Hey Legacy Lifters,

Welcome to another edition of The Standard: The Disciplined Road To Building Stronger Kingdom Men.

It's not enough to wait until the time is right to start getting ready.

If you're waiting to get ready, it might be too late when your opportunity comes.

The standard is to stay ready: physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Neither one is enough on its own. Yet it's also impossible to have one without the other.

If you're ready to stretch yourself to a higher standard, stick around to answer that call alongside other growth minded men looking to do the same.

All it takes is one decision to change the future for yourself and your family.

Read it. Pick one thing that resonates. And go take action on it ⬇️

💪 BUILD [Complete Health and Fitness Checklist]

What really matters when you want to be healthy and fit on a busy schedule?

Have you ever felt like there is way too much 'noise' in the health and fitness space?

Everywhere you look, there's conflicting information and someone declaring that their way is the best way.

If you get caught up in that noise, you begin to overanalyze or freeze altogether on just taking action.

My goal is to simplify a lot of the noise.

I've spent a LOT of years, research, experimentation, (and failed a ton) to eventually find what really works for myself and so many others.

If you're unsure of where to start, just start with one thing below that you're not currently doing. 

And then do another. And another. Until you're more healthy and fit then you were before.

These aren't the flashy Instagram reels or things that will go viral on TikTok.

But they work, they've stood the test of time, and they're something you can do even when you're busy:

1️⃣ Exercise 🏋️‍♀️🏃‍♂️

✅ Strength Train 2-3x/Week: This is the number one thing I would argue you MUST do if your goal is to age well and look your best

• Choose 2 main compound lifts each workout and 2 main accessory movements
• Rest at least one day in between workouts, you get stronger as you recover
• Go relatively heavy and hit both upper and lower body lifts each day

✅ Cardio (It Takes Less Than You Think)

• If you want to lose weight/burn fat: focus on low intensity movement such as walking (8-10k steps per day), hiking, or a sport you enjoy
• If you want to generally be healthy: focus on Zone 2 Cardio (a calculated heart rate of around 180-Your Age). This is usually a lower intensity than you think. 120 minutes a week is a good starting point if your schedule allows.
• If you want to be more athletic and lean up: run some hill sprints or sprint type efforts every week (keep this less than 10 minutes not counting your warm up)
• Cardio CAN hurt your body composition and ability to build muscle if done too much or done incorrectly. Stay away from frequent high intensity workouts

2️⃣ Nutrition 🍎🥑🥩🥦

✅ Quality

• Focus on minimally processed foods that work for your body and your digestion 
• Generally speaking, a diet that consists primarily of meats, fruits, and veggies is one that you probably can't go wrong with
• Shop local, organic, and choose foods that are in season when possible

✅ Quantity

• If you want to lose weight, you need to be in a slight caloric deficit
• If you have a lot of weight to lose, you can be in a slight caloric deficit and still build muscle
• If you're already fairly lean, it's going to be hard to lose weight and put on muscle simultaneously. Alternate between slight calorie surplus to put on muscle and slight calorie deficits to lose fat
• Prioritize Protein (aim for 0.8-1.0 grams per pound of body weight) and fill in the rest with carbs and fats that work for you
•  Fiber Focus: consume 14g of fiber per 1,000 calories

✅ Hydration

•  1 oz per pound of bodyweight is thrown around a lot out there, but it might not be necessary. Aim for ~6-8 oz every hour your awake before dinner time and you'll probably be just fine
• Add electrolytes to your water to make sure you're actually staying hydrated and not just peeing it right out

✅ Food Hygiene

• Don't eat with distractions (put your phone away, turn the TV off, no eating breakfast in the car)
• Actually chew your food and slow down how long it takes to finish a meal
• Eat until 80% full (not until your stuffed)

3️⃣ Stress 🧘

• Stress will spike your cortisol, which will wreck havoc on testosterone and your ability to lose fat
• Practice deep breathing throughout the day
• Limit use of your phone or work first thing in the morning and later at night
• Spend more time around people you like
• Try journaling or meditation to help get out of your head

4️⃣ Sleep 😴

• Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep when possible. This is a little person to person dependent, but you probably need more than you think you do (and you won't know until you try it)
• Don't forget about quality of sleep. Sleep in a cool/dark room, limit screen time close to bed, avoid caffeine within 8 hours of bed time (or remove it all together), don't eat too close to bed time

Click here to set up a call if you have any questions on how to optimize your health, drop body fat, and get strong and muscular on a busy schedule

🧠 RENEW [Stay The Course]

Are you staying in the game long enough to be great?

Make sure you stay with 'it' long enough to be great (whatever 'it' is for you)

Too many people jump from thing to thing, and don’t stay with their goals or their craft long enough to reach a level of excellence.

This is especially true with people I get to work with that want to burn fat, build muscle, and get healthy.

Most people I talk to just don't stay with it long enough to get the results they really desire.

You’ll rarely be great at anything you’re first time doing it.

And it's unrealistic to think progress will always be easy or predictable.

It's okay if...

• You don't immediately lose weight when you start eating healthier
• You don't get stronger each workout
• You get bored from time to time with eating healthy or working out
• You slip up on your diet or getting to the gym from time to time

However, it's not okay if...

• You get discouraged and give up
• You jump from new program to new program or new diet to new diet anytime it gets a little challenging or you don't see quick results
• You get off track with your diet or workouts AND you stay off track (AKA having a 'screw it' mentality)

The goal is consistency, not perfection.

I haven't had a single client that didn't eventually get to their goals when they decided to stay the course.

Don't mistake doing something 'new' with actual progress.

More often than not trying something new is a distraction or form of procrastination.

Stay in the game long enough to see results.

⚔️ TRANSFORM [You're Never Ready]

Do you ever feel like you're not ready to take the next step towards a greater life?

Anytime God calls you to something bigger, you better believe there is going to be some doubt rising up.

Maybe there is a new job or business you feel you need to step into, a new health and fitness goal you're ready to finally get serious about, or you're transitioning into being a husband or a father for the first time.

Or maybe you're revamping a newsletter and not sure if you're really qualified to be writing about things 'outside your lane' (asking for a friend on this one 🤫)

Anything that calls you to a higher standard and higher purpose will be met with resistance.

In 1 Samuel 9-10, the prophet Samuel is anointing Saul to be king of Israel.

Outwardly this dude was the total package - he looked the part and had all the pieces to be a great king.

But inwardly he was plagued with the same doubts we all have as men.

Have you ever tried to look like you have it all together on the outside when inside you're battling with a lack of confidence?

If you're a man, I'm sure you can relate (or maybe it's just me 🙋🏻‍♂️)

When told he was chosen to be king, he replied:

"But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?"

Basically he was finding all the reasons why he wasn't qualified to be king.

If you go looking for all the reasons you can't do something you better believe that you'll be sure to find them.

When it was time to publicly make him king, they called on Saul to come forward to make it official...and Saul was nowhere to be found.

Then it says: So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”

And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.”

When his number was called, he was literally hiding.

It can be intimidating in your biggest moments to choose to stay where it's comfortable.

Where it's familiar.

You might have a big and clear call on what you should be doing next. Maybe you know exactly where God is leading you.

Or maybe it's a tiny stirring in your heart. Something you feel like you need to do but you're not sure why.

Whether it's a big and exciting vision, or something as small as a nudge to eat healthier or get back in the gym - it's normal for fear and doubt to step in. 

How will you choose to respond when God calls you to something bigger?

Will you choose to hide and list out all the reasons why you can't, why the time isn't right, or worry about what people think?

Or will you decide to rise up and let God transform you into the type of person who can handle something better?

Be The Standard,

Dave