• Your Mid-Year Reset

• Unlock Max Chest Gains

• A Muscle-Building Meal

• The Warm-Up You Need

Let me ask you something: How are you doing on the goals you set in January?

If you’re like most people, the answer is either: “I forgot what they were” or “I started strong, but then life happened.”

Here’s the good news: right now — mid-year, mid-summer — is one of the most underrated windows for personal growth. Psychologists call it the fresh start effect.

Our brains love clean slates. We’re wired to feel more motivated when we hit natural milestones — birthdays, Mondays, new months…or the halfway point in the year.

That’s where we are now. And instead of drifting through July and August, this is your chance to do a real six-month audit and get ahead while everyone else slows down.

Here’s how to approach it:

1. Review Your Vision

Pull up your goals from January — training, nutrition, relationships, career. Be honest: Are you on track? Did you set realistic goals, or were they just hype?

Pro tip: Don’t judge, just assess. This is about data, not emotion.

2. Rate Your Habits (Not Just Outcomes)

Behavioral research shows that habit tracking leads to better long-term outcomes than goal-setting alone. So ask:

• Did I train with intention 4–5x a week?

• Did I hit my macros daily?

• Did I get 7+ hours of sleep?

• Did I move forward mentally?

• Did I take care of the people around me?

Give yourself a score from 1–10 in each area. Wherever you’re scoring low, that’s your focus for the next 60 days.

👉 When it comes to fitness, use the STNDRD app to track your workouts, macros, weight and hydration. Once you start seeing the data, it becomes harder to lie to yourself, and easier to stay locked in.

3. Reset the Strategy

If something’s not working, change the plan. Shift your training split. Simplify your meals. Adjust your sleep routine. Don’t stay stuck out of pride.

Use the summer slowdown to your advantage: fewer meetings, more daylight, fresh food, and time outside. This is the season to train harder, eat smarter, and recover better.

The truth? You don’t need a new year. You need a new standard.

So set it. Lock it in. Run toward Labor Day like your progress depends on it — because it does.

Set the Standard!

Chris

🏋️‍♂️The Incline Advantage

Most people hit flat bench on autopilot — but if you’re chasing a fuller, more balanced chest, incline work is the real MVP.

Here’s why:

The upper chest (clavicular head) is often underdeveloped compared to the mid and lower pecs. Training it directly gives your chest that full, lifted look — and creates a stronger overall press.

✅ Angles Matter
Slight changes in incline can shift the stimulus. Start at 15–30 degrees to target the upper chest without turning it into a front delt workout. If your gym has adjustable benches, use them — rotate angles to hit more fibers over time.

✅ Dumbbells or Barbell?
Both work — but dumbbells allow increase range of motion for a deeper contraction. Focus on full control, slight elbow flare, and a strong squeeze at the top.

✅ Mix It Up
You can build a full incline-focused session with:

• Incline Barbell Press (4 x 6–8)

• Incline Dumbbell Press (3 x 10–12)

• Incline Hex Press or Close-Grip DB Press (3 x 12–15)

• Low-to-High Cable Fly (3 x 15–20)

Want to push harder? Add a drop set on your final incline press — drop weight 2–3 times with no rest.

☀️ Summer mornings are perfect for this — the gym is quieter, your body’s fresh, and you’ve got time to push. Throw on a hoodie, crank your playlist, and get locked in.

Start your week with incline — and watch your chest grow.

🔥 The Muscle-Building Power Salad

The perfect summer meal to build lean muscle, support recovery, and crush cravings:

Ingredients:

• 6 oz grilled grass-fed steak, chicken, or wild tuna (choose what fits your goals)

• 2 cups mixed greens (spinach, arugula, or romaine)

• ¼ cup chickpeas or green peas

• ½ cup chopped anti-inflammatory veggies (bell pepper, tomato, red onion, cucumber)

• ¼ diced avocado

• 2 tbsp feta cheese (or dairy-free option)

• 1 tbsp crushed walnuts or pumpkin seeds

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• Salt, pepper, oregano, and chili flakes (to taste)

🥄 Instructions:

1. Cook protein and slice.

2. Add greens, veggies, chickpeas, avocado, feta, and nuts to a big bowl.

3. Mix dressing separately, then drizzle over salad.

4. Top with protein. Eat immediately or store for meal prep.

What It Does:
🥩 Protein → Builds muscle, supports recovery (B12 + iron for energy)
🥬 Greens → Hydration, fiber, micronutrients (K, folate, antioxidants)
🧆 Chickpeas/Peas → Slow-digesting carbs + bonus plant protein
🥑 Avocado → Healthy fats + potassium for muscle function
🧀 Feta → Salty flavor hit + calcium and protein
🫑 Veggies → Antioxidants, volume without calories, gut health
🌰 Nuts/Seeds → Crunch, plant-based omega-3s, satiety
🫒 EVOO Dressing → Boosts absorption + fights inflammation

💪 Macros (w/ grilled chicken):
Calories: ~470
Protein: 40g
Carbs: 18g
Fat: 28g
Fiber: 7g

👉 This hits high-quality protein, healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants — without spiking blood sugar or leaving you sluggish. Perfect for lunch or a post-workout meal.

🎆Go to RAW Nutrition and use the code CBUM to get the best deals on all our products.

Q: Hi Chris, I never want to take the time to warm up before lifting, but I don’t feel loose until halfway through. Is there a fast, effective way to prep my body for a workout?

Cal R., Bellevue, Washington

A: Hey Cal, Yeah, I’ve been there — you load the bar cold, try to get into a groove, and your body’s like, “Nope.” By the time you feel good, the session’s halfway over.

Here’s the truth: your warm-up doesn’t need to be long, but it does need to be intentional.

A couple arm circles and pacing the gym floor won’t cut it — especially if you’re training heavy or you’re over 25 and not made of rubber anymore.

Here’s my go-to formula:

💧 Move + Sweat (3–5 min):
Jump rope, incline walk, airbike, bodyweight squats — just get your heart rate up and blood moving. Sweat is your body’s “I’m ready” signal.

🧘 Targeted Mobility (2–4 min):
Hit what you’re training. Upper body day? Banded shoulder openers, thoracic twists. Legs? Hip openers, glute bridges. Keep it simple but specific.

🏋️ Ramp-Up Sets (always):
Never go straight to working weight. Start light and build up in 2–3 sets. Use these to dial in your form, tempo, and focus.

All in, that’s 8–10 minutes max, and it’ll save you from stiff joints, sloppy lifts, or tweaking something stupid on rep two.

Warming up isn’t extra — it’s part of the workout. It’s how you protect your progress and stay in the game longer.

Train smart. Warm up right. Lift heavy.

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

Champion Mentality

"You are not the result of what you intended. You are the result of what you consistently did."

— James Clear

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