I break down a simple, sustainable approach to your cardio and recovery so you can stop doing too much too soon and finally see better results.
First, I share why walking between 6,000 and 10,000 steps per day is usually all you need, helping you break free from the all-or-none mentality.
Next, I’ll cover the recovery basics—getting as much sleep as you can, staying hydrated in the hot summer months, and salting your food to taste.
I then reveal the number one recovery tool you’re probably not ready for: simply not doing too much in the first place!
Ultimately, the goal is to shift your focus to quality over quantity, doing less work with super intentional sets so you can solidify your base habits and reach your goals!
Your Cardio Plan:
In most cases, we just recommend walking!
If you just generally want to be lean, strong, and healthy so you can do the things you love with the people you love, walking is a great start.
If you’re extremely sedentary, then start with a low number like 4,000 to 5,000 steps per day and go up from there as you’re able.
By this point, you can probably see a trend where I’m open to doing more work to get faster results if and only if it’s actually sustainable for you.
I’d rather somebody accept slightly slower progress with a plan that’s actually sustainable for them than try to get them to do something that we both know they won’t be able to stick with.
Plus, the longer you stick with the habit, the easier it will be to ramp up and do even more in the future.
But again, in most cases, I would recommend walking, and then once you get up to somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 steps per day, that’s probably all you need to hit your goals.
But if you want to add in some cardio on top of that, you’re welcome to do that.
But again, I would start small and then ramp up from there.
Besides people not getting started in the first place, I think one of the biggest mistakes people make is they do too much too soon before their body is ready for it or before they’re actually mentally prepared to stick with it.
And then they quit.
I’m always trying to break people free of the all-or-none mentality in fitness.
Your Recovery Plan:
Let’s keep this one super simple.
There are three things I want to look at here:
- Sleep
- Hydration
- Not doing too much in the first place
Sleep is super important. We all know it!
So aim to get as much sleep as you can.
The more you sleep, the better you’ll feel and the harder you’ll be able to train.
We want to make sure you’re not dehydrated, especially during these hot summer months where you’re sweating more than normal.
Drink plenty of water and add some electrolytes if needed.
Or just salt your food to taste!
Just like everything else, more isn’t always better.
Drink when you’re thirsty and then be a little above that in the summer.
Salt your food to taste, and if you’re working out a lot or spending a lot of time outside or you just sweat a lot, then add some extra electrolytes as well.
But again, find the dose that lets you feel your best.
Just because some is good does not mean more is better.
But honestly, the number one recovery tool that you’re probably not ready for and one that you’ve probably not heard before is just not doing too much in the first place!
This is literally the number one thing I see happening when people can’t recover from their workouts.
It’s not their sleep, it’s not their food, it’s not their recovery protocol.
It’s that they’re doing too much in the first place.
So if you’re feeling like trash and like you can’t recover from your workouts and your progress hasn’t been that great, it’s probably not that you’re under-recovered but that you’re just doing too much.
Focus on quality over quantity.
Do less work but really make those sets super intentional and watch what happens.
If you’ve made it this far, I know this is a lot of info, but if you really take the time to understand what I’m talking about here, you’re going to see much better results, and you can basically forget everything else people have been telling you to focus on!
And then once you’ve solidified your base habits across each of these four domains and you’re seeing great results, then you can start experimenting with some of the other recommendations people make.
If you’re ready to work with a team of expert personal trainers who will design a plan specifically for you and coach you through it every step of the way, then click here, click the consultation button, and fill out the form.
We will reach out within 24 hours to schedule a phone consultation to discuss your goals and the details of the program!
— Coach Nate