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Status: Tags: #literature/books/implemented Links: Finished-Implementing List - The 4 Hour Body Application Finished Reading: Finished Implementing: 04/29/2021

The 4 Hour Body

• As we become more skilled at something, it becomes harder to find techniques to keep increasing our skill level
  • Being able to learn those crucial and innovative ideas as a beginner can result in a higher effect/effort ratio in comparison to doing more shallow work
    • 2.5% of the information can provide 95% of the desired results

Rules for Following the Book

1. It’s not necessary to read the book from start to finish
   • Consider reading about ideas that are relevant in our own lives
   • Only mandatory sections are fundamentals and ground zero
   • Lists recommended readings for certain goals
2. You don’t need to understand the science behind it if it’s boring (these are separated through GA sections)
3. Be skeptical of the advice
   • “Fifty percent of what we know is wrong. The problem is that we do not know which 50% it is.” -Timothy Noakes
4. Skepticism should not be a reason for inaction
5. Enjoy

• Working out can give 4 additional hours of productive time every day?
• 4HB promotes an experimental lifestyle to try new things to better our life

1 - Fundamentals

Minimum Effective Dose (MED)

• Smallest dose that produces a desired outcome

  • Anything beyond the MED produces diminishing returns

• 80 seconds is the MED for most activities

  • Find ways to measure such abstract concepts

• “Even people who aren’t geniuses can outthink the rest of mankind if they develop certain thinking habits.” -Charles Darwin

  • We can learn to think more efficiently

• No exercise burns many calories

  • Instead of measuring in calories, measure in heat and hormones

• Everything we eat has an effect, so it is a drug 20 pound recomposition

• Recmposition is losing fat and turning it into muscle

• The most efficient breakdown for weight loss is

  • 60% diet, 10% drugs, 30% exercise
  • If maintaining a diet is hard, do 10% diet, 45% drugs, 45% exercise

• Exercise is different from physical recreation

  • Exercise targets certain body parts, rather than general cardio
  • Physical recreation should just be used as a hobby

• It’s okay to have a skewed diet (cycling)

• being predisposed does not mean being predestined

  • Genes don’t determine everything

• Set measurable goals for health

• Calorie rules

  • 1. What makes it into our bloodstream is more important than what we eat
  • 2. our hormones respond differently to different kinds of calories
    • fat calories > protein calories > carb calories
    • digestion, a protein to carb to fat ratio, and timing all affect weight loss

2 - Ground Zero

• People suck at following advice
  1. not enough motivation
  2. no reminders

Harajuku moment

• Harajuku moments are when wants are turned into needs
  • Needed for us to take action towards goals and advice
  • act with the intention of greatness
• it’s important to spend time working on our weaknesses
• data is important in optimizing
  • at the same time, it’s okay to merely be estimating stuff like caloric intake

Measuring Progress

• measurements are super important for tracking weight loss progress
• It doesn’t matter if our data tools are off if they are consistent
  • 120 to 100 pounds is the same as 320 to 300 pounds
• measure mid-bicep, navel-height stomach, widest points of hips below waist, and both legs (mid-thigh)
  • add to get total inches (ti)
• eyeball body fat
• use special machines to track body fat
• goal is to have 12% body fat

Failure-Proofing Behavior

1. Make it conscious
   • ex) Take a picture of what you’re about to eat
   • ex) Take a picture of yourself at the start of your journey
2. Make it a game
   • Observer effect
   • Continue to log data until you’re addicted to it
     • Magic number is 5
3. Make it competitive
   • Feel proud from those inferior and feel encouraged by those superior
   • Have a punishment for failure
     • boast about your future accomplishments and actually achieve them so you don’t embarass yourself
4. Make it small and temporary
   • Little progress is better than no progress
     • Ensure it’s short and convenient

• A man was able to lose weight just by consciously acknowledging it

Slow Carb Diet

Rules

1. Avoid white carbs
   • bread, rice, potatoes, fried food
2. Eat the same healthy foods Proteins, legumes (beans), vegetables (spinach, brocolli, )
3. No caloric drinks

• Fruit juice is bad

5. No fruits except tomatoes and avocados
6. One day off per week
   • Maintains metabolism and rewards yourself
   • When tempted to eat something, save it for this day

• Have potassium, magnesium, and calcium
  • Magnesium prior to bed helps with sleep
  • Spinach helps with all 3, and lentils are cool
  • Potassium
    • salmon, beans, mushrooms, lentils
  • Calcium
    • salmon/sardines, tofu, turnips, peas, tempeh and agar
  • Magnesium
    • pumpkin and watermelon seeds, peanuts, almonds, halibut, cashews
• Extra seasonings and flavors
  • Montreal steak rub, thick salsa without sugar added, garlic salt, white truffle sea salt (combine this with tarragon on eggs), Thai chili paste (srichacha)
  • Macademia oil > olive oil
  • The need for snacks means you didn’t eat enough
    • Else, it’s a habit
• Breakfast can be eggs, lentils, and spinach
• Mexican restaurants promote the slow-carb diet
  • “I’ll just have more vegetables instead of (starch).”
• Chipotle Diet
  • BREAKFAST: One cup of coffee and an egg (scrambled or hard-boiled) [I believe he would have lost significantly more fat by adding even one extra egg each day.]
  • LUNCH AND DINNER: Fajita bol (peppers, onions, steak, tomato salsa, green tomatillo salsa, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, romaine lettuce)

Common Mistakes

1. Not eating 30-60 minutes upon waking up
2. Not eating enough protein
   • 20 grams per meal
   • Eat until full
   • Beans
3. Water

• Drink more water during cheat days

4. Use canned and frozen foods to allow for flexibility
5. Garnering addictions to snacking foods
   • Nuts, almond
6. Overconsuming artificial sweeteners
7. Overexercising
   • Reverses progress through promoting overeating and sports drinks

Binge Day

• Turn the binge into muscle tissue or poop:

1. Minimize release of insulin
   1. First meal shouldn’t be a binge meal
      • Keep it high protein (decrease appetite), and fiber (poop)
   2. Consume fruit sugar before the second meal (first binge meal)
   3. Supplements that increase insulin sensitivity (insurance)
   4. Citric juices
2. Poop faster
   1. 100-200mg Caffeine, yerba mate tea for theobromine (dark choc) and theophylline (green tea) four grams of cinnamon = 4 divided by 2.8, or just about one and a half teaspoons. Don’t consume more per day.
3. Brief muscular contractions
   • Air squats, wall presses, chest pulls
     • Brings glucose to the surface of muscle cells, allowing for the intake of calories
   • Do a few minutes before eating
     • HIT lasting only 280 seconds
       • In all cases, if you do 60–90 seconds of contraction after each meal (and a bit before, ideally)
         • Air squats, wall presses, chest pulls (Requires band)
       • If you take 100 steps after each meal, you can live to be 99 years old.

• Cissus quadrangularis (CQ) paired with PAGG promotes anti-obesity and anabolism
• Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, bacterial cells in our body, promote fat absorption
  • Stop consuming splenda (decreases)
  • Fermented foods increase
  • Probiotics are literally bacteria

PAGG Ingredients

• Policosanol: 20–25 mg
  • plant waxes, lowers cholesterol and increases HDL
• Alpha-lipoic acid: 100–300 mg (I take 300 mg with each meal, but some people experience acid reflux symptoms with more than 100 mg)
  • Regenerates vitamin c and vitamin E, restores levels of intracellular gluathione (antioxidant that lessens with age), and increases excretion of toxic heavy metals (mercury)
  • Little toxicity for humans (max 4k/day)
  • Stores carbs in muscle/river instead of as fat
• Green tea flavanols (decaffeinated with at least 325 mg EGCG): 325 mg
  • helps with apoptosis and weight rebounding

• Garlic extract: 200 mg

Doses

• AGG during breakfast, lunch and dinner, and PAGG before bed
• Take a break once every week, and one week off every 2 months

Sources

• Vitamin Shoppe—Allicin 6000 Garlic, 650 mg, 100 caplets ( www.fourhourbody.com/garlic)
• Mega Green Tea Extract (decaffeinated), 725 mg, 100 capsules ( www.fourhourbody.com/greentea)
• Vitamin Shoppe—Alpha-Lipoic Acid, 300 mg, 60 capsules ( www.fourhourbody.com/ala)
• Nature’s Life—Policosanol, 60 tablets ( www.fourhourbody.com/policosanol)

Temperature and Weight

• Being cold helps with weight loss
  • cold stimulates BAT (fat-burning-fat) to burn fat and glucose as heat

Cold Exposure Methods

1. Ice pack on back of neck or upper trapezius area for 20-30 minutes (preferrably in the evening when insulin sensitivity is lowest)
2. 500 ml of ice water on an empty stomach right after waking up
   • Increases metabolic rate 24-30%, peaking at 40-60 minutes post-consumption
   • Eat breakfast 20-30 mins later
3. 5-10 minute cold showers before breakfast and/or before bed
   • Use hot water for 1–2 minutes over the entire body, then step out of water range and apply shampoo and soap to your hair and face. Turn the water to pure cold and rinse your head and face alone. Then turn around and back into the water, focusing the water on your lower neck and upper back. Maintain this position for 1–3 minutes as you acclimate and apply soap to all the necessary regions. Then turn around and rinse normally. Expect this to wake you up like a foghorn.

Reasons to take cold showers

1. 30 mins of cold exposure releases fatty acids for fuel for heat production, and increases lean muscle gain
2. Increases adiponectin levels and glucose uptake by muscle tissue
3. Improves immunity
4. Effective treatment for depression

Eating Habits

• Eat decent quantities of fat at each larger meal. Saturated fat is fine if meat is untreated with antibiotics and hormones.

• Spend at least 30 minutes eating lunch and dinner. Breakfasts can be smaller and thus consumed more quickly.

• Experiment with cinnamon and lemon juice just prior to or during meals.

• Use the techniques in “Damage Control” for accidental and planned binges. Keep in mind that the techniques in that chapter will help you minimize damage for about 24 hours, not much more.

Food stuffs

If you weigh less than 150 pounds, use the lower end of protein intake at four ounces protein (or 30 grams for protein shakes) and have smaller portions for the add-ons: a quarter-cup of nuts or one tablespoon of peanut butter or one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) or macadamia oil.

Eat one of these meals every three waking hours:

Option 1: 50 grams of whey protein isolate + half a cup of nuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter Option 2: eight ounces of cooked, white, nonfatty fish (no salmon, mackerel, etc.) + half a cup of nuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter. Acceptable fish include, but are not limited to, lean tuna, white fish, bass, catfish, pike, whiting, and flounder. Option 3: eight ounces of cooked turkey or chicken + half a cup of nuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter Option 4: eight ounces of cooked fattier protein: red meat (à la flank), ground beef, fatty fish, or dark poultry + one tablespoon of olive oil or macadamia oil Option 5: five whole eggs (easiest if hard-boiled) Unlimited quantities of the following are allowed at each meal:

• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Brussels sprouts
• Kale
• Collard greens
• Broccoli rabe
• Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetable No corn, beans, tomatoes, or carrots are permitted, but one cheat meal is encouraged every seven to ten days.

Exercises

Kettlebell Swings

• Stand with your feet 6–12 inches outside of shoulder width on either side, each foot pointed outward about 30 degrees. If toes pointed straight ahead were 12:00 on a clock face, your left foot would point at 10:00 or 11:00, and your right would point at 1:00 or 2:00.
• Keep your shoulders pulled back (retracted) and down to avoid rounding your back.
• The lowering movement (backswing) is a sitting-back-on-a-chair movement, not a squatting-down movement.
• Do not let your shoulders go in front of your knees at any point.
• Imagine pinching a penny between your butt cheeks when you pop your hips forward. This should be a forceful pop, and it should be impossible to contract your ass more. If your dog’s head gets in the way, it should be lights out for Fido.
  • Helps work towards a slender waist

Routines

Workout A

All exercises, except for kettlebell swings, are performed for 10 repetitions using a 13-Repetition Max2 (RM) weight.

1. Heavy dumbbell front squat to press (ass to heels)—squeeze glutes at bottom for one second before rising

2. One-arm, one-leg DB row

3. Walking lunges with sprinter knee raise

4. Wide-grip push-ups3

5. Two-arm kettlebell swings × 20–25

Repeat sequence 2–4 times.

Workout B

1. One-leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL)4 (10–12 reps each side)

2. Chin-up (four-second negative lowering portion only) × 10 or until you cannot control descent5

3. One-leg hamstring curls on a Swiss ball—6–12 reps each leg

4. Plank for abs (and gluteus medius on sides) → Progression: start with 30 seconds front, 30 seconds each side, working up to 90 seconds maximum

5. Reverse hyper × 15–25

Workouts for Abs

The Myotatic Crunch

Using a BOSU or Swiss ball, ensure your ass is close to the floor, usually no more than 6″ off the ground. Then follow these steps:

1. Start with arms stretched overhead as high as possible (I overlap my extended hands as if in a diving position). Keep your arms behind or next to your ears for the entire exercise.

2. Lower under control for 4 seconds until your fingers touch the floor, the entire time attempting to extend your hands further away from the ball.

3. Pause at the bottom for 2 seconds, aiming for maximum elongation (picture 3).

4. Rise under control and pause in the upper, fully contracted position for 2 seconds. The arms should not pass perpendicular with the ground.

5. Repeat for a total of 10 repetitions. Once you can complete 10 repetitions, add weight to your hands. I tend to use books of different sizes. If female, I don’t suggest exceeding 10 pounds in added weight (see “Hourglass” sidebar on this page).

The Cat Vomit Exercise

1. Get on all fours and keep your gaze focused either directly under your head or slightly in front of you. Don’t arch your back or strain your neck.

2. Forcefully exhale from your mouth until all air is fully expelled. Your abs should be contracted from this forceful exhale. Full exhalation is necessary to contract the transverse abdominals, and you’ll use gravity to provide resistance.

3. Hold your breath and pull your belly button upward toward your spine as hard as you can for a target of 8–12 seconds.

4. Inhale fully through the nose after the 8–12 second hold.

5. Take one breath cycle of rest (exhale slowly out the mouth, inhale slowly through the nose), then repeat the above for a total of 10 repetitions.

Protein per meal

• No difference between spreading out protein and binging it
• 0.8–2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. For muscular gain, I suggest at least 1.25 grams per pound of current lean bodyweight

Occam’s Protocol

• One set workouts that require complete exhaustion
• 5/5 cadence (five seconds up and five seconds down). The leg press is to be performed for 10 or more repetitions at the same cadence. The only exceptions to the cadence rule are the abdominal exercises and kettlebell swing, which are described in earlier chapters.
• The bigger our muscles get, the longer the following recovery time

WORKOUT A: FREE WEIGHT OPTION

Free weights can be used if you prefer them, or if you travel often and need standardized equipment that is the same around the world:

1. Yates row with EZ bar (ideal) or barbell × 7 (5/5 count) (see pictures in the sidebar later this chapter)

2. Shoulder-width barbell overhead press × 7 repetitions (5/5 cadence) (Optional: Abdominal exercises from “Six-Minute Abs”) Barbell Overhead Press The elbows are kept in front of the shoulders and do not flare outward. The bar travels in front of the face, but the head and upper torso move forward to be under the bar once it passes the head. The split stance prevents excessive arching of the back, but a shoulder-width parallel stance can also be used.

WORKOUT B: FREE WEIGHT OPTION

1. Slight incline bench press with shoulder-width grip × 7 (5/5 count) (If no Power Rack18 is available, use dumbbells, but you’ll often run into problems with adding weight in small increments.)

2. Squat × 10 (5/5 count) (Optional: Kettlebell or T-bar swings from “Building the Perfect Posterior” × 50)

3. Stationary bike × 3 minutes (to minimize subsequent leg soreness) Squat (Shown Below with Smith Machine) The feet, slightly wider than shoulder width, are placed a foot ahead of your hips. Initiate the movement by breaking at the hips (imagine pouring water out the front of your pelvis) and sitting backward, descending to where your thighs are parallel with the ground. Look up at approximately 45 degrees throughout the movement and do not pause at the top or the bottom.

Rules

1. Once you’re able to complete the required reps, increase weight by 10 pounds. If it’s still easy, add more pounds and do until failure
2. Instead of dropping the weights, move it then hold it at the limit for 5 seconds, then slowly lower the weight
3. Don’t pause at the top or bottom of any movements, take 3 mins rest in between
4. Rep speed, form, and rest intervals should stay consistent
5. Training that causes muscular damage should be followerd by a 7 day break
6. Start at 2 days space between a and b work outs

Supplements

1. Cissus quadrangularis (2,400 mg, three times per day)
2. 2. Alpha-lipoic acid (300 mg, 30 minutes before each whole-food meal). Here are the other two:
3. L-GLUTAMINE
   • tissue and intestinal repair
   • 10 grams/2 hours, max 80 grams
4. Creatine Monohydrate
   • protein synthesis (5-20 grams/day)

Sexy Time

Supplements

Fermented cod liver oil + vitamin-rich butter fat—2 capsules upon waking and before bed Vitamin D3—3,000–5,000 IU upon waking and before bed (6,000–10,000 IU per day), until you reach blood levels of 55 ng/mL. Short ice baths and/or cold showers—10 minutes each, upon waking and right before bed Brazil nuts—3 nuts upon waking, 3 nuts before bed (see important footnote)

20–24 Hours Prior

• Eat at least 800 milligrams of cholesterol (example: four or more large whole eggs or egg yolks) within three hours of bedtime, the night before

Sleep

• Taking 200 milligrams of huperzine-A 30 minutes before bed can increase total REM by 20 –30%
• The higher the percentage of deep-wave sleep, the better your subsequent physical performance

Getting to Sleep

• TEST 67–70° AS YOUR BEDROOM TEMPERATURE.
• EAT A LARGE FAT- AND PROTEIN-DOMINATED MEAL WITHIN THREE HOURS OF BEDTIME.
• USE LIGHT CUES – THE PHILIPS GOLITE.
• iso-lateral (one-arm or one-leg) resistance training
  • single session of pre-hab testing from the “Pre-Hab” chapter.
• TAKE A COLD BATH ONE HOUR PRIOR TO BED.
• RESORT TO THE HALF MILITARY CRAWL POSITION. !Pasted image 20210424133826.png

Most Effective Sleep

!Pasted image 20210425120639.png

• Must be consistent with sleep

Steps for Changing Sleep Schedule

1. Schedule 20 minute naps every 4 hours
2. Don’t oversleep or else you will feel fatigued
3. Don’t skip naps

Living Longer

• IF? 19-5
  • Provides same benefits as caloric restriction
  • Alternatively, you can cut calories by 50-80% every other day, or restrict protein to no more than 5% of maintenance calories
• dONATE BLOOD

References:

• Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger ( www.fourhourbody.com/wisdom)
  • mental models
• Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger ( www.fourhourbody.com/almanac)
  • charlie munger almanac
• Munger’s Worldly Wisdom ( www.fourhourbody.com/munger)
  • importance of mental models and decision-making
• Clive Thompson, “Are Your Friends Making You Fat?” New York Times, September 10, 2009 ( www.fourhourbody.com/friends) - importance of choosing your peer group