The High Performance Journal​ - June 13th 2023

I was talking with a client the other day and we needed to have a heart-to-heart with each other.

You see, in my coaching program, we have our clients take videos of themselves when they're doing specific exercises so we can go over their form.

My client sent us a video of them doing a bicep curl and, admittedly, it was hard to watch.

There was a lot of swinging and momentum being used. You couldn't see a lot of bicep recruitment.

I don't blame him for this either because he was a former high school football player who optimized for weightlifting rather than form.

On the Zoom call, I stood up and demonstrated how to perform the exercise. We want it to be smooth and controlled. We needed to lower the weight and low up the tempo.

He tried it out the next day and his biceps were screaming (in a good way).

Let me let you in on a little secret that I wish I knew when I was starting:

Getting results in the gym is not always about major overhauls but about optimizing things we're already doing.

So in today's article, I want to share with you some workout lessons I know at 43 that I wish I knew at 23.

17 critical workout lessons I know in my 40's that I wish I knew in my 20's

#1 - Sleep is the best legal performance enhancing drug on the planet. Sleep helps you recover, removes inflammation, protects your brain, regulates appetite, increases energy, and keeps you young. If you want better results fix your sleeping habits.

Want to optimize your sleep? Here's a free report on the sleep protocol​ we use with our clients. Grab it at the link for free.

#2 - Form is more important than how much weight you lift. You're not trying to lift more weight. You're trying to build more muscle. This requires you to focus on using a good form that targets the muscle in the most effective way. No one cares about how much you lift. Leave your ego at the door.

#3 - The best tempo to use when lifting is 2 to 4 seconds up & 4 to 6 seconds down. You want to control your lifts to get full contraction of the muscle. Time under tension is one of the best ways to maximize muscle growth as well as avoid injury.

#4 - Whatever you deem important make sure you do it first. This means if you prioritize gaining muscle you want to lift weights before cardio. Or if you prioritize cardio you want to do cardio before lifting weights. Do whatever is most important first.

#5 - Self-massage, mobility stretches & muscle activation bulletproof your body from injury. These should be staples in everyone's warm-up. It doesn't have to be long either. 6 minutes before a workout is all you need to prep your body for a great workout ahead.

Here's a thread I did on how to warm up properly:

This 6 minute warm up routine will change your life: pic.twitter.com/CiP0QbX6Ct

— Dan Go (@FitFounder) June 6, 2023

#6 - One of the best ways to increase strength & muscle mass is to use the "mind to muscle" connection. An example would be thinking about using your bicep contracting when doing a bicep curl. The mind is the greatest asset in the gym because it actively recruits your muscles to be utilized in the workout.

It's not enough to lift. You must mentally activate your muscles.

#7 - The most important aspect of your training is the intensity you bring to your workout. Don't just go through the motions. The more focus & intensity you can bring the better your results will be.

#8 - The best workout supplements on the planet are whey protein and creatine. They have been thoroughly researched and have been proven to help build muscle. Here's the whey protein​ I recommend and the creatine​ I recommend.

#9 - Protein is the most anabolic & thermogenic macro. If your goal is to build muscle you want to eat .8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Ideally, you want this from foods but you can supplement if you don't get enough.

#10 - Do the same workouts. You will get much better results by doing the same workout over the course of 12 weeks than by changing your workouts every day. What you're aiming for is progressively getting stronger or doing more volume.

This is what we call progressive overload:
 

The 12 Best Ways to Progressively Overload Your Body

Progressive overload is the best way to build muscle in the gym.

In this thread I'll share with you the top 12 ways to apply it to your workouts.

Print this list & use it to make gains next time you're in the gym:

— Dan Go (@FitFounder) June 6, 2022

#10 - After your workout do 5 minutes of box breathing. This puts your body in a parasympathetic state & promotes faster recovery. Here's how to do box breathing:

1. Breathe through your nose counting to four.
2. Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
3. Exhale through the mouth for 4 seconds.

Repeat for 4-8 rounds or until you feel calm.

#11 - Stop comparing your body to movie stars or social media influencers. What you see on social media is the extremes of fitness. You would be surprised at how many of them are taking steroids to maintain their physique and the number of influencers dealing with body dysmorphia.

Social media has really f*cked up our health, and I discuss it in this video​.

#12 - Drink water with electrolytes to stay properly hydrated during a workout. As sweat evaporates from your skin, it removes heat from the body, but you also lose body fluid.

You need to drink fluid during exercise to replace the fluids you lose when you sweat but not just any fluid. You want some sodium, potassium & magnesium in there to replenish your electrolytes.

You can add some high-quality sea salt to your water or use an electrolyte pack like ​LMNT​ or ​Redman's​.

#13 - The best exercises are not exercises. They are movements. Here are the moves that should be a part of most workout programs:

Squat, hinge, horizontal press, vertical press, horizontal pull, vertical pull, carry & lunge.

Apply these to #10 and you'll get amazing results.

#14 - Recovery is just as important as your workout. You're not building muscle when you lift, you're breaking it down. It is in recovery that you repair and build muscle. The best type of recovery? Sleep and walking.

Deep sleep helps your body recover and remove inflammation.

Walking low impact and sends blood flow to the areas of the body to speed recovery.

#15 - The people who get the best results walk in with a plan and track their workouts. It could be the ​Lean Body 90​ or some other program but you want to have a plan when you walk in. You don't want to be guessing when you hit the gym. You want to work on the plan while tracking your progress.

#16 - You will never be able to out-exercise a shitty diet. In fact, when you marry your diet and exercise together you will not only see amazing results but you'll feel more energetic and alive than ever.

#17 - Invest in yourself and get a coach​. I've invested more than 100k of my own money for various coaches in my life. Coaches help you get to your goal in the fastest most effective way possible. Invest in yourself. You will never regret it.

Final Thoughts

I've been working out for 20 years & coaching for 18 of them. These are the lessons I'd tell myself if I could do it all over again.

Since I don't have a time machine the least I can do is impart these lessons to you in hopes you use them to your advantage.

Print this list off and internalize it the next time you're in the gym.

- Dan

Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

1. Are you an entrepreneur who wants to get lean, boost energy, and get in your best shape in 2023? ​
Apply for private one-on-one coaching here.​​​

2. If you’re still looking to get lean, I’d recommend starting with an affordable course:

→ ​The Lean Body 90 System:​ Transform your body with the Lean Body 90 system. This comprehensive course will teach you the system I use to get my clients lean & energetic in 90 days in only 90 minutes a week. ​Join 1000+ students here.​