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A Different Type of "Exercise"

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This is going to be a pretty cool exercise.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I find that one of the most effective “tricks” to help yourself be more productive and achieve your goal is to create a perfect day for that goal; a day where you do everything right, nothing goes wrong, and therefore each and every decision—made correctly—will take you closer to your goal.

To that, I had originally intended to post my version of my perfect fat loss day.  Which I think would have had a bit of value for you.

You see, I’m certain that you can simply copy my template (which I’ll provide below), modify it for yourself, and achieve phenomenal results.  And, in fact, a good many of you might do that. (If so, I’m taking 22.4% of the credit!)

However, a post like this has a LOT of potential as an exercise; not something to be followed, but rather as something to be recreated.

Thinking more about it, though, I realize that—like everything else I’ve learned about productivity of late—most things have some level of interconnectivity.  Which is to say that when I am focusing on being productive overall (and by that I mostly mean work-related productivity), I am able to have better workouts and be more on point with my diet.

Similarly, if I’m trying to focus on diet and training, I find that the times when I work come a bit more easily.

Productivity, it seems, doesn’t like to be sequestered into a single compartment of my life.

Therefore, what I am going to post below is my ideal, PERFECT fat-loss oriented day, in terms of both diet and training, AND my work.  Because the perfect fat loss day isn’t just a day where I exercise 10 times and eat the perfect number of calories; it’s a day where I fit everything into my life in a way that allows me to do my best overall.

This has value as a concept, because the truth of the matter is, the MORE of these days I have, the BETTER my results will be—and the same goes for you.

Of course, who really has perfect days with any real level of frequency?  Sadly, not many of us.

However, I also know that the closer I make everyday to this template, the more progress I’ll make.  Rather than just starting out each day with a general idea of what to do or how to act, I have a full, 24-hour schedule that will guide my actions.

Am I always able to follow it exactly? No; but, as I said, my goal each day is to get as close as possible.

Again, you can try to emulate what I’ll provide, but let’s face it: I’m not you, and you’re not me.  We live different lives, have different jobs, and follow different schedules.  Therefore, what’s ideal for me may be wildly inconvenient (and therefore) ineffective for you.

At the end of this post, I would like you to simply do what I’ve done below: create, hour by hour, what your perfect fat loss day would look like.

Here is mine, starting from the moment I wake up, until the moment I go to sleep.  I will also give you a rationale for a good number of the choices I make in this schedule, so that you get some valuable content and insight as well.

 

7:55AM – Wake up, pee, and immediately head to kitchen and drink 16oz of water. 

I like to get an early start on the day.  I don’t get up as early as many of you, but I go to bed a bit later than most.  This fits very will with my lifestyle, as I’ll cover below.  However, getting an early start makes me more productive, and as I covered in the last post, I think you should try it, too.

Also, drink some water people.  Seriously.  It should be the one of the first things you do in the morning.

8:00AM – I perform my “neural wake up call.” 

This is a series of very light body weight exercises.  I do this in order to raise my metabolism, wake my body up, and stretch out some of the kinks.  I’ll do push-ups, Bulgarian split squats, overhead reaches, spider-man lunges.  I’ll hold these exercises in the stretched position for about 1-2 seconds, allowing for a deep stretch.  Just 1-2 sets of 10 reps or so.  Takes 15 minutes, gets the blood flowing, and gets me burning extra calories early in the day. 

This is something I program for roughly 90% of my online clients, by the way.  Of course, which exercises they do (and how much) varies greatly, but in general there is no drawback to this and lots of benefit.  I think everyone should do it.

8:15 – I drink another 8 ounces of water, and take any supplements I happen to be using. 

Currently, that would be Athletic Greens, Power Drive, and Metabolism.

Athletic Greens is an all-in-one superfood supplement that equates to eating all of your necessary vegetable servings at once.  People call this “nutritional insurance,” mainly insinuating that you can do a lot of things half-assed and still have your bases covered if you use it.  I agree.  Because Athletic Greens is so complete in terms vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, I don’t even take a multi-vitamin anymore. 

Power Drive is a neural recovery and enhancement formula from Biotest.  It helps with mental clarity and focus, but, because of the neural effects also helps improve muscle fiber recruitment, which is great for building muscle and losing fat.  Since I’m on this productivity kick, it seemed like a good fit.  I have been using it for about seven weeks and like it a lot.  It gives me a bit of energy, as well.

Metablism is a fantastic fat-burner by Prograde that has all natural ingrediants such as green tea extract, B-12, etc.  All the good stuff.  I’ll mention that although I definitely find Metabolism helps me get leaner more quickly, I really take it because I don’t drink coffee, and it gives me a bit of energy with no crash in the mornings.  I take only half a serviing, which, combined with the Power Drive, serves my purposes perfectly.

8:20 – I check my email

This is really just to organize.  I go through everything sort it into three categories: “immediate” (my coaching clients, affiliates, or editors for magazines or websites I write for), “next” (regular fitness questions from readers who aren’t clients), and “later” (random stuff that may not even warrant a response).   This isn’t a fat loss related task, obviously, but as I mentioned earlier, the more organized I am the better my workouts tend to be.

9:00AM – 45 minute brisk walk. 

I don’t consider it this “cardio.”  I’m talking a walk to clear my head, because it’s how I start my day.  This is my “mental clarity” hour.  Moving meditation. I think that for most people, “slow-go” cardio is pretty dumb; whereas for others (such as people 10% body fat or below looking to get leaner), it has merit.  However, I enjoy walking around my neighborhood, getting some blood flowing, and just checking out the city life at that hour.

9:45AM – Answer my “immediate” emails, then hit my social networks.

At this point I’ll respond to clients, some affiliates, and then post some stuff to Facebook and Twitter.  Usually, I have a writing project I’m working on, so I’ll start on that.  I do all of this until around noon.

12:00PM –Time to Workout!

 I mix my workout shake, take one or two sips, and then head down to the gym for a training session.

NOTE – You’ll notice that I have been awake for about 5 hours and haven’t eaten yet.  There are a few reasons for this.  Firstly, I find that I have a bit more clarity before I have eaten, so I get my best technical writing done at this time. 

Secondly, I simply CANNOT eat before my workouts, or I will vomit.  Since I train at 12, it makes no sense to eat beforehand.

My training session will, or course, vary day to day; however, if I’m looking for fat loss, it’s safe to assume that I’ll do some sort of fast paced circuit.

Before I do this, I’ll warm up with 5 minutes of jump rope, some jumping jacks, and then I’ll use my foam roller for about 10 minutes to work out any sore spots. (If you haven’t read this post on soft tissue work).

Today, I did a (very) simple density based workout:

A1) Push Press – 185 pounds for 10 reps in 20 seconds
A2) Bent Row – 185 pounds for 13 reps in 30 seconds
A3) Front Squat – 185 pounds for 12 reps in 30 seconds

I rest about 30 seconds between each of those, then add 10 pounds do the bar and tried to exceed my previous number of reps in the same time frame.  I did for all three exercises

A1) Push Press – 195 pounds for 12 reps in 20 seconds
A2) Bent Row – 195 pounds for 16 reps in 30 seconds
A3) Front Squat – 195 pounds for 14 reps in 30 seconds

Because I did MORE work in LESS time, I increased my training density.  This means I burned a lot more fat, increased strength, and generally felt awesome for beating the challenge I set for my self.

I decided to do this a third time with heavier weight.  While I couldn’t beat the reps, I still got a great workout.

A1) Push Press – 205 pounds for 8 reps in 20 seconds
A2) Bent Row – 205 pounds for 13 reps in 30 seconds
A3) Front Squat – 205 pounds for 13 reps in 30 seconds

After that, I finished up with jumping jacks, push-ups, pull-ups, mountain climbers, and jump squats – all done for as many reps as possible in 30 seconds.  I went through that 4 times, and that was it. (By the way, for a more detailed blog post about Density Training, click here.)

Simple but effective.

During the course of the workout, I aim to drink the remainder of my workout shake.

After that, back on the foam roller for 10 minutes, and then back upstairs.

Ideally, this will all have taken place in just about 75 minutes.  Today it took 90, but since we’re looking at a perfect day, we’ll pretend it didn’t. 

1:15 – Have my Post Workout Shake

This is the same thing I use during my workout, just half a serving.  I feel very strongly about workout nutrition (so strongly I wrote this blog post about it) so on a perfect day I would have it dialed in.  I chug my shake and then get in the shower.  On a perfect day, I will take a contrast shower.

A contrast shower is when you alternate periods of VERY HOT water with VERY COLD water. 

When I take contrast showers, I tend to do 30 seconds of hot, 30 cold, 30 hot etc.  The reason for this is that it facilitates in a number of ways, but also increases production of Growth Hormone, as was as activating brown adipose tissue—this is “fat burning fat.”  That is, it’s a type of fat that is riddled with dense mitochondria, and when activated, helps you to lose fat.

Again, I don’t ALWAYS do this, but on a perfect fat loss day, I would.  Every little bit helps.

1:30 – Dress and start making brunch 

Despite this being my first real meal of the day, I can’t, in good conscience, eat at 1:30 and call it breakfast.

This meal will be 5 organic Omega-3 eggs.  I just make mine over easy.  I grease the bottom of the pan with coconut oil—this adds some more healthy fats and gives the eggs a really unique flavor that I love.  You can get coconut oil in both spray and spread.  I like the spread.

In addition to the eggs, I’ll have a (giant!) sliced tomato, some salsa verde, and an apple.  I also take 3 krill oil capsules with this meal.

I eat this brunch in front of my computer, usually catching up on the blogs and newsletters that I follow. All told, between making the meal and eating it, this takes about an hour.

2:30 – I spend about 30 minutes answer emails that I’ve marked “next”

These are emails that didn’t need immediate attention but still had to be answered.  After that, I’ll hit Facebook and Twitter again, but at this point it’ll be more about responding to questions and perhaps a Q&A. I do this for about half an hour, and then move on to my “programming shift.”

3:00 – From 3PM to 6PM I am officially in the trenches working on training programs.  

Mostly for my online clients, but also for in-person clients, and any new projects I’m working on.  I only do this about 3 hours per day because, to be honest, it’s very mentally draining. 

An important distinction is that this is what I call technical writing.

It uses a different part of my brain than creative writing.  Although I need to be creative when writing programs, it’s very different than writing.  I find that I can be technically creative mid-day, but not late at night; whereas I can be very creative with writing late at night, but not mid-day.

I work for 50 minutes, and then spend 10 minutes “refreshing.”  My refreshing is 3 minutes of deep breathing followed by a few push ups, some jump squats, and some band pull-aparts (I do about 100 of these per day for shoulder health).  I follow up with 2 more minutes of deep breathing, then back to work.

5:30PM – I have a blender drink. 

On a perfect day, I’d follow my best fat burning recipe:

  • 6oz Almond milk
  • 2oz water
  • 6 ice cubes
  • 3 scoops protein powder (vanilla)
  • 2 tablespoon enhanced almond butter (has added protein from egg whites, and flax seeds, blogged here)
  • 3 table spoons Chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon flavorless fiber powder
  • A few drips of vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon of extra dark cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons cottage cheese (adds texture)

6:15PM – I answer my “later” email then return to working on my blog posts.

At this point, I am still doing “technical” writing.  Which means thats that I’ll take a blog post I wrote during my creative period, and do the boring stuff like adding in links and perhaps re-writing sentences to make a spot for links to previous posts.

I usually try to post new blogs between 6-8 PM. I’ll work on one until about 7.

7:00PM – I watch Jeopardy! 

Every. Single. Night.  I also play Punishment Card Jeopardy!  It’s a cool way to make the show more interesting. 

Take a deck of playing cards, and have each suit represent an exercise.  For me, spades are squats, diamonds are push-ups, hearts are mountain climbers, and clubs are lunges. 

EVERY time I get an answer wrong, I draw a card—whatever the number is, I perform that many reps on the corresponding exercise. 

So if I draw a 9 of clubs, I do 9 lunges (per leg).  Queen of diamonds is 10 push-ups. This can be a lot of fun, or miserable. 

Out of interest, I am AWESOME at Jeopardy!

7:30 – I start making dinner

Dinner will vary, but because I’ve been on a steak kick, let’s assume 12-14oz of organic, free-ranged beef from US Wellness Meats.  These already delicious steaks will be seasoned with herbal dry rub. 

Rubs are generally superior to marinades.  They are usually made with herbs, spices, and salts—not sugary goo like marinades. I will also have giant servings of broccoli and cauliflower.  I season those with a little lemon juice and Celtic sea salt.

I drink about 20oz of water with dinner, and take 4 krill oil capsules.  I eat pretty fast (I don’t chew, being honest), so I’ll usually finish by 8:15.

8:15 – Clean up the kitchen and go for a walk. 

Again, this isn’t for fat burning (though it helps), I just enjoy a walk after dinner.  Usually, I’ll put on my iPod and walk for 20-30 minutes.  In the winter—because I hate the cold—I’ll go to the gym in my building and walk on the treadmill while listening to music or watching some trashy tv.

8:45 – I check my email again

This is really just a scan so I can answer anything urgent.  Not much comes in, so I can usually just answer everything in 30 minutes, which will include whatever I missed previously.

9:15 – Read and Write

This is very basic.  Just take 30 minutes to finish reading blogs I follow, and then make my “to do” list for tomorrow.

9:45 to either 11:45 or 12:45 – Creative Work

Starting at 9:45, and for a dedicated 2-3 hours, I’m going to try to get a lot of creative work done. 

Again, 50 minutes of work, 10 minutes of refreshing. 

The range of times is dependent on what I’m working on.  As I mentioned in my previous blog post and alluded to above, I find that I do my best creative writing late at night.  If I have a lot of creative stuff to do, I’ll wind up working until 12:45.  If I don’t have work, I’ll tap out at 11:45.

Creative writing is: blog posts; newsletter drafts; the intro, conclusion, and certain parts of the body of articles I’m working on; and coming up with a written “arc” for my next series of blog posts. 

11:30 – Snack

Usually, ¾ cup cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons of almond butter, 12oz water, and about 5 krill oil caps.

11:45 or 12:45 – Unplug from the world

Again, depending on whether I’m working creatively or not, I shut down the electronics at one of these times. At this point, I try to read for 30-60 minutes before going to sleep. 

12:45 – Forced “Unwinding”

 If I’m still feeling awake, I’ll do some stretches and yoga poses while listening to relaxing music and focusing on deep breathing.  Ideally, this will get me ready for my snoozies.  I’ll read another another chapter if I’m in the middle of a good book.  (For those interested, I’m currently reading American Sphinx by Joseph J Elliss.  It’s an incredible biography of my favorite President, Thomas Jefferson.)

1:15AM – lights out, bed time. 

No matter what.  Unless I’m having sex.  In which case, 2:30.  Hey, it’s my perfect day, and on that day I am a machine.

Okay, that that represents my PERFECT Fat Loss and Productive Day. 

As I said above, the more of these days I have, the better off I’ll be. Again, I’m not able to replicate that every day while trying to lose fat, but because I have this written template, I have an actionable plan that I can follow as closely as possible—and the closer I make each day to this, the better I’ll be.

You can certainly try to mimic this plan, but it would be hard for most people.  You see, I work in gyms and from my home, so I have a lot of freedom to eat and train however I like.  I understand that my schedule is a bit of an anomaly.

That said, this post can still have a lot of value for you.

Here is what I want you to do:  take about 30 minutes and create a PERFECT fat loss day for yourself.  In fact, since your schedule is probably different on weekdays than it is on weekends, draft one for each.

This should be the most perfect realistic day that you can have.  A day where nothing goes wrong, but where miracles don’t occur either.  (Don’t base your day, for example, on your boss calling you up, telling you to take a few days off but collect your check anyway!)

Once you have these schedules, you can follow them as CLOSELY as possible—and in doing so, guarantee you better results and faster fat loss.

No one is perfect, and no day is really perfect…but the closer we can get, the better we’ll be.

So, let’s, take it a step further and post it below—I would love to see what your ideal day looks like! 

About the Author

John Romaniello is a level 70 orc wizard who spends his days lifting heavy shit and his nights fighting crime. When not doing that, he serves as the Chief Bro King of the Roman Empire and Executive Editor here on RFS. You can read his articles here, and rants on Facebook.

Comments for This Entry

  • Sleep Hygiene | Steve Humer

    [...] and ready for the day as soon as you get up. Certain fitness followers practice what they call a Neural Wake Up Call. The idea is to get the body warmed up and ready for the day. Remind the body that it is now time [...]

    December 27, 2013 at 2:32 pm

  • Mastering Monday – 5 Ways to Kickstart your Week | Ian Estabrook's Apex Training Concepts

    [...] The concept of morning mobility and movement was given to me by my good friend, NYT bestselling author, and fitness coach John Romaniello of Roman Fitness Systems LLC. He calls it the “neural wake up call,” and it’s a great way to get moving and stretch out some kinks. A more in depth discussion of the neural wake up call (as well as other great content) can be found on his blog. [...]

    December 26, 2013 at 6:17 pm

  • Rocky

    Loved it! Just wrote up mine, with a some ideas from yours. Such as the wake up exercises

    January 8, 2013 at 12:12 am

  • My Homepage

    ... [Trackback]... [...] There you will find 35926 more Infos: romanfitnesssystems.com/blog/perfect-day/ [...]...

    July 18, 2012 at 5:26 am

  • Ryan

    I love the last part of the day, "..and on that day, I am a machine." Great laugh and great read!

    October 3, 2011 at 9:17 am

  • John Romaniello

    FPFL 2 came out on March 15th sir! You can grab it here: http://finalphasefatloss.com/2.0/presale/

    June 7, 2011 at 7:52 am

  • John Romaniello

    Hey Miguel, Thanks so much for the kind words, I really appreciate the positive feedback. Regarding your question - do the lactic acid training on the very low carb days; that would be best. Good luck with the program, and thanks again =)

    June 7, 2011 at 7:51 am

  • Miguel

    hey John, first of all i would like to say that i've recently come across this site and it is AWESOME! very informative, inspiring and just plain entertaining! thanks for all the hard work you put into this for us! and now onto my question: i'm currently following the "cheat your way thin" program and am wondering on which days would lactic acid training be more beneficial? on cheat days/high carb days to help gain or at least maintain muscle or on the very low carb/fast days AFTER the cheat days for the best fat burning effect? thanks in advance for any advice! keep rockin it Roman, you're the man!

    June 7, 2011 at 12:12 am

  • Collin Messer

    Great post! I am going to make my perfect day right now. This summer I'll have a schedule similar to yours. I'm self employed at my cousin's gym, so I'll be able to sleep, eat, work, and train whenever I want almost. And, Intermittent Fasting is great! I stumbled across it a few months ago and it was literally life changing for me. I eat from 12-8ish but wake up at 7am. My productivity in the morning is crazy and its leaned me out a bit without changing my total calories. I train in the morning too, only ingesting bcaa's pre/para/post until my first meal. And, this is the first time I've been on your site, even though I read your stuff on t-nation. Looks great!

    May 4, 2011 at 8:30 am

  • Dean

    ROMAN IS AN EMPIRE. Very interested in your up-coming article on fasting, eating the first meal of the day....6 meals & all that jazz. ALSO, it's May 2 Roman, June aka the start of shirtless season is upon us. When is FPFL2.0 coming out?

    May 2, 2011 at 9:17 am

  • Elizabeth

    I love this, and can't believe I haven't thought of it myself. I block out my day very specifically when I'm especially stressed, but WHY WOULDN'T I strive to alleviate stress as a preventative measure rather than an antidote. So smart.

    April 28, 2011 at 12:01 pm

  • Per

    Great read, will you do a follow up post on the perfect (lean) muscle building day?

    April 26, 2011 at 3:38 pm

  • lpa

    this is also really inspiring as someone who's like to be self employed like yourself :) thank you!

    April 26, 2011 at 2:36 pm

  • John Romaniello

    Aaahhh that's where the Athletic Greens comes in. 1-2 servings a day will keep you all full of alkaline-y goodness. (Seriously).

    April 26, 2011 at 9:44 am

  • R Smith

    Great post, and at the perfect time. RS

    April 26, 2011 at 9:42 am

  • John Romaniello

    A few things. Firstly, regarding my shake, I just meant that I take 2 sips on my way to the gym. I drink the rest of the shake DURING my workout. (Check my blog post on para-workout nutrition for more info) Regarding not eating, I'm afraid you're incorrect. I'll be doing an entire post on Intermittent Fasting, as well as on Fasted Training. For now, it suffices to say that there is nothing wrong with training in a fasted state, and there isn't any significant benefit to your metabolic rate to eating at a "magic" time like first thing in the AM. Most benefits from eating at specific times are due to whatever behavioral changes they encourage in the client. For me, my system works. You should check out www.LeanGains.com, some good info there.

    April 26, 2011 at 8:38 am

  • Helena

    I really admire your passion and dedication and find your information extreamly helpful and informative. I unfortunatly find it difficult to lower my carb intake and I am sure my insulin levels are out of whack, which makes losing weight difficult .

    April 26, 2011 at 8:20 am

  • Jimmy

    Hey Roman, Thanks for this post. I've had this idea running around my head for a few days now - maybe longer. Reading your post was the little push I needed to get myself down to it. So thanks!

    April 26, 2011 at 3:59 am

  • Mads

    Steve, i thought the exact same

    April 26, 2011 at 2:19 am

  • Marisa

    Great post! I did notice that your diet is extremely acidic though. I'd think some more alkaline greens and vegtables! :)

    April 26, 2011 at 1:05 am

  • Steve

    This seems to be a little confusing to me, now I do understand that it is a fat loss day so calories are going to be in the negative, it seems though with your first meal being 5 hrs. After waking would set someone up for failure because the metabolism would be sluggish and the workout would suffer due to no fuel in your body. You wrote you made a preworkout shake but only took 2 sips, seems like a waste of time to me to even make unless that is the same shake used for your post workout. To me it seems like this day goes against everything that has been taught , even by your partners in crime(Joel Marion,Vince ,lee Hayward ) but I do understand the topic is about fat loss, just confusing to me.

    April 25, 2011 at 9:43 pm

  • Tony Roe

    Very nice post, Roman. I've been going on morning walks for the past few days (I really enjoyed it on my "Light Activity" day last week). You're spot-on about using it as a mind-clearing activity. I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

    April 25, 2011 at 9:37 pm

  • Dustin

    I agree with your no eating in the morning before a work out. This too works for me; I have more energy (a lighter feeling). Thanks for rocking hard.

    April 25, 2011 at 8:58 pm

  • Lizzie

    Thank you! This is great. I will write a daily plan for myself based on what you've shown here. I plan to lose 25kilo over this year through a good diet and exercise but no detailed plan on how to achieve this. I have lost 10kg over 3 months so with a detailed daily plan I think I could pull this off. Thanks & warm regards.

    April 25, 2011 at 7:56 pm

  • Katie Warner

    Your sleep schedule is very similar to mine, so with some tweeking, I have make my own, but I am keeping it to Mon-Fri. Since I travel quite a bit, and frequently have evening meetings, I decided that on weekends, I would have a less regimented schedule which consists of; 1. waking up naturally, not waking up to an alarm clock, 2.doing my assigned work out for the day, 3.preparing and eating meals when hungry, 4. accomplishing tasks not accomplished during the week, 5. relaxing, doing "fun" activities and socializing with friends.

    April 25, 2011 at 5:58 pm

  • John Romaniello

    It's not the only fat source, but it's one of my favorites. Krill oil, coconut oil, chia seeds, and almond butter. Nommm

    April 25, 2011 at 5:56 pm

  • John Romaniello

    Paradox. Kryptonite is awesome.

    April 25, 2011 at 5:54 pm

  • John Romaniello

    Hey Laura, Thanks so much for the comment and welcome to the Roman Fitness Systems family! I appreciate the feedback, and just let me know how I can help.

    April 25, 2011 at 5:54 pm

  • John Romaniello

    I generally take between 12 and 15 caps per day. More than 25 would be a lot, but for most people 10-20 is a good range to be in.

    April 25, 2011 at 5:53 pm

  • John Romaniello

    No. If we're getting technical, I'm practicing some level of intermittent fasting, which helps to raise growth hormone levels and has a number of other benefits. It needs its own full post, but suffice it to say that much of what is commonly discussed in the fitness industry is not correct.

    April 25, 2011 at 5:52 pm

  • John Romaniello

    Accountability is the mother of follow through. Get some of that from your friends and family =)

    April 25, 2011 at 5:51 pm

  • Stella

    Great idea now if anyone can tell me where to buy some follow through I'd be happy.

    April 25, 2011 at 5:46 pm

  • supermama

    Hey mr RoRo! Like your Perfect Day.gives me heeps of Inspiration!! Butta what's with the 12 Krill oil caps?? Or is that the only fat you take in a day, period?!

    April 25, 2011 at 3:40 pm

  • michael kerlz

    this blog contains awesome, or kryptonite.

    April 25, 2011 at 12:02 pm

  • deeps

    HI, How come there is no food after waking up? All the nutrients have been absorbed and used for their specific function after long hours of sleep. Body has gone into a catabolic mode. You lose out on your metabolism if body is on a starvation mode. To prevent catabolism one should always have a fast absorbed carbohydrate and protein to move into an anabolic mode just after waking up from a long nights rest. Please comment!!

    April 25, 2011 at 10:16 am

  • Yesenia

    I noticed you take lots of krill oil. I just started taking some but had no idea you could take that much. How do you know what amount is appropriate? Thanks.

    April 25, 2011 at 9:51 am

  • Roger

    Excellent! Your Day is perfect and now you have inspired me to make my perfect "client inspiring fat loss money making business building" day! Thanks, Roman.

    April 25, 2011 at 8:14 am

  • Trevor Rackley

    Good day, although I would tend to have breakfast before going out, but my workouts are not a scheduled time each day so they vary, based on that I try to have breakfast. I like the sence on contrasting showers and think that will be definietly one added to the routine. Again great article and always great to get an insight on other peoples routines....

    April 25, 2011 at 8:00 am

  • Steve

    Hey John, the part I love about this post is that it suits my lifestyle perfectly! I work at night, well I start at 1pm through till about 1- 2am, so the 8am start to the day is perfect. Also i workout at midday and eat afterward so this is fantastic!

    April 25, 2011 at 8:00 am

  • George

    Very informative - I will try it out. Thank you

    April 25, 2011 at 7:50 am

  • Graeme

    great day you have Roman. Mine is different to yours and that is why I still carry weight around the middle. I have breakfast in the morning after morning things at about 830 after rising at 8am. My gym is 30 minutes away which i walk to arriving at about 930 to 10.00am warmup I call it. not every time I do the same thing but it is usually cardio one day and weights the next time i am at the gym. doing three days per week. after working out I have a ham sandwich and protein drink mixed in milk and water. and then walk home again arriving there at lunch time then I am on the computer all after noon till tea time tea is dished up to me at about 5pm and then on Monday nights at 6.00pm I go and play pool at the RSA club till about 9.00 to 10pm then home and on the computer till midnight 12am then bed.

    April 25, 2011 at 6:10 am

  • Tracy

    Thanks for the awesome contest, as usual. I look forward to reading your posts. I have followed a "perfect day" program similar to yours and I feel so good when I do. I am trying to heal up a very sore shoulder and hip joint/flexor right now and have not been following a "perfect day" program and I feel like crap. Thanks for the motivation!

    April 25, 2011 at 5:34 am

  • Khanh Truong

    I really like when you said on the perfect fat loss day, You are the machine....that's great. Anyhow, having the template of your perfect day is a nice tool that you share with us. I'm looking forward to reading your blog to learn and see more interesting stuff. Thanks Roman for doing your blog that I see some values.. Good day.

    April 25, 2011 at 4:38 am

  • Foz

    Hi John, great post! Would love to try out your "neural wake up call" sounds Fun :)

    April 25, 2011 at 3:05 am

  • arthur

    What about us 70 year olds? :-)

    April 25, 2011 at 2:15 am

  • Jake

    Hi Roman, I just want to say how awesome it is to get these blog posts in my inbox. I get so happy when I get an email from Roman because I know there's gonna be some awesome stuff in it. This post is genius. I am already a list person, but this just takes it to the next level. I think this, and the video you did about 'Cheat Days and Mondays' are genius. The 'inability to fail on a small scale' quote is so true. The concept of being strict until a cheat day along with this routine of a perfect day is amazing. Thank you for all of your awesome advice. I look forward to your next post and all others to come. Keep rockin'!

    April 25, 2011 at 1:53 am

  • Hitesh

    He Anthony, The concept of having cont.7-8hrs sleep, feels absurd to me also.. in a research report, I read; the sleep comes in 1:30-1:45 cycles. And first 3 cycles give you a rest of some 90-95% required. So, I have chosen to take sleep in two cycles.. I feel energetic, in second half also.. Have a Great Time, Always..

    April 24, 2011 at 10:55 pm

  • Hitesh

    Hi There, I am not a great exerciser, apart from that I almost follow with minor ;) changes. I wake up at 5-530am, sleep at 12-1230am. But yes, always take good noon sleep of 2-3Hrs.. because I stay in hot part of India. Rest of all you do water, veggies, fruites, etc.. I LOVE... Recently I have chosen to keep away from 'outside' foods.. I love to do; different things & things to be done differently... like my work-day morning walks are in Sprint-mode for 25-30 min; on sat-sun, I go for 60-75min in slow mode..

    April 24, 2011 at 10:46 pm

  • Guillaume

    Hey! Roman I read a lot of stuff from you and i'm very happy you share your perfect days with all of us. I am extremely impressed and I always like to read your posts

    April 24, 2011 at 10:28 pm

  • Ivanna

    Hey John! I really liked your idea on sorting the e-mails into "immediate", "next", and "later" (I already organized mine in this way :) Before I had an "important" folder where I used to drop any e-mail that as I thought was important or may be one that will be such at some point (as the name implies), but then, to be honest, I hardly ever went back to that folder to check on that "important" stuff. Now since I created 3 new folders naming them exactly same way as you do, I make sure I check on "immediate" one every day (BTW, all credit cards paying alerts and John Romaniello's newsletters are sent straight to this one!) Thanks for all your great work!

    April 24, 2011 at 10:17 pm

  • Anthony

    So you don't get 8+ hours of sleep. I don't either and I feel better on the days that I don't. I like your routine and will start to log my own "perfect" day

    April 24, 2011 at 10:09 pm

  • tara

    very cool, will try that out i have to add kids into the mix, so that makes for non perfect days for me personally, however, it can still be a perfect day in general-depends on how you look at it.

    April 24, 2011 at 10:07 pm

  • Laura Spaeth

    Hi! I have just recently stumbled on your website, and I think it's awesome... Your blog came at a great time for me!!! I am a single mom, and currently building my own personal training business... very intense, busy, fun, exhausting, etc Detailed planning and scheduling definitely makes all the difference in having a highly productive day vs a half-ass- it day. Creating my "perfect day" as you call it, is definitely my new "obsession"!!! Thanks for the inspiration... I love your focus and creativity!! I will definitely frequent your website, and I'll try to leave a post when I like something :) Have a great week!

    April 24, 2011 at 10:06 pm

  • Mattinnj

    Wow. Very thought provoking. I always toyed around with trying to set up a perfect day but never have the time to do plan it out it. I work 60 hours a week and am trying to raise my boy. Oh, and take a broken down 46 year old body and make a mini-comeback. Thanks

    April 24, 2011 at 10:04 pm

  • Jeri

    Great Info! Thanks a bunch.

    April 24, 2011 at 9:40 pm

  • Paul

    Thanks for the very organized day schedule. I've been following your e-mails for a few months and I'd try each new workout group and the foods..but couldn't get a daily plan organized, till today. I had my priorities all mixed up. The lite bulb is now shining brightly..KOOL..

    April 24, 2011 at 7:40 pm

  • Dawn

    My days have been scheduled for a while now. I never looked at it as my perfect day though. But I have to say that when I accomplish my schedule or at least most of it, it is a great day. Thanks for the post and insperation.

    April 24, 2011 at 7:20 pm

  • Tim Hulbert

    Thanks Roman. You do a lot of exercise! Do you ever have a day off completely? Or was this so much because it was the perfect day ....

    April 24, 2011 at 5:58 pm

  • Michelle

    Roman! Last two blogs absolutely seriously great stuff!!! As you said (100 or so times...) just use the method, not the detail... Rock on with this productivity kick, Dude. You make the painful stuff fun.

    April 24, 2011 at 5:16 pm

  • bud

    hey roman. just wondering, if you were trying to gain weight would you eat all throughtout the day? or only if that was the only way to get the calories in? i hear a lot about intermittent fasing in one form or another and wonder if it is right for me. at first do you have to consciously eat larger servings than normal when you do eat? thanks

    April 24, 2011 at 4:47 pm

  • Kathy

    Hey John, Always like to read your posts...take something away each time! (Don't tell the others, but yours is the only site I've kept up with since Transformation Domination) Thank-you for putting so much effort and time into what you write...

    April 24, 2011 at 4:00 pm

  • Lelem

    Hi there I read your routine for 24hrs it's so good that Im also preparing one that suite my schedule.I love your blog Thanx and keep it up

    April 24, 2011 at 3:51 pm

  • Rick

    Very interesting template for your perfect day. I will use this and make personal changes that fit my lifestyle. Thanks Roman for all this great info!! Rick

    April 24, 2011 at 3:14 pm

  • Craig OC

    Awesome post Rome! Im adding alot of structure in my days over the past month. I took some advice from Nate Green and bought and egg timer, set it in blocks so I use my time best. However, I never thought about WHEN I might be most creative, energetic etc. I'm definitely going to track that. Also I hear so many good things about athletic greens, checked out their site going to order a tub for a month and test it out thanks for the advice and keep it coming!

    April 24, 2011 at 2:40 pm

  • Kim

    Thanks, I really like this post! I like how you laid it out over a day. Great information!

    April 24, 2011 at 2:23 pm

  • Lisa

    Wow, I've never read anything on your blog before and I am very impressed with this - both with your day and your writing.

    April 24, 2011 at 2:17 pm

  • Jen

    Cheers Roman I'll be sure the check it out :)

    April 24, 2011 at 2:08 pm

  • Rory

    A very interesting post. The input would work well for the single person, but would be very difficult for a single parent. The day is usually flipped,what with getting kids to school and such. The amount of macronutrients and the content are helpful. Thanks for the breakdown.

    April 24, 2011 at 1:58 pm

  • Mary

    This is a very valuable post, as I've come to realize that structure is everything - winging it doesn't bring long term results for all your objectives, training and non-training. My concern is that you don't have much social time! For those with families, things get more hectic and sometimes more unpredictable; all the more reason to design a plan that allows for some flexibility.

    April 24, 2011 at 1:56 pm

  • Chuck

    I have a bottle of water next to my bed, so I drink some when I go to bed, get up at night, and get up in the morning.

    April 24, 2011 at 1:40 pm

  • bob paterson

    Excellent post - highly detailed. I could manage most of this but at age 69 not the weights part. Can you suggest a substitute activity, Roman?

    April 24, 2011 at 1:09 pm

  • Penelope

    OK RFS! I am doing close to your recommends without even trying!! I get up and do stretches to make sure the bod will function. Early morning walks hasn't replaced cup of coffee yet. Your go physical then rest then go physical is splendid! I do one big thing of housekeeping and then rest. I need to advance my Spirit journalling a little later. Getting it all on paper is good. Keeping track is sorta new for me. All GOOD! Thanks.

    April 24, 2011 at 1:08 pm

  • Joyce

    I really admire and envy people who have shaped their lives the way they want them to be. I've never been that organized. My perfect fat loss day would be one where I get to take care of myself; expend all of my energy on me. I guess it would be a "me" day. Instead, I spend all day waiting on all of the other people in my life; my three children and my husband. Boo f'n hoo. Anyone want to trade for a day?

    April 24, 2011 at 12:26 pm

  • Lisa

    The plan is great - a little short on human social interaction, but hopefully a few times a week you get that opportunity to stay up to 2:30 as a machine. Perfect days don't come too frequently, but I love them when they do. i think I like the idea of planning for them - geez I plan for everything else!! Thanks for the good post!!

    April 24, 2011 at 12:03 pm

  • Oak Harrison

    Inspirational for sure. You set up a plan worth tailoring and emulating myself. Q. If I drink more than two ounces of water first thing in the morning, I vomit. I take it that's not normal? I can drink 6-8 oz at a time later in the day, but early in the day...no way.

    April 24, 2011 at 11:48 am

  • Adam Wato

    Hey John, I think I remember reading that for every two pounds of fat someone loses they will also lose one pound of water. Is this true? I am asking because I had my body fat tested and I dropped 5.3% in 7 weeks while my LBM increased 5.1 lbs and I am wondering how much the water difference plays into the change in LBM.

    April 24, 2011 at 12:48 am

  • Dan

    Dude, you are an inspiration! Planning ought to challenging with kids.

    April 23, 2011 at 6:46 pm

  • John Romaniello

    Oh, it will def improve your sleep! I'll also be doing a blog post on improving sleep at some point, so check that out.

    April 23, 2011 at 4:31 pm

  • John Romaniello

    In that case, keep checking back! I have loads of stuff planned for the next two months! We've got female fitness next week, and then all about bodyweight training the week after.

    April 23, 2011 at 4:30 pm

  • John Romaniello

    I'll look into some others - Biotest makes a good one called "Superfood" which I am sure you can get in the UK

    April 23, 2011 at 4:29 pm

  • John Romaniello

    It's not bad - I'm able to hit something CLOSE to this most days. As long as I get close I'm happy!

    April 23, 2011 at 4:29 pm

  • John Romaniello

    Thanks for commenting! I'm 5'8'', and while my numbers aren't crazy, I'm really focusing on strength this year, so stay tuned!

    April 23, 2011 at 4:28 pm

  • John Romaniello

    I will be doing a blog post about "The Myth of 6 Meals" and also how skipping breakfast can lead to accelerated fat loss (if done correctly).

    April 23, 2011 at 4:28 pm

  • John Romaniello

    There is a certain "bleed" from show to show. After a while, you learn things from the show that you didn't know previously, and will help you in subsequent shows. For example, while I had a very decent working knowledge of Presidential history, I know know a lot more, and that comes in handy in at least one episode per week. Ken Jennings (who won 75 straight episodes) says that if you're going to be on the show, for your money the best thing you can study is States/State Capitals and all about the US presidents. Most common categories.

    April 23, 2011 at 4:27 pm

  • jason

    Thanks for sharing,LI ROMAN!! if anyone cares,today= shake day #4, lost 6 lbs,and (almost) 2% bf since starting,18 days ago!! Thanks also for posting your Density numbers!What's your body wt? Regards, Jason K.

    April 23, 2011 at 1:12 pm

  • Jen

    Hey Roman! Great post as usual :) Just a quick question... I live in the UK and can't get athletic greens. Are there any other products with a similar profile to athletic greens that would ship to the UK? So far I have had no luck finding anything as good as athletic greens. Cheers Jen

    April 23, 2011 at 8:03 am

  • Ty

    Also, I am extremely impressed with the combination of great posts and frequent posting.

    April 23, 2011 at 12:35 am

  • Ty

    This looks like an awesome way to spend a day.

    April 23, 2011 at 12:33 am

  • Darren

    Great post Roman. I'll write my perfect day tomorrow. Im still recovering from your Lactic Acid workout (and hoping my knee is still intact by morning). Your an awesome non-evil genius

    April 22, 2011 at 11:44 pm

  • rocky

    i watch jeopardy every night too but it's on at 7:30 here. Great blog. but do you only eat 4 meals a day? and i thought not eating breakfast was like the worst thing you could do for fat loss.?

    April 22, 2011 at 10:54 pm

  • Eric S

    Do you get better at Jeopardy by watching Jeopardy -- as in do they reuse questions so that you learn the answers or is there any other aspect of watching it that improves your ability? (For instance, there are people who don't know a lot but have played Trivial Pursuit enough that they've memorized all the answers.)

    April 22, 2011 at 8:17 pm

  • Steve

    Great Post Roman! I'm a creature of habit...I love a good routine. I follow something very close but after checking this out I may move my book reading from the morning to the evening. Unplug, as you say from the tv and internet and spend that hour or so before bed unwinding. Might help with improving my sleep! Keep it coming brother.

    April 22, 2011 at 8:07 pm

  • Aimee

    CRAP!!! THAT's what I'm supposed to be doing!?!?! (Jk!) Another great read, thank you. Really.

    April 22, 2011 at 7:20 pm

  • John

    Great stuff here. I can't wait to get my day on paper. Thanks for the post.

    April 22, 2011 at 6:53 pm

  • Roan

    AWESOME! Inspired by this. I always write down everything I need and want to do and more often then not I do things half-assed and I am trying to fix this. Writing a day down like this would be great! But I do have a question. I have a very social life, seeing people everyday and on different times. How much time do you allow them to disrupt your day?

    April 22, 2011 at 6:08 pm

  • Damon

    I've been following a lot of your advice after I read it on turbulence training. It had made me more alert in the morning, I'm in a better mood, and I am getting leaner while keeping my strength. Thanks for providing such great info!

    April 22, 2011 at 5:54 pm

  • Elena

    Brilliant post! Roman, you are an inspiration. Thanks so much. My perfect day: wake up 7am: 30 min light exercises and stretches, then breakfast (2 boiled eggs, tomato, cottage cheese and 5 walnuts, coffee)+vitamin B complex and vitamin D supplements. Getting into work by bike, lab work and writing, with a short active break every hour. 12pm: lunch: salad with beans and chicken/beef, green tea. Lab work until 16pm, then snack (15 almonds and 1 apple/greek yogurt with walnuts and flax seeds). Reading & writing until 19pm. Then gym: 30 min resistance training and 30 min HIIT. 20pm: dinner: lentil soup, beef steak with spinach, tomato and feta salad. After, watching 2 episodes of Seinfeld and reading until a fall asleep (nowadays I am reading Tim Ferris' new book, the 4 Hour Body). Lots of tea and classical music throughout the day (except when hitting the gym, it's time for the Rocky soundtrack then).

    April 22, 2011 at 5:44 pm

  • John Romaniello

    ha! I'm looking forward to it =)

    April 22, 2011 at 5:11 pm

  • John Romaniello

    Awesome! I'm excited to see it.

    April 22, 2011 at 5:11 pm

  • John Romaniello

    Good question! Easiest thing to do is make a schedule for training days, and one for non-training days. For me, I simply take the 90 minutes that training usually takes up and apply it errands, or reading. To answer more specifically,I prefer people to train about 4-5 days per week.

    April 22, 2011 at 5:11 pm

  • Rick

    Another great post with lots of valuable information. Thanks for sharing!

    April 22, 2011 at 5:05 pm

  • Ylwa

    Man are we gonna screw up your days! See you in 10 days :)

    April 22, 2011 at 5:00 pm

  • Jorma

    Thanks for the tips, Roman. I did this sort of exercise for just couple hours of the day and those hours definitely were more productive. I'm going to try this out but I have a question: if we're trying to make this schedule stick every day or nearly every day do you suggest training daily? Most advice I see says 4-5 times a week is pretty much maximum. Or would the type of training have to be varied? -Jorma

    April 22, 2011 at 4:58 pm

  • Steve

    Awesome post, I think this is what a lot of people look for to get started on a fitness and health journey. I am going to write my drafts as soon as I am done with this comment. Thanks!!!

    April 22, 2011 at 3:08 pm

  • Pete Stevens

    As always, Roman, thanks for the post. I struggle terribly without structure, accomplishing less than capacity and thus, just skimming my potential. I hope you continue to expand your niche', as I'll be along for the ride. Pete Stevens

    April 22, 2011 at 3:02 pm

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