By Tirrel Grant
1. You can’t out train a bad diet
No matter how hard you train there is no magical workout program that will give you optimal results with a poor diet. A structured well balanced diet will increase your performance in the gym, sustain energy levels and set you on your way to a lean physique. Look at it this way, how many hours a day do you train? Now how many hours a day can you potentially fuel your body with nutrient dense foods?
2. Give your body reason to change
When you are in the gym you need to be training at a high-intensity and apply progressive 
overloads into your workouts (lift heavier) So that your body has to adapt to the training stimulus and get stronger. A quick and easy way of doing this can be as simple as manipulating your rep tempo and rest periods, you’ll be surprised at the changes you will begin to see.
3. Have a set goal
Having a set goal is a great way of self-motivation, knowing what you want to achieve and picturing the end result. However your goals need to be specific measurable and within the timeframe you want to get lean? How lean and by when? Setting specific goals takes commitments and to achieve you need to be committed and if you want it bad enough you will succeed.
4. Always have Protein based breakfast
I have always lived by a protein-based breakfast; having a protein breakfast will slowly increase energy level without rapidly spiking insulin levels. You will feel fuller and more alert for extended periods of time, you will increase your energy levels without worrying about fat storage. Give it a try its great I did this throughout the whole of my competition prep, the difference noticed since applying this to my diet have been simply amazing.
Fail to prepare and be prepared to fail.
When setting out on a new or planned eating program preparation is a must! Whether it means getting up 20 mins earlier in the morning or while cooking dinner you cook for the following day too. If you don’t have the willpower to add an additional 20 mins to your evening or morning to achieve your goal you don’t want it enough. 20 mins of prep for 12 hours of clean eating I’ll settle for that any day!
6. Reward yourself
It is always good to reward hard work and efforts, the main thing with this is to be honest with yourself. Did you give every session your all and leave the gym with nothing left in the tank? Did you give your eating plan 110%, when tested did you opt for the healthier alternative? If your answers are yes then at a scheduled time and date your should reward your efforts. Rewards are a great way to make your ragtime liveable long term and your results paramount.
7. Planned periodisation
A big mistake people commonly make is chopping and changing between different workout plans or not sticking to the same program for long enough. Variety is essential yes! But how will you improve a lift, know your getting stronger, fitness levels and recovery improving if you only do it once or twice a month? Try giving yourself 4-6 weeks on a program, manipulate the reps, rest intervals and you will be on to a winner.
Give your body time to adapt.
Hiit training
I will be honest I am not the biggest fan of cardio but hey sometimes it needs
To be done. It goes back to what I mentioned earlier “make intensity key”. Keep the sessions short but intense work at a high thresholds maximum intensity vs maximum recover. Interval training is awesome for burning fat when done right, I hit some HIIT throughout my prep in my 16 week road to my fitness modelling comp I hated every minute but when you have a desire to reach your goals you need to push through pain barriers “give your body a reason to change”
9. Make intensity a priority
Your workout should be kept within 45-mins/1hr make intensity the main factor in your workouts. Often I hear people mention they spent 2 hours in the gym working out sometimes even more! How hard are you really working if you are able to train for that long if endurance is not your goal? Keep your sessions within an hour, limit elevating cortisol levels, the less stress the more optimal your results will be.
10. Rest
Now this is hard even for me, but for optimal results from your training scheduled rest days is a MUST! The rest days are when the most adaptation will take place, as long as you stick to your eating plan you will not get fat or lose muscle! The rest will make you feel stronger and more motivated for your next workout, your body needs rest to allow growth, check out my Ebook and how I planned my workouts and days off.