1) Skip cardio. Cardio is great for general health, but it’s not going to help you pack on muscle. You need to prioritize strength training over cardio.

2) Prioritize protein If you want to build muscle, you need eat a lot of protein. Aim for 1g per pound of body weight, every day.

3) Prioritize sleep If you’re not sleeping enough, you’re going to struggle to build muscle. Aim for 7 hours of sleep per night, and make sure it’s high-quality.

4) Train with intensity You need to train hard. Aim to get to 1-2 reps short of failure on each exercise you do. (Meaning you could only do one or two more reps before failing)

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5) Eat after you train Your post-workout meal matters. That’s when your body is primed to absorb nutrients and start the repair process. Focus on: • 30–50g high-quality protein • A source of carbs (like fruit or rice) • Hydration (with electrolytes if possible) It’s a

6) Follow a program You can go to the gym and do random exercises and see results. But if you want to maximize your results you need to follow a plan that’s going to get you to your goal quickly and effectively.

7) Stay hydrated Aim for 2-3 liters every day. Your body needs water to function properly. Bonus points if you filter your water and add minerals to it.

8) Manage your stress levels. Stress impacts insulin, testosterone, and many other hormones in the body. All of this will blunt your ability to put on muscle. Make stress management part of your daily routine.

9) Change your identity. Your identity directly impacts your actions. Decide who you want to become and figure out what that person would do. Act accordingly.

10) Prioritize high-quality fats. Don’t fear fat. You need it. The cells of your body are made from fat — so keep them high quality. Prioritize: • Eggs • Fatty fish • Avocados • Raw dairy • Grassfed butter

11) Do enough volume. You need to train enough to trigger a muscle-building response. Aim for 10 sets per muscle group per week.

12) Eat nutrient-dense foods. These are foods that are packed with vitamins and minerals. E.g. • Fruit • Meat • Vegetables Stay away from anything processed. It might be high-calorie, but it’s going to make you feel like crap and it’s going to wreck your body.

13) Keep it simple. Focus on the fundamentals. You don’t need crazy workouts, fad diets, or expensive supplements. You need to nail the basics day in and day out.

14) There’s no “optimal” diet. The optimal diet is the one that you can stick to long term that's going to get you closer to your goal. Find a way of eating that's going to be sustainable long-term. Don't follow the latest trends.

15) Progressive overload is king. If you’re not constantly improving, you’re not going to grow and you’re not going to get any closer to your goals. Make sure you're regularly increasing the amount of weight you're lifting.

16) You can lift heavier than you think. Building on the last point, your mind is what’s going to give out first. Override your mind telling you to stop, and lift a heavier weight. This is how you'll see massive progress.

17) The hardest part is starting. Starting a gym program. Starting your workout. Starting a diet. Once you’ve started, it’s easy. Get over that initial hump.

18) Don’t rely on motivation. Motivation is fleeting. Rely on discipline. Show up every single day no matter how you feel.

19) Determine your goal. Don’t just blindly follow a plan without knowing what you’re aiming for. Always know what you're optimizing for. Know where you're going.

20) If you’re too tired to go to the gym, you need to go to the gym. Inactivity is a vicious cycle that’s just going to make you more tired. Move your body.

21) Hit the gym 3x a week. Train your whole body each of those days. That way, you’re hitting each muscle group 3 times each week. This is more than enough to see good progress.

22) Take progress photos. It’s too easy to forget how far we’ve come. Seeing how much progress you’ve made will 10x your motivation to continue. Take progress photos now, and then every month.

23) Follow the 2-day rule. Missing one day is okay. But you can never miss twice. Consistency is king.

24) Track your lifts. You need to write down everything. How much weight you’re lifting, how many reps you did, how it felt. Always push for more next time.

25) Minimize alcohol consumption. It wrecks your sleep, sabotages your muscle gain efforts, and leads to many other unhealthy habits. If you want to see good results, you need to cut back on (or completely eliminate) alcohol.

26) A workout doesn’t need to be perfect to be worthwhile. You just need to show up every day. Get rid of the mindset that every workout has to be great. You see results from consistency, not perfection.

27) You don’t need to eat healthfully 100% of the time. Aim for 80% and you’ll be fine. If you eat nutrient-dense meals 80% of the time, the odd piece of cake isn't going to have any impact on your results.

28) Get into the habit of meal prepping. When you have healthy meals ready to go, you’re way less likely to eat junk food. Set yourself up to win by spending 1-2 afternoons each week prepping your meals.

29) If you struggle to get your workouts in, do them first thing in the morning. This will guarantee they get done, no matter what else comes up that day.

📌 Staying on track with nutrition can be challenging when you eat out a lot. So, I put together a cheat sheet for my clients on the top 50 North American restaurants and takeout places, and identified the 2 healthiest menu options available. If you'd like a copy, you can