Cardio should be done on every training day. The style is less important than the consistency. Do what you do at a brisk but reasonable pace for 30 minutes daily. Do yours fasted in the AM, before training as a warmup or post-workout after you’re done with the big weights. Even outside in the fresh air if you prefer. However you choose to do it, just get it done.
Sample diets are just that—samples. Feel free to substitute lean protein and carbohydrate sources. Raise or lower the portion sizes and overall calories depending on your specific goals, bodyweight, metabolism, gender, experience, etc.
Nutrition is critical to your progress. Do not underestimate the importance of properly fueling the human machine. Do not undereat and starve yourself thinking that is the road to physical fitness. Quite the contrary. A well-fed athlete—one consistently eating quality, nutritious whole foods and supplements, will perform better and grow stronger, over time translating to improved body composition. See the Hierarchy of Fuel to help with food choices, CLICK HERE
Sticking to that theme, you won’t always “feel like” eating nor will you always have the time or the ideal foods on hand. Instead of skipping meals or eating junk at inopportune times, consider drinking a meal. A “super shake” combining whole foods with FEAST or FUEL can fill the gap in a quick, easy, convenient, low-maintenance and economical way. Check the Super Shake recipe CLICK HERE
The daily “Bodyweight Bonus” sets and #SundayService workouts are “optional’. They are designed to normalize extra effort. Strengthen your inner dialogue to the point where you refuse to cut your workouts short before you’ve gone the extra mile. Let that unreasonable standard become commonplace.
Wellness and performance are inextricably linked. Prioritize general health supplements in your daily regimen—LIFE, RISE, QUEEN or KING (depending on gender), DREAM.
Focus on better sleep. Hard training will take its toll. And you will never recover and make progress without making a priority of restorative sleep. With demanding lives and hectic schedules, few of us can rest as much as we’d like or get what our bodies optimally require. As such, the quality of our sleep becomes more and more important. Get into a groove of early rising, training hard daily and do your best to consistently adhere to a bed time that allows you to maximize rest and recovery.
Prioritize hydration. We all need to work getting more water in on the daily. More overall fluids. Better intraworkout consumption. A hydrated muscle is fuller and better fed muscle. One with endurance and capable of more powerful contractions. Drink more around and during your training and throughout the day.
Final note for Week 1. You will make time for that which is truly important to you. There are 168 hours in a week. You can dedicate a precious few of them to your training and your physique goals. If you can’t find the time, that’s fine, it is obviously not that important. In such a case, however, we forfeit our right to complain about the progress we haven’t made due to the work we haven’t done. Be diligent. Remain disciplined. Stay determined. Think strong thoughts. And good things will happen.
