The Impact of Sleep and Eating Habits on Performance

He created YouTube’s first-ever fitness channel and spent decades training pro athletes, now Jeff Cavaliere reveals the truth about creatine, fat loss, and real muscle growth.

Jeff Cavaliere is a renowned physical therapist, strength coach, and founder of ATHLEAN-X, one of the world’s most trusted fitness brands blending science-based training with real-world results. He is also the author of books such as, ‘AthleanX's Train Like an Athlete: Intelligent Training to Build the Ultimate Body’.

He discusses:

• The science behind creatine and how it really supports muscle growth and recovery.

• Why you’re struggling to lose belly fat, and the simple fixes that actually work.

• The most harmful fitness myths that keep people weak, tired, and injured.

• Small but powerful changes that help burn fat and preserve lean muscle mass.

• Why grip strength predicts overall health and how to train it effectively.

• How “nerd neck” and poor posture can destroy your gains, and how to fix it fast.

  
  

00:00 Intro

02:16 Jeff's Mission

05:43 Training the World's Best Athletes

06:30 Motivation vs. Discipline

07:57 Advice for People Struggling to Get Started

10:27 What Motivates Jeff's Audience?

14:29 The Impact of Doing Hard Things

17:23 Are There Exercises Jeff Avoids?

18:11 Deepest Motivators for Fitness

21:43 Surface-Level Motivators for Fitness

23:20 How to Look Good Physically

25:07 How to Lose Body Fat and Get Leaner

25:57 Less Obvious Nutrition Offenders

27:40 What to Look for on Food Labels

29:06 What Jeff Eats in a Day

33:50 Getting Rid of Stubborn Belly Fat

38:43 Misconceptions About Abs

40:47 Long-Term Consequences of Steroid and Growth Hormone Use

44:38 Training for Longevity

50:17 Top 3 Overlooked Elements of Training

52:16 Improving Flexibility and Mobility

54:07 Workout Demo: 5 Key Exercises for Longevity

59:24 Ads

01:00:24 Why These 5 Exercises Matter for Longevity

01:03:11 Most Important Functional Movement: Thoracic Spine Rotation

01:11:21 Exercises to Prevent Hunching with Age

01:14:36 Train Longer or Harder?

01:16:32 Importance of Proper Form

01:19:35 What Is Nerd Neck?

01:21:20 Common and Avoidable Gym Injuries

01:24:15 How to Do Less and Achieve More

01:26:54 7-Day Comprehensive Workout Plan

01:30:48 Sets and Reps for These Workouts

01:32:07 Growing Biceps

01:33:57 Grip Strength and Its Link to Longevity

01:39:26 Women's Average Grip Strength

01:41:58 Can Grip Strength Be Trained Individually?

01:42:30 How to Avoid or Improve Back Pain

01:47:58 Jeff's Opinion on Standing Desks

01:52:20 Jeff's Advice on Supplements

01:53:49 Creatine Benefits and Misconceptions

02:01:20 Are Some Protein Powders Better Than Others?

02:02:51 Foods Jeff Would Never Eat

02:03:33 Jeff's View on Melatonin

02:04:29 Is There an Optimal Way to Sleep?

You can follow Jeff, here:

YouTube - https://bit.ly/4mfLt1B 

Instagram - https://bit.ly/3YKF58s 

Athlean-X - https://bit.ly/4dnOU2k 

You can purchase Jeff’s book, ‘AthleanX's Train Like an Athlete: Intelligent Training to Build the Ultimate Body’, here: https://amzn.to/4j6g6Up 

100 CEOs: Ready to think like a CEO? Gain access to the 100 CEOs newsletter here: ⁠https://bit.ly/100-ceos-megaphone⁠

The 1% Diary is back - limited time only:

https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt 

The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition):

https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb 

Get email updates: https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt 

Follow Steven: https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb

Research document: https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DOAC-Jeff-Cavaliere-Independent-Research-further-reading.pdf

Sponsors:

Vivobarefoot - https://vivobarefoot.com/DOAC with code DIARY20 for 20% off
Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices