By that I mean: training and diet. Yes, boring I know. Not the sexy new crossfit workout or all paleo vegan whatever diet. Just basic, time-tested, tried and true principles of good health and training.
Now you don't hear too much about fundamentals lately, and I have a good idea why. Like I said before, they're definitely not sexy. And more importantly, if they're not sexy, they won't sell. Nobody can start a fitness empire today by telling people to do basic compound lifts with a ton of effort and make sure they're eating a sensible diet. Nope, that's boring. What sells are the crazy, gimmicky one legged resistance ball squat plus raise plus whatever combination and all kale diet. No wonder most people never make progress in the gym.
Yes, sorry to say, but there is absolutely no getting around the basics. In weight training, the basics are compound exercises with free weights. Compound in that they utilize larger and more than one muscle group. We're talking squats, deadlifts, bench press, bent rows, shoulder press, and pullups. And you have to PUSH yourself to continually add weight and reps. I can't describe how many people I see doing the same weight for the same amount of reps week in and week out, then complaining about how they never get stronger. Come on people.
On the other side, you'll never make any progress without the proper diet. Without the right building blocks, your body can't recover and build more muscle. Proper diet is basic here too - screw all that calorie counting BS. Get enough protein from lean sources like chicken breast, fish, eggs, and lean meat. Eat a ton of fresh vegetables - almost at every meal. And eat enough carbohydrates to keep you fueled up. Yes, I said carbs. I'm talking about good carbs here though - brown rice, whole grains, sweet potatoes. Not white bread and cookies.
At the end of the day, keep your basics right and you absolutely will make progress. As the saying goes, without a good foundation, you can't build a house in the first place.
