Modern Strength

Hey Everyone! Soon I will be shifting posts to be posted to my regular profile. Be sure to friend/follow me there! - Jack Sullivan

Building muscle isn’t just for guys or just for bodybuilders.

It’s for the person that wants to have better daily energy, who wants to look their best, and the person looking to boost their metabolism.

The benefits of having muscle goes on and on.

Building muscle takes time, consistency, smart training, lots of patience, smart nutrition, and more consistency.

(Trust me, you won’t get “too bulky” by accident)

Most women I work with think they need more diets, more cardio, and less carbs to get to their goals.

Muscle actually makes it easier to lose weight. Most clients come to me with weight loss goals, but fear building muscle.

If you have more muscle it makes losing that unwanted fat easier to lose.

Often what they are missing is muscle, strength training, and eating enough food.

If you’ve been sucked into the never ending cycle of dieting, doing only HIIT/cardio and feeling stuck, that might be the case for you as well.

To put it simply-

Muscle is great. Work to build more of it!

Keep it simple and don’t make reaching your goals harder than it needs to be.

Fuel your body. Follow smart programming. Work on quality of food, practice being consistent and prioritize rest.

If this helped you remember to like & share with a friend!✌️



•
•
•

Whether you’re starting a new journey to better your health or you’re working towards a promotion at work, you have to do the boring work.

The accumulated small “boring” tasks quickly become results.

You can choose to push them off as unimportant just bc they are boring, or you can embrace them and grow.

After all, aren’t you playing to win or are you just showing up for a participation trophy?



•
•
•

Most of us want results yesterday and are willing to do seemingly anything to get to our goals!

I can tell you the fastest way to your goal is to stop looking for a fast solution. Start by NOT seeking out what’s “easy,” or the “quick fix.”

They don’t work.

A quick fix is a short commitment to change something in the short term.

If you seek long term sustainable results you’ll have to practice habits that promote long term health and realistic goals.

There’s a lot of trash out there. Not all of it is easy to spot, just remember if it seems too good to be true it probably is.

If you found this helpful, or got a good chuckle out of it be sure to share it with a friend!



•
•
•

You ever just look at your watch and smile bc it’s so damn funny? Yeah, me too😜

Enjoy your weekend!

Your mind is extremely powerful. Especially when it comes to creating healthy habits.

If you’re in a rut, try using your thoughts and words to your advantage.

💥Spend time journaling at least once per week.

•What are 2-3 wins from this week?

•What did not go well this week? Why do you think that is?

•What can you do to keep yourself moving forward?

💥Find support! This could be a friend or a close family member that holds you accountable and may even have similar goals.

💥Hire a coach! Coaches help you see things in a different light, hold you accountable, and push you when you need to break out of a plateau.

Look to make small adjustments to your routine. You may be surprised by what you are able to accomplish.



•
•
•

Sounds a bit bass ackwards doesn’t it?

This is one of those things I wish more people who aren’t exercising regularly understood.

Your body craves movement. We were never meant to sit all day at work, eat too many highly processed foods just to go home to sit some more.

Instead of reaching for more caffeine get outside for a quick walk. Try going up and down the stairs a few times. Or simply go to the gym first thing in the morning and start your day on a high note.

Seems counterproductive, but a lot of the time when you’re tired in the middle of the day your body really is looking for more movement.

Next time you feel like you’re in a slump, try it!



•
•
•

Letting go of your attachment to the scale as the singular measurement of you progress is incredibly valuable.

There are many other metrics that carry far more value than what the scale reads.

💥Do you have more energy?
💥Improved bowel movements?
💥Greater mental clarity?
💥How do clothes fit?
💥Are you sleeping better?
💥Your happiness?
💥New habits and routines?

It’s not all about just reaching your health goals, it’s about the journey there.



•
•
•

If you view your workout as a way to burn off the food you ate, it’s time to start practicing a mindset shift.

Often I relate health to investing. If you don’t invest in your health now you will be in debt in the future (poor health). If you invest now you’ll be much more healthy and comfortable down the road.

That being said, when was the last time you made a true deposit?

Instead of looking at exercise as a way to burn off calories bc you’re unhappy with previous decisions and hate where you are, start looking at exercise as a way to invest in your health.

When you start showing up for yourself, loving who you are, and what you’re capable of things begin to shift.

Diets for example, most people diet, and diet for way too long bc they hate something about themselves and want change.

The reality of it is nothing will change until we love our bodies enough to invest in what it truly needs.

Your body wants more sleep, more movement, more fuel, less alcohol, less stress, and more water.

The real punishment for your body is NOT giving it what it needs.

Sustainable results come when you’re willing to invest in what your body wants, otherwise you’ll never be able to sustain a healthier and leaner body.

Fuel your body properly and train hard bc you appreciate your body and the one life you have.

Not out of disgust or frustration, but in support of.



•
•
•

What should #5 be!?



•
•
•

The blame game is the easy way out.

Instead of blaming a “broken metabolism,” or a diet that “doesn’t work for you“ look into your lack of mindfulness, poor time management, and lack of consistency.

Your metabolism is responding to the signals you give. Less than optimal sleep. Under eating or over eating too long. Regular alcohol consumption. Inconsistent training and lack of activity.

These are all ways to ensure your metabolism won’t function optimally.

Your metabolism is a stress meter, and you’re stressing it the f••k out with your behaviors.

Resistance train with intensity 2-4x/wk. Get quality sleep. Address & manage your stressors. Eat to fuel & nourish your body so it can perform optimally.

Lastly, be patient, you didn’t get to where you are in just a few weeks or a few months. To expect immediate change in the other direction is a bit silly wouldn’t you agree?

Don’t give up!

Practice working WITH your body, not against it.



•
•
•

Have you been looking to achieve change, but failing every time bc you choose to go back to the same things over and over?

Does this sound familiar?

“I’m unhappy with my weight, and frustrated bc I’m not making progress in the gym. I think I’ll go on a diet for a month.”

A month goes by, you restricted food, you didn’t drink as much, and you lost a few pounds.

A few weeks later, those foods you restricted start sneaking back in, the scale goes up, and you begin feeling uncomfortable again.

Rinse and repeat, over and over and over…

In this email exchange my client expressed that he was displeased with progress in the gym, wanted to make body composition changes, and was tired of starving himself short term to achieve short term results.

He’s been stuck in a cycle, but unsure of what’s next. Does that sound familiar?

If you already know what you’re doing doesn’t work, why keep doing it?

-Maybe you don’t know any better.

-Maybe it worked for more than a month in the past.

-Maybe you’re doing it because a friend is doing it.

Your first step is becoming aware of where you are right now. What got you there, and what habits hold you there.

If your habits, environment, training, nutrition, and stress are not managed according to your needs, how much change can you really expect?

If you want a different output/result, you have to alter you inputs. This takes practice and time. If you want long term results you need to play the long game and play to win.

Are you ready to make some changes?



•
•
•

But NOT doing what works takes SO much less effort…

How do you sleep? Are you up late just waiting for a string of yawns to cue you to hit the pillow? Or do you have a nightly routine that helps you relax and ease yourself to sleep?

Do you know if you’re eating too much or too little? Are you prioritizing whole foods or what’s convenient?

Are you managing your stress well? Drinking or just ignoring your stress doesn’t count😜.

Are you exercising regularly? Are you injured frequently, or deathly sore? Or are you following a program that you actually get results from?

Are you drinking enough water? Do you p*e 4-7x/day? Do you feel sluggish, tired, and have poor gym performance?

Imagine if you had better sleep hygiene. You could sleep deeply, wake feeling rested & make it through the day without 400+mg of caffeine.

Imagine what it would feel like to eat the right amount of food for you. To feel energized, to perform well in the gym all while still enjoying the foods you love without an energy crash or bloating.

Imagine knowing how and what it feels like to manage your stress better. What outlets to go to, what habits to practice to better your physical and mental fortitude.

Imagine what proper exercise for you and your lifestyle looks and feels like.

Imagine if you p*ed 4-7x day (weird goal ik😂). Your body runs optimally while hydrated. Your energy, performance, and mood could be improved by just drinking more water!

Before you start looking to spend gobs of money on s**tty supplements or dive deeper into a diet that won’t work, get a handle on these ✋ things.

Unsure where to start? Dm me and I’d be happy to share my 6wk lifestyle guide with you!



•
•
•

Awareness is your #1 priority when you seek change in habits.

Are you looking to lose fat? Gain muscle? Minimize drinking? Minimize junk food? Get stronger in the gym? Maybe you just want to look good naked…😏

If you aren’t where you want to be you must draw awareness to your daily habits. After all, your habits got you to right where you are now.

Doing the same things or the things that failed in the past will get you exactly what you’re already familiar with.

A big take away from this chart is that if you want to alter your habits you need to draw awareness to the fact that your current reward may be creating adverse health and habits that are not beneficial to the change you seek.

Create a pause after the stimulus (reminder).

Assess if your usual action takes away from you and your goals, or serves you and your goals.

If it doesn’t, practice inserting a barrier between you and the stimulus in the future.

Practice altering your action after you create your pause. Immediately change your environment, consider that you need help from an outside source (a friend/coach/therapist), or slightly alter your preexisting action and see if the reward is altered.

As soon as you connect your reward to your goal and how it impacts it you will begin to perceive your old “reward” as the complete opposite.

Be patient, work diligently, and understand that change takes time and doesn’t need to be perfect nor happen overnight. Just becoming aware and making small changes will add up over time.

Curious about how to change your habits and reach your goals?

-Reach out!



•
•
•

Awareness is your #1 priority when you seek change in habits.

Are you looking to lose fat? Gain muscle? Minimize drinking? Minimize junk food? Get stronger in the gym? Maybe you just want to look good naked…😏

If you aren’t where you want to be you must draw awareness to your daily habits. After all, your habits got you to right where you are now.

Doing the same things or the things that failed in the past will get you exactly what you’re already familiar with.

A big take away from this chart is that if you want to alter your habits you need to draw awareness to the fact that your current reward may be creating adverse health and habits that are not beneficial to the change you seek.

Create a pause after the stimulus (reminder).

Assess if your usual action takes away from you and your goals, or serves you and your goals.

If it doesn’t, practice inserting a barrier between you and the stimulus in the future.

Practice altering your action after you create your pause. Immediately change your environment, consider that you need help from an outside source (a friend/coach/therapist), or slightly alter your preexisting action and see if the reward is altered.

As soon as you connect your reward to your goal and how it impacts it you will begin to perceive your old “reward” as the complete opposite.

Be patient, work diligently, and understand that change takes time and doesn’t need to be perfect nor happen overnight. Just becoming aware and making small changes will add up over time.

Curious about how to change your habits and reach you goals?

-Reach out!



•
•
•

Just like you check your finances regularly, you should check in with yourself regularly.

Does you body feel like you’re just dragging it around? Are you constantly in some sort of pain? Have you taken the time to address it?

Have you taken a concentrated effort to improve your health, or do you leave it at, “I’ll be fine.”

Ask yourself-

How does my body feel?
How has performance in the gym been?
Am I making time to workout?
How has my mood been?
Am I making progress?
Am I reaching for caffeine as a band-aide daily?
Am I hydrated?
How has my quality of sleep been?

Almost seems silly right? But can you honestly say you have a strong grasp on all of the above? In today’s society it’s unlikely.

Taking an honest look at yourself is daunting. The path to greater health doesn’t have to be.

When you work with me we create a unique plan based on your life and the areas you need to improve upon. There is no one size fits all strategy. The over arching themes (sleep,recovery,food,stress mgmt,mood etc) are present with everyone. How we tackle them is unique to you.

Some aches, some small pains are normal, but if your body is one big ache and pain that lacks energy, drive, and ability to move regularly without injury, it may be time to reevaluate the day to day.



•
•
•

It’s simple, but not always easy.

Comparison is the thief of joy. Your path is like no one else’s. It’s not fair to you or the other person to compare yourself to them. Most of the time when we do this we don’t have the full story or are really comparing our chapter 2 to their chapter 102.

Detachment from your desired result allows you to focus on the process. Often times we don’t put enough effort into the boring work. Some days are easier or more successful than others. Trust the process and stay driven. Whether you have immediate success or success down the road, it doesn’t change your value.

Find joy in the little things. The wins, strength gains, habit improvements, increased energy, an improved outlook, or the confidence in a plan. Don’t overlook the seemingly small things that add up to BIG results.



•
•
•

Believe me there are a lot of people OVER eating…

Some might argue no one is under-eating. I would argue they are wrong based on experience.

More often than not most people are told they could benefit from eating less.

And look where that has gotten a lot of people… still wishing for more weight loss, still searching for the “right diet” because they are actually struggling to lose weight while eating almost nothing.

The pressure, particularly on women, has pushed so many people away from true health and into starvation for the sake of a certain look.

A lot of people are under-eating. Too many people don’t actually listen to the signs their body gives them. The 6+ signs I shared should not just be ignored.

Your body doesn’t have the ability to speak to you in words, rather in symptoms, pain, aches, energy shifts, moods, and sickness.

Instead of fighting your body with caffeine, less food, poor habits, and pretending to be blind to the facts, chase health!

It’s a scary thought right? 👻Investing time and energy into your well-being.

Take the leap, you’re worth it.



•
•
•

Overcoming judgment 101.

I bring this up because I live it, I experience regularly.

I know what if feels like to catch flack for working on myself.

I’ve also given my friends s**t for the same exact thing.

We ALL want to be better, do better, feel better, move better, and lift better.

People who have failed numerous times in the pursuit of better health pretend to have it all figured out that “you’re just wasting your time, you’ll stop caring one day too.” F**k that. I’d argue they are far from having it “figured out.”

My point is, your health is yours. Your body is yours. You get to choose if you want to improve, stay the same, or let it all slide. But it’s not ok to bring someone down just because you haven’t found something that works or gets you jumping out of bed every damn day.

Holidays- if you workout and live “healthy” you’re bound to get a few back handed comments about going for the cookies or 2nds, or drinking, or just choosing NOT to eat something. “Hey Debbie, no one asked what you think about my eating habits over the holidays” (eats cookie aggressively).

Most people have not lived what healthy is, what healthy feels like, what healthy performs like.

Point being-your goals, your body, your mouth, your diet, your choices! Own it, and know when someone decides to open their mouth about it, it’s because they are probably not in control like you.

If that’s not a compliment in its self, I don’t know what is.



•
•
•

There is a direct relationship between what you put in, and what you get out.

If you find yourself absolutely wasted after every workout, there’s a pretty good chance you’re over doing it.

If you haven’t been seeing results, there’s a good chance you haven’t been doing the following:

Being consistent.
Following well written programming. Fueling properly.
Recovering properly.
Managing stress.

The goal is to do the least amount of work possible to elicit the biggest response possible. This means not under working, and not over working to the point that you cannot recover properly before your next session.

This by no means is an excuse to go “easy” or “light.” Depending on where you are now you may have to back off on what you’re doing in order to get improved results. In contrast you may have to increase your intensity/ load/ overall volume to get improved results.

Your workouts shouldn’t be a breeze nor impossible. Training, exercise, your workout, whatever you call, it needs to be challenging, but not ridiculous.

There is a happy middle. Yes, you want to dabble with more weight, higher intensity, and greater volume, just not all at once or in every session.

To get the best results you want to follow programming with set goals and a path that incorporates all of the listed above in a manor that sets you up for success rather than burnout.

Looking for programming?
Let’s chat!



•
•
•

You can’t or you won’t?

You may catch yourself saying “I can’t” when you really mean “I won’t.”

“I can’t” frees you from responsibility of whether or not you have to make a choice about something. Although you very well know it is something you are capable of.

A common motivator behind someone saying “I can’t” instead of “I won’t” is that it helps to eliminate the possibility of someone engaging as to why you can’t.

Whether you outwardly or inwardly voice why you “won’t” do something proves to yourself that you have weighed your choices and decided not to. Doing this helps to hold yourself accountable, honors your values, and empowers you.

You give power to what you want, I challenge you to tune into what you truly can and cannot do, as well as what you will and won’t do.

You can lose weight.

You can enjoy going out for dinner.

You can eat that piece of cake lose weight and build muscle.

You can be in control.

You won’t be disappointed when you start standing up for yourself and showing what you’re capable of.



•
•
•