When your mind is clear, you look and feel better. Over the past couple years, I have been experimenting with a routine to improve my cognitive capability and overall life satisfaction. I call this routine The 24 Hour Workout.
Imagine if you could see the connection between how you Think – Look – Feel. Would you see a gap?
If so, let me share with you a way to fill this gap — The 24 Hour Workout. Here is what you can expect to find if you read on:
Table of Contents
What is the 24 Hour Workout?
Essentially, The 24 Hour Workout is a routine that provides you the following:
- 24-hour pump. Jump start your morning with an aerobic exercise, followed by push-ups, planks, and curls throughout the entire day.
- Break your comfort zone. Since you must do your push-up and plank routine throughout the entire day, you will be forced to do these exercises in front of people. It is awkward the first time you are planking in an airport!
- Spark Neurogenesis. Exercising, especially in the morning, prepares the brain for optimal learning and sparks Neurogenesis. Neurogenesis shows that exercise is strongly correlated with increased brain mass, improved cognition, and new brain cell production. It is sparked by exercise. Explicitly, aerobic exercise is the optimal vehicle for the production of the substance known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
- Kickstart your metabolism. Metabolism is the sum of total energy our body expends each day. Just as in our car, we burn less fuel at rest compared to when we are moving.
- Increased cognitive abilities. If you are like me, you will to turn into an audiobook junkie. You will find that you are able to read and/or listen to approximately 100 books a year. Additionally, you will be waking up before everyone else, so this is the optimal time to read.
- Learn to embrace waking up early. To maximize this routine, you must wake up early. You do not have to be as crazy as I am with this routine, but you must embrace this.
How I use The 24 Hour Workout
Here is a summary of my 24 Hour Workout.
- 2:30am: alarm goes off. Take first round of Qualia, then go back to sleep.
*Tip: Keep Qualia (more on this later) and bottle of water next to you on your night stand. - 3:30am: wake up. Qualia will naturally get you moving and wake you up. Then do your first round of push-ups, plank, and curls.
*Tip: I found that it takes around 45min to 1hr for your “Qualia Alarm Clock” to kick in. - 4:00am: stretch, listen to an audiobook, then perform an aerobic exercise. I normally run (always outside if possible) for 3-5 miles daily. Perform your push-ups, plank, and curls.
*Tip: If you find it difficult to wake up, try the following: immediately splash cold water on your face, walk outside if it’s cold out, or turn your shower to its coldest setting and get in! Also, sleep in your running clothing or keep them next to you in bed. - 5:00am: shower and listen to an audiobook. Perform your push-ups, plank, and curls.
- 5:30am: read, write, blog, or journal. Perform your push-ups, plank, and curls.
- 6:30am: eat breakfast. Perform your push-ups, plank, and curls.
- 7:00am: Spend time with family.
- 7:30am: Perform your push-ups, plank, and curls. Head to work.
Throughout the day I attempt to complete 10 sets of the push-up, plank, and curl routine. I set a timer on my Fitbit so that every 30min to 1hr I knock out a set. Furthermore, at 12:00pm I take the second round of Qualia with food.
The Five Pillars of the 24 Hour Workout
The Five Pillars of The 24 Hour Workout:
Pillar #1 Cardio and Audio
Some type of cardio exercise is mandatory. This is the optimal way to spark Neurogenesis and will provide an abundance of health benefits. I recommend performing this five days a week and always listen to an audiobook while performing your cardio routine.
Pillar #2 Power Up
I have started to focus more on quality rather than quantity. Specifically, when I complete my push-up and plank routine. I now focus on form and muscle fatigue, not repetitions. I recently started to perform Power Push-ups and Power Planks.
Power Push-ups I recommend reading further about it in my other article:
The Simplest and Most Effective Exercise in Existence: The Power Push-up
Power Plank A great how-to video for the power plank can be found here. The key is to get in a good planking position.
First, tuck your butt under and squeeze, then drive your elbows down into the floor towards your toes and your toes up toward your elbows. Squeeze every muscle as hard as you can.[1]
Pillar #3 Get Up Early
This is the most important aspect of this routine, yet it is the hardest. Read How to Stay Awake and Energetic No Matter How Busy Your Schedule Is for tips on how to do this.
Pillar #4 Nootropics – Qualia
Ever since watching the film Limitless, I have been searching for something similar to the mysterious smart-drug called NZT-48. I am not completely insane and I do realize this pill is fictional. However, there are smart-drugs (nootropics) out there that are safe and legal. Qualia is one of those safe and legal nootropics. I have also found it to be the best.
Pillar #5 Metacognition
If you are really looking to maximize this routine, then you must look for ways to improve your metacognitive skills. Embrace reading and read every chance you get.
How to adopt the 24 Hour Workout
I recently came across a unique way to shatter my goals provided by travismcashan.com. Travis McAshan calls this The Bruce Lee Challenge. Adopt The 24 Hour Workout by using The Bruce Lee Challenge.
- Step 1: Choose your goal. This could be simply starting a morning routine.
- Step 2: Decide your key objective. Here you are looking to break your goal down into specific and measurable metrics that you can track. For example, let’s say you have the following goals: 1) Wake up every morning by 5am; 2) Run 5 days a week (starting at 5:30am); 3) Read for 30 minutes every morning.
- Step 3: Commit for 21 days. The human mind takes nearly 21 days to adjust to major life changes. Try sticking to your new routine for 21 days and see what happens.
- Step 4: Take immediate action. This one is simple… get started now!
- Step 5: Make a decision. After you have committed for 21 days, it is time to make a decision. Are you going to continue your new routine or not?
Think – Look – Feel
Most of us live life where we know we need to get better, yet it seems like we can’t.
It seems as though how we think, look, and feel are all interconnected… which they are. When our mind is foggy and we can’t think, we don’t look well, and we don’t feel well. There is a gap in between each of these, but how can we fill it?
So, what can we do? Adopt The 24 Hour Workout!
By simply adopting The 24 Hour Workout, you will find that your thoughts will be clear, you will look better, and ultimately feel better. By doing this, you will evolve into a more complex information processing system. Essentially, you will enter beast mode!
Just remember to never give up. You will fail at times during this routine, but you can’t quit. Recently, my friend Casey King was frustrated as he wasn’t reaching 100% consistency with this routine. He felt like he was spinning his wheels. Here was my advice to him,
“You will never get there as things will always get in your way. You have to be mentally okay with a 70-90% day, because that is better than the alternative. The important point is to never give up as your 70% day next year will be better than your 70% today. Essentially, your 70% day next year will be your 100% day this year.” – Dr. Jamie Schwandt
Featured photo credit: Photo by Scott Webb from Pexels via pexels.com
Reference
| [1] | ^ | Human Form Fitness: How to Perform a Power Plank |
