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The High Performance Journal

4 Minute Fridays: Why I Stopped Wearing My Oura Ring, The Best Exercise For Desk Workers & The Protein Powder I Use On A Regular Basis

4 minute fridays Aug 09, 2024

Read time: 3.8 minutes

Welcome to 4 Minute Fridays, my weekly newsletter where I reveal cutting-edge tips to help you get lean, boost energy, and live longer.

What's In Store For Today:

  • Why I stopped wearing my Oura Ring
  • The best exercise for desk workers
  • The protein powder I use on a regular basis

Today's issue is brought to you by ​High Performance Founder Private Coaching​.

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Hey friend,

This week my dad came down to visit us in our new home.

I owe a lot to this man. He not only gave me life on this planet but he gave me the gift of fitness.

Something I'm doing while he's down here is a private podcast interview.

I want to record his views about his childhood, marrying my mom, and all the things that got us to where we are as a family.

A couple of questions I plan to ask him:

  • What was life like for you growing up?
  • What kind of kid were you? A typical weekday and weeknight?
  • Who was your best friend growing up?
  • What did you want to be when you grew up?
  • What was the craziest thing you ever did?
  • How did you choose your career?
  • What are you most proud of?
  • Who was the biggest influence on your life?
  • Anything you would go back and do differently?
  • How did you know Mom was the one?
  • What is your favorite memory with our family?
  • What was the happiest time in your life?
  • What was your favorite place you visited?
  • What values do you wish to pass on to your children and grandchildren?

After I do this I will edit the video and make it available for my immediate family as a keepsake.

We're living in a new world where we can access our lessons from the past and have them last forever.

This is my way of keeping our ancestor's memory alive for decades to come.

That said...

Here Is Your 4 Minute Friday:


1. Why I Stopped Wearing My Oura Ring

For the past 4 years, I've been wearing an Oura ring to improve my sleep​.

While it's had a dramatic impact on my sleep, I decided to stop wearing it for the past 4 months, and I feel better than ever.


There are a few reasons I stopped wearing it:

  1. Psychological effect: The biggest reason I stopped using an Oura Ring was its psychological effect on me. At times, a poor sleep or recovery score could influence how I felt and performed.
     
  2. Sleep and recovery scores are inaccurate: A meta-analysis found sleep trackers are only accurate 78% of the time when identifying sleep versus wakefulness. This drops to 38% when estimating latency. I also found my HRV readings to be wildly inaccurate.

  3. I don't agree with the monthly fee for getting your data. Many hardware companies, such as Oura, Whoop, and Eightsleep, charge an irrelevant monthly fee to access your data. To me, this seems like a way to amplify the money they make off the hardware without adding any extra value to the experience, which I can't support.


The final reason is that the sleep tracker becomes more of a nuisance than a tool once you have data on what works (and what doesn't).

I still think sleep trackers are worth the investment. If I were to do it all again, I'd wear the tracker for 6 months to a year, test things, and then, once I get the data, let it go.

I did a thread on X about my experience that you can read here:

2. The Best Exercise For Desk Workers

If you’re like most desk jockeys, your day probably involves a lot of sitting.

And sitting my friend, is slowly turning you into a slouchy, tight-hipped mess. But fear not, because bodyweight squats are here to save your ass—literally.

Researchers wanted to compare the effects of short, frequent bursts of exercise (bodyweight squats) with those of moderate-intensity activity (walking).

  • Group A: Performed 10 squats every 45 minutes throughout their day.
  • Group B: Engaged in a continuous 30-minute walk each day.

Over an eight-week period, the researchers monitored various health markers, including blood glucose levels, cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and overall metabolic health.


Here's what they found:

  1. Enhanced Blood Glucose Control: Participants who performed squats experienced better blood glucose regulation.
     
  2. Improved Cardiovascular Health: The squat group showed improvements over walking in cardiovascular health markers, including reduced resting heart rate and improved blood pressure readings.

  3. Increased Muscle Strength and Endurance: Regularly performing squats throughout the day led to significant gains in lower body strength and endurance over the walking group.

  4. Reduced Sedentary Time: One key benefit of the squat regimen was reducing prolonged periods of sitting.


And don’t even get me started on the endorphins.

A set of squats can get your blood pumping and your mood lifted faster than a double shot of espresso. You’ll feel more energized, more focused, and just generally more badass.

So next time you find yourself sitting for 45 minutes at a desk do your body a favor and do a quick set of 10 bodyweight squats.

❤️ My Favourite Thing This Week

 

Ever since I started taking my sleep seriously, I've been on the hunt for the best sleep mask on the planet.

I prefer to sleep in complete darkness. Sleep masks help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer by creating total darkness.

They can improve sleep quality by enhancing melatonin production, the hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Plus, they’re great for travel or sleeping in unfamiliar environments.

Here's the deal: Most sleep masks suck. This one does not.

It has contours around the eyes to prevent light from coming in and the strap is perfect for a side sleeper like me.

I liked this sleep mask so much that I bought one for home and one for traveling.

You can check it out here: Alaska bear sleep mask​


Client Of The Week - Eric Bort, Entrepreneur

Eric is an entrepreneur who wanted to gain muscle and look buff in t-shirts.

In 16 weeks, he added 7 pounds of lean mass and started to see his abs for the first time since high school.


Our Strategy:

  • Increase calorie intake with an emphasis on eating 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
  • Increased volume in the gym and focused on getting stronger.
  • Improved his sleeping habits so he could let his body rest and build more muscle.
  • Got his cardio in with walking.

Since working together he's more confident in his body than ever before and loves strength training in the gym.

​
Are you an entrepreneur who wants to drop the fat, gain muscle, and boost energy? Click this link to apply for our coaching program.
​

One Quote to Finish Your Week Strong


Your outer world is a mirror reflection of your inner world. If you are dissatisfied with your outer experiences, ask yourself where do I experience this within. To change your experience, change your thinking and feelings.
​
- Anonymous


You can't create a new version of reality with the same thoughts and beliefs. True change is like a seed. It starts internally, and once it blossoms, it extends outwardly.

If you want to change any part of your life, start with yourself.

Have a great weekend!

- Dan

 

When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help:

1. The Lean Body 90 System: When you’re ready to get in great shape, Lean Body 90 is the obvious choice. You can get in great shape and reach your fitness goals in just 90 minutes a week. Lose weight and build muscle even without hours in the gym or highly restrictive diets. Join 1000+ students here.

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

3. Promote yourself to 310,000+ subscribers​ by sponsoring this newsletter.

 

 

References

  1. Conley S, Knies A, Batten J, Ash G, Miner B, Hwang Y, Jeon S, Redeker NS. Agreement between actigraphic and polysomnographic measures of sleep in adults with and without chronic conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2019 Aug;46:151-160. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2019.05.001. Epub 2019 May 13. PMID: 31154154; PMCID: PMC6594867.​
  2. Lenneis, A., Das-Friebel, A., Tang, N. K. Y., Sanborn, A. N., Lemola, S., Singmann, H., Wolke, D., von Mühlenen, A., & Realo, A. (2024). The influence of sleep on subjective well-being: An experience sampling study. Emotion, 24(2), 451–464. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001268
  3. Adams OP. The impact of brief high-intensity exercise on blood glucose levels. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2013;6:113-22. doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S29222. Epub 2013 Feb 27. PMID: 23467903; PMCID: PMC3587394.

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