Utilize a general fitness template that can be modified to maximize all aspects of fitness, including endurance, strength, flexibility, hypertrophy, and aesthetics, and customize it to your particular needs.
While seated, continuously lift your heel while pushing down on your toe and contracting the calf muscle, then lower the heel, repeating for up to 270 minutes total throughout the day, to dramatically improve blood sugar regulation (52% less postprandial glucose excursion) and systemic metabolic regulation.
Dedicate one day to 60-75 minutes of Zone 2 cardio (e.g., jogging, rowing, cycling, hiking), where you can sustain a conversation but would lose it if you pushed harder, to build long endurance and contribute to the recommended 180-200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio per week for longevity and health.
Train your legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, calves) early in the week, ideally Monday, for 50-60 minutes after a 10-minute warm-up, to set in motion beneficial metabolic processes, amplify anabolic hormones, and build a strong foundation for your entire body.
On a rest day from resistance/endurance training, perform 3-5 rounds of 15-20 minutes of hot sauna (or bath) followed by 5 minutes of ice bath (45-50°F) to accelerate recovery, improve cardiovascular function, and achieve massive increases in growth hormone.
Train your torso (pushing and pulling muscles) and neck for 50-60 minutes after a brief warm-up, to achieve systemic hormonal and metabolic effects, balance strength, and ensure neck stability for safety and posture.
Perform a 30-35 minute cardiovascular session at 75-80% of your all-out effort (e.g., running, rowing, cycling, fast jumping jacks) to elevate your heart rate significantly and improve multiple aspects of endurance by tapping into various fuel systems.
Engage in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) once a week, such as 20-30 second all-out sprints followed by 10 seconds rest for 8-12 rounds on an assault bike or rower, to get your heart rate near maximum and indirectly stimulate leg strength and hypertrophy.
Train arms (biceps, triceps), calves, and neck directly, and torso indirectly (e.g., dips, chin-ups) for 50-60 minutes, to stimulate these smaller muscle groups and maintain strength/hypertrophy in torso muscles from earlier in the week.
For all resistance training, perform 2-3 exercises per muscle group, including one that emphasizes a weighted stretch and another that emphasizes peak contraction in the shortened position, to ensure comprehensive muscle stimulation.
Alternate monthly between heavier training (4-8 reps, 3-4 sets, 2-4 min rest) and moderate training (8-12 or 15 reps, 2-3 sets, 60-90 sec rest) to make continuous progress, offset boredom, and tap into different muscle adaptation processes.
During resistance sets, focus on the mind-muscle link for hypertrophy or moving the weight for strength, and grip the bar/dumbbell very tightly (even with the non-moving hand) while contracting your core to generate maximal force.
Between resistance training sets, perform a physiological sigh (two quick inhales through the nose, followed by a long, full exhale through the mouth) to rapidly calm your nervous system, conserve energy, and prepare for the next set.
Perform static stretches for 30-60 seconds, repeated 2-3 times, for multiple muscle groups 2-3 times per week (ideally daily), by exhaling and mentally/physically relaxing into the stretch (not maximally), to increase flexibility.
If you get a poor night’s sleep, skip training that day and slide the workout forward, unless you can perform 10-60 minutes of Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) first, which can restore your ability to perform mental and physical work.
Prefer to perform cardiovascular and resistance training fasted (not having eaten in 3-10 hours, typically in the morning) for personal optimization, but if you must train fed, it is better to train than not at all.
If you have a real cold or flu, do not train and only resume when completely recovered; for a ’tiny sniffle,’ reduce workout duration and intensity (e.g., 15 minutes shorter, fewer sets to failure) to potentially avoid getting sicker and support immune function.
Conclude every training session with 3-5 minutes of deliberately slow breathing to downshift the nervous system, promote maximal and rapid recovery, and allow training adaptations to occur effectively.
Shift individual workouts one day forward or back due to life demands, ensuring that long endurance, moderate endurance, HIIT, and resistance training for all major muscle groups are completed across the week with appropriate spacing (e.g., HIIT not day after legs).
Dissolve one packet of Element (sodium, magnesium, potassium, no sugar) in 16-32 ounces of water and drink it first thing in the morning and during physical exercise to ensure adequate hydration and electrolyte balance for optimal brain and body function.
Utilize the Waking Up app for various meditation programs, mindfulness trainings, yoga nidra, or NSDR protocols to learn different meditation types, achieve various brain/body states, and restore cognitive and physical energy.
When planning fitness, focus on ‘modifiable variables’ and ‘progressive overload’ (e.g., adding weight, steeper incline, faster pace, longer distance) to understand and effectively drive adaptations in skill, speed, power, strength, hypertrophy, and endurance.
Regularly measure your ability to hang from a bar for a minute or longer, as this serves as an important metric of overall health, fitness, and progression toward a long lifespan and healthspan.