• 🥗 Build an Eating System

• 🦾 Bulletproof Your Shoulders

• 🫘 A Meatless Muscle Meal

• ⏱️ Does Tempo Really Matter?

👇Dive in and Set the Standard!

What if Dieting Were Easier?

A lot of people tell me they struggle with dieting. And I get it, most people make it way harder than it needs to be.

They think dieting means weighing everything, stressing over every meal, pulling carbs the second the scale goes up, and then beating themselves up when they “mess up.” That turns food into pressure. And when food becomes pressure, it’s only a matter of time before you burn out.

For me, it’s gotten way simpler over the years.

I don’t track everything anymore. I don’t stress over exact calories. I just hit a protein goal and let carbs and fats move around depending on the day. That didn’t happen overnight, I’ve been doing this for a long time, but the point is this: it works because it’s easy to follow.

And that’s the real secret.

People think they need to understand every study on macros and nutrient timing. In reality, most people don’t have a knowledge problem, they have a systems problem. They don’t have something they can stick to without feeling miserable.

The way I look at it now is simple: eat good, healthy food that you actually enjoy most of the time. Build habits that make you feel better, not worse. When you do that consistently, your body starts responding. You feel better. You move better. And you actually want to keep eating that way.

Then when when you travel, and on weekends, and date nights, you enjoy it. No guilt. No spiral. Because you’ve earned flexibility by being consistent.

That’s delayed gratification. And it changes everything.

Dieting doesn’t need to feel like punishment. It doesn’t need to be miserable. If you build a system that feels normal, staying lean becomes way easier than getting lean in the first place.

Stop thinking in terms of “dieting.” Start thinking in terms of building a lifestyle you don’t want to escape from.

That’s how you make this sustainable.

Set the Standard.

Chris

Bulletproof Your Shoulders

One of the biggest mistakes guys make in January is going too hard, too fast.

You feel motivated. You load the bar. You push through stuff that doesn’t feel right.

And a few weeks later, your shoulders are pissed off, and now everything is limited. Pressing. Pulling. Even sleeping.

I know firsthand how shoulder issues can shut training down for weeks or months. And most of the time, it’s not because you’re “broken.” It’s because the joints and stabilizers aren’t doing their job before you ask them to handle load.

This session is about fixing that.

The goal here is simple:

Protect your shoulders, build them big front and back, strengthen the stabilizers, and widen your frame without beating up your joints.

🧠 Part 1: Movement Prep (Reprogram Before You Load)

These aren’t warm-up fluff.

They’re quick drills that clean up shoulder mechanics and restore range before you train.

I’ve had clients do one or all three when their shoulders feel off, and it often changes things immediately. A lot of shoulder pain isn’t permanent. It’s just dysfunction that needs to be reset.

Pick one and work it for 3–5 minutes, or cycle all three.

• Prone Neutral-Grip Lateral Raise (Unilateral)
  Light weight. Slow control. Focus on the side delt doing the work.

• Hanging Scapular Retractions
  Just hang and move the shoulder blades. No bending the arms.
  This teaches your shoulders how to sit where they’re supposed to.

• Prone Trap-3 Raise (PAILS / RAILS, Unilateral)
  Think lower traps and upper-back control, not weight.

Don’t rush these. You’re setting the foundation for everything that comes next.

🧱 Part 2: Core Shoulder Work (Build Size + Stability)

This is where you train the shoulders hard, but smart.

A1) Barbell Military Press
5 × 6
Tempo: 4–0–1–0
Rest 10 seconds

Controlled reps. Stay stacked. No grinding.

A2) Standing Dumbbell Upright Row
5 × 8
Tempo: 2–0–1–1
Rest 10 seconds

Pull with the elbows. Stop where shoulders feel strong, not jammed.

A3) Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise
5 × 30
Tempo: 2–0–1–0
Rest 90 seconds

Yes—30 reps.
This is about burning the side delts without loading the joint.

🔒 Part 3: Safe Finisher (Rear Delt + Shoulder Health)

B1) Chest-Supported Incline Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
3 × 20

Lock the bench. Take momentum out of it. This balances all the pressing and helps keep shoulders feeling good long-term.

The Takeaway

You don’t build strong shoulders by ignoring pain and pushing harder.
You build them by earning the right to load them.

This approach:

• Reduces shoulder irritation

• Strengthens stabilizers most guys skip

• Builds wider, fuller delts

• Keeps you training consistently instead of rehabbing

Save this. Use it before upper-body days or on weeks when your shoulders feel off.

Strong shoulders keep you in the game. And staying in the game is how progress actually happens.

Start the year the right way.

📲 Ready for coaching? Stop guessing. Start progressing!

🥗 Meatless, Macro-Driven, Muscle-Building

A lot of readers ask if meatless meals can still support fat loss, muscle growth, and recovery.

The short answer: yes, if they’re built correctly.

The longer answer: most meatless meals fail because they’re low in protein and light on structure.

Here’s how we do it The Standard way.

🧱 The Build: Protein + Fiber + Fats

• 🫘 Black beans, kidney beans, or lentils
  ~15g protein per cup + fiber for appetite control and blood sugar stability

• 🌾 Quinoa or brown rice
  ~6–8g protein per cup + steady carbs to fuel training

On their own, that’s a start, but not enough for lifters.

Standard Upgrades (Where Results Happen)

• 🥣 Greek yogurt or skyr
  Boosts total protein and provides leucine for muscle-protein synthesis

• 🫒🥑 Olive oil or avocado
  Supports hormones, reduces inflammation, improves nutrient absorption

• 🌶️🌿 Salsa, herbs, and spices
  Flavor without excess calories + polyphenols for recovery

• 🌱 Tofu, tempeh, or edamame (optional)
  Pushes total protein into the 35–45g range

✅ Why This Works

• High protein + fiber supports fat loss

• Balanced amino acids help retain and build muscle

• Anti-inflammatory fats and spices aid recovery and sleep

• Plant diversity supports gut health and body composition

The Takeaway

You don’t need meat at every meal. You do need structure, protein, and intention.

Q: I’ve been following your training for a while and keep hearing you talk about tempo. Does tempo really make a difference for muscle growth, or is it just a way to make lighter weights harder? Why do you emphasize it so much?
— Taco D., Missoula, Montana

A: Hey, Taco, Yeah, tempo matters, and it’s not about making light weights feel hard.

Tempo is how I make sure the muscle is actually doing the work. Muscle grows from mechanical tension, and if you rush reps, that tension disappears fast and your joints take over.

Controlling the eccentric, actually lowering the weight with intent, keeps the muscle loaded longer. Research backs this up: eccentrics produce higher force at the muscle level and improve motor unit recruitment, which is a big driver of hypertrophy.

Tempo also keeps me honest. If I can’t control the weight, it’s probably too heavy for what I’m trying to accomplish. I still lift heavy, I just want every rep to count.

That’s why tempo shows up in how I train and in the workouts in the app. It’s not a restriction. It’s how I get more stimulus, better pumps, and recover without beating myself up.

Control the rep and growth follows.

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

“In nothing do men more nearly approach the gods than in giving health to men.”

— Cicero

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