• 💪 Monster Arm Gains

• 🍎 Apple Cider Recovery

• 🍗 When to Eat Protein

• 🧘 Master Doing Nothing

👇 Dive in and Set the Standard!

A couple weeks ago I had a wild experience that knocked me on my ass. Weirdly, it might’ve been the reset I didn’t know I needed.

I basically overdosed on a supplement sample. Not mine, not RAW’s, don’t worry. It was supposed to be four capsules, I took eight, and because of a labeling mistake it ended up being 2,000 times the normal dose.

Within hours I was shaking, sweating, puking, couldn’t drive, couldn’t even look at my phone. I laid there for over four hours, just stuck with myself, thinking I might need a hospital.

But here’s the crazy part: in between the chaos, my mind went calm. It hit me that it was probably the first time in a decade where I’d literally done nothing.

No books, no podcasts, no scrolling, no training, no calls, no content. Just…nothing. And instead of panic, I actually felt peace.

I realized afterward how I try to fill every gap of free time with scrolling, watching, listening; anything to keep from being still.

But being forced to stop reminded me that progress doesn’t always come from doing. Sometimes you just need to slow the hell down and be.

There’s a quote I love from Michael Singer’s book, The Untethered Soul: “Who are you that is lost and trying to build a concept of yourself in order to be found?” That one crushed me.

Because at the end of the day, you are the one underneath all the activity, all the building, the training, the hustling. You’ve always been there.

The lesson? Doing “nothing” isn’t wasted time. Sometimes it’s the only way to throttle down enough to connect with who you really are and discover what you really need.

Set The Standard.

Chris

💪 Fall Growth Series: Arm Day

🔥 We’ve hit legs, back, and chest, now it’s time to for the muscle group that defines your physique from every angle: arms.

This isn’t about chasing a pump and going home. To grow serious arms, you’ve got to hit both biceps and triceps from multiple positions — stretch, mid-range, and contraction — while keeping tension high and form strict.

That’s how you carve detail, add mass, and avoid plateaus.

🔥 Warm-Up (5 Minutes)

✅ Band curls x 20
✅ Overhead triceps extensions with band x 15
✅ Shoulder dislocates x 12
✅ 1–2 light sets of DB curls + pushdowns

🏋️ Arm Growth Workout

A1. Incline Dumbbell Curl • 4 x 8–10 reps @ 3011
👉 Full stretch. Keep elbows locked, supinate hard at the top.
A2. Overhead EZ-Bar French Press • 4 x 8–10 reps @ 3010
🎯 Stretch position for triceps. Don’t let elbows flare.
⏱ Rest: 90 sec

B1. Preacher Curl (Dumbbell or Machine) • 3 x 10–12 reps @ 3111
🧠 Control the negative, squeeze at the top.
B2. Rope Pushdowns • 3 x 12–15 reps @ 2011
🔥 Spread the rope at the bottom, pause for 1 sec.
⏱ Rest: 75 sec

C1. Hammer Curl (Dumbbells or Rope Attachment) • 3 x 12 reps @ 2011
💥 Builds brachialis + forearms for thicker arms.
C2. Close-Grip Bench Press • 3 x 8–10 reps @ 3010
⚡ Big compound to overload triceps.
⏱ Rest: 2 min

D. Barbell or EZ-Bar Curl 21s • 2 sets (7 bottom-half, 7 top-half, 7 full reps)
E. Overhead Rope Extensions (Burnout) • 2 x 15–20 reps, strict form

📈 Growth Keys

• Volume + Angles: Hit arms from all three muscle-length positions (stretch, mid, contracted).

• Tempo Wins: Controlled eccentrics are your best friend — don’t cheat the negative.

• Frequency: Train arms 1–2x per week. Rotate heavy + pump-focused days.

• Intensity: Last set of each pairing should push close to failure without breaking form.

💡 Programming Tip

Balance matters: Bigger arms come from equal biceps and triceps development. Don’t just chase curls — 2/3 of your arm mass is triceps. Train them like it.

📲 Tap-In

💥 Find more arm workouts like this in the STNDRD app and Set the Standard.

🍎 Why This Works

Apple cider on its own is tasty but mostly sugar. By going sugarless and adding protein, electrolytes, and anti-inflammatory spices, we turn it into a drink that’s:

• Muscle-friendly: Supports recovery with protein.

• Anti-inflammatory: Cinnamon and ginger calm training stress.

• Hydrating: Salt + electrolytes replace what you sweat out.

• Seasonal + comforting: Perfect for fall evenings outside.

🥤 Ingredients (1 Serving)

• 2 cups warm apple cider (unsweetened)

• ½ scoop RAW Nutrition Vanilla Whey Isolate (stir in gently when warm, not boiling)

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick for steeping)

• ¼ tsp ground ginger or fresh grated ginger

• Pinch of sea salt (electrolytes + flavor)

• Optional: 1 tsp raw honey (extra carbs + good for digestion)

• Optional: collagen peptides (extra joint/gut support)

👨‍🍳 Recipe

1. Warm apple cider in a saucepan until hot but not boiling.

2. Remove from heat, then whisk in protein powder until smooth.

3. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

4. Pour into a mug. Toss in a cinnamon stick for that fall vibe.

📊 Approx Macros

• Calories: ~140

• Protein: 15g

• Carbs: 22g

• Fat: 0–2g

✅ Wrap-Up

This isn’t just cider, it’s a muscle-friendly recovery drink that works as part of your training nutrition.

🎆Need supplements? Go to RAW Nutrition and use the code CBUM for our best deals.

Q: Hi Chris, I usually end up eating most of my protein at night with a big dinner and a shake before bed. Is that okay, or would I get better gains if I spread it out?

Josh H., Knoxville, Tennessee

A: Hey Josh, I used to think it didn’t matter as long as you hit your total protein for the day.

But the team checked into it and came across a study in The Journal of Nutrition that made me rethink it.

Two groups of lifters ate the same amount of protein every day. One stacked most of it at dinner, the other spread it evenly across breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

After 12 weeks, the group that spread it out gained 41% more muscle.

I learned the reason comes down to muscle protein synthesis. Every time you eat a decent serving of protein, you flip the “on” switch for growth for a few hours.

If you only load up at night, you’re basically leaving two of those switches untouched all day. By spreading your protein more evenly, you get three full opportunities to stimulate growth.

So yeah, total protein still matters most, but if you want to maximize gains, try to get a solid hit of protein at every meal instead of saving it all for the end of the day.

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

“The fact you want better — that alone makes you different.”

— Tom Hardy

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