Morning Messages

D3 BREATHING SERIES | PART 1 🫁

YOU'RE STRONG. BUT ARE YOU HOLDING YOUR BREATH? 😮‍💨

GOOD MORNING, D3 FAMILY! It's Monday. We lift today.

Holding your breath under a heavy load can spike your blood pressure. Breathing well keeps you steadier and safer.

THE RULE:
IN on the eccentric: the lowering phase, when the muscle lengthens.
OUT on the concentric: the effort phase, when the muscle shortens.

🏋️ SQUAT: In going down. Out standing up.
🙌 PRESS: In as it lowers. Out as you push.
🔥 ROW: In as it returns. Out as you pull.
💪 CURL: In as you lower. Out as you curl up.

TODAY'S CHALLENGE: Before every rep, say it: in on the eccentric, out on the concentric. Tonight, tell me which lift it changed the most.

⚠️ Have high blood pressure or a heart condition? Check with your doctor before lifting heavy.

DON'T JUST LIFT WITH PURPOSE. BREATHE WITH PURPOSE!

🤔 QUESTION OF THE DAY: If your muscles are working when you lift AND when you lower the weight, why do we usually breathe out on one and breathe in on the other?

Drop your answer in the replies. We'll reveal it in Part 2 tomorrow, along with breathing and core stability.

You Got This. We Got This. 💪🏽

YOUR BODY IS MOVING. IS YOUR BREATH KEEPING UP?

GOOD MORNING, D3 FAMILY!

It's Sunday: ATHLETIC CONDITIONING DAY!

We train our hearts, sharpen our coordination, and improve how we move. But we often overlook one thing: OUR BREATHING.

THE SCIENCE: Breathing supports oxygen delivery, endurance, and core stability. Slow, controlled breathing can also promote relaxation and may help lower blood pressure.

CARDIO: Match your breathing to your pace.
AGILITY: Stay relaxed and breathe through quick movements.
MOBILITY: Slow your breath as you move through comfortable ranges of motion.

TODAY'S CHALLENGE: During your warm-up or cooldown, breathe in through your nose for 4 counts and out for 6. Notice how your body responds. Then tell me tonight how it felt. I read every reply.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: You can't always control life's pace, but you can control how you respond, one breath at a time.

DON'T JUST MOVE WITH PURPOSE. BREATHE WITH PURPOSE!

You Got This. We Got This.

Quick question. If your workout burns only 5 to 10 percent of your daily calories, is it even worth it?

Yes. And here is why.

All week, we followed where your calories really go:

RMR: Keeping you alive.
NEAT: Everyday movement.
TEF: Digesting your food.
EAT: Your planned workouts.

Your workout may be the smallest slice of the burn. But it is the slice that changes all the others.

Training builds muscle, and muscle raises your resting burn. Training strengthens your bones, protects your heart, improves your balance, and helps preserve your independence as you age.

You do not train just to burn calories today. You train to build a body that serves you for life.

And never forget the other 23 hours. They matter too.

TODAY'S CHALLENGE:
Move with purpose today. Lift, walk, run, or train your balance. Forget the calorie count for a moment and answer this: What are you doing today that your future self will thank you for? Then come back tonight and tell me what you did. I read every reply.

This week, we mapped the burn. Now go build the body.

You Got This. We Got This.

All week we've followed where your calories really go: your resting burn, then the movement you don't count. Today, the burn hiding inside your meals.

TEF is the energy your body uses to digest, absorb, and process food. It's roughly 10% of your daily calorie burn, and it varies with what you eat.

🥩 Protein: 20-30% of its calories
🍚 Carbs: 5-10%
🥑 Fats: 0-3%

Read that protein line again. Up to 30% of its calories are burned just processing it. The effect is modest, but two people eating the same calories can burn slightly different amounts depending on what's on the plate.

It's not just how much you eat. What you eat changes how your body uses energy.

🎯 Today's challenge: Include quality protein in every meal.

Tonight, reply with your number: how many of your meals had real protein in them?

Tomorrow: EAT, Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Your workouts close out the map.

You Got This. We Got This. 💪🏽

For most people it is not close. And that is exactly why this matters.

Yesterday you learned your workout is the smallest slice of your daily burn. Today is the slice most people ignore.

NEAT, Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, is 10 to 30 percent of your daily burn. It is all the movement that is not a workout. Walking to the car. Taking the stairs. Standing at work. Carrying the groceries. Playing with your kids.

It does not feel like exercise. That is the point. It adds up quietly, all day long.

The takeaway: Most people do not need a harder workout. They need less chair time.

Today's challenge: Add 1,000 extra steps today. Park farther away. Walk while you talk on the phone. Then tell me your number tonight. I read every reply.

You Got This. We Got This. 💪🏽

Research points to intimidation, fear of judgment, and discomfort in weight rooms as barriers that keep some women from exercising. An optional women's space can help more women get started, build confidence, and stay consistent.

The same is true for many men. Beginners of any gender can feel self-conscious in the gym. Everyone deserves a space where they feel comfortable starting.

Women benefit from strength training just as much as men. It improves:

Strength training improves

• Muscle strength and endurance
• Healthy body composition
• Bone density and bone health
• Long-term independence and quality of life

There is no scientific reason women should be limited to light weights, cardio machines, or a separate corner of the gym. With good coaching and gradual progression, women can safely lift heavy at every stage of life.

A women's section is valuable when it offers comfort and choice. The key word is choice. The goal: strength training that's accessible to everyone.

Train where you feel comfortable.
Train with confidence.
Train for the life you want to live.

Sources: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd ed. (2018); Westcott (2012), "Resistance Training is Medicine," Current Sports Medicine Reports.