We use a 3-step charter when it comes to the programming of our workouts, how we write lesson plans for our coaches to follow, and how we develop our staff.

We also follow this same charter for our “customer journey” (when you join RxFIT with our On-Ramp program, continue through our workout classes, and then eventually participate in our competition events).

This charter is simple:

1. Mechanics—Does the athlete/coach know the major points of performance of the movements? Can the athlete/coach display these points of performance in all movements?
2. Consistency—Can the athlete/coach perform multiple repetitions of movements well without instruction? Also, has he/she been in the gym long enough to develop a tolerance for intensity?
3. Intensity—Once an athlete/coach consistently displays sound mechanics and acquires a suitable training history, we introduce intensity with appropriate loads and speeds.

If you want to be healthy (or healthier) you need to also follow this same charter:

First, understand the mechanics of each Health “Vehicle.”

Then consistently make conscious decisions until those mechanics become habits.

And then you raise the intensity by “habit-stacking” other habits on top of your foundational ones.

For example, I would follow a similar progression if I were to teach you weightlifting:

• Air Squat -> Front Squat -> Overhead Squat
• Shoulder Press -> Push Press -> Push Jerk – > Split Jerk
• Deadlift -> Sumo Deadlift High Pull -> Power Clean -> Clean & Jerk -> Snatch

So when it comes to fitness and health-building, there are 5 foundational mechanics that first must become habits before we can raise the intensity and habit-stack other habits on top of them:

• Sleep: Stick to a bedtime.
• Nutrition: Veggies first.
• Exercise: Show up.
• Thinking: Read.
• Connecting with Others: Prioritize family.

How would your life be different if these five mechanics became habitual? Other than you, who else would be positively impacted? Would you have more energy?

When we start to have kids, we teach these lessons to our kids. They whine, complain, and throw tantrums… but you stay persistent! In their early years, you teach them the value of going to bed on time, of eating their veggies before dessert, of showing up to their various activities, of reading books (and limiting screen time!), and prioritizing their family above everything else.

But life gets busy and we become hypocrites. We continue to teach our kids those things that we ourselves aren’t doing! This results in our kids picking up on our own inability to stick to these foundational mechanics. We develop “Dad Bods” and then so do our kids.

Does this sound familiar?

• You put the kids to bed and then stay up late binge-watching Netflix. “Just one more episode” leads to a bedtime past midnight.
• You eat second and third helpings of dessert, even though you told your kids that they couldn’t have seconds.
• You pay for a gym membership that you never actually show up to use… but your kids can’t miss gymnastics!
• You scroll through Instagram instead of picking up a book and reading before bed.
• Instead of hiring a babysitter and enjoying a night with your spouse, you stay in and watch the football game.
• You already know the mechanics, you just need to stick to them!
• Set a goal for these 5 mechanics to be consistently completed every day for the next 7-days.

Tomorrow I’m going to give you some tips on how to develop these foundational habits. Stay tuned.

Tyler