Optimal Fitness Programming

Momentous, Eight Sleep

1: Plan Fitness Goals, S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Intermediate Goals, Dopamine, Identify Your “Defender”, Goal Timing

Multiple Goals, Synergistic Goals, Interference Effects

AG1 (Athletic Greens)

Physical Goal “Bins”, Specificity

Tool: #2: Identify Your “Defender”, Quadrant System, “Drop Everything and…”

InsideTracker

3: Goal Timeframe & Life Events; #4: Weekly Training Frequency

5: Exercise Selection, Progression

6: Exercise Order, Identify Friction

Exercise Timing & Sleep, Down Regulation, Caffeine

7: Intensity, #8: Volume, Progressive Overload, “Deloading”

9: Rest Intervals, #10: “Chaos Management”

Fitness, Health & Longevity Goals, Proprioception & Non-Structured Exercise

Tool: Year-Long Program Example for Overall Fitness

Tool: Overall Fitness Template by Quarter, Matching Goals & Seasons

Training & Life Challenges: Sleep, Illness

Tool: Program Flexibility, 3-Day Weekly Training Program

Physical Activity vs. Exercise

Tool:4-Day Weekly Training Program, Muscular Endurance

Tool: 5/6-Day Weekly Training Program, Recovery

Program Modification, Balancing Joy

Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Neural Network Newsletter

This podcast episode discussed the importance of having a plan for fitness and exercise, and how it can help you get more results in a shorter timeframe. Adherence and progressive overload are two key components of a successful fitness program, and fitness assessment can help you track your progress and determine what adaptations you need to focus on. It also discussed the importance of sleep and body temperature, and how to set SMART goals. It then discussed the dopamine system as a universal reward system for all goals, and how resistance training has built-in feedback in the form of the "pump". It also discussed how to combine goals that are close together on the list of nine adaptations, and how to increase recovery to reduce interference between goals. Finally, it discussed how to create a three-day-a-week or four-day-a-week program, and the importance of discipline and auto-regulation.

- Having a plan for fitness and exercise is more effective than not having a plan
- Having a plan can help you get more results in a shorter timeframe
- Adherence and progressive overload are two key components of a successful fitness program
- Fitness assessment can help you track your progress and determine what adaptations you need to focus on
- A plan can be as simple as a notebook to track what you did before and do a little bit more the next time

- Podcast is part of effort to bring zero cost information to the public
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- Balance exercises across the week, not necessarily within each workout
- Select exercises that you know how to execute and target any muscle group or movement you want to improve
- Progression strategy should be based on availability and restrictions
- Progression should be done in steps, starting with assistance and working up to speed and fatigue
- Progression can take anywhere from one session to two years, depending on background and comfort level

- Put the most important exercise first in the workout
- Decide which day of the week is most consistent for schedule and energy
- Consider combining fitness with social engagements
- Identify low and high friction days
- Do the things you love on the low friction days
- Consistency always beats intensity

- Training should be done 6 hours or more away from sleep time
- High intensity exercise should be done earlier in the day
- Caffeine should be consumed no later than 2 p.m.
- Caffeine can disrupt sleep architecture
- Down-regulation post-exercise can help with sleep
- Caffeine can have positive effects on mental and physical performance

- Increase intensity, load, volume, time under tension, frequency, rest intervals, or complexity of movement to progressively overload body
- Increase intensity or volume by no more than 10% per week
- Identify one or two meaningful variables to progress
- Take deloads every 4-8 weeks
- For strength, use 3x5 program with 3-5 sets, 3-5 reps, 3-5 minutes rest
- For hypertrophy, use 10-20 sets per muscle group per week, 6-30 reps, and rest intervals of 30 seconds to 3 minutes

- Decide on a goal and create a workout calendar
- Select exercises that balance across movement patterns and muscle groups
- Order exercises based on priority and determine volume, sets, and load
- Fill in rest intervals based on goal
- Consider chaos management and potential points of failure
- Take time to plan and organize before beginning the project
- Consider the project and the performance of the project as two separate tasks

- Program created to cover physical fitness parameters to maintain lifespan and wellness span
- Goals of program include looking a certain way, performing a certain way, and doing so across lifespan
- Need to control fat, have enough muscle, maintain range of motion, and have good VO2 max
- Get 5-30 minutes of sunlight or bright lights early in the day and avoid bright lights between 10pm and 4am
- Include at least one session per week of exercise that challenges proprioception

- 8-10 week training program
- January-March: add muscle mass and extra recovery
- April-June: get lean with hypocaloric eating and calorie restriction
- July-September: cardiovascular shape and high intensity interval training
- October-December: pure cardiovascular fitness and endurance training
- Increase calorie intake by 10-15% above baseline to build muscle
- Trail running is a good option for proprioceptive feedback during endurance phase
- Adjustments can be made to prioritize certain goals
- Sequence of program is important for eliminating bottlenecks and achieving adaptations

- Start the year with hypertrophy training for immediate results
- Emphasize sleep and get outside time in the form of a walk
- Structure training program into four quarters of 12 weeks each, with one week off at the end of each quarter
- Each quarter should focus on a different goal such as hypertrophy, fat loss, aerobic output, or endurance
- Include one to two days a week of lifting weights, two days a week of walking, and one day a week of an indoor sport
- Include one deload week halfway through each quarter and one full week off at the end of each quarter
- April to June: focus on getting leaner and more social interaction
- July to September: ramp up outdoor activities and sprint work

BULLET POINTS:
- Start the year with hypertrophy training for immediate results
- Emphasize sleep and get outside time in the form of a walk
- Structure training program into four quarters of 12 weeks each
- Each quarter should focus on a different goal such as hypertrophy, fat loss, aerobic output, or endurance
- Include one to two days a week of lifting weights, two days a week of walking, and one day a week of an indoor sport
- Include one deload week halfway through each quarter and one full week off at the end of each quarter
- April to June: focus on getting leaner and more social interaction; July to September: ramp up outdoor activities and sprint work

- If feeling poorly due to lack of sleep, train if in a phase of training trying to cause adaptation
- If feeling like one might be getting ill, use restorative training such as moderate weights, swimming at 70%, or hot water immersion
- If already ill, shut it down and get rest; may use hot water immersion, ice, or sleep

- System can be modified to prioritize individual goals
- Three-day-a-week workout program can cover 75-80% of nine training adaptations
- Day one: Speed and power followed by hypertrophy
- Day two: Strength followed by high heart rate
- Day three: Steady state, long duration endurance
- Workouts should last 45 minutes or less

- Assess and identify a training goal using the SMART system (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely)
- Consider constraints such as age, training experience, and time available when setting a goal
- Make the goal slightly unrealistic to provide motivation
- Consider using fitness to enhance sleep, work productivity, or other goals
- Consider the dopamine system as a universal reward system for all goals

- Aim for 150-200 minutes of low intensity cardio per week
- Differentiate between physical activity and exercise
- Physical activity can include walking, taking the stairs, parking farther away, etc.
- Structured exercise should be supplemented with physical activity
- Exercise snacks are a good way to add physical activity to your routine

- Three-day-a-week protocol for those with limited time for exercise
- Four-day-a-week protocol for those with more time for exercise
- Day one: Strength and hypertrophy training with 5-10 reps
- Day two: Long duration restorative exercise
- Day three: Muscular endurance training with 11-30 reps
- Day four: Medium intensity exercise with intervals and max heart rate
- Flexibility to move workouts around as needed
- Muscular endurance training is often overlooked but effective for hypertrophy

- Recommendation to collapse off days and cycle through a 3-day-a-week program in 6 days
- Program covers all 9 major adaptations to exercise
- Discipline needed to stick to the program and not add extra sets
- Avoid pushing too hard on muscular endurance
- Avoid overtraining and potential progress issues

- Have a program and stick to it, making changes only when necessary
- Listen to your body and assess why you are making changes
- Consider auto-regulation as a style of periodization and program design
- Don't be too rigid with your program, allowing for occasional changes
- Balance joy and life, making sure physical activity is fun
- Training with others can be beneficial, but don't overdo it

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- Dopamine system responds best to signals that progress is being made towards a goal
- Resistance training has built-in feedback in the form of the "pump"
- Intermediate goals should be set depending on the ultimate goal
- Estimate what can be achieved in a year, not a week
- Identify what is stopping you from achieving the goal and work backwards
- Split the goal into smaller, achievable chunks over time
- Fat loss is a by-product of other adaptations

- Goals that are more specific and precise will be achieved faster
- Combining goals that are close together on the list of nine adaptations is more compatible than goals further apart
- Low intensity activities that don't impede recovery can be included as parallel goals
- Exercise choice can affect interference between goals, with low impact activities being less likely to interfere
- Increasing recovery can help to reduce interference between goals

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- The speaker has been taking Athletic Greens since 2012
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- Adaptogens are important for recovering from stress, exercise, work, or life
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- Most people have one of three goals when it comes to working out: aesthetic changes, functionality, and longevity
- Bin A: Gain muscle in specific places, lose fat, and do it in a way that also provides some boost to their health span and longevity
- Bin B: Build more muscle and strength, don't damage health, but not focus on health in the immediate term
- Bin C: Do endurance type activities and feel strong doing it, with attention to skill
- Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely

- Identify what is stopping you from hitting your goals
- Use the quadrant system to identify where you are distributing energy
- Recovery should be at least half of fitness allocation
- Redistribute numbers on a list through concrete action
- Create a “drop everything and blank” list of non-negotiable rules
- Print the list and put it in two places: phone background and place of failure
- Have someone to hold you accountable to the list

Bullet Points:
- Analyze personal history and forecast to identify obstacles to reaching goals
- Utilize the quadrant system to assess energy distribution (10 points total across 4 categories: business, relationships, fitness, and recovery)
- Make sure recovery is at least half of fitness allocation
- Take concrete action to redistribute numbers on a list
- Create a “drop everything and blank” list of non-negotiable rules
- Post list in two places: phone background and place of failure
- Find an accountability partner to ensure adherence to list

- InsideTracker is a personalized nutrition platform that analyzes data from your blood and DNA to help you better understand your body and reach your health goals.
- Blood tests and DNA tests can provide information about various levels of lipids, hormones, and metabolic factors, but InsideTracker makes it easy to know what to do with that information.
- InsideTracker provides personalized plans with do's and don'ts, nutritional changes, and supplementation to bring levels into optimal ranges.
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- Identify a realistic timeframe for goal accomplishment and plan training around life events
- Lay out a physical calendar and note down important deadlines, holidays, trips, etc.
- Choose the number of days per week and length of time for training that can be realistically achieved
- Structure gives freedom - create restrictions to narrow down options for training style

Dr. Andy Galpin: Optimize Your Training Program for Fitness & Longevity | Huberman Lab Guest Series