My Simple Approach To Getting In Shape

If you've ever Youtube'd "best workout routine" and walked away more confused than before, it's not because fitness is complicated...

It's because the industry makes it that way.

Every podcast says something different. Every YouTuber has a different routine. So instead of feeling clear, people feel stuck.

I was in that exact place for a long time. My youtube channel + this newsletter exists to change that.

So I'm going to teach you exactly how to work out, what cardio to do, and how to recover from it all. So you can build muscle, stay athletic, and still feel good in your body 20, 30, even 40 years from now.

This is literally exactly what I do at 32 years old to be in the best shape of my life.

Feel free to copy it. 🤙

The 4 Pillars

No matter how many videos or podcasts you listen to or how many routines you try, these don't change.

In order to be in shape/jacked you must:

Lift weights. Lifting is not just about looking better. Muscle is what keeps your body functional as you get older. It is the foundation of longevity.

Do some form of cardio. Lifting makes you strong but it does not train your heart to move blood and oxygen for long periods of time. If your heart and energy systems are weak, your risk of disease and early death goes up. Plain and simple.

Move daily. Being outside, using your body the way God designed to be used, staying coordinated and athletic instead of just sitting around all day and being stiff. Most people's health problems would be solved if they just got outside and moved more.

Recover. Without it you will not be able to stay consistent with any of this. It is arguably the most important pillar.

The Lifting Routine

3 days per week is all you need.

I follow a push, legs, pull split. It's Routine 6 from my A2J Program. Each session is only about 45 minutes (including warmup). I am not in there for two hours doing fluff. I am doing 4, sometimes 5 key movements and pushing them hard.

Three days is enough to build and maintain muscle. If anyone tells you otherwise, unfollow them immediately.

Daily Movement and Cardio

On days I am not lifting I am still moving. Sometimes that is manual labor/house work, skateboarding or surfing. Other days it is walking, or hiking. You could swim, bike, ruck, jump rope, box, or do anything you enjoy that is low impact and easy to recover from.

The low impact part matters. If your priority is building muscle, you have to be smart about the other activities you do outside the gym. A lot of people wonder why they are not seeing progress and it is because their priorities are mismatched to their actual goal.

On top of daily movement I add zone 2 cardio two to three times per week.

Do not overthink zone 2. It is just keeping your heart rate slightly elevated at a pace where you could still hold a conversation but you would not want to. Incline walking, a light jog, or cycling for 30 to 45 minutes. If you can breathe through your nose and still talk, you are doing it right. This keeps the heart healthy, improves recovery, and supports longevity.

The Sprint Session

One day per week.

Quick disclaimer. Sprinting can be risky, especially if you have not done it in years. If you do not already have a base, do not jump straight into this. Start with walking, then jogging, then slowly increase your speed over time. Rushing this is how people tear hamstrings.

I heard someone say most people never sprint again after high school and that stuck with me because it is true. I thought back to the last time I had sprinted and it had been years. I decided that day to start again.

Before I sprint I spend about 15 minutes warming up with dynamic movements like skips, high knees, hops, and light drills. Then I do 5 short sprints (about 10 seconds) at 85 to 95 percent with a couple minute rest between each one. The whole session takes less than 30 minutes.

Lifting builds muscle. Zone 2 builds your cardio base. Sprinting keeps you coordinated, increases your VO2 max, and reminds your body how to move fast and stay powerful. That matters a lot as you age.

If sprinting is not an option, an assault bike or rower is a great alternative because you still get that hard explosive effort without the joint impact.

Recovery

You can follow everything above and still "fail" if you ignore this.

Sleep is the foundation. I want to repeat that because the simplest thing is always the most overlooked.

Sleep is the foundation.

At night I limit bright and artificial light because light tells your brain it is daytime and keeps your nervous system turned on. I try to avoid scrolling on my phone before bed, or at least dim the screen on warm tone mode. Use blackout curtains, keep the room cool, and go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day so your body gets on routine and knows when to shut down.

Sauna and cold plunge are tools I use, not requirements. I use the sauna most nights to relax and help my body shift into a calmer state. I do cold plunge a few times a week early in the morning, mostly for the mental benefits. It increases dopamine, makes you more resilient to stress, and there is something powerful about doing a hard thing first thing in the morning that carries over to the rest of your life.

I also like to do contrast therapy where you do both in the same session rotating for 3 rounds.

But do not feel bad if you do not have access to these. Once again, they are tools. NOT requirements.

Sleep is 95 percent of it.

The Weekly Structure

Here's what a sample training week could look like for you:

Monday: Push day (45 min) + 8,000 steps minimum or active hobby

Tuesday: 30 to 45 min zone 2 cardio

Wednesday: Legs + 8,000 steps minimum or active hobby

Thursday: 30 to 45 min zone 2 cardio

Friday: Pull day + 8,000 steps minimum

Saturday: Sprint session

Sunday: Rest day with movement (hike, ruck, walk etc)

You could throw in cold plunge in the a.m. on rest days from lifting and Sauna on whatever days make sense for your schedule.

So that is my full routine.👊💪

If you want to go deeper, My A2J program has the exact programming, sets, reps, and progression, along with numerous other routines and content. And I am in the community daily helping anyone who reaches out that needs help getting dialed in.

Honestly, most guys spend more than the cost of the program on one personal training session or supplements they do not need.

If you're interested in joining 1,000+ others...

Learn more here Average To Jacked Workout Program