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Hey Reader You're reading this because you are officially done feeling soft. You want a body and mind that run like a Swiss watch.
I love writing these newsletters, but I only land in your inbox a three times a week. Your stress, on the other hand, doesn't operate on a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday schedule...rats. What happens when you hit that 3:00 PM wall today? The cure takes exactly 60 seconds. I just posted the exact Body Throttle video I use to immediately drop my heart rate over on Instagram. And just yesterday on LinkedIn, I shared a quick story about a founder who used the Drink Domino to completely snap out of a morning fog right before a massive board meeting. I post these rapid-fire wins every single day to help you apply the 5 Daily Dominos in real time. It's the exact stuff you need to consume when you require a fast reset but don't have time to read a full email. Don't take my word for it. Click below, watch the latest 60-second video, and test the breathing technique right now at your desk. See if you don't physically feel your shoulders drop. Let's stay connected between emails. Pick your platform:
PS: Jagger discovered how to turn cardboard boxes into spaceships this weekend, which means my living room is currently a hazard zone. If you need a quick mental escape from your own daily chaos, come hang out on Instagram where my tips are slightly more organized. |
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Hey Reader, I jumped on a Zoom call with a 1-on-1 client this week. I always start my sessions with a standard procedure. I ask what they're grateful for while we do some deep diaphragmatic breathing. It usually sets a great tone… But this time, it didn't work. Instead of gratitude, he went into a complete tailspin. I asked him what he was grateful for. He paused and said, “Well, this week was a crazy week because…” He looked completely frazzled. He seemed distraught and so tired. He was incredibly stressed.
I let him vent about his overflowing inbox, personal problems and his back-to-back meetings. Then I stopped him and asked one question. “How was your breathing this week?” He looked confused, then admitted he'd been fighting a clogged nose all week. He thought he was failing because of his workload. But his real problem wasn't his calendar. It was his airway. We didn't talk about his schedule. We just tackled his very first Daily Domino. I walked him through a quick Body Throttle reset focusing on lateral rib expansion. I had him pinch his nose, close his mouth, and nod his head 10 to 15 times. We repeated this a few times until he could finally breathe through his nose again. He took a massive deep breath in. He instantly said he felt so much better. The reason I'm sharing this with you is because your brain acts according to how your body feels. When your body feels like it's suffocating, your brain matches that feeling. When you run on a cracked foundation, your brain creates imaginary dragons. Every minor annoyance turns into a five-alarm fire. You end up paying a massive 3:00 PM Decision Tax, snapping at your kids, and turning into a Ghost Parent by the time dinner rolls around. When that happens, you need to check in with yourself. Where's your breath right now? Are you holding it? Is it stuck in your upper chest? Is your breathing really quick? Are you hunched over? Those answers will give you absolute clarity on what you're experiencing. They show you exactly how to combat the stress. Take one deep breath in and let one soothing breath out. It stops your brain from making things worse. One deep breath's all you need to start fighting for peace.
PS: If you still don't breathe through your nose always. Please hit REPLY, and let me help you. I'll show you exactly what to do. I don't let any of my family or friends mouth-breathe. It matters that much… |
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Hi Reader, For a long time, I thought a constant, low-grade level of stress was just the price of ambition. I thought it was the fuel giving me the drive to succeed.
It wasn't until I was forced to pause a few years ago that I realized something terrifying: that stress wasn't fueling my potential...it was a hidden drag on my life, keeping me from being fully present with the people who matter most. I recently sat down with the team at CanvasRebel and we ended up talking about this exact realization. We dug into the myth that success has to cost you your life, and how we can actually use our bodies to eliminate stress (not just “manage” it). If you’ve ever felt like your drive is secretly draining you, you can read the short interview here: [CanvasRebel Interview] I’d love to know. Have you ever mistaken stress for ambition? Hit reply and let me know.
PS: We cover a lot of ground in the CanvasRebel interview, but the most important part is halfway through where we break down exactly why “managing” stress is a trap, and how prioritizing simple daily inputs like your breath and movement flips the script entirely. [Read the breakdown here] |
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I was in the park with my son Jagger and our dog, Kona, this weekend… when I thought about a frustrated client I spoke with recently. He is a high-performing dad who has been crushing it for months. He got his step count up, improved his water intake, and dialed in his workouts. But sleep has a lot of moving pieces, and it just wasn't quite there yet. He was getting frustrated. He jokingly pushed his stomach out, rubbed his belly, and said, “What about this, Tony? How do I get rid of this?” I smiled and pointed to my book, Get Me Skinny! I told him I spent the first 16 years of my career solving that exact problem.
I got it so dialed in that I hit 92% accuracy. But you know what happened? Those people who lost 50 or 100 lbs… they didn't keep it off. That reality stung. We essentially know the inputs for weight loss, but if we don't habituate and systematize, we default back. We used to tackle the dominos in the completely wrong order. We would go for exercise, then nutrition, then maybe water… and we completely ignored the breath. Now I know that without optimal breathing and maximizing oxygen flow, your body stays stuck in chronic low-grade stress. You are inadvertently suffocating yourself. It makes weight loss hard, sleep hard, and recovery impossible. In Phase 1 of our LivFit 365 program, we focus on the Breath Domino first to act as your Body Throttle. My client has done great work with his water and breath, and he is almost to that Promised Land. Sleep is the final puzzle. I told him that once we solve that Sleep Domino, I can rest assured that when he is 80, he won't have to worry about Alzheimer's or certain diseases. Because dialing in your sleep system is infinitely more important than just looking good this summer. But we'll do that too… Building this infrastructure is exactly what we do for the entire household. Right now, my coaching program is completely full, and I'm not taking new clients. But I want to give you a free test drive of the survival chain hierarchy today. Take a second to reflect on your past fitness attempts… Did you go after exercise and nutrition first and completely skip the first three dominos of breath, water, and sleep?. Reply and tell me your order of operations. It's Gametime!
PS: Kona successfully stole one of Jagger's toys again today… rats!. I guess I'll be spending my afternoon negotiating a trade with a Golden Retriever. |
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I'd just completed my second Ironman triathlon. My body was completely destroyed. I was recovering in Cancun, Mexico, sitting outside on a quiet patio balcony. The soft tropical rain was falling. I sat there watching the green rainforest trees and digging into my anatomy books. I had this burning passion to write after the success of my first book, Get Me Skinny! So I opened up my NASM fundamentals textbook. I went through and picked out over 50 fitness topics and facts about anatomy. I thought about the clients I train in person and online. I realized something shocking about their faulty motor patterns. Most females don't know how to turn on their back and lat muscles. Most males can't properly flex their glutes. I thought to myself, “They're just going to the gym and swinging a hammer, but there isn't a nail.” They put in all this hard work but get zero results because they aren't working the muscles as intended. It turns out it's a neuromuscular connection issue. The reason I'm sharing this with you is because your time is too valuable to waste. If your brain isn't communicating with your muscles, you'll never see the changes you want. You need calculated movements, not random guessing. That realization is exactly why I wrote my book, Live Fit. But I didn't want to just write a dry manual. We learn best through stories. That's why I created the character of Aubrey. She goes on a Wizard of Oz style journey to learn how to move properly to turbocharge her results. She meets the a doctor, a drill sergeant, and the wise sage. Each character teaches her a critical fitness lesson to fix those faulty patterns. Self-help books completely changed my trajectory. I've read over 500 of them myself. They gave me the insight I needed to grow, and I want to do the exact same for you. Today, my book is completely free to download. I've also partnered with some incredible authors to give you even more self-help resources.
[Link to Download Live Fit & Partner Books]
PS: Grab your Self Help books for free, and join the 27% of adults who finish a book this year. Here –> <Change Your Life Free Books> |
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I saw my client race through the parking lot and slam on his brakes. He jumped out of his car and completely forgot to say hi to me. He just rushed straight into the studio. Life was happening, and I knew right away he was in total turmoil. He looked right at me and said, “I don't want to do that. I just want to go for a run.” He wanted to get out there and get it done without stretching. It's like a lot of people who refuse to stretch. They feel like they don't have time to slow down.
They think because the world is moving so fast, they'll lose their advantage if they take a pause. So, I just watched him spin. He wasn't present at all. He was totally distracted and replaying all his problems. It highlighted a really important question for me. What do you do when you're practicing your breathing and staying calm, but everyone around you is spinning? You might feel like you need to step in and tell them what to do. But I've learned the hard way that humans hate being told what to do. Everybody craves autonomy. From a toddler to your wife, nobody likes being bossed around. The reason I'm sharing this with you is because the best way to help someone is to simply model the change. We've got to leverage our mirror neurons. When you look calm, the people around you will naturally calm down. If they're still spinning and talking a hundred miles an hour, just slow down and watch them. Are they mouth breathing? Are their pupils dilated? Are they holding their breath? Are their chest and shoulders moving up and down? If they are, know that they're seeing red… Nothing you say will help them, but everything you do will. Breathe and be calm without judging them. I don't even talk about breathing with my clients when they get like this. I just focus on modeling the physical movement of the diaphragm. I do a five-second pull-down inhale through the nose, and then I just let it go. Slow down your own frequency so you can help them find theirs. Let's make it happen today.
PS: I mentioned earlier that nobody likes being bossed around, especially your wife. Seriously, take it from me, as the host of a true crime podcast, Forensic Tales you learn very quickly to just breathe, stay calm, and model good behavior… |
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Jagger was screaming! He was sitting up with his eyes closed and his mouth wide open. The piercing sound bounced off the walls in the middle of the day. That's when I saw him, grabbed him, and hugged him tight. Courtney was right behind me.
“Did the Cucuis get you?” I asked. I was quick to blame the Cucuis on Mama Sofia. I was quick to look out the window instead of looking in the mirror. We completely forgot that we were the ones letting him watch “spookies” before naptime. It just reminded me of how we're quick to blame others for our shortcomings. When something happens right away, it's someone else's fault. When we don't execute, something got in our way. Rarely do we look in the mirror and accept full responsibility for the life we've created. I'm sharing this because we run the exact same script with our bodies. When we hit that brutal 3:00 PM Decision Tax or realize we're turning into a Ghost Parent at the dinner table, we look out the window. We blame the stressful quarter, the endless emails, or the kids' chaotic schedules. If you're waking up with a Swiss Watch body, have tremendous relationships, and your bandwidth is fully protected, kudos to you. You've chosen well. But if your life feels hard, and you don't like what you see in the mirror, then it's time to choose differently. I want to invite you to look at your daily behaviors. Focus entirely on the stuff that's in your control. Maybe it's becoming a 2:00 AM Prisoner to your phone instead of getting your System Reboot. Maybe it's accepting the Soft CEO reality where you win the Money Game in public but lose the Life Game at home. Or maybe it's hitting Wine O'Clock because your baseline is pure exhaustion. There are many ways we refuse to take ownership. But the truth is, there are no Cucuis hiding under your bed stealing your energy. There is no invisible monster causing your afternoon crash. It's just you, and the systems you choose to build. Stop acting like a true-crime detective investigating the scene after you've already lost your temper. Stop reacting to the fallout, and start preventing the crime. Pick just one of your Daily Dominos to master today. Take a single Neuro-Breath before you open your inbox tomorrow morning, and watch how it creates the Breathing Room you need to command your day.
PS: Even throughout the turmoil. The Chueys remain committed to our sleep. It's one of the most important puzzles to solve. |
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The screaming came loud and fast. It jolted Courtney and me awake. It's 10:00 p.m. and we can hear Jagger's absolute panic. He's crying hysterically. We rushed downstairs to grab him, and the night from hell officially started. Jagger was inconsolable. He was shaking, sweating, and screaming at the top of his lungs. It was a deafening, piercing noise that instantly sliced through Courtney's soul. We didn't know what was wrong. We were completely exhausted. I struggled to maintain my cool. We tried everything for an hour and a half. We walked him, put him on our chests on the couch, and even brought him to the big bed. He finally slept for a bit, but woke up at 1:00 a.m. screaming again. He stayed awake until 2:30 a.m. I had my first client at 5:00 a.m.. I went into my sessions on barely three hours of sleep.
We ended up taking him to the doctor that morning. Thankfully, he was in perfect health. He wasn't sick. It was just night terrors and sleep regression. But the day was rough…rats. In the middle of that chaos, we asked each other for help. I swallowed my pride. I told Courtney I couldn't handle it anymore because I was just too tired. She stepped up with some beautiful words. “As long as he's safe, as long as he's healthy, everything is okay,” she said. Even our golden retriever, Kona, came over to comfort us. We were all huddled together, trying to survive the storm. The reason I'm sharing this with you is because it reminded me of people who don't prioritize their rest. When you haven't solved the sleep puzzle, every single day is a struggle. Jagger was irritable the next day, and so were we. Without proper sleep, life is just hard. Look at sleep as a have to have, not a luxury. If you haven't fixed your sleep yet, start running tiny experiments tonight. Experiment with your bedtime routine by setting a hard cutoff time and working backwards. Try turning off your screens earlier. Or simply dedicate time to reading a story to your kids to calm the household down. Check your Garmin or Oura data tomorrow morning to see the exact difference it makes. Find your bottleneck and fix it. If you do, you have a chance. If you don't take action, you will suffer for a very long time. You've got this! Let's make it happen tonight.
PS: You'll never guess what happened with Mama Sofia and the Cucuis … |
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We just switched my son Jagger to his toddler bed. He did okay for the first few nights. Then Mama Sofia came to visit. She decided to tell my two-year-old about the Cucui. I remember her telling me about the Cucui when I was little. She used it to get me to listen or go where she wanted me to go. I don't use that word in our house. I've been scared of it my whole life. I'm still trying to fight my own demons. I definitely don't want Jagger's room to be a place where monsters exist. Fear is a powerful driver, and it's terrifying for a kid. Unfortunately, the Cucui method was fully deployed. Thanks, Mama Sofia. Luckily she doesn't live here with my wife Courtney and me, so we managed the aftermath. That night, Jagger was terrified. He was screaming in his new bed about the Cucui. I rushed into his room. I looked down and saw the exact same terror in his eyes that I felt at his age. It was the same terror I felt my whole childhood. I picked him up and hugged him tightly. I started breathing deep, trying to exude calmness. I whispered, “It's okay. You're safe. Dada is here.” Eventually, he calmed down, but he wouldn't let me go. As he squeezed my shirt, I realized I was his safe place. Sitting there in the dark, I realized we all have our own hidden fears. In order for Jagger to grow from his crib to a toddler bed, he must face his fears. We all have to do this. We can't keep running away from Cucuis.
Change is always uncomfortable. But you can't reach the next level of your health or fitness if you hide from what scares you. These hidden fears keep us from achieving our goals. You need to face your Cucui to experience the growth you deserve.
PS: You won't believe what we discovered next …. |
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Hey Reader, My phone buzzed while I was out walking my golden retriever, Kona, and my son, Jagger. It was a message from my client Karla. She's tackling her first triathlon, an Ironman 70.3. Her message stopped me right in the middle of the street. “I am terrified!” she wrote. “I know you say to live in the moment and not worry about the future. But I can't stop crying thinking about it.” I stood there and looked down into little Jagger's eyes. My heart sank a bit. I knew that one day, he'd face those exact same fears. Honestly, I felt that exact same knot in my stomach before my first Ironman. I remembered the frigid water, the fogged up goggles, and the sheer panic of feeling like I was going to drown.
I pulled out my phone and recorded a voice note for Karla. “You're feeling exactly the right way,” I told her. “You got this!” The reason I share this with you is because we often mistake fear for a stop sign. When we attempt something we've never done, that fear can feel completely crippling. But that discomfort is actually your unfair advantage. If you can navigate the storm of fear, something beautiful lies on the other side. The difference between someone who succeeds and someone who stays stuck isn't the absence of fear. It's taking action despite the fear. And that brings me to the successful clients I want to recognize today. These people are going somewhere they've never gone. They've come to terms with fear. They don't look at it as a negative, but as a positive way to uplevel their lives. What goals or aspirations are hiding in your life right now disguised as fear? Don't shy away from the discomfort. Lean into it. Let's make it happen. LivFit 365 High-PerformersPlease take a moment to recognize the outstanding achievers who are building high-performance human systems. Jesse Galeana Jesse and his wifey are crushing the Life Game. Averaging over 25,000 steps together proves building elite health is a total family mission. Ruben Muela He's dialing in his internal engine for Summer Bash 2026. Inching toward his 35 pound goal shows he's capable of absolute greatness. Omar Guzman The doc's upgrading his internal software. Installing daily breathing practices to elevate his mental clarity builds the ultimate version of himself. Phu Phan Welcome to the new family gym! They're mastering their sleep mechanics together, creating the ultimate system reboot for the whole house. Yolanda Phan She's kicking off a new year by anchoring her nervous system. Staying perfectly present to enjoy her beautiful family is the ultimate superpower. Glanda Phan Talk about cracking the code. Celebrating a full year of commitment means she's finally solved the lifelong health puzzle that kept her guessing. Kim Travis She just keeps going deeper. Peeling back the rusted layers to uncover her original brilliance proves her true powerhouse self was always waiting. Anna Shad The commitment queen's ruling her domain. Using the breath to minimize daily eruptions maximizes her love and cements her as an incredible mother. Fred Ghamari Fred's officially claiming the ultimate dad title. Becoming completely fit and radically present makes him a legendary role model for all fathers. Kristin Erickson She launched her campaign with an upgraded arsenal. Taking time to build an indestructible ship means she'll effortlessly navigate any incoming political storm. Yes Ordorica She's putting her physiology on autopilot. Using physical anchors (clever sticky notes) to systematize her diaphragmatic breathing guarantees she owns the Breathing Room every single day. Mike Celeya Practice makes permanent. Building massive awareness through daily reps is transforming him into a resilient guy he never dreamed he could become. Colleen Smith She always steps up for others. Now she's flipping the script by redirecting that fierce commitment to completely deliver for herself. Mitch Moshe Chaos cannot touch this guy. Despite massive hurdles he's architecting Mitch v2026 as the absolute best version of himself yet. Pooneh Mashadi Life keeps swinging but she never folds. Maintaining unwavering optimism while finally prioritizing herself proves her internal hardware is built incredibly tough. Karla Ceja She's slaying dragons left and right! Conquering personal demons to sign up for an impossible race shows her mental engine is fully primed. Carol Gorelick They gave her a grim forecast but she refused to listen. Leveraging our functional whole body approach provides the exact blueprint to defy the odds. LivFit 365 Family Fitness CoachingPlease welcome my new families. Your success is why I exist. I promise to do my absolute best to ensure you succeed. Alex Flores – Oz Gokhan Welcome to the LivFit Fam. I'm grateful to serve you. LivFit Coaching Calls – Fridays (12 pm PST/ 3pm PST)Want the ultimate fitness cheat sheet? I've packed 22 years of experience into these sessions, giving you the tools and knowledge to transform your body and mind. No more wasted time, just pure, results-driven knowledge to help you eat right, train effectively, and make healthy habits stick. LivFit Live Group Workouts – Saturdays (8am PST/ 11am EST)Say goodbye to boring workouts and hello to a fitness experience that's as unique as you are! Our live group sessions offer a dynamic blend of everything your body and mind need: strength, cardio, flexibility, meditation… and maybe even a few laughs along the way.
P.S. I don't know about this school thing. Jagger (2 years old) has been going for days now, and he still can't read or write … 😕 |
