• 🧠 Why Coaching Matters

• 🥤 A Seasonal Smoothie

• 🦶 Rebuild Your Stability

• 🧳 An Anywhere Workout

👇 Dive in and Set the Standard!

Systems > Routines

People love to talk about routines.

Morning routine. Training routine. Nutrition routine.

But real life doesn’t care about your routine. Here’s why:

You start making progress in the gym. Your nutrition is locked in. You feel strong. Focused. On track.

Then something happens.

• You get sick or injured.

• Work travel hits.

• Your kid’s up all night.

And suddenly it feels like you’re back at zero.

I’ve lived that more times than people realize.

Injuries during Olympia prep. Autoimmune flare-ups that didn’t care what phase of training I was in. Business stress. Learning how to be a husband. Becoming a dad.

There were moments where the usual advice of just push harder didn’t work anymore.

Not because I didn’t want it badly enough. But because life had changed the variables.

What finally shifted things for me wasn’t more motivation.

It was creating the right structure.

I stopped building my life around the idea that everything would stay perfect, and started building systems that could adapt when things got messy.

That’s the real difference between amateurs and professionals.

Professionals don’t assume consistency. They plan for disruption.

They expect setbacks. They account for fatigue. They adjust when the body or life pushes back without blowing everything up and “starting over.”

That mindset changed how I train. How I eat. How I recover. How I lead.

And it’s the exact reason Justin King and I built STNDRD Elite 1:1 Coaching the way we did.

Not as a one-size-fits-all plan. Not as a hype program that only works when everything’s going right.

But a system that allows you to take control of your body and mind.

We start by analyzing what’s happening inside your body through bloodwork so you’re not guessing why your energy, focus, or recovery feels off.

Then we assess how you move, where you’re compensating, what’s overactive or weak, so we can create a custom training plan that builds you up instead of breaking you down.

From there, your training and nutrition aren’t rigid rules. They’re adaptable frameworks that move with you when life shifts.

And we don’t just hand you a plan and disappear.

We test. We reassess. We rebuild, all based on where you are now, not where you were six weeks ago.

That’s how you stop starting over.

Not by being perfect. Not by being motivated all the time.

But by having a system that holds you steady when life is anything but.

If you’re building something real, and you’re tired of feeling like your energy and confidence are always playing catch-up, then you’ll understand why STNDRD Elite 1:1 Coaching can be the difference for you in 2026.

Set the Standard.

Chris

🦶 Ankle Mobility Reset

If your ankles don’t move well, everything above them pays the price.

Limited ankle mobility shows up as knee pain, cranky Achilles, tight calves, poor squat depth, weak push-off when running, and even low-back compensation. Most lifters try to fix those problems up top when the real issue starts at the foot and ankle.

Strong, mobile ankles give you:

• Better squat and hinge mechanics

• More powerful calves and cleaner lower-leg development

• Improved balance, deceleration, and change of direction

• Less wear-and-tear on knees, hips, and Achilles

This is movement as medicine, not a warm-up you rush through, but foundational work that makes every lower-body session better.

🔄 Ankle Mobility Circuit

2–3 rounds | 8–12 minutes total
Use as a warm-up or finish on lower-body days

A1. Swiss Ball Gas Pedals

30–60 sec per foot
Press the foot into the ball and rock slowly between heel and forefoot.

Why it matters:
Restores ankle flexion and extension while gently loading the joint; great for waking up stiff feet and Achilles.

A2. Banded Inversion / Eversion

30–50 reps each direction per side
Move slowly and control the band through the full range.

Why it matters:
Ankles don’t just move forward and back. Training side-to-side motion builds joint resilience and reduces the risk of sprains.

A3. Banded Soleus Calf Raise

30–50 reps
Knees slightly bent. Smooth tempo, constant tension.

Why it matters:
The soleus stabilizes the ankle and supports endurance and deceleration. Weak soleus = cranky Achilles and sloppy landings.

A4. Banded Gastrocnemius Calf Raise 🐮

30–50 reps
Straight leg. Adjust foot angle slightly if one side feels tighter.

Why it matters:
The gastroc drives push-off and sprint mechanics. This is your visible calf muscle and a major power contributor.

A5. Wall Anterior Tib Raises

20–30 reps
Heels down, toes up, full range.

Why it matters:
The anterior tibialis balances the calf. If it’s weak, the calf is constantly overpowering it, leading to stiffness and pain.

🧠 Mobility Keys

• Move slow and own every rep; this is nervous-system training, not cardio

• Breathe calmly through the work to downshift tension

• Prioritize symmetry, don’t rush your weaker side

• Consistency beats intensity here

🔑 The Payoff

Better ankle mobility means cleaner squats, stronger calves, more stable knees, and smoother athletic movement, whether you’re lifting heavy, playing pickup, or just trying to stay pain-free.

Do this 2–4× per week and let your lower body finally move the way it’s supposed to.

📲 Ready for coaching? Stop guessing. Start progressing!

🎄 A Seasonal Smoothie

Classic flavor. Clean macros. Zero weird ingredients.

This is a seasonal upgrade that scratches the eggnog itch without turning into a calorie bomb. It’s simple and easy to fit into a cut, recomp, or controlled bulk.

Ingredients

• Low-fat or non-fat eggnog (1 cup, carton-style)

• RAW Nutrition Vanilla Isolate (1 scoop)

• Non-fat Greek yogurt (½ cup)

• Ground flaxseed or chia seeds (1 tbsp)

• Cinnamon (½ tsp)

• Nutmeg (pinch)

• Ice (as needed)

• Water or unsweetened almond milk (splash, for consistency)

Why It’s a Good Choice

• Eggnog flavor, cleaned up: You get the holiday taste without the heavy cream and excess fat.

• High protein: Isolate + Greek yogurt keeps this anabolic and filling.

• Fiber + omega-3s: Flax or chia helps digestion, blood sugar control, and inflammation.

• Anti-inflammatory spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg support insulin sensitivity and gut comfort.

• No gimmicks: No raw eggs, no extracts, no ingredients you’ll never use again.

How to Make It

1. Add all ingredients to a blender.

2. Blend until smooth and thick.

3. Adjust consistency with ice or liquid.

4. Drink cold or let it sit 5 minutes to thicken slightly.

Macros (Approx.)

~320–350 calories
~40–45g protein
~20–25g carbs
~5–7g fat
~5–7g fiber

(Will vary by brand of eggnog, choose the lowest-fat option available.)

Bulk / Cut Adjustments

• Cut:

  • Use non-fat egg nog

  • Skip almond milk and use water

  • Keep flax/chia to 1 tbsp max

• Recomp:

  • Keep as written

  • Optional creatine (5g) post-lift

• Lean Bulk:

  • Add ½ banana or ¼ cup oats

  • Add a second ½ scoop of protein if needed

Q: Chris, I’m heading to my in-laws for the holidays and won’t have access to any weights. I don’t want to lose momentum or feel like I’m starting from zero when I get back home. Is there a bodyweight workout you’d recommend that actually carries over to lifting?
— Evan P., San Diego, California

A: Hey, Evan, when you don’t have weights, the goal isn’t to replace your regular training; it’s to stay connected to movement, so you come back ready to lift, not stiff or flat.

I keep it simple and focus on control, tempo, and positions that carry over to the gym. I’ll usually do 2–4 sets per movement, stay in a clean 8–15 rep range, and stop just shy of failure. For core work, I’ll hold for 20–40 seconds and focus on bracing.

Here’s a simple full-body session you can run 2–3 times while you’re away:

• Push-ups — slow on the way down, pause at the bottom

• Split squats or lunges — controlled, full range

• Hip hinges (glute bridges or single-leg hinges)

• Core work (planks or dead bugs)

• Scap work (wall slides or band pull-aparts if you have a band)

Run this a couple of times while you’re traveling, and you’ll come back ready to load again.

Question for Chris? Hit reply or email [email protected] and we’ll consider your question for inclusion in a future issue of The Standard.

Champion Mentality

“We do today what they won’t, so tomorrow we can accomplish what they can’t.”

— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

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