Nutrition Questions Everyone Asks

Let’s be honest… if getting in shape meant never eating out again, nobody would stick with it. You’ve got dinners with friends, date nights, work events, family birthdays… life! The goal isn’t to avoid restaurants forever, it’s to know how to navigate them without feeling like you just hit the reset button or lost all your progress every time you go out. It’s Not a Free-For-All The big mistake people make is walking into a restaurant with that “nothing counts tonight” mindset. That’s usually how one meal quietly turns into way more than you planned. Instead, just think of it like you’re eating a normal meal, it just happens to be cooked in a different kitchen by strangers… You don’t need to be perfect, but you also don’t need to go completely off the rails. Start With Protein If there’s one thing that will make the biggest difference, it’s starting with protein. Before you even get caught up in all the options on the menu, just ask yourself where your protein is coming from. Steak, chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, etc... That alone goes a long way in keeping you full and not picking at everything on the table for the next hour. Make Easy Swaps From there, don’t be afraid to make a couple small adjustments to your order. You don’t need to turn it into a whole production, but simple things like getting sauce on the side or swapping fries for a veggie can clean things up a lot without making the meal feel restrictive. Watch the Sneaky Stuff Where most people get tripped up is the stuff that doesn’t feel like it should matter that much. Oils, dressings, sauces, and drinks can add up fast. You can order something that looks “healthy” and still end up with a pretty calorie-dense meal if it’s loaded with extras. Same goes for drinks. Not saying you can’t have one, just know that they count more than you think. Don’t Show Up Starving Another underrated one is showing up absolutely starving. It sounds like a good idea to “save calories” for dinner, but it usually backfires. That’s when the bread basket disappears in two minutes and you’re halfway through your meal before you even realize it. Eating normally during the day, even just having something small with protein beforehand, makes it way easier to stay in control during your night out. Slow It Down Once the food gets there, just slow it down a little bit. Restaurant portions are usually bigger and more calorie-dense than what you’d make at home, so giving yourself a chance to actually feel full makes a big difference. Chew your food and put the fork down between bites! Final Thought One meal isn’t going to make or break your progress. What matters is what you do most of the time. Eating out a couple times a week is totally fine if everything else is dialed in. The problem is when one meal turns into a whole weekend of “screw it, I already messed up.” That’s what actually slows people down. At the end of the day, you don’t need to live like a bodybuilder to see results. You just need to be a little more intentional than the average person. Eat out, have fun, be social… just keep a little bit of awareness while you’re doing it. Hart

Let’s be real. Most people start lifting because they want to look better. Nobody’s flooding into the gym in January thinking, “Time to improve my long-term metabolic health!!” Looking good is cool, but still being able to move well, feel good, and actually do stuff 20-30 years from now? Way cooler. That’s the goal! So here’s how to do it in a way that actually sets you up for the long game. Slow Down… Your Joints Will Thank You Ego lifting has gotta go! Every rep should look and feel like you actually meant to do it that way. Control the way down, a smooth transition at the bottom, then lift strong on the way up! This helps us own the positions and movement instead of trying to get through it however possible. Pick Movements That Don’t Hate You Not every lift is made for every person, and it doesn’t matter what some guy on the internet said is the “best exercise for your glutes” If something consistently beats you up, then it’s probably not the move for you. If your joints are the limiting factor when doing a specific movement, let’s try a variation that allows you to move better, without pain, and push the effort! Muscle = Health (Not Just Looks) Meatheads get clowned sometimes but having more muscle is one of the best things you can do for your body. It helps with: Blood sugar control Metabolism Bone strength Injury resilience Not falling apart as you get older A lot of the “health benefits” people chase can show up just from having a little more muscle on your body! You Should Probably Do Some “Boring” Lifting PRs are fun, and they have their place! But if you actually want to age well, you need some phases where the goal is to build muscle, move well, and feel the right things working! That means sets about 2-3 reps shy of failure with a controlled tempo Not everything needs to feel like a competition Jerry! Recovery Isn’t Optional If you’re working out consistently: Sleep matters… a lot more than you think! Eat enough protein Take rest days when needed Talk to a coach about adjusting a workout if you need a smooth day You’re gonna get older, I promise! Feeling older doesn’t always have to come as soon as you think! It is a little bit up to you. Hart

Running kind of sucks (at first). You head out, feel decent for about two minutes, then all of a sudden you’re out of breath, your legs feel heavy, and you have no idea how people do this for so long. Totally normal. You just have to get over that big first hump. First Thing… You’re Running Too Fast I don’t even need to watch you run, I already know. Everyone starts too fast. The term “Zone 2” gets thrown around a lot as the holy grail for measuring the success of a run, but to quote a runner I know, “most new runners are not going to be able to stay in zone 2 no matter how hard they try.” What you want to aim for is a pace where you could actually talk in full sentences. Don’t worry about your pace on the watch or how far you are planning on going. Instead of looking at your watch and seeing that your heart rate is already at 175, just slow down enough so you can keep a conversation! Also… You Can Walk Some think if they stop and walk, it “doesn’t count.” It 100% counts. Run/walk is honestly one of the best ways to get into running without hating it. Something like: Run 2 minutes, walk 1 Or run 3, walk 1 Or even 1:1 if you’re just starting Just keep moving. Get Some Decent Shoes You don’t need anything crazy, but if you’re running in flat, worn-out gym shoes it’s going to feel worse than it should. Just grab a solid, basic running shoe: Nike Pegasus Brooks Ghost HOKA Clifton These aren’t automatically going to make running easy, but getting new gear definitely adds a little motivation for your next workout. You Don’t Need to Run Every Day And actually… please don’t. Your lungs will adapt pretty quickly but your legs and joints take a little longer. 1-2 runs per week is plenty when you are first starting. Mix that in with your normal workouts and don’t stress if they are slower or shorter than you planned. If I Were Starting From Scratch… Here’s exactly what I’d do: Example Week 1 Go out for 20–25 minutes Run 2 min / Walk 1 min → Nice and easy Example Week 2 Go 25–30 minutes Maybe run 3 / walk 1 → Still easy Example Week 3 Short 15-20 min jog → Super chill Do that for a couple cycles through and just let it get easier before you try to make it harder. Disclaimer…Stuff is Going to Feel Weird Calves tight. Shins sore. Knees weak arms heavy moms spaghetti. All normal. Except the last part… Obviously if something actually hurts and keeps getting worse, then don’t push through it just to prove a point. As the weather warms up and hopefully the fire smoke stays away, there will be a little more running at the gym. Don’t shy away from those days! Running with a group is a great way to get better at it without having to muster up the courage to get out there by yourself. Hart

Since the news about RMA now being an official Hyrox Training Club, we have gotten a lot of questions about how things will change, and if we are just going to do wall balls and running from now on. The answer is… No, and no! What we do at RMA already prepares people for Hyrox incredibly well. Being a Hyrox Training Club does not change what we are currently doing, but rather helps us add on to the services we can provide to our community, while helping others who may want to prepare for the event, or just enjoy a certain style of workouts. For starters, Hyrox is a threshold style race that challenges endurance through functional movements. Running, wallballs, ski erg, burpees, etc… Basically what we do every week. You need strength, muscle endurance, and aerobic fitness to excel. So train some strength, and do some cardio that is a mix of high, moderate, and low intensity. Let’s take a look at this week's programming at RMA. For strength, we have squats, lunges, pressing, hinging, and pulling. All things that are needed for having the strength in the positions needed for Hyrox. For conditioning we did workouts lasting 12, 20, 25, and 35 minutes. Those time domains matter because they train your ability to push, pace, or sustain effort over longer periods, which is exactly what you’ll experience in a race that can last an hour or more. One of the biggest misconceptions is that Hyrox is just cardio, but that’s not really the case. If you’re not strong, every weighted movement feels harder than it should. Strength is what makes those movements more efficient. At the same time, your engine plays a huge role. Hyrox rewards people who can find a sustainable pace and hold onto it without falling apart halfway through. That’s something we train all the time, whether it’s in longer workouts or intervals. Learning how to manage effort and keep moving when things get uncomfortable is absolutely a skill. If you have been here for our Wednesday workouts, this is exactly what we’ve been doing. Trying to find a repeatable pace, with very little rest between rounds. So will things change? Not really. You might see a bit more running or some additional sled work, but the foundation of what we do isn’t going anywhere, because it works for everything. We’ve never trained just to be good inside the gym. We train so you can take on challenges, stay strong, build endurance, and actually use your fitness outside of RMA. Hyrox just happens to be another way to do that. A few things to look out for if you missed our previous email and/or are interested in Hyrox race information. 1. Denver race coming November 12-15, 2026! 2. We have early access to race tickets for our members! (Links will be sent out before sign ups for each race.) 3. Be on the lookout for RMA Hyrox events/simulations 4. And for an RMA run club! (the hardest part of HYROX) See you out there on the rubber! Hart

As we move into spring, things are heating up, and by “things” I mean the climate. Whether you’re hitting a workout, going for a run, hiking, or just existing in Colorado sunshine, staying properly hydrated can be trickier than you think. Water is Great, But It’s Not Everything Water…boring!!! Wouldn’t it be cooler if we could drink things that tasted good like H2Flow? (if you understand that reference, I’m impressed.) Yes, drink your water. But if you’re sweating a lot, you’re not just losing water, you’re also losing electrolytes: sodium, potassium and magnesium. Sodium helps regulate fluid levels, potassium helps muscles contract and nerves fire, and magnesium plays a role in muscle relaxation and energy production. If you only drink water, you’ll end up diluting the concentration of those electrolytes in your body, which can cause all sorts of issues. If you hit a wall out of nowhere, your legs start cramping mid-workout, or you feel lightheaded after being outside, it could be that you aren’t adequately restocking your body’s electrolyte supply. When should you actually use electrolytes? You’re working out 45+ minutes You’re outside in the heat You’re a heavy sweater You’re doing multiple sessions in a day You wake up feeling dehydrated Quick Tips 1. Start your day with water - Before coffee. 12–20oz goes a long way. 2. Add electrolyte supplements when it makes sense - On workout days, long hikes, or hot afternoons, a packet like LMNT, Liquid IV, Nuun, Skratch, or similar can be helpful. 3. Sip throughout the day - Don’t chug water at 8pm and try to catch up. 4. Eat real food - Fruits, veggies, and well-balanced meals already give you potassium, and magnesium. 5. Pay attention to your body - Be on the lookout for low energy, headaches, and poor workouts. Stay salty out there! Hart

Counting calories, one of the greatest wonders of the fitness world. Whether you are trying to gain muscle, lose body fat, or somewhere in between, it can feel like a daunting task to track every single gram of food and drink that you consume. If you want to see any success while tracking macros, we need to start by making it as simple as possible. Macro tracking is just a way to pay a little more attention to what you’re eating. It’s not a strict diet and it shouldn’t take over your life. First, the Macros Macros are just the three main nutrients in food: Protein - Carbohydrates - Fat When people track macros, they’re usually logging their meals in an app so they can see roughly how much of each one they’re eating during the day, along with their total calories. It doesn’t need to be perfect One reason people get frustrated with macro tracking is because they think it has to be extremely precise. They imagine weighing every ingredient, measuring every gram, and turning dinner into a science project. For most people, this level of detail isn’t necessary. Tracking can simply mean logging your meals to create an awareness of what you’re actually eating on a daily basis. Even if the numbers aren’t perfect, the process can still be helpful and educational. If you're curious, start simple If you ever want to experiment with tracking macros, the easiest place to start is with a food tracking app. Apps like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer are good places to start. You just search for the foods you eat and log them throughout the day. At first, the goal isn’t to change anything. It’s just to see what your current eating habits actually look like. Sometimes people discover their protein intake is lower than they thought, or realize most of their calories happen late at night. Again, it’s about awareness. It doesn't have to be forever Another common misconception is that once you start tracking macros, you’re committing to logging every meal for the rest of your life if you want to continue to see progress. Nope! For many people, tracking macros is just a short-term learning tool. It helps you understand portion sizes, how different foods affect your energy, and what a balanced day of eating might look like. Some people enjoy tracking and keep doing it, while others track for a while, learn a few things, and then move on. The Next Steps If this is not for you, and you know it, that's fine! However, if food has always been a big question mark for you, then a great place to start is tracking for a few days. It might open your eyes to a few small tweaks you can make so you can see some progress. Just remember, you do not need to weigh every blueberry. Reach out for questions about where to start or how to set your macro numbers! Hart

The fitness world of Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter (not calling it X) have a lot of helpful information we can use and apply to our health and fitness journey. However, it also has a lot of ideas that get repeated so often they start to sound like facts. Over time these myths can make training feel more complicated than it needs to be. They create unnecessary pressure, confusion, or unrealistic expectations about what progress should look like. So, without further ado, here are some of those repeated myths that we would love to see disappear once and for all! -- BIG ONES! You have to be sore after every workout Soreness often gets treated like a scoreboard for how good a workout was. If you wake up the next day and everything hurts, people assume the workout worked. If you feel mostly fine, it can feel like you didn’t push hard enough. In reality, soreness usually comes from doing something new or increasing volume. Once your body adapts, you can have very productive workouts without feeling sore at all. Progress is much more about consistency than soreness. You need to work out every day to see results It’s easy to think more workouts automatically means more progress. For many adults, though, three to five well-paced workouts each week is plenty. The body actually adapts and improves during recovery, not during the workout. Trying to train hard every single day often leads to fatigue, plateaus, or injury. Lifting weights will make you bulky This one has been around for decades and still shows up surprisingly often. Building large amounts of muscle requires a lot of specific training, high food intake, and years of consistency. Most people lifting weights a few times per week will simply get stronger, move better, and build some muscle over time. Strength training is one of the best tools for improving body composition and staying healthy long term. Cardio is the only way to burn fat Cardio is helpful for conditioning and overall health, but it’s not the only way people improve body composition. Strength training builds muscle, improves metabolism, and helps maintain strength as people lose body fat. Nutrition habits also play a major role. Most successful long-term approaches include some combination of strength work, conditioning, and sustainable eating habits. Scaling means you are doing the “easy” workout Scaling is often misunderstood as a step backward. In reality, scaling helps match the workout to the person. Adjusting weights, reps, or movement keeps the intended pace and stimulus of the workout intact. Done well, scaling often makes the workout more productive! You have to feel motivated to train Motivation gets talked about a lot in fitness, but the people who stay consistent rarely rely on motivation alone. They build routines. Some days workouts feel great, other days they don’t, but the habit of showing up keeps progress moving forward. Motivation will come and go, but consistency is what actually builds results. -- QUICK ONES! Myth: If you miss a week of workouts you lose all your progress Reality: It takes several weeks of inactivity to lose meaningful fitness. Myth: You should never train if you're tired Reality: There’s a difference between exhausted and just not feeling motivated. Many workouts actually improve energy once you get moving. Myth: The goal is to PR every workout Reality: Most training days are practice days. PRs happen occasionally because of consistent work, not because every session should be max effort. Myth: More sweat means a better workout Reality: Sweat mostly reflects temperature, hydration, and genetics, not workout quality. Myth: You have to fix everything before you start training Reality: People sometimes think they need perfect mobility, perfect movement, or to “get in shape first.” Training itself is often what improves those things. Myth: You need a perfect program to make progress Reality: A decent program followed consistently will outperform a perfect program followed occasionally. Myth: You should wait until you're in better shape to join a gym Reality: Gyms exist to help people get into shape, not just maintain it. Myth: If a workout feels hard, you're doing something wrong Reality: Hard effort is part of adaptation. The goal is controlled difficulty, not avoiding discomfort entirely. Myth: Progress should happen every week Reality: Progress is about a general trend over months, but week to week it's rarely linear. -- Most fitness myths start with a small piece of truth but get exaggerated over time. The basics still tend to matter most: consistent training, reasonable intensity, good recovery, and sustainable habits around food and sleep. Did we miss any big ones? Hart

First you take the pizza rolls out of the package and put them in the microwave for 45 seconds. After that, you just need 15 seconds of cooldown time because that cheese is hot as lava so make sure to be patient. Once step 15 seconds is up, you have a fast easy meal in just about 60 seconds. In all seriousness pizza rolls are great, and in maybe a little more seriousness, eating real food at each meal should not be complicated or crazy time-consuming. Yes, it may be longer than microwaving, but it should still allow for some simplicity and flexibility. If you can recognize the parts, you can put together a solid meal almost anywhere in about a minute. A helpful guideline is that most meals should include three or four of the following: a protein, a carbohydrate, some kind of produce, and a fat. It does not need to be perfect. You are just trying to make a reasonable decision quickly and consistently. Now before we get into it, I am not saying that you need to cut out all packaged foods or not indulge every now and then, but on a regular basis, putting together a simple 3-4 ingredient meal will move towards your goals and also save time in your life. Keep things simple. - The easiest place to start is protein . Before anything else, ask yourself, “Where is the protein?” Protein tends to be the piece most people miss, and it plays a big role in recovery, fullness, and stable energy. Once you pick that first, the rest of the meal usually becomes easier to build around it. This could be something simple like chicken, eggs, beef, yogurt, cottage cheese, deli meat, tofu, or even a protein shake. Next comes a carbohydrate . Carbs are not cheating and they are not something you have to earn. They are fuel. They help workouts feel better and they prevent the big energy drop that often leads to overeating later in the day. Rice, potatoes, tortillas, oats, fruit, pasta, and bread all work. The goal isn’t to avoid them, it’s to pair them with protein so the meal actually holds you over. After that, add some color with a fruit or veggie. This is usually the easiest upgrade you can make. A fruit or vegetable improves fullness and overall nutrition without requiring complicated rules. It might be berries in yogurt, an apple with lunch, frozen vegetables with dinner, or peppers on a sandwich. You don’t have to love vegetables. You just need to include something for most meals. Finally, you can add a fat if it makes the meal more satisfying. Things like avocado, cheese, olive oil, nuts, or peanut butter help meals feel complete and keep you full longer. You don’t need a large amount, just enough that the meal feels like real food and not a diet. - In real life this ends up looking very simple. Greek yogurt with granola and berries for breakfast. A turkey sandwich and an apple for lunch. Chicken, rice, and frozen vegetables with a little olive oil for dinner. A protein shake and a banana after a workout. Even eating out becomes easier when you choose a protein first and then add a side and something with color. - This allows us to make a meal that is relatively healthy and moves us towards our goals, but doesn't require any counting macros or tracking of any kind. Consistency in nutrition usually comes from simplicity. If you can quickly put together a decent meal on busy workdays, travel days, or late nights, your eating becomes sustainable. A simple system that still works when life isn’t perfectly planned. Hart

Scroll social media for a few minutes and you’ll see it: cold plunges, massage guns, compression boots, saunas, special supplements, and about ten different ways to “speed up recovery.” It can start to feel like if you are even a little sore after a workout, you must be missing a tool. However, most recovery does not come from gadgets you use, but the repeatable habits you have on a daily basis. I’m not saying that tools are useless. It’s just easy to think that they can be this quick easy fix because some John Stamos looking fitness guru says so. The things that matter most If you want the closest thing to a science-backed recovery plan, here you go! Sleep - Food - Consistent training Sleep is easily the most powerful recovery method we have. It’s when your body repairs tissue, restores your nervous system, and resets energy levels. Poor sleep consistently shows up as worse strength, worse conditioning, and higher soreness. Nutrition is next. Training breaks tissue down, and food rebuilds it. A lot of people think they don’t recover well when they’re actually just under-eating. Consistency matters too. Your body recovers better from regular, predictable training, rather than from occasional all-out workouts. Those three things beat almost every recovery device combined. Tools that can help Some tools don’t necessarily speed adaptation, but they can improve how you feel. Light movement - An easy bike ride, walk, or light cardio the day after a hard workout increases blood flow and often reduces stiffness more than complete rest. Massage, foam rolling, and massage guns - These don’t dramatically speed muscle repair, but they can reduce soreness and temporarily improve range of motion. In other words, they help you move more comfortably in the next session. Sauna - Regular sauna use helps relaxation and circulation and often improves sleep quality. The “it depends” category Cold plunges / ice baths - Cold exposure definitely reduces soreness and inflammation. The interesting part is that inflammation is also part of how your body signals muscle growth and adaptation, so the frequent cold plunges immediately after strength training may slightly reduce those long-term progress when it comes to building muscle. Compression boots - These can make your legs feel better after hard conditioning. Evidence for performance improvement is small, but comfort still has value if it helps you show up again tomorrow. A quick reality check I am not saying to go out and buy saunas, or get rid of your state of the art cold plunge! Everyone’s experience with these tools is a little different. Some people swear by massage guns, compression boots, or cold plunges and genuinely feel better using them. Part of that may be physical, and part of it may simply be that the body relaxes when you believe something is helping, which still counts. Feeling better often leads to moving better and more consistent training. Just don’t let tools replace the fundamentals. Sleep, food, and regular training will always do more for progress than any device. If you enjoy a recovery tool, great. Just keep expectations realistic, do a little research, and make sure the basics are handled first. Recovery tools are best thought of as helpers, not solutions. If sleep and nutrition are off, adding more devices is like trying to fix a leaking roof by buying a better bucket. And if you’ve been at the gym for a while, you know what I’m talking about. Hart