Engage in strength training, even if you don’t aim to compete in powerlifting, as high strength is significantly associated with increased longevity and reduced all-cause mortality.
Consistently challenge your muscles by gradually increasing weight, repetitions, or the number of hard sets over time. This fundamental principle is crucial for continuous strength and muscle growth.
Learn and apply the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale (1-10, where 10 is max effort) to gauge your proximity to failure in lifts. Aim for RPE 7-8 (a few reps shy of failure) for most sets to maximize benefits while minimizing excessive fatigue.
When feeling nervous or anxious before a challenging event, reframe it as a positive sign that your body is preparing for performance and that you deeply care about the outcome, rather than trying to suppress the feeling.
If a planned heavy lift or movement causes pain, modify it or choose an alternative movement or lighter weight that doesn’t trigger pain. This approach helps maintain adaptation and allows for consistent training without exacerbating injuries.
Choose exercises and training methods you enjoy and can perform consistently, even if they are less technical or considered ‘sub-optimal.’ Adherence is the most important factor for long-term strength and lean body mass gains.
Take 5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily as a safe and effective supplement to improve performance, increase lean mass, and potentially enhance cognitive function. There is no need to cycle off creatine, as continuous use maintains benefits.
Target a daily fiber intake of approximately 15 grams per 1000 calories consumed, prioritizing whole food sources like riced cauliflower, broccoli, beans, apples, and berries. Popcorn can also be a good, filling fiber source.
Ensure a minimum of 30 grams of protein in the morning, especially after a period of fasting. This helps support anabolism and overall daily protein goals.
For at least one week, track and weigh everything you eat without judgment to gain valuable insights into your actual calorie intake and portion sizes. This exercise is highly educational and often reveals significant underestimation of consumption.
When seeking expert advice, look for individuals who speak with nuance, acknowledge uncertainty, and are comfortable saying ‘I don’t know.’ Be wary of those who use excessive superlatives or offer ’tips, tricks, and hacks’ for every topic.
View being wrong about something as a valuable opportunity for improvement and growth. It allows you to learn and get better, rather than taking offense or feeling bad.
Incorporate variety and periodization into your training, not just for potential physiological benefits, but also to prevent boredom and improve long-term adherence to your exercise routine.
Prioritize exercises that mimic day-to-day functional movements (e.g., squats for sitting/standing, hinges for bending over) to improve quality of life and prevent falls as you age.
After a competition, take time to train for fun and focus on accessory movements that don’t cause excessive wear and tear for several months. Gradually re-enter a building phase with increasing volume before ramping up heavy competition lifts.
For strength training, perform heavy lifts with maximum effort (which will naturally be slower), and follow with lighter back-off sets (RPE 4-5) moved as quickly as possible on the concentric phase to maximize force and minimize fatigue.
For individuals highly resistant to exercise, a single 20-30 minute super slow resistance training workout per week (to failure, 90-105 seconds per set) is a viable option to build muscle, as it’s significantly better than doing nothing.
Do not create rigid ‘hard food rules’ in your diet, as they can contribute to disordered eating patterns and make moderation more difficult, potentially leading to binge eating.
Be cautious of ’experts’ who offer quick ’tips, tricks, and hacks’ or use excessive superlatives, as this often indicates a lack of nuance and context in their advice.
Between heavy lifting attempts, manage your arousal levels by taking 5 minutes to relax, then gradually amp up using music, mental imagery, visualization, and breath work to achieve a high heart rate (160-170 bpm) before the lift.
For powerlifting meets with a 2-hour weigh-in, aim to be slightly under your weight class the day before to allow for sufficient calorie intake without feeling overly full on meet day. Consider Pedialyte or electrolytes for hydration.
Be conscious of your saturated fat intake and its impact on LDL cholesterol, recognizing that lifetime exposure to higher LDL is linearly associated with increased mortality risk. Consider monitoring your cystatin C for kidney function instead of serum creatinine.
Opt for whole protein sources like whey protein over branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements for muscle growth and recovery, as BCAAs are not shown to be superior and may negatively impact taste.
If using time-restricted feeding (e.g., 16:8 intermittent fasting) for energy restriction, be highly diligent about ensuring adequate protein intake within your feeding window, as clinical observations suggest people often compromise protein with this method.
If an elimination diet (like carnivore) improves symptoms, systematically reintroduce individual plant foods one by one to identify specific triggers rather than permanently excluding all plants.
When consuming high-quality animal protein, ensure you also include ample fruits and vegetables, as the benefits of meat are often seen in conjunction with plant intake, and a lack of plants can increase health risks.
Continue resistance training throughout your life, not just for physical benefits and longevity, but also for the positive feelings it provides and its anti-aging effects on appearance.