Focus on muscle health as the cornerstone for overall well-being, longevity, and metabolic health, rather than solely on fat loss, to burn fat, improve body composition, decrease disease risk, and increase energy.
Shift from setting variable goals to establishing non-negotiable standards for daily behavior and execution, as this fosters greater consistency and success by removing the opportunity to fail.
Practice self-reflection on emotional triggers and focus on controlling your own responses to external events, viewing every day as an opportunity for learning and growth.
Acknowledge that motivation is fleeting and proactively plan for its absence by setting up external accountability (e.g., training partners) and pre-arranged routines.
Strive for emotional neutrality, especially after successes, to avoid extreme highs and lows and maintain a more sustainable and enjoyable life experience.
Challenge the traditional negative narrative of stress by reframing it as adaptive and an opportunity to cultivate courage and resilience, rather than solely a fight-or-flight response.
Visualize the long-term costs of current negative habits by ‘collapsing your future self with your current self’ to motivate change and reinforce positive behaviors.
Implement practices like intermittent celebration or varied access to rewards/stimulants (e.g., flipping a coin) to build ‘dopamine preservation muscles’ and prevent vulnerability to human nature.
Recognize exercise as the most impactful factor for overall health, influencing nearly all body systems, and consider it a baseline requirement for wellness and longevity.
Engage in resistance training 2-3 days a week as a non-negotiable component of your health routine, focusing on full-body workouts if training less frequently.
Commit to a daily movement standard (e.g., one hour of movement) to establish a consistent habit, build self-accountability, and counteract sedentary living.
Prioritize dietary protein intake, aiming for 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of ideal body weight to support muscle health and overall metabolism.
Consume 30-50 grams of protein for your first meal after an overnight fast and ensure adequate protein in your last meal to protect skeletal muscle during fasting periods.
Assess carbohydrate sensitivity and body composition; consider limiting carbohydrates to no more than 50 grams per meal or using a 1:1 protein-to-carbohydrate ratio per meal.
If aiming for weight loss, understand your current calorie intake and adjust it appropriately, as calorie control is critical for effective weight management.
During periods of sleep deprivation (e.g., a few days), increase exercise to help protect metabolism and counterbalance negative effects on muscle.
Ensure adequate sleep during weight loss periods to preserve muscle mass, as sleep deprivation can lead to muscle loss instead of fat loss.
Incorporate a balanced exercise routine including HIIT (1-2x/week), strength training (3-4x/week), and a good cardio base (e.g., 10,000 steps/day).
Begin resistance training with basic bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, lunges, and general movement as an accessible starting point.
After mastering bodyweight exercises, progress to using resistance bands for home-based training, as they are helpful and easy to use.
Prioritize functional movements like squats (getting off the floor) and push-ups (pushing off the ground) to build real-life capability and prevent falls.
If traditional weights are not an option, consider affordable tools like weighted vests or household items, remembering that any action is better than none.
Utilize free resources like YouTube and public libraries to find bodyweight exercises and health information, especially if financial resources are limited.
Overcome fear and ask experienced individuals (e.g., a colleague who trains) for simple exercise advice, as people are often willing to help.
For those already fit, challenge yourself by training in multiple modalities (e.g., switch from weightlifting to HIIT or yoga for 10-12 weeks) to improve weaknesses and develop multi-dimensional fitness.
Get creative with training by using unconventional methods (e.g., carrying off-centered weights while walking/lunging) to challenge yourself in new ways.
Cultivate self-confidence by intentionally doing things that make you feel uncomfortable (e.g., unconventional public workouts), as repeated exposure reduces discomfort.
Identify your personal training type (soloist, chameleon, reluctant, performer) to optimize your environment and approach for best results.
Design your training environment based on your identified personal training type to leverage it for maximum success and adherence.
Identify and plan for your predictable weaknesses and human nature to maintain adherence to health recommendations, rather than being surprised by them.
Take action on health and fitness immediately, as the best time was in the past, and the second best is today, regardless of perceived difficulty.
Build healthy muscle mass to increase resilience against illness and challenges in midlife and later years, as it’s not ‘if’ but ‘when’ these things will happen.
Strive for strength and capability, as these qualities enhance confidence, independence, and overall well-being, and are never regretted.
Get blood tests for fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and triglycerides to understand your metabolic health.
Check hormone levels (free testosterone for men, estradiol/progesterone for women) to understand your hormonal profile.
Consider testing APO-B and LP little a to assess cardiovascular disease risk.
Get a full thyroid panel to check for thyroid hormone levels, which impact energy, metabolism, and muscle function.
Consider an Omega-3 index test, aiming for levels around 10, to assess essential fatty acid status.
Check your Vitamin D levels, as it’s important for overall health.
Include HbA1c (average blood sugar) in your blood tests for a broader view of metabolic health.
Incorporate various squats (regular, sumo) into your routine for lower body strength and functional movement.
Include kettlebell activities like swings, carries, or Turkish get-ups for dynamic strength and unique movement patterns.
Perform deadlifts (sumo or regular) as a full-body exercise to build overall strength.
Add unilateral exercises like walking lunges to improve balance and address strength imbalances.
Include upper body strength exercises such as planks or push-ups for comprehensive fitness.
Focus on exercises that strengthen the glutes and posterior chain, especially if sedentary, as these are crucial for overall power and stability.