3 Lessons from Coaching Thousands of Nerds

Hey there,

Coach Matt Myers from Team Nerd Fitness here!

While Steve is writing his Monday newsletter with stories to help you level up your life in general, he asked me to provide more specific guidance on health and fitness.

I’ve been doing this fitness thing for nearly as long as Steve has been writing his newsletter.

(In fact, I emailed Steve back in 2010 and we’ve been friends ever since – and now coworkers for 8 years!)

For 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of coaching a lot of people. I’ve had a front-row seat to what actually helps people stick with their fitness goals—even when life gets messy (which it always does).

Here are 3 lessons I’ve learned along the way—lessons our coaches use daily to help folks with busy lives, big goals, and brains that don’t always want to cooperate.

Let’s level up!

🧠 Lesson 1: There is no “normal.”

Tell me if this sounds familiar…

“I just need life to settle down a bit… and then I’ll get back on track.”

Yeah. That version of “normal”? It’s a myth.

Life doesn’t calm down. It changes.

Whether it’s a tough week at work, your kids getting sick, travel, taking care of a family member, or just trying to keep your head above water—life never seems to settle down for long.

So, we make a plan that anticipates those challenges, rather than something that derails it.

At Nerd Fitness, we refer to this as ​Dial Mode​.

• An alternative workout you can do in 15 minutes at home for when you’re stressed, tired, and short on time
• Simple nutrition habits you can fall back on in a pinch (i.e., eat protein with each meal)
• A list of meals you can grab on the go that fit your goals and keep you on track

By having multiple ways to stay on track, you continue to build momentum even when life is chaotic.

There is no normal. And that’s to be expected!

🔎 Lesson 2: Zoom In, Zoom Out

Have you ever thought to yourself,

“I want to get in shape, but I just have so far to go.”

Or,

“I used to be in great shape, but now everything just feels so hard.”

Those are totally normal thoughts to have! (🙋‍♂️ I know I’ve had them!)

However, what I’ve observed over time is that these thoughts often drain people of the energy to persevere and keep going.

So what’s a Nerd to do?

That’s where one of our favorite tools comes in: Zoom In, Zoom Out.

Zoom In: What do I need to do today?

Zoom Out (every couple of weeks): Am I headed in the right direction?

Zooming in helps you laser-focus on your daily actions and avoid the endless spiral of “I’m not there yet.”

Instead, you ask:

✅ Did I do my workout today?

✅ Did I get a protein and a vegetable with each meal? Etc.

Then, every 1–4 weeks, step back and check the bigger picture:

What’s going well?

What was a challenge?

What needs to change or goal needs to be adjusted?

That rhythm—daily focus with periodic, big-picture check-ins—is how real change happens.

⚖ Lesson 3: Make it meaningful AND doable.

How do you know if a strategy is the right one for you?

Find the right balance between challenging and doable.

Too easy? It won’t move the needle.

Too hard? You won’t do it consistently enough for it to make a difference.

For each person, the right level of challenge is different.

Maybe it’s tracking macros every day and working out 3x/week.

Maybe it’s going for a daily walk and prioritizing fruits and vegetables at each meal.

Maybe it’s eating mindfully and slowly and creating a bedtime routine to get better sleep.

There is no “right” or “wrong” answer here. The correct level of challenge will change for you over time.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust until you find that sweet spot: challenging enough to feel meaningful, but doable enough to stay consistent.

These 3 lessons are a core part of what we use inside Nerd Fitness Coaching—and they’ve helped thousands of people get in great shape, even when life throws curveballs.

Which one stood out most to you?

Send me an email at “[email protected]”—I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

I’ll be sending out helpful tips like this every other week or so, so also feel free to send in questions you might have!

– Coach Matt

P.S. Want help building YOUR plan—and actually sticking to it when life gets nuts?​ Check out our Online Coaching Program »​