The irony here being there’s been no loss in competition or even competitive spirit - likely the inverse.

If anything I feel the greatest drive to succeed than I ever have in my life.

July 2026 marks 1 year post receiving my DD214 and permanently leaving active duty. It reminded me of the time period from my senior year in college to basic officer training and my first assignment at Fort Bragg. It was a period where nothing else mattered except 100% focus on the task at hand: starting my career, not sucking, and being as fit as humanly possible.

It was a massive transitory period that shifted from “just go to class and perform well for ROTC” to “you’re in the real world, don’t mess it up.”

The same period occured in the 6 months preceding and 12 months following my departure from the military: I’m no longer in the Army: and I have yet another major transitory period to set myself up for success in this career transition.

So naturally my priorities shifted. I don’t need an 11:00 2-mile and a 350 pound squat. I need to make money - or at least position myself to make money with my choices now.

What that meant was a withdrawal from 2-a-days, constantly striving for a single extra rep and a second off my per mile pace. It meant 12 hours in front of my laptop and then wondering why I have blurry vision when I go for a drive.

The competition just shifted. I didn’t care about having the highest ACFT (i would still smash it) in the Battalion. Actually it looks a lot like the below:

And this might be my favorite image recently. Just a reminder. I can’t fly a plane and I can’t build a company. I just push to-do’s in the right direction that I believe will bring the most impact (read: revenue) down the road for the team we’ve assembled.

And every day I compete against real and imaginary figures in the sole focus of accomplishing the goal described above: don’t suck at being in the real world and out of the military.

So there is a very real bar. But being attacked by my friend in daily instagram story tags about his “runs” being “faster than Matt” made me have to give it another attempt.

If you are unaware I live in Texas. In Texas it’s hot in the summer. I go for runs and my 8 min/mile pace is 20bpm higher than I think it should be. I push at 6:30 in the morning and finish drenched in sweat for an average pace that 3 years ago would have me pissed off. Yesterday I decided to do a 5k time trial in the gym. Just warm up with a mile jog up, then hit a 5k at a hard but not punishing pace. And held a 6:15/mile average:

Ignore the ridiculous reflection and awful UI from the treadmill. I didn’t even feel especially strained at the end - and finished with a mile cooldown.

What this taught me is 1) I’m a freak. I very much have a sub-6 5k in me. and 2) it was purely because my friend Zac pushed me.

It feels good to perform ahead of my own expectations. I lost the soul crushing run performance drive that pushed me the prior 10 years - one of the reasons I love running.

It also reminded me of what I have repeatedly MANY times here: BUILD THE FREAKING BASE. And it will come back as muscle memory. All I’ve done is maintain my base while working. I run, walk, strairclimb, hit the airbike, and lift 3x per week. Although that’s probably leagues above the average American, it’s significantly lower than my previous training volume as well as all of yours that follow AG.

It just takes a little push. And I want to feel pain.

One additional point: that same friend sent me this:

The og AG speed programs are extremely effective. They will get you comfortable with increased mileage and they will get you FASTER if you just put in a little bit of work and stay consistent.

And that is one of the best feelings. Knowing a program I put out 2 years ago is having a massive effect from a few weeks of effort this year.

NEXT.

On peptides. Recently I hurt my knee. I don’t actually know how. It feels like a symptom of runner’s knee - a mild instability and inability to squat deep loaded with weight. But I can still run (see above performance). As a result I didn’t want to make a doctor’s appointment to be met with an MRI result with no damage and a handful of medications that don’t do much. I’ve had something like this in the past. But this time I took a different route and had my doctor prescribe me a compound blend of BPC-157 and TB-500 (otherwise known as the wolverine stack). Essentially a composition of localized and systemic inflammation treatment, creation of new blood vessels, and enhanced cell migration from actin up-regulation.

One unexpected consequence of injecting daily has been clear eyes. There’s a number of reasons for eye redness - though I attribute most of it to staring at screens for 10+ hours a day every day for the last 18 months. Since starting my protocol I’ve noticed a near immediate clearness to my eyes. So that’s cool.

But it takes longer for the blend to impact a legitimate injury - so time will tell if this actually heals my knee.

This is just a small update. Exciting times ahead. I’m gonna keep fighting meaningless battles.

Don’t be a loser. Get in the gym.

ACIDGAMBIT

12:14am. I have a piercing pain from the right side of my neck going down to my right shoulder blade. Range of motion limited to 45 degrees on my left side. Well this isn’t good.

Any time something like this happens I just assume I’m dying. Going to be disabled for life (already am, thanks VA). Instead I get up because clearly I’m not going back to sleep anytime soon. I make the mistake of googling my symptoms. I realize now I’m even more anxious about the situation and take 1000mg of tylenol because I like my kidneys. Proceed to take 4mg of melatonin and spend the next 2 hours searching for the one position where I’m not in massive pain. This puts me on the couch in the strangest position ever, and eventually find a way to get 2, 3? hours of sleep, before finally deciding to get up for good.

Book a visit at my nearest urgent care. Thank God for healthcare. If anything, now I’m just annoyed my work today is going to be delayed. I text my team I’m not doing anything today. For the last 12 months I’ve obsessed over work. I tell myself it’s for my future and to exceed my own expectations. No one else actually cares what I do, but for the first time in my life I actually like WHAT I do and WHAT I’m working on. And when anything interferes, it’s actually a problem. I was going to ship a feature today.

8am I roll into the urgent care. Surprisingly calm and only one individual who could have been on drugs. It’s a good morning.

45 minutes roll by and the nurse calls my name. Finally.

We do the basic demographic and health information like any visit. We agree that situations like this obviously means I’m dying. Another 15 minutes and I have a PA checking me out. We agree it’s some muscle tweak from my two training sessions the prior day that only manifested in the middle of the night via a locking of what seemed like every muscle in my upper right side. She tells me I’m going to get some Toradol and muscle relaxers. Great news. 13 years earlier I would have been petrified. Back then I had a gnarly concussion and neck injury that also prescribed muscle relaxers. I was so up tight I was afraid to take them.

But now anything will do that will get me back to my actual work. The PA departs and the nurse returns, offering the CHOICE of which butt cheek I want the needle. Of course. I’ve never used anabolic steroids so I have no point of reference for what this will feel like. I choose the left, I’m a lefty. The nurse does the deed. Turns out a 30 dollar co-pay and a shot in the a$$ can make anyone feel refreshed. Gonna write that one down for future reference.

I check my DM’s. Invite to a meeting a 1:10pm. I’LL BE THERE. Because I’m a MAN who does not let a locked up neck stop me from performing (even though 10 hours earlier I was doom looping into a nightmare scenario).

I go into the office briefly, still in the gym clothes I wore to the urgent care. Sit down and crank just enough work to not feel like the whole day was a wash, and throw on some jeans and a tee. It’s an investor meeting this afternoon. But at this point there’s no way I’m even putting a button down on. They know I’m the engineer.

12:45pm. I drive north to the family office. Roll up to the conference room with my laptop and a lime liquid death sparkling water tall boy. My cofounder is already balls deep into a spreadsheet with our financial data. I see 8 people sitting down, I only recognize 1 additional face. Awesome.

I walk in and take a seat. These groups are always first name basis. Jeff this and Mitchell that. I don’t even know the name of the firm. I just know the owner just exited a business for 9 figures, has a jet and his helicopter pilot was in the room with us. This could either mean we’re about to get the worst deal of our lives, or the best. Luckily we don’t actually NEED money. We’ve bootstrapped for 18 months and are just taking meetings to gauge our status in the industry.

30 minutes goes by and it’s my turn. I’ve gotten very good at standing up in a room full of people I’ve never met before and proving I know EXACTLY what I’m talking about. Long ago I stopped caring about the status of the individuals I’m talking to. This is why I actually like the first name basis rule. We’re having a conversation, no different than if I was talking to an old head next to me at a bar or the gym. Ironically some of them are probably richer than the men in the room I found myself that day.

The Army was good for me. Every young lieutenant found themselves briefing a Colonel or a 1-star where you’re forced to get over your nerves and if you actually prepared - come across like you actually know what you’re talking about.

The only difference in this situation is I’m the most competent on the subject I’ll be discussing. Which is why the art of sales and explaining complex topics in the MOST understandable way to the audience is the greatest skill I’ve developed in the last couple years. I throw in a 3mg nicotine pouch. I know I quit. But I justify it, I need to focus. This is all just mundane absurdity.

I deliver my piece. Obviously crushed it. My favorite feeling. Despite the fact that I had to rotate my entire torso to address people on other sides of the room. I sit down and we field questions for the next 2 hours, before some 20 year old finance intern in a SMU polo brings in 30 jersey mike’s sandwiches for 10 people. Hell yea.

We wrap up and I head down to my local pharmacy to pick up my muscle relaxers. Head straight home after and dive into a bit of work before falling back into a single position that doesn’t induce pain.

Thank God for pharmacology. I don’t really have an important fitness lesson here. The only thing this reminded me is that no matter what we will have bad days. Or days that are a bit of a struggle, physically. And the only thing we can do to defend against that is be as physically fit as possible. The rebound effect is real. The very next day I’m in the gym crushing the stair master and legs. In the gym doing air bike sprints and arms the day after that. Maybe I should do more mobility. Get back into my heated vinyasa flows at equinox. Try not to be awkward around that one girl who’s always in my classes that I went on 2 dates with. I’M HERE FOR MOBILITY WOMAN.

In reality. All we’re left with on our worst days is our mentality (recognizing nothing is forever) and base level of fitness that allows us to come back as fast as possible. Just be an animal man. That’s why I feel like this is the opposite of performance optimization. It’s when there’s no optimizing to be done. You’re in a situation and you have to perform. What else are you gonna do?

If you want to train, our freak of a coach at Acid Gambit is taking new clients (book a call here). If you want online programming come train here.

Something must be done.

ACID GAMBIT

It’s been an incredible 12 months-ish and I haven’t been writing at all. I hope you haven’t been too worried (:

Anyway. I already shared that I live in Dallas now. Many of you have kept me updated and continue asking questions on IG which I appreciate. AG has been around for 6 years*** now which is insane. So many just along for the ride!

The funny thing is although I have not written here in a while - nothing I’ve written in the past has proven wrong.

I always harped on doing what you can. Because we go through different phases in life. Now that I’m almost 1 year removed from exiting the Army - I’m ironically more busy than I ever have been. And I don’t think I’m alone - it seems like everyone I know is busier than ever. Which means fitness is even more important than ever.

Which brings us back to ‘doing what you can’. Below has been my regimen that’s kept me CONSISTENT for the last 6 months. And it’s been awesome. I’ve been LOVING training. I look forward to it. Even if it’s basic (compared to previous ACID GAMBIT standards lol).:

I call the program “Matt’s Training During The Post Military Come Up Phase” because as many of you know I’m working on growing a healthcare company:

General Prinicples:

• Some form of movement daily - this can be as simple as a 1 mile walk or an 8 mile run

• Lift weights 3 times per week while maintaining progressive overload in either weight or reps each week, while covering the major upper muscle groups 2x per week and lower muscle groups 1-2x with higher intensity

• 1 high intensity interval session per week (minimum)

• Aim for at least 15+ miles per week

Do those principles look familiar?

As I’ve said in the past, it is so critical to establish a BASELINE. My baseline has been high for so long - that even when I’m not training for anything specific - I just do the default (the above principles) and it keeps me in great shape - and actually see IMPROVEMENT in some areas.

Now for the actual workouts:

Conditioning Work:

• Over the past 6-months I’ve averaged 95.7 miles (check my Strava bruv) which comes out to ~24 miles per week.

  

• Broken down into sessions - this looks like 3-5 runs per week from 3-6 miles long, with additional walks on non-run days (sometimes both in the same day, a run + a walk)

• I am starting to bring back running intervals with the weather improving, but my high intensity of choice has been (in one session):

  • on the Airbike/Assault bike:

  • 5 min warm-up

  • Threshold: 100 cal for time. PR is around 3:20 right now

  • Rest 5 min

  • 8 rounds: 10 sec as hard as possible, 30 sec rest. First 3 rounds are building, last 5 rounds are max effort

  • 5 min cooldown

• I do the above 1x per week. I intend to now alternate that with road intervals, things like: 1 mile up, 5x30 sec max effrot + 2 min recovery, 1 mile down, or traditional intervals like 400s/800s

Strength Work:

I do the following on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule:

It’s very straight forward. Each week I try to improve in weight or reps. I’ll give you an example. The leg curl - I’m training legs on Mondays. Lets say last week for the first set i did 15 reps at 85 on the stack. This week i will aim to do 18-20 at the same weight. But for the 3rd set - I previously did 115x9. So this week I will aim for 120x6+. Make sense?

And that’s it. That’s my full workout schedule. In my opinion, it’s super tight, impossible to screw up, and easily adaptable to changing life circumstances (ie travel, late work day, dates, anything that gets in the way).

In terms of fitness baselines:

• I can crank out a 5k below a 6:30/mile pace. Nowhere near my peak, but I don’t care. I feel good

• Haven’t focused on any compound barbell lifts - but I’m should pressing 75# dumbbells for reps, and go heavy on belt squat (my lower body compound movement of choice)

• Can consistently hit 20+ strict dead hang pull ups

• Feel and look good

Other update: I quit nicotine completely. The tradeoff seems to be negligible. It was a lie I told myself for “increased productivity and focus”. Far more upside to not using at all. Been a few months, I feel great.

Now get in the gym.

As always, if you have any questions or comments - hit me up. Have a great week

MATT (AG)

For those of you that don’t know, my path over the last 12 months has been a bit unusual. I officially got out of the Army in July of this year, after doing a 4 month internship in Southern California. Before that I was assigned to the Pentagon. But what brought me to Texas was the opportunity to work at a startup.

With that out of the way, we know why I chose to live in one of the hottest places in the country. I think at this point I deserve an asterisk next to all of my strava activities.

Excuses aside, I have maintained to the best of my ability and what my free time supported. As I’ve said many times on here, “do what you can” is a core principle of my training. At no point will I ever do nothing. There is always something you can do regardless of what’s going on in your life.

This summer has looked like a lot of walking, easy jogs, and treadmill work. As evidenced by my strava profile:

It’s actually hilarious how easy it is to map my tracked outdoor activities to the heat I’m in looking at the chart.

But, we’re so back.

2 weeks ago I did 35 miles.

Last week I did 43 miles.

And this week I’m aiming for 40-45 miles.

Last month my brother asked if I’d run in the Raleigh half marathon this year. I haven’t given a hard yes or signed up yet, but it’s on my radar (maybe I just need more social pressure).

Pair that with the strength training that I’ve continued all year - 3-4 lifts per week, every week, in an upper/lower split.

And I’ve maintained. And at this point with the cooler weather I can feel myself getting back to previous paces. I have a goal.

Over the coming weeks I’ll be posting more on instagram of my training protocol going into Fall 2025:

• 4-6 runs/walks/steady state endurance sessions per week

• 3-4 strength sessions per week

If you’ve followed my speed protocol in the past, the structure will look similar to that but the runs more focused on half-marathon times vs the 1-mile training focus in the speed protocol.

Look out for an update this week on app.acidgambit.com, where I’ll be releasing the full program.

As always: do what you can. Don’t be a loser. get in the gym.

ACIDGAMBIT

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I’ve talked about compounding therapies previously, but less on the specifics of the pharmacies that produce them.

There’s a few things that make compounded drugs, and the pharmacies themselves, super interesting.

For one: they make drugs that are either name brand and difficult to get, or less known (and equally difficult to get) easily accessible to the somewhat educated individual who is willing to pay cash for their health.

This “somewhat educated individual” represents the rise in people willing to do their own research, find their own doctors, and pay out of pocket for remedies to ailments they just don’t want to deal with insurance with. Or, for example, the standard doctor would just write a prescription for a standard over the counter drug that comes with a plethora of side effects. And wouldn’t even solve the problem to begin with.

The discussion and growth of taking control of your own health is a discussion in and of itself with tons of debate. Because, as we learned with covid, some people don’t like it when you say “trust the science”. Trust the science carries its own implications. Meaning ok maybe I trust (or don’t) the science, but do I trust the doctor who will see me for less than 20 minutes and give me a prescription and call it a day. Of course there are plenty of excellent healthcare practitioners who take the time to identify the root problem and treat to the best of their ability. But I think there is one thing we can agree on - that a large amount of Americans’ experience at the doctor’s office consists of treating the symptom, not the cause. This is CERTAINLY a problem with TRICARE and military health as a whole. What’s the minimum we can do to get you back to “healthy” and showing up to work.

BUT. What this resulted in is the MAHA movement. Doing your own research. Learning about alternative remedies that may help your ailment, whatever it is. And a lot of people don’t like that. But why? Why would you not want a population more educated and willing to understand what’s going on with their bodies. I think a lot of it stems from the underlying judgement you can hear from both sides when we heard the party line “trust the science” in 2020.

If you haven’t picked up from literally any of my articles. I like to do research. I like to understand what’s going on. I think it’s awesome. I also like to talk to the doctor and get their expert advice given they’ve literally trained for a lifetime to do this job.

That being said - I see why there is a large movement towards owning your own health. And I think there is a blurred line where it crosses over from I can handle this myself to “I ABSOLUTELY NEED A SPECIALIST.”

So going from “I can handle this myself” to somewhere in the middle before needing a specialist is the world where compounding pharmacies and wellness clinics popped up.

Of course - I will caveat this with there are TONS of uses of compounding pharmacies outside of the educated-patient-wellness-clinic world. But the topic of today is focused on how individuals are learning about new or existing products and seeking doctors who will prescribe them outside of the traditional “just take these pills” healthcare model. This is the growth of consumer interest in preventative healthcare and the dissatisfaction with traditional approaches. I am not here to dispute the value of “traditional healthcare” or the value of preventative healthcare in the cash pay world. I think when done correctly, meaning actually taking time to diagnose the patient and provide the best possible remedy, both are extremely valuable. Both provide benefit to the patient in different ways, with some crossover.

But back to the main discussion: there are distinct differences between the use of wellness clinics and compounding pharmacies.

Wellness clinics can use both standard pharmacies for traditional prescriptions, as well as compounded drugs.

Compounding pharmacies are used both by wellness clinics and by standard hospitals, private clinics, and really anywhere medical intervention is conducted by healthcare practitioners.

The intersection of the two: wellness clinics and compounding pharmacies is where it gets interesting, as a simple investigation and how it applies to the average American. It really started to pop off in the 2000s and 2010s - intersecting at the growth of hormone therapies.

Since then it’s grown to cover weight management, anti-aging treatments, functional medicine, vitamin formulations, injury/pain management, and more.

I’ll give you an example. Say you tear your ACL in your early 40s. Traditionally, this would be managed by evidence based protocols. Conduct an MRI confirmation, and discuss 2 main paths:

• conservative management for a partial tear with bracing, physical therapy, modification of daily activity and pain mangement

• OR: surgical reconstruction for complete tears. This includes replacing the torn ACL with a graft (typically patient’s own tissue or a donor), followed by 6-9 months of rehabilitation.

Recovery would be methodical and progressive and continuously measuring improvement with knee stability tests, strength measurements, and functional assessments.

As part of this, prescriptions would be written and could contain some or all of these:

Pre-surgery:

• NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen for inflammation and pain management, or prescription NSAIDs or even opioid pain medications

• topical analgesics (essentially just target pain relief using creams, gels, sprays, etc)

• Muscle relaxants like cyclobenzaprine

Post Surgery:

• Opioid meds (again) for immediate post-op pain - hydrocodone, oxycodone, or tramadol

• Anti-nausea medications - because opioid pain management meds can cause nausea

• Stool softeners like docusate, because opioids can also cause constipation

• Even sleep aids like zolpidem (ambien) if the pain disrupts leep

All that being said - there has been a recent trend of doctors prescribing lower doses and fewer quantities (only days worth vs weeks/months) of opioids following major surgery.

Now let’s contrast this to the wellness clinic approach. There would be an emphasis on holistic recovery. Meaning surgery would be (hopefully) only required in a major, full tear. The goal would be full recovery without any surgery and optimizing the body’s natural healing capacity with the goal of improving time to recovery by 20-40% (or more) and return the body to 100%. There is a common idea that when you have surgery on a major ligament/muscle/tendon, you never really return to 100%.

The holistic strategy could include IV nutrient therapy, peptide treatments, red light therapy, hyperbaric oxygen sessions, hormone optimization, PRP injections, stem cell treatments, and even electromagnetic field therapy.

If you watched the latest season of Quarterback, Kirk Cousins literally underwent a number of these treatments when he tore his achilles. Aaron Rogers underwent a similar barrage of treatments. They both also had traditional treatments as well.

In addition, the holistic approach would likely utilize a mix of off-label prescription medicatoins, compounded therapies, and supplements that are not part of the standard orthopedic protocols. This is because these treatments: (1) aren’t readily available in the United States, (2) don’t have a ton of scientific literature (evidence supported) to back up the treatments (usually only studies on rats/lab animals), or (3) insurance does not cover them (because of points 1 and 2).

These therapies could include:

Peptide Therapies:

• BPC-157 for tissue repair and accelerated healing

• TB-500 to promot muscle and tendon healing

• Growth hormone release peptides like CJC-1295 or ipamorelin

• Thymosin Beta-4 for tissue regeneratoin

Hormone Treatments:

• Testosterone replacement

• Growth Hormone

• Peptide hormones to boost natural GH production

Injectable Treatments:

• NAD+ injections for cellular energy and recovery

• High dose vitamin C IV therapy

• Glutathione injections for antioxidant effects

• B-Complex and B12 injections

Compounded Medications:

• Anti-inflammatory compounds

• Topical compounded creams (combinations of ketamine, gabapentin, NSAIDs, and/or others)

• An infinite supply of others up to the creativity and up-to-date experience of the prescribing Doctor

Weight Loss Medications:

• Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, or a combination of both - to manage weight pre-surgery and improve the body’s ability to recover post surgery

The important note on many of these - they lack robust clinic evidence for ACL recovery specifically. An orthopedic surgeon is not likely to prescribe many of these because there simply aren’t many, or any, studies showing improved recovery in humans pre- or post- surgery of an ACL injury. This is not to say they will not be beneficial - as we’ve seen with tons of professional athletes. The problem is how long it takes to conduct a study, and education of doctors. Doctors and surgeons have reputations. One bad prescription can ruin a reputation and their business. They also have a way of doing things. They have tons of cases per week or per month. They likely do not have time to be doing independent research on the latest and greatest peptide therapy. And this is the hole that compounding pharmacies and wellness clinics aim to fill.

This side of healthcare exposes treatments previously reserved for the wealthy or for professional athletes to the average American. The normal guy or girl who just wants to get back to being healthy as fast as possible.

My argument is not to say one is better than the other. There are so many variables on an individual human given their current activity level, overall health, age, willingness to use alternative treatments, the doctor’s willingness to use alternative treatments, and more.

The goal of this is to propose thinking outside of the box. To recognize that healthcare is NOT one size fits all. And we have a duty to take care of ourselves. At the end of the day many doctors just want to do their job. But that does not necessarily overlap with your own health goals. I trust doctors, and I also trust my ability to research alternative means of wellness.

That being said. Both have an ugly side. Both have massive upside. But that’s life. The decisions we make carry risk. And depending on my, or your situation, is how we combine our life experience and understanding of emergent treatments and technologies to treat an injury or event should it come.

And this all ties back to our current health. Our current physical capabilities. I think there is no argument at all to be had that being in peak physical fitness would allow you to recover faster than an individual who is 50 pounds overweight and couldn’t lift a barbell over their head.

AG has always been about aiming to be the best that you can be given your current life circumstances. As I wrote yesterday, I’m in a maintenance phase. That DOES NOT mean I allow myself to become a fat slob. I still want to look good with my shirt off. Lift heavy weights, run at any given time for any distance, or take off on a sprint at a moment’s notice.

As always.

Don’t be a loser. Learn more. Get in the gym.

Happy Friday

ACIDGAMBIT.

Instead I’m 2 months removed from the Army. 8 months including the skillbridge internship and ETS leave. 14 months from dropping my REFRAD. In a strange balance of building a company and figuring out what I want out of life post-Army. I don’t write like I used to - and I’m not happy about it.

As I’ve written at least once before, writing is a form of thinking and a source of creativity. The energy I get from putting words down stirs my brain and makes me think clearer, sharper, about other things. And I HATE how little I’ve written this year. And as much as I like to write - I equally enjoy the response from you. The massive amount of discussions it had triggered on instagram or in person. I miss that.

The irony of getting out of the Army and pursuing something new is I work more now than I ever have. I am absolutely grateful for the gear the last decade taught me. The ability to ignore everything that isn’t the main thing and just go.

The only thing that matters is what my team and I are working on. My personal relationships. And my fitness.

In my old age (of 28) and recent VETERAN status (your welcome), I have purely been maintaining my level of fitness and body fat percentage. This year I’ve been enjoying slight growth in my arms, a long lived deficit that came as a sacrifice to endurance activities.

But no more. I lift 4 times per week. I run, walk, incline treadmill, cycle, and do airbike sprints 5-7 times per week. I think it’s hilarious that that is my “maintenance’. But to me maintenance is just not focusing on a specific goal to improve on, rather continue training in a way that doesn’t detract from the rest of my active goals.

And I have many.

But those certainly don’t come with the sacrifice of weakness. Or lack of energy. Because the opposite of those are addictions. Someone asked me if I work out on vacations. What a ridiculous question (lmao). Why else am I vacationing? So people know that I ran in a sick location just check my strava bro look at the waaaater. And it only takes an hour and the feeling I get is too good to not sweat at least a few times during a trip. Maybe that’s the difference in how people define vacation.

Do people really take trips to do nothing? I need to MOVE. That’s why I went to that place. I need to go places and see things. And one of my favorite ways to figure out a new city is immediately run as soon as I get there in an attempt to get lost and find my way out.

And then that experience gives me energy and creativity to write more. More things I haven’t thought about but want to research.

Such a simple question that was brought up is why do women have a tendency to have cold extremities. Well maybe it has to do with poor circulation. Well what could cause that? And now it’s a rabbit hole warranting further investigation.

I’m not saying I’m back. There’s a lot to do. And a lot more I want to do. But that being said -

Don’t be a loser. Write more. Get in the gym.

Happy Thursday

ACIDGAMBIT.

Last weekend my friend whipped out a pair of shoes for our run. I’d never seen them before but they looked solid. So I immediately ordered a pair.

They are the Mount to Coast R1. I wish I had a referral link so please sponsor me.

They came in today around noon. So what did I do? I immediately went for a run. I wanted to feel some tempo/aerobic pace and some easy miles. Today’s work:

I went out of the gate without putting much thought into it. I just started running and fell into a groove around 6:45/mile. I felt I could easily hold that pace, but noticed it would take some effort to drop to a faster pace.

I smoothly finished the 5k, then immediately transitioned into 2 recovery miles at round 8:00/mile.

From their website - the R1 is a ‘road running race’ shoe meant for ‘Races of 100 km and above, multi-day races’ and paces between 6-13 min per mile.

Note this is NOT a short distance, and by short I mean sub 26 mile race, shoe.

This is an ultramarathon shoe. But I also take that to mean I can use it for hundreds of training miles at moderate, easy, and recovery pace.

My goal out of buying this pair of shoes was a pair that will last 3-500+ miles and can use for easy training miles.

There are plenty of shoes out there you can use for speedwork and races between 1 mile to 26 miles.

But this is a long distance pace shoe.

My initial thoughts after putting in two types of runs on them:

• Wide toe box - I really like being able to splay my feet. They don’t feel cramped, and after long miles I can imagine I won’t feel pressure from my feet swelling.

• Double lace system is AWESOME. I love it.

• I bought a Size 12 online without trying them on first and they fit perfect. They fit true to size, and I wear the same size (12) as I do in my (now retired) Hoka Clifton and Saucony Endorphin Speed 4.

• When I first put them on I felt something like an orthotic in the inner mid foot - it was uncomfortable at first but my feet and the shoes kind of mold to each other - and felt great even after a couple miles.

• They are VERY comfortable. I could see myself walking all day in these and still hitting a training run at the end of the day.

• I think the all-white is attractive.

• Tons of grip around toes from the sole. Even my hokas brand new would slip on smoother surfaces. I felt I could take harder angles at pace and not worry about slipping or hurting myself. This is highly appreciated - because now that my hokas have 400+ miles on them I’m legit scared to take sharp corners.

• Brand new they squeak a lot indoors. Has no impact on performance, but something to note.

• These are definitely a neutral ride. There is little to no forwards propulsion. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, I think that’s the intent. If you want forward propulsion you get something like my Saucony Endorphin speeds or a shoe with a carbon/fiberglass plate - you get that energy return springiness that’s great for races at marathon or below. Again, these are not speed shoes they are ultramarathon/training shoes meant for hundreds of miles.

• Feels SIGNIFICANTLY more stable than Hokas when midfoot striking. In the Hoka Clifton I feel I have to be careful where my foot falls on unstable-ish ground. The high soles felt unreliable. In these I can place anywhere without worrying about rolling my ankle from a thick sole rolling out from under me.

Overall: I really like them. Of course I’ve only had one run in them, and for $160 I’m hoping they last quite a long time. A follow up review may be required but I’ll probably just share on instagram. Now Mount to Coast please sponsor me.

Subscribe now

This year, a lot has happened. And it makes me happy to know a lot of you continue to engage given my absence. AG has always been a great creative release for me as well as a way to educate others based on my own learnings.

One of the things I love most is teaching and training, and AG gave me the ability to do that at scale.

After New Year’s, 2025, I moved cross country from my Pentagon assignment to Southern California. As many of you know, I was (am) and active duty Army officer. And am now transitioning out - finalizing the last week of my skillbridge internship at an AI startup (that also makes weapons).

Over the past 6 months, I’ve interviewed at a number of companies, done countless medical appointments, turned in army gear, acquired random documentation from 6 years in the military, moved cross country, worked a full-time in-person internship, and built a healthcare startup in my free time from 4-8am daily. The final move now is 1) get out of the army and 2) move to Dallas to work on my own startup full time.

Of course all of this is underpinned by my own health and fitness. It’s the one thing that has been consistent in this wildly uncertain time period in my life.

I wake up and walk to the beach most days and can see Catalina Island a short way from the coast. I can’t help but think of the wine mixer as a great metaphor for the culminating event I’m heading into.

Step Brothers rocks.

And so does Southern California.

I’m not going to stay here, but I have zero regrets about coming out here for the first half of the year. It was the perfect place to close out my time in the Army. And afforded me an incredible place to maintain my fitness.

And that’s the point of this post. I’ve talked in the past about priorities. Knowing your limits based on what’s going on in your life. And previously there’s never been a point where I really had to hold back on training due to life circumstances. But the sheer amount of things happening at once made it difficult to push the way I want to.

So that left me with a couple options. One, just focus on work, getting out, and starting a company. Which of course isn’t the worst option, but completely unacceptable. I NEED exercise. There is no way to go without.

So I found a way to balance. Some days, I literally didn’t have time. You have to find a way to accept that some days are just work days. But most days, I got it in. It didn’t matter if it was a 30 minute lift or a walk on the beach at 9pm. IT HAD TO HAPPEN. That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve taken away from this.

Even in the most hectic, busy period of my life. You can always find a way and a time to train. You might not get 60 minutes a day 6 days a week - but ANYONE can get at least 30 minutes 3 times per week.

There is literally zero excuse.

And it can be so simple.

Go walk or jog for 5-10 minutes, hit a half cindy (5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats AMRAP for 10 min), then close out with a 5-10 minute walk/job.

Or take normal programming and scale it back based on time allowed. Instead of 2-3 sets per movement in the gym, 1 set of 15-20 or to failure. Just keep it moving.

It’s the freaking catalina wine mixer man. You (I) don’t get to take your foot off the gas.

And that’s the last lesson I’ll leave you with. You will LOSE energy during the day when you give into the sweet kiss of “oh I’m busy I can’t work out”. It goes from 1 rest day to a week of rest days. And shortly after you’re gassed at 2pm, can’t work as much, and losing focus during the day.

Even if it’s just a couple HIIT sessions during the week.

Continuing to train will give you MORE energy throughout the week, even in a hectic life period.

It’s counterintuitive but true and proven anecdotally by countless people.

Something must be done.

As always, hit me up if you’ve got questions. Glad to be back and Happy Saturday.

I accept that it’s been a minute since I’ve posted - and a far cry from my original goal of posting 1x per week this years.

Rather than give an excuse, I’ll share what’s actually going on. The biggest lesson - you can just do things.

I had a a CPT that like to use the phrase “major emotional event” when I was an LT. That’s essentially what this year has been for me. But I like to think I’m not that emotional - rather this is a “major transitional event” for me. Arguably the most important period of my life to date. Only rivaled by my senior year of college prior to commissioning in the Army. This is a time that is defined by MAJOR uncertainty, the potential for life-shaping decisions, and real repercussions for not taking it seriously.

The past couple years I started writing down a few bullet points in December titled “what would make me most happy career/fitness/relationship wise 12 months from now”. It’s actually an incredible thing to look back a year ago and see what mattered to me, see if I actually did those things, and see what matters to me over the next 12 months.

It’s something I recommend all of you do now that we’re heading into the last 7 days of the year.

Regardless, this year has caused the largest amount of stress that I’ve ever experienced. It’s taught me that I largely remain calm through that, and no matter how much work I have to do, no matter how busy I am, I’m capable of maintaining peak physical conditioning (hence my latest 600 ACFT, strength, and running performance) through it all. It’s taught me that even with crushing stress we are able to continue to perform.

As a result I stepped back a bit from posting on AG and posting articles. BUT, that matters not to the continuation of AG. The follower count on instagram ebbs and flows. But that doesn’t really matter - because even in times where I’m forced to focus on other priorities, I still get messages of support and thanks for just doing my thing. I am working on a couple projects that I may share in the future - but these things have taught me you really can just do things - especially in industries previously thought to be severely gate-kept.

This isn’t much of a motivational post, just a reminder that AG is alive and well. I can’t think of a time in my life I’ve been MORE optimistic about the future, or a time where I get to work on things I care about as much as I do now, despite the amount of work I have going on right now.

The bottom line - enjoy this brief break from work, and even perhaps exercise. Enjoy your families, reinforce your relationships, and rest.

I don’t want to make bold promises about posting for Acid Gambit. But I do constantly check my DMs and support to the best of my ability. Additionally, the AG Studio App is absolutely crushing.

And I’m here for it. If you have any questions, about anything, feel free to DM me or email me. At the end of the day I’m here to support you and ensure you are successful regardless of your goals.

Merry Christmas ♥️

- Matt, AG

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.

How is it that I have a better Heart Rate Variability (HRV) than Cristiano Ronaldo (below) when he is almost certainly in better cardiovascular shape than me?

How is it possible that my friend regularly has an HRV 30ms higher than mine (about 33% higher) when I am most certainly in better shape than him?

Part of these questions stem from a fundamental lack of understanding of what our HRV actually means. It is not simply a measure of aerobic fitness, although improving aerobic fitness is linked to a higher HRV.

HRV is an interesting topic because of the amount of variability (pun intended) between individuals, sometimes seemingly disassociated from their cardiovascular fitness. I aim to demystify a bit of this, as well as provide a brief understanding of what HRV is and why it matters - some may even claim HRV is the single metric to judge an individuals aerobic health by. Additionally, it’s been brought to mass attention with the advent of Whoop straps and many other tech wearables. Now we dive in.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) - the Basics

Definition

HRV refers to the average variation in time intervals between consecutive heartbeats, measured in milliseconds (ms). More specifically, it’s the measure of the variation between RR intervals, or the R-Phase when most of the heart is activated resulting in the greatest wave shown by an ECG recording.

Here’s an example:

The RR intervals are the gaps between the big peaks on my poorly drawn heartbeat chart. Notice how the gap varies between beats. With each RR interval, there is a different time gap, resulting in a variability, as measured by the average of the time-gaps.

Instead of beating at a constant rate (with constant gaps between R-phases), the heart adjusts its rhythm based on the body's physiological demands. These small fluctuations are a normal and healthy part of heart function, and reflect the heart's ability to respond to a variety of stimuli including physical activity, stress, and hormonal changes.

Why Does it Matter?

As we just defined above, the literal interpretation of HRV is just the measure of time between heart beats. But it really is a way to find out the state of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The variation between heartbeat is low in sympathetic activation and high in parasympathetic mode. “Knowing about HRV is one of the best ways to assess the impact of various factors such as; environment, emotion, thoughts, feeling, etc., on the nervous system and how the nervous system responds accordingly (Source).”

This marker of ANS activity comprises the sympathetic ("fight or flight", or activating) and parasympathetic ("rest and digest", or deactivating) nervous systems. A higher HRV indicates a wide ability to adapt to stressors and reflects a dominance of parasympathetic activity. Conversely, a lower HRV suggests reduced adaptability and can indicate higher sympathetic activity or stress levels. It’s typically assumed HRV is a heart rate metric - however that’s just how it is measured. In reality, it is a result of the two competing branches of our nervous systems (Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic). If one of your nervous systems (typically sympathetic nervous system) is dominating, you will have a lower HRV. A fluctuation in our heart rate will result in a higher HRV, which is caused by a balance of our sympathetic system telling our heart to beat faster with our parasympathetic system telling our heart to beat slower.

This all matters because an improved balance in our ANS signifies our body’s ability to respond to our environment and perform well.

A high HRV is a signal that one of your nervous system branches is not dominating - allowing room for the sympathetic nervous system to dominate when it needs to. Whereas a lower HRV could mean you are stressed, fatigued, dehydrated, etc, resulting in an impaired ability to respond to stressors (with the sympathetic nervous system).

HRV Ranges

Of course, now the question becomes what is normal? What is elite, bad, and where do we fall in the world for our gender and age?

We are in luck. A Netherlands study in 2019 (Tegegne et al. 2019) measured HRVs for 150,000 participants. The below chart shows men in the left column and women in the right. The top 2 (first row) displays the real HRV with lines drawn for RMSSD (root mean square of successive differences), where the bottom 2 are cRMSSD (corrected root mean square of successive differences).

This chart from Training Peaks makes it even easier to understand, by average HRV by age:

You will notice when comparing the two charts, the Training Peaks chart lines up exactly with the 50th percentile lines in the Netherlands study (blue line).

Of course, just measuring off of averages and the rest of the world allows us to fall victim to the “average” fallacy - i.e. just because it is the standard doesn’t mean it is necessarily good. Often times in (American) healthcare we’re judged off of averages, not necessarily what is truly a good metric, regardless of what is being measured.

However, HRV is a truly individual metric that can vary wildly based on a ton of factors. Just look at the first two questions I asked at the beginning of this examination!

That’s why the only thing that matters is you, yesterday. I know that’s a cliche, but especially in health and fitness, it is massively important to measure your personal progress, rather than just compare to a population or people you know.

It is FAR better to measure your progress, especially when you begin to solely focus on improving. And yes, bigger HRV is better if that wasn’t clear from the rest of this write up. An example of measurement is tracking and monitoring for positive changes over a 3-month period.

Factors that Impact HRV

We know what it is, why it matters, and have very specific numbers from a massive population to go off of. But what factors actually influence our HRV?

The National Institute of Health would have you believe your HRV is dependent on pathological, physiological, psychological, environmental factors, lifestyle factors, and genetic factors. While true, that’s incredibly vague.

We want specifics. A few primary factors:

• Training

  • Type of training (strength, steady state, high intensity)

  • Frequency of training

  • Intensity of training (including both low and high intensity variations throughout the week)

  • Recovery - meaning how well you’re able to recover, not overtraining, etc.

• Lifestyle

  • Quality and duration of sleep

  • Quality, type, and volume of consumption (what goes in your body)

    • Includes both food and substance use (alcohol in particular)

  • Hydration - both how much water you consume and electrolyte use

  • Stress (and stress management)

  • Other substances (tobacco/nicotine, drugs, etc.)

• Biology

  • Age - as we age our HRV naturally drops

  • Gender - Women on average tend to have lower HRVs compared to their Male counterparts of a similar age. This is based on averages however, not accounting for your individual blend of genetics, training, and lifestyle

  • Genetics - some are just predisposed to having a higher HRV

As we see, even from 3 primary factors this breaks down into a ton of aspects. And much of this should be very familiar to my most recent post on Stress Management.

The key takeaway? IT’S ALL CONNECTED. You might have browsed the article on stress management and that was it. But many of the same factors that influence stress also influence our primary bio-markers! Even if you are a “low stress” individual - not accounting for these factors could have negative consequences on other markers, like HRV.

Another thing that’s interesting is the impact of adapting your training and lifestyle for making improvements in HRV.

An example: going for a run elevates your blood pressure. This is a natural result of exercise. BUT, as a result of running, your blood pressure will drop - either back to where it was or even below baseline. This is a momentary benefit of training. And over time, our blood pressure can be expected to experience chronic benefits of exercise (especially if you are not trained and have elevated/high blood pressure). In the moment, exercise will help your BP in the hours/days following the activity. But over a long period of time, your BP will continue to stay low.

The SAME applies to HRV. As explained above, your HRV is just a snapshot of what your ANS looks like at a particular moment. If you are in the middle of a hard workout, your stress will be higher and likely HRV will be lower in the MOMENT.

But, following training you can expect your HRV to recover to baseline. And over time, with appropriate rest/recovery, your HRV will rise above baseline and stay there as you continue training. It’s just like the blood pressure example, except the numbers go in the opposite direction.

Another note - just like blood pressure, your HRV is just a snapshot in time. If you ever went to the doctor and had a lot on your mind, your BP may have been elevated at the time of measurement. In the same sense, you could be feeling stressed right when your HRV is measured (just look at your Whoop). But the only thing that matters is long term trends. Monitoring your blood pressure is an excellent habit to be in as you understand your actual BP - not just a snapshot in time. And monitoring long term trends of your HRV is equally important. Make small (or big) changes and monitor over months and years, not hours and days.

How to Improve Your HRV

I’m going to reference a Whoop article I came across today titled 10 Ways to Increase Your HRV. The 10 are:

1. Exercise and Train Appropriately

2. Good Nutrition at the Right Times

3. Hydrate

4. Don’t Drink Alcohol

5. Sleep Well and Consistently

6. Natural Light Exposure (dawn and dusk)

7. Cold Thermogenesis (cold exposure for brief periods of time)

8. Intentional Breathing

9. Mindfulness and Meditation

10. Gratitude Journaling

This literally sounds EXACTLY like what I wrote about in Stress Management.

As we’re learning, the factors that influence stress are directly correlated to our heart’s markers. As our HRV trends upwards, you can expect your resting heart rate to trend downwards. But I will break this down by the 3 factors I detailed above: Training, Lifestyle, and Genetics. However for #3, there’s nothing you can do!

Training

• Auto-Regulation - This is an interesting topic. Some people are of the mindset that “I have a program, I must STICK to it”. And generally, I’d agree. BUT, if you had terrible sleep, a long workday, are sick, feeling the effects of your last training session, or a ton of other reasons, you may want to regulate the intensity/volume of today’s session. You know your body best. When you get in the gym and the strength just isn’t there. Or you’re feeling extremely gassed, now is the time to do just a bit less. Still push yourself, but not to 100%. Do what needs to be done, and listen to your body.

• Functional Overreaching - Some may refer to this as progressive overload. The act of pushing your body during a training session - past your baseline. This applies to both strength AND conditioning. Of course there are side effects - your recovery the next day will be impacted negatively. But with proper rest your metrics will IMPROVE over time. This ties in auto-regulation - know when to push yourself and know when to do a bit less or rest. This is also highly individual. What is overreaching for YOU?

• A blend of Zone 2 (steady state), high intensity, and strength training throughout the week. Generally speaking, you should do about 80-90% of your aerobic training in Zones 2-3, and 10-20% in Zones 4-5. If you aren’t familiar, this just refers to your heart rate zone. As the zones increase, this means a higher heart rate during training. Obviously, Zones 4-5 typically mean you are in a high intensity session, whereas Zones 1-3 are low intensity, like walking, hiking, easy cycling, or jogging. Strength training is also dependent on you. Some prefer to lift 5 days per week and are able to recover sufficiently. For me, I prefer to lift 3-4 days per week to allow ample time to recover, especially when I am doing a high amount of Zone 2 and high intensity work.

  • Your volume of steady state and high intensity is up to you. The NIH recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of low-medium intensity exercise per week. If you want to IMPROVE your HRV, you have to overreach past your previous loads. This is why walking is such a great activity. If you typically get 7k steps per day, aim for 10-12k steps per day. It is an easy way to increase your Zone 1-2 activity during the day with a minimal impact to your need for recovery and rest.

  • A simple recommendation: lift 3-4x per week, do steady state training 3-4x per week, and 1x high intensity session per week.

• Rest and Recovery - Take your rest days, and use active recovery methods as well. An active recovery day could look like a 30-60 minute walk. You get 2 benefits: 1) you just knocked out a steady state session and 2) you managed to do a bit of recovery as well (by not overreaching). But rest is massively important. Listen to your body and take at least 1 full rest day per week.

Lifestyle

• I don’t need to outline a ton of specifics here, as it would be a direct copy and paste from the 10 ways to improve HRV from Whoop and my Stress Management article.

• BUT, a few key things EVERYONE can manage:

  • prioritize sleep - and going to bed and waking up at the same time

  • View morning and evening sunlight (sunrise and sunset)

  • Eat well, ignore the junk food, reduce sugar intake, and focus on eating quality protein and leafy greens

  • Drink more water and consume electrolytes

  • Get rid of alcohol (or at least reduce your consumption). Now, some say a heavy drinker is classified as consuming 2 or more drinks per day, or 14 drinks per week. 2 in a day might not sound like a lot, but 14 drinks in a week is extremely detrimental. Start small, and reduce over time.

That’s it. This should demystify heart rate variability for you. And as we now know, the majority of our HRV is in our control, except for the freaks like my friend who just naturally hovers at 130 despite drinking alcohol. BUT, we are all not the same. And if you want to improve your HRV, I recommend acting on the above factors. To get better, you cannot “maintain”. You have to overreach on occasion, followed by recovery. This is why I’m a firm believer that maintenance is a recipe for a decrease in overall health. If you are not consistently pushing towards a goal, you will fall behind as a result of aging. Time is not on our side when it comes to health, so we have to keep working.

Happy Wednesday.

Cheers.

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.

Hello and happy Friday. Today we’re going to break down a question from a reader, my response, and analysis of the overarching topic. The question:

Summary: The individual is eating to compensate for stress and often eating too much when in social environments. The actual problem - not being able to hit weight loss goals. I really like this question because the reader even mentioned 3 great topics at the end: overeating, stress management, and sticking to a diet. This reader also mentioned having no vices. This is a great start. So let’s dive in.

I’d like to first address some context because it helps reduce the problem as an individual - you are most certainly not alone. This is widespread. So let’s look at some context in the world of weight management. Principally Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, 2 of the largest providers of GLP-1 agonists on the market today. Let’s check in on the stock (lol, yes I am weaving in stock charts to a health post, and NO, this is not financial advice):

If you have been under a rock the last 3-4 years, GLP-1 agonists (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) are a class of medications primarily used to manage type 2 diabetes that have become extremely popular. They mimic the action of the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1, which plays a major role in regulating blood sugar levels. By activating GLP-1 receptors in the body, these medications help:

• Stimulate the pancreas to release insulin in response to high blood glucose levels.

• Reduce the secretion of glucagon (hormone that raises blood sugar levels).

• Delay the rate at which food leaves the stomach leading to a more gradual absorption of glucose.

• Increase feelings of fullness (satiety) - primarily for weight loss.

The popularity as evidenced by my crude financial evaluation of and is purely to show weight management is obviously a big deal in the U.S. currently, and looking forward. If we assume a stock just represents the present [discounted] value of expected future returns, this overall outlook is what concerns me.

Of course, as I’ve said from day 1, I would much rather lose weight from (natural) methods involving eating a clean, high protein diet and exercising regularly. Lest we forget some of the side effects reported from GLP-1 agonists, at least in the short term (who knows what the long term will be):

• Gastrointestinal issues: Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are common side effects, especially when starting the medication.

• Risk of pancreatitis: Although rare, a potential risk of developing inflammation of the pancreas.

And I think that’s significant. In this new world we live in where you can literally take a pill to lose weight, it’s important to recognize the “old fashioned” methods are still viable - and arguably better for the larger population.

Side note on GLP-1 Agonists - if you are 200 pounds overweight and the choice is between dying of heart disease in 5 years or taking a shot, the shot is probably a good idea. If you are 25 years old and 15 pounds overweight, I absolutely would not take the shot. Does that makes sense? Let’s use some common sense people. I reference the significance of fighting the 4 Horsemen (leading causes of death in America), primarily caused by metabolic syndrome, which of course would heavily benefit from weight loss.

But back to the point - reduce the distractions. Use what’s in our control and has been in our control for literally thousands of years. Move more, eat less (oversimplified).

The first point to address from the original question - eating for stress management. This one is harder for me to empathize with. When I’m massively stressed the last thing I want to do is eat. But I can understand how it’s problematic. It becomes cyclic!

A short story: you become stressed from [insert life event] → you consume some unhealthy food that makes you feel good for 5 minutes → this negatively impacts your sleep → negatively impacted sleep hurts your next training session → poor sleep and poor training leads to more stress → [insert stressful life event] happens → you eat some unhealthy food that makes you feel good for 5 minutes.

It’s a horrific cycle that must be broken. By staying in this cycle - you enable a negative flywheel towards disaster. Note, this is not saying don’t enjoy a milkshake on the weekend - this is repeated overindulgence to sooth a stressor or repeating stressors.

One thing that has always helped me is recognizing that consistent poor nutrition will absolutely wreck my sleep and my physical training. These are pretty much at the top of my priorities, so anything that gets in the way of this:

is going to be cut very rapidly. When it comes to fighting complacency, I shared these posts on twitter/X:

That is Step 1: recognizing that what you are doing is literally killing you. Feeding the demon of metabolic syndrome, poor sleep, and poor training is a death sentence in the long term. And although hyperbolic, what we do now sets the tone for our next 50+ years. So we must act accordingly.

The next point ties in both over-eating and going out to eat - regardless of what the social setting is. Like the individual who asked the question - I get the pressure to grab lunch with the boys. I am not saying don’t be social. But what’s keeping you from just bringing your own food? Or eat before hand / after and just hang with them anyway at lunch? Maybe I have lower EQ than I think, but no one has ever called me out for not ordering food at lunch - there’s plenty of ways around this - “I already ate”, “I’m not hungry”, etc. Pretty much anything that doesn’t insult the people around you. DO NOT say “I’m not eating this garbage food” (lol) right as everyone around you orders said garbage food.

Anyway, this is part of a larger problem - overeating as a result of social settings throughout the week. Lunch is one issue, but simple to cover. Meal prep, eat elsewhere, or just order healthier food, the choice is yours.

That leads into weekend social activities. I have no problem ordering an “unhealthy” meal on a date or going out with friends. The most unhealthy I eat is probably a burger and shake or consuming large amounts of bread with a steak at a restaurant. But we know there are ways to mitigate. You don’t have to order the same thing as everyone else. You don’t even have to order! But we’re all adults. We can make our own decisions. So do not be pressured by people around you to do the same, especially when your situation is vastly different than theirs.

The summary: ENJOY GOING OUT WITH PEOPLE. I regularly go out with friends or on dates. I maintain my weight and body fat percentage. I just choose the moments where I indulge in something more calorie dense.

Now we’ll address the final point - stress management as a whole.

My actual answer to that point is working on two things:

• Removing food as a vice for stress management: food is not a great vice. I think it is fleeting, and will make the cycle continue (ie you eat unhealthy to deal with stress. You then don't feel great the next day, impacts your sleep, you get MORE stressed, and repeat the cycle).

• Using appropriate methods to manage stress. I’ve noticed when my training volume is higher, I stress less. But it’s not just “more volume”, it’s using a blend that works for me: 3x per week strength (with many sets to failure/max effort, higher reps) 1-2x high intensity sessions - this is usually 1x metcon, 1x intervals (sprints or airbike), and another 2-4 steady state sessions (run, walk, hike, cycle).

The bottom line is we have to BREAK THE CYCLE. What this means is find what works for you. The next time you feel stressed, walk away somewhere quiet and do a 10 minute NSDR session. Link here:

Of course, you can do NSDR at any time. I like to find a few minutes around lunch time. It’s particularly helpful at “reinvigorating” your day.

A few other practices to utilize:

• A a daily accomplishment log - at the end of the day, this consists of writing the biggest accomplishment you had for the day, and 2 things you did to make progress on a problem or problems you’re facing

• Gratitude - optional, but just writing down 3 things you’re grateful for in the morning. This one is interesting for me, and is less so about what I’m actually writing, and more so the act of becoming focused on the act of writing something. Hence why I wrote about the power of writing here.

• Eating primarily whole foods. Anything processed, using seed oils and/or refined sugars is inherently inflammatory. This includes alcohol. Consider reducing or cutting alcohol and the majority of processed foods you consume.

• As already discussed - EXERCISE + PHYSICAL FITNESS. This includes strength training 2-5x per week, walking daily, steady state conditioning 2-4x per week, and 1x per week of high intensity work or a METCON.

• Heat and Cold Therapy - There is a TON of evidence around the use of both hot and cold therapy (sauna and cold plunges / showers) for stress management. My preferred method is to sauna at lunch and go straight into a cold shower after. You could just as easily hop in a cold shower right when you wake up for a few minutes. Get used to being uncomfortable. Cold showers / exposure also create an above baseline dopamine surge that lasts for hours. Use accordingly

• Non-Sleep Deep Rest - already stated above. Great for reinvigorating your day, but it is also a great tool for helping you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.

• Prayer. If you are not religious you can skip this part. But I believe the majority of stress, worry, and anxiety is greater than simply a physiological response to external stressors. Pray for peace. Understand (in Christianity) our God is one of peace. And anything else is a result of Satan.

  • Philippians 4:4-7: ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

  • John 14:25-27: ²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

  • Read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

  • Andrew Huberman is coming around as well and speaks on it here:

  • One of Huberman’s tweets mentions the “Rest, Build, Pray” protocol, in any order. If you are striving for all three at different times throughout the day, there is little risk of failure.

• SOCIAL SETTINGS - actually be with friends and family. Don’t stress yourself out about not being able to hang with them because you don’t want to eat a certain way. Just go out, choose the times to indulge and when to order the healthier option, or just not eat at that time

• Sleeping Well - there’s a LOT to cover here. But a few primary ways to reduce stress by improving sleep:

  • 3/2/1 rule: 3 hours before bed - no alcohol or heavy meals. 2 hours before bed - avoid work, and 1 hour before bed - avoid blue light and screen time on ANY device. You are welcome to push your last meal even earlier in the day. I’ve found a near linear relationship between my sleep score and how much time there is between my last meal/food and going to bed (bigger gap is better).

  • Moderate stimulant use - experiment where you should have a hard cut-off for stimulants like caffeine and nicotine. Our bodies are all different. Some people can have coffee at 6pm and sleep very well. I on the other hand need to stop drinking caffeine past 12pm. Recognize the half life of caffeine is about 6 hours. So if you drink a red bull at 3pm, when you go to bed at 9pm, you have the equivalent of HALF A RED BULL in your system. Same applies for nicotine. Experiment when you should have a hard stop. For me that’s around 3pm.

  • Establishing a consistent “wind down routine”. This could be 2 hours before bed - you stop responding to work messages, tell yourself anything work related can be solved in the morning, and simple physical actions, like brushing your teeth, washing your face, a hot shower, NSDR, sex, reading, making caffeine free tea, and/or anything else you want to do that doesn’t involve high stress, screen time, or work.

  • Regulating temperature. At least an hour before bed, have your bedroom climate start to drop in temperature. I like to sleep at 66 degrees. But the generally accepted band for improving sleep is 60-69 degrees F. Additionally, an hour before bed I take 3g of glycine as it is associated with a reduction in core body temperature and widely recognized to improve the time it takes to fall asleep and stay asleep.

  • Sound and Light: Improve your sleep and night atmosphere. On top of no screen/device time at least 1 hour before bed, don’t have bright lights shining on you. Subtle, warm colors like orange and red are excellent. Dim the lights, and candlelight is even better. For sound, I like to sleep with a simple fan that makes a sound I like. There’s plenty of sound machines on Amazon as well. Or you could prefer silence. Some sleep with ear plugs. Do what works for you.

• View both morning and evening sunlight (dawn and dusk) with your eyes, outside

• Only incorporate a handful of these at a time. Trying to overload and attack everything at once is a recipe for failure. Habits are built slowly.

• Final note - I thought this was hilarious.

There’s probably more, but the above have been working for me lately. Happy Friday!

If you have any questions feel free to reach out on IG or drop a comment below.

Cheers.

APPENDIX

Things aren’t that serious. Maybe you’re just literally in a bad state (sorry Indiana). Have fun this weekend, get a pump, MOVE YOUR BODY. Talk to girls (or your lover). AND HAPPY FRIDAY.

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.

Happy Monday. This marks the first week of an examination series starting with Compounding Therapies. For our purposes we’ll just refer to them as CTs so I’m not constantly typing it out.

This allows me to explore topics I’m interested in while hopefully providing value to you. The goal is not to make recommendations on things you should use. As you’ll see, CTs can just be slightly modified traditional prescriptions in the form of topical applications, injectables, or oral medications. Obviously, that comes with it strict adherence to the prescription from a DOCTOR. Not AG. The goal however, is to just open my own mind to on-going work in the world of pharmacology. And as the subtitle reads, an examination.

But first, let’s back up.

Pharmaceutical compounding has a long history dating back to the origins of pharmacy itself.

Compounding was the primary method of producing medications until the early 20th century. Before the advent of large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing, pharmacists routinely combined, mixed, or altered ingredients to create customized medicines based on individual patient needs. And that brings us to what exactly are CTs?

What Are Compounding Therapies?

Compounding therapies are simply custom-made medications or treatments. Unlike the standard prescription meds you’d pick up from a pharmacy, these are specifically crafted to meet an individual’s unique needs. It’s like tailoring a suit - sure - off the rack works fine for most, but when you’re buying for your wedding, you need something that fits perfectly. Whether it’s altering the dosage, changing the form of the medication (like from a pill to a cream), or combining multiple ingredients into one solution, compounding gives us that flexibility.

What’s interesting is the recent growth of CTs.

While industrial drug production largely replaced traditional compounding for many decades, there has been a resurgence of interest in compounded medications in recent years. Several factors are driving this growth:

1. Personalized Medicine: The increasing demand for personalized medical care has catalyzed a resurgence in compounding.

2. Filling Gaps: Compounding can address therapeutic needs not met by commercially available FDA-approved drugs. This includes:

   • Creating alternate dosage strengths or forms

   • Omitting allergens or problematic ingredients

   • Addressing drug shortages or discontinuations

3. Specific Patient Populations: Compounding benefits groups like pediatric patients, people with difficulty swallowing pills, and those with rare conditions lacking FDA-approved treatments.

4. Expanding Applications: Compounded drugs are now used across a wide spectrum of therapeutic areas, including men's and women's health, pain management, sports medicine, and various medical specialties.

5. Economic Factors: For some pharmacies, compounding has become a significant revenue source, especially as traditional prescription sales have declined.

(Source)

More specifically, compounding has gained particular attention recently due to shortages of popular weight loss drugs. Some doctors are using compounded versions of medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide when brand-name versions are unavailable. While compounding offers valuable therapeutic options, it's important to note that compounded medications do not undergo the same FDA approval process as commercially manufactured drugs.

How Do They Work?

CTs are created by trained pharmacists who mix, adjust, and combine ingredients based on a doctor’s prescription. Athletes might need a specific formulation of a recovery medication, for instance, that is free from substances on the banned list or easier to absorb after a workout. The pharmacist ensures that the final product is safe, effective, and uniquely suited to that individual’s needs.

For example, a high-performing athlete could have a sensitivity to standard anti-inflammatory medications. A compounded cream can be created to bypass the digestive system and minimize the risk of side effects, while delivering targeted relief to an injured area.

Of course, modifying an existing medication brings risk with it. You could argue that not modifying it also carries risk as well. Have you ever read the list of side effects on a prescription you received? The argument of risk goes both ways. By not modifying, you’re going to use an FDA approved medication. But by modifying, although it’s not specifically approved by the FDA in that form, you’re getting the active ingredient(s) in the medication while staying away from potentially banned substances, substances you’re allergic to, or limiting adverse side effects by changing the form by which you ingest the medication - like switching from an injectable to an oral form.

Risks of Compounding Therapies

More specifically on risk: CTs come with their own set of risks. Since these are customized products, they don’t undergo the same large-scale testing that commercially available medications do. This means there's a higher reliance on the skill of the pharmacist and the accuracy of the prescribed formula. Any errors in preparation, dosage, or ingredient compatibility can lead to complications. That’s why it's crucial to work with trusted professionals and ensure that all safety standards are met. For athletes, there’s also the concern of running into anti-doping regulations, so rigorous testing and transparency are key.

So what are they actually used for? We already mentioned weight loss.

Most Common Forms of Compounding Therapies

In the world of elite performance, compounding therapies can come in several forms, each designed to support different aspects of health and performance:

• Topical creams and gels: Popular for pain relief, muscle recovery, and treating inflammation. They allow the active ingredients to be absorbed directly through the skin, targeting specific areas.

• Injectables: Some athletes might require vitamin injections or hormone therapies that are tailored to their specific performance or recovery needs. These are often used to optimize recovery and support energy levels.

• Oral medications: Compounded capsules or tablets can be formulated with precise dosages or combinations of ingredients that wouldn’t be available in standard prescriptions.

• Troches and lozenges: For athletes who need slow, steady absorption of a medication, these dissolvable treatments can be a convenient option.

There are also two other areas of major growth in CTs: bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) and compounded peptide therapy.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)

What is BHRT? Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy uses hormones that are chemically identical to those produced naturally by the human body. The idea behind BHRT is to restore hormonal balance in a way that’s more natural and effective compared to traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which often uses synthetic or animal-derived hormones.

For athletes and high performers, hormonal balance is obviously critical for peak fitness, recovery, managing stress, and even longevity. Hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone play significant roles in muscle mass, fat metabolism, energy levels, and overall health. As these levels fluctuate—whether due to aging, stress, or other factors—performance and recovery can take a hit.

Why BHRT for Athletes?

At the elite level, even slight imbalances in hormone levels can impact performance. For example, low testosterone can lead to muscle weakness, fatigue, and poor recovery, while imbalances in estrogen levels (yes, even in men) can affect bone health and metabolism. BHRT aims to optimize these levels, helping athletes maintain their edge.

Here’s how BHRT can benefit athletes:

• Improved recovery: Hormones are critical in muscle repair and recovery after intense training. Optimized levels of testosterone, for instance, can enhance protein synthesis, aiding in faster recovery.

• Energy and endurance: Hormones like thyroid hormones influence metabolism and energy levels. By maintaining balance, athletes can sustain higher levels of energy and endurance throughout training and competition.

• Mental clarity and focus: Hormones also play a role in cognitive function. BHRT can help athletes maintain mental sharpness and manage stress, particularly in high-pressure environments.

How BHRT is Compounded

Compounded BHRT medications are custom-made for each individual. A performance doctor will run detailed blood work and assess hormone levels, then prescribe specific doses of bioidentical hormones that are tailored to the athlete’s unique needs. These hormones can be delivered in various forms, such as creams, gels, injections, or capsules. The precision of compounding allows for fine-tuning that standard hormone treatments can't offer, ensuring athletes get the right balance without the risks of over- or under-dosing.

Compounded Peptide Therapy

What are Peptides? Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as signaling molecules in the body. They help regulate various biological processes, including hormone production, tissue repair, immune function, and metabolism. Compounded peptide therapy involves creating tailored peptide formulations that support an athlete's specific goals, such as muscle recovery, fat loss, or even cognitive enhancement.

Peptide therapies have gained significant popularity in performance circles because they can be more targeted and potentially safer than some traditional performance-enhancing drugs. Since peptides are naturally occurring in the body, they often come with fewer side effects when compared to synthetic drugs. Have you ever wondered by it only took Aaron Rodgers 11 weeks to return to practice after tearing his achilles? Of course the Jets want to get a return on the $75M guaranteed to Rodgers, and we know he is also particularly health conscious when compared to other athletes in the NFL. And while he may not have used peptides in his recovery, there is an almost certainty they are used in the league for varying purposes.

Key Peptides in Performance Enhancement

• BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound): One of the most common peptides in the performance world, BPC-157 is known for its ability to promote healing and repair damaged tissues. Athletes commonly use it to recover from injuries faster, whether it’s a torn muscle, tendon strain, or ligament injury.

• Thymosin Beta-4: This peptide promotes wound healing and recovery from muscle damage. It’s particularly useful for athletes who experience overuse injuries or need to accelerate healing from surgery or injury.

• CJC-1295/Ipamorelin: This peptide combination stimulates the release of growth hormone, which can aid in muscle growth, fat loss, and recovery. For athletes looking to boost their strength and endurance, CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin can enhance the body’s natural production of growth hormone in a more controlled way than synthetic growth hormone.

• PT-141: While traditionally known for its use in sexual health, PT-141 is also being explored for its ability to improve stamina and energy in athletes. It acts on the nervous system and can boost motivation and endurance during training.

• What’s especially interesting is even semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic, etc) and insulin are peptides. Specifically, semaglutide is a GLP-1 peptide that mimics the GLP-1 hormone in our bodies to control blood sugar and reduce appetite.

How Peptide Therapy Works

Peptides are usually delivered through subcutaneous injections, though some may also be compounded into creams, nasal sprays, or oral forms depending on the athlete’s preference and specific needs. The key to successful peptide therapy is customization—formulations are carefully adjusted based on the athlete's goals, be it muscle recovery, fat loss, or cognitive enhancement.

The Benefits of Peptide Therapy for Athletes

• Faster recovery: Peptides like BPC-157 and Thymosin Beta-4 can drastically reduce recovery times from injuries, allowing athletes to get back to training and competition quicker.

• Lean muscle growth: Peptides like CJC-1295 stimulate growth hormone release, which can lead to increased muscle mass and improved strength without the use of steroids or other banned substances.

• Fat loss: Certain peptides help the body break down fat more efficiently while preserving muscle mass, which is particularly important in sports that require maintaining a specific weight category.

• Anti-aging and longevity: We’re also seeing the use of peptides for “anti-aging benefits”. By optimizing growth hormone levels and promoting cellular repair, peptide therapy can help athletes maintain peak performance for longer.

The was a bit of an excursion into performance enhancement and recovery. To get back to the larger conversation, we’re seeing massive growth in the use of CTs for a WIDE range of reasons:

1. Increasing demand for personalized medicine: Patients are seeking more customized treatments tailored to their specific needs, which compounding pharmacies can provide.

2. Rising prevalence of chronic diseases: The growing incidence of chronic conditions globally is necessitating patient-specific solutions, driving demand for compounded medications.

   1. This is particularly interesting if you read my most recent post addressing this very issue. Chronic diseases essentially make up the 4 Horsemen: Atherosclerotic disease (comprised of cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease), Cancer, Neurodegenerative disease (most common being Alzheimer’s), and “Foundational disease” ⇒ a spectrum of everything hyperinsulinemia to insulin resistance to fatty liver disease to type 2 diabetes.

3. Aging population: Birth rates are down. Old people are up. The expanding geriatric demographic often requires specialized medications that may not be available in mass-produced formats.

4. Drug shortages: Compounding pharmacies are filling supply gaps caused by shortages of commercially available drugs. We’ve seen specific shortages in the GLP-1 market, but this of course can apply to literally any drug on the market.

5. Technological advancements: Innovations in compounding technologies are improving production efficiency, safety, and customization capabilities.

6. Regulatory support: Advancements in regulations are supporting the development and use of customized drug formulations.

7. Expanding applications: Growth in areas such as pain management, hormone replacement therapy, pediatric medicine, and oncology is driving demand for compounded medications.

8. Flexibility in addressing patient needs: Compounding pharmacies can provide solutions for patients with allergies, dosing requirements, or need for specific delivery methods not available in commercial products.

9. Advancements in pharmaceutical compounding: Improved techniques and equipment are enhancing the ability to create more precise and effective customized medications.

10. Shift towards patient-centric care: Healthcare systems are increasingly prioritizing personalized approaches to treatment, aligning with the offerings of compounding pharmacies.

As I mentioned in the beginning - this post is not to make a recommendation that you should use compounding therapies. But purely to open your eyes to the world of pharmacology. You may have been prescribed a CT without even knowing it in the past. There’s also been a massive growth of CT facilities for shipping these drugs to patients. This growth was tied to the growth of HRT clinics with minimal true primary care physician (PCP) oversight. Rather than get a prescription from your PCP who knows you best, many have just gone to clinics and hopped on testosterone without their prescriber knowing everything about them, a holistic view. And this ties back to risk. A world where your PCP can understand your health from a holistic lens, and make recommendations and prescriptions by using preventative measures, rather than just treating the symptoms, is a world I want to live in. That’s how we tackle the 4 Horsemen, and is the basis for Medicine 3.0 as outlined in Peter Attia’s incredible book Outlive.

I hope you enjoyed and Happy Monday.

Cheers.

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.

The irony in what could be considered the greatest issue facing America in the 21st century is that it could all be related to diet, lifestyle, and nutrition. A fight against the self. Of course many arguments can be made as to why many Americans are forced into a way of life conducive to succumbing to the 4 Horsemen:

1. Atherosclerotic disease (comprised of cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease)

2. Cancer

3. Neurodegenerative disease (most common being Alzheimer’s)

4. “Foundational disease” ⇒ a spectrum of everything hyperinsulinemia to insulin resistance to fatty liver disease to type 2 diabetes

These “4 Horsemen” are responsible for over 80% of death in people over 50 who do not smoke. Source.

But I’m not here to debate the above arguments like generational poverty, wealth disparity, race, etc. That is an entirely different conversation (that is also extremely important, but not my goal today).

This is about taking control of your life and your family’s lives to set up success for generations. And that is because past a certain age, there is no one to blame for your circumstances but yourself.

The circumstances under scrutiny today are your diet, lifestyle, and nutrition - all major contributory factors to the 4 Horsemen and metabolic disease. Some may argue that your diet has no impact on cancer - it can be genetic, or even appear random at times. BUT:

Metabolic disease (and obesity) is also the #1 risk factor to all forms of cancer, other than smoking.

Additionally, a separate and rising cause of death in America is suicide, a result of massively declining mental health. In fact we are at an all-time high in rates of suicide and death by despair. The highest rate since the great depression. The link between mental health and metabolic disease also cannot be ignored.

So essentially a downstream correlation for ALL 4 of the horsemen to metabolic disease. And of course we know metabolic disease is a result of chronically poor diet, lifestyle, and nutrition.

We can break it down even simpler, to where anyone can understand:

Instead of looking like this:

I want you to look like the (middle) reverse pyramid (at least for Men):

I’m fairly certain anyone at any age can understand the differences and which is better.

We want a taper from our shoulders down to our waist. The exact proportions have been debated and are widely available via google.

If you work to achieve this physique, or an adjacent physique, chances are mental health improves as well! Confidence will most certainly improve, essentially doing your part to mitigate every single leading cause of death in the United States.

But how do we get there?

It’s simple: take responsibility for your diet, lifestyle, and nutrition.

Diet

Achieving optimal health and performance, especially akin to high-performing individuals like military personnel, requires a strategic approach to diet. This involves not just what you eat, but also how much and when you eat it.

Macronutrient Breakdown

1. Proteins

   • Importance: Essential for muscle repair, growth, and overall body maintenance.

   • Sources:

     • Lean Meats: Chicken breast, turkey, lean cuts of beef (sirloin, strip, tenderloin), pork loin, 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef.

     • Fish: Salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout—rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

     • Dairy and Eggs: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs (whole and whites).

   • Amount: Aim for 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, depending on activity level and goals. For high-performance individuals, leaning towards the higher end supports muscle recovery and growth.

2. Carbohydrates

   • Importance: Primary energy source, fueling both your brain and muscles.

   • Sources:

     • Complex Carbs: Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, and bread.

     • Fruits: Berries, apples, bananas—provide quick energy and micronutrients.

     • Vegetables: Sweet potatoes, peas, corn, leafy greens.

     • Legumes: Beans, lentils, and other legumes also offer fiber and protein.

   • Amount: Carbohydrate needs vary widely. For active individuals, 4 to 7 grams per kilogram of body weight per day is recommended. Adjust based on activity level and energy expenditure.

3. Fats

   • Importance: Essential for hormone production, nutrient absorption, and long-term energy.

   • Sources:

     • Unsaturated Fats: Avocados, olive oil, avocado oil, nuts (almonds, walnuts), seeds (chia, flaxseeds).

     • Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel; flaxseeds, walnuts.

     • Saturated Fats (in moderation): Coconut oil, butter, cheese.

   • Amount: Fats should make up about 20-35% of your total daily calories. Focus on unsaturated fats and limit saturated and trans fats.

Total Caloric Intake

Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) using my calculator here, which factors in your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and activity level. For weight maintenance, consume calories equal to your TDEE. To lose weight, create a deficit of 500 calories per day; to gain muscle, a surplus of 250-500 calories is advisable.

Meal Timing

• Pre-Workout: Consume a meal rich in carbs and moderate in protein about 30-120 minutes before training.

• Post-Workout: Aim for a meal or snack with a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein within 30-45 minutes after training to optimize recovery.

Lifestyle

The lives we lead (and intend to) inevitably come with stress. Adding to that will only hinder us. In particular, that addresses substance use. But there’s so much more that I’ve talked about previously - consistency in training (both strength AND conditioning), sleeping well (going to bed ON TIME and getting 8 hours of real sleep), monitoring and managing stress, how you rest and recover, and more.

Recommended Training and Workouts

Of course, you should always just start at app.acidgambit.com for all of my training. But, use the below as guidelines.

1. Strength Training

   • Frequency: 3-5 times per week.

   • Exercises:

     • Split: Full body, upper/lower, bro split, or somewhere in between.

     • Repetitions and Sets: This can be highly variable. I’m a big fan of the loading/back-off set methodology (1x6-9, 1x12-15 or 1x12-15, 1x15-20), but obviously most schemes will work as long as you focus on what’s next:

   • Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the weight or intensity (via number of reps and/or sets) to continue making progress. It’s simple - if you are not pushing yourself you are not improving.

2. Cardiovascular Fitness

   • Frequency: 3-6 times per week.

   • Types:

     • Steady-State Cardio: Running, cycling, swimming, hiking, walking, etc at a consistent pace for anywhere from 30-120 minutes. Recommended frequency of 3-5x per week.

     • High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Short bursts of intense activity followed by rest, totaling 20-30 minutes. Recommended frequency of 1-2x per week. I will lump both intervals and tempo runs into this (you can and should do both an interval session and a tempo session in the same week if you’re working on speed at distance). But this can include anything from rowing, airbiking, sprinting, cycling, or swimming for 30 seconds-4 minutes at max or near-max effort, followed by rest equal to your work time.

     • METCONs: I keep this separate because METCON workouts are distinctly different from true HIIT. These are fun, a great way to burn a large amount of calories, but don’t necessarily improve a specific aspect of your metabolic health. It’s important to benchmark key METCONs and repeat periodically throughout the year. Additionally, if you intend on doing METCONs monitor your output - meaning don’t do a METCON and then to sprints the next day with the expectation of continued high performance.

   • Benefits: Enhances heart health, endurance, and aids in fat loss.

3. Flexibility and Mobility

   • Frequency: Daily or at least 3 times per week.

   • Activities: Yoga, dynamic stretching, foam rolling.

   • Benefits: Reduces injury risk, improves performance.

4. Rest and Recovery

Rest and recovery are as crucial to your fitness as the actual training. They allow your body to repair, rebuild, and strengthen while helping prevent injuries and overtraining.

• Importance:

  • Muscle Repair and Growth: During rest periods, your body repairs the microscopic tears in muscle fibers caused by training, leading to muscle growth—a process known as the anabolic response.

  • Energy Restoration: Glycogen stores in your muscles are replenished during rest, ensuring you have the energy for your next workout.

  • Hormonal Balance: Adequate rest helps regulate hormones like cortisol and growth hormone, which are vital for recovery and muscle growth.

• Types of Recovery:

  • Active Recovery Days: Engage in low-intensity activities like walking, light swimming, or gentle yoga to promote blood flow and aid in muscle recovery without adding significant stress.

  • Passive Recovery Days: Complete rest with minimal physical activity allows your body to fully recover, especially after intense training sessions.

• Anabolic Response Enhancement:

  • Protein Synthesis: Rest days maximize protein synthesis, leading to increased muscle mass and strength gains.

  • Hormone Optimization: Growth hormone and testosterone levels peak during rest and deep sleep, facilitating muscle repair and growth.

• Aerobic Fitness Improvement:

  • Cardiovascular Adaptation: Rest allows the cardiovascular system to adapt to training stresses, improving heart efficiency and oxygen uptake over time.

  • Endurance Enhancement: Adequate recovery leads to better performance in endurance activities by preventing chronic fatigue.

• Guidelines:

  • Scheduled Rest Days: Incorporate at least 1-2 rest or active recovery days per week into your training schedule.

  • Listen to Your Body: Be attentive to signs of overtraining, such as prolonged muscle soreness, decreased performance, irritability, or sleep disturbances.

  • Quality Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night to facilitate full-body recovery.

Ideal Lifestyle Examples

• Discipline and Routine: Go to sleep early (8-11pm) and wake up early (5-8am), consistent meal times, scheduled workouts.

• Goal Setting: Clear short-term and long-term fitness and health goals.

• Limited Substance Use: I’m never going to tell anyone a strict rule around this. My recommendation is purely limit to as little alcohol as possible.

• Active Recovery: Incorporate rest days with light activities like walking or stretching.

Sleep

• Importance: Critical for recovery, hormone regulation, and cognitive function.

• Recommendation: 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night.

• Tips: Establish a bedtime routine, avoid screens an hour before bed, keep your sleep environment dark and cool.

Stress Management

• Techniques: Deep breathing exercises, sauna, walks, writing, reading, actually being social, establishing limits on work, time management.

  • One interesting caveat - if you actually enjoy a glass of wine or a beer at the end of the week - go for it. ENJOY it. That’s the point. The major problems are when it’s a dependency to manage stress, or when 1 turns into 10.

• Importance: Reduces cortisol levels, which can impact weight and health.

Nutrition

Optimizing nutrition involves more than just macronutrients; micronutrients and meal composition are equally important.

Ideal Nutrition Examples

• Antioxidant-Rich Foods: Berries, dark leafy greens, dark chocolate and anything else to combat oxidative stress. No, red wine doesn’t count here (lol).

• Hydration: At least 3-4liters (about 13 cups) of water per day for men, and an additional 16-32oz for every hour of physical training.

• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, magnesium.

Supplements Simplified:

• Protein Powder: Whey or collagen to meet protein needs.

• Creatine Monohydrate: Supports muscle strength and performance.

• Omega-3 Supplements: If dietary intake is insufficient.

• Multivitamin: To cover any nutritional gaps.

Sample Meal Plan Total Daily Intake

• Calories: ~3,400 kcal

• Protein: ~220 grams

• Carbohydrates: ~345 grams

• Fat: ~130 grams

Sample Meal-by-Meal Breakdown

Breakfast Option

Omelet (3 whole eggs with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms)

Whole Grain Toast (2 slices) with Avocado Spread (¼ avocado)

Banana (1 medium)

Total for Breakfast:

• Calories: ~571 kcal

• Protein: ~28 g

• Carbohydrates: ~60 g

• Fat: ~26.4 g

Mid-Morning Snack

Trail Mix (small handful of nuts and dried fruit)

Protein Shake (1 scoop whey protein with water)

Total for Mid-Morning Snack:

• Calories: ~370 kcal

• Protein: ~30 g

• Carbohydrates: ~31 g

• Fat: ~15 g

Lunch

Grilled Chicken Breast (6 oz)

Quinoa or rice (1 cup cooked)

Mixed Vegetables and Greens

Olive Oil Dressing (1 tbsp)

Apple (1 medium)

Total for Lunch:

• Calories: ~782 kcal

• Protein: ~62.5 g

• Carbohydrates: ~79 g

• Fat: ~24.8 g

Afternoon Snack

Hummus (2 tbsp) with Veggies:

Hard-Boiled Eggs (2):

Total for Afternoon Snack:

• Calories: ~264 kcal

• Protein: ~15 g

• Carbohydrates: ~19 g

• Fat: ~15 g

Pre-Workout Snack

Banana (1 medium)

Rice Cakes (2) with Almond/Peanut Butter (2 tbsp)

Total for Pre-Workout Snack:

• Calories: ~375 kcal

• Protein: ~8 g

• Carbohydrates: ~47 g

• Fat: ~18.4 g

Dinner

Salmon Fillet (6 oz)

Sweet Potato (1 medium)

Steamed Broccoli and Asparagus

White Rice (1 cup cooked)

Olive Oil + Balsamic Drizzle

Total for Dinner:

• Calories: ~830 kcal

• Protein: ~50 g

• Carbohydrates: ~84 g

• Fat: ~37.7 g

Evening Snack (Optional)

Cottage Cheese (1 cup low-fat)

Mixed Berries (1 cup)

Total for Evening Snack:

• Calories: ~248 kcal

• Protein: ~29 g

• Carbohydrates: ~27 g

• Fat: ~2.5 g

Adjustments Based on Caloric Needs

The above meal plan provides approximately 3,400 calories, which may be suitable for highly active individuals with significant energy expenditures. However, if your caloric needs are closer to 2,800 calories (as initially mentioned), consider the following adjustments:

• Reduce Portion Sizes: Decrease the serving sizes of calorie-dense foods like nuts, oils, and high-carb items.

• Limit High-Calorie Additions:

  • Use less olive oil in dressings and cooking.

  • Opt for smaller portions of rice, quinoa, or sweet potatoes.

• Modify Snacks:

  • Choose either the trail mix or the protein shake for the mid-morning snack, not both.

  • Skip the evening snack if not needed.

Putting It All Together

Everything above is just an example. The biggest factor is to actually recognize all of this is in our control and consciously moderate our diet, lifestyle, and nutrition.

Happy Sunday. After this week, we’ll embark on my Exploration series, starting with Compounding Therapies. I’m pumped to be back writing consistently.

Cheers

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.

In June of this year I wrote about purpose. Specifically as it pertains to navigating the mid-20s slump.

As a graduate of the slump, and as someone going through a military transition, I am well aware of the mix of emotions you (we) go through in seeking “what’s next?” Especially as someone who is mentally preparing to move cross country (SoCal), where I know no-one, if these next few weeks go well.

But some things remain constant.

We remain steady based on a set of principles. And no matter what happens you are not your work, or that terrible relationship that just ended, or your overall fitness, but the set of deep beliefs you hold, your religion/spirituality, your culture and upbringing, your skills/competencies/interests, and other things I’m sure but not thinking of right now.

So we’ll initiate this with an Ayn Rand quote:

“Never ask people. Not about your work. Don't you know what you want? How can you stand it, not to know?” - The Fountainhead

and corollary:

“If you want to make the wrong decision, ask everyone” - Naval

and of course my favorite clip on Earth:

Alright, that’s enough motivational woo-woo.

Because the entire purpose of this post on purpose is the opposite of motivation. It’s to help you understand the deep intrinsic goal you have for your life. It’s been said that writers think too much and writing helps them think less. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a writer, but the act of writing MASSIVELY helps in that regard. So in writing this for you, I write this for myself.

We’ll start with Ayn Rand.

When I revisit that quote I read it as

“DON’T YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT?!”

When you ask others you invite their bias, their beliefs, their DOUBTS, into your world. Should I move to California? “But it’s sooo expensive”. Yea, but have you looked on Zillow for homes in Northern Virginia? There’s no difference.

There’s a dissonance in that person’s belief system. I usually just smile and nod - they don’t even realize we live in NoVa and they can’t even afford a home here - so who’s to say what “expensive” is.

The above is an example. I share my plans with someone else - and it invites their fears about them. And why should someone else’s fears be my fears when I know exactly what I want.

That may be the root of the problem for many, however.

Do you even know what you want?

Rand continues

“How can you stand it, not to know?”

It must be painful, living in limbo is the most painful position. The act of not acting. Are you really going to make me quote Yoda? Do or do not…

So we move to Naval - it’s almost certain his stance was built on the shoulders of the original quote - or at least on writing/thoughts built on the shoulders of the original quote.

If you ask everyone, you will most certainly make the wrong decision. It’s one thing to ask for a common-sense check. Or to ask a mentor his or her opinion when they are not self-interested, and truly want to help.

The hardest part of losing a dad is not having someone to bounce ideas off of when you’re indecisive - a non-self interested party who also understands your core beliefs, goals, and worries. But on the other side - it is freeing. I don’t need to impress anyone. I can seek any goal without the judgement of the father (although the Father will judge).

It is a WHOLE other thing to just blab to everyone what you’re thinking about doing. You will without doubt recruit the fears and doubts of others, and with it horrific advice that is merely a reflection of their own belief system.

So we move to the French poet Charles Baudelaire:

“No task is a long one but the task on which one dare not start. It becomes a nightmare.” - My Heart Laid Bare

WE must ACT.

We must read, continue to train, continue to learn, and keep momentum. The nightmare is limbo. The act of watching your life pass by. Of course we’re going to relate this back to health + fitness because so much hinges upon this. Although I said above you are not your current fitness - being fit makes everything much easier. First impressions matter, being jacked matters, and I’d rather not be the fat slob when I ACT. You will meet people and they will notice.

Additionally, your fitness is a convenient base to hang your confidence on. No, not being fit doesn’t mean your happiness should hinge on it - but show me one person who became LESS confident from finally being able to see their abs.

Getting fit also builds the discipline to act in the exact same way that’s required for all other decisions. You have to set a goal, attack it ruthlessly for years, and only see a tiny amount of progress after months of effort. The reward and feedback cycle is slow. You have to TRUST that the seemingly small decisions you made up front will carry you to the end. Of course you must also be able to adapt throughout the process. But the process is the same - accept the position you are currently in, recognize what the end goal is - and work until you get there. I don’t derive purpose from being fit and chasing improvement. But it does A LOT of good in keeping me chasing my goals outside of fitness. Made the connection yet?

So this leaves us with the elephant of “how do I know what to do?”

Well for starters you should be using the ag app. Macros and meal plans are LIVE. 8 full programs in the app. And I’m building out CUSTOM programs as well, built on the base of all AG training.

You need to be actively pursuing a fitness goal. This year has taught me there is no such thing as maintenance. You are either falling back or getting better. If you just maintain, you will get softer. I hate to sound motivational here but you must apply MAX EFFORT everywhere. And that’s why fitness is great. That’s why high school and college sports are great. They are the foundations for so many other aspects we will come across.

Now that you’re training. You should probably stop asking and read and write more. Clarify your thoughts and learn. That’s not to say don’t meet people - that is one of the greatest cheat codes to learning. Other perspectives are amazing, and gaining insights into organizations is best done by actually TALKING to the people in them. But instead of asking “muhh what do I do” you go in with a plan. Here’s where I want to be, how can I learn from this person how they got there, and what do I need to adapt that’s specific to my situation? I’ll give you a hint - a lot of it still hinges on relationships. And guess what helps the first impression of starting a relationship? That’s right. Excellent health. Glowing skin. A warm, calm, smile (from slaying yourself in a METCON 2 hours earlier). This also feeds a funny conversation I had earlier. SIGMA GRINDSET is a lie. You should probably delete tiktok. You aren’t a sigma because you broke up with your girlfriend to grind harder. If anything, that makes you a beta because who can’t balance hard work with a loving relationship? I wouldn't plan for anything relationship wise - and that is both professional and romantic relationships, and friendships. If it happens it happens. I would not put yourself in the headspace of "I don't want a relationship". At the end of the day is it really that different from a business connection? Would you not meet someone for coffee if you wanted to learn / grow from that contact? Then why (if the opportunity comes up) would you not introduce yourself to a girl. It's not "no relationships sigma grindset" it's you are on your path and if someone comes along even better.

That was a tangent.

Anyway.

Train hard. Figure out what you want. Read more, stop asking so much. And subscribe to AG Studio.

Don’t be a loser. And happy Wednesday.

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.

It may seem obvious to you that our behaviors change when we are observed. Your interpretation of “change” may be positive, negative, or neutral.

That observation may be from external, or internal. It could be as simple as sitting close to your boss at work. Do you think you are more or less productive sitting in close proximity to a supervisor?

The same applies to our fitness and nutrition. The observation could be internal or external.

The simple act of tracking your meals daily imposes this observation, although internal. What’s interesting is the positive effect of eating an appropriate amount of calories isn’t the only reason you are likely to hit your physique goals, regardless of if you are trying to gain or lose weight. For example, let’s say you are in a 500 Cal deficit per day. Obviously, the result over a few weeks should be the loss of a couple pounds of body weight. But the act of tracking also holds you accountable. You see every day what you put in your body. We’re less likely to cheat when we know at the end of the day we’ll see a red number at the end.

The same applies to the external. You hire a coach, either in person or online. You could do the EXACT same training with and without the coach - and it is likely you will perform better with the coach. It’s not just the act (of eating, training, doing mobility, sleeping). The overwatch induces a modification in your behavior whether you realize it or not.

Side note - Lee and I love coaching. We have a couple slots open this month if you would like to hop on a call.

Elton Mayo actually ran the study at Hawthorne Works, resulting in the name of the phenomenon. In a letter from Mayo in 1929, he wrote “The change which you and your associates are working to effect will not be mechanical but humane.” Mayo actually ran the study at Hawthorne Works, resulting in the name of the phenomenon. This was groundbreaking at that time period, even though it may seem obvious to you now. This was in the scope of workplace productivity. The "Mechanical" refers to the previous, traditional view of management that treated workers almost like machines - focusing on efficiency, rigid rules, and treating all workers the same. The "Humane" indicated a new approach that recognizes workers as human beings with individual needs, emotions, and social dynamics.

Again, the same applies to health and fitness. It is difficult to view individuals as machines that just eat, sleep, and workout. Rigid rules and efficiency may work for David Goggins, but even Goggins takes into account the humane side of individual needs and emotions. Especially with coaching - we have to understand what actually motivates people, account for their life circumstances, and make it as easy as possible to stay consistent.

Of course the simple act of “watching” from a coach plays a massive role in coaching overall. And that is a real world implementation of the Hawthorne Effect.

The point being - whether you hire a coaching or you simply write down and track your actions - you will massively benefit from subtle behavioral changes as a result of this observation.

“You get what you measure” is a phrase that’s existed for a while, and for good reason. This is not just health and fitness, but I love that a lot of sociological reason applies to it. You may have dozed off in your gen-eds in college, but at least take this away. You can introduce observation by simply writing things down every day. Track your workouts (shoutout app.acidgambit.com), write down your food (in a journal, myfitnesspal, carbon diet app, etc), and you will have noticeable improvements over time.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

Happy Wednesday.

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.

One of the best and worst parts of wearable tech in 2024 is constantly receiving biofeedback based on my personal lifestyle choices.

Even at near optimal performance and limited negative substance use, constant feedback from my wrist and an app can be anxiety inducing, which led me to stop wearing my Whoop for a couple weeks.

I’ve since returned to using my Whoop and things are going well:

This post is less about the validity and use of biofeedback sensors, and more about shooting ourselves in the foot, whether we know it or not.

Over the latter part of Q2 this year, I slowly grew my caffeine tolerance to the point where I would consume an entire Bialetti’s worth of coffee and a Celsius all before 12pm daily. Celsius alone is enough of a drain on my wallet, but began to drain me daily from stimulant abuse.

Everyone may define this different based on you as a person. We’re all different. But I think there’s no denying a 6-pot Bialetti (essentially 2-3 espresso shots) and a 200mg Celsius is too much caffeine.

I would struggle to fall asleep, occasionally wake up in the middle of the night, nap the next day, and repeat this doom cycle until the inevitable weekend crash.

BUT “I was doing everything right.” Training daily, staying off screens later into the night, no caffeine past 1pm, very little alcohol use, solid diet and protein intake, all while ignoring my own cognitive dissonance. Now stack that into the slow accumulation of nicotine tolerance. Going from using 3mg to 6mg zyns. Habitually throwing in a zyn after dinner, not because I was craving or necessarily addicted to nicotine - but because it was a habit.

Caffeine and nicotine, although certainly can be addictive - became more of a habitual process for me. And when these two chemicals are a habit - there is no doubt my tolerance for both will increase, necessitating the increase in use to support the habit.

Side note, let’s define:

Cognitive Dissonance - “the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.”

I was ignoring my own behavioral decisions. My sleep problems can’t be related to my habitual stimulant abuse. I’m getting faster, stronger in the gym, look good in the mirror. By all “general” markers, there was nothing wrong.

But stress spikes became more routine. Resting heart rate slowly climbed. Recovery scores were constantly suppressed on my whoop (hence quitting use for a couple weeks).

Only to realize I was shooting myself in the foot.

Now two incredible things came from that:

1. The recognition that many things are not addictions, they are habits and

2. My sleep, performance, and general feeling “good” have all spiked to highs not felt all year.

On point 1: I rarely will ever say or think “I am addicted” to something. Not to get too “woo-woo” on you, but I am a firm believer our minds are powerful and telling ourselves we’re addicted (to literally anything) will make it harder to quit or reduce the thing in question.

I don’t think I’m addicted to caffeine or nicotine. In the time since, I spent days without, days with, and days with significantly reduced use.

I didn’t experience withdrawals, headaches, random anger, nor increased appetite.

I just felt good. Sleeping better, lower stress, little to no anxiety, better gym and endurance performance, and best of all - being absolutely GASSED at 9pm, laying down and falling straight to sleep.

It’s easy to ignore the behaviors we develop and try to justify them, or blame their side effects on something else. An example: my increased stress and HR spikes were a result of having a new boss at work and added responsibilities. How could it possibly be related to throwing in a double 6mg zyn at 8pm? I would highly encourage you to look at your own life this way. You may not use nicotine or caffeine. But question everything you do and honestly look at its impacts.

There is one thing for sure - if you experience negatively impacted sleep, an increase in stress or anxiety, suppressed (far below baseline) appetite, or other negative mental markers, look at your BEHAVIORS first before wondering if there is something seriously wrong with you.

Sometimes, you don’t have depression or an anxiety disorder - that’s often just a way to label your current emotional state. MAYBE, we should look to first correct our behaviors, ESPECIALLY those that we try to ignore or justify, first. Once those are in check, only then can we get a true evaluation of our mental and physical well-being.

It’s like being in your junior year in college, getting hammered 2-3 nights a week and wondering why you gained 10 pounds of fat in the last year. It can’t be the alcohol - that’s just you having fun. It MUST be the stress from class, hunting for an internship, and the terrible college food. No way could your habitual (and increasing) alcohol use be the suspect!

And that’s the negative behavioral creep we should all investigate. From an outside view, it’s easy to diagnose and understand why someone is having problems. But when it is you, yourself experiencing it, we block them mentally. This takes serious self-regulation and self-awareness to get to the root of.

Be honest with yourself. Stop selling yourself lies. Stop unwittingly shooting yourself in the foot. And perform at your peak.

You probably don’t have a serious addiction. Your behaviors shape your habits. And habits are simple to break. That “nicotine craving” after dinner I felt was incredibly easy to replace with a piece of gum. I just needed an oral fixation. Something to literally chew on. All with no withdrawals.

(side note: if you have serious alcohol dependence, that may take real medical intervention, this post is not for you but please get help)

Change your behaviors, change your habits. I now require barely half a cup of coffee to feel lit at 10am. A single 3mg zyn is optimal for me, and certainly no nicotine after 2-3pm. Now the cycle of doom has turned into a flywheel of progress spinning in the right direction. I use less caffeine and nicotine - I am able to train harder, longer. I feel less stress, and want to pass out on my cold memory foam pillow in a pitch black room set to 65 degrees at 8pm. I sleep 10 hours, wake up feeling alert - thus requiring even fewer stimulants to function the next day. Stop your cycle of doom and turn it into a flywheel of progress.

Happy Friday. It’s a beautiful day (spiritually). We’re getting a tropical storm this weekend on the East coast so we’ll see how that impacts my scheduled endurance week.

As always, I hope you enjoyed this post and if you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop them here, dm me on instagram, or email me at director@acidgambit.com.

Cheers.

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.

Hello all and Happy Sunday.

Today’s brief post will cover what to do when you come back after an extended period of time where you were unable to train or it was sporadic.

For our purposes we’ll define “extended” as 2-8+ weeks where you were not following your normal training.

If you went to the field for a week, just got back from 10 days in Cabo or anything else relatively short, you are welcome to follow this as well. But you would probably be just as good to resume training as normal.

This post originated from this message:

Haven’t been able to workout for 5 weeks 1 - 2 meals a day max Consistently sweating Not much movement (except walking).

I still have a competition for CrossFit in a week.

Then Ranger in October.

Now for those who go to the field, or go to a school, then are expected to perform asap, what is the best way to get back in the gym?

What you will notice is even though this individual was not actively training - he was still moving. This plays a MASSIVE role in your ability to get right back into rhythm. The first couple weeks the weights may feel heavy, and the METCONs will burn, but you will be far better off than if you sat and did NOTHING for that same amount of time.

The second note is I would not recommend immediately getting back into training for the exact reason I described above - the weights will feel heavy, the METCONs will hurt, and stacking too much volume too quick can lead to injury or under-recovery before you are able to get back into a groove.

So instead of immediately jumping back in, I recommend:

After that much time off (> 1 month): complete 1 week dedicated to easy movement, with 2-3x lifts and 2-3x easy cardio sessions (row, bike, swim, jog, hike for 30-60 min).

THEN, after that week re-introduce high intensity, 1-2x metcons per week, 2-4x lifts per week, and 1-3x zone 2 conditioning sessions. Essentially a slow ramp back to the level of volume required for your next school, event, selection, or just general training volume.

But, in this person’s case, he has a CrossFit competition coming up QUICK. This is the breakdown I recommended:

• Sat - easy conditioning

• Sun - sauna, yoga, mobility, walk

• Mon - full body lift (< 60 min)

• Tues - feel out high intensity (3-6 rowing sprints, some burpees, KB swings, etc)

• Wed - full body lift Thurs - easy conditioning (< 45min), finish with some sprints, get heart rate up

• Fri - mobility, sauna, walk

• Sat - COMPETE

After the competition:

• Recover using the same strategy as the week 1 I recommended above (2-3 lifts, 2-3 easy cardio sessions).

• After that week, build back up to the high volume I break down above for a week of training.

• Every other week alternate a short ruck sprint (1-4 miles w/ heavy weight) and a longer ruck 3-8 miles) w/ lighter weight.

What you will notice is it is not always a simple regimen - you have to apply some critical thinking and adapt given your timeline and upcoming events. Obviously it is not ideal to jump into a competition 1 week after a strenuous military school - but that is the upside (and downside) of Acid Gambit. All of you are overachievers that want to push your body to the limit.

BUT, I still strongly recommend following a “Return to Training” protocol. That’s why I built the protocol in the AG Studio App:

The official protocol is live now. It follows the following breakdown:

• Week 1: 2x full body lifts, 3x easy conditioning sessions

• Week 2: 2x lifts, 1x accessory day, 2x easy conditioning sessions, 1x METCON

• Week 3: 2x lifts, 1x accessory day, 3x easy conditioning sessions, 1x METCON

• Week 4: 2x lifts, 1x accessory day, 3x easy conditioning sessions, 2x METCONs

You will notice it is a nice and easy progression back into VOLUME. You do not jump right back into the pain cave. Rather, you allow your body ample rest, put in the high intensity work when necessary, then resume your normal training.

As a reminder, I do NOT recommend jumping immediately into a high volume program or track in Acid Gambit if you are coming back from highly reduced training. This regimen is perfect and can be easily repeated based on your annual training schedule.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on instagram or email me at director@acidgambit.com

Something must be done. Go train.

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.

Happy Sunday. Hello everyone.

My previous post on purpose seemed to hit a chord with you. But as part of that purpose, you have to pick something to work towards, right?

Today’s post is a continuation of that.

I’ll kick it off with two bits of text that resonated with me recently:

and

To address the first - there was some confusion in the previous post about whether or not I derive happiness from fitness and exercise. I don’t aim to seek happiness in any endeavor. It tends to be a brief bi-product, but is not the sole goal. Seeking happiness in anything tends to put it on a pedestal, makes it an idol, and will soon fade when faced with constantly having to raise the bar.

The easy comparison is partying. First you only need a few drinks and friends, but now in my later 20’s it is evident how many people turned into drinking heavily, repeatedly, and don’t seem to derive much happiness from it at all.

The same applies to fitness. I derive purpose from being fit - being able to do the things that being fit allows me to do. Of course your endorphins rush when you work out. We feel GOOD. But that is fleeting, whereas the enjoyment of being an absolute UNIT is … forever.

The second, what if it all works out better than you could have imagined. I relate this most to the ability to just start training. Not thinking. Full sending every session you train. It’s not a question of if. It WILL work out if you put in the time on a long enough time horizon. And that brings us to the focus of today’s focus.

WINNING.

The goal of course is to WIN.

And maybe we should define that with a brief video:

Sound on.

This guy gets it. And that’s actually me. Secretly I’m a 5’6” skinny dude who loves basketball.

Anyway.

Winning is different for everyone. But we all know the feeling we get when we do win.

And it comes from purpose. And training is just the means to get there.

Today, that is embodied by the culmination of my last 3 years of work with Acid Gambit. A lot of time spent, a lot of training done, hundreds coached, thousands trained, and the refusal to stop.

That culmination comes in the form of the AG Studio App.

Something I am extremely proud of. This is a tool I built from the ground up. Every line of code written by me, Matt. Every program written by our resident stud, ultramarathoner, CrossFit coach Lee, and myself.

It’s one thing to build something cool (we did) and show it off. It’s another to build something with a real purpose that allows you to improve on what matters - purpose and WINNING.

And that’s why today I am extremely pumped to announce the release of the Studio App.

Thousands of workouts, daily WODs, daily training tracks to follow, and the support of Lee and myself.

Is it perfect? No. But that’s what makes me even more excited. I continue to great feedback and implement improvements that bring us back to the original goal: helping you WIN.

The AG Studio App and subscriptions are now live! If you have not logged in yet, head here first❗

Right now I am focusing on on-boarding you to the daily training or starting a program. I am going to continue to drop new programs, and have program requests available as well. We’ve reached 500 of you on there, and would love to cross 1k soon.

Happy Monday. Go train. Go subscribe.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback: do not hesitate to reach out to me here, on instagram, or email me at director@acidgambit.com

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.

❗Today we have an emergency❗

The AG App is back, and have now released elite daily training for you, completely free of charge.

These Daily functional workouts are written by our resident CrossFit coach and endurance athlete, Lee. The focus is on building a functional base around the core compound lifts, steady state endurance, and nasty heart pounders.

The general structure looks like:

• - Monday: Strength

• - Tuesday: High Intensity Intervals

• - Wednesday: METCON

• - Thursday: Steady State Cardio

• - Friday: Strength

• - Saturday: METCON

• - Sunday: Rest

Given it’s summer and many of us are busy, these are excellent as standalone training or as a complement to your current training schedule.

You can honestly get in ridiculous shape just following the daily programming. They’re simple, fun, and challenging. If you’ve never followed CrossFit style programming, I highly recommend you give this a try.

We currently have 370 users on the AG app, and I would love to get that number up to 1000.

You can check it out here. Again, the daily workouts are completely free and for your benefit. Start training now.

If you’re already a user in the app, send a link to your Mom, your girlfriend, and all your boys. It’s summer and there’s zero excuses. If you’re a PL/PSG/SL, make all your Soldiers login. Soon, I will release the official AG programs and shift all the focus there rather than hosting programs on gumroad.

Let’s train.

If you are confused on how to find the daily workouts (WODs), see below:

Hello all and Happy Tuesday.

This will be a bit of a different type of post than I’ve done in the past. But, it’s inspired by many conversations I’ve had with you all, and I’ll directly reference one (with permission of course).

One thing I find interesting is the amount of you that have experienced the ‘mid-20s slump’. I don’t know if it’s actually a slump - or just a weird point in life. Others may call it the quarter life crisis. So let me paint a picture:

• We go through high school - and often have a direct purpose from our surroundings - could be to escape that life, or sports, or to get into a good college, or to do anything. But more often than not we enter into an arrangement that is shaped by our upbringing and surroundings. Regardless, little thought is given to ‘why’ and much more to ‘what’ are we doing.

• We go though college (or whatever you did from 18-22) - in school, again little thought is given to why, it’s the what - which could be you joined a frat, did ROTC, went to West Point or military academy, played a sport, partied, cared about grades, were in a club, etc. Again, there is purpose that is more often derived from our surroundings, not our own free will.

• You start on your own - no longer supported by your parents, your college stipend, whatever. This may occur at 18 or 22. Regardless, now you’ve got to WORK. So again, little thought is given to why you’re doing something - now is the time to learn and actually start your life.

• After this, now you’ve been on your own for 1-5 years. Maybe it gets repetitive, you’re not making the progress you’re expecting, or even you’ve hit great success and you’re on a great path. Regardless, this is when the questions come in. This is also the stage that you all ask me questions (lol). Keep in my I’m barely 28 years old. But I’ve certainly navigated this myself, watched friends and family go through it, and now watched you all go through it. As a result I’ve picked up a few things I’d like to share here.

If it isn’t clear, the time we actually question why we’re doing whatever it is we’re doing doesn’t even happen until we’re around 23-26 years old. This makes sense logically. We basically spent our whole lives with an artificial purpose or were so wrapped up in doing things (whatever they are) we never bothered to wonder why.

Some of us are lucky to be in places we find a combination of meaning, income, and education that make us want to keep doing that thing. Others hit a period of questioning what we’re doing and have to make a decision.

Of course sometimes the best decision is none at all. Let it rest. Continue to work hard, train, and learn.

And I’m no career counselor. Rather, I want to bring this back to the conversation I had in an instagram DM at 10am on a Friday.

So, someone we’ll call JK comes to me with an absolute BOOK of a question. I’ll distinguish him from me with block quotes. Comments I’ve added to the actual discussion will be italicized that help add context.

RK:

I have a philosophical question if you'll entertain it.

So l've lived my life on both extremes of the health scale. I used to be a hyper fixated athlete doing half Ironmans, high level swim competitions, etc and working out for over 15-20 hours a week. I've also lived more hedonistic lifestyles, sometimes balanced sometimes not.

If the ultimate goal of life is happiness (and I'm curious what your take on that is too), how does one strike the balance between maintaining physical health and still doing things for fun that might be damaging to it?

I'm currently pretty invested in the raving scene so maybe 2-3 times a month l'll go to a festival or show and partake in things that are definitely damaging my physical health. But the experiences I have at these events honestly surpasses how I felt finishing my first half Ironman, even if they're objectively damaging in the long run. I also work out 4-5 times a week to try and minimize the impact of my hobby.

You live a significantly more straight edge lifestyle than me so Im very curious what your view on that balance and what it should look like is. I know you've touched on it in your substack but I wanted to reach out and see what motivates you to maintain a balance so excellently skewed towards physical health. I also wanted to ask if you ever feel like you're not missing out on once in a lifetime experiences that can only be experienced with psychedelics or things of that nature.

Matt:

My first response didn’t even address the question. I asked:

How old are you

This will help frame the discussion bc I could write a book on what you just prompted me with

RK:

Early 20’s

Matt:

Of course he’s early 20’s. There’s a VERY big difference between doing these things then vs doing them in your 30s.

Yea bro you're just figuring it out. A lot changes in your 20s

We should first address where you said:

"If the ultimate goal of life is happiness"

Be you asked me I will give you a straightforward and honest answer. This is what I know to be true, and don't expect you to agree with everything.

Life is not about happiness. Life is about pain, suffering, reward from struggle, pursuit of meaningful goals, and relationships (in love, in friendship, and with God).

I can dispute your statement from many angles:

1. Modern Philosophy: Emphasizes meaning, responsibility, and facing challenges over mere happiness.

2. Literature: Highlights the importance of suffering, sacrifice, and moral dilemmas in finding purpose.

3. Religion (mainly Christianity): Advocates for fulfilling God's will, serving others, and living according to Christian values.

And

4. my own experience. I think life is a serious endeavor. I have never once felt good the day after a rager. Getting blitzed, taking a girl home, the next feel like shit (both physically and in my core). I don't aim to feel "happy" I aim to feel centered, in control, and calm.

These are VERY different things. A byproduct of what I do often results in happiness. There is no way to describe the feeling of crushing a week of training, work, managing acid gambit, topping it off with a perfectly planned date that ends back at her place and head home in the morning. At some points I'm happy. Others I'm screaming, in pain, banging my head against the wall, smiling, etc. but when I look back i am fulfilled with what I did - that is JOY.

And that is different than being happy.

Philippians 4:4. Rejoice. The joy that Paul calls for is not a happiness that depends on circumstances but a deep contentment that is in the Lord, based on trust in the sovereign, living God, and that therefore is available always, even in difficult times.

Everywhere you look people are STRIVING to be happy when it's the complete wrong way to go about things.

It's so obvious. But it's like treating the symptom not the root cause. If you had chronic acne would you just put some ointment on it? Or go to a specialist to find out what hormonal changes are causing it?

In the same sense, a rave may make you happy. But it is FLEETING. You have to keep doing it. You get conditioned and need more and more to have the same feeling.

The only thing that matters is finding and pursing purpose in all aspects. Why do I need to be fit? It's not bc l'm

"straightedge". We have a moral responsibility to be in the best shape possible to protect those around us.

That fitness makes me sharper, better at work, more creative, and allows for nights out where I eat and drink whatever I want

Another one: at the 1963 National Prayer Breakfast, JFK quoted Reverend Phillips Brooks: "Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks."

RK:

I completely agree with this; you can't have the good without the bad in, well, anything.

This is some very thought provoking stuff, thank you for sharing. Gonna be rereading this a couple of times.

With regards to the happiness from raves being fleeting, doesn't that same thing apply to fitness? Any physical progress starts to decay after a couple days of being sedentary. Same way my love for the scene fades if I don't go to any shows for a while. Then once I hit the gym (or a show) again, the love for either is reinvigorated

And I do take genuine joy from attending festivals with my closest friends and having once in a lifetime experiences that l'll cherish for the rest of my life. Same way I took genuine joy in placing well in the triathlons l've done, or making it to state champs for swimming.

Spirituality has always been the one thing I've struggled with the most, and hearing you describe it makes me want to take another look at my stance towards it because make excellent

Points regarding it.

(In reference to point 4) I guess that's my main thing, is I've BEEN locked in for months if not years in the past and... I genuinely can't say if I was happier then or now (with a much more... indulgent lifestyle). I feel as though I had more balance back then, and now the lows are lower but the highs do feel much higher.

Thank you for giving me some excellent food for thought, i needed this.

Matt:

1. where did I say I derive happiness from exercise? Obviously I enjoy it, but the reason I do it is for its impact on my life, not the short lived endorphin rush (although it's a great benefit)

2. for the reason you described I think that's great. You're young and you should enjoy doing cool things with your friends. It becomes problematic when you're in your 30s and your only escape is drugs + parties. By that age you should have responsibility, ownership, control over your life and if you choose to go on an adventure it's supplementary to your purpose, a fun event but not your sole source of enjoyment.

RK:

Well my personal definition of joy is long term happiness/satisfaction, so when you say you derive joy from consistently crushing your fitness goals and making progress, l equate that to deriving happiness from exercise. I think your definition of joy has a heavier implication on purpose while mine factors in the endorphin rush moments more. I get where you're coming from though and l'd argue your definition is more sustainable and beneficial in the long run. I might need to rewrite mine...

(In reference to point 2) That's very true, l've already seen multiple friends succumb to the extremely slippery slopes of addiction in this scene.

Thank you for taking my age into account in this discussion, you're helping me shape longer term goals because everything you're saying is right. A lot of my friends in the scene are older than me (in their 30s) and as much as I love them, I do not want to be in their position when I hit that age milestone

Matt:

That's a really great way to break out our two differing views on joy. Mine is definitely influenced by a Christian upbringing. Consistently taught to have joy in faith, the Lord, and our work

Of course re-writing might be easier said than done! Lmao

Bottom line, all I would recommend is enjoy your time now, aim to build deep connections, and set a path for success over the next 10 years (that also allows for having the experiences you're currently having). I've founding have a 10 year roadmap is nice while not always sticking to it completely.

Saw this tweet that also relates. It's very simple and I try not to over complicate it:

RK:

Our conversation and this specifically is some of the best advice l've ever received, I see why you could write a book on this.

(In reference to tweet) This is beautiful, saving this to send it to my friends who are struggling with this right now.

And that was pretty much the end. I asked if I could share and anonymized his info. But I would not be surprised if many of you feel this way. Obviously not exactly the same, but trying to find a balance between things you enjoy and what you think you should be doing.

The main takeaway being: if you’re young you should enjoy your time. Obviously work hard, be fit, and learn as much as you can. But after that there is no reason to stress having adventures.

And the last note: I am no mentor and I don’t care if you liked this or not. I found it to be worth sharing and love having conversations like this.

I think it’s hilarious that he thought I was (am) straight-edge. Maybe I am. I just do what I want to do. I was never attracted to the festival/drug scene. Regardless, it’s almost a certainty all of us will go through a period in our early to mid 20s where we have questions similar to RK. The funny thing is no matter how much you think or try to plan it out, you will have to navigate it as time passes. As I’ve said before (MANY times) don’t let your 20s slip by wasting the peak time to build a base of physical strength and endurance. But ultimately that does not take that much time, and shouldn’t take away from the experiences you want to have.

Just don’t suck and be an athlete. END.

DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.