It is often that I hear from clients, even family and friends that they want more muscle definition. They want to be or look: cut – ripped – stacked. I often respond by trying to understand an individual’s motivation for wanting to look that way and figure out where they might be in their fitness journey. I’ll ask questions like what type of exercise routine are they doing now, is it nonexistent, moderate, intense? Have you ever picked up a weight before? Do you know your way around a gym? Are they ready to change their lifestyle to get what they want? Even after questioning, I find myself reverting back to one solid and true statement – if you want the body then you have to hustle for that muscle. 

Let’s get real for a minute, gaining major muscle change in the body is a commitment. In order to make large gains it is not going to be a walk in the park. When someone sets out on this path of muscle discovery they’ll find it means not only time in the gym but also in the kitchen. You literally have to hustle for that muscle. You have no choice but to be diligent with the way you eat and dedicate to working the entire body to shape and tone every muscle group. For example, six pack abs are not just made by doing thousands of sit ups, it’s about what you put in your mouth to fuel the body to produce the muscle definition of the entire workout regime. You cannot just put the work in the gym to throw it all away with putting crap in your mouth! 

I would advise my own clients and others that when you hustle for that muscle you may need to consult a professional. Even if you are no stranger to the gym, it is good to work out the basics, ready a plan and make sure you are doing the exercises correctly to avoid injury. Nothing is going to crash momentum if you hurt yourself. Common causes can be moving up in weight too fast, improper exercise form and not getting enough sleep or giving your body recovery time. This is not a race but a deliberate climb to meet your goal. No excuses. 

Ish Fitness is located in La Vista, NE. bringing over 10 years of personal training experience to a private, appointment only gym. Ish Fitness trains clients from youth athletes to fitness competitors to retirees managing their health, with everyone in between. Personal trainer Ishmael Cole personalizes every client’s training package to meet their personal goals, and with his flexible schedule, he offers training 7 days a week.  No plan is too big or too small for this personal training facility.