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The High Performance Journal - June 3rd, 2025

Recently, we had a client complete our body transformation program, and the results were truly incredible.

In three months, Chris dropped 30.6 pounds of fat, gained 3.3 pounds of lean mass, and dropped his body fat by 10.1% (confirmed by DEXA):

Oh, btw, he did this in his 50s and he looks incredible regardless of his age:

His results were so good that people could not even recognize him, and others accused him of using Ozempic (LOL).

When you have the right protocol and the right client, you can transform things in a way that you can achieve this "Holy Grail Effect" (burn fat + build muscle) while also increasing your metabolic rate.

So, in today's newsletter, I want to take you through the protocol we used to help Chris lose a ton of weight while gaining muscle and improving his metabolism.

You ready? Let's go 🔥

The Holy Grail Protocol: Burn Fat And Build Muscle At The Same Time

Step 1 - Nutrition Architecture

When we want to lose weight and gain muscle, we need to establish the right foundations. This means having the right calories, macronutrients (specifically protein), and timing.

We had Chris on a 500-700 calorie deficit while maintaining his protein intake at 1 gram per pound of body weight.

This is on the high side, but some studies suggest that you can increase muscle mass while being in a caloric deficit by consuming protein levels higher than normal.

When it came to nutrient timing, we did 3 things:

1. We had his final meal of the day 4 hours before sleep. This improved sleep quality and prevented nighttime snacking.
2. He ate his first meal within one hour of waking and took in a minimum of 30 grams of protein. This took him out of a catabolic state, which improved his ability to gain muscle while regulating his appetite.
3. His second meal was between his first and his last meal. This setup a structure of eating that would regulate his hunger and appetite throughout the day while maintaining high energy levels.

In addition to these, we made sure that he was not drinking any alcohol and also getting the right micronutrients so that he could feel full, energetic, and focused while being in a caloric deficit.

Step 2 - Physique Training

Image courtesy of ​GymAware​ 

Workouts are non-negotiable, and they are based around gaining muscle in the right areas.

Chris was used to changing his workouts every time he hit the gym. But the best way to build muscle is to keep the same workouts while progressively overloading the body.

For his workouts, we did an upper/lower/upper split using these exercises:

1. Leg press
2. Romanian deadlifts
3. Reverse lunges
4. Machine chest presses
5. Lat pull downs
6. Back rows
7. Seated shoulder presses

We filled out the rest of his workouts with accessory movements, such as bicep curls, tricep push-downs, lat raises, and calf raises.

Each time we stepped into the gym, we made sure to either increase our weight or the number of reps we were doing, or both simultaneously.

Chris was a super busy guy. So if he couldn't spend the time spend the time he needed in the gym, we supersetted our exercises like we do in our ​​Lean Body 90 program​.

Step 3 - Sneaky Moves

The best type of cardio is the one that you don't realize you're doing.

Chris was used to hitting the treadmill or the bicycle and doing 30-40 minutes of long endurance cardio.

While this is great from a longevity perspective, it can increase stress, particularly cortisol, if someone is living a high-stress lifestyle.

We invested in an under-desk treadmill and implemented a mandatory step count of 8,000-10,000 steps per day.

Aside from the increase in calorie burn, he noticed that he was feeling more energetic and had increased focus.

Most importantly, he didn't feel drained. He had more than enough energy to play catch with his son after work.

Step 4 - Sleep Hygiene

I've been drinking a special sleep tea 2 hours before bed and it's changed my life:

It contains chamomile, glycine, and sea salt.

The chamomile relaxes me while the glycine improves sleep quality.

The sea salt helps me absorb water so I don't wake up to go pee at night.

— Dan Go (@FitFounder) March 16, 2025

There's no way around it: If you want to burn fat and build muscle at the same time, you need proper sleep.

Admittedly, Chris had horrible sleeping habits.

He would be on the screens well into the late night, and he would have to wake up at 4 or 5 a.m.

So we did 3 major things:

1. We had him wear blue light blockers when the sun started to set. This blocks out the blue light and makes it super easy for you to go to bed when it's time.
2. We had our final meal at 7pm. This helped him improve the quality of his sleep by not having to digest food.
3. We had him set up his environment to make it more conducive to great sleep. This means getting blackout shades, a sleep mask, and drinking my sleep tea two hours before he goes to bed (see above)

Sleep regulates hormones and appetite, and is one of the most important things that you need to fix, especially if you are trying to change your body composition.

If sleep is something you struggle here's a free guide on the protocols we use to help our clients improve their sleep quality.

Step 5 - Consistency And Accountability

The biggest mistake people make when trying to transform their bodies is striving for perfection.

We need to aim for consistency while staying highly accountable to the process.

What you're looking to do is set a groove for your habits and results. You can't do this when you give up at the first sight of an obstacle or try to change things when things aren't seemingly working.

To Chris's credit, he was coachable, and when slip-ups happened, which they always do, we worked through them.

When you do that, you can achieve the holy grail and lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.

Welcome To Your Brand New Body

One of the most transformative things you can do for your body is to burn fat and gain muscle.

Something I didn't mention is the intangibles that come with changing your health the way Chris did.

While doing this transformation, Chris achieved some incredible things, like getting a major promotion and creating better relationships with his children.

When you transform your body, you absolutely can transform your life, and Chris is a great example of that.

Onward and upward. 🚀

- Dan

When you're ready, here are 3 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.

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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.