BE LESS SHITE! The Irish mentality does'nt lend itself well to grandiose declarations. Conor McGregor aside, we tend to put ourselves and others down....especially when they get really good or even great at something. Think McGregor, McIllroy, Keane, Bono all leaders in their field and they receive as much criticism as praise here in Ireland.

Progress not perfection is a huge mantra here at FFS and the following list was born out of a conversation with Rory a coach here at FFS. He asked me "how was I getting on" ? at a certain exercise and I replied "I'm just trying to be less shite". It's a great self deprecating ,uniquely Irish way, to look at getting better. By being "less shite" you are just committing to become a stronger version of yourself with no pressure. Eventually all those little efforts will add up and then if you want to..... you can show/tell the world what you've achieved.

Here's 10 tips to be less shite in your life to help you reach your health and fitness goals.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Focus on one simple action today that will make you better. If you take that action you are one step closer to where you need to be! Think the next step. The next meal. The next training session. Focus on that one thing and try to be simply better and build from there.

ACTION BEATS EVERYTHING

Taking a small action is a 100 times better than researching a 100 actions and taking none. Think buying vegetables, meat, preparing a breakfast or a lunch. That’s how you actually make changes. If you are the kind of person who can converse on different training methodologies and know all the latest keto, paleo, intermittent fasting diets etc but haven't trained well or prepared a balanced meal in the last week! A little less conversation a little more action.

THINK BIG

Focus on making small improvements in your life that will give you the biggest return. Freighting over what the best exercises is for fat loss when your nutritional intake is primarily highly processed food and takeaways is a waste of your time and energy. Focus on the quality of what you are eating, the quality of your training, the quality of your sleep and the quality of your hydration. They are the big pillars for success.... everything else is just marginal gains.

DROWNING IN THE DETAIL

Confusion can often cause inertia. More information does'nt always mean better actions. Your energy needs to be spent on the practical fundamentals that make you better. Knowledge is power...but without action its useless. Keeping it simple and focusing on healthy nutritious food, adequate hydration and rejuvenating sleep are huge parts of anyone’s challenge to reach their goals. The internet and media pump out a contradictory story everyday and make straightforward decisions seems like solving the matrix. Don't get sucked into a cycle of confusion. Park the distractions .

BE HONEST

Look at your life, find the areas you think are holding you back and make actions to improve them or ask for help to get you better. Personal accountability and getting a coach/friend/mentor support are an unstoppable force. See what you want to do and see what you are currently doing. Are they aligned? If no .....make an honest effort to align them and get better.

ENVIRONMENT

If you find yourself constantly in situations that are sabotaging your goals. Make a conscious decision to dilute your interactions with people or places that are holding you back. Surround yourself with things that support you not drag you down.

DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE

Everyday the next big thing in health & fitness goes viral. Spend your time,money and energy on things that are proven to work from people you trust and respect. The fundamentals last ....the hype goes in a flash. Fat was the devil in the 80's!

BODY SIGNALS

Listen to your body. Are you consistently getting sick, feeling run down, tired and not at your best. Your nutritional intake, your sleep , your hydration all play huge roles in your energy levels. If they are not great…. either will you be. Pain is the the ultimate signal and needs to be adhered to and acted on.

Things like fatigue, tiredness , moods if they are repeated or coming up frequently more and more ....these are areas that need to be looked at aswell. See if an action you have taken has had a positive or negative effect on them. Do more of the positives and a little less of the negatives. Doing things that make you feel good should in the long run ....be things that actually make you feel better. That's the ultimate when it comes to listening to your body and responding to what you hear. The more you try the better you'll get.

BETTER BASICS

If you are confused about what to eat, how to train and when to do it. Strip everything back to basics. Focus on the quality of your food and training. Are you picking healthy ingredients and are you working hard with good form? Build from those sound fundamentals. Worrying about compression tights for recovery or protein supplements when your eating pizza and sleeping 4 hours a night.... is like giving out about the colour of a car with no engine and no wheels. It will get you nowhere fast...

WHY ?

If you are making changes to get better? Ask yourself why am I doing this? If the “why”is strong enough…..it will be there to support your decisions when you are faced with difficulty choices. "I'm kinda of tired I don't want to train"...."Why am I doing this"..."I want to feel good, I want to look good and I want to be able to be proud to take my top off on my holidays with my family and friends" If the why is strong enough your resolve will be too!

Craig is a Personal Trainer, S&CCoach and head of FFS Nutrition at FFS Gyms. For training,1:1 nutritional consultations or workshops contact craig@ffs.ie