progress – Beary Strong

How To Monitor Your Progress

Everything you need to know to set up for long term success.

Even if you are not competing and you go to the gym because you like the feeling afterwards, or you love the idea of becoming as strong as hell, most of us want to see some kind of progress. That’s why in my opinion monitoring progress during your fitness and health journey is one of the most important factors for long time motivation and adherence. How else are you going to assess if the things you did actually lead to results? If you have no plan how to do it best, this article is for you!

The Holiday Survival Guide

How to make the best of the greatest season of the year.

Autumn is my favorite season: the days are getting cooler, the sun is gently spending warmth and good mood. The food is changing too, some of my most beloved foods are now in season. Quince, duck, pumpkin, game, chestnuts and grapes make autumn an especially tasty time. It is also the season where the big holidays all around the world are starting, making it hard to progress the weight loss journey. But it’s not impossible, let’s have a closer look.

What Makes A Good Exercise?

Don’t get lost in the exercise jungle, make an informed decision.

If you step into a good gym, it is quite possible to get overwhelmed by countless possibilities to train. Different machines, barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, bodyweight exercises, there is much to choose from and you have to select an exercise for your training program. What makes a good exercise? What is “the best” exercise to grow your chest/booty/biceps? Read on to make an informed decision the next time you hit the gym!

Every Little Counts

The importance of being honest to yourself and your coach.

Tracking macros is a very powerful tool to change your eating habits and reach your body composition goals. However it has a big fault: the human nature. We’re no robots and life can hit us hard and disrupt even our best laid out plans. If it was that simple, dieting would be incredibly easy, you just fill out your macros every day and everything will be fine. But what happens when we slip?

Stop Comparing Yourself To Others

A case for being ego-centered.

I got into the iron game through Crossfit training and I enjoyed the atmosphere of competition and community for a long time to come. However, I can remember many unpleasant situations where I would compare myself to others. In fact this is even encouraged in Crossfit as almost every box has a white board where members document the kilos they lifted or the time they needed to complete a workout. Nevertheless, staring at the white board and only wondering if you will ever be that strong, will not make you stronger.

The Forgotten Skill of Waiting

Patience is a virtue. Especially in nutrition and training.

Have you ever experienced this? You get your new nutrition plan, jump right in, nail it every single day. You are motivated, the scale goes down and you are enthusiastic about the new plan. But after a week or two, everything comes to a halt. You are still putting in the work, but nothing changes, or even worse, you start gaining weight again! Suddenly you get unsecure or angry and start questioning the plan and what you are doing. But what is going on? You just can’t wait for good things to happen!

The Most Important Factor In Training

Questions to ask yourself when setting up your training.

“Conan, what is most important in training?” I think Arnold would put his sword aside, take a deep look into your eyes and answer with: “Sustainability!” Not very exciting, right? Perhaps it helps if you play the Conan soundtrack while reading this. But still, the ability to work out week after week, month over month, year after year without having to pause or suffering any set backs, is of great importance. It allows you to build constant forward momentum and this is where the magic happens. So, how do you achieve this?

How To Quickstart Your Muscle Gain Journey

Let’s eat and grow! It’s so easy, isn’t it?

Yay, bulking (=being in a calorie surplus to build muscle mass)! What sounds like a dream for many, is in my eyes even more difficult than cutting (=being in a caloric deficit to lose fat). Why? Let’s take a look!

Tips For Nailing Your Vacation Nutrition

Helping you to enjoy your vacation to the fullest while staying on track with your diet.

For me traveling is one of the most exciting and important things to do. I love seeing new places, learning about new cultures and eating delicious food. But traveling does put your nutrition goals at risk: most of the time you can’t control what you get served, how it is cooked or even if it has enough protein for you. Therefore I compiled some tips for you how to limit the damage and still enjoy your vacation to the fullest.

Exercise Selection and Repetition Ranges

What exercises should you do and how many reps should you aim for?

Some of the most basic questions in training are: what exercise should I do? And for how many reps should I go? At first glance they have little in common, but if you take a closer look, they are tightly related to eachother. What exercise do you choose, and does it even matter?