I was talking to a client the other day who asked me how I stayed motivated to hit the gym consistently and my answer to him might shock you.

90% of the time I'm not motivated to hit the gym at all.

Like a lot of people, I would much rather sit on a couch and do nothing.

But...

I know how I'll feel after I'm done with that gym session. I know I've never regretted a workout especially on days I don't feel like it.

I also know how I'll feel if I give into laziness and the second-order consequences that come with that.

The truth is I don't play mental gymnastics with myself anymore when it comes to showing up for important things in life.

I commit to showing up and doing the work.

That's the secret to any level of success you want either with your body or anything in life.

The first step to getting what you want is just showing up. Once you're there do something productive.

If you can commit to that then the rest usually takes care of itself.

That being said...

Here Is Your 4 Minute Friday:

1. The One-Minute Brain Hack For Desk Workers

Desk jobs have been the best and worst thing to happen to society.

They're great because we don't have to tend to fields anymore or do extensive manual labor.

They suck because they made us sedentary, which impacts both our brains and bodies.

The good news is that you only need one minute to fix things in the right direction.

A ​​recent study​​ came out that wanted to see what would happen if a desk worker did squats during their work day.

One group did one minute of half squats for every 20 minutes of sitting. The other group did nothing.

After the 3 hours were up they found the cognitive ability of the squatting group to be 5-11% faster than the sitting group.

Now, if you don't like squatting you don't need to squat.

I've found that a brisk walk outside for at least 15 minutes for every hour of working can do wonders for your brain.

Either way, if you sit at a desk exercise needs to be a mandatory part of your day or suffer the consequences.

2. A Bedtime Snack That Won't Make You Fat

Eating at night has to be one of the top 10 reasons why people gain weight. But what if I told you that there's something you could eat that would help you become leaner?

Researchers gathered up a few weight-training women for this study​.

In one condition the women consumed a 30-gram casein protein shake during the day.

In the other condition, they consumed the shake 30 minutes before bed.

The results? They found the protein group did not blunt lipolysis (fat burning) leading them to say,

“Essentially, you can eat protein before bed and not disturb fat metabolism.”

A ​related study on male lifters​ found that those who consumed 28 grams of casein protein before bed gained more muscle and had better protein synthesis than the control group.

This is a hack I do with clients if they suffer from nighttime munchies.

If they're feeling a craving I have them drink a protein shake.

The protein and water help blunt appetite while being a net positive for muscle building.

If you suffer from late-night eating this is worth giving a shot.

3. Marathon Monks

You've heard of David Goggins. Meet the Marathon Monks.

Deep in the mountains of Japan, there is an ancient sect of Buddhist monks who believe running a 7-year ultramarathon is the path to enlightenment.

This is called Kaihōgyō and it is known as the longest most dangerous ultramarathon in the world.

Over 7 years each participant must cover:

• 25 miles a day for 100 days for the first three years.
• 25 miles a day for 200 days for years four and five.
• 37 miles a day for 100 days in year six.
• And 52 miles a day for 100 days followed by 25 miles a day for another 100 days in year seven (!!)

That's not all.

The only shoes they can wear are sandals made from woven rope and their only protection from the elements is a hat made from woven wood. By the time one has completed the Kaihōgyō, they have covered a distance greater than the circumference of the Earth. Western endurance athletes have tried to train with them. None lasted more than a few days.

There's nothing educational about this one. I just thought it was super interesting.

You can read more about them here​.

Client Of The Week - Marcela W, Entrepreneur

Marcela is an entrepreneur who wants to fit back into her old clothes and have more energy.

Her biggest struggles were eating sweets and getting unmotivated when she didn't see results.

In a full year, she's dropped 53 pounds, upgraded her energy levels, and is fitting back into her old pants again!

Our strategy:

• Adopted a flexible diet she'd be able to drop weight while eating her favorite foods.
• She switched up her workouts from cardio to lifting so she could maintain her metabolism while getting lean.
• Instead of running, we walked 10k steps every day, which also helped with stress levels and cognitive function.

Obviously, there's more but those are some of the big changes we made and they worked like a charm.

Here's what Marcela had to say about the coaching:

 
If you're an entrepreneur who wants to be confident in your body and increase energy in a way that fits your busy life click here for a strategy call.​ 

One Quote to Finish Your Week Strong

Every day we're writing chapters in the book of our lives. Each action is a reflection of the story you tell yourself.

If you don't like how the story looks then start changing your actions.

- Dan

When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help:

1. The Lean Body 90 System: When you’re ready to get in great shape, Lean Body 90 is the obvious choice. You can get in great shape and reach your fitness goals in just 90 minutes a week. Lose weight and build muscle even without hours in the gym or highly restrictive diets. Join 1000+ students here.

2. Are you an entrepreneur who wants to get lean, boost energy, and get in your best shape? Apply for private one-on-one coaching here.

3. Promote yourself to 204,000+ subscribers​ by sponsoring this newsletter.