“Soon the hunt will begin.”

This was the tagline of a movie poster I had when I was a kid.

Predator.

One of Arnold’s most iconic movies and the poster had him just standing there in what appeared to be a jungle setting, holding a machine gun with his biceps and pecs almost bursting out of the poster.

Back then, my English was not very good, so I had no clue what that phrase meant (or how to pronounce Predator).

It is a masterpiece of testosterone-fueled action and one-liners.

(Remember those days? When they didn’t try and shove a LGBXYZ narrative down your throat at every corner?)

Arnold was a big inspiration for me growing up.

Especially in my late teens, when I decided it was time to put some muscle on my puny frame.

I started doing push-ups, sit-ups, curling dumbbells..

and making all the beginner mistakes you can think of.

Heavily focused on supplements, used fitness magazine training routines and, worst of all, fitness magazine diets (aka eating every couple of hours, all day, every day).

Looking back, I don’t regret anything.

Sure.. my results were laughable.

But those years were formative and the lessons I learned back then serve me and my clients to this day.

And after 20 years in the game, I now understand when you’re about to go on a ‘hunt’ aka enter a brutal training session, you better prepare your body.

The time leading up to a workout is critical.

That doesn’t mean you should load up on pasta and meatballs, however.

If you want optimal performance and a tremendous muscle-building and fat-burning effect..

Train on empty.

You heard me.

I train fasted and eat my meal after the day’s work and training are completed.

And the results are incomparable.

Sure.. I do drink a cup (or two) of coffee, and a good amount of water and occasionally even indulge in a juicy green apple before my workouts.

But for the most part, I train on empty.

Think about it.

Do you believe you’re at your most capable when you’re digesting a big meal (a modest meal even)?

Look at animals in the wild.

Do they hunt on a full belly?

And though we’re no sabertooth tigers, taking cues from nature has served me well over the years.

(Much better than listening to product-pushing ‘fitness experts’)

Cortisol leveraging is the keyword(s) here.

Using your body’s stress response to facilitate maximum performance and kick the fat-burning machinery into overdrive.

I encourage you to try it and experience it firsthand.

But give your body time to adjust. If you’ve been eating multiple meals a day and pre-workout, it might take you a while before you see the benefits.

Not for me.

As soon as I ditched any pre-workout meals, my performance in (and out of) the gym shot through the roof.

Not only do I have much higher energy during my workouts, but I’m also able to go harder for longer without hitting a wall.

The difference is night and day.

But don’t get reckless.

Make sure to EAT ENOUGH and eat a proper balance of nutrients when you do sit down to refuel.

Fasting and undereating at your meal times is a recipe for disaster.

Don’t confuse fasting with starvation or deprivation.

Yes, it can be applied as a highly-effective weight loss tool, but fasting is much more than that.

Use it (in conjunction with a shot of espresso perhaps) to supercharge your workout performance, increase physical and mental durability, maximize fat-burning, and prepare your body for a glorious post-workout feast.

People are at a loss for words when they see the size of my meals.

They’re even more shocked when they see me shirtless.

Fun times.

Get some.

V