Over the past month I have been thinking about the successful people as well as the unsuccessful people in bodybuilding, health and fitness in general. I have a LOT of contact with people locally as well as worldwide and here’s what I have noticed.

“There are many smart trainees who spend way too much time pondering different strategies and ideas regarding training and nutrition. I try and get their mind back to reality. Don’t over-think bodybuilding!”

This type of person is very knowledgeable and reads a lot. They are well informed and have researched all the latest training and diet information. They can discuss all the virtues and drawbacks of the different diets and workout programs on the market. They can also tell you the latest news about various internet muscle building Guru’s, bodybuilding champions and fit movie stars. Unfortunately, despite all of their knowledge about bodybuilding diets and training routines it doesn’t seem to be doing them much good – their physiques are usually subpar. This makes me think: is too much knowledge actually disadvantageous to building a great physique? Or could it be that they spend more time thinking about diet and training than actually doing the diet and training.

So what good is knowledge if the knowledge doesn’t convert into muscular gains? If you cram your brain full of information on diet and training how are you to sort through all of this and determine what you should and should not do? Everyone says their diet, workout, supplement or whatever is effective or the best. The truly best diets and training routines are rare and elusive. The over-thinking bodybuilder is constantly trying to sift through all the information for what is “the best” routine they should be following.

The solution to the problem is less thinking and more action. When you over complicate bodybuilding you actually retard your rate of progress. Too many choices and too many high ideas create “paralysis through over-analysis” where the bodybuilder is actually paralyzed from staying on one routine or diet because they keep thinking that maybe they should be on a different diet or workout routine.

So what should you do? Train hard, heavy and often. Lift lots of weights, do your cardio workouts. A real bodybuilder is pumping iron 3 to 5 times a week and using all kinds of different methods for muscle strength and pump. Don’t miss a workout unless it is for a reason that you really have no control over or an emergency.

Nutrition is the cornerstone. Without a disciplined approach to your daily eating regimen you will never be successful. Hearty and healthy eating is combined with intense workouts and cardio sessions for lowering body-fat down to the single digits. You have to eat clean foods.

Supplementation and YOU! A well thought-out nutritional supplementation program will enhance and accelerate muscle growth and fat loss.

You must have realistic, achievable and exciting goals! A good goal is a realistic, attainable and exciting goal. We all need to generate enthusiasm for the process and drive to attain and maintain what needs to be done in order to obtain real and substantial results.

Set a timeframe for reaching a goal. As an example, if you wanted to lose 15 pounds then give yourself 15 weeks to do this. Set the goal, make the plan and say I can easily lose 15 pounds in 15 weeks. Then make a mini-goal, say to yourself that it is a measly one pound a week weight loss, I can do that.

Over-thinking nutrition. A healthy diet followed over time with consistency is all that is required for building muscle and losing fat. Constantly changing foods, timing and amounts of food will create instability in the metabolism as well as the mind. Constantly changing the diet will never let you know or understand what is or is not working.

Over-thinking training. The biggest mistake you can make in weight training is to continually keep changing the workout program. Train hard, train heavy and safely and on a continual basis and you can make almost any workout program a success. Once progress comes to a halt you take a seven to twelve day rest and start all over on a different workout routine. It’s that simple.

Over-thinking supplementation. Too many people believe that there exists a miraculous, safe, all natural just discovered nutritional supplement that will turn them into a Superman or Supergirl in four or six weeks. They think there exists some safe supplement that delivers steroid like results with none of the steroid risk factors. Let me tell you the truth, that supplement does NOT exist! Yes, we all can get sucked into the alluring advertisements that promise it all but the fact is this. Muscle, strength, fat loss and health are not a product, rather they are a product of consistency in clean eating, exercise and positive mental attitude toward life and living.

Want success? Start doing this today. Set in your mind a fixed goal, a goal that excites you and creates enthusiasm every time you think about it. Set up weekly mini-goals for keeping track of your progress. Establish a sound diet program and eating schedule and follow it every day. Follow a sound, progressive and challenging weight lifting routine and cardio program. Stick to the program for at least eight weeks, no excuses. Take a top of the line Multi Vitamin-Mineral tablet each and every morning and be consistent.

Follow the program for no less than eight weeks and preferably twelve weeks. Each week strive to hit mini-weekly goals. Hold this course for a few short months and I guarantee you’ll realize dramatic gains in muscle size, definition, fat loss and overall great health