How to be Athletic and Ripped year round?

People ask me sometimes how can I maintain this ripped or jacked physique year round… Crazy amount of training? Strict diet? Drugs? Magic supplements or biohacks?

First of all

I don’t care about being ripped or jacked.

Of course I want to look good but I’m more interested in health and performance.

The low bodyfat% has never been my focus. It’s just a bonus side effect of living more or less healthy and training for improving my sport performance.

And I’m not a perfectionist, more like a ‘90%-ionist’. Doing the right things most of the time and not worrying if something is not perfect.

There are other methods for aesthetics for sure. For me these habits below work for many years.

So the big secret is…

0% Calorie counting, calorie deficit, starving

I never ever did it. I like to eat freely and listening to my appetite.

0% Drugs

Forget it, I’m not in that team.

0-1% Supplements

Almost nothing. Except some protein powder and vitamin C + coffee.

I eat nutrient dense foods and take ‘sunplements’.

~5% Daily cold water

Ocean dip, cold shower and also drinking cold.

~10% Mindset, discipline & consistency

Sunny or rainy, do what you need to do… Good mindset is necessary but not enough without taking action regularly.

~10% Diet

Healthy nutrition is important but it don’t have to be as extreme as you think!

I don’t want to label my eating habits. I call the popular diet trends which have a name: ‘nutrition religions’. Since I know more about mitochondria…

I eat a kind of local, seasonal, paleo-ish diet. And sometimes I can eat & drink any garbage.

~25% Training

Intense training is necessary for building some muscle and boosting fat burning. But it’s not as much and crazy as you think!

Every day some light movement.
4-5/week short but intense workout (calisthenics, weights, running, MovNat).
This physique I could reach with 2/week training but the performance no. When I was a professional in canoe we had 9-11/week longer training, but now I’m looking and moving better and I’m stronger.
Training the full body and multiple movement skills. –> Generalist athlete

~50% Sun & Sleep

Good circadian rhythm and sleep for optimal hormone levels. We are daytime animals and not nocturnal.

Watching sunrise, having lot of sun daytime, minimal artificial lights in the night, early sleep most of the days.

Think about why I call my trainings, books, camps SunnyFitness! 😉