10 Absolute Truths

I turn 37 today. I've found the following 10 things to be absolute truths for me and my athletes:

1. There Are No Shortcuts.  

Everyone is always looking for the easy path to get what they want, but nothing worth getting is easy.  

And if it were easy, we’d all be doing it.  

Whatever saying you use, it’s all the same.  There are no shortcuts to what you want.

2. Quality over Quantity.  

This is for weight on the bar, reps performed, people in your life, amount of work done - almost anything.  

Make sure you’re getting the value out of what you’re doing.

3. There Is No Optimal Plan.  

Everyone assumes you have to train like a gold medalist to achieve anything.  

It’s actually more simple than that. 

The “optimal” plan is the plan you’ll actually fucking do.

4. Consistency > Perfection.  

80% done forever will achieve anything before 100% for only 3 weeks.  

Stop expecting to be a professional at something that doesn’t pay you.  

Stick with it long enough, you’ll see results.

5. Full Body Training > “Bro Splits”.  

Bro split bodybuilding programs from the 80's and 90's are directly tied to the use of PEDs.  

Unless you’re on gear (nothing wrong with that) then full body training (2-4x a wk) is going to give you the frequency needed for growth.

6. Daily Protein Goal Split Evenly Over 4-6 Meals.  

Even protein portions = consistent MPS.  

4-6 meals lets you eat consistently throughout the day.

4-6 also allows you to have meals around waking up, training & bed time.

7.  28 to 34 Grams Of Fiber Daily.

Trust me, if you focused on fiber as much as you did protein, your goals (and other activities) will go a whole lot smoother.  

Don’t wait until you’re stuck somewhere to think about starting this.

8.  7 to 9 Hours Of Sleep A Night.  

If you can’t get that much, optimize the sleep you can get with a warm shower, consistent (as possible) circadian rhythm,  glycine, magnesium, black out curtains and ear plugs or white noise.

9. Carbs Are An Athlete’s Best Friend.

Carbs are king when it comes to energy production.

They are protein sparing (leaving protein to build muscle like we want) and they are stress relieving.  

Don't turn your nose up at a gift.

10. There Is No Good Or Bad Food.

It’s not about what you eat, it’s about how much you eat.  

Some are more nutritious than others, sure, but if you want to eat some cake, go for it.  

(Maybe think of timing and eat it after training to optimize glycogen use, but still…)