7 Secrets to Become Superhuman
Hi,
My name is Martin Frank, and I am so happy that I can share my 7 hacks, which helped me the most to stay at the top of my game and injury-free.
I always thought that pushing harder is the way to achieve what I want. I overlooked one crucial aspect, which is recovery. It doesn't matter if you are an athlete, entrepreneur, teacher, or someone else. We all need to take a good time off and let your body replenish its powers. It is super important. If you overtrain or overwork, you are not performing at your 100%, and the quality of your life and work decreases. I found out that recovery was the most essential thing in the puzzle to fulfill my potential. I want to share with you what I do to stay at my top-level performance, to feel great, and to stay healthy. I believe that it is not only one thing that will make you feel great, but also a set of all things together. It is like pieces of the puzzle that you need to put together. So let's dive into these pieces.
Purpose
Maybe you are asking why the purpose is vital for recovery. Our purpose essential for our well being and longevity too. Many people don't think about it and just follow the path set by previous generations or by someone else. Don't let your past stop you from what you want. The history is irrelevant. You can be who you want to be. Thinking about why we are here and finding that purpose inside will help you to feel better even in harder times and will be a fuel to keep going and feeling great. I believe that this is one of the essentials things in our life. Some people travel to India to disconnect from modern civilization to find their purpose, but you don't have to. You already know it, but maybe you haven't admitted it or haven't sought it. Open your mind and heart, and you will find it. I will mention two great books below. If you are not sure why you are here, these will help you remarkably.
Resources:
Claim Your Power: A 40-Day Journey to Dissolve the Hidden Blocks That Keep You Stuck and Finally Thrive in Your Life's Unique Purpose [Amazon Link]
This book is the ultimate guide to help you on the way. It takes about 20 minutes a day, and it will help you a lot. I did it, and it was terrific.
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life [Amazon Link]
Actionable items to do right now:
Write down things that, when doing them, you forget about time. That you are so passionate about that nothing else matters
Do more of these things
Habits
What we repeatedly do forms who we are. That's why it is wise to check your habits and ask yourself if they are contributing to your purpose or goal that you have. If you want to be healthy, it is necessary to have healthy habits. If you want to be in great shape, you should have habits that support this goal. Habits have an essential part in our lives because, after some time, they become automatic, so it doesn't cost you that much brain activity than at the beginning. It takes patience to create a new habit because usually, the reward is not immediate. For example, if you want to be in good shape and you start running the first week, you probably won't see any changes. It will take time. My recommendation is to think in the long term and build long-lasting habits that will support your purpose and your vision, which you want to be.
If you're going to start building new habits, start with just a few essential at the time. Don't try to change everything at once. Start slowly. If you want to start running and you haven't run before, it is an excellent strategy to start by putting your shoes on and walking outside the house. When you master this, you can move one. Many people begin immediately with long runs, and after a few weeks, they quit. Start slowly and build your habits with the long term vision.
A great strategy is Habit stacking. It means that you add a new habit to the one that you already have. For example, we all brush our teeth. That is the habit that we already have. If you want to start working on your flexibility, do a deep squat whenever you brush your teeth. If you want to move more through the day, you can do 10 squats before you have a coffee, etc. The most important thing is to think about habits and observe what you are doing on a daily basis and then decide if it is who you want to be.
Resources:
Atomic Habits: James Clear [Amazon Link]
Actionable steps to do right now:
Write 10 habits that will help you to become who you want to be
Pick one and start slowly implementing the habit into your routine.
Write down 10 habits that slow you down on the way to become who you want to be
Start slowly with breaking down the habits one by one
Start NOW!
Movement
For nearly 200 000 years, we were designed to move. If we wanted something to eat, we had to hunt for it. If we wanted to travel, we needed to walk. Nowadays, people spend 13 hours a day sitting on average. Even pro athletes have problems with sitting and have injuries from that. Our lifestyle puts us into chairs or car seats. There are risks connected to this. For example, sitting for 2 continuous hours increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes and shortens your life. Even if you workout for a few hours a day, if you sit a lot, you are still a sedentary person. Workouts won't write off hours of sitting. What to do with that? It is easy. Move more through the day. I will give you tips on how to move more and what you can do right now.
Actionable steps to do right now:
Measure how many steps you do a day
Use the Pomodoro technique - you work 25 minutes, and you have a break for 5 minutes. This means that you will move every 25 minutes, which is fantastic
Don't use elevators (unless you live in NYC)
Park your car always further away from your final destination, so you need to walk at least a few minutes
Go for walks
Change your sitting position regularly
Use a standing desk
Check your posture regularly
Resources:
Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World [Amazon Link]
Pomodoro technique [Wikipedia]
Sleep
Sleep is one of the most essential things for our recovery, longevity, and well being. Having the right amount of quality sleep will help you to recover and also improves learning new things. Compromising sleep in the long term can cause a lot of problems, so sleeping well is essential. You probably heard that you should sleep for 8 hours. This number is very individual, so it is good to experiment with it. The most important question is how well you sleep during these hours. Quality of hour sleep is affected by our modern style of living. Lack of movement during the day or artificial light exposure can disrupt our sleep. I will share a few tips with you that helped me improve my sleep so much that I would never go back.
Things that can improve your sleep:
Bedroom:
Sleep in a completely dark room (no tv or any small light dots)
Ventilate and keep the temperature on the colder side of the spectrum (18-22Celsius)
Prepare during the day:
Have enough daylight - Sun exposure
Exercise daily 20-30 minutes
Stretch or foam roll before sleep
Go to bed and weak up at a similar time every day
Meditate or do some kind of mindfulness technique
Supplements that you can use for better sleep:
Magnesium
Zinc
Reishi
Ashwagandha
What can harm your sleep:
Eating a large meal before bedtime.
Drinking alcohol before bedtime
Drinking caffeine 7 hours before bedtime
Working right before the time for sleep
Blue Light exposure - mobile phone, TV, computer
Resources:
Why we sleep: Matthew Walker [Amazon Link]
Joe Rogan Experience #1109 - Matthew Walker [Youtube Link]
Actionable steps to do right now:
Check how you feel in the morning - you should feel energized, not exhausted
Experiment with tips above
Listen to your body
Prioritize your sleep
Plan your sleep, so you get the hours that you need
Read my article about 5 apps for better sleep [Read Here]
Cold Exposure
Cold exposure is a great tool to boost your immune system, relieve stress, and increase (build) your will power. I highly recommend doing a cold shower every day. Yes, it is terrible at the beginning, but the return on investment is enormous. Don't skip this point because I know you heard about this before, but maybe you thought it is not for you. If you are healthy, it is very beneficial for you. Start slowly. Just finish every warm shower with 15 seconds of cold water. After the first week, go for 30 sec and slowly build up like this. From my experience, I had to force my self every time to do it, and it was very unpleasant, but the feeling afterward was always great. It will get you out of your comfort zone, and I believe it is one of the best things that you can do. You can read my article about cold showers here: [1 Year of Cold Showers. What Happened?] . Another style is alternating between warm and cold water. You do the 20s of cold and 10s of warm water. Many professional athletes use this technique to improve their recovery. Why shouldn't you use it as your advantage?
Resources:
Wim Hof Method [Website]
Actionable steps to do right now (if you are healthy otherwise consult with your doctor):
Take your first cold shower today
Print out a calendar and cross of every day you do it - create a streak
Increase the time every week
Enjoy it
Breath
We all do this, right. We all breathe. Breath is essential for our survival, so it is good to go a little bit deeper and see how quality breathing can improve our life and recovery. There are many techniques with a different purpose. Freedivers practice to quiet their mind and have a more extended hold, which doesn't have to be your goal. The first thing is to use your full lung capacity during the inhale. Because we sit a lot and are under constant stress, a lot of people have shallow breathing, so checking this first is a good start. Breath in the belly, chest, and under collar bones to make a full breath is fantastic, and it will flow more oxygen into your bloodstream. I use breath most of the time to quiet my mind and to relax. My 2 most favorite techniques are Box breathing and 4:7:8 breathing.
BOX BREATHING:
Fantastic practice for getting calmer
(4s inhale, 4s hold, 4s exhale, 4s hold)
Read the explanation here: [Website]
4:7:8 BREATHING
It helps to reduce anxiety and improve stress management.
(4s inhale, 7s hold, 8s exhale)
Read the explanation here: [Website]
Actionable steps to do right now (if you are healthy otherwise consult with your doctor):
Choose one of these exercises
Do it right now
Plan these exercises into the calendar
Find a great Physio/ Chiropractic
This is just a new thing that I have been doing, and I found it very helpful. I often had some tension in muscles or in some area of my body which I overloaded during exercise. Professional physiotherapists can quickly release these points and help you to feel much better. So find someone who can help you. I recommend doing this at least once a month.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you will implement at least one of these if you want to know more DM me at @martinfrankyoga or @yogagangfam.
Martin