|
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 … |
|
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 …. |
|
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 … 😕 |
|
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. |
|
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 .. |
|
“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) |
|
I'll never forget that day. After my client saw incredible results, I was invited to present to them. I stood in front of Sonny's corporate team. They were expecting a grueling workout plan. They thought I would yell at them to pump iron. Instead… I just asked them to breathe. I walked them through proper diaphragm breathing. This is the Breath Domino. It is your Body Throttle. Most professionals live in a state of “Permanent Redline”. You have too many tabs open in your brain, and your body pays the price. When you use the Body Throttle, you manually pull back on the gas and tell your brain you aren't actually being chased by a lion. I saw the shock and surprise wash over their faces. Then a massive wave of relief filled the entire room. They didn't have to dedicate six hours of their life to suffer in a gym. They just needed the right systems in place. If you feel like you're constantly sweating but getting nowhere, it is time for a new approach. You don't need more willpower… You just need the right strategy…
To find out exactly how to rebuild your internal architecture, <Click here for The Human Hardware Quiz: Find Your Exact Workout Match> Tell me about your body, your schedule, and your roadblocks, and I'll send you a custom video breaking down your exact Live Fit protocol.
PS: If you are working hard but feel like you're going nowhere. It's time to take this assessment and gain some clarity. |
|
The day after our conversation, Phu went out and ran 14 miles. 14 miles!
It was incredibly impressive. I asked him if he was completely destroyed after the run. I expected him to be resting on the couch for the rest of the day. He said no. He finished the run, took a shower, and immediately went to church with his family. I absolutely loved that. He took care of himself as an athlete… so he could show up as a husband and a father. That is the true definition of Phase 3: The Family Legacy. With life, we cannot just collect one coin. You do not have to relegate yourself to just one aspect. You can succeed in every single dimension of your life without sacrificing the others. Phu said something incredible to me after that weekend. He said, “I needed to remind myself of who I am.” His identity shifted completely. Up until two years ago, this man was not a runner. He used to be the guy who passed out from a light jog. Now he identifies as a fitness guy. The game changed because he accepted his new identity. If you want to make a fundamental shift in how you live… you have to point to the destination. It's Gametime! Stop the random workouts that leave you exhausted and frustrated. Take the Human Hardware Quiz: Find Your Exact Workout Match. Tell me about your body, your schedule, and your roadblocks. I will send you a custom video breaking down your exact LivFit protocol. Click here to take the quiz before it closes tonight.
P.S. I will soon resume training for qualification for the Ironman World Championships. Having 7 finishes under my belt certainly helps… but having a solid Human System is what actually gets me across the finish line every single time. |
|
On Thursday, I told you about my client Phu passing out on my treadmill. Why did his body shut down from a simple, light jog? My background in Economics and Engineering tells me it was a classic hardware failure. We completely ignored the Order of Operations. Traditional fitness tells you to just push harder and use more willpower to get the job done. It tells you to restrict calories and force the cardio. But as an engineer, I know you cannot run a high-performance machine on a cracked, burning foundation. We tried to push the Move Domino before anything else was ready. In the LivFit 365 program, we know that movement is the final step, not the first. If you do not master your breath, water, sleep, and nutrition first… movement will only destroy you. You cannot live like a Ghost Dad all week, paying the Exhaustion Tax, and expect to crush it in the gym. Fast forward two years later. Phu has gone on to lose over 40 pounds and has transformed his entire life.
A few weeks ago, he told me he wanted to step it up for the second half of the year. He wanted to show everyone, including himself, that he still had it. He wanted to be the leader he was meant to be. He went out the very next day to run. Honestly… part of me was worried he might crash again. I thought his system might overload just like it did two years ago. But he used a very specific Map to guide his Human Hardware this time. I will share exactly what happened on that run on Tuesday.
P.S. My current bottleneck is trying to keep my Jagger from feeding his breakfast to Kona. Our female Golden Retriever is very opportunistic… rats! |
|
I was on the floor holding my client's legs in the air. I had to get blood back into his brain immediately. My client Phu had just passed out cold on the treadmill.
We were trying to get his daily step count up. For the 19th time, he managed to come in under 3,000 steps and missed his goal. So, I decided to take my client and do the steps together. I put him on the treadmill. But I didn't want to wait 20 minutes into a session for him to get done. So we decided to jog. We jogged a little bit. We didn't run that far… and we didn't run that long. We finished about a mile so he got maybe another 2,500 steps. We got those done together, but then he got really light-headed. Before I knew it, my client was on the ground. I gave him a bar to bring him back in and let him rest as I stretched his leg. His cardio was tapped out. His body completely shut down. That was all his system could handle at that moment. As a high-achiever, you probably know this cycle all too well. You pay a massive Exhaustion Tax at the office all day long. You manage the stress, the meetings, and the endless demands. Then you try to force a brutal workout when your tank is already empty. You operate like a Soft CEO. You look great in a suit, but you rely on sheer willpower to survive your fitness routine. Willpower is a finite resource, and it always runs out by 5:00 PM. Phu experienced a total system failure that day on the gym floor. But there is a biological reason his body fought back. We ignored a massive circuit breaker in his Human Hardware. I will reveal exactly what that circuit breaker is… and how to flip it… this Saturday.
P.S. If you are tired of guessing and want to find your exact circuit breaker right now… take my Human Hardware Quiz. Stop the random workouts. Tell me about your body, your schedule, and your roadblocks, and I’ll send you a custom video breaking down your exact Live Fit protocol. <Get Your Custom Workout Here> |
