Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Time

Sometimes, the problem with achieving your fitness goals isn’t a lack of time.

Time is one of the most common excuses — and yeah, it can be tough to juggle life and all its expectations while trying to better yourself.

But time isn’t the only thing that can derail your hopes of changing the narrative or your goals of building a better you.

I get asked often, “What does it take for me to finally stop spinning my wheels and make real progress?”

The answer: a solid plan.

Let’s break that down.

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The Plan

Sounds simple enough, right? I’m sure a lot of you are thinking, “Well, duh, Jordan — we obviously know we need a plan.”

But it’s easier said than done.

Some people have great workouts but cheat on their diet, thinking they’ll outwork the extra calories they took in that day. Doesn’t work.

Others have a solid diet plan but no clue about their training. Do I train 3, 4, or 5 days a week? How many sets? How many reps?

Eventually, you jump online, find some generic workout and diet plan, and hope for the best.

Hey, that’s exactly how I started — and while it’s a start, more often than not, you don’t see the progress you want, lose steam, and end up quitting.

I want to offer you more direction to help you reach your goals. Let’s look at the four key parts of a real plan:

• Location
• Training Program
• Diet Plan
• Recovery

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1. Location

I talked in detail about choosing where you’ll train in part one of this series — gym or home gym.

Make a choice and stick with it. Consistency matters more than anything.

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2. Training Program

There are a lot of different training programs out there. Let’s break down what makes a solid one.

Define Your Goal

Muscle gain. Fat loss. Athletic performance.

Your goal will guide your training approach — but not as much as you might think. Whether you’re trying to lose fat or build muscle, your workouts will look similar. The diet is what really shifts your results.

Choose Your Split

Beginners should start with full-body workouts two to three days per week. The goal is to hit every muscle a couple of times per week and learn proper form before loading up on weight.

Intermediate and advanced lifters can benefit from split routines for more volume. The most popular splits are:

1. PPL (Push, Pull, Legs) — 3-day split
2. Upper/Lower Split — typically 4 days
3. Bro Split — one muscle group per day

Pick Your Core Moves

Build your program around compound exercises like:

• Squats
• Bench Press
• Deadlifts
• Overhead Press
• Rows

Then add accessory movements for isolation work on smaller muscle groups.

Focus on Progression

Track everything. One of the worst mistakes you can make is showing up to the gym with no clue what you did last time.  Bring a journal with you, download an app, doesnt matter as long as you have something to record your workouts. 

Progressive overload — adding weight, reps, or time under tension each week — is the cornerstone of real progress. If you’re not tracking, it’s almost impossible to improve intentionally.

Example: PPL Training Split

Day	Focus
Monday	Pull
Tuesday	Off
Wednesday	Push
Thursday	Off
Friday	Legs
Saturday	Abs / Cardio
Sunday	Off

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3. Diet Plan

“You are what you eat” isn’t 100% true — but it’s close.

Your diet plan is just as important (if not more) than your training program, especially when your goal is fat loss.

Your diet provides the foundation. The workouts do the sculpting.

Without a solid nutrition strategy, your goals become much harder — sometimes impossible — to reach.

A dedicated post will break down the nutrition side in full detail, but here’s what it’ll include:

1. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
2. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)
3. Calories In vs. Calories Out
4. Calorie Deficit vs. Calorie Surplus
5. Meal Planning
6. Protein, Carbs, and Fats
7. And more

For now, keep it simple:

• To lose fat, eat in a calorie deficit.
• To gain muscle, eat in a calorie surplus.

Start by calculating your TDEE — your total daily energy expenditure.

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4. Recovery

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Muscles don’t grow in the gym.”

It’s true. Recovery is an essential part of any training plan.

When you train, you’re breaking down muscle fibers, burning through energy stores, and putting stress on your body.

Recovery is where the rebuilding and growth happen.

After your workout, your body starts repairing muscle fibers, replenishing glycogen stores, and managing inflammation. This process — called muscle protein synthesis — requires one key ingredient: protein.

Key Components of Recovery

1. Protein

Protein is the building block for muscle repair. It replaces what’s broken down during training and helps speed up recovery.

2. Carbohydrates

Hard training depletes glycogen reserves. Carbs help refill those stores and, when paired with protein, boost recovery even more.

3. Rest & Sleep

Sleep is where the magic happens. After intense training, your success depends heavily on the quality of your rest.

• Promotes muscle repair and growth
• Replenishes glycogen stores
• Reduces inflammation and supports immune function
• Regulates hormones
• Enhances focus and cognitive performance

Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night to maximize results.

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Key Takeaways

• Success starts with a solid plan of action.
• Choose your training location — gym, home gym, garage — anywhere you can stay consistent.
• Build a structured training program with clear goals and mostly compound movements.
• Track everything from day one — sets, reps, weights, progress.
• Apply progressive overload to keep improving.
• Follow a nutrition plan that supports your goal: deficit for fat loss, surplus for muscle gain.
• Know your TDEE to set the right calorie target.
• Prioritize recovery — nutrition, rest, hydration, and sleep are non-negotiable.
• Get 7–9 hours of sleep for better performance and growth.

Strong Today. Stronger Tomorrow.