Hey friend,

A farmer planted a Chinese bamboo seed. He watered it and waited. A week passed. He knelt down, brushed the soil aside, checked for any sign of life, and saw nothing.

A month goes by, and he waters it again. Still nothing. A year goes by, and he’s out there every morning, staring at the same patch of dirt, wondering if the seed is dead, wondering if he’s been wasting his time.

The second year: nothing. The third year: nothing. The fourth year: still nothing.

By the fifth year, his neighbors are laughing at him. His family is telling him to give up. Even he’s starting to doubt himself, but every morning he picks up the watering can and shows up anyway.

One day, in the fifth year, a small green shoot breaks through the dirt. In six weeks, it grows to 90 feet into the sky.

Now, did it grow in six weeks, or did it grow over five years? This is how every meaningful thing in life works, whether it’s the body, the business you’re building, or your relationships.

You water in silence for years, doubting yourself the whole time, until one day the roots are deep enough to hold something massive.

Most people quit in year 3. They kneel down, see nothing, and walk away right before the breakthrough.

Don’t be that person. Keep watering the bamboo.

Here's what caught my attention this week.

Here Is Your 4 Minute Friday:

1. The 90% Rule For Staying Young As You Age

There's a new longevity metric you need to know about, and it might explain why you don't feel as sharp or strong as you used to.

Researchers just introduced something called Peakspan in Aging and Disease. The definition is simple but brutal:

It's the years you operate at 90% or more of your peak physical and cognitive performance.

Not the years you're alive (lifespan). Not the years you're disease-free (healthspan). The years you're operating at your best.

The sobering reality is that most people exit their peakspan by age 50.

This means your bloodwork can be perfect. Your doctor can say you're healthy. And you can still be running at 70% of the engine you had at 30.

The researchers call this the "peakspan-healthspan gap." Two decades of being technically fine while functionally fading.

The way to extend it is starting to unfold:

1. The foundational stuff: heavy lifting, cardio, protein, fiber, sleep, community, and a sense of purpose.
2. Emerging medical tools like GLP-1s and peptides.

The part that most people miss is that even if you eventually drop below your peak, the work you did to stay there pays dividends for the rest of your life.

Stronger bones. Sharper brain. More years where you can do what you want, with who you want.

The goal isn't to live longer. It's to stay near your best for as long as possible.

2. The Muscle Loss Lie About GLP-1s

Everyone (including myself) was freaking out about GLP-1s wrecking your muscles, but the data tells a different story.

The biggest fear with Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro is that you lose muscle alongside fat. Body scans show "lean mass" dropping.

But it didn't give us the entire picture. Lean mass isn't just muscle. It includes your organs, especially your liver.

A new study tested GLP-1s in obese mice and 10 patients on semaglutide for 12 weeks. In mice, body weight dropped 22-35%. Fat fell 41-73%. Muscle? Only 5-10%.

In the human group, fat made up 70% of the weight lost. Lean mass made up 30%, which is normal for any meaningful weight loss.

The coolest part? The liver shrank more than the muscle did, especially as fatty liver resolved. Most "muscle loss" headlines are partly liver shrinkage being miscounted as muscle.

Now, this does not mean that you will entirely avoid muscle loss when being on the GLP-1. Anytime you are in a caloric deficit, the risk you incur is muscle loss if you do it the wrong way.

What I tell my clients: if you're on a GLP-1 (or losing weight anyway), lift weights and eat your protein.

❤️ My Favourite Thing This Week

Something you might not know about me is that I'm a pen nerd. Apparently, the term is "stylophile", but pen nerd feels more accurate.

There's something about writing with a high-quality pen that just clicks with me. I can't fully explain it.

For the past 3 months, I've been using the ​​Rotring 600 3-in-1​​, and I'm obsessed.

It has three pens built into one body: a black ballpoint, a red ballpoint, and a pencil. You twist the top to switch between them.

But the real reason I love it is the knurling on the grip.

If you lift, you know knurling. It's the textured pattern on a barbell that locks your hands in. The Rotring 600 has that same feel. It's grippy, precise, and somehow makes writing feel like a small ritual.

It's not a fitness product. But I use it every single day. If you're a fellow pen nerd, you'll get it.

Grab one here.​

Client Of The Week - Rob, Entrepreneur

Rob is an entrepreneur who got out of shape while building his business and having a family.

His main goal was to lose weight (especially around the belly) and become healthier so he could live longer.

In 16 weeks, he dropped 27 lbs. while seeing his abs for the first time since college. But the best part? His energy is through the roof, and he has more than enough energy to play with his kids when he gets home.

Our Strategy:

• Find a meal schedule and frequency to control his hunger instead of letting it control him
• Switch from cardio to weight training to build muscle and metabolism
• Found a routine to decrease stress levels so he could lower cortisol and drop belly fat

Rob completely transformed his body by finding the right system. If he can do it, you can too.

Are you an entrepreneur who wants to drop the fat, gain muscle, and boost energy? Click this link to apply for our coaching program.​ 

The best time to take your health seriously was yesterday. The second-best time is now.

Don't let your past dictate what you can be in the future.

As promised, get healthier in under 4 minutes.

- Dan

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

1. Zhavoronkov A, Ying K, Wilczok D. Peakspan: Defining, Quantifying and Extending the Boundaries of Peak Productive Lifespan. Aging Dis. 2026 Feb 25. doi: 10.14336/AD.2026.0080. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41747171.
2. Langer HT, Gilmore NK, Hayden CMT, Roux J, Bariohay B, Rouquet T, Awada M, Marcotorchino J, Bournot L, Nunn E, Titchenell PM, Liskiewicz D, Müller TD, Anyiam O, Atherton PJ, Idris I, Hentschel A, Roos A, Haritonow N, Norman K, Müller-Werdan U, Baar K. Weight loss with GLP-1 medicines does not result in a disproportionate loss of muscle mass or function in obese mice and humans. Cell Rep Med. 2026 Mar 17;7(3):102665. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102665. PMID: 41850248; PMCID: PMC13006392. 
   
   

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.