What if the exhaustion you feel, the aches and pains, the metabolic issues, the brain fog, the weight that won't budge... what if all of it traces back to one thing? Your Muscle!

Fitness Friday: The Truth About Muscle That Will Change Everything! (It's Not About the Bulk)

Mindset Monday
By Brett G Waddell ~ TheMorningMotivator.com

Wake Up!

Awareness Brings Answers!

There are things that have been hidden.

There are systems designed to keep humanity small.

There is knowledge that has been suppressed, distorted, or buried entirely.

And the reason it works is because most people are too afraid, too tired, or too convinced of their own limitations to look.

🐦‍🔥 It's time to Step Up and own your morning!

How you start dictates how you finish and yes You Can Control the Controllables.. Don't waste energy on what you can't change.

We earn it every day, past wins don't win future battles… as you Win, lift as you climb. Champions help others to reach higher! Stay humble, stay hungry, arrogance is the enemy of improvement. (Death to the ego!)

What does your day look like?

Mine looks like this...

This Morning, Again, We're Looking Deeper.

The 55-Year-Old Woman Who Couldn't Lift Her Suitcase

She was exhausted all the time.

That's how she described herself when she walked into Dr. Gabrielle Lyon's clinic. At 55, she was what she called "skinny fat"—looking fine on the outside, but feeling weak and depleted on the inside. She'd spent years doing what she thought was "healthy"—walking, eating light, staying lean.

Then came the moment that changed everything.

She was boarding a flight, reached up to put her luggage in the overhead bin... and she couldn't do it. Her arms gave out. Her body failed her. A stranger had to help her.

She couldn't lift her own suitcase.

That humiliation became her wake-up call.

Within two months of starting a real resistance training program and prioritizing protein, she put on five pounds of muscle. Five pounds. In eight weeks. At 55 years old. Suddenly, she wasn't exhausted anymore. She wasn't weak anymore. She wasn't shrinking anymore.

✅ She was growing—at an age when everything in the culture tells you it's too late!

Here's what Dr. Lyon told me that stopped me cold:

"It's more dangerous to lose muscle than it is to put on body fat."

Read that again.

We've been obsessed with the scale. Obsessed with body fat. Obsessed with getting smaller. But what if the real problem isn't that you have too much fat—it's that you don't have enough muscle?

The Quote That Cuts Through the Noise

"If you fight for your limitations, you may just get to keep them." — Les Brown

How many of you have been fighting for yours?

- "I'm just getting older, this is normal."

- "I don't want to get bulky."

- "It's too late to start."

- "I'm not a gym person."

- "Walking should be enough."

Those aren't truths. Those are limitations you're fighting for.

And if you keep fighting for them, you get to keep them.

Congratulations! You've won the prize of staying exactly where you are while the world moves past you. I know that's a bit edgy... but that's the truth.

Here's what else you keep: the fatigue, the metabolic disease, the loss of independence, the shrinking, the slow decline.

Is that really what you want to win?

Watch Dr. Lyon explain why muscle is the organ of longevity and how a 55-year-old woman transformed her life in just two months!! The science changes everything!!

The big takeaway: building muscle isn’t about getting bulky—it’s about protecting your future self from fatigue, frailty, metabolic disease, and the slow shrinking of your life.

The Truth They Never Told You

Here's what Dr. Lyon shared that stopped me cold:

"It's more dangerous to lose muscle than it is to put on body fat."

Let that sink in.

We've been obsessed with the scale. Obsessed with body fat. Obsessed with getting smaller. But what if the real problem isn't that you have too much fat—it's that you don't have enough muscle?

What if the exhaustion you feel, the aches and pains, the metabolic issues, the brain fog, the weight that won't budge... what if all of it traces back to one thing?

You've been starving your most important organ!

Not your heart. Not your liver. Not your thyroid.

Your Muscle.

Why Your Muscle Is Actually an Organ

Here's something they don't teach you in medical school:

Skeletal muscle is an endocrine organ.

That means it doesn't just sit there making you look good in a t-shirt.

It releases hormones.

It communicates with every other system in your body.

When you contract your muscles—when you actually challenge them with resistance—they release molecules called myokines. These little messengers travel through your bloodstream and:

- Affect your brain for neurogenesis (growing new brain cells)

- Impact your bones to prevent osteoporosis

- Regulate your metabolism

- Control your blood sugar

- Influence your immune system

Forty percent of your body weight is skeletal muscle. Forty percent! That's not decoration. That's infrastructure.

And when you lose it—which happens naturally as you age if you don't fight for it—you don't just get weaker.

You get sicker.

Your metabolism slows.

Your blood sugar dysregulates.

Your hormones get confused.

Your brain declines faster.

The diseases we associate with aging? So many of them trace back to one root cause:

We let our muscle waste away.

When you contract your muscles—when you actually challenge them with resistance—they release molecules called myokines. Brain Fertilizer... Miracle-Gro for your brain!

What Happened When She Started Training

Remember the woman who couldn't lift her suitcase?

Within two months of starting a real resistance training program and prioritizing protein, she put on five pounds of muscle.

Five pounds.

In eight weeks.

At 55 years old.

Suddenly, she wasn't exhausted anymore. She wasn't weak anymore. She wasn't shrinking anymore.

She was growing—at an age when everything in the culture tells you it's too late.

Dr. Lyon explains why this works: as we age, our muscle tissue becomes anabolically resistant—less efficient at using the protein we eat. The muscle protein synthetic response that worked in your 20s doesn't work as well in your 40s.

But here's the good news:

When you resistance train, you sensitize the muscle. Then when you add more dietary protein, older muscle can respond like younger muscle.

You can reverse this. You can turn back the clock. Not with expensive treatments or dangerous drugs—with training and protein.

The woman who couldn't lift her suitcase? She did it. At 55. After years of being sedentary.

So Can You!

The Protein Number You Can't Ignore

Here's where most people get it wrong:

They spread their protein thin. A little here, a little there. An egg for breakfast. A salad with chicken for lunch. Pasta for dinner.

That doesn't work.

Dr. Lyon's research shows that the first meal of the day is critical. Coming out of an overnight fast, your body is primed for protein. If you give it carbohydrates instead, you spike your blood sugar, crash later, and never trigger the muscle protein synthesis you need.

The minimum for that first meal? 30 grams of protein. No less.

For more mature individuals, aim for 40-50 grams.

That means:

- 5-6 eggs, not 2-3

- A real serving of meat, not a sprinkle

- Greek yogurt with protein powder added

- A quality shake if you can't eat that much whole food

And total daily protein? No one should go below 100 grams per day. Male or female. That's the floor, not the ceiling.

Coming out of an overnight fast, your body is primed for protein. If you give it carbohydrates instead, you spike your blood sugar, crash later, and never trigger the muscle protein synthesis you need.

The Training Prescription: Keep It Simple

You don't need a complicated gym membership.

You don't need a personal trainer.

You don't need to spend hours a day.

Here's Dr. Lyon's simple prescription:

💠 If you go from zero to one day a week, you're winning.

💠 Zero to two? I love it.

💠 Zero to three? Ideal.

That's it. Start somewhere. Anywhere.

The rep range? Anywhere from 6 to 30 reps. Your muscles don't know what rep they're on—they only know how much effort you're putting out.

🎯 The key is stimulus, not a specific number. You want to challenge the muscle enough that it has to adapt and grow.

For most people starting out:

- 2-3 days per week of resistance training

- Full-body workouts

- 10-12 reps as a sweet spot

- Stop one to two reps before failure to protect form

⚠️ If you're older or new to training, start with higher reps (12-15) to let your tendons catch up to your muscles. Going too heavy too fast is how people get hurt. (Been there, done that)

REAP: The Mindset Reset Protocol for Building Muscle

Let's apply the REAP system to this transformation:

R — Recognize & Run It Out

Recognize the character script you've been running:

- "I'm just getting older and weaker."

- "I don't want to get bulky."

- "It's too late for me."

- "Walking should be enough."

Write these down. See them clearly. These aren't truths—they're stories.

Run It Out — two parts:

Move: If there's fear or resistance, don't suppress it. Move your body. Take a walk. Breathe deeply for 90 seconds. Let the stress chemicals pass so you can think clearly.

Ask: Is this thought true? How do I feel when I think this? How do I act when I think this? What's the outcome?

If you believe "it's too late," you'll act like it's too late. You'll never start. And you'll prove yourself right.

If you believe "my body can still grow and change," you'll act differently. You'll pick up the weights. You'll eat the protein. And you'll prove that right.

Which story do you want to be true?

Research shows that while older muscle becomes "anabolically resistant," resistance training sensitizes the muscle to protein, allowing it to respond like younger muscle!

E — Exchange & Envision

Exchange the old thought for a new one:

- Exchange "I'm getting older and weaker" for "My muscle is an organ I can strengthen at any age."

- Exchange "I don't want to get bulky" for "I want to be strong enough to live fully."

- Exchange "It's too late" for "The best time to start was 20 years ago. The second best time is today."

Envision your future self:

- See yourself lifting that suitcase with ease

- Feel the energy of having real metabolic health

- Imagine walking into your 70s and 80s strong and independent

Dr. Lyon's patient couldn't envision herself strong—until she couldn't lift her suitcase. That moment gave her a vision of what she didn't want. From there, she built a vision of what she did want.

What's your suitcase moment?

A — Activate with Action

This is where it becomes real:

1. Commit to a minimum — Start with 2 days per week of resistance training. Mark them on your calendar.

2. Prioritize protein at breakfast — No less than 30 grams. Plan it. Prep it. Eat it before anything else.

3. Choose your movements — Push, pull, legs. Push-ups (or knee push-ups), rows or band pulls, lunges or step-ups. Three exercises, three days a week. That's enough to start.

4. Track something — Write down your protein for one week. Just observe. Then start adjusting.

Action doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be action.

P — Prosper through Programming

This is the secret that changes everything:

When you fall in love with the process of REPs (Recognize, Exchange, Act), the Prosper takes care of itself.

You don't get strong by wishing. You get strong by showing up, day after day, rep after rep, meal after meal.

Dr. Lyon trains when she's tired. She trains when she's hungry. Not because she's superhuman—because she's programmed herself to be the kind of person who trains.

That's programming. That's identity. That's who you become when you do the work consistently.

The woman who couldn't lift her suitcase? She's now someone who lifts weights.

Not because she's special—because she did the reps.

She ate the protein.

She showed up.

That's the only secret.

Start your day in theta. Build your muscle. Transform your Life.

The 5-Minute Action Plan: Start Tomorrow Morning

Here's what you do tomorrow:

Step 1: Download The 5-Minute Theta Morning Routine PDF

This programs your mind in those critical first five minutes when your brain is twice as suggestible.

SIGN UP HERE to get your Masterclass blog post link at 5:00 AM and download your Free 5-Minute Theta Mornings PDF/Flipbook.

Step 2: Eat 30 Grams of Protein for Breakfast

Eggs, meat, Greek yogurt, or a shake. No excuses. This sets your metabolism for the entire day.

Step 3: Schedule Two Training Sessions This Week

Put them on your calendar right now. Treat them like non-negotiable appointments.

Step 4: Write Down Your "Why"

Why do you want to be stronger? What will it cost you if you don't build muscle? Post it where you'll see it every morning.

That's it. Four steps. Do them tomorrow.

FAQ

Q: Won't lifting weights make me bulky, especially as a woman?

A: This is the most common fear—and the most unfounded. Building significant muscle mass requires years of dedicated training, specific nutrition, and often genetic predisposition. Dr. Lyon puts it perfectly: worrying about getting too bulky from lifting weights is like worrying about getting too smart from medical school. It's not going to happen accidentally.

What most women mistake for "bulk" is actually fat gain or water retention. Real muscle is dense and compact.

Q: I'm over 50. Is it too late to build muscle?

A: Absolutely not. Dr. Lyon's patient started at 55 and gained 5 pounds of muscle in 2 months. Research shows that while older muscle becomes "anabolically resistant," resistance training sensitizes the muscle to protein, allowing it to respond like younger muscle.

It's never too late. In fact, it becomes more important as you age.

Q: How do I get 100g of protein without drinking shakes all day?

A: Whole foods first. 3 eggs = 18-21g. 4 oz chicken = 35g. 1 cup Greek yogurt = 20g. 4 oz salmon = 30g. 4 oz lean beef = 30g. A well-planned day might look like: breakfast (3 eggs + 1 cup Greek yogurt = 40g), lunch (4 oz chicken = 35g), dinner (4 oz salmon = 30g).

That's 105g without any shakes. If you struggle with appetite, shakes or essential amino acid supplements can help fill the gap.

Your Time Is NOW!

SIGN UP HERE to get your Masterclass blog post link at 5:00 AM and download your Free 5-Minute Theta Mornings PDF/Flipbook.

Start your day in theta. Build your muscle. Transform your Life.

The question isn't whether you'll be programmed.

The question is who gets to do it.

Make it You!

Wake Up! Awareness Brings Answers.

P.S. If you're ready to go deeper, the REAP program is coming. One-on-one coaching sessions coming available again. Don't miss out this time around! The full Mindset Reset Protocol. Get on the list now to be first to know.

P.P.S. Remember: Fall in love with the process of REPs. The Prosper takes care of itself.

Hey, I’m just your science-backed, soul-led, unapologetically human, mindset & motivation coach. The content provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only. I am not a licensed therapist, and this blog is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll catch you tomorrow.

Pay It Forward! 🚀
~Brett
TheMorningMotivator.com · CompleteBusinessFitness.com

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