Introduction

Fitness is a fountain of youth. Your health and quality of life improve significantly with a life long dedication to fitness. Unfortunately, most people have no idea how to consistently manage their health & fitness throughout their lifespan. Or, it becomes an "all or nothing" fleeting attempt once a year. 

To be consistent, you'll need a solid framework for exercise. Not a fad or trend...but a proven framework that delivers. A framework that covers all areas of what the human body needs to be fit and reap all the benefits of exercise.  

This guide will give you that invaluable framework. You'll have a blueprint for fitness that will help you look, feel, and perform your best at any age. Perhaps...even defy your age!

I'm confident you will have tremendous results if you take action on the principles in this guide. 

In addition, I'm going to show you how to get exponential returns on your workouts by incorporating sophisticated Biohacking tools. For the last decade, I've tested virtually every cutting-edge advancement in technology aimed at  improving my health & fitness. 

It is an exciting time to be alive. We now have access to some amazing devices and modalities that can help our bodies heal and recover faster than ever! 

Who Am I?

I'm a 2x Olympic Gymnast, World Champion Silver Medalist, Hall of Fame inductee,  and have performed on every continent except Antarctica, as well as in film, television, and commercials.

I hold certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Precision Nutrition, & Bulletproof. And most importantly...I have almost 4 decades of experience with exercise.

I'm also a health & fitness speaker, educator, entrepreneur, and coach some of the top performers in the world, including actors, stuntmen, Cirque performers, athletes, & executives.

I know what it feels like to be completely out of shape and how fast it can happen to you. I had the rug pulled from me after I retired from gymnastics. My body was in pain, I lost my muscles, and I felt puffy and swollen. In my darkest days, I eventually learned that I needed a framework to be successful again.     

At 48 years of age...I know it's possible to redefine your physical potential at any stage in life.

Everything begins in the mind. Knowing how to mentally approach exercise will ultimately determine your success. This became evident to me when I was training 6 hours a day at the Olympic Training Center in CO Springs. I would wake up feeling like I had been hit by a bus. My muscles and joints ached as I slowly made my way to the cafeteria for breakfast.

In those moments, I would say to myself, "there's no way I can train today!" I honestly thought it would be impossible to do Olympic level gymnastics for 6 hours. However, by the time I ate breakfast, got ready, went to the gym, and warmed-up...I started to feel different.

Once I stretched my body and got the blood flow going...my body and most importantly, my mindset started to change. The relationship to my workout and how I perceived it shifted and inevitably I would have a great training.

I learned a very valuable lesson from those times. Don't ever pre-judge your workouts. The workout is not difficult, it's getting your mind to a proper state for exercise that is difficult. Movement and exercise give you energy, however, mulling over it drives procrastination and allows you to come up with excuses. 

The following "4 Rules of Exercise" will help you stay on target for a lifetime of fitness.      

The 4 Rules of Exercise

Successful people have a set of rules they follow. After decades of training I have determined the following rules to be the most important. Memorize these and put them into action.

Workout is Sacred

Be 100% focused on your workout. Stay off your phone. Don't socialize and kindly let others know you mean business when you’re working out. You're on a mission!

Have a Plan

Have a training plan and goal that you are driving towards. Don't worry about it being perfect; there is no such thing. Just keep adjusting your plan and refine it to make it better over time.  

Have a "Get It Done" Mindset

Get in the gym and get it done. Don't sit around dreading your workout. Just start! The workout is what's going to GIVE you energy!

Maintain Consistency

You want to build and keep momentum. Don't ever go four consecutive days without a workout. By day five you will have lost your momentum, not want to workout, and have to retrain your mind to get going again. Even a 5 minute workout is better than nothing. 

Maintaining the structural integrity and stability of your body will allow you to move pain-free and minimize the risk of injury. This work cannot be avoided and you need a plan. I recommend the following:

1. Mobility Routine
2. Ballistic Stretch Routine
3. Hip & Shoulder Routine 

Mobility Routine (Self Myofascial Release)

Do a full body Mobility routine where you rollout your body a few times a week with the recommended tools below. This will prevent you from getting adhesions that lead to muscle imbalances and postural distortions. 

Do your mobility routine before exercise to breakup muscle adhesions for improved mobility of movements. You can also do it after training or on days off to improve circulation and speed up recovery.  

Recommended Gear

Ballistic Stretch Routine

Do a full body Ballistic stretch routine a few times a week. The routine in the video below is the one I have done for 30 years. Once you feel like you have a solid routine, make a mini-version that you can do quickly (2 to 5 minutes) when you are pressed for time. Focus on the shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, upper & lower back.  

Hip & Shoulder Routine 

The hips and shoulders are the two areas that most commonly fall victim to postural distortion. This is due to sitting for long periods of time, working on computers, and cell phone usage. The recipe to fix postural distortions is: 

1. Inhibit the tight muscles (apply pressure with mobility tool).
2. Lengthen the same muscles (stretch the muscle you inhibited).
3. Strengthen the opposing muscles (use an isolated muscle exercise).

Hip Routine

Rollout your hip flexor muscles shown in dark red below (inhibit).

Stretch the hip flexor muscles (lengthen)

Strengthen the opposing muscles of the hip flexors; the glutes, a.k.a. your butt (strengthen). *This exercise is crucial for people that sit frequently and have lower back pain.

Shoulder Routine

Rollout your lats, chest, and triceps (inhibit)

Stretch your lats, chest, and upper back (lengthen)

Strengthen your rear shoulder and upper back muscles using the face pull exercise (strengthen). Do this exercise a few times a week. Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps with a weight you can control. *This exercise is crucial for people that work at a computer. 

6 Foundational Movement Patterns

Do a minimum of two strength training sessions per week. Keep your strength training simple and focus on the the six foundational movement patterns. These are compound exercises that use 2 or more major muscle groups at the same time. You can work single muscles like biceps and calves as well, but only after compound exercises.    

1. Horizontal Push
2. Horizontal Pull
3. Vertical Push
4. Vertical Pull
5. Squat
6. Hip Hinge or Dead Lift

Training Modalities

You can use machines, bodyweight, bands, cables, dumbbells, or barbells for the 6 foundational movement patterns. The table below shows a few examples of exercises for for each movement pattern and modality. Switch up the modality every few weeks to keep your workouts interesting and your body adapting to new stimuli.     

Programming

If you are new to strength training or out of shape, I recommend doing full body workouts 2 or 3 times a week with 24 to 36 hours between sessions.  As you get stronger split the workout into groups. 

Example #1

• Day 1 - Upper Body
• Day 2 - Lower Body

Example #2

• Day 1 - Upper Body Push (horizontal & vertical push) + triceps
• Day 2 - Upper Body Pull (horizontal & vertical pull) + biceps
• Day 3 - Legs (Squat and Hip hinge) + calves

Repetitions

Always start with light weights and higher repetitions. As you get stronger, increase the weight and lower your rep count. You want to reach muscle failure on your last repetition while keeping perfect form. The table below is the recommended rep ranges for Men and Women (start at the top and move down as you get stronger).

Sets

Always start with a smaller number of sets for each exercise in the beginning. As you get stronger, you will be able take on more work load. For example, If you are performing a full body workout then one good set of each exercise is enough. If you are performing an upper body push day, then 3 sets is a good choice. Always make sure to do a light warm-up set, or two, before you get into your working set at full capacity.

Progressive Overload

You want to keep your body adapting to the stimulus of exercise by incrementally increasing the intensity. Record your weight, reps, and number of sets.  The next workout, aim to increase the weight by a small amount.

When You Have No Time

If you are a very busy person and have minimal available time, then I recommend doing a Super Slow Strength training session once a week (video below). This workout only takes 12 to 15 minutes, so give it your all. This is also a perfect workout to keep your momentum while on vacation.  

Recommended Gear

You can do all 6 foundational movements with the following exercise equipment. With this small investment, I was able to turn a small spare bedroom into a complete strength training facility.  

You want to build a flexible metabolism that can easily switch from burning fat to burning glucose. This will give you an abundance of energy for all your daily activities.

Walking

Move frequently throughout the day. Walking is fantastic and should not be underestimated. Aim for 10,000 steps a day. Then, sprinkle in a few metabolic workouts (LISS and HIIT) a week.

Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS)

Generally you want to stay in a fat burning zone (Zone 2) for steady state cardio like hiking, jogging, biking, rowing, etc.. You should be right on the edge of still being able to breath through your nose and carry a conversation. Increase your speed gradually overtime as your endurance improves.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

For a quicker metabolic workout, do at least 1 HIIT session a week. Always make sure you are properly warmed up before engaging in HIIT training. I prefer HIIT at the end of my strength training sessions. Always maintain proper form and adjust the exercise if necessary.

Simple HIIT

Go all out for 30 secs on an exercise, recover, and repeat 5 to 10 times. I recommend sprints, stationary bike, or rowing. 

Tabata HIIT

Pick at least two exercises

Do the first set of your exercise for 20 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds.
Repeat 8x for a 4 minute workout.

Rest for 2 minutes and repeat if you are up for it.

Now that you have a template for fitness, you're ready to supercharge your body using the following tools. I've spent a lot of money on this equipment and it's proven to be worth every penny. However, I acquired these devices over time while listening to my body for what I needed most. My goal is help you start with the devices that will give you the largest returns on your investment, while educating you on possible solutions for the future. 

Light, Energy, Oxygen, Heat, Cold

Our bodies are governed by the forces of nature. We can positively manipulate our physiology using these natural elements with the following tools. You will experience profound systemic benefits with consistent use of these tools along with the fitness template I've provided.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF)

This is one of Tony Robbins favorite biohacks and I totally agree with him. PEMF can be a little confusing in the beginning, but once you experience the benefits, you'll want to use it all the time.  

The benefits of PEMF include: 

• Increased circulation
• Enhanced muscle function
• Decreased inflammation
• Stress reduction
• Bone healing
• Blood oxygenation
• Pain relief

PEMF machines can be very expensive. I recommend the following two options.

1. Targeted Treatment - The Micro-pulse M1 is a portable device you can wear all day long. It's perfect for injured areas. I slept with it on my back for a week and the pain completely disappeared. 
2. Full Body Treatment - I use a HealthyLine Platinum mat daily for full body PEMF. Besides PEMF, the mat also has Far infrared Heat, Negative Ion, and Photon Light Therapies. 

Scientific studies indicate that just 2 minutes of deliberate cold exposure can:

• Boost brain health
• Strengthen the immune system
• Enhance mitochondrial function
• Support reproductive health
• Regulate the thyroid
• Help manage stress

I recommend the following two protocols:

1. Ice bath (32 to 55 degrees) for 2 to 10 minutes. I do not recommend immediately after exercise as it can blunt some of the pro-inflammatory benefits of exercise. (always stop before shivering).
2. Hot & Cold therapy:  get a really good sauna sweat followed by a quick cold plunge or cold shower (alternate back and forth). Excellent for circulation and recovery. Can be done immediately after exercise.

Stability Biohacks

Theragun - Everyone should own a percussive therapy device. Great for self massage.

Rapid Release - This high speed vibration device is designed to target trouble areas such as neck, wrists, hands, legs, ankles and feet.

Inversion Hanger - Hang upside down! It's great for decompressing the spine.

Stretching Mat - Create a space for your stability work with a mat. Get one that you can fold up and tuck under a couch.

Stand Desk - Create a space where you can feel good in your body and do your best work.

Sadle Chair - Save your posture with an ergonomic chair.

Sand Dune - Allows you to be more active at your stand desk and sustain longer periods of work on your feet.

Strength & Recovery Biohacks

Thorne Supplements - This is the foundational stack I recommend to all my clients. You can get a 20% discount on all Thorne supplements & free shipping by creating an account in my Thorne Dispensary.   

• Multi-vitamin Elite - Support your body with daily nutrients. Take the this quiz to determine the best multi-vitamin for you.
• Super EPA - Fish oil for reduced inflammation, improved blood flow, and brain health.
• Vitamin D/K2 - Additional Vitamin D for hormone, bone, & immune system support. Always take Vitamin K with along Vitamin D.
• Magnesium Bisglycinate - Additional magnesium to support protein & energy production.  
• Creatine - Great for power, muscle endurance, hydrating muscles, and brain health.
• Amino Complex - An absolute must have supplement for building and maintaining lean muscle.

Blood Flow Restriction with SmartCuffs® - I highly recommend SmartCuffs if you are 60 or older, injured, or travel a lot. They are portable, safe, and help you build muscle with a fraction of the weight. 

Exercise Bands - Everyone should have a few exercise bands. They are very versatile and can be used alone or with weight to add variable resistance.  

Normatec Compression - If you do a lot of leg work, compression boots are great for resetting the legs. 

Marc Pro Muscle Stem - Keep fresh blood flowing into areas with a non-fatiguing waveform that stimulates muscles for recovery. 

Nano Vi - A high-end recovery device that can help repair DNA & oxidative damage. This technology produces the same biological signal your body makes to repair cell damage brought on by free radicals.

BPC-157 Peptide - Shown to accelerate wound healing, including tendon-to-bone and ligament damage. Dr. William Seeds recommends for general use 400-600 mcg/day by Sub Q injection.

Metabolic Biohacks

EDGE Lactate Meter - The EDGE Handheld Lactate Analyzer is a handheld device that measures lactate concentration in blood. Simply test your blood after cardio to determine your appropriate intensity.

VO₂ Max Test - VO₂ max testing requires expensive testing equipment and trained supervisors to oversee the people being tested. Many cities have facilities where you can pay to have your VO₂ max tested. Do an internet search for VO₂ max testing.

MOTS-C Peptide - MOTS-C enhances mitochondrial health and improves endurance. Dr. William Seeds recommends 5 mg of MOTS-C injected subcutaneously 3 times per week on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule for 4-6 weeks, followed by a once-a-week dose of 5 mg for 4 weeks.

Let's recap. Now you know the mindset you need to adopt for a life of fitness. You also have a framework of exercise that you can use for the rest of your life regardless of your age. Lastly, I've shown you how take your fitness level to that of a professional athlete utilizing state of the art technology.

I hope this guide inspires you to see how easy it can be to create a life of fitness by focusing on the right things. It's simply about wanting to live in a strong healthy body for the long run. Then fitting the framework into your life. If you stay consistent...the returns will come.

You will experience...

I give away a lot of free material about fitness. I even have a course that takes you step-by-step from "no idea" to showing you exactly how to become fit for life using the Smart Fitness Framework. The course is closed now, but if you want to get a heads up when it opens again, enter your email below and join the waitlist.