Albert Einstein famously said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Yet, how often do we fall into this trap with our fitness and health routines?
We follow the same workout program…
…make the same mistakes with our nutrition…
…or we don’t take recovery seriously…
…and then we wonder why we don’t see the results we’d like!
Let’s break that cycle! Here are 7 ways to make this your best year yet—starting now.
1.) Rebuild Your Foundation
Let’s be real—getting older sucks.
I love accruing wisdom, experience and insight as I age.
But from a body-perspective? I’d love to move and feel like I did when I was in my 20’s!
Instead of longing for the past, let’s focus on the why behind that youthful energy.
For most of us, feeling better hinges on a few key factors:
Better range of motion,
More strength and power, and
Improved overall conditioning.
That’s also why every new client we coach at Chicago Fit Performance with starts by rebuilding their foundation.
For many, their movement foundation is the weak link.
Heavy strength training, with too little range of motion, combined with a body lacking mobility, is a recipe for disaster.
For others, their conditioning is definitely the biggest issue.
Whether it’s poor recovery, poor cardiovascular health, or just poor health in general, conditioning has to be improved to level up the rest of the system.
Most of us skip over things like mobility and conditioning because, well, they’re not as "fun" as lifting heavy. But skipping them is like building a house on sand—it’s gonna crumble.
So here’s what you do:
Work on mobility: Move better, hurt less. Simple math.
Build strength with full-range exercises: Half reps don’t count, my friend.
Improve conditioning: So you’re not gasping for air after one flight of stairs.
Fix these weak links, and you’ll feel like a rockstar in no time.
2.) Change Your Training Focus
When we’re younger, training often has a single goal: build strength, get shredded, or lift heavier weights. But as we age, our priorities shift.
Rather than solely chasing aesthetics alone, prioritize well-rounded fitness...
Sure we might have certain strength or body comp goals, but it’s not for the same reasons as when we were younger.
Things that came easily when we were young – mobility, injury prevention, conditioning – are things that move up the training hierarchy as we age.
We don’t just want to be lean and strong – we want to be able to move freely. We want to play with our kids.
And for many of us, it’s less about the aesthetics as it is about living as long as we can, while feeling as good as we can.
As the saying goes, “What got you here won’t get you there.”
Banging heavy weights at the expense of your mobility isn’t going to cut it.
Lifting 3x per week without any focus on conditioning leaves holes chinks in your armor.
And “just moving” without the intention of building (or maintaining) strength and power will leave you feeling frail and weak as we age.
3.) Tackle Nutrition Step-by-Step
One of the biggest issues I see when it comes to nutrition is people trying to make wholesale changes all at once.
They go from eating out 2-3 times per day and drinking pop with every meal, to wanting to track every calorie, drink 16 ounces of water with every meal, and make sure they hit their macros every single day.
In my experience, this approach simply doesn’t work.
When it comes to nutrition, drastic and wholesale change sounds nice – but it’s almost impossible to achieve – let alone maintain – right out of the gate.
Instead start small, set one small goal at a time and build from there. Nail down the basics like hitting your protein and calorie goals.
Once you’ve locked that down that, you can move on to the next goal.
As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
But those small wins accumulated across the year?
Those can help you build something truly magnificent.
4.) Dial in Your Body Comp
Now if you’re young and naturally lean, this may not apply.
But if you’re like the rest of us and haven’t been given the gifts of the gods, it may be something we need to address sooner versus later!
When we’re young our primary focus of training (at least for most of us) is the aesthetic side.
But as our priorities shift, aesthetics may not be the end goal, but they can give us insight as to how our body is functioning.
If we’re carrying too much body weight and/or body fat, we know it negatively impacts our short- and long-term health.
So why wouldn’t we address it?
Now I realize this is a sensitive topic, but please understand there’s zero shame wrapped up in this statement:
I firmly believe you can love your body and respect what it does for you, while still aspiring to shed that extra body fat – and reap the health benefits that comes alongside that.
And I think that’s a big shift in mindset – you’re not “getting lean” to fit some cultural or societal norm.
5.) Get Serious About Sleep
If you’re the "I’ll sleep when I’m dead" type, listen up: sleep is your secret weapon. It’s like hitting the reset button on your brain and body every night.
Here’s how to get better at it:
Go to bed at the same time every night (yes, even on weekends).
Say no to caffeine after lunch—it’s not worth the 3 a.m. regret.
Create a pre-sleep routine: dim lights, no phone, maybe some light reading (not TikTok).
Trust me, you’ll wake up feeling less like a zombie and more like a superhero.
The bottom line is this: If sleep isn’t a priority or focus for you, it should be.
It’s one of the lowest hanging pieces of fruit out there, and it’s something you have to do daily for the rest of your life.
With the ability to help you move and feel better, improve your focus, increase energy and just make you happier and healthier, why wouldn’t you make sleep a priority?
6.) Give Meditation a Shot
Before you roll your eyes, hear me out. Meditation isn’t just for monks or yoga instructors. A quick 5–10 minutes can do wonders for stress and focus.
Not sure where to start? Download an app like Headspace or Calm and let them guide you.
Think of it as mental weightlifting—it’s about getting stronger upstairs.
I can say unequivocally it’s been one of the most impactful things for me in my life.
7.) Find a Reason to Show Up a.k.a. Accountability
Goals are what get you out of bed in the morning (well, that and coffee). Whether it’s deadlifting your body weight, running a 5K, or just keeping up with your kids, having a goal makes the grind worth it.
If you want to do big things in life, you have to find other people who you deeply respect to hold you accountable.
I want you to take a minute and think about what your goals are for this year:
Do you want to get leaner? Stronger? More athletic?
What do you need to do from a nutrition standpoint to help you achieve those goals?
How’s your recovery right now? Could you benefit from getting more (or better) sleep?
Regardless of how you answered those, here’s the bigger question:
Who is going to support you when it comes to ACHIEVING those goals?
Because let’s be honest – there are roadblocks on every journey.
If it was as easy as writing your goal(s) down and then magically achieving it, we’d all be strong, ripped, and absolutely crushing it in life.
It might sound simple, but arguably the most important thing you can do right now,
TODAY, is figure out who your support staff is going to be in 2025.
Because if you’ve got the right people in your corner, your chances for success go up drastically.
Summary
Okay so there you have it – seven ways you can improve your training and health in 2025.
I really hope the tips I’ve outlined here stimulate some thought, and more importantly, get you to take action and make this year your best one ever.
And if you’d like a little help along this path, I can’t recommend our 8-Week Transform & Perform Challenge enough.
The next edition starts on 02/24 and we'll be opening the registration next week.
If you are ready to make a real change in your life then you don't want to miss put yourself on the presale list to register 24 hours before everyone else and save $160.
Thanks for reading and MAKE IT a great year in 2025!
Coach Kosta
Comments