newsletter archives

Discipline of steel #37

1) Road to Pull-up: Stage 4.
2) 7 things I do to control my eating.
3) Don’t work out before you’ve done this.
4) Use rewards to stay consistent.

Read time: 4.1 minutes

Hey Warriors!

I would like to welcome all the new joiners, thank everyone who has been following Discipline of Steel for a while, and take this moment to remind us all what this community is about.

We’re here to improve as human beings.
To get strong, to build skills - mental and physical, and to be ready for whatever life throws at us.

This is a community for those of us who don’t train only for the looks.

But also to perform better in life, at work, to become more resilient, to face challenges with confidence, to feel great, live healthier, age better…
And to be better people overall.

These are all the things mindful strength training can do for us.

We’re all on a journey to become the best version of ourselves (sorry for the cliché), and this can only be achieved one right step at a time.

So I won’t be giving you shortcuts or hacks (I’m more interested in what actually works), but just stay around, show up every Monday, and I guarantee that in 6 months or maybe a year, you’ll already be a totally different person.

Are you ready to crush this week?

To make my content even more focused on your actual needs, please take a minute to reply to this email and let me know why you’re here.

Now let’s start! 💪

1. Road to Pull-up: Stage 4.

We’re ready to train your motor skills!

If you’ve completed Phase 3, you should already have a pretty strong grip and pulling power.

But don’t rush it!
We still have to train your motor patterns and teach your body the proper pull-up form.

Plus, it’s going to be a bit of a shock for your muscles too because that’s not quite the same movement as Australian pull-ups.

As usual, you’ll start with 3 sets of 10-15 reps and work your way up to 3 sets of 15-20 reps with 1.5 minute rest.

At first you’ll do this with a strong band, and use a lighter one as you progress.

The lighter the band, the lower the support.

If you can do 3 sets of 15 with a light-medium band, you’re ready for the next step.

Click this link for the full YouTube video and instructions.

PS: save this email in a special folder, so you can easily find any stage of the Road to Pull-up series whenever you need it. 👍

2. 7 things I do to control my eating.

These are the things I do when I feel like eating more than I should.

I don’t usually have to restrict myself or go hungry because when you reach your desired shape, you can eat at calorie maintenance.
And with practice it becomes easy and enjoyable, and I know you’ll get there too.

But sometimes I am on holiday and eat a lot. (I just came back from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore… Guess what I did?)
Which means I need to eat less after that.
And I feel hungry and that’s hard for me too.

So here’s what works for me:
- Drink a lot of water
- Go for a walk outside
- Play a game (mind games and puzzles work great)
- Go to sleep earlier than usual
- Write down why I shouldn’t eat
- Remind myself this is making me stronger
- Remind myself it’s only temporary

The last point is very important especially when you’re just getting started and are going through the hardest part.

Remember once you reach your weight goal, you won’t have to deprive yourself anymore.
Be strong, it’s only temporary.

3. Don’t work out before you’ve done this.

Don’t start working out until you have very specific goals.

Because without a clear direction, you can have neither the plan, nor the motivation to move forward.

The first step to setting goals is to assess your current situation.

What is your starting point?

The best way to determine this is to get as many measurements as you can.

Do a body composition screening to know your muscle mass, body fat percentage, and visceral fat score.
That’s a minimum.

Push it further by having your Vo2 max tested and find out your max strength on the main lifts (bench press, squat, deadlift).

Can you do a pull-up?
Yes -> aim to do 10.
No -> aim at doing your first one.

And just like that, you have at least 8 precise indications of your current fitness level.

Your goal is to do slightly better when you test yourself again in 8 weeks.

Your plan is how you connect those 2 points.

4. Use rewards to stay consistent.

If you can’t seem to find a passion for working out, always reward yourself after you’ve done it.

Like a weekend after a work week.

Physical training is not something optional.
It is part of having a good hygiene and it is our duty (or so said Socrates).

It’s something we must do even when we don’t feel like it and it can quickly feel like work.

That’s why you should reward yourself with something you’re only allowed to do or have after a workout.

Sauna, massage, healthy snack…
It can be something you do every day that you will now decide to do only if you’ve worked out.
Like playing a video game.

This last example is actually very powerful:
You will not only look forward to finishing your workout, you will be forced to.

This is one of the best ways to make exercise sustainable.

“Wise men don’t judge – they seek to understand.” – Wei Wu Wei