NO DAYS OFF!*

*except for Tues, Thurs, Sat, & Sun

The grind. Hustle culture. #TeamNoSleep.

The internet romanticizes the NO DAYS OFF! lifestyle.

This mentality is dumb and will eventually catch up to you. Getting 4 hours of sleep is not a flex.

Being healthy & fit isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t have to kill yourself in the gym like a certified freak 7 days a week to feel great and rock a nice little bod.

In June 2023 I finally came to my senses and reduced my training to just 3 intense workouts per week (down from 5 or 6). As a result…

• I enjoy each workout way more and I’m excited to get after it.
• I have more energy and feel better overall.
• I’m consistently getting stronger.
• I’m enjoying my life more.

[It’s important to note that I walk a lot and am active in general, but I’m also not in the gym doing boring, mindless cardio for an hour a day. I respect the effort, but perhaps it’s worth trying a “work smarter not harder” approach]

Practically speaking, 3x a week is great because of the flexibility. My default days are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but I can do any 3 days (though it’s ideal to have a rest day between workouts). This makes it simple to stick to long-term and not “fall off” my plan.

For those who are new to training, start with 2 total body workouts a week. Build your habit for a few months and then increase to 3 sessions if you want.

Bust your ass during your 2 or 3 training sessions, then balance it with true rest & recovery.

Here’s to more guilt-free R & R.

Feel Great

Let’s Talk About Rest, Baby (let’s talk about you and me)

“Picture an Orangutan, just… chilling. Sitting back, arm over its head, looking around, but really… Chill.

This Orangutan isn’t worrying about a mortgage, politics, or air pollution. He’s just… relaxing.

Rest is defined as a condition in which the body is in a decreased state of activity WITHOUT physical or emotional stress and freedom from anxiety. When you are resting you are untroubled.

By definition, then, if you’re troubled… you’re not resting.

Proper rest is essential to our health. And importantly it helps balance out our exercise.

The harder you pushed, the more you challenged your body, the more you went outside your comfort zone, the more recovery you need.

Rest has to be a true break. Brain Off and Body Relaxed (it can still be moving, but the activity has to be low… walking, gardening, light swimming, housework… that level of activity).

Meditation, breathwork, being in nature, reading, drawing, listening to music, playing, getting a massage; these are all effective ways to rest.

Many people feel guilty or anxious about resting because it feels like they’re not doing anything. But I like to draw the parallel to fasting— it’s when you’re not doing anything that you’re also actively doing good things.

Your body is capable of amazing things. Sometimes all you have to do is get out of its way.

Rest allows your body to heal and recuperate. You don’t have to teach it how to do this, it already knows how.”

— Brad Pilon (expert on intermittent fasting and the author of Eat Stop Eat)

Rock a Nice Little Bod

Enjoy Life

At your funeral, no one will care how much you benched or if you had six-pack abs. But they will remember if you spent time benching together, or if you shared a six-pack of suds on a tropical beach while laughing and discussing your hopes, dreams, & deepest fears. Your health is most important, but always remember what else is important.

[a reminder that much of what I write are Notes to Self]

Nice Little Body of the Week

David Duchovny A.K.A. Hank Moody (Californication)

Eargasm of the Week

Feel great. Rock a nice little bod. Enjoy life.

Steve