4 Minute Fridays: The Best Body Fat Level For Optimal Health, New Study On The 1 Year Life Extension That Takes 7 Minutes & How To Change Your Life In A Day
Jan 23, 2026
Welcome to 4 Minute Fridays, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal cutting-edge tips to help you get lean, boost energy, and live longer.
What's In Store For Today:
- The best body fat level for optimal health
- New study on the 1-year life extension that takes 7 minutes
- How to change your life in a day
Hey friend,
I just spent a whirlwind of a weekend in Mexico with my annual mastermind trip with a group I'm a part of called The Frontier Club.
I've invested in this mastermind for the past 13 years, and every year I make it a point to hit the annual gathering.
The reason is simple. As an entrepreneur, you can get really lonely. And aside from business, I want to connect with people who care about their health, their families, and living life on a higher level.
It's also a reset and a reminder of the standards I want to keep.
I'm grateful for this group, and I hope you've found your tribe, too.
Here Is Your 4 Minute Friday:
1. The Best Body Fat Level For Optimal Health
No one wants to admit this, but there's a range of body fat where you're lean enough to avoid metabolic problems without wrecking your hormones or immune system.
For men, that sweet spot is around 12-18%. For women, it's higher: roughly 25-32%.
For clients aged 35-50, we target the lower end of these ranges (men 12-15%, women 25-30%). This gives them a solid foundation while leaving flexibility for diet and lifestyle.
Large cohort studies show a U-shaped mortality curve. Too much body fat raises your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Too little raises your risk of frailty, hormonal dysfunction, and weakened immunity.
The goal isn't stage-lean. It's healthy-lean.
By age, the data suggests: men should aim for 12-15% in their 20s-30s, 14-18% in their 40s-50s, and 16-20% at 60+. Women should aim for 25-30%, 28-32%, and 30-34%, respectively.
One caveat: these ranges don't account for muscle mass (FFMI), which affects how lean you can sustainably stay.
A healthy body fat level won't optimize everything, but it protects you from most problems caused by carrying too much fat.
Btw, if you're an entrepreneur wondering where you actually fall in these ranges, and more importantly, how to get there, that's exactly what we map out on a Result Accelerator Call.
2. The 1-Year Life Extension That Takes 7 Minutes
A new study found something that should make anyone feel hopeful about getting healthier.
For people with the worst habits, 3 tiny changes added up to an extra year of life:
- Adding 5 more minutes of sleep
- Adding 2 more minutes of movement a day
- Eating an extra half serving of vegetables
That's it. Seven minutes and a few bites of broccoli 😁
The study tracked nearly 60,000 adults and found that these micro-improvements worked better together than any single big change alone. The combined effect was greater than the sum of its parts.
Physical activity was the biggest driver. Once people hit around 22 minutes of moderate movement daily, benefits became clearly visible even when sleep or diet weren't perfect.
The takeaway I tell coaching clients is you don't need a complete lifestyle overhaul. Stack small wins across sleep, movement, and food. They compound.
The best part is that they contribute to them performing at their best every single day.
Positive changes compound, and every little improvement helps.
❤️ Things I Love: Dan Koe's "How To Fix Your Entire Life In 1 Day."

I know Dan Koe personally. He's a friend (who just happens to have a name that rhymes with mine), and the way he lives is one of absolute focus and vision.
While I don't believe one can transform their entire life in a single day, what Dan provides here is a system for bridging the gap between where you are now and achieving your biggest vision.
The core insight is this: You aren't where you want to be because you aren't yet the person who would be there. Real change requires changing your identity, not just your actions.
Dan lays out a full protocol: morning excavation of your hidden motives, daytime pattern interrupts, and an evening synthesis to create what he calls your "video game" for life, complete with missions, quests, and what's at stake.
It went viral for good reason. I recommend reading it. (Click here to read the article)
Client Of The Week: Brandon, Entrepreneur
Brandon is an entrepreneur who struggled with hitting the gym and eating healthy. He wanted to get in shape so he'd become a better dad for his kids and become a better husband for his wife.
In one year, he dropped 120 pounds, lost 10 inches from his waistline, and his energy levels are through the roof! Since then, he's become a better parent, husband, and businessman by getting in the healthiest shape of his life.
Here's how we did it:
- We did full-body strength training workouts 3x a week, focusing on using progressive overload to build muscle while burning fat
- We walked every single day. 10k steps. Did this as a habit, and it turned out to be one of his favorite parts of the day
- We had him go from eating his emotions to using food as fuel. High-protein and nutrient-dense foods served as the gas to crush his goals and improve his energy levels.
The best part is he's not dragging his feet anymore and has so much energy that he's running circles around his kids while growing his revenue.
One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong
“Start becoming the person you want to be, and eventually you'll look back at the person you were.”
― Anonymous
For the next three days, I want you to do a little experiment. I want you to act as the person you aspire to be.
How does this person think? What are the actions they take? What investments do they make? What behaviors do they have? I want you to walk through life as if you are this person already.
In order to get new results, we must become someone new. The best way I know how to do that is to already act as if you are that person.
As promised, get healthier in under 4 minutes.
- Dan
Ps. Now that I know it'll add a year to my life, I'm about to over-index on this meal asap.
When you're ready, here are 2 ways I can help:
1. The Lean Body 90 System: When you’re ready to get in great shape, Lean Body 90 is the obvious choice. You can get in great shape and reach your fitness goals in just 90 minutes a week. Lose weight and build muscle even without hours in the gym or highly restrictive diets. Join 1000+ students here.
2. Are you an entrepreneur who wants to get lean, boost energy, and get in your best shape? Apply for private one-on-one coaching here.
References
- Joint association between body fat and its distribution with all-cause mortality: A data linkage cohort study based on NHANES (1988-2011). Dong B, Peng Y, Wang Z, Adegbija O, Hu J, et al. (2018) Joint association between body fat and its distribution with all-cause mortality: A data linkage cohort study based on NHANES (1988-2011). PLOS ONE 13(2): e0193368. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193368
- Minimum combined sleep, physical activity, and nutrition variations associated with lifeSPAN and healthSPAN improvements: a population cohort study. Koemel, Nicholas A. et al.eClinicalMedicine, Volume 0, Issue 0, 103741
Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.