This week was busy, terribly busy so a weekend edition it is! Welcome to new readers and we hope you enjoy being a part of the community

(Straight up motivation to fuel your workouts)

There’s something we all do between sets that no one talks about: check our phones. Scroll. Dopamine hit. Distraction. We rationalize it by saying we’re resting. But if we’re honest - it’s frying our nervous system’s ability to focus.

And this isn’t just a time management problem. It’s a fitness problem.

Our brains weren’t wired for nonstop stimulation. When we binge Netflix, scroll Instagram, and chase that next novelty hit, we blunt the sensitivity of our dopamine receptors. That means it takes more and more stimulation to feel motivated. Small, hard things, like finishing a brutal set or chopping vegetables for meal prep, start to feel like overwhelming tasks. The threshold for discomfort drops. So we tap out early. We take the easier road. Not because we’re lazy - but because our brains have been hijacked.

The hard truth? Sometimes the best advice we can give ourselves is: just stop it. Not every fix needs a productivity book. Not every rut requires a new habit stack. Sometimes, being an adult means recognizing what’s corrosive, and choosing to stop.

Fitness success doesn’t need more hours - it needs more uninterrupted ones.

Try this 3-point dopamine discipline reset:

(Your dose of critical thinking to bullet proof the mind)

Protein isn't just about grams, it’s about utilization.

And that hinges on something few lifters talk about: bioavailability and amino acid profile. In other words, how well your body actually absorbs and uses the protein you eat. Most lifters focus on quantity. But the body builds muscle from quality.

Scientifically, bioavailability is a measure of how efficiently a protein source is digested, absorbed, and used for tissue synthesis. Factors like digestion speed, amino acid composition, and the presence of anti-nutrients all affect this. Whey protein, for example, has one of the highest bioavailability scores due to its rapid digestion and rich leucine content. Plant proteins often rank lower unless combined smartly.

Top-tier proteins:

Still decent when mixed smartly:

Reference this chart that uses a measure called “Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS)”

Look at your day. How much of your protein is working? And how much is just… labeled?

(Top tier research broken down to better understand fitness and health)

Do free weights or machines result in better improvements in strength, speed, and power?

Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing machine-based resistance training versus free-weight training in trained individuals over several weeks. Subjects were divided into two groups, each performing similar movement patterns (e.g., squats) on either machines or with free weights. Pre- and post-intervention measures included one-rep max, vertical jump, and sprint speed.

Free weights still reign for athletic performance carryover and dynamic strength. But machines aren’t useless. They allow for higher volume with less fatigue and can be especially useful for isolation work or recovery periods.

Best case? Use both:

Small sample size and limited to trained males. Differences may vary with sport-specific needs or in rehab populations. Only 1 exercise tested

The takeaway isn’t “machines bad.” It’s “machines are tools, not foundations.” You don’t build a house with just a paintbrush. Machines can fine-tune, but barbells still build the house. In addition machines are coming into the frame so much more of late because the design of machines has improved tremendously over the years which also allows for incredible progression on lifts while keeping the movement super safe. So yes I still love to create a foundation from free weights but machines play a bigger and bigger role as time progresses especially for those looking for targeted hypertrophy. My last point here is that certain movements for some people literally “feel” 10x better on a machine than a free weight movement, and we won’t open that can of worms in this mailer but “feel” is such a big factor when it comes to training (we’ll crack that topic open in a future edition)

Link to the paper:

(Weekly practical workout, diet and health protocols)

It was one of those nights. The kind where work ran long, my energy was tapped, and the couch was calling. It was 8:30pm and I had exactly 45 minutes before I’d call it a wrap on the day. Every excuse was lined up. But I couldn’t let it win.

And look, this isn’t some influencer story with a sunrise montage and perfect lighting. I’m not a content creator filming supersets for a living. I’m a regular person with a job, deadlines, and not enough hours in the day.

So I trained. No fluff. No playlist curation. Just grit.

This is what I had: a barbell, dumbbells, and a calf raise platform in my garage. I wasn’t chasing the perfect split, I was chasing consistency. Here's how I structured it, try it, if executed well trust me your legs will feel it the next day:

Was it fancy? No. But it was a reminder.

Most people don’t need a “perfect” program. They need a way to show up when life isn’t ideal. And most of all, they need to stop comparing themselves to influencers with all-day access to gyms and chefs and camera crews.

The rest of us? We grind. Quietly, consistently. This workout was my way of saying, I still showed up.

If you’ve got 45 minutes and a barbell, you’ve got everything you need.

Two updates this week, thought they deserved more attention so we’ll write a bit more about these, but yes the normal shorter and higher volume curate section will return next week. Remember images are now clickable

To everyone that keeps reading and keeps helping to grow this newsletter I truly appreciate you. If you know of anyone in your immediate circle that may enjoy this newsletter please just forward this newsletter to them and tell them to subscribe at the link below:

Wishing you all the best in your fitness journey

The FitnessHacker