Weak Mind = Weak Body (and other aphorisms)

Health is head game. Your body can’t go where your mind won’t take it.

In this post I detail my Top 9 aphorisms to help you think better about your health and fitness.

Values > Goals

• What we value gets done first.
• We say health goals are important but then try to “fit it in” after work and family commitments.
• Men value protecting and providing for their families, and will do so at the expense of their health.
• TIP: If you value your health, you will see this prioritized on your shopping list (nutrition) and calendar (exercise).

Mind > Body

• Strength is born in the mind and shown by the body.
• When your mind is telling you that you’re done, your body is only 40% done (the Navy Seal rule).
• Your mind lies about your health and makes the perfect the enemy of the good.
• TIP: Learn the difference between what your body is telling versus what your mind is telling you.

Process > Outcomes

• Outcomes are results bounded in time (ie an event or SMART goal).
• Process is what you repeatedly do to achieve an outcome.
• Being healthly is a on-going process, not a one-time event.
• TIP: Set process goals (eat 1 salad and walk 10K steps daily) instead of outcome goals (i.e. lose 15 lbs).

Habits > Hacks

• The internet wants you to fear you are missing out on “one weird trick”.
• Consistent habits are the “secret” to self-mastery of health and fitness.
• Losing weight requires only 1 daily habit and getting strong requires only 1 weekly habit.
• TIP: What gets measured gets done. Use smartphone apps to track your nutrition and workouts.

Experimentation > Fear

• Type-A people often fear doing something “sub-optimal”.
• You don’t need permission to try something new.
• Everyones body and health psychology is unique: what works for someone else may not work for you.
• TIP: Try “mini-projects”. Every 4–6 weeks try out a new recipe or exercise. You might just like it. If not, move on.

Sleep > Supplements

• Don’t major in the minors. Supplements are bullshit.
• Sleep has profoundly beneficial effects on your endocrine (hormonal) systems.
• Sleep is as important to your health as good nutrition and being fit.
• TIP: Bedroom temperature matters more than light or time for a good nights sleep according to research.

Intensity > Duration

• Human DNA is encoded to thrive when presented with a challenge.
• Two of the most effective challenges are sprinting and lifting heavy objects.
• Jogging for longer durations produces proportionally fewer positive adaptations (diminishing returns).
• TIP: As little as 6 minutes a week of interval and weight training has been shown to make a big improvements in health.

Training > Exercise

• Exercise and training are two different things.
• Any exercise is of course better than sitting on your ass.
• Training (progressive overload) will produce 2–3X more results than repeating the same exercise routine over and over.
• TIP: There are tons of free training programs on the internet that can improve your speed or strength. Pick one and try it for 6 weeks.

Simple > Complex

• Complexity is interesting. Simplicity is boring.
• Our search for complex solutions is often a disguised search for “easier” and can result in “analysis paralysis”.
• The truth is, fundamentals work.
• TIP: Mom was right. Eat your vegetables. Play outside with your friends.

Originally published at https://thehealthyexec.com on May 1, 2019.