Daily Burn Health & Fitness

10/01/2026

How many people actually keep their New Year’s Resolutions?

It’s the same old story every year. You probably see it at your local gym or pool. There’s a mad rush of new folks from about January 1-14th, and then it quickly peters out as people give up and fall back into old patterns.

Did you know that 40-50% of people make New Year’s resolutions, but only 9% keep them?

Success Rates:

First week- 23% of people quit during the first week in January
First month- 64% give up by the end of the month
First few months- The average resolution lasts under 4 months
First year- Only 9% successfully stick with their resolution the whole year
People make the same resolutions each year and hope for a different result. But…

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”- Rita Mae Brown

If you want to enact change in your life- real, meaningful, sustainable change- then keep reading.

What’s the problem with New Year’s Resolutions?

One of the issues with New Year’s resolutions is the idea that the you on January 1st will be different than the you that you were on December 31st.

I understand the appeal. You want a fresh start, a clean slate. The turning of the page on the calendar seems to somehow erase who you were in the past and provides a hopeful outlook for a bright, shiny future.

But here’s the truth: There’s only one day in your life when your past is forgotten, you’re forgiven, and made new, and that doesn’t happen on January 1st. (I mean it could… but that’s not the point.)

Problem #1- Waiting until the new year to make a change, instead of doing it when you recognize you need a change

Waiting to make a change until a random day arrives on a calendar is a stall tactic. If you want to make a change, you can do so on March 6th or June 12th, just the same. This becomes a problem when the magical timeline contributes to a “pass or fail” mentality.

“If I don’t keep my resolution every day starting on January 1st, then the streak is broken and I’ve failed!”

I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I was 100% successful at something the first time I tried. Part of realistic goal-setting is having the ability to be flexible and understand that just because you backslide or fall into old patterns, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It’s just an opportunity for another fresh start. “His mercies are new every morning.”- Lamentations 3:22-23

Mindset Shift: There’s no New Year’s resolution rule that says you can’t start again. You can keep trying a second, third, fourteenth, or one hundredth time. The important thing is that you keep trying, and in the process, you might learn something valuable about yourself along the way.

Problem #2- No plan of action

The issue with most resolutions is a lack of specificity. They’re too vague, and there’s no action plan for how to accomplish the goal.

For example, these are crappy resolutions. Here’s why:

I want to eat healthier
Ok, great! But what does that mean?… Will you commit to cooking dinner three times a week? Will you start drinking water instead of soda at meals? Are you cutting down your daily cookie allotment from 5 to 2 cookies? 😉

I want to lose weight
Wonderful! How much weight, by when, and for what purpose? Are you going to start exercising three days a week? Are you going to cut down on sweets and sugary foods?

No wonder people have such a hard time sticking with resolutions… there’s no plan for how to do it!

Mindset Shift: Don’t make a resolution for the sake of making a resolution. To enact real change, stop focusing on what you want and decide how you’re going to do it.

Problem #3- Making too many (too aggressive) changes at once

Let’s go back to the gym example. Consider NYR Guy (New Year’s Resolution Guy). He hasn’t exercised in a few years, or considers exercising to be his “very active” job. His doctor says those pesky blood pressure numbers and pre-diabetes symptoms won’t go away unless he does some form of cardiovascular exercise, eats healthier, and cuts down on his daily alcohol consumption.

So, he commits to get healthy in the new year! He gets a gym membership and starts working out every day. He stops drinking alcohol completely. He starts meal-prepping breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sounds great, right?

Not when he gives up the first week, because he’s burned out. NYR Guy had great intentions, but went about it the wrong way. He tried to make too many (and too aggressive) changes at once. That isn’t sustainable.

Instead, consider whether your goal is realistic. Then, make a plan of attack with specific steps and a timeline. Finally, make one small change at a time so you can actually stick with it.

Mindset Shift: Don’t make resolutions. Develop better habits you can stick with for the long-term.

Here’s an example of a better plan.

Month 1: Develop a habit of basic cardio activity 3 times a week. Maybe it’s a walk, maybe it’s a gym session, or better yet a group class.
Month 2: Strive to cook your own dinner 2-3 times a week.
Month 3: Try to cut down alcohol consumption to 2-3 drinks a week.
This way, there’s a much better chance that NYR Guy can make meaningful changes that will stick with him for the long-term. Instead of trying to do everything at once, start small. Develop good habits and consistency first. Then, the progress you make will motivate you and might even inspire you to make bigger changes.

How to Set SMART Goals You Can Actually Achieve

Instead of making a New Year’s resolution, set a SMART goal!

Goals should be:

S- Specific

First, a goal must be specific. What do you want to accomplish and what steps must you take?

M- Measurable

A goal must be measurable. You must be able to quantify your goal in order to track progress and stay motivated.

A- Achievable

A goal must be achievable. It’s reality-check time. Is this something that’s reasonable to accomplish with your current skillset and abilities?

R- Relevant

A goal must be relevant. This is where you think about your why. It makes a big difference in motivation and consistency if you know why achieving a specific goal is important to you.

T- Time bound

A goal needs a time frame. This not only helps you stay on track, but it also encourages action and provides an end point to work towards. That doesn’t mean the timeline can’t be adjusted if needed. But you have to start somewhere, or else it’s just a vague idea and not an actual goal.

23/12/2025

Do-It-All Peptides: The Future of Anti-Aging?

Among the many skincare ingredients and anti-aging treatments available today, peptides have reached superstar status for both their efficacy and application potential. Popular weight loss medications that include peptides have made them a household name.

The Role of Peptides in Anti-Aging
Peptides have essential functions and benefits, including collagen production to improve skin elasticity and firmness. They can also help to increase moisture and reduce inflammation and melanin production. Injectable and topical peptides decrease wrinkles, enhance skin texture and elasticity, and fade discoloration by stimulating collagen synthesis and enhancing skin cell turnover, They also have antioxidant properties that protect skin cells from free radical damage.

Specific peptides like glutathione (GSH), carnitine and liraglutide reportedly provide antioxidant benefits for the skin, body, brain and overall health. GSH reduces collagen degradation by inhibiting matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the skin, while carnosine and liraglutide mitigate the risk of age-related neurological diseases, disorders and brain aging. Some peptide specialists tout the power of regenerative peptides, such as Body Protecting Compound 157 (BPC 157) to accelerate wound healing, and PEDF-derived short peptides (PDSP) in encouraging the growth of mesenchymal stem cells to regenerate tissue, bone and cartilage. BPC can be used for skin and internal health, which supports wound healing in the skin, eyes, tendons and gut.

Peptides for Weight Loss
Peptide-based medications that aid in weight loss include semaglutide (Ozempic® and Wegovy®; Novo Nordisk A/S, Plainsboro, N.J.), tirzepeptide (Mounjaro® and Zepbound® These glucagonlike peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications slow the rate of gastric motility while regulating insulin to aid in weight loss, weight management and longer lasting satiety. Peptides like gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and GLP-1 receptor agonists can aid in weight loss by regulating metabolism and promoting fat loss. But they also have broader health benefits, including immune system support, tissue healing and cognitive enhancement, Some research has shown that these peptides can also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. improving insulin sensitivity while reducing fat and keeping inflammation down are all hallmarks of aging that can benefit from peptides for weight loss.

Growth hormone releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2) is another class of peptides for weight loss, but that work differently from GLP-1. GHRP-2 relies on growth hormones to aid in weight loss. This relatively newer gut peptide stimulates the release of growth hormone and appetite initiation. CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are GHRPs being paired together to increase muscle development, raise the blood levels of hormones and decrease body fat.

Tersamorelin, another GHRP, causes the body to increase human growth hormone levels and testosterone to promote weight loss and lean body mass, essentially melting away fat. “Tersamorelin is used to reduce excess abdominal fat accumulation in individuals but we can also use it to help burn fat, increase muscle mass and improve exercise capacity. Peptide hormones used for diabetes and weight loss decrease inflammation and improve heart and liver health to boost health span. These aesthetic practices are adding wellness services and integrating peptide weight loss solutions to offer a more comprehensive approach to care.
What's on offer in 10-15 years time may well increase our longevity and help retain those youthful look's that we are all wanting to hold on too, it's going to be interesting times for future generations as peptides paves a way for our future health and beauty.

10/06/2024

Tip: How Sunlight Shrinks Your Fat Cells

Imagine you just stepped out of your time machine after being transported back to Muscle Beach in its prime. You arrive to spot the likes of Vic Tanny, Joe Gold (of Gold's Gym fame), Jack LaLanne, Steve "Hercules" Reeves, Jack Delinger, and later, Dave Draper or even Arnold with his friends.

They were all hanging out and lifting outside instead of being inside a commercial gym. Did they know something special about sunlight?
Fast-forward to modern bleeding-edge research from Dr. Peter Light who's been investigating the effects of light on fat cells, or what researches call adipocytes.

When the researchers subjected fat cells in a dish to blue light, it caused an increased glycerol release and reduced lipid droplet size. Yep, that means the fat cells got smaller.

This is from an increased rate of fat being broken down (lipolysis) or reduction in the free fatty acids and glycerol backbone being reassembled, known as fatty acid re-esterification. In addition, smaller fat cells are healthier since large fat cells are associated with increased insulin resistance and inflammation .

"When the sun's blue light wavelengths – the light we can see with our eyes – penetrates our skin and reaches the fat cells just beneath, lipid droplets reduce in size and are released out of the cell. In other words, our cells don't store as much fat," wrote Dr. Light.

Who needs an excuse to get out and soak up some ray's slip slop slap on some sunscreen and enjoy.

12/12/2023

Larry Wheels’ Lost Eight Pounds During Peak Week and showed up in amazing condition for his Classic Physique Amateur Olympia Debut in Nov 2023, then after the show he choose not to reverse diet, instead he gained 53 lbs in 5 Days! Do you think this was a good decision?

12/09/2023

You have to be focused on your goals to get there🙏🏽

30/12/2021

May you have a safe and prosperous 2022, and remember a bad day can always be made better by going to the gym.

06/06/2021

This is what you can achieve if you commit to a goal and have the drive to never give up, next step WFF NBBA Nationals.

07/04/2021

Tempted to splurge? Kill your cravings with a double dose of protein. Thank me later.
It's easy to avoid junk food when the alternatives taste better. Turn this childhood favorite into a grown up dessert... one that fuels gains.

Ingredients:
2 scoops vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 cup Jif peanut powder (de-fatted peanut butter)
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup water
1/2 cup Splenda or sweetener of choice
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping cup fresh or frozen berries
Optional: coconut flakes
Directions:
Mix everything but the berries together.
Layer that mixture with berries in a glass mug.
Top with coconut flakes if you'd like.
Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Makes two smaller servings or one fairly large one.

19/03/2021

Feel Your Rhomboids, Finally
Most lifters rarely feel the individual regions of their back working. You may have never felt your mid-back experience excruciating tension. Let's change that so your rhomboids and mid-traps can grow thicker. Try this:

Cable Mid Back Pull-Aparts

Flare your elbows and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of each rep.

It's not quite a row and not quite a pulldown. It's a hybrid that directly pulls in the direction of the rhomboid fibers. Cramping is normal if you're not used to this. Enjoy that.

30/12/2020

TIP: HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR WORKOUT?
That's a good, but somewhat complex question. Here's the nuanced, smart answer.

"How Often Should I Change My Workout?"
Changing your workout can mean different things to different people. Are we talking about using all new exercises or methods, or simply modifying a few elements like the number of reps per set or the tempo used?

I plan small changes weekly. My clients rarely repeat the exact same week of training. We can add or remove sets, change the rep schemes, or even alter the tempo a bit. But within a training phase, this is done without changing the exercises or the zone of training.

For example, we can change the set/rep scheme to something like this:

Week One: 8/6/4/8/6/4
Week Two: 7/5/3/7/5/3
Week Three: 6/4/2/6/4/2
Week Four: 5/3/1/5/3/1
Or we can change how the reps are performed:

Week One: 3 sets of 6 with a 5 second hold at the position of greatest tension
Week Two: 3 sets of 6 with a 6 second eccentric/negative phase
Week Three: 3 sets of 6 with a 3 second hold at the position of greatest tension
Week Four: 3 sets of 6 normal reps
Or we can even add intensification methods:

Week One: 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 1-2 reps short of failure
Week Two: 3 sets of 8-10 reps to failure
Week Three: 3 sets of 8-10 reps to failure, rest 15 seconds, then as many extra reps as possible (rest/pause)
Week Four: 2 sets of 8-10 reps to failure, rest 15 seconds, then as many extra reps as possible (rest/pause), then hold the position of highest tension for as long as tolerable
But if you're talking about changing the whole training program, 3-4 weeks works best for most. That doesn't mean you need to change everything though.

For example, let's say that you want to use a 5/3/1 plan. Each training phase lasts 4 weeks (5-3-1-deload).

After your deload, you'd start a new phase on the big basic lifts, but with adjusted weights. And you go on like that until death do us part.

I personally would plan changes in assistance exercises with every new phase. In other words, keep up the four main lifts of the 5/3/1 plan, but change the assistance movements every 4 weeks.

I believe that the longer you stay with a certain workout, the less effective it becomes. That's why I always have some elements of change from week to week.

But changing the exercises too often can also limit your gains because you never become efficient in a movement. To make it simple, change some of your exercises every 3-4 weeks and alter the way you do your sets or reps weekly.

14/11/2020

TIP: SMALL CALVES EQUALS SHORTER LIFE
Multiple studies indicate that there's a correlation between the size of your calves and your mortality. For real.

I haven't done much direct work for my calves for years. It's not because they were naturally big and didn't need it. Far from it. Training them was just so... unsatisfying.

A 5-inch range of motion? Big snore. Besides, my calves never really responded that much. So I gave up.

I figured that if anybody wanted to take a picture of me, sans long pants, I'd do what the young Arnold Schwarzenegger used to do during photo sessions before he fixed his lower-leg shortcomings: Just stand knee-deep in some lake to hide the suckers. And if a body of water wasn't handy, I'd find a horse trough or one of those freeway safety barrels full of water.

It turns out, though, that my disdain of calf work might actually lead to my premature death because there's increasing evidence that calf circumference correlates with cardiovascular disease – the smaller your calves, the harder your heart has to work.

Big Calves, Healthy Heart
I know it sounds a little far fetched that the size of your calves could have anything to do with the ultimate health of your heart, but multiple studies seem to have confirmed it.

In 2014, The Journal of Biomechanics reported that men and women with chronic heart failure have smaller calf muscles than people with healthy hearts.

Similarly, another study, this one published in Geriatrics Gerontology, found a direct correlation between calf circumference and the Framingham risk score (FRS), which is an algorithm used to estimate the 10-year cardiovascular risk of an individual.

The latter of these two studies included 540 men and 683 women and they found a significantly negative association between the FRS and smaller calf circumference in both sexes. The bigger the calves, the lower their risk of cardiovascular disease.

How the Hell is This Possible?
When you root around a bit, this association between calf size/strength and the health of your heart actually makes perfect sense. The calves are part of what's known as the "veno muscular pump," which includes all the muscles of the lower limbs. Together these muscles, but particularly the calves, form a kind of "second heart."

The real heart, the one in your chest, uses powerful contractions to send blood surging through the arteries to provide oxygen and nourishment to every cell in the body. It's such a strong and efficient pump that it only takes a few seconds for all that blood to permeate the lower limbs.

But all that blood, now sucked dry of oxygen, needs to find its way back to the lungs so it can get re-oxygenated and then travel back to the heart to start the bloody roller coaster ride all over again. The trouble is, that blood has to work against gravity. That's where the muscles of the lower leg come into play.

The first part of the "veno muscular pump" originates in the foot. When you take a step, blood that's pooled into your heels is ejected upwards into the small vessels of the soleus muscle and the larger vessels of the gastrocnemius.

During walking, the veins in the gastrocs act like nozzles and eject a powerful jet of blood into the popliteal vein, which then continues northwards where it gets an additional muscular heave-ho from the thigh muscles.

The one drawback of this veno muscular pump system is that the upward pressure stops when you stop moving or sit down. Luckily, the veins in the lower body have one-way valves that prevent the blood from flowing backwards.

Nevertheless, these vessels can become weak (from disease, inactivity, or old age) and allow blood to flow backwards into the lower legs and feet, potentially leading to swelling, cramping, blood clots, and even leg ulcers.

Remarkably, even a stiff ankle can impair this venous flow, as can weak and underdeveloped calf muscles. Oh, you'll still get by without an efficient veno muscular pump system, but it puts more strain on the heart, which, over the long run, can increase your chances of cardiovascular disease or inefficiency.

What to Do
The answer of course is to work your calves regardless of whether or not you have any aspirations of being a sock model, a men's shorts model, or a competitive bodybuilder.

I, for one, will no longer ignore them in my training, and if I stumble across any heart patients, I'll urge them to start training their second heart.

26/10/2020