Happy Friday Dumbbellers! Dumbbellians? We’ll keep workshopping that.

Welcome back to the Daily Dumbbell, the newsletter that has you strutting into the office with your Tom Fords on blasting Takeover by Jay Z into your ear holes.

That’s a Succession reference btw. Kendall Roy might be a complete fuckup moron but he’s an icon.

Today, we’re going to unveil the Daily Dumbbell Blueprint! Based on the Bryan Johnson’s insane Iron Man like protocol for his health, we decided to give you a plan that’s a little more practical.

Let’s dive in!

No Billy? No Problem:
The Daily Dumbbell Blueprint

(For the Average Joe & Jane)

Channeling our inner tech billionaire, we've concocted a game plan that zeroes in on five pillars for achieving peak health and longevity, without going bonkers.

Bryan Johnson's blueprint, found here, is a wild ride. Imagine chugging 100+ supplements and sticking to rules tighter than a Dwayne Johnson T Shirt.

Sure, it might work for him, but let's be real... it’s just not groovy. So, we pondered - what would this look like for us mere mortals? You know, those of us without a $100 million cushion, who still enjoy actual food.

Well, strap on your hard hat, snatch those rolled-up blueprints from the bucket, and start gesturing vaguely at the horizon because we're about to unveil our very own health and wellness Blueprint.

Blueprint 101: What You Need to Know

Each pillar will have 3 levels so you can work on improvement no matter where you’re starting from. The goal isn’t to get to 100% optimization. It’s to meet yourself where you and get a little better.

Level 1:  

Sleep: Get enough sleep.

• That’s going to be 7-9 hours for like 90% of people.

• The number of people who need less than 6 hours is under 1%. As Dr. Matthew Walker said: “It’s basically a rounding error”. Some people are mutants and don’t need sleep. You are not.

Workout: Lift weights 3x/wk

• There’s debate in the industry as to what matters more; lifting vs cardio. It’s likely 1A and 1B. Cardio will help you live longer, lifting will give you a better quality of life.

• So level 1 is resistance training.

• Are you surprised the Daily Dumbbell is biased on this? Also if you’re just starting you’re less likely to get injured/give up if you focus on lifting instead of jogging.

Nutrition: Eat the right amount of calories

• Find your maintenance calories. 10-15% more to bulk, 10-15% less to cut.

• If you aren’t gaining or losing, you’re in maintenance. Voila!

• Tracking macros is an advanced strategy, but beginners gravitate to it for some reason. Don’t fall into that trap.

Movement: Get 10k steps

• That can be going for a long walk, but preferably, it will be changing your habits/lifestyle to become someone who moves more.

• Take the stairs, park further away, chase your dog around. Etc. Movement because it feels good. Not because it’s required.

Supplements: Creatine & Multivitamin

• Every week there’s a new study showing new and exciting potential benefits for creatine intake. You’ll lift more, bike farther, run faster. Don’t think about it just do it.

• If you don’t eat enough fruit/veg, make sure you’re taking a multi.

Level 2:

Sleep: Consistency & the 10-3-2-1-0 Rule. (Yoinked that one from Bryan.)

• Stick to your sleep schedule 7 days a week. Same bedtime, same wake up with very little variation.

• 10 hours before bed: no more caffeine

• 3 hours before bed: no more food or water

• 2 hours before bed: no more work

• 1 hour before bed: no more screen time

• 0: number of times you hit snooze in the morning

*Don’t let this stress you out. If you’re working right up to bedtime now, add a 30 minute cushion. No food or water an hour before bedtime is fine. See how that feels and go from there.

Guidelines > Rules

Workout: Conditioning work

• Running, biking, pushing a sled, met cons. Whatever works for you. Get your heart rate up for a couple hours a week.

• It’s clear that cardio is incredibly important for heart health. But it will also help you lift more weight, recover faster, and feel better overall.

• 120-150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous. A mix is fine.

Nutrition: Hit macros for performance & body composition.

• Once you have your calories down, you’ll want to eat the optimal amount of protein and carbs for your goals.

• Try to get a serve of veg with each meal and 1-2 pieces of fruit per day as well.

• If you hit your calories, get the right amount of protein and eat 5 serves of fruit and veg (total) each day. You’re 90%+ of the way there.

Movement: Prioritizing Mobility & Movement

• This can be yoga, or it can be a mobility practice.

• Get up & move. Our society has made it so easy to sit for hours and hours all day every day. Try to undo this as much as you can.

Supplements: Patching individual gaps

• Get some bloodwork done and see if you’re deficient in any of the basics. You might be surprised what you find.

• Blue light blocking glasses. Supplement? No. Supplemental? Yes.

Level 3:

A quick word: This isn’t necessarily the goal. Level 3 is only showing you what seems to be most optimal based on the research. You might take a few things here and there from level 3, but don’t try to make level 3 where you live.

You likely won’t have a great time.

Sleep: Become a Sleepasaurus

• 10-3-2-1-0 Rule

• Consistent sleep schedule every day

• Use a dawn alarm clock so you aren’t woken up by jarring sounds

• Night mode on electronics after sun down.

• Accessories: Blackout curtains, a ChiliSleep Pad, Blue Light blocking glasses before bed.

Expert Advice: Dr Matthew Walker - Here

Workout: Push Yourself

• This will be highly individual and it will depend on what you enjoy and what your goals are.

• We will come out with a Daily Dumbbell blueprint workout in the next few weeks so you can see an example of what that could look like for you.

*There is a clear longevity advantage to being strong and having a low resting HR. But you can go too far with it. Elite athletes don’t tend to live the longest and that’s because there’s a price to pay for their elite performance.

The top powerlifters have to have hips and knees replaced. There’s evidence to show that marathons/iron man/100 mile races aren’t the best for our bodies long term.

Expert Advice: Brad Schoenfeld, Gabby Reece, Alan Aragon

Nutrition: Eat the rainbow

• Most of us when it comes to veggies eat the same 3-5 each week. When’s the last time you grabbed something different? Have you had something from each color ROYGBP this week?

• Do what you can. Kelly Starrett has the 800g per day rule. 800g by weight of fruit/veg however you get there is up to you.

• A better strategy would be to assess where you are now. 200g a day? Those are rookie numbers! Let’s bump those up to 400g a day.

Expert Advice: Stephen Guyenet - Here

Movement: Become a Supple Leopard

• Good posture, flexibility, the ability to take off running if you need to without immediately pulling a hammy. One of the most common injuries for older people happens when stepping off a stair or curb. Head that off early.

• Standing desks, daily mobility, a weekly yoga class, regular massages. Set goals and reach them.

Expert Advice: Follow Kelly Starrett for more on this

Supplements: A glimpse into the future

• We’re getting closer and closer to individual treatment every year and it seems like Bryan’s journey is going to speed that process up.

• NAD+ IV treatments are already under $100 a pop and they seem to have an impact on at least one aspect of longevity, telomere length.

• Hormone Replacement Therapy: has been gaining popularity for years now and is something that seems like a no brainer now. If you no longer have to suffer from low test after 40 or fluctuating hormone levels post menopause, why would you?

Quote: “What the rich nerds are doing on the weekends, everyone will be doing in 5-10 years.”

There’s a lot of that going on in the health and longevity space so there’s a lot to keep an eye on.

We’ve got your back! We’ll make sure to tell you about all the exciting new developments as they break and help you sift through what’s actionable, and what’s just more noise.

That’s more than enough for a Friday!

Hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletters. Have a fantastic weekend and come back Monday for another exciting adventure into the world of fitness.

Pillar 2: Workouts

Step 1: Resistance Training

• There’s debate in the industry as to what matters more; lifting vs cardio. It’s likely 1A and 1B. Cardio will help you live longer, lifting will give you a better quality of life.

• You’re reading the Daily Dumbbell.

• Lifting weights 3x/week is a good place to start.

1. Cardio

2. Putting it All Together

Pillar 3: Nutrition

1. Calories

2. Nutrients

3. Body Comp

Pillar 4: Movement

1. Steps

2. Mobility

Pillar 5:

1. Creatine & Multivitamins

2. Patching any gaps

3. The future of this shit

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