Ensure your sleeping environment’s temperature is correct, as your body temperature needs to drop 1-3 degrees to fall and stay deeply asleep, and increase 1-3 degrees to wake up refreshed.
Regulate your bed temperature to be cool at the beginning of the night, even colder in the middle, and warm as you wake up to optimize slow wave and REM sleep.
Ensure proper hydration for optimal brain and body function, as even a slight degree of dehydration can diminish cognitive and physical performance.
Consume adequate electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, potassium) in correct ratios, as they are vital for the functioning of all body cells, especially neurons.
Dissolve one packet of electrolyte mix in about 16 to 32 ounces of water and drink it first thing in the morning, and also during any physical exercise.
Consume sufficient salt, along with potassium and magnesium, to support excellent nerve-to-muscle communication and physical performance.
Engage in activities to get muscles stronger to offset the normal, age-related decline in strength, posture, and range of movement that occurs with aging.
For increasing muscle strength and size, perform 5 to 15 sets of resistance exercise per muscle group per week, using 30-80% of your one-repetition maximum.
Perform at least five sets per muscle group per week, using 30-80% of your one-repetition maximum, just to maintain muscle size and strength.
For muscle hypertrophy and strength, train with weights, bands, or body weight in the range of 30% to 80% of your one-repetition maximum.
Incorporate training to muscular failure for about 10% of your sets or workouts, but ensure the majority of your training sets are not taken to failure to allow for higher overall volume.
To get stronger, focus on moving progressively greater loads or increasing the amount of weight you lift over time.
To specifically generate muscle hypertrophy (size), focus on generating hard, almost painful, localized contractions of specific muscles.
Enhance your ability to contract and isolate particular muscles, as this skill can reduce the number of sets needed to achieve desired hypertrophy or strength effects.
To develop explosiveness and speed, move heavy or moderately heavy loads (60-75% of 1RM) as fast as possible throughout the set, without going to failure.
For hypertrophy and strength gains, rest between two to six minutes between sets to allow for adequate recovery.
Use simple, zero-cost tests like grip strength and carbon dioxide tolerance first thing in the morning to assess your nervous system’s overall recovery and decide if you should train that day.
Measure your grip strength first thing in the morning (e.g., with a grip tool or floor scale) to assess your nervous system’s recovery and ability to generate force. Establish a baseline when well-rested and look for significant (10-20%) reductions as a sign of under-recovery.
To assess nervous system recovery, perform a CO2 tolerance test: Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale fully four times. On the fifth inhale, fill your lungs completely, engaging your diaphragm. Then, exhale as slowly as possible through a tiny opening in your mouth, timing how long it takes until no more air can be released.
Use your CO2 discard time to gauge recovery: <25 seconds indicates likely under-recovered; 30-60 seconds is a ‘green zone’ for physical work; 65-120 seconds indicates almost certainly recovered nervous system.
If dividing resistance training sets across the week, ensure adequate muscle recovery between sessions.
Do not use ice baths or cold exposure immediately after resistance training, as it can interfere with mTOR pathways and inflammation, potentially short-circuiting muscle repair and growth.
Be cautious with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) within four hours before or after exercise, as they can prevent gains in endurance, strength, and size.
Consider supplementing with approximately five grams of creatine daily (for a 180-pound individual) to enhance power output, improve hydration, and reduce fatigue.
Aim to ingest 700 to 3,000 milligrams of the essential amino acid leucine with each meal to support muscle repair and growth.
Obtain your protein and essential amino acids, including leucine, primarily from whole foods rather than relying solely on supplements.
Eat two to four times a day, ensuring sufficient amino acid intake (compatible with your ethics and diet) to support muscle repair, growth, and strength improvements.