Right by the front door to my apartment hangs a 24×36 dry erase board. On that dry erase board is my entire life.
Ok, not my entire life but the fundamentals (for me at least) of living a healthy, happy, and more focused life.
My dry erase board debauchery:
- What I’ll eat that week
- How I’ll work out that week
- What I’ll do to de-stress
- How I plan on having some fun/leisure
- And the one big ass task I’m working on that week
This board helps me create awareness. It helps me to stay consistent. It helps me deal with the cluster fuck that goes on in my brain.
I tend to put too much on my plate. The dry erase board helps me stay focused on the most important things. The few things that when done consistently lead to a healthy body, a clear mind, and an organized life… (mostly).
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN DRY ERASE BOARD OF AWESOME
Step 1 – Buy your dry erase board
I like this one. It’s white and it’s a board. Fulfills my needs. You can also go to Lowes and pick up a white panel board if you want to save some money.
Step 2 – Decide what’s important to you
For me this means:
- Moving my body in meaningful ways at least 10-minutes every day.
- Preparing at least 1 healthy meal at home.
- Taking at least 10-minutes every day to de-stress.
- Scheduling in some fun and leisure every week.
- Identifying and working on one big ass task for the week.
Step 3 – Write that shit down every Sunday
This part is important.
HOW I WRITE MY BOARD EACH SUNDAY
The day of the week you write your board is insignificant. I choose Sundays because it’s the least stressful day of the week for me.
I wake up.
I drink coffee.
I walk my dogs.
I write on my dry erase board
Then I go do rad shit.
At the top of my board are 7 columns with the days of the week. On the left-hand side of my board are 7 rows. Each one represents something different.
- Row 1: Movement
- Row 2: Meal 1
- Row 3: Meal 2
- Row 4: Meal 3
- Row 5: De-stress
- Row 6: Fun/Leisure
- Row 7: Big ass task (BAT)
MONDAY
- Movement: 20-30 minutes of resistance training at 10:30 am
- Meal 1: Coffee with MCT oil + collagen protein bar (about 3 hours later)
- Meal 2: Chicken thigh, veggies, and healthy fat
- Meal 3: Beef, veggies, healthy fat, and plantain
- De-stress: Waking up app at 2:30 pm
- Fun: None planned
- BAT: Website launch
TUESDAY
- Movement: 20-30 minutes of resistance training at 10 am
- Meal 1: Coffee with MCT oil + collagen protein bar (about 3 hours later)
- Meal 2: Chicken thigh, veggies, and healthy fat
- Meal 3: Cooking class meal
- De-stress: Waking up app at 11 am
- Fun: Cooking class
- BAT: Website launch
WEDNESDAY
- Movement: 10 minutes of sprints at 11:30 am
- Meal 1: Coffee with MCT oil + collagen protein bar (about 3 hours later)
- Meal 2: Chicken thigh, veggies, and healthy fat
- Meal 3: Beef, veggies, healthy fat, and plantain
- De-stress: Waking up app at 2:30 pm
- Fun: None planned
- BAT: Website launch
THURSDAY
- Movement: 20-30 minutes of resistance training at 10 am
- Meal 1: Coffee with MCT oil + collagen protein bar (about 3 hours later)
- Meal 2: Chicken thigh, veggies, and healthy fat
- Meal 3: Dinner at Broth with Grant
- De-stress: Waking up app at 11 am
- Fun: Dinner with Grant
- BAT: Website launch (client work)
FRIDAY
- Movement: 10 minutes of sprints at 11:30 am
- Meal 1: Coffee with MCT oil + collagen protein bar (about 3 hours later)
- Meal 2: Chicken thigh, veggies, and healthy fat
- Meal 3: Dinner at Broth with Grant
- De-stress: Waking up app at 11am
- Fun: None planned
- BAT: None
SATURDAY
- Movement: Flag football and rock climbing
- Meal 1: Coffee with MCT oil + collagen protein bar (about 3 hours later)
- Meal 2: None
- Meal 3: None
- De-stress: None
- Fun: Date
- BAT: None
SUNDAY
- Movement: Rock climbing
- Meal 1: Coffee with MCT oil
- Meal 2: None
- Meal 3: None
- De-stress: None
- Fun: Santa Monica
- BAT: Plan week and create ads for social media
You read that right. I don’t plan or prepare meals for the weekend. I do the best that I can in whatever situation I am in. I try my best to follow these 10 simple fitness habits. And if I end up eating something shitty or having a drink I keep it within reason.
DON’T BE A SLAVE TO YOUR BOARD
The dry erase board acts as a guide. It provides some structure for your week and reduces the number of decisions you have to make each day.
You’ll never have to think about what or when you’ll be doing your workout. What you’re eating for dinner. Or what you should be focusing on for work. You already thought about it Sunday and wrote it down.
But…
Shit happens, plans change, dogs eat your socks and throw them up. Thus, causing you to spend 30 minutes you planned to meditate cleaning up after them.
One of the more important skills you can learn in life is how to be adaptable. Don’t be a slave to your board. Do your best to follow it and learn to be adaptable when you can’t.
During the week you see above, I ended up not resistance training on Monday. I did 10 minutes of sprints instead because I ended up working out the day before.
On Wednesday night I did not eat my beef, veggies, and plantain dinner. My best friend called and we decided to go out for dinner.
No Santa Monica on Sunday. I was exhausted from the date #singlelife and went and got a men’s facial instead.
Don’t judge. I wanted to relax.
SOME NOTES AND STUFF
The fewer decisions I have to make the better. It simplifies my life, my fitness, and keeps me from going insane.
I EAT THE SAME FEW MEALS OVER AND OVER AGAIN
I have 4 to 5 ‘recipes’ I use over and over again. If I feel the need for more variety I’ll look up a new recipe or invent one. Regardless, they all follow the same pattern
- 2 palms of protein
- 2 fists of veggies
- 2 thumbs of fat
- 2 fists of carbs
- Zero calorie beverages
If I want to put on some muscle I increase the servings. If I want to drop some body fat or stay leaner I usually reduce the carb servings. I don’t count calories, weight or measure food, and this works well for me.
I FOLLOW THE SAME WORKOUT FOR A MONTH AND THEN CHANGE IT.
I don’t like to go to the gym and figure it out on the fly. It usually leads to an unstructured and shitty workout.
For years I was doing Crossfit and loved that the workouts would change each day.
But lately, I’ve been following a functional bodybuilding approach. Classic weightlifting movements coupled with ‘optional’ conditioning at the end (not an all-out effort)
*My conditioning work is optional because right now I am as lean as I’d like to be. Plus, I live a fairly active lifestyle outside of the gym. Walks, hikes, rock climbing, flag football, and the occasional random surf session or other fitness adventure.
I following a consistent program for a month for 3 reasons:
- Progressive overload
- I don’t have to think about my workouts for a month
- It’s easy for me to assess
MONDAY
A. 3 sets x 6-8 reps, @31X1 of
- Back squats
B. 3 sets x 10-12 reps, @31X1
- Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts
- Dumbbell lunges (not walking)
C. 3 sets, x 10-12 reps, @31X1
- Incline Dumbbell press
- One arm dumbbell rows
D. 2 sets, x 12-15 reps, @31X1
- Dumbbell bicep curl
- Dips
E. Optional conditioning: 8 minute AMRAP @80% effort
- 10 Russian kettlebell swings
- 10 Trx rows
- 30 double unders
- 50-meter sprint (walk/jog back)
WEDNESDAY
A. 3 sets x 6-8 reps, @31X1 of
- Barbell press
B. 3 sets x 10-12 reps, @31X1
- Lat-pull downs or Pull-ups (not kipping for god’s sake)
- Push-ups (max reps or add weight)
C. 2 sets, x 10-12 reps, @31X1
- Leg press
- Glute bridge
D. 2 sets, x 12-15 reps, @31X1
- Dumbbell hammer curls
- Tricep overhead extensions
E. Optional conditioning: 3 sets not for time of
- 30-second wall sit
- 10 goblet squats (moderate weight)
- 30-second farmer carry
- 20 seconds of battle rope
FRIDAY
A. 3 sets x 6-8 reps, @31X1 of
- Trap bar deadlifts
B. 2 sets x 10-12 reps, @31X1
- Goblet squats
- Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts
C. 2 sets, x 10-12 reps, @31X1
- Cable chest flys
- Lateral raises
D. 2 sets, x 12-15 reps, @31X1
- Dumbbell bicep curls
- Tricep press downs
E. Optional conditioning: 3 sets not for time
- 10 box jumps with step down
- 12 Russian kbs
- 50 double unders
- 10 seconds of battle rope
A couple things you may be thinking.
These workouts seem short.
They are. A lot of people try to force fitness into their schedule and get frustrated and quit when they can’t get in the full 60-minute workout 5 days per week they think they need.
Right now with my schedule, I’m confident I can get in three 30 minute workouts per week. I’ll re-assess next month and if things change I’ll make adjustments.
But to be honest – three 30 minute workouts per week has been really enjoyable, doable, and I’m happy with my results.
Where can I see some of these exercises?
I’ve got a few videos you can check out here.
YOUR TURN TO CREATE A DRY ERASE BOARD OF AWESOME
Have $20 to $30 bucks to spare and about 30 minutes today? Try creating your own dry erase board of awesome. If you do, post it on your IG and tag me or @justin.t.miller me in it.
Have questions about today’s article? Contact me here and fire away. I read and reply to every message that I get.
With gratitude,
Justin
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