If I told you by making one simple adjustment in your life, you could see the following:
[+] Quicker strength gains - your KBs start feeling lighter and you’re lifting heavier bells
[+] More muscle mass - tighter shirt sleeves and stronger shoulders
[+] Lowered body fat - looser pants
[+] Enhanced energy - say goodbye to the 2pm crash and the need for coffee or an energy drink
[+] Less stress, anxiety, and even negative thoughts - and increased peace
[+] Reduced hunger - and reduced desire for junk food and other cravings
[+] Lower decision fatigue and feeling overwhelmed and greater calm, collected, coolheadedness
Would you make it ?
And no, it’s not taking the latest “magic supplement.”
And no, it doesn’t cost you an arm check here and a leg.
In fact, financially, it costs you zero.
What is this Deep Magic?
SLEEP.
Now before you brush me off and say you don’t need more sleep, here’s what the research says happens to you when you get less than 7 hours of sleep each night.
Whether you know it or not, like it or not, or agree with it or not, you suffer the following:
1- Reduced cognitive function (including memory problems, decreased concentration, and impaired decision-making).
2- Metabolic dysregulation (including insulin resistance and elevated risk of type 2 diabetes)
3- Compromised immune function (increasing susceptibility to infections).
4- Mental health issues (including greater risk of depression and anxiety)
5- Hormonal disruption:
Poor sleep disrupts key hormones involved in appetite regulation, particularly increasing ghrelin (hunger hormone) and decreasing leptin (satiety hormone).6- Insulin resistance:
Sleep loss impairs insulin sensitivity, supporting fat storage, especially visceral fat.7- Elevated caloric intake:
Sleep-deprived individuals tend to consume more calories, particularly from high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods.8- Reduced energy expenditure:
Sleep loss may diminish physical activity and non-exercise activity thermogenesis.9- Lowered protein synthesis:
Sleep deprivation hinders the body's ability to create and rebuild muscle tissue.10- Raised cortisol:
Poor sleep heightens stress hormone levels, which can trigger muscle catabolism (breakdown).11- Lowered testosterone:
Sleep loss reduces testosterone levels in men, affecting muscle maintenance and growth.12- Hampered recovery:
Insufficient sleep slows post-exercise recovery and adaptation.So, as you can see , while your workouts are crucial to promote the change you want…
Without enough sleep, you won’t FULLY see those changes because you can’t recover properly.
How much sleep do you actually need?
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society:
7 to 9 hours a night.
REMEMBER :
It’s not how hard or how often you workout that creates results. It’s how well you recover from those workouts that delivers results.That’s why I routinely recommend the majority of guys exercise 3 days a week, for 20 to 30 minutes a day.
At most, 3 days a week for up to 60 minutes if your recovery is optimal and you’re getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
And improve their sleep in the meantime.
If you’re not sure what the best kettlebell workout plans are for 3 days a week, I recommend you choose ones that:
[a] At the same time “recomp” you - get you stronger, leaner, and more muscular at the same time
[b] Improve your conditioning along the way
[c] Minimize the mental friction of finding the “perfect program”
I leave links to my best programs that will help you sleep soundly in the description below.
At the end of the day, smart workouts are important.
But sleeping enough - 7 to 9 hours a night - is like the “cheat code” for the busy, overstressed , Modern Man to get results.
Stay Strong,
Geoff Neupert