It’s been a good, productive, but challenging week.

(Or a character-building as I like to say. Language matters, more than you think.)

My wife had a business trip this week, so being the noble, upstanding, and supportive husband I am… I told her to sleep while I took on daddy duty solo.

My son called my bluff.

He woke up at 3am and decided that was his new morning routine.

Until recently, there were only two things I’d ever done at 3am:

1. Study for finals in college (usually two days without sleep).
2. Write code as a software architect at Accenture.

Now I can add a third: changing diapers, consoling a crying baby, and trying to feed a hangry infant.

I was up at 3am and stayed up until 8pm before I finally crashed.

Like I said… it was a character-building week for me.

But for you, this week I’ve got:

• 💪 How your workouts today can literally shape your kids’ biology tomorrow.
• 🥗 The 5-minute high-protein lunch I eat almost every day (low prep, zero excuses).
• 🧠 What two weeks without training taught me about sanity, not strength.
• 😴 The mineral that lowered my stress, improved my sleep, and boosted recovery.
• 🔥 How one dad’s transformation reshaped his entire family’s health and habits.

Let’s dive in. 🚀

💪 Pillar #1: Training — It Starts Before They're Born

When I was a kid, my dad lifted weights in our basement to stay strong for his job as a Chicago Police Officer.

He didn’t call it “training” or set up a progressive program like I do with my clients today. It was just part of who he was, and necessary for his job.

At five years old, I wanted to be big and strong just like him. So he bought me my first Hulkamania weight set. See below. 👇🏻

Working out as a kid with my dad is one of the fondest memories I have from my childhood because what you see as a kid becomes what you think is normal.

Fast forward to today and science is finally catching up to what I learned in that basement.

A new study in Cell Metabolism found that a father’s exercise habits can enhance his child’s endurance and metabolism through sperm microRNAs.

These are tiny molecules that transmit the benefits of training across generations [1].

👉🏻 Translation: your workouts today can shape your kids’ biology tomorrow. 🤯

And it doesn’t stop there.

Other research shows that parents’ health choices before and during pregnancy can reprogram how their children process food, store fat, and even handle stress.

Mothers who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to have children who develop obesity and metabolic disease later in life [2].

But this isn’t just about pre-conception or data points, it’s about example.

My client Ryan (see case study below) who lost 37 lbs and cut 13% body fat in just 16 weeks working with us, said it best:

That’s how you seal the deal with your family — unlike sealing the deal with my wife, which apparently requires a Lady Dior handbag — and ensure generational health doesn’t just come from your DNA, but from your daily actions too.

As Vince Lombardi said, “Leading by example isn’t the best way to lead, it’s the only way to lead.”

Your kids don’t just inherit your genes, they inherit your example.

And one day, they’ll pay the price... or reap the rewards for the choices you make today.

🥗 Pillar #2: Nutrition — The Simplest Lunch You’ll Ever Make

You don’t need a gourmet kitchen or 90 minutes of meal prep to eat like an athlete. All you need is a microwave for this high-protein balanced meal.

I'm 43 years young, 205 lbs, and 11% body fat. This is what I eat for lunch almost every single day.👇

🐓 Just Chicken (Sprouts, pre-cooked) — 5 oz (213 cal)
🍚 Grain Trust Organic Steamed Brown Rice — 125 g (176 cal)
🥦 Organic Green Beans — 5 oz (42 cal)
🥑 Avocado (raw) — 40 g (67 cal)

📊 Total: 498 Calories | 51g Carbs | 52g Protein | 11g Fat

⚖️ Macro Split: 40% Protein | 41% Carbs | 19% Fat

💡 Why It Works

• Takes 5 minutes to make: microwave the rice and green beans, warm the chicken last, slice some avocado, and you’re done.
• Perfect macro balance: enough carbs for energy, plenty of protein for recovery, enough fat for satiety.
• Travel & office friendly: all ingredients can be stored in a mini fridge or office kitchen. Zero excuses.
• Scalable: Want less protein? Reduce the chicken. Need fewer calories or lower carbs? Cut back on the rice.

This meal adapts to you. It’s super easy to tweak depending on your calorie targets and macro goals.

No complicated tracking, no new recipes, no excuses.

🔥 Coach Jackson's Tips & Tricks

Keep it simple, keep it stocked, and keep it interesting.

✅ Add variety without extra work:

If you get bored easily, grab a few low or no-calorie seasonings. Flavor God is my favorite. You could eat this meal seven days a week and never repeat the same flavor twice.

✅ Always be prepared:

I keep a pound of Just Chicken in my fridge, Grain Trust rice packets in the freezer, and ripe avocados on the counter at all times. When life gets hectic, this preparation keeps me on track.

✅ Find your repeatable meals:

My most successful clients have 5–7 “go-to” meals and snacks they rotate endlessly. It’s what economists call explore vs. exploit — explore enough to find what works, then exploit it for all it’s worth.

(My Econ degree finally came in good use. Thanks mom and dad! 🤣)

Feel free to make it your own by adjusting: dark meat instead of white, white rice instead of brown, avocado or no avocado — whatever makes it more sustainable for you.

Consistency isn’t built in your best weeks.
It’s built in your busiest ones.

🧠 Pillar #3: Mindset — Strength Training Is Mental Health Medicine

Eighteen months ago, I had nose surgery.

For two full weeks afterward, I wasn’t allowed to train.

No weights. No cardio. Nothing that elevated my heart rate. That was the longest I’ve ever gone without working out in my entire adult life.

I could’ve ignored doctor’s orders, but given how much money, time, and pain I’d already invested, I wasn’t about to risk it and end up back under the knife.

So, I waited.

Literally counting down the days until I could train again. When I finally did, the difference was instantaneous.

Not just physically.
But more so mentally.

The fog lifted, my mood stabilized, and I felt like me again.

I’ve read the studies showing how strength training improves mood and reduces depression, but it’s one thing to know it and another thing to feel it.

After two weeks without training, I’d become an angry, bitter, frustrated manchild pacing the house like a caged lion (just ask my wife).

The moment I picked up a weight again, everything clicked back into place.

That’s when I realized: For me, and for most of my clients, training isn’t about aesthetics first. It’s about sanity.

When you stop training, you start drifting.

And when you start training again, you find yourself.

It reminds me of something one of our long-term clients, Erin, once wrote in her weekly review after losing 23 lbs and 7.2% body fat in her first 16 weeks:

That line hit me hard, because... that’s it.

That’s the secret.
The work, it's always there for you.

It’s not just reps and sets. It’s routine and refuge.

It’s the one thing in life that doesn’t ghost you, change its mind, or flake out. It’s the constant that gives you confidence to handle everything else.

For me, it’s like a security blanket or my version of a woobie...

Except, instead of getting strung out on bedspreads I'm strung out on biceps curls, bench press, and lateral raises.

(Mr. Mom reference for the 80s kids out there).

Take it away, and you’ll feel it. And it won't be good.

So, if you’ve fallen off...

Whether it’s been a week or a few months, the key is to just start again.

One session. One workout. One rep.
Even if it’s hard. Especially if it’s hard.

You’ll remember exactly why you do this.

💤 Pillar #4: Recovery — The Most Overlooked Mineral for Performance

If you train hard, stay busy, and push your limits, there’s a good chance you’re running low on one mineral that quietly controls everything from muscle recovery to stress resilience: magnesium.

It’s not flashy, but it’s essential.

And it's responsible for over 300 enzymatic reactions that regulate energy, nerve function, muscle contraction, blood pressure, and sleep quality [3].

And here’s the kicker: nearly half of all adults don’t get enough [6].

Why Magnesium Matters

💪🏻 Performance & Recovery → Magnesium helps your muscles contract and relax properly, reducing cramping and tension [3].

😴 Sleep & Stress → It calms the nervous system through GABA and melatonin pathways, supporting deeper, more restorative sleep [4].

❤️ Heart & Health → Higher magnesium intake is linked to lower risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality [5].

🥵 Deficiency Risk → Stress, intense training, and processed diets all drain magnesium stores, and most people don’t replenish them through food alone [6].

Coach Jackson's Insight

A few years ago, I started getting comprehensive bloodwork done every 4–6 months. One of the first things my doctor added to my plan was Magnesium.

And here’s the kicker...

As my stress and responsibilities have grown (running a business, becoming a dad, moving across the country) we’ve increased my magnesium dosage right alongside it.

Even with way more stress and pressure in my life, stress markers in my bloodwork like cortisol have actually improved.

If you're curious, cortisol went from a high of 19.0 ug/dL to a recent low of 13.2 ug/dL.

That’s not magic, it’s chemistry.

👉🏻 I recommend Legion Sucrosomial Magnesium for its excellent absorption and digestive tolerance.

🎥 For more on magnesium and its benefits listen to this interview with Dr Rhonda Patrick on Diary of a CEO.

👥 Client of the Week — Ryan A., Financial Professional, Husband, Father of 3

Ryan’s story started where many parents find themselves. He was doing “okay” on paper but running on fumes in real life.

Between long hours at the office, late-night stress eating, and trying to keep up with three kids, his energy and confidence were fading fast.

He shared this with me, which nearly broke my heart:

That was the moment he decided to change the example he was setting for them on a daily basis.

​

Since joining the program Ryan has:

• 🔥 Dropped 37 lbs & 13% body fat.
• ⚡ Increased energy and focus throughout demanding workdays.
• 🏃‍♂️ Built the stamina to keep up (and keep playing) with his kids.
• 💪 Inspired his wife to join the program, turning health into a family affair.

What made the difference?

Instead of trying to “fit fitness in,” Ryan started prioritizing his training and nutrition just as he would a business meeting.

We gave him a personalized plan to help him make progress toward his goals faster without overwhelming him.

And he built structure into his week and began to anchor his identity around showing up and making progress — not perfection.

The result? Not just a stronger, more fit, and athlete body... but a stronger family.

Now his kids come into his office and do burpees beside him.

They ask for more vegetables at dinner. And his wife says the change in their home has been contagious.

Ryan later told me:

Ryan didn’t just transform his physique, he changed the environment his kids are growing up in.

Because as I said earlier, your kids don’t just inherit your genes...

They inherit your example.

References

1. Yin C, Zhang H, Yu L, et al. Paternal exercise confers endurance capacity to offspring through sperm microRNAs. Cell Metab. 2025;37(10):1962-1977. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2025.09.003
2. Poston L. Maternal obesity, gestational weight gain and diet as determinants of offspring long-term health. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2016;4(12):1010-1020. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(16)30107-3
3. Volpe, S. L. “Magnesium in Disease Prevention and Overall Health.” Advances in Nutrition, vol. 4, no. 3, 2013, pp. 378S–383S.
4. Abbasi, B., et al. “The Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Primary Insomnia in Elderly: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.” Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, vol. 17, no. 12, 2012, pp. 1161–1169.
5. Fang, X., et al. “Dietary Magnesium Intake and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and All-Cause Mortality: A Dose–Response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.” BMC Medicine, vol. 14, 2016, p. 210.
6. Rosanoff, A., et al. “Suboptimal Magnesium Status in the United States: Are the Health Consequences Underestimated?” Nutrition Reviews, vol. 70, no. 3, 2012, pp. 153–164.