46 tips on weight loss and strength

Back in 2020, my weight went up to ~98kgs. It was the heaviest I’ve been. Through workouts & dieting, I reduced it to ~80kgs within 2 months.

Ive seen much better strength many years ago, but these days I’m going for tone more than strength.

On Weight Loss:

• Never eat until you're completely full. This is crucial for weight loss. Stop eating when you're about 70% satisfied. Your body takes time to register fullness, and most people overeat waiting for that "full" feeling. If you're serious about cutting weight, you need to walk away from meals still being able to eat more.

• Throughout your weight loss journey, you should feel hungry at different points in the day. If you never feel hungry, you're not in a real deficit. This sounds obvious but most people try to diet without ever feeling hunger. That's not how it works. Your body needs to tap into those fat stores, and it won't do that if you're constantly fed.

• The water trick works wonders for hunger control. When you're craving food but know you've eaten enough calories for the day, drink 500-700ml of water quickly. It physically fills your stomach and tricks your brain's hunger signals. Sounds simple but it's surprisingly effective, especially for late-night cravings.

• If you're trying to lose weight and not seeing the scale move, keep reducing food intake until you do. This sounds aggressive but it's necessary. Your body adapts to whatever calories you give it. When weight loss stalls, you need to create a new normal. Most people stay stuck because they're scared to eat less than what feels "right."

Training:

• Core strength translates to everything. When your core is weak, you're limiting every major lift. It's not about six-pack abs - it's about stability in compound movements. A strong core improves your bench, stabilizes your squats, and protects your back in deadlifts.

• Joint pain is non-negotiable. If you feel sharp pain, even mild, stop immediately. Something's wrong with either your form or the weight you're using. I've seen too many people push through shoulder or knee pain thinking it'll go away. It doesn't. It gets worse and eventually forces you to stop completely.

• Your workout splits need purpose. Push/Pull/Legs works well for most people. Hit each body part 2-3 times a week with proper rest in between. Don't fall for bro-splits where you destroy one body part per day. Recovery matters more than destruction.

• Drop sets are underutilized. Can't get that last rep at 60kg? Drop to 50kg and keep going. Then 40kg. Push until failure at each weight. This is how you really exhaust a muscle. Most people stop at the first sign of failure - that's leaving gains on the table.

Nutrition:

• Protein intake is crucial. Aim for 1.5-2g per kg of body weight daily. Sounds like a lot but it's necessary for preservation during cuts and growth during bulk phases. Real food first - eggs, fish, chicken. Supplements fill the gaps.

• Timing your carbs matters. Cut them 4 hours before sleep unless you're seriously underweight. Morning carbs give you energy. Evening carbs make you sluggish. If you need to be productive, keep carbs low during work hours.

Supplement Strategy:

• Keep it simple with supplements. You really only need two: a good pre-workout for intensity and whey protein for recovery. Everything else is optional. Lots of people waste money on fancy supplements when the basics work just fine.

• Creatine actually works - it's one of the most researched supplements. Expect about 10% strength increase after proper loading. But here's what people don't talk about: it can make you irritable and affect your mood. I stopped using it despite the benefits. Not worth the mental trade-off.

• Pre-workout isn't for everyone. If it makes you jittery or anxious, just use coffee. The main benefit is mental anyway - getting into that training mindset. A strong coffee 30 minutes before training works almost as well.

Training Structure:

• The best time for cardio is after weights, not before. You want full energy for strength training. Using up your energy on cardio first means compromising your main workout. Exception: if fat loss is your only goal, do whatever you prefer.

• Dynamic stretches before working out, static stretches after. This isn't just gym bro science - it's about muscle fiber preparation. Light movements to warm up, deep stretches to cool down. Doing static stretches before lifts actually reduces your strength temporarily.

• HIIT works better than steady-state cardio for fat loss. 20 minutes of high-intensity intervals beats an hour of moderate cardio. Your body keeps burning calories hours after HIIT. But don't do it every day - it's too taxing on your system.

Recovery:

• Sleep quality affects everything. I can predict a bad workout day just by looking at my previous night's sleep data. Aim for 8 hours minimum. Bad sleep equals bad recovery equals wasted gym time.

• Having a smartwatch that tracks heart rate during workouts is game-changing. It's objective proof of workout intensity. You think you're pushing hard, but the numbers don't lie. I constantly check mine during sets to ensure I'm in the right zone.

• Listen to your body on low-energy days. Instead of skipping completely, do lighter work. Maybe focus on mobility, stretching, or skill work. Something is always better than nothing, but forcing heavy sessions on bad days is asking for injury.

Working with Trainers:

• Get a trainer when starting out, even if just for a few months. Not for motivation - for form correction. Bad habits are hard to break once ingrained. Good form learned early saves years of potential injuries and plateaus.

• Pay trainers per session, not monthly. Here's why: Monthly payments mean they get paid the same whether you show up or not. No incentive to push you. Per-session means they want you coming back consistently.

• Set clear goals with monetary incentives. Tell them you'll pay extra if you hit specific targets. Like going from zero to five pull-ups in three months. Watch how their attention to your training changes when there's a bonus involved.

• Bad trainer red flags: constantly on phone, chatting with other trainers, not tracking your rest periods, not pushing for those last few reps. Good trainers are focused entirely on your form and progress during your session.

Misc tips:

• Want to look good in dress shirts? Focus on shoulders and traps. They create that broad upper body look. Heavy shrugs and shoulder presses should be your best friends.

• Triceps make up 70% of your arm size. Everyone focuses on biceps, but triceps are what fill out your sleeves. Skull crushers, rope pushdowns, and close-grip bench should be staples.

• Grip strength is crucial for pulling exercises. Weak forearms will limit your back development. Dead hangs, farmer's walks, and plate pinches build this often-neglected area.

• For most exercises, keep your back slightly arched. Think chest up, shoulders back. This position protects your spine and engages the right muscles. Flat or rounded back usually means you're doing it wrong.

Gym Etiquette:

• Re-rack your weights. Always. If you're strong enough to put it on, you're strong enough to put it back. This isn't just courtesy - it's about gym culture.

• Control your weight drops. Nobody's impressed by the sound of crashing weights. If you can't lower it with some control, it's too heavy for you.

• Find a workout partner who matches your commitment level. Not your strength level - your dedication level. Strong partners who skip sessions are worse than weaker ones who show up consistently.

Nutrition and Diet:

• For protein, quality matters. Seer fish is better than Basa. Eggs are perfect protein packages. Chicken breast is obvious but thighs have more flavor and still fit macros. If cutting carbs, eggs and fish keep you fuller longer.

• Most people destroy their diets through drinks. Cut out soft drinks completely. Those "100% real juice" products are marketing lies - they're sugar bombs. If you need flavor, add lemon to water.

• Healthy swaps make huge differences: Switch to brown or red rice from white. Use ghee or olive oil instead of regular oils. Steam food instead of frying. Small changes compound over months.

• Keep healthy snacks everywhere. At home, office, car. When hunger hits with no good options around, that's when diet fails happen. Sites like CRED have decent healthy snack options - stock up.

Daily Lifestyle:

• If someone in your house keeps bringing junk food, throw it out when they're not looking. Harsh but effective. Can't eat what isn't there.

• Use cold showers after workouts. I don't do this personally, but enough serious athletes swear by it for muscle recovery that it's worth mentioning.

• Low energy days happen. Instead of skipping entirely, do what you can. Light mobility work. Easy cardio. Basic movements. Maintaining the habit matters more than the intensity sometimes.

Practical Tools:

• Use apps like MyFitnessPal to track food initially. Not forever, but for a few weeks to understand your real intake. Most people have no idea what they're actually eating.

• Musclewiki.com is great for understanding exercises. Shows you exactly which muscles you're targeting and how to hit them properly.

• Your smart watch isn't just a toy. Heart rate data during workouts tells you if you're actually pushing hard enough. Sleep tracking shows why some training days feel off.

Advanced Tips:

• Rep ranges matter: 3-7 for pure strength, 8-12 for muscle growth, 15+ for endurance. Mix these up based on your goals.

• The best indicator of a good trainer isn't their physique - it's their clients' progress. Watch how their other clients develop over time.

• If you're serious about progress, take progress photos every two weeks. Scale weight lies, pictures don't.

The Mental Game:

• Discipline beats motivation. Motivation is emotional and temporary. Discipline is logical and consistent.

• Track everything at first: weights, reps, measurements, food. You can relax this later, but initial data helps you understand what works.

• Don't compare strength levels with others. Some people have been training since their teens. Focus on beating your own records.

Remember: The goal isn't to get fit quickly. It's to build atomic habits that keep you fit sustainably