Issue #23

Shoulders of steel, a nutrition hot take, why you need to stop getting ready, and when training becomes easy.

Read time: 4.5 minutes

Hey Warriors,

Have you ever noticed how we usually overcomplicate things and feel like we have so much to learn when we start something new?

Until we understand it and realize it all comes down to a few basic principles.

It’s almost always the same story.

The more advanced you become at something, the simpler your system and the fewer things you have to do.

“It only becomes simple once you went through the complicated part”, you’ll tell me.

But not necessarily.
It doesn’t have to be that way when it comes to fitness.

If you get enough sleep, avoid eating out, and walk every day, you’ll already be doing most of the work.
Find any type of exercise you like and do it 3 times a week, stop snacking too, and you’ll be pretty healthy.

Why not starting simple for once?
You can always learn more and do some fine tuning later. 👍🏼

If you need any help with your training, please let me know by replying to this email and I’ll share my answer with everyone.

Now let’s start! 💪

1. Shoulders of Steel.

It might not be obvious at first because it’s a static hold, but today’s exercise is a push one.

Static holds are a great and very simple way to build strength endurance, and help you increase your absolute strength and break through plateaus.

This exercise will especially train your shoulders, your scapula mobility, and even your pecs if you can adopt the right angle.

It will propel your pushing strength to new heights.

But that’s not all. Training your straight arm strength is also going to dramatically increase your strength in an unexpected area: your biceps.

Your biceps are the muscles in your arms that are the most engaged during a straight arm static hold.
And it will not only increase their strength but also their size!

If you can’t perform this exercise yet, consider resting one foot on something to support your weight.

Click this link for the full YouTube video and instructions.

2. Hot take: nutrition is NOT 90% of your fitness.

First of all because fitness is not only about weight control.
And even if it was, it would be far more effective on the long term to focus on improving your metabolism through exercise, rather than trying to adjust your diet every time your body enters a new phase.

Exercise also burns a considerable amount of calories despite the way it is often presented.
Why? Because most of the calories you consume get burnt at rest.
Which means it’s only a couple hundred extra calories that make you overweight.

So while a workout that burns 100 calories may seem like it does nothing, it might actually burn half of what makes your problem.

Example: You need 2,000 calories to maintain your weight, and a 200-calorie deficit can achieve your desired weight loss.
While burning 100 calories during a workout seems very little compared to the 2,000 you eat, it is actually doing 50% of the job.
People who sell diets will never present things like this to you.

Exercise also makes a healthy use and allocation of the calories you consume.
Exercise makes you live longer, it reduces your chance of heart disease, it makes you strong and mobile.

And so does nutrition, I’ll give you that.
This is not a post against the benefits of the right nutrition, I’m not crazy.
This is simply to rectify the hierarchy of what makes you fit and healthy.

While I definitely encourage you to optimize your nutrition and acknowledge it is crucial to good health, exercise does a little bit more for you in my opinion.

Abs may be made in the kitchen, but abs are not health.
And fitness is physical training first, then come nutrition and daily habits.

3. Stop getting ready.

Most people who fail to get fit are always getting ready but never start.

They have a goal, they know they need to do something about it, but the time is never right.

They will, but only after this or that happens, after they start the new job, or move to the new house.
And then something else always comes up.

There are those who are always learning. They believe they need to know more before they can start exercising.

And then there are those who wait to feel better.
They wait for that back pain to disappear, or their insomnia to go away, not realizing the only way to fix their issues is actually to start some form of training.
They have it backwards.

What about you?
For how long have you been preparing to work out consistently or finally include some cardio in your routine?

Aren’t you ready by now?
The right time to start is when you need it, and that means now.
The time has come.
Stop getting ready and take the leap.

4. Push past that point.

People who keep showing up when it gets hard are the only ones who get fit in the end.

I write to help 2 types of people. Those who find it hard to start and those who find it hard to continue.

If you find it hard to start, I would bet with confidence that you did start once, maybe several times, and gave up at some point.
Don’t be ashamed, most people fall into this category.

Training is not easy. If it was, it wouldn’t be worth it.
And everybody would be in great shape, which as you know is not the case.

You stopped when it got hard.
But only those who stay the distance get the reward in the end.

Sometimes it becomes difficult for all of us. There’s work, family, all kinds of problems, we’re tired.
And this is the turning point where most will give up, and only a few will continue to work and eventually reach their goals.

These few are fit not because they had it easier than the rest, but because they understood fate is determined in hard times, and that’s when it is the most important to keep pushing.

Remember this next time it gets really tough to show up to the gym.
This is the time when it counts the most and when winners are made.

I hope you found some useful tips and motivation in today's edition.

Please share your feedback and help me improve my content for everyone!

A great way to do this is by replying to this email with a personal question you have about fitness.

Thanks for reading and see you next week!

- Nico

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