Most people think you need hours in the gym to stay lean and strong. But I’ve discovered something different—something that works better. I stay fit with just 20 minutes a week, and I maintain under 10% body fat without doing traditional cardio, without spending hours lifting, and without extreme dieting. 

My secret? Smarter stress and smarter recovery. 

My Wake-Up Call on Overtraining 

When I was 23, I weighed nearly 300 pounds. I followed the fitness advice I was told to trust: I hit the gym six days a week, 90 minutes a day—half weights, half cardio. I stayed committed even when I was sick or exhausted. After 18 months and 700 hours of workouts, I still had a 46-inch waist. 

I was also hungry all the time on a semi-vegetarian, low-calorie diet that was supposed to help. It didn’t. 

Worse, at 26, my testosterone levels were lower than my mom’s. I had trashed my hormones, metabolism, and recovery—all from too much training and not enough nutrients. 

Why Less Is So Much More 

Your body doesn’t need more exercise—it needs the right signal. Short, high-intensity bursts of movement tell your body to adapt and grow. When paired with proper recovery, minerals, fat, and protein, that’s when real results happen. 

I focus on what’s called the minimum effective dose of exercise. It’s about intensity, not duration. 

There’s research to back this up. A study from the University of Pittsburgh found that short, intense workouts increased mitochondrial function by more than 50% in just 12 weeks. That’s like flipping the biological clock back by decades. 

My 20-Minute-a-Week Workout Routine 

I break my workouts into three or four short sessions each week. Each one focuses on all-out effort followed by full recovery. Here’s what I use: 

• AI-Powered Tech at Upgrade Labs – Customizes intensity and recovery for maximum impact 

• 5-Minute High-Intensity Cardio – Six times more effective than steady-state cardio 

• Blood Flow Restriction Bands – Increases muscle gains without stressing the body 

• Digital Resistance Machines – Create force without risking joint damage 

You don’t need all of this tech to get started. You can sprint in your backyard—just make sure you let your heart rate return to normal between sprints. 

10 Things I’ve Learned About Training 

1. More exercise ? better results 
2. Overtraining destroys hormones like testosterone 
3. Short, intense workouts build better mitochondria 
4. Cardio should be efficient, not endless 
5. Lifting smarter beats lifting longer 
6. AI and tech save time and improve recovery 
7. Recovery is non-negotiable 
8. Sleep, protein, and minerals matter as much as workouts 
9. Always track how you feel—not just performance 
10. You don’t need hours to be strong and lean 

It’s Time to Rethink Fitness 

This isn’t about shortcuts—it’s about working with your biology, not against it. You can grind for hours, or you can train smarter and recover better. 

I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been. My labs show I’m biologically in my 30s, even though I’m over 50. I sleep better, recover faster, and have more clarity. The same can be true for you. 

If you want to see how this works in the real world, check out Upgrade Labs. We’re building the future of fitness—and it’s way more efficient than anything you’ve tried.