The thing I find ironic with most Dads when it comes to getting in shape, is the thing that is the EASIEST is what tends to throw them off the most. There is no secret, you just need to MAKE TIME to get your workouts in. I don’t want the excuses. Yes, it’s this easy.

Now, you may need to check your priorities. Are you trying to hang on to an unrealistic dream? By this I mean are you trying to hold on to the bodybuilder lifestyle that we all lived? The truth is none of us are making a living off of training ‘hardcore’, is it really worth it at this point in your life to have that be THE focal point? No, it is not. But that again does not mean it shouldn’t be A focus.

Be honest with yourself, you may absolutely have to adjust your training frequency and volume. Embrace it! While we all love to spend 2 and a half hours training chest until we can contract our pecs any more, you may not have that much time. That’s not to say that you can’t have an even more effective session in 45 minutes if you do it right. Rather than being upset you are spending less time at the gym, take this time to experiment with different training styles. New stimulus can create new growth. Depending on your schedule, you may even not be able to make it to the gym. That is still not an excuse. Sometimes we have to accept that we will not have the time to dedicate like an on-season bodybuilder, but anyone one of you out there can find 20-30 minutes, 3-4 days a week. Does that mean you may need to wake up a little earlier to fit it in? Perhaps, but what happened to that warrior mindset that you used to have? Sometimes the grind means you just need to suck it up and make it happen. We all know that the more of a routine you are able to keep your training, the better most things in your life fall into place. Make it happen. If you are not willing to do what it takes, then you do not want it bad enough. It is really that easy. Stop making excuses.

Time is something that I feel most of us can agree we took for granted when we were younger, had less responsibility, worked less, and didn’t have a family. Just as with the healthy eating habits though, myself and many others have found it is much easier with this isn’t just something ‘daddy spends his time doing’, get the family involved. Now I don’t bring my daughter with me when I’m squatting (although she knows her way around a monolift), but I’ll do push ups, abs and band work with her at home. She does workouts at home with my wife too! She has her own dumbbells and bands she uses. There are some mornings I’ll be at the gym while both my girls are doing their workouts at home. This is one way to avoid having to ‘choose time at the gym over being with them’. I am sure this gets easier as the kids get older, but I am personally still in the mindset that if I am not at work, I don’t want to be away and can honestly have a hard time with that sometimes. Just as with the food, I want her to know how to keep herself healthy. I would never want to push her into something she doesn’t want to do, but these are good habits and a healthy mindset to start now rather that being sedentary and playing video games all day. She has been to a few competitions, a few of them ones I have competed in.

Show them what it takes to be happy and healthy.

BE THE MAN YOU WANT YOUR DAUGHTER TO MARRY

BE THE MAN YOU WANT YOUR SON TO BE