The Secret is There is NO Secret

You don't need a secret hack. You need to develop a positive, healthy lifestyle. One that includes simple, progressive habits that move the needle forward – a little bit – each day.

Begin the day with a brief movement practice.

Eat mostly whole, single ingredient foods, while prioritizing protein, fruits, and veggies.

Lift weights 3-6 days per week for around 20-40 minutes per session.

Get outside and take a walk every day (at least 30 minutes).

Do your best to get 7-8 hours of sleep (obviously, this is not always achievable in all situations, but prioritize sleep by setting an early bed time for yourself and your family).

Read good books. Good fiction. Useful non-fiction. Topics that interest you.

Do some sort of exercise each week for your brain. Puzzles, board games, card games, crosswords, etc. Even if it's online. I've been playing chess – poorly – online for a few minutes every day lately (chess.com). My wife and I have also taken an interest in re-learning Backgammon. I try to get some friends together to play mentally stimulating card games as often as possible (ideally, I'd get to do this each week, but lately that hasn't been the case).

Have good, quality conversations that make you feel full, or excited, rather than drained. Luckily for me, my clients fill this void for me most days at work, so even my job encourages me to have a healthy social life. 

Take a few proven, high return on investment supplements. Creatine, fish oil, a good multi vitamin (that contains zinc, magnesium, vitamin D, C, K2, B12, etc), maybe some solid hormone-supporting supplements (like boron, tongkat ali, ashwaganda, etc) and convenience supplements like whey protein powder and collagen powder. Whey protein definitely isn't necessary, but it's super convenient and helpful for achieving your protein goals. It's processed, of course, but is processed in a way that makes it the highest quality (by absorption rate) protein in existence. It’s an elite option as an on-the-go meal replacement or snack.

Then – and this is important – Repeat those general actions consistently for the rest of your life.

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If you need some guidance, here’s a 12 week program you can use. It gives you direct messaging to me for any questions, concerns, or suggestions, along with your workout for the day delivered with video demonstrations and an online log book to easily record and jot down what weights you did and for how many reps, along with any other comments you may want to include. www.trainerize.me/profile/benen/?planGUID=3858ac98c9544034aed3c08f9757eab6