My name is Jake Lyda, and I’m about to become a digital nomad
In less than three months, my girlfriend Jess and I will be traveling to Cape Town, South Africa to live there for over 80 days.
During that time, I intend to get shredded.
No more time for bullshit. I need to accomplish a god-like body. It’s something I’ve wanted for a while, but I’ve never been serious. I read article after article, watch YouTube vid after YouTube vid, follow all of my favorite fitness people on Instagram, and what did I get out of it?
PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS
Time to take a deep breath, get back to basics, and get to work!
My mission is to show people that achieving six pack abs, a V-tapered core, giant arms, and an overall healthy body is simple (not easy) and doable, no matter what your lifestyle is. Whether you’re a digital nomad, about to take a vacation, a busy professional or student, or a stressed-out single parent, I’m going to show you how it can be done.
This is week zero…
Starting Out
This is my beginning. My physique, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t that bad…but I’m not looking for “not bad,” I’m looking for “fucking excellent!”
I have over three years of gym experience, two decades of sports, and two years of an eating protocol. I am looking to lose around 10 pounds of BODY FAT — not just weight — and either maintain or gain 1–2 pounds of muscle.
As a byproduct of these goals, I aim to gain definition in my abs, along with less fat in my love handles/chest (see above picture). Building a bigger back and shoulders to create that V-taper is on the list as well.
(And also maybe a haircut.)
Here is how I’m going to hit my goals…
Habits
The only way something can work in my life is if I have as little control over it as possible.
Wait, what? How the hell does that make any sense?
Let me explain: Habits are how we function as human beings. Without habits, we wouldn’t be able to get in a car, turn the key in the ignition, and back out of the driveway while talking with someone else or looking at our phones. (Which is dangerous…c’mon, don’t do that.)
Habits turn our brains on autopilot. They make us run efficiently. So, what better way to get in pique physical shape than to delegate everything to muscle memory instead?
Here are my main physique habits:
- Habit #1: Intermittent fasting — This is a topic I will cover extensively in the upcoming months, but basically for two years I haven’t had breakfast (for the most part). That way, I can eat 2 big meals at lunch and dinner, feel satisfied, and not go over my maintenance calories.
- Habit #2: Drink 120 oz. of water — A newer habit, for me it translates to “drink 3 Hydro Flasks every day.”
- Habit #3: Setting a schedule for my lifts — Monday, Wednesday, Friday in the afternoons after work is when I do my A/B split lifts. Thursday at 8 PM, Saturday at 7 AM, and Sunday at 4 PM is basketball. Tuesday is a day for walking and yoga/stretching. No excuses — I set it and effing forget it.
- Habit #4: Walk 8,000 steps daily — When I leave the country this won’t need to be as closely tracked, but for now thank you Fitbit. I work at a 9-to-5 job that no longer interests me, so any chance to get out of my chair and walk around is gladly taken. To me, 8,000 steps seems low, but I know a TON of walking is in my future in South Africa.
That’s it! Those are my 4 keystone habits (a la Charles Duhigg). If nothing else, if I stick to these habits, I will succeed. When people say, “All it takes is a caloric deficit, getting good nutrition and healthy exercise,” they aren’t lying: It’s the boring, lame-ass truth.
Now that you know my core foundation, let’s get into the nitty-gritty…
Nutrition
Food is the toughest part for me; it’s also the most important.
These are my 6 rules:
- Fast for 20 hours for 90% of the year (holidays, birthdays, BRUNCH, etc.)
- Allow fruit, veggies, coffee creamer — in small amounts — during the fasting period
- Count calories for the first of my two meals (4 PM); keep it under 600 calories
- Have one re-feed day every week so that my metabolism stays high; 2500 calories that day (disregard rule #3)
- Drink at least 3 Hydro Flasks of water (120 ounces) daily
- If my body doesn’t feel right, I reserve the right to disregard all rules for my safety
My 20 hour fast will occur from 8 PM to 4 PM. If I follow these rules the majority of the time, I should be good to go. (Literally…I’ll take these rules with me when I travel).
I started all of these rules this week — week zero — so hopefully these weekly updates keep me accountable for following these rules. I will be tracking how my mind and body respond to these rules and whether or not changes need to be made.
With the nutrition protocol out of the way…
Training
I call this “training” and not “working out” the same reason I say “nutrition” and not “diet”: this is my lifestyle, not a fad I do two months and then quit. I’m more interested in finding sustainable regimens that I can utilize whenever, wherever for a long time. I also want to live deliberately; I don’t do anything mindlessly — everything has a purpose.
So, for my training, I use an A/B split that I train 3 times per week, focusing on compound movements:
A Day
Seated Barbell Military Press (3 sets Reverse Pyramid)
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press (3 sets Reverse Pyramid)
Cuban Press Variation (Rest Pause x15, 5, 5, 5, 5)
Overhead Cable Triceps Extensions (2 sets to failure)
Barbell Ab Roll-outs (2x10)
B Day
Weighted Chin-ups (3 sets Reverse Pyramid)
Sumo Deadlifts (3 sets Reverse Pyramid)
Cable Face Pulls (Rest Pause x15, 5, 5, 5, 5)
EZ-bar Waterfall Curls (2x10–15)
Hanging Leg Raises (2x10)
You might not know what all of the terms mean, but I will break down my lifting plan in the future. For now, know that I lift based on the Minimum Effective Dose, or the least amount of time spent in the gym for the most results. I won’t spend 2 hours at LA Fitness so my calves can have veins, and I won’t spend 10 minutes in my apartment’s crappy workout room so I can “break a sweat.”
I go in with determination, which is what everyone should do if they really want an aesthetic physique.
I plan to use both the above nutrition and training through late August. Jess and I have a trip to New York City before South Africa, so I will adjust while spending a week on the other side of the States.
Each week I’ll dive deep into a section of my routine to help you understand WHY I’m doing the things that I’m doing. I will also give you updates on my physique and share anything unique that happened in the week.
For this week, it was pretty normal — except for the fact that I gave my boss my two weeks’ notice. Quitting my job and traveling the world is a reality; I want to make sure having a shredded physique is also a reality.
I realize this was a long post filled with information, but I promise to explain everything throughout the next dozen weeks. Like I said, I want this to be a primer, or proof, that you can build your body to unprecedented heights even if you’re quitting your job to travel the world and building a business.
Follow along as I human-guinea-pig my way to an aesthetic adventure!
Ditch the script and come along with me!
Every Wednesday I will provide practical, applicable articles for you to develop and structure your international workout regimen and nutrition protocol.
Every Sunday I will post updates regarding my own physique and routine, showing you firsthand that somebody about to leave the country can develop a ripped body and maintain it around the world!
Stay locked in on The Mission and my Vaga-Bod journey!
Next week: Week Two — Did the 4th of July weekend ruin my gains? Stay tuned!
