8 Tips for Reaching Your 2021 Fitness Goals, Courtesy of Our Favorite LGBT Trainers

With the new year comes a plethora of promises to “finally get fit!” But how do you know you’re doing it right? Let’s ask some of our favorite LGBT trainers!

Working out and eating right can be a daunting task for the uninitiated, which is why we’ve enlisted a few of our favorite fitness experts — all of whom are LGBT trainers from across the United States — for some easy-to-digest tips on making 2021 the year you can finally say your resolution stuck!

From the importance of breakfast to the best way to attack those dumbells, these pointers will help make 2021 your healthiest year yet.

Here are 8 tips for reaching your 2021 fitness goals, courtesy of LGBT trainers:

1. Jason Wimberly

A new year inevitably equals resolutions, but remember: you are not a ‘problem’ that needs to be fixed. Setting lofty goals based in self-loathing of any kind will never make great habits. We all know that maintaining momentum in the gym and eating right is tough, so how can we shift your thinking towards the real issue?

Ask yourself these questions: (1) Do I aspire to be my best self in everything I do? (2) Do I believe I deserve the best in all things? (3) Am I willing to work hard to achieve what I deserve?

Choosing to lose 10 pounds for a better speedo ready body cannot be a choice you make out of fear or to fit in. Instead, it needs to be a choice you make because you know you deserve it. Choose to make the gym part of your life because you know your body is a reflection of your mind, and you deserve the best in all things you do.

So this new year, choose to only accept the best — and that definitely means getting sweaty and throwing some iron around as much as possible.

Find Jason at wimberlean.com and thewallfitness.com or on Facebook

2. Aaron Savvy

For the fastest way to gain muscle and be shredded, instead of your traditional way of lifting heavy, try lightening up the weight.

For every muscle group you attack, do a burnout. Perform as many reps as you can in every set of exercises. You will exhaust the muscle by pumping so much blood into it that the expansion will happen much faster. And your rest periods should be no longer than a minute.

I suggest doing this for six to eight weeks before changing up your style again. You’ll be happy you did.

Find Aaron at aaronsavvy.com or on Twitter: @aaron_savvy 

3. Tayte Hanson

Balance is key to staying happy and healthy! When working out, find out what types of workouts you enjoy. Maybe you’re a cardio junkie who loves running, or maybe you’re a powerlifter — do that stuff 80% of the time. Don’t, however, forget that the body gets upset when we are out of balance, so make sure to do some of the stuff you don’t love in the other 20%!

My greatest secret to staying fit: Don’t lie to yourself. Figure out what you want and why you want it and be totally honest with yourself. It’s when you can see the end goal that the journey can be swift.

Find Tayte at taytehanson.com and on Twitter: @tayteehanson

4. Seth Browning

Don’t forget that fitness is about ‘flow.’ True results come from how many nutrients the body actually absorbs and how well the metabolism works. As a tip, first thing in the morning, try dry-brushing your entire body and drinking hot water with lemon. These tricks help get your lymphatic and metabolic system jump-started for the day!

Find Seth at bodybybrowning.com or on Instagram: @sethenator

5. Dillon King

First and foremost, eat breakfast! It doesn’t have to be much — just something light and clean to start your metabolism for the day — and you will definitely notice a difference in your energy.

Something I do is make a batch of sweet potato hash (chopped sweet potato, spinach and bacon). I just let it bake while I Netflix on Sunday evening! Then in the morning, I crack 2-3 eggs on the skillet and by the time I’m finished getting dressed I put it all together and breakfast is served.

Find Dillon at flambeauxcrossfit.com and on Instagram: @king_dillon

6. Amanda Wheeler

If healthy eating is part of your new year’s resolution, don’t beat yourself up and let it derail you for the whole day if you eat something that’s not on your plan. It would be like tripping on one step and then throwing yourself down the rest of the stairs.

The all-or-nothing mentality is a killer with food. Every time you eat, you have the opportunity to ‘catch the next step’ and continue on your path.

Find Amanda at New York’s Mark Fisher Fitness and on Facebook

7. Michael Verdugo

Find a fitness routine that you can commit to and that keeps you motivated. Group classes are a great way you can get a lot done, get pushed hard and have fun with others with similar goals.

Never skip the gym three days in a row.

And the best time for you to workout is at a time you will always do it. Whether it’s morning, afternoon or evening, choose a time that will keep your workouts consistent.

Find Michael at bodytekfitness.com and on Instagram: @trainermikeyv

8. Daniel Welden

First, focus on quality over quantity. Learn the exercise, practice the movement and perfect the form before jacking up the weight. Your goal is to build a body to be worshipped by the boys, not by the medical staff when you injure yourself from poor form and too much weight.