6 Ways To Be Healthy & Look Like You Work Out
Do you want to “be healthy”, or do you want to “look like you work out”?
A lot of people think you have to choose between the two when it comes to getting in shape.
We believe that with the right approach, you can have both.
Incredible health, and a body the reflects the hard work you’re putting in.
In this article we’ll tell you the 6 things we, and our clients focus on to have our cake, and eat it too.
By the way… I’m Jonathan. My wife Blakley and I own Digital Barbell. Our roots are in in-person training, but now we are helping people get in the best shape of their lives 100% online.
Since our business is online, we live, work, and travel in our Airstream with our two crazy dogs.
You can follow along on our YouTube channel, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast on Apple or Spotify for tons of free and valuable fitness content. .
What Does It Mean to Be Healthy?
Health isn’t just “not being sick.” It’s about how your body functions on the inside. You can look great in the mirror but still be a mess under the hood.
Some markers worth aiming for:
A resting heart rate in the 60–80 bpm range
Normal blood pressure (around 120/80 mmHg)
Your waistline 1” above your belly button should be less than half your height
Fasted blood sugar of less than 100
The strength and mobility to actually live your life without breaking down
That’s health.
What Does It Mean to Be Aesthetic?
Looking like you work out is a different game. It comes down to two main things:
Having muscle
Not carrying too much body fat
That’s it. No “detox tea,” no magic ab workout. Just muscle + a lean enough body fat percentage to see it. That’s what makes someone look like they actually lift.
Where Most People Blow It
Most people pick one side and ignore the other.
The health-only crowd? They might be lean, but they’re not strong, and they’re usually one bad fall away from realizing they have no muscle or bone density to back them up. They also tend to overemphasize things like supplements, food labels like “organic”, and demonizing ingredients like seed oils and gluten.
The bulk-and-cut crew? They might build muscle, but they live on yo-yo diets, skip cardio, and end up with labs their doctor side-eyes.
The sweet spot is in the middle. Training and eating in a way that builds muscle, keeps you lean, and takes care of your long-term health.
6 Ways to Be Healthy and Look Fit
Eat The Right Number of Calories While Prioritizing Protein
Eat enough to fuel your training, not so much that you gain fat. If you have fat to lose, reduce your calories by 300-500 per day depending on how much you’re eating now. If you need to gain weight, add 150-250 calories per day to your diet. Whether you need to gain or lose, ladies aim for ~30g of protein per meal, men shoot for ~50g per meal. That’s between 3 and 5oz of cooked, lean protein for example.
Limit Saturated Fat to 20-25 Grams Per Day
Health benefits: Saturated fat increases your risk for heart diseas and high cholesterol.
Aesthetic benefits: All fat is high in calories (9 calories per gram). Keeping fat low in your diet helps keep your overall calories low when you’re trying to improve your physique.
Include Plenty of Cardio
Health benefits: Cardio improves the strength of your heart, which prevents it from overworking at rest. It improves circulation, reducing artery stiffness. It reduces LDL cholesterol, and reduces mental stress.
Aesthetic benefits: It burns calories without increasing hunger (especially low intensity cardio), improves insulin sensitivity making muscle building easier. Improves joint health, which makes training more productive.
The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes (30 minutes 5 times per week)
Eat 25 - 35g of Fiber Per Day
Health benefits of fiber: Lowers cholesterol, improves digestion, improves micronutrient intake.
Aesthetic benefits of fiber: Helps keep you full when dieting, leading to better compliance / results
Prioritize Strength Training & Progressive Overload
Health benefits: Increased muscle mass prevents sarcopenia in older age, increased metabolic rate, increases bone density, prevens injury,
Aesthetic benefits: Muscle gives your body shape, tone, and an athletic look. Muscle increases insulin sensitivity and nutrient partitioning, helping with body composition.
Find Your Forever Workout Plan
We believe that short-term challengs and unsustainable workout and diet plans do more harm than good.
If you want lasting results (health and physical), you need a plan that stays with you forever.
Nothing extreme, just common sense and sustainable.
We combine the best parts of traditional strength training, body building, and conditioning to give our clients the best results possible without burnout.
We’d be honored to talk about working with you to achieve your best health and body ever. Click the button below and we’ll be in touch today.
Jonathan & Blakley