Welcome to 1-3-1 Fridays, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal evidence-based strategies to get lean, strong, and create optimal health.

You'll receive one personal health insight, three actionable tips, and one concrete action step. Let's dive in.

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What's in store for today:

• Why vegans are skinny and what to do about this.
• Is training fasted the best way to get results in your fitness?
• Build muscle even faster using drop sets.

You have to stink before you're good.

I'm currently reliving this as I create videos for our new YouTube channel.

My first few videos aren't great (in my eyes).

It's been a lesson to release my perfectionism and focus on the process over the product.

It's like how I approached my workouts when I first got started.

I stunk.

I didn't know what I was doing in the gym.

Nor did I feel confident in my technique and form.

But I still showed up.

15 years later, I'm glad I didn't stop.

Fitness isn't built up overnight.

Neither are writing or video skills.

They all take trial and error and a lot of failures.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I'm getting used to failure.

Failure is a prerequisite for success. Without failing repeatedly, it's impossible to create something worthwhile.

It's part of why I fell in love with strength training.

You need to fail to create a great body.

It's part of the game.

It's what I'm learning with video creation.

I'm not focused on creating a perfect video.

I'm focused on creating my first 100 videos (then 1000).

Good things can happen when you focus on the process over the product.

Pair this with 1% improvements (kaizen) each time; inevitably, you'll be onto something great in a few short years.

Just wanted to share my experience with you.

Onto video #5.

Lesson: Fall in love with the art rather than the outcome.

Here's Your 1-3-1 Friday:

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1.) Why vegans are skinny

There’s a difference between being “skinny” and being lean and strong.

Many plant-based folks—especially those new to it—lose weight quickly.

But it’s often a mix of water, fat, and muscle. That’s not what you want.

Being lighter on the scale doesn’t mean you’ve built a healthy, fit body.

It just means you weigh less.

Most vegan diets are low in protein and calories without even trying.

You swap burgers for black beans. Chicken for chickpeas.

And that’s great for your heart, digestion, and ethics.

But if you're not eating enough, especially of the right macros, your body starts breaking down muscle for fuel—especially during a cut.

You feel “softer” even as your weight goes down. You’re working out, but the mirror doesn’t show the muscle you expected.

You’re eating clean, but nothing’s changing.

You need to eat for performance—not just for purity.

Here’s how to shift that:

• Aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of goal body weight. If you want to weigh 140 pounds, aim for 140 grams daily.
• Track your food for at least 7 days. You might be surprised how low your calories and protein are without realizing it.
• Add high-protein staples to every meal: tofu, tempeh, seitan, edamame, TVP, protein powder (hemp, soy, pea blends), high-protein wraps/pastas, and favabean tofu.

On added note on the 1 gram per bodyweight recommedation above:

If you're excessively overweight or obese, don't focus on 1 gram per bodyweight.

Your risk of losing muscle is lower if you have a higher body fat percentage.

This means you can aim for about half of your total body weight to help protect against muscle loss.

I often get asked this question, so I wanted to add more context here.

Muscle is metabolically active—it helps burn more fat even at rest. Without enough protein and fuel, your body starts sacrificing muscle instead of just fat.

So increase your protein and calories.

Track this for a week - and notice the difference.

2.) Should you train fasted?

When I first heard about fasted workouts, I was sold.

The idea was simple: train in the morning without food, and your body will burn more fat for energy.

More fat burn, faster results—right?

Wrong.

Fasted training can boost fat burning, but it can hurt your performance. This is especially true for strength training or intense workouts.

Think about it: You wouldn’t drive your car on an empty tank and expect to hit top speed.

Your body’s the same. Especially on a vegan diet, where your glycogen (stored carb energy) runs out fast.

I used to hit the gym in the morning with an empty stomach and a strong mindset… but by set three, my energy crashes. I didn't lift as heavy.

I felt light-headed. Recovery took longer.

If your goal is fat loss with muscle retention, train with fuel in your system.

Here’s what to try:

• Eat 30–60 minutes before strength training. Even a banana and a scoop of protein powder is enough.
• If mornings are your only time to train, try a liquid shake. A simple soy or pea protein smoothie with fruit can do the trick.
• Save fasted cardio for light walks. Not your lifts, HIIT sessions, or anything that requires real power.

Fasted resistance training can lower power output and training volume. This limits your potential to build muscle.

Eating before lifting helps you train harder and recover faster. It also signals your body to maintain muscle, even when you're in a deficit.

That's the high-performance vegan method.

Try it out for yourself.

3.) Build muscle using drop sets

Here’s the truth about building muscle on a vegan diet:

It takes a little more intention.

Once you’ve mastered your nutrition, improving your training efficiency is next.

And one tool I love for my busy clients?

Drop sets.

Most busy professionals don’t have time to spend 90 minutes at the gym.

And if your schedule is packed, long rest periods or 12 sets of 4 exercises just aren’t realistic.

You want results, but workouts feel like a drain.

You often rush, skip sets, or leave the gym without feeling challenged.

Drop sets help you build muscle faster. They push your muscles to failure while using less total volume.

Here’s how to use them:

• Choose a main lift (example: dumbbell shoulder press).
• Perform your first set with a weight you can lift 8–10 times.
• Once you hit failure, drop the weight by 20–30%, and go again—no rest.
• Repeat that drop 2–3 times until your muscles are burning.

You can finish a brutal, muscle-building workout in under 30 minutes this way.

And because you’re pushing your muscles to the edge, you’ll create the stress they need to grow—even in a deficit.

Drop sets boost muscle growth and metabolic stress, even with short training sessions.

Skinny silly training vs smart strong training

They’re a perfect tool for vegans who don’t have hours to spare but still want real gains.

I've used drop sets in my workouts for the past 60 days, and the time savings and results have been superb.

For a simple training technique, this truly will give you the extra edge in minimal time.

Let me know if you try it out.

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1 Action Step

What's your biggest win from this month? Celebrate and acknowledge yourself before going into the next month.

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Client of the Week

Ines came to us at one of her lowest points in her life.

Postpartum several years, she suffered from depression and not liking herself.

She was also extremely busy.

She took care of her son.

She was a wife.

She also worked in a veterinarian clinic.

There was a lot on her plate.

But she had reached the point where she had enough.

She could no longer afford to stop putting herself last.

At the bottom of the priority list.

Being plant-based, she also wanted to be a positive role model for her son and family.

She wanted to show others that eating plants equated to living your best life and health.

But she felt incongruent.

Out of alignment.

So after applying for a spot inside our Accelerator Program, she was accepted and we got started.

The second part of her fitness success was dedication to her schedule.

Everything in her life needed to be organized.

The more structure she brought to her health using our​ plug-and-play VFR systems ​(which we give to each of our students to systemize success), the easier it was for Ines to see radical results.

After nearly 6 months, she had dropped 5+ inches from her waist.

Strategy: Four home workouts a week, which later evolved into gym workouts, five days of tracking nutrition, and five minutes of deep breathing each time to convert stress into relaxation.

We also added lemon water every morning (this led to her avoiding having her kidney stones removed since they dissolved naturally).

Wins: Down 5 inches from her waist, 20 pounds of body fat, and in the best shape of her life since her pre-mom days.

All this during one of her busiest work seasons, navigating family challenges, and being a busy mom taking care of her family.

If Ines can do it, you can too.

​Apply here to get lean, strong, and healthy using plants. Deadline to apply each month is the 20th. Create your best health and body using a fitness system that's handcrafted for you.

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One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong

Back in CO this week.

Just came back from Maroon Bell with the family.

(google it - you'll be amazed).

Awesome hike even though we didn't make it to the hidden lake.

This is what I train for - moments like these.

As promised, get lean on plants in under 5 minutes.

Till next week,

References

• Phillips, S. M., & Van Loon, L. J. (2011). Dietary protein for athletes: From requirements to optimum adaptation. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(sup1), S29–S38.
• Schoenfeld, B. J., Aragon, A. A., & Krieger, J. W. (2014). Effects of meal frequency on weight loss and body composition. Nutrition Reviews, 73(2), 69–82.
• Angleri, V., Ugrinowitsch, C., & Libardi, C. A. (2017). Crescent-pyramid and drop-set systems do not promote greater muscle growth than a traditional resistance training program in young men. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 117(2), 389–399.