The New Year is upon us, and the gyms are full of resolutioners doing their best to get in better shape. Some have thorough plans, others are testing the waters, and the internet and magazines are teeming with article upon article of the one thing to eat or the five must-do exercises or the great new rubber cylinder that’s going to take everyone’s fitness to the next level!!!

So I, a fitness professional, am going to throw my hat into the ring, to provide my take, based on experience, on which strategies, tools, protocols, and paradigms are the most effective in getting you leaner, stronger, healthier, and more capable of taking on the stresses of the real world. Here are just TWO EASY STEPS that will GUARANTEE an improvement in your physique and well-being.

Step 1: LIFT HEAVY. OFTEN.

When I say lift heavy, I mean properly heavy. It should always feel heavy. If it felt heavy at one time but it no longer feels heavy, then it no longer counts as heavy, and you must lift heavIER. It must always feel heavy. And you must lift heavy things often. At least three times a week, so that your body remembers that lifting heavy is a “thing” that it has to do often and prepare itself for.

Step 2: EAT WELL. OFTEN.

Eating well once a day isn’t gonna cut it. You have to eat well the overwhelming majority of the time. If you’re asking “But does _____ count as eating well”, the answer is most assuredly “No.” You know what eating well is. Lots of fruits and veggies, a decent amount of protein, some healthy fats, some carbs for energy as needed. When you indulge in other things (I won’t turn down a good single malt), overwhelm them with how well you eat the rest of the time.

That, my friends, is it. As much as the fitness industry likes to promise a quick fix or a miracle diet or a toy or a pill or a shake or a dance party, or pretty much EVERYTHING OTHER THAN A CONSISTENT HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, consistently lifting heavy and eating well *WORK*. They have always worked. They will always work. .