The DefaultKings Community, Tallahassee, FL (2025)

02/28/2023

21 sentences that’ll teach you more about fitness than an $83,476 exercise science degree:

1. Take regular saunas to reduce all-cause mortality by 40%.

2. If you're not h***y, you're not healthy.

3. Ice baths are an incredible tool to minimize stress.

4. Eggs don’t "ruin your cholesterol". They are a superfood.

5. Stop watching CNN. It is a documented depressant. Start lifting weights. It is a documented antidepressant.

6. Black coffee & sparkling water are great appetite suppressants.

7. To avoid post-dinner snacking, brush your teeth. Watch your cravings vanish.

8. Eat slower to allow time for the satiety hormone (leptin) to release in your body. This tells your body when you're full.

9. A high-protein diet is the best diet.

10. The quantity of your food affects how you look. The quality of your food affects how you feel.

11. Eat the frog first. If you struggle to consistently hit your workouts, do it 1st thing in the morning.

12. More muscle = higher metabolism.

13. Carbs don't make you fat - too many calories do.

14. Eat as much lean protein, fruit, & veggies as you want. Nearly impossible to overeat.

15. Lack of sleep increases your hunger hormones during the day, making it harder to lose fat.

16. Peanut butter is not a high-protein snack.

17. You don't need gym equipment. All you need is your body.

18. Working out 3-4 days/week is better long-term than 6-7 days/week.

19. Your self-identity drives default actions. So STOP calling yourself "lazy" or "fat piece of sh*t".

20. You can eat foods like pizza, ice cream, & burgers and still lose fat if you eat clean 80% of the time.

21. It doesn't matter who you were last year. 2022 is dead. You can completely reinvent yourself.

And I'll leave ya with this "unpopular opinion":

Your wife deserves a healthy husband.

Your kids deserve a healthy father.

You deserve a healthy you.

Don't let them down.

02/28/2023

To avoid losing 2-3% of your muscle mass each year, read this:

If you're 30+ years old and not doing what's in this thread, the odds are you're losing muscle.

This can lead to:

- A shorter life
- Low testosterone
- Insulin resistance
- Poor heart health
- Damaged metabolism

To avoid massive muscle loss, read this:

1) High protein diet

Protein is the building block of muscle.

Not eating sufficient protein will result in muscle loss.

So aim to eat 0.8-1 gram of protein per pound of target body weight.

My favorite protein sources:

- Eggs
- Steak
- Tilapia
- Chicken
- Burgers
- Beef jerky
- Bone broth
- Greek yogurt
- Whey protein shake

2) Weight training

Weight training is the stimulus that causes muscle growth.

To train effectively, you must follow this principle: progressive intensity.

Progressive intensity is the goal of EVERY workout.

Here's how to do this:

For every workout, aim to increase at least 1 of these metrics:

- Weight
- Reps/sets
- Improved form

Doing so will result in muscle growth.

3) Recovery

You won't build muscle just by lifting weights. The adaptation (muscle growth) takes place AFTER your workouts.

To properly recover you need:

- Good sleep
- Stress management

Here's how you can optimize these:

7 ways to help you get quality sleep tonight:

1. Use blackout curtains
2. Use a weighted blanket
3. Take magnesium glycinate
4. Take a hot shower before bed
5. Avoid blue light 1 hour before bed
6. Get 15+ minutes of morning sunlight
7. Set the temperature between 60º-67º F

Take up these 5 habits to reduce stress:

- Lift weights
- Cold exposure
- Walk in nature
- Wim hof breathing
- Brain-dump journaling

If stress gets too high, muscle growth gets harder.

In summary - here are the 3 tips to avoid losing 2-3% of your muscle mass each year:

1. High protein diet
2. Weight training
3. Recovery

02/27/2023

If you're a man with over 15% body fat, read this:

Men over 15% BF are at a higher risk of:

- Brain fog
- Low energy
- Shorter lifespan
- Decreased metabolism
- Pain in joints, hips, & lower back

To avoid staying fat forever, follow these 3 easy steps:

Calorie deficit

Keto doesn't work.

P90X doesn't work.

Carnivore doesn't work.

HIIT training doesn't work.

Intermittent fasting doesn't work.

The ONLY thing that guarantees fat loss is a calorie deficit.

5 ways to nearly guarantee a calorie deficit:

Walk 10k steps

Eat 90% whole foods

Drink black coffee to suppress appetite

Eat as much fruit as you want. Nearly impossible to overeat.

Eat slow (this allows time for leptin to release - tells your body you're full)

Eat a high-protein diet

Why you should eat more protein:

- Build muscle
- You will feel more full
- Steak tastes delicious
- More muscle mass = higher metabolism
- Protein burns the most calories during digestion

Aim to eat 1g of protein per lb of target body weight.

My favorite protein sources:

- Eggs
- Steak
- Tilapia
- Chicken
- Burgers
- Beef jerky
- Bone broth
- Greek yogurt
- Whey protein shake

Lift weights

This is the superior training method for fat loss. Here's why:

Cardio is like day trading for quick profits (burns calories). Weight lifting is like investing for passive income (boosts metabolism).

Weightlifting is king.

Here's how to have effective weightlifting workouts.

Every workout, aim to increase at least 1 of these metrics:

- Weight
- Reps/sets
- Improved form

Doing so will result in muscle growth.

Follow these 3 easy steps to get under 15% body fat:

Calorie deficit

High protein diet

Lift weights

Say goodbye to belly fat.

02/27/2023

23 tips to get in the best shape of your life in 2023:

1. Alcohol is poison. Minimize at all costs.

2. If you're not h***y, you're not healthy.

3. Peanut butter is not a high-protein snack.

4. Eat slower to allow time for the satiety hormone (leptin) to release in your body. This tells your body when you're full.

5. Sugar does not make you fat.

6. CNN is a documented depressant. Exercise is a documented antidepressant. Adjust your life accordingly.

7. Cardio is like day trading for quick profits (burns calories). Weight training is like investing for passive income (boosts metabolism).

8. Muscle confusion is not a real thing.

9. Eat as much fruit as you want. Nearly impossible to overeat.

10. Black coffee & sparkling water are great appetite suppressants.

11. To avoid post-dinner snacking, brush your teeth. Watch your cravings vanish.

12. Cold showers are a great tool to minimize stress.

13. The quantity of your food affects how you look. The quality of your food affects how you feel.

14. Eat the frog first. If you struggle to consistently hit your workouts, do it 1st thing in the morning.

15. Eggs are a superfood. Not a "food to avoid".

16. You don't need any gym equipment. All you need is your body.

17. Minimize liquid calorie sources like soda, cooking oils, & Starbucks sugar shakes. These are the easiest calories to over-consume.

18. More muscle = higher metabolism.

19. A high-protein diet is the best diet.

20. Your self-identity drives default actions. So STOP calling yourself "lazy" or "fat piece of sh*t".

21. Lack of sleep increases your hunger hormones during the day, making it harder to lose fat.

22. You can lose weight sustainably while eating pizza, ice cream, & burgers if you eat "clean" 80% of the time

23. They told you "too much sun will give you cancer". They didn't tell you that sunlight can be the #1 supplement to better sleep, mood, energy, skin, & mental health.

And I'll leave you with this:

It doesn't matter if you gained 70 pounds, got divorced, or lost your job in 2022...

2022 is dead.

2023 is alive.

REINVENT YOURSELF.

02/27/2023

The modern diet has killed your gut health. Use these 10 tips to fix your gut:

1. Drink red wine and eat dark chocolate & blueberries. These foods are high in polyphenols (reduce blood pressure, inflammation, cholesterol levels, and oxidative stress).

2. Drink a cup of bone broth every morning.

3. Do ice baths, sauna, and Wim Hof breathing to minimize stress. High stress is bad for the gut.

4. Avoid antibiotics when possible. Can kill good bacteria in the gut leading to weight gain & other health issues.

5. Minimize alcohol. This is poison to your gut.

6. Eat fermented foods like kefir, yogurt, & pickles. These support healthy digestion.

7. Limit artificial sweeteners. You don't have to be a robot, but just don't drink 20+ cans of diet soda per day.

8. Eat a diverse range of foods. Diverse microbiome = healthy gut.

9. Eat lots of fiber from foods like apples, popcorn, bananas, raspberries, & whole grains.

10. Minimize seed oils (this is a secret inflammation booster that's in nearly all processed foods).

Your gut is often called the "2nd brain" for a reason:

80% of your immune system lies in the gut

That "gut feeling" you have is your gut communicating to your brain

400x more serotonin is produced in your gut than in the brain (bad gut can lead to anxiety & depression)

02/27/2023

23 fitness facts most doctors have been hiding from you:

1. Sugar does not make you fat

2. Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day.

3. 99% can overcome bad genetics due to epigenetics (your behaviors alter the way your genes work).

4. Weight training is superior to cardio for fat loss.

5. If you're not h***y, you're not healthy.

6. Eggs are a superfood. Not a "food to avoid".

7. When you exercise - serotonin, dopamine, & norepinephrine flood your brain. 8. Exercise is indeed a "natural antidepressant".

9. A high-protein diet is the best diet.

10. Eat as much fruit as you want. Nearly impossible to overeat.

11. Most people eat due to B.T.S. (boredom, thirst, or stress) - not hunger. Before you eat, ask yourself: "Am I bored, thirsty or stressed right now?"

12. If you're obese, you're not healthy.

13. You can't target specific areas for fat loss.

14. Minimize liquid calorie sources like soda, cooking oils, & Starbucks "coffee". 15. These are the easiest calories to overconsume.

16. Muscle confusion is not a real thing.

17. Your self-identity drives default actions. So STOP calling yourself "lazy" or "fat piece of sh*t".

18. You can eat foods like pizza, ice cream, & burgers and still lose fat if you eat clean 80% of the time.

19. Carbs do not make you fat

20. Minimize hunger hormones by eating a high-protein diet, sleeping 8 hours, & eating slowly.

21. Rapid weight loss is beneficial in the 1st 2 weeks. Those that experience a "win" early on are far more likely to keep going.

22. Drink sparkling water or black coffee to suppress your appetite.

23. You don't need motivation. You need proper default actions.

And I'll leave ya with this "unpopular opinion":

Exercise, whole foods, & sunlight is the antidepressant stack they should prescribe before the pills.

02/26/2023

Every fitness lesson I learned after 8 years in the gym:

1. If you're not h***y, you're not healthy.

2. Sugar does not make you fat.

3. Eat as much fruit as you want. Nearly impossible to overeat.

4. Most people eat due to B.T.S. (boredom, thirst, or stress) - not hunger. Before you eat, ask yourself: "Am I bored, thirsty or stressed right now?"

5. Exercise is a documented antidepressant. CNN is a documented depressant. Adjust your life accordingly.

6. A high-protein diet is the best diet.

7. Eggs are a superfood. Not a "food to avoid".

8. Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day.

9. Hitting 10k+ steps a day is the most underutilized yet effective fat loss habit.

10. 99% can overcome bad genetics due to epigenetics (your behaviors alter the way your genes work).

11. Drink sparkling water or black coffee to suppress your appetite.

12. You can't target specific areas for fat loss.

13. Minimize liquid calorie sources like soda, cooking oils, & Starbucks "coffee". These are the easiest calories to overconsume.

14. Muscle confusion is not a real thing.

15. Your self-identity drives default actions. So STOP calling yourself "lazy" or "fat piece of sh*t".

16. You can eat foods like pizza, ice cream, & burgers and still lose fat if you eat clean 80% of the time.

17. Minimize seed oil consumption.

18. Eat the frog first. If you struggle to consistently hit your workouts, do it 1st thing in the morning.

19. Working out 3-4 days/week is more sustainable long term than 6-7 days/week.

20. Being as little as 2% dehydrated leads to significant decreases in gym performance and impaired decision-making.

21. 8 hours of sleep is a performance-enhancing drug.

22. Lack of sleep increases your hunger hormones during the day, making it harder to lose fat.

23. Get 15+ minutes of sunlight in the 1st hour of waking up to set your circadian rhythm and fall asleep later at night.

24. Ice baths and cold showers are great tools to minimize stress.

25. Skipping workouts because you're "tired" is the reason you're tired.

26. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient. Eat protein first to avoid overeating.

27. Eat 0.8-1g of protein per pound of target body weight for optimal satiety, muscle growth, & fat loss.

28. Carbs don't make you fat - too many calories do.

29. The quality of your food affects your mind more than your body.

30. Eat slower to allow time for the satiety hormone (leptin) to release in your body. This tells your body when you're full.

31. To avoid post-dinner snacking, brush your teeth. Watch your cravings vanish.

32. You burn fat in the kitchen and build muscle in the gym.

33. Remove junk food from your house. If it's not in the house, you can't eat it.

34. Eat the frog first. If you struggle to consistently hit your workouts, do it 1st thing in the morning.

35. Turn on "night shift" mode on your laptop & phone to decrease blue light after the sun goes down. This will help you sleep better.

36. Sunshine is the #1 supplement to better sleep, mood, energy, skin, & mental health.

37. If you're obese, you're not healthy.

38. The more muscle you build, the higher your metabolism will be.

39. Do not wait until new years. The "new years" mentality will always lose.

40. You don't need motivation. You need proper default actions.
Avoid fake meat at all costs.

And I'll leave ya with this "unpopular opinion":

People treat you differently when you're fit. Men give you more respect. Women give you more attention.

Get fit.

Watch what happens.

02/26/2023

The food you eat is causing fat gain and setting you up for diabetes, heart disease, & early death.

And it's not seed oils, carbs, or diet soda you need to worry about.

This is the #1 thing you must fix to get in shape:

73.6% of Americans are overweight.

And the "gurus" won't tell you what's the root cause.

You hear of new enemies they create every year:

- Carbs
- Seed oils
- Diet soda

Oh and my new favorite: "pollution"...

If you want to know what the real enemy is, keep reading:

The problem with all of these "enemies" is they are micro-optimizations.

Optimizing them will result in small incremental changes.

But, there's 1 thing, that if you change it... you'll experience a monumental transformation in your health...

So here's the #1 thing you need to focus on:

Body composition.

This is the most impactful change you can make to transform your health.

Here's why:

A healthy body composition is proven to:

- Improve mood
- Increase lifespan
- Increase metabolism
- Increase energy levels
- Reduce pain in joints, hips, & lower back
- Decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, & diabetes

What is body composition?

Body composition shows the % of fat & muscle in your body.

Healthy male range: 8%-17% body fat
Healthy female range: 16%-25% body fat

Now we know what body composition & why it's so important.

Here's how to change your body composition:

1) Calories

To lose fat, you must be in a calorie deficit.

This simply means you're eating fewer calories than your body is burning.

Resulting in weight loss.

2) High protein diet

Aim to eat 0.8-1g of protein per pound of your target body weight.

Here's why:

Protein is the most satiating type of food.

This means you will feel significantly less hungry eating a high-protein diet.

And it will be difficult to overeat.

Also, protein is the building block of muscle.

Meaning if you don't eat enough protein, you'll be at high risk for muscle loss.

Muscle loss leads to a damaged metabolism.

You don't want this.

So eat a high-protein diet.

3) Lift weights

If we want permanent change in our body composition we need to pack on muscle.

More muscle mass = higher metabolism

This makes it much easier to keep the extra body fat off.

The 3 levers to permanently change your body composition and get healthy:

- Calories
- Protein
- Lift weights

Do this to experience a monumental change in your health.

02/26/2023

7 Steps To Unf*ck Your Testosterone:

Around 24% of men have low testosterone.

This leads to…

- Fatigue
- Moodiness
- Depression
- Strength loss
- Decreased focus
- Erectile dysfunction
- Decreased s*x drive

Here are the 7 steps to take to max your testosterone:

1) Get 7-8 hours of sleep

Studies have shown, 5 hours of sleep can decrease testosterone levels by 10%-15%.

There are 3 main factors influencing your sleep:

- Light
- Comfort
- Temperature

Here’s how to fix them:

- Use blackout curtains
- Use a weighted blanket
- Take magnesium glycinate
- Take a hot shower before bed
- Avoid blue light 1 hour before bed
- Get 15+ minutes of morning sunlight
- Set the temperature between 60º-67º F

2) Lower your body fat

In fat tissue, testosterone changes into the female hormone, estrogen.

Too much fat = More of this conversion.

To keep your testosterone high, keep your body within the 10%-15% range.

5 easy ways to lose fat:

- Get enough sleep
- Walk 10K steps/day
- Lift weights regularly
- Eat a high-protein diet
- Drink 3-4 liters of water/per day

3) Get vitamin D

Studies show sunlight can increase testosterone by as much as 69%.

To benefit from this, aim to get 1 hour of sunlight a day.

If the weather doesn’t permit, supplement with 400–2,000 IU of vitamin D per day.

4) Lift weights

As your muscle mass increases, it triggers your body to produce more testosterone.

- Get in the gym 3-5x a week
- Make your sessions between 20-60 minutes

This is one of the best things you can do for your body.

5) Reduce your stress

Stress triggers the stress hormone, cortisol.

Take up habits that reduce stress:

- Lift weights
- Cold exposure
- Walk in nature
- Wim hof breathing
- Brain-dump journaling

If cortisol gets too high, testosterone decreases.

6) Lower your alcohol consumption

Overconsumption of alcohol drains your testosterone.

Limit your intake to a couple of times a week to maximize your levels.

You don’t need alcohol to have fun.

Stop letting it ruin your health.

7) Don’t lose too much fat

Fat is needed for proper hormone function.

Just like you shouldn’t let your body fat go too high, you shouldn’t let it drop too low.

Keep it between 10% - 15%.

This will ensure you look good while feeling good.

In summary:

1. Get 7-8 hours of sleep
2. Lower your body fat
3. Get vitamin D
4. Lift weights
5. Reduce your stress
6. Lower your alcohol consumption
7. Don’t lose too much fat

02/26/2023

Do you have stubborn belly fat?

Break these 5 limiting beliefs:

1) "I have to cut out ice cream & pizza"

95% of people gain the weight back.

Why?

They eat a diet that makes them miserable.

The key: DON'T DO THIS

Here's how you can eat ice cream & pizza to get & stay lean...

80% of the time eat nutritious food

- No seed oils
- Whole foods
- High in protein

20% of the time eat fun food

- Pizza
- Ice cream
- Burgers & fries

This is the "magical" approach that allows me to enjoy date night w my gf & eating out regularly with Gabe & Joey

2) "I have to spend hours in the gym to get abs"

I laugh at this now.

My workouts range from 25-45 minutes.

My training method gets more out of 1 set than most people get out of 3.

This is PERFECT for guys with a busier lifestyle.

Also, this might make some of you mad but...

I don't do barbell squats.

I rarely do barbell deadlifts.

Why?

I don't enjoy these movements AND they take long to set up.

My goals are to have fun, make progress, and minimize time.

3) "My genetics screwed me"

I looked around my family and everyone was either overweight or super skinny.

No one had any frame of muscle.

I have bottom-tier genetics yet I still got abs and built a frame of muscle that people notice when I walk in a room.

How?

Epigenetics.

This new science shows how our behaviors & environment can ALTER how our genes work.

To put it simply: 99% of us can overcome bad genetics

4) "I need a fancy gym with special training equipment"

Y'all remember that thing in 2020 that shut down gyms?

Well... me, along with all of my clients, had this happen.

What did we do?

We trained from home with minimal equipment.

5) "I can willpower my way to habit change"

I was STUCK in this cycle for what seemed like forever.

Lose 5 lbs.
Gain 10 lbs.

Binge.
Restrict.

On my game.
Off the wagon.

Sound familiar?

The biggest thing we must figure out is how to make our habits actually stick

In my studies, I found a part of the brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS).

It's kinda like a camera lens.

You know when you're trying to take a picture but the camera is focused on the wrong spot?

That's what is happening with your RAS...

It's focused on alcohol, Netflix, junk food, etc.

And your actions reflect that.

Once you fix this - you'll change your habits at an unconscious level (default actions).

This is the GLUE that makes the fat loss stick.

Break these 5 limiting beliefs to go from flabs to abs:

1) "I have to cut out ice cream & pizza"
2) "I have to spend hours in the gym to get abs"
3) "My genetics screwed me"
4) "I need a fancy gym with special training equipment"
5) "I can willpower my way to habit change"

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