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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 … 😕 |
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I heard the couch tearing up my wall… The ill-equipped movers were trying to jam my sectional through the front door. It was 10:05 p.m. and well past their 6:00 p.m. deadline. Then, one of the movers walked in carrying a heavy box. The box was clearly labeled “Kitchen” in big letters. He looked at Courtney and asked, “Where?” Courtney gave him that “Are you kidding me?” look. She shook her head and said, “The kitchen.” Rats. We were completely exhausted and losing our patience. Jagger was crying in the other room, and Kona was jumping on everyone. It was one of the hardest days of our young family's life. But somehow, in someway, we made it. We managed to survive the nightmarish days… We leaned into our new favorite term: #ChueyStrong (we call ourselves the Chueys…I know) And we're all moved in and finally getting some normalcy… The reason I'm sharing this with you is because life will test you. The chaos of life will absolutely ramp up the outside noise. If every day feels overwhelming, you need to pause. If you have a massive project or feel like you never have enough time, that isn't the moment to start a new fitness routine. When life brings the heat, it isn't the time to stress over hitting your calorie targets. First, you need to build better skills to bring down your stress load. Lighten the load, before you try and add more. Don't cut the grass when the house is on fire.
Sometimes you just need to survive the chaos today, so you can rebuild tomorrow. But once the smoke clears, then it's time to execute.
PS: Through the move, Jagger has had a cough, night terrors, and a hard time adjusting to our new home…so plot thickens. |
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It was Friday morning, the movers were coming, and we needed everything out by Sunday … I looked at the functional trainer. I looked at all the cables and the bolts that had to be removed. Then I looked at the tools I had. I wanted to just roll up into a fetal position and cry. There was no way I was going to take this apart and have it make sense.
But the chaos didn't stop there. Courtney was overwhelmed trying to pack up the studio for her Forensic Tales podcast. And in the middle of the night, Jagger woke up terrified. I tried to coddle him, but I couldn't stop him from crying. Courtney couldn't stop him from crying either. He was even screaming for Kona! But even our sweet six-year-old female golden retriever couldn't calm him down… I looked at Courtney, completely exasperated. “I just give up,” I said. Normally, I go to sleep at 7 pm every night. I wake up every day at 3 am to meditate and stretch. My body thrives on a solid schedule. But my sleep tanked to four broken hours. During the mess, I forgot to drink water. And my breathing struggled. The next morning, I was chugging strong black coffee with no sugar or creamer just to survive. I was irritated. I was making mistakes and forgetting my train of thought. My immune system crashed. My nose got stuffy. Rats… The reason I'm sharing this with you is because of what I realized that morning. When you ignore the fundamental three dominos, breathing, water and sleep. You're making life way harder that it has to be. You're playing life on expert level. If you don't get the right breathing mechanics, you're going to struggle. If you aren't properly hydrated, you'll get headaches. And if you get inadequate sleep, your body will break down. I see this all the time with my LivFit 365 clients. You might be frustrated that you aren't hitting your daily calorie goals. But you can't build a healthy life on a broken foundation. You don't need a complex plan. You just need to master the basics first. But simple, isn't always easy.
PS: Friday and Saturday were two of the toughest days for my family. But the Chueys always find a way…. To Be Continued .. |
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“Boom!” It was a loud noise coming from upstairs. I didn't know what it was. But it was followed by a terrifying scream. I knew it was bad. I ran upstairs as fast as I could. Courtney sprinted right behind me. There was little Jagger on the ground. Crying hard. I swept him up and held him tight. Tears poured down his little cheeks. “He fell, he fell,” I whispered. I tried to console him. That's exactly how our Monday morning started. Jagger jumped out of his crib. The thud was so loud it reverberated throughout the entire house… Luckily, he was okay. We just came together as a family. Courtney went straight to work doing research. Within minutes, we ordered a new toddler bed. My day shifted completely… Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your family. Jagger and I drove to pick up the bed. I cut my workout early so I could come home and build it. I didn't know if the box would fit in the Tesla. But when they brought it out, I swear it could've fit in the glove box. That meant there were a lot of parts, a lot of parts… Rats… As I started building, I prepared myself mentally. Jagger had only ever slept in his crib. Switching him to a toddler bed the same day brought back flashbacks. I remembered the torturous sleep training days. Those days beat up both Courtney and I. But this time, we talked about it. We had a plan. We were emotionally prepared for the onslaught that night. After a few of taxing hours, I struggled to put the bed together. Jagger was jumping on me, “trying to help.” He's only two, so he can't exactly work a power drill. I was starting to get really frustrated. Finally the bed was built. Halleluiah! Now we needed to baby-proof the room. That meant moving the old crib out. We started moving it, but it didn't fit through the door… So, we unscrewed the door and took it off the hinges. Still no luck. “I guess we have to take the crib apart too,” I said in an irritated voice. There I was with a tiny Allen wrench, taking the crib apart piece by piece. Courtney jumped in to help me. Then it hit me. I felt that familiar feeling of being suffocated. The room was closing in on me, and I could feel my pupils dilate. My heart rate sped up. I could feel the cold sweat tingle down my back as I dropped the Allen wrench for the fifth time. I leaned into my breath and calmed down. Then something new happened during all of this. We both stayed completely calm. We worked extremely well together. We solved each puzzle one by one. We went to bed early to prepare for the long night ahead. “How do you think Jagger will do?” Courtney asked. I looked at her and referenced a line from Gladiator. “Hold the line.”
If we stay together as a united front, we can overcome anything. The reason I'm sharing this with you is because life's going to test you. You'll face a slew of competing demands and unexpected chaos. It's easy to let life's fire drills throw you completely off your game.
This is exactly why we practice the Body Throttle protocol and focus so much on lateral rib expansion. When chaos hits, your “fight or flight” system flares up. If you haven't automated that deep diaphragmatic breath, you'll forget to use it when you actually need it. You can't wait for the crisis to learn how to use your most powerful tool. You have to make it a daily habit. When you automate your breath, you can stay calm and hold the line. You can solve real fires… And your mind won't make up imaginary fires. You got this! 💪
PS: Oh, yeah, and we're moving this week… :/ (Life is on Level: Expert) |
