July 24, 2024
Recently, I shared my approach to fitness and health on my wife’s podcast, The Big Deal by Codie Sanchez.
Here are my key insights on making fitness an essential part of daily life.
Reframing Fitness as Hygiene
I see fitness differently than most. Rather than treating it as a habit, I view it as hygiene.
The difference is crucial: habits are something you decide to build, but hygiene is essential for survival.
If you don’t brush your teeth, bacteria grows. Similarly, if you don’t exercise, you’re decaying.
It has to occur, otherwise you’re becoming sedentary and complacent.
Check out the Podcast
Essential Tool: Kettlebells
When it comes to equipment, I believe in keeping it simple. A kettlebell is my go-to tool because:
- You can train every single part of the body.
- They’re portable (I have Amazon-primed 53lb kettlebells to hotels).
- They’re versatile for any workout.
For programming, I recommend Eric Leija (Primal Swoledier) from Onnit X.
He teaches how to chain movements together, connecting upper and lower body strength through a strong core.
Three fundamental kettlebell movements:
- The kettlebell swing
- The windmill (for hip mobility, back mobility, shoulder girdle and core)
- The snatch (explosive full-body movement)
Training Philosophy
My workouts are focused and efficient:
- 50 minutes total
- Never more than an hour
- This includes warm-up, workout, cool-down, and stretching.
If you’re not sweating during your workout, you’re not taking it seriously enough.
Even on lighter days, you should still maintain significant output: otherwise, you’re wasting time and regressing.
Program Recommendations
For those looking for structured programs, I follow Marcus Philly’s approach:
- His Pillars program: 4 days a week lifting.
- Upper/lower or upper push/lower push splits.
- Great movement cues and form instruction.
- Videos that accompany the workouts.
While it can be intense, he now offers different programs for various skill levels and time constraints.
The Sunday Reset
Our Sunday recovery protocol includes:
- Morning coffee with mushroom supplements and MCT oil.
- Long walk (about 5 miles)
- Gym session
- Sauna
- Cold plunge
- Rolling out
- Opening up hips and rebalancing muscles.
This is our major reset day: we’re never trying to raise our heart rate super high. We’re detoxing and hitting that reset button.
Chronic Pain and Movement
Through my experience with military-related pain, I’ve learned crucial lessons:
- Pain often isn’t where you think it is.
- Bad hip and weak glute caused what I thought was an isolated knee injury.
- Imbalances and inflammation are major culprits.
The solution involves three components:
- Smashing (using tools like a Rumble roller).
- Strengthening weak areas.
- Lengthening tight areas.
For desk workers, I recommend:
- Set a 40-minute timer to get up and move.
- Hands behind head, lean back to open t-spine.
- Split squats (20 each side) to reset hips.
- Pay attention to posture and alignment.
Within about three weeks of implementing these approaches, I saw complete changes in my chronic pain patterns.
Environmental Health
I place high importance on water quality. Get your water tested to ensure its safety.
Install under-sink filters to remove chemicals, and add filters to showers and faucets for cleaner water throughout your home.
Avoid plastic water storage, as it can leach harmful substances, and keep water away from sun exposure to prevent contamination.
Whenever possible, use glass containers for safer, long-term storage.
Integrate Everything
We’ve found ways to make fitness part of our relationship:
- Taking calls during walks.
- Cooking healthy meals together.
- Sharing recovery activities.
- Making workouts fun and playful.
- Stretching together during evening TV time.
Simple Nutrition
Our household follows basic principles:
- Natural ingredients
- If you can’t pronounce ingredients, don’t eat it.
- Food quality matters.
- 80% farm-to-table, non-processed foods.
- 20% flexibility for things like donuts (which I order every two weeks).
Conclusion
One of the things that’s really terrible about getting healthy is that it feels so hard and overwhelming.
If you’re not having fun with it, you’re doing it wrong.
It’s not about being “good at fitness.”
Instead, be specific about what you want to achieve, whether that’s being a Cross Fitter, marathon runner, cyclist, gymnast, or combat sport athlete.
Have a focus, and the rest comes naturally.
Remember: Physical health is the foundation for everything else in life.
By treating it as essential as brushing your teeth, you set yourself up for long-term success in all areas of life.
Watch my full interview on Codie Sanchez’s YouTube channel here.