the beginning included.
Round 1
- 12 crunches
- 12 glute bridges
- 12 Russian twists (12 each side - 24 total)
Round 2
- 12 shoulder taps (12 each side - 24 total)
- 12 mountain climbers (12 each side - 24 total)
- 12 tricep kick backs
Round 3
- 12 lower body jacks (add band for intensity)
- 12 bicep curls
- 12 thrusters (squat to shoulder press)
Round 4
- Plank
Round 5
- 10 SL Glute bridge (10 each side)
- 10 fire hydrants (10 each side)
- 10 glute kick backs ea side (10 each side)
Round 6
- 10 plank ups (5 each side - 10 total)
- 10 kneeling shoulder presses (kneeling on both knees)
- 10 military jacks (add band on ankles for intensity)
Round 7
- 10 bent over dumbbell rows
- 10 back flys
- 10 bicep curls
Round 8
- 15 mountain climbers (15 each side - 30 total)
- 15 penguins
- 10 full sit ups
Round 9
- 10 chest presses
- 10 skull crushers
- 10 chest flys
Workout 3
In this workout we will be doing a bit more of a HIIT style session. This is going to be a full body workout as well as challenging your cardiovascular capabilities.
Each round is timed at 3 minutes per round. The goal is to go through each series of exercises as many times as possible within the 3 minutes. There will be 45 second rest in between each round. This will give us 45-55 minutes total of the workout with a proper stretch at the beginning included.
Round 1
- Plank
Round 2
- 10 tricep kick backs
- 10 mountain climbers
- 10 bird dogs (5 each side - 10 total)
Round 3
- 12 crunches
- 12 cross crunches ( elbow to opposite knee)
- 12 side plank hip dips ( 6 each side - 12 total)
Round 4
- 12 bicep curls
- 12 shoulder press
- 12 overhead tricep extension
Round 5
- 10 push ups
- 10 alternating jackknives
- 20 flutter kicks (lying down)
Round 6
- 10 fire hydrants (5 each side - 10 total)
- 10 glute bridges
- 10 skull crushers
Round 7
- 10 dumbbell side lateral raises
- 10 Russian twists
- 15 penguins
Round 8
- 12 chest press
- 10 plank ups
- 10 lower body jacks
Round 9
- 7 full sit ups10 leg lifts10 single leg glute bridges each side
BONUS
CHECK-INS
Although you won’t be checking in with me directly, all my clients who work with me check in with me weekly with pictures and weight. So what I want you to do is get real honest with yourself and take before pictures. Find a place that you can use to take the pictures the same way every time. Take pictures and weight first thing in the morning after you have used the bathroom but before any fluid and food go into the body. Good lighting is a must so you can see what you are looking at. Pictures to be taken with a swimsuit on or workout attire that can show your midsection,arms,back and legs. Take a picture showing the front of your body, side body and back side. The pictures are mandatory.
Why? I'm glad you asked.
At the end of the day the scale only tells us one thing and one thing, only. It says a number. It doesn’t tell you how you feel, how strong you are, how healthy you are or how well you are functioning. It is just a number. But it is a number we want to use as data because when it comes to measuring and tracking it is essential to have all the data in front of us before making a decision when it comes to making adjustments to the nutrition/fitness plan.
Simply put: if you can't measure and track then you can’t progress it.
REAL RESULTS
My wife started to work out with Anthony 3 years ago. After gaining significant weight after our wedding, I knew I needed to begin exercising and doing better as a husband and father. Truth be told, I couldn't bring myself to make that call to him because I knew how precious his time was. If you were able to get time with Anthony it meant you were ready for a major life change, and I wasn't quite ready to commit. I had gotten into unhealthy patterns during the post-pandemic years. After months of procrastination, I made the call. In the first couple of months with Anthony, I achieved noticeable weight loss. Moreimportantly, I had a monumental mental shift. I was ready to focus and feel strong again. Working with him has not only improved my physical appearance, it has helped me become more driven and committed to everything I do in life. Working with Anthony is a game changer, and a life lesson on how to achieve goals, even larger than I initially set for myself. - Bryan C. High Level Real Estate Agent
I started training with Anthony 3 years ago after having my second child. I was experiencing chronic neck and upper back pain postpartum. It was debilitating and made day to day activities and motherhood extremely challenging. Both of my pregnancies were high risk which prohibited me from working out, so I was very nervous as I re-entered my fitness journey. After a few disappointing trial runs with other trainers, I was introduced to Blue Collar Fitness and have never looked back. Anthony's training in biomechanics, his extreme attention to form and detail and his genuine care for his clients make him the best in his field. His program helped me regain my core strength which alleviated the pain and also helped me feel more confident and empowered through movement. I recommend him to everyone I know looking to better their health and can't thank him enough for all he has done for me. - Noelle C. Professional Functional Health Coach
Anthony Ciccarino
Anthony Ciccarino is a performance training coach at DBC Fitness in Miami. He is from Northern New Jersey with a background in biomechanics, sports and performance, nutrition, myofascial decompression & cup therapy. He has extensive experience in bodybuilding while integrating the foundational principles of biomechanics into muscle growth strategies for longevity, proper movement patterns & optimal physique development. He also has worked with professional athletes as well as middle aged men & women looking to achieve optimal health in a sustainable manner. From the start of his career, he has learned from some of the best coaches in the industry while training a diverse range of clients. Anthony is also skilled in helping individuals to move without pain after suffering from various injuries & major surgeries. He is passionate about continuing education to bring his clients the most cutting-edge and science-backed solutions.
Credits:
Created with images by • monticellllo - Assorted organic food products on the table