• 🎆 Get Ready for 2026

• 🏋️ A Total-Body Workout

• 🎃 Eat This Power Muffin

• 🍽 Navigate Holiday Meals

👇 Dive in and Set the Standard!

Finish ‘25 Strong. Start ‘26 Stronger.

Believe it or not, we’re six weeks out from 2026, and this is when a lot of guys let go of the rope. The days get darker. Travel hits. Training gets inconsistent. Nutrition turns into survival mode. And before they know it, January 1 becomes square one.

But it doesn’t have to be like that.

One thing this year taught me is that discipline feels completely different when you choose it for the life you want, not because you’re afraid of falling behind or losing something.

When your routine comes from intention, not panic, it becomes something solid you can lean on no matter what’s going on around you. And the holidays are the perfect test of that.

So for the next six weeks, I’ll be sharing a training and nutrition plan built to carry you into the new year bigger, stronger, leaner, and more locked in. Not perfect. Not rigid. But consistent in a way that keeps your foundation strong for 2026.

Every week, you’ll get three things you can actually use:

1. A travel-proof workout plan built from my current Jacklete training — strength, power, tempo, mobility — that keeps you athletic, jacked, and functional even when your routine falls apart.

2. A high-protein seasonal recipe that tastes unreal and helps you hit your macros, but doesn’t torpedo your nutrition.

3. Champion Mindset insights straight out of my own life right now, to help you stay grounded when you’re surrounded by holiday chaos.

The goal isn’t to pretend the holidays don’t exist. It’s to enjoy them without letting them erase the work you’ve put in all year. You adapt. You adjust. You stay dangerous in any environment. That’s what real discipline looks like.

If you commit over the next six weeks, you won’t hit January trying to “get back on track.” You’ll already be moving. You’ll already be confident. And you’ll step into 2026 with the momentum to make this your best year yet.

Let’s get after it and start next year even stronger.

Set the Standard.

Chris

🏆 Week 1: Build Momentum

Stay Jacked. Stay Sharp. Stay Moving.

The holidays try to pull you off track with travel, family events, random schedules, less gym time, and way more excuses.

But here’s the truth:

You don’t need perfect training to stay jacked through the holidays.
You just need one cornerstone workout per week, something heavy enough to build muscle, structured enough to keep your strength, and intentional enough to keep you athletic.

Each week, you’ll get:

• 1 cornerstone workout in full STNDRD precision (like today’s)

• 2–3 optional “quick hits” to stay sharp when life gets nuts

If you stack just these six weeks, you’ll roll into 2026 leaner, stronger, and more athletic than you entered December.

Let’s Go!

💪 Total-Body Strength (Week 1)

A full-body session that builds strength, stability, and movement quality, even with limited equipment.

🔥 Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Band Pull-Aparts — 2 × 15

• Hip Hinge Mat Walks — 1 × 10

• Scap Push-Ups — 10

• Slow Goblet Squats — 10 @ 3/2/1/0

• Light DB RDLs — 10

🏋️ A-Series: Power + Strength

A1. Goblet Squat (Heavy) — 4 × 6–8 @ 3/1/1/0

Deep squat, vertical torso, big quads + adductors + glutes.
If you’re strong, use two DBs held “front rack.”

A2. Single-Arm DB Row (Supported) — 4 × 8–10/side @ 3/1/1/1

Upper back, lats, scap control.
Full stretch at the bottom of each rep.

Rest: 90–120 sec

💥 B-Series: Push + Posterior Chain

B1. Neutral-Grip DB Floor Press — 3 × 8–10 @ 3/0/1/1

Shoulder-friendly horizontal press for chest + triceps.
Pause each rep on the floor.

B2. DB RDL — 3 × 8–10 @ 3/1/1/0

Hamstrings + glutes + low-back stability.
Tempo is everything — slow on the way down.

Rest: 60–90 sec

🔒 C-Series: Athletic Core + Shoulders

C1. Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Landmine Press (or DB Press)

3 × 10/side @ controlled tempo.
Stability + anti-rotation + shoulder health.

C2. Standing Calf Raise (On Platform)

3 × 15–20 @ 2/1/1/1
Big soleus hit, stronger ankles, better athletic pop.

Rest: 45–60 sec

🔥 Finisher: 5-Minute Density Blast

Set a timer for 5 minutes. Rotate nonstop through:

• 6 DB Romanian Deadlifts

• 6 Push-Ups

• 6 Rows/arm

Goal: move well, stay tight, break a sweat, don’t collapse your form.

🧠 Growth Keys

• Slow eccentrics win the holidays. You can make light weights heavy.

• Core bracing is everything. Every rep should feel intentional.

• Don’t chase fatigue, chase quality.

• If you’re traveling, this is enough to maintain muscle and strength.

📌 Optional Quick Hit Sessions This Week

(Do these if you want more, but the cornerstone is non-negotiable.)

1️⃣ 15-Minute Dumbbell Only Upper Pump

Presses + rows + curls + lateral raises.
High tempo, minimal rest.

2️⃣ 12-Minute Posterior Chain Burner

DB RDL + hip thrusts + back extensions (or bird dogs).

3️⃣ 10-Minute Jacklete Core Circuit

Pallof press, dead bug, side plank — 3–4 rounds.

➜ Next week: a holiday-proof Push Day that builds size with minimal equipment and maximum efficiency.

🎃 Pumpkin Protein Muffins

Six Weeks to 2026. Crush cravings with these dense, XL-sized muffins.

🔥 Why This Kicks Off Week 1

These Pumpkin Protein Muffins are the perfect week-one recipe because they do exactly what the program demands:

• Simple to make and eat

• Solid macros, clean ingredients

• Satisfying but keeps you on track

• Healthy way to crush cravings

These muffins deliver steady carbs, quality protein, and anti-inflammatory ingredients to support recovery without bloating, cravings, or fatigue. Makes six per batch.

🥣 Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 1 scoop RAW Vanilla Protein

• ¾ cup pumpkin purée

• ½ cup egg whites

• 1 whole egg

• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed

• 1 tsp pumpkin spice

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1–2 tbsp maple syrup or zero-sugar syrup (optional)

• 1 small apple, finely diced (optional for texture)

• Pinch of sea salt

📝 Directions

1. Blend oats into flour.

2. In a bowl, mix oat flour, protein powder, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and salt.

3. In another bowl, combine pumpkin purée, egg whites, whole egg, and (optional) maple syrup.

4. Fold wet ingredients into dry. Stir in diced apple if using.

5. Scoop into a lined muffin tray.

6. Bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes until firm and golden.

📊 Macros (per muffin)

Approximate:
190–210 calories • 16g protein • 22g carbs • 4g fat

If You’re Cutting 🔪

• Eat 1 muffin as a mid-morning snack or pre-workout carb.

• Eat with black coffee or a protein shake (water only).

• Avoid add-ins like nuts or extra syrup.

If You’re Bulking 📈

• Eat 2 muffins with 1 tbsp almond butter or Greek yogurt.

• Add maple syrup or cranberries for extra carbs.

• Great on heavy leg days when you need fuel early.

If You Train Early 🌅

• Have 1 muffin + ½ scoop whey 45–60 minutes before lifting.

• Provides clean carbs for pump and energy while staying light on digestion.

If You Want a Satisfying Snack 🍏

• Warm for 10 seconds and pair with tea, coffee, or Greek yogurt.

• Perfect for late afternoon when cravings hit.

Chef’s Tip 👨‍🍳

Make two batches on Sunday. Store airtight. Reheat for 10 – 12 seconds for that just-baked warmth that feels like a holiday treat but still fits the plan.

Need supplements? Visit RAW Nutrition and use code CBUM for our best deals.

🔥 Set the Standard.

Q: Hi Chris, Thanksgiving always throws off my routine. I want to enjoy dinner with my family, but I don’t want to feel like I ruined my progress. How do you handle big holiday meals without stressing about it?

Tyler H., State College, Pennsylvania

A: Hey, Tyler, honestly, I don’t overthink holiday meals. One big meal isn’t going to set you back. What matters is the other 364 days a year.

I treat it like a planned high-calorie day. I enjoy the food, enjoy the company, and don’t turn it into a mental battle.

What does help is keeping a little structure around the day. I’ll get a workout in earlier if I can, drink plenty of water, and still hit some protein throughout the morning so I’m not starving by dinner.

But once the holiday meal hits, I don’t track anything. I eat, relax, and be present.

The real key is what you do after. Don’t spiral into a four-day binge. Wake up the next morning, hydrate, get a walk or light session in, and go right back to normal meals.

When you stay consistent the rest of the week, Thanksgiving becomes a fun high-calorie bump, not a setback.

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

"Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't."

— Jerry Rice

What Do You Think of The Standard?