Hey friend,

A month ago, I was staying at a surf resort in China.

It's been a bucket list item ever since Kelly Slater opened his surf ranch, and the experience didn't disappoint.

While I was there, I decided to try a more advanced wave. And it was frustrating.

I'd think I caught it, only to have the wave peter out or to wipe out on my board.

Then one of the instructors told me something I'll never forget. In his broken English, he pointed at the wave and said:

"Look where you go!"

I was doing the cardinal sin of surfing: looking down at my board instead of where I wanted to take it.

So I tried it. The next wave I caught, I immediately looked up at the spot I wanted to ride to.

By some miracle, I caught one of the best waves of my life.

I journaled about it afterward and asked myself, "How often do we look at the wrong things in life?"

When we're doing something new, our first instinct is to "not fall" or "avoid failure." But that tells our brain the wrong thing.

Point your mind at where you want to go. Trust it to figure out the rest.

That's where your attention belongs.

Here's what caught my attention this week.

Here Is Your 4 Minute Friday:

1. How To Boost Your V02 Max In 10 Minutes

VO2 max​ is one of the strongest predictors of both lifespan and healthspan.

The problem is that most people do not have an hour to train for it.

That said, there’s a protocol called REHIT (Reduced-Exertion High-Intensity Interval Training). I call it the lazy person's sprint workout. The whole session takes 10 minutes.

How to do REHIT:

• Use an exercise bike
• 5 minutes easy warm-up
• Two 20-second all-out sprints
• Around 2-3 minutes of peddling between rounds

In sedentary adults, doing this twice a week for six weeks increased VO2 max by 10 to 13%. That’s similar to what people get from much longer, more time-consuming cardio programs.

A 2025 study even tested an equipment-free version using burpees (yuck), but the results were VO2 max gains that matched the cycling sprints (yay).

Now, the trick to all this is that those 20-second sprints need to be done as hard as humanly possible. I'm talking all-out nose to the grindstone effort.

When it comes to VO2Max, I realize you need a base of Zone 2 cardio to provide the foundation. Workouts like the REHIT protocol are like heavy lifting for your heart and lungs.

40 seconds of pain twice a week to enhance one of the biggest longevity markers we know of. Are you willing to make that trade?

2. Two Free Anti-Aging Drugs Most People Aren't Using

The ​Max Planck Institute for Biology published a paper​ that most people won't pay attention to.

After decades of research, one mechanism keeps showing up in every promising anti-aging pathway:

Autophagy.

The word literally means “self-eating,” and it’s your cells’ recycling program. They break down old, damaged parts and reuse them as fuel.

What most people don’t know is that autophagy declines as you age. When researchers turn it back on in animals, both life span and health span improve.

There are 2 ways to activate it:

1. Eat less, sometimes. When nutrients are scarce, your cells flip into recycling mode. This is the entire mechanism behind why caloric restriction extends life in nearly every species tested.
2. Train hard enough to feel it. Exercise burns through cellular energy and triggers the same pathway. This is one reason vigorous exercise has such an outsized effect on longevity markers.

Most people reach for fancy peptides or try a 36-hour fast, but what they really need is to spend more time being hungry and out of breath on a regular basis.

Both are effective, free, and the closest thing we have to a real anti-aging protocol.

❤️ My Favourite Thing This Week

I have an ADHD brain, and I always feel like I need to be doing something with my hands. My default is to reach for my phone, but that never ends well for me or anyone.

I’ve been looking for analog replacements, and my wife bought me a little puzzle game called ​IQ Bubbles by Smart Games​.

The setup is super simple: you get a small board with a lid, add 11 translucent puzzle pieces, and each challenge starts with a few bubbles already placed. Your job is to fit the rest in. There’s only one solution per puzzle, and there are 120 total.

I’m really happy to say I’ve worked my way from the starter level all the way up to wizard, and I’m still hooked.

What I love about this game is that there’s no screen, it’s pocket-sized (so it’s great for travel), it works your brain instead of frying it, and it’s surprisingly addictive.

It’s the kind of thing you can pull out at a coffee shop, on a plane, or on the couch when you’d normally be doomscrolling.

If you want to give your brain some love and avoid your phone, I recommend picking ​one up over here​.

Client Of The Week - Dijana Kristo, Professional

Dijana is a busy professional who wants to take back control of her health and habits.

In just a few months, she’s down 23.2 lbs, lost 1.5 inches off her waist, and made a powerful mindset shift around food and long-term consistency.

She now makes the right food choices even while traveling, stays consistent with her daily steps, and has built sustainable habits that support both her goals and lifestyle.

Here's how we did it:

• Built a simple, flexible nutrition strategy that works anywhere
• Prioritized daily movement with walking as a core habit
• Focused on long-term habit change over quick fixes

Dijana didn’t just lose weight, she changed how she lives. Amazing work, Dijana!

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

One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong

When you’re riding a bike, and you want to go in a specific direction, but obstacles are in front of you, do you focus on the obstacles or on where you’re going?

This question is not about biking.

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.  ​https://www.age.mpg.de/can-ageing-be-slowed-down​ 
2. Metcalfe RS, Koumanov F, Ruffino JS, Stokes KA, Holman GD, Thompson D, Vollaard NB. Physiological and molecular responses to an acute bout of reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT). Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015 Nov;115(11):2321-34. doi: 10.1007/s00421-015-3217-6. Epub 2015 Jul 9. PMID: 26156806. 
   
   

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.