Hey friend,

I'm writing to you from Europe today.

I spent some time in London doing videos with my friend ​Ali Abdaal​ and now I'm in Belfast, Ireland for a mastermind with some good friends.

While attending the mastermind we heard the sounds of a helicopter in the distance.

As time passed, it got closer and closer.

We stepped out to see what was happening and saw it landing in a space that couldn't have been more than 15 feet by 15 feet.

The organizer of the mastermind, Phil (in pic), had gotten a chopper to take us for a quick trip from Ireland to Scotland.

I could sit here and wax poetic about how your network is your net worth or talk about the power of masterminds but I won't.

I just wanted to share that with you because it was so damn cool.

That said...

Here Is Your 4 Minute Friday:

1. 3 Hidden Causes Of Fat Gain

The other day, I talked to a client who had been eating "healthy" but was still gaining weight​.

We went through his last couple of days of eating and discovered he was guilty of the Fat Gaining Triangle:

First off, he was snacking mindlessly.

During his free time, he would grab nuts or look in the fridge for something quick to eat. This contributed to adding more calories to his day.

Second, he was drinking alcohol on a semi-regular basis.

Alcohol contains empty calories, and when it comes to fat loss, your body prioritizes burning off the alcohol before any food. Alcohol is also an appetite stimulant, which encourages more mindless eating.

Lastly, he was eating his emotions.

He found that he wasn't very hungry throughout the day, but when he got home, he would eat to cope with his stress without thinking about it.

Stress accumulates throughout the day, and we need to do things to lower stress to curb our hunger at the end of the day.

After two weeks of working on these issues, we were able to "magically" drop five pounds off his body.

Most times, when people tell me they're eating healthy but not losing weight, they are usually adding calories to their diet in hidden ways.

Find those hidden sources, and you can drop weight without thinking about it.

2. The Best Time Of Day To Workout

Does the time of day affect the gains you make in a workout?

One study found that people gained better strength and endurance when training later in the day.

This is largely because of your circadian rhythms​.

The body functions change throughout the day. During your circadian cycle, your body temperature becomes optimized for physical performance later in the afternoon.

Core body temperature tends to be at its highest between 2 pm-6 pm and exercising during this time is optimum for best performance.

But what if you can't workout during that time?

Something I discovered with ​our clients​ is that your body's rhythms adapt to whatever times you decide to exercise as long as it's consistent.

Also, it's one thing to do things in an optimal fashion and another to do things that work for you.

If you're a professional athlete it might be best to do what's optimal.

But if you're someone who just wants to get in shape it may be best to avoid the minor details and do what works for you.

Ask Me Anything - The Best Ways To Track Your V02 Max

Question From Dustin: For years now, I workout 6 days a week--three days of bootcamp strength training and 4+ days of hiking (3-4 miles/per). My Apple Watch continues to show my VO2 results as poor, however. I'm convinced it's just a worthless metric coming from a device like a watch. Do you have any thoughts on it?

My answer: Thanks for the question, Dustin.

V02 max​ is a number worth measuring because of its correlation to fitness levels and longevity.

Yet, measuring on an Apple Watch (or other similar tools) is not ideal because it doesn't measure VO2 Max but estimates them based on an algorithm.

The best way to measure V02 max is by hooking yourself up to a mask and a heart rate monitor while running on a treadmill or riding a bike, which is usually done in a laboratory.

The next best way is a bit cruder but somewhat effective. It's called a Cooper Test and it's done by running on a track. You can read about it in an article I wrote ​here​.

Want your questions answered? For the next few weeks, I'm doing a feature called Ask Me Anything where I answer all your questions. Send a question over to ​[email protected]​ and get your question featured in next week's 4MF issue.

Client Of The Week - Janelle, Psychologist

Janelle is a psychologist who wanted to improve her health at 60.

In 16 weeks she dropped 30.1 lbs, 4 inches off her waist & improved blood markers across the board.

Our strategy:

• Change the quality of her foods from processed to single-ingredient sources.
• Trained with weights and ate more protein to lose fat, not just weight.
• Walked every day for stress release and energy

She's feeling amazing and has more than doubled her energy levels.

​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

When we think of nutrition we think of the food we put into our bodies but rarely think about the information we allow into our brains.

Monitor the types of information you allow in and always protect your brain.

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 275,000+ subscribers​ by sponsoring this newsletter.

References:

1. Liu, A. C., Lewis, W. G. & Kay, S. A. Mammalian circadian signaling networks and therapeutic targets. Nature Chemical Biology 3(10), 630–639 (2007).
2. Küüsmaa M, Schumann M, Sedliak M, Kraemer WJ, Newton RU, Malinen JP, Nyman K, Häkkinen A, Häkkinen K. Effects of morning versus evening combined strength and endurance training on physical performance, muscle hypertrophy, and serum hormone concentrations. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016 Dec;41(12):1285-1294. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2016-0271. PMID: 27863207.