Skip to content 
There’s only one phrase that sums up working a 9-5 in the corporate world:
Soul destroying.
From birth, our path is set. If you’re lucky, you’re born into a decent family. If your parents are well-adjusted members of society, they’ll send you to school.
Then the conveyor belt begins: school → university → job → retire → expire.
Throw in a vacation once a year if you’re lucky.
All while living under the weight of:
- Taxes
- Inflation
- Rising cost of living
It’s no wonder the world is sick.
In the UK, getting on the housing ladder is nearly impossible.
Millennials and Gen-Z’s face a brutal choice:
- Live with your parents for years, saving for a deposit while working a job you probably hate.
- Or, forget about ever buying a house, unless Mom and Dad pay for it.
So that’s the game. Work for someone else, struggle to break even each month, and hope to eventually sign your life away on a 25-year mortgage. Have kids. Repeat the cycle.
There has to be more to life than that.
The Beacon of Hope
Hope is what brought you here. It’s what keeps the dream of a better life alive—a future without shackles, without being dominated by forces we cannot see.
These are the first steps.
Fitness Is The Gateway
This might sound corny, but stay with me.
To escape the system, you need to make X amount of money in passive or active income. Preferably in a way that doesn’t destroy your life in the process.
Because what’s the point of leaving a miserable 9-5 just to burn yourself out running a business?
Not to say you can’t make money while being unhealthy, but ask yourself:
Would you rather be the stressed entrepreneur who feels like sh*t and is destined for burnout?
Or the lean, jacked entrepreneur who looks great, feels awesome, and thrives in all areas of life?
Easy choice right?
Freedom begins with taking control of your health. That’s how you generate the energy you need to escape the matrix—in a way that’s sustainable.
In the process, you gain:
- The ability to perform at your highest level.
- A body that serves you and you’re proud of.
- More respect from your partner and peers.
- Mental clarity and heightened focus.
- Strength, stamina & longevity.
Huge upside. Very little downside.
The First Steps To Health & Freedom
There’s one word that describes how to get in the best shape of your life:
Habits
Getting lean, building muscle, and increasing endurance all come down to habits.
1. Master Energy Balance
Energy balance is calories in vs calories out.
- Eat more than you burn → gain weight
- Eat less than you burn → lose weight
Energy balance is calories in vs calories out:
This one law dictates 90% of your results whether you want to gain muscle or lose fat.
Mainstream diets swap calories for points, sins, or gimmicks—but at the core, they all operate on this principle.
Instead of following a temporary “diet” where you only focus on being restrictive and doing cardio…
Focus on nutrition—fueling your body for fat loss, muscle gain, and peak performance.
I’ve broken down exactly how to master energy balance in a previous article, which you can read for free here.
2. Optimize Your Diet For Performance & Enjoyment
Most diets fail because they’re too restrictive.
- Starvation diets leave you miserable and drain your energy.
- You start the diet, see early success, then binge on the weekends.
- You blame yourself instead of realizing the diet was the problem.
Self-education on fueling your body for performanceis key to long-term success.
Here’s how to make it work:
- Prioritize protein: Aim for at least 0.8–1g of protein per pound of body weight to support muscle growth and curb hunger.
- Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of your diet should be whole, nutrient-dense foods, while 20% can be flexible treats you enjoy.
- Use meal prep to your advantage: Preparing your meals in advance saves time, removes decision fatigue, and keeps you on track.
- Eat for energy and focus: Include fiber-rich carbs (fruit, rice, potatoes) and healthy fats (eggs, nuts, coconut oil) to fuel your performance.
- Hydration is key: Aiming for 2+ litres per day supports digestion, reduces cravings, and enhances mental clarity.
When you balance calories, protein, and micronutrients, while eating foods you actually enjoy, fat loss becomes effortless.
And no—you don’t need to be a Michelin-star chef or spend hours in the kitchen every day. Follow recipes that are simple and easy to make, and use tools like air fryers, ovens, and slow cookers to save time while preparing healthy meals efficiently.
3. Build Muscle Without Living in the Gym
Most people think transforming your body requires endless hours in the gym.
Not the case.
I got in the best shape of my life training just 3-4 hours per week.
The key? Training smarter, not harder.
If you’re short on time, you need to maximize the effectiveness of every workout.
That means prioritizing compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and rows.
These movements recruit multiple muscle groups at once, giving you the best results in the shortest time possible.
Another great strategy is using drop sets and supersets to increase intensity while keeping your workout time short.
Instead of resting for minutes between sets, you go straight into another exercise or reduce the weight and keep pushing.
This method works particularly well for isolation exercises like curls and lateral raises.
It not only saves time but also enhances cardiovascular fitness by keeping your heart rate elevated throughout the workout.
Lifting weights doesn’t just change your physical health, it sharpens your mental health and performance too.
The system we live in thrives on people being weak and lazy.
The weaker you are, the more dependent you become.
You won’t have the energy to build a business or escape the 9-5 if you only have enough energy to watch TV after work.
Strength training—whether at the gym or at home—is one of the most accessible ways to build your body, mind, and energy levels to take control of your life.
4. Get Quality Sleep to Optimize Energy & Focus
If you’re not getting enough sleep, your productivity, focus, and energy will suffer.
You can’t perform at your best if you’re not getting enough sleep.
Lack of sleep:
- Wrecks your ability to focus
- Kills motivation
- Increases cravings and fat storage
- Lowers testosterone and slows muscle growth
The easiest way to optimize your sleep is by following the 10-3-2-1 rule:
- Cut caffeine 10 hours before bed
- Cut food & snacks 3 hours before bed
- Cut liquids 2 hours before bed
- Get rid of screens 1 hour before bed
Fix your sleep, and everything else becomes easier.
Reclaim Your Freedom Through Fitness
Your health is the foundation of everything.
The world is full of ways to keep you sick, tired, and distracted. But prioritizing your fitness, nutrition, and sleep puts you in control of your own future and your energy.
A strong body leads to a sharp mind.
A sharp mind leads to bold action.
And bold action creates real freedom.
The system wants you weak, tired, and distracted.
But when you take ownership of your health, you step into the driver’s seat—able to build the body, business, and life you truly want.
Remember, no one is coming to save you.
It’s all on you.
Peace,
Josh
