Coach Sarah Sirico

When folks go for health & aesthetic goals, one of three things often tends to happen.

•they stay stuck at that “in-between, always giving the same on/off effort, ‘trying’ but never really getting anywhere” state

•they come to the realization that although they say they want it, they’re simply not willing to change their lifestyle habits

•they push further with their efforts through learning, questioning, practicing, etc. until they achieve what they want

Who are you in the scenario?

Consider this when talking about your struggle or efforts to achieve your health/fitness goals:

1. What are you willing to do or not do?
2. Would you speak differently if you made sure that your actions matched your words?

…and now you’re reaching goals without exhausting yourself mentally & physically, and you’re feeling SO much better. ✨
Be willing to try something different and see what happens.
Questions? I’m happy to answer them. Lmk :)

Why do you exercise?

To look good at the beach? Or naked? Or feel confident to wear certain clothes?

Sure, many of us have that as a big reason/goal. Whether we get the ideal body we want or not, it’s important to connect with this: what does exercise actually allow you to DO?

•Jump out of the way of something quickly?

•Walk around on vacation with family without having to stop every 5 minutes to sit down?

•Regain balance after losing it briefly, without falling down?

•Pick up your grandkids with ease?

•Play a sport and feel strong doing it at 50+?

•Be able to stand up without using your hands?

The true magic of exercise, imo, is the physical ability it gives you to go out and enjoy life, adventure, play, move…
When you realize this, you’ll never stop.

I’ll note: “Fit” isn’t a look. Fit people come in all shapes and sizes. There at plenty of folks with extra body fat who are healthy and strong, and there are thin folks in terrible shape.

If you don’t currently do much, and you feel like you want to be more physically capable, less tired, and stronger overall, you can change this by just starting. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what shape you’re currently in. Questions on where to begin? No matter your level? Message me for some tips to get you feeling better.

If you want to train to build muscle, the stimulus required involves you training close to failure in your work sets.

This would mean, for example, that you might stop at rep #8 in a set where the resistance you’re using would have you reaching technical failure around rep 10. (Meaning you’re leaving 2 “reps in reserve” aka RIR).

But, people are generally not that great at guessing RIR. I find they think they are …until they test it. And I think mentally, many people get fixated on a number in their head they want to get to, instead of focusing on the feeling they should be paying attention to.

You want to KNOW you’re working hard enough, right? So what do you do? Test yourself. Take a weight in an exercise where you think you’ll hit technical failure at 10 reps. Do the exercise until you literally cannot do it with sound form anymore.

How many reps did you get? I would LOVE to know if you test this. What did you discover? Will this change how you train from now on? Send me a dm!

Anyone can post one day or one moment and it will lead others to think/assume every day is on point and dialed in for that person.

Remember most of the time people aren’t going to post the low points or the bad days (at least not authentically). They’re going to flaunt and preach about where they’re thriving & how they’re living their best life.

Prior to this workout, I hadn’t worked out for a full week. I felt sh*tty, my digestion has been off, my shoulder hurts & I realized two days went by where I didn’t eat a single fruit or vegetable. For a coach, that doesn’t sound too dialed in does it?

And, although I am open in posts & stories about bad days as well, I don’t regularly post about my struggles or negatives.

The point is, don’t get too caught up in what you see on social media (bc no one has it all figured out), & don’t think things have to be perfect for you to make progress.

Developing a healthy mindset & boundaries are important for supporting our journeys. And, no one else’s journey matters more than yours. 🫵🏻

What accts do you follow that help you strengthen your mindset and get you excited about what you’re working on? What accts make you feel less than? …🧹 🧼

📒Workout programming…

Do you follow a program or do you float from exercise to exercise without a clear purpose?

Yes, you could see results without knowing much about how to work out, especially if you’re new to it or coming back after a long break.

But, at some point, without programming that incorporates proper volume, progression, rest, etc. you’re likely to stall, get hurt, or just never reach what you’re after.

This all said…when I program for my clients, I have to take into consideration personalities and preferences. Sometimes I have to sacrifice what I want them to do for what they are willing to do. My way might get them better results, but at the end of the day if they’re happy, it matters more that they continue to show up and do something.

🧠3 thoughts from me:

1️⃣ Tried and true methods (a progressive overload program) > a fad that “worked” for someone else

2️⃣ Working to near failure > being unsure of whether you’re working hard enough or not

3️⃣ Finding a type of training you enjoy > a “better” exercise you won’t do

❓I’d love to know…
Do you write your own programming?
Work with a trainer?
Follow an online or friend’s program?
What kind?

Lmk! Comment or message me.

A lot of people these days still make the mistake of thinking if they do a bunch of sit ups or focus on ab workouts that they will get those six pack abs.

You can work your abs like any other muscle. Stronger trunk musculature will translate to better gains in the gym, better results in sport, etc.

If your goal is aesthetics, revealing your strong core ultimately also requires solid nutrition practices.

Someone asked me to share a core workout. I mostly get my core work from lifting heavy weights and using a controlled tempo. Sometimes I mix in “core” or “ab” work. When I do, here are some current ones I enjoy.

If you have any specific q’s about any of these lmk!
Biggest takeaway: I’m not moving quickly and my goal during every second of work is to focus on using and feeling the intended muscles.

Common mistakes I see the general public make despite believing they are trying:

•Not truly getting uncomfortable in the gym with resistance training. Struggle city = gains!

•Choosing the same weights week to week or having no idea how much they can lift for a certain amount of reps. Start keeping track of your numbers, then get excited when you see them go up over time.

•Thinking exercise is enough to change physique without proper awareness of what’s being consumed. Gotta put work in here too.

Questions? Comments? 😃 Lmk

What do you want to be able to continue doing as you age? A certain sport? Gardening? Hiking? Weightlifting? Picking up grandkids?

No matter what it is, you should be resistance training.

This works for building almost any habit.

This isn’t to suggest a “no days off” mentality, bc there are days when your body truly needs recovery, but let’s be honest about the consistency of our activity….many of us aren’t working hard enough, often enough, to truly need a day off.

It’s also too easy to blame other stuff for our reasons to not get moving this day, then on that day, then again on this day bc “x”.

I don’t show up because I’m motivated. I show up because it’s become a habit , and I feel mentally and physically better after moving.

Build a habit by acting, no matter what it looks like. Then keep showing up, for any amount of time, on any level you can handle. I KNOW you can do this. If you don’t know where to start I am happy to point you in a direction any time!! Just shoot me a message. 🫶🏻

You’ll be surprised how it will change and grow if you continue to arrive for yourself.

👀 I see you:

-on point with weekday calories & “healthy”choices
-wanting to enjoy a little “bad” stuff on weekends
-having a drink or 3, snacking a little then getting a case of the f*ck its
-feeling terrible about yourself Monday morning bc you overdid it.
-rinse & repeat

If this sounds like you, there’s some work to do in regards to food mindset & habits to fully break this cycle. (And you can do it with practice!)

For this weekend though, here’s an exercise you can try:

Still enjoy whatever food and alcohol you’d like, but have an abundance mentality in these other categories:

Movement (standing, walking, playing)
Water
Lean Protein
Fruits & Veggies

Really, go for it. How much can you add? ABUNDANCE in these 4 things. Spread them through the days however you can.

Let me know how you feel on Monday.

If you want to maintain progress but also enjoy a vacation, how can you strike a balance between your usual habits and letting loose some?

Don’t try to be “good”

Enjoy the foods you want

Hydrate

Add fruits & veggies

Find ways to get movement in

Get right back to it afterwards

Keeping an eye on not changing behaviors so much that you start to feel physically feel crappy, you should be just fine if you veer off your usual path a bit. In fact, stressing and worrying about how to be “good” while vacationing doesn’t sound all that healthy anyway.

Being mindful of these tips will also help keep digestion, energy & sleep quality in check. If you’re weight is up a bit when you return, it should be short lived if you get right back to your day to day habits.
And hopefully you can say it was worth it for the experiences and memories made.

☹️Fixed Mindset:
-wants results without effort
-gives up easily
-views setbacks as personal deficiencies
-avoids growth opportunities

🤔Growth Mindset:
-willing to practice & expend effort consistently & over time
-seeks understanding & personal development

👉🏼4 ways to support a growth mindset:

▪️Celebrate little daily wins.
What are you doing right now that is going well?

▪️Do less.
Write down actionable steps you need to do to succeed. Pick just ONE do-able habit to work on every day. Work on it until you are doing it consistently, then pick another.

▪️Embrace the process.
Expect things to take time and learn to enjoy the practice it takes to get there, instead of only focusing on the end result.

▪️Flip the script.
When you catch yourself thinking negatively, see how you can flip it around to positive or more encouraging self-talk.

The takeaway….your 🧠 & body will respond according to your thoughts!

How can we get good at something if we aren’t willing to fail (repeatedly) when we start?

Frustrating as it can be, would you rather keep working at it to see where it takes you, or not try at all?

Finding consistency, knowledge, skill, or ability takes plenty of failed attempts. It shouldn’t be shameful or embarrassing - it’s just part of the journey.

And then, even when we get good at something, we still might not be great.

• In fitness, I’ve failed many lift/skill attempts & they still don’t look perfect but have gotten so much better than when I started. That took years.

• In trying to find balance with nutrition, I’ve eaten so “perfectly” during the week but let the wheels come off on the weekends, many times. Sometimes I still do that, but most of the time I don’t, & …I don’t punish myself if I do. That took years.

• I’ve tried learning things I’ve been scared to do that still scare me, but every time I show up to try, I gain confidence & improve, regardless of how imperfect it all still is.

Should we always keep trying to be better? Maybe. For many though, it might be reaching a level where we are happy without feeling a pressure to necessarily go further. And maybe, without that pressure, the desire to go further actually strengthens.

We should allow ourselves to be bad at stuff, even if we’re scared or feel stupid. We can each go at our own pace. But watch what happens if we just keep showing up. ✨

One common example: You think you’re being “good” by essentially fasting or restricting caloric intake all day. You keep busy, so this isn’t too hard. Maybe you’re also just not hungry. Your plan is to later have a healthy dinner but, too often, you end up eating too much, you snack late, or have sweets cravings you give in to. Before you know it, you’re going to bed feeling uncomfortable.

Some folks may be able to do this without issue. For many though, it’s a cycle they can’t seem to break. It you’re the latter, a little experiment for you…

Even if you’re not very hungry at first, try eating some kind of breakfast. Can you start getting at least 20g of protein here? Side note: if you don’t like breakfast foods, or you’re wondering what “breakfast foods” have protein, don’t sweat it - still have some steak, potatoes & veggies from last night? Why not make a little plate of leftovers? It can be whatever you prefer.

After that, can you get a snack or meal in every 3-ish hours or so?

Whatever you eat, try to include at least a palm of protein, and have as much produce as you want.

A few examples of protein sources:
Eggs
High Protein Greek Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Chicken Breast
Shrimp
Fish
Ground Beef
Deli Chicken, Turkey, Roast Beef
Edamame
Chickpea or Black Bean Pasta
Turkey or Venison Jerky
Protein Bars
Protein Powder

Try this and see what starts to happen to your evening eating habits. Pay attention: less hangry at night? Able to be satisfied with smaller portions? Cravings reduced? There’s a good chance things will improve & you’ll be able to eat more consistently at you’re desired target.

Keep me posted if you try it, or if you already did this and it was a game changer for you!

It’s frustrating to check the scale and see it not change, but there are times the scale won’t change yet progress is still happening, especially if you’re working hard to build muscle.

There is so much more to feeling and looking healthy than what that damn number shows.

Guess what else? Your body weight, when you’re feeling strong and happy with how you look, will probably be higher than what you think it “should” be. So remember to monitor the other markers and carry on!

Focus on getting STRONG, be patient & keep going. 💪🏻