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How to Have Infinite Energy

Dear friend,

A philosophical idea I’ve been having:

Is it possible for us to have infinite energy– and is this even something we desire?

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What is energy?

Simply put, I think energy is our ability to work and move.

I’m not going to talk right now about energy from a physics perspective– I will just talk about ‘human energy’.


Everyday as a mini-lifetime

I like the idea that everyday is a mini-lifetime.

To me, this is a good way of living, because it is the ultimate synthesis between ‘memento mori‘ (remember you must die), and ‘memento vivere‘ (remember you must live).

To think daily about death is good for life, because it reminds us:

Let me not squander today. Let me use today to the maximum.


How to maximize your energy for today

For myself, one of the things I hate the most is being tired during the day.

This is my ideal vision:

Have infinite energy during the day, and sleep very soundly at night (no insomnia).

Which is tricky– because what ends up happening is that we are energized during the day via ‘uppers’ (stimulant drugs, caffeine, cocaine, adderal) and we relax during the night with ‘downers’ (depressant drugs, alcohol, weed, etc).

How to prevent energy crashes during the day

This is a simple idea:

Don’t eat sugar or carbohydrates during the day.

Whenever we consume sugar (natural or unnatural), carbohydrates, etc — we get an ‘insulin spike’ — which makes us have really short-term energy (30 minutes), then we get ‘food coma’ (or a come-down crash, after the insulin spike). Because the truth is:

Everything that goes up must come down.

Even taken a step further–

Don’t eat any food during the day.

Do extreme fasting during the day, and do extreme feasting at night.

In praise of fasting

I’ve experimented with fasting the last 2 years or so, with massive success. Of course I still get hungry and hunger pangs throughout the day, but they are like little tiny needle pricks on a dragon’s scaly armor.

Fasting is probably the simplest way we can gain more energy throughout the day, and actually get stronger.

Consider– most people have a pretty big lunch (most people have a pretty carbohydrate and sugar-heavy lunch), and then they get ‘food coma’, and they are unproductive for the next 2-3 hours.

I wondered to myself:

How much more could we accomplish during the day, if we didn’t get that food-coma or crash during the day?

I always got suckered by this notion that we needed ‘3 square meals a day’ to be healthy, or even the more pernicious idea– to have a small meal every 1-2 hours.

I’ve found that with intermittent fasting (don’t eat food during the day, and compensate by eating a lot at night) has been superior for the following:

  • More energy
  • More focus
  • Less fatigue
  • More muscle gain
  • More fat loss

Essentially, there is no downside from fasting during the day, except you get mild hunger pangs. But the hunger pains are a good stimulus for us to be more active in the day! Because the point of hunger is to motivate us to move and act. Once we’ve had a big meal– why would we need to move anymore?


Powerlifting during the day

I’ve found a simple way to add more energy throughout the day is to add an intense (it can be around 30 minutes) powerlifting routine to your day.

For example, I go to the gym everyday– but try not to spend more than 30 minutes there. I will just focus on 1 single lift. One day I might do deadlift, another day squat, another day dumbbell press. I try to cycle between the workouts like:

  • Monday: Deadlift
  • Tuesday: Dumbell press
  • Wednesday: Squats
  • Thursday: Chinups and bodyweight dips
  • Friday: Deadlift
  • Saturday: Dumbell press
  • Sunday: Squats
  • etc…

So this is the simple principle:

Try not to do the same workout two days in a row.

This will allow you to have some more recovery time to allow your muscles to grow stronger.

Turbocharged after working out

Anyways, after an intense workout session at the gym, I get a huge surge of energy– which gives me more power throughout the rest of the day. After an intense workout, it is like strapping dual-turbochargers to my v12 Lamborghini engine.

In terms of the ideal time to workout– I’m not really sure on this. Sometimes I workout first thing when I wakeup, sometimes in the afternoon, and sometime at the night. Perhaps the basic idea is this:

Don’t be a slave to your workout; let your workout be your slave.

Which means,

Don’t feel the need to ALWAYS workout at the same time during the day.

Just try to get a workout (anytime) during the day. But I do still believe strongly: workout everyday.


Black coffee

Black coffee is the elixir of the gods. Black– no sugar, cream, fillers, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, etc.

All killer, no filler.

Black coffee (filter), espresso, cold brew– it is all good.

My $2 espresso machine. Berkeley, 2015
My $2 espresso machine. Berkeley, 2015

How does coffee give us more energy? Well — caffeine in coffee is a mild toxin/poison. And having a certain dose of this poison actually stimulates our body– and makes us have a mild adrenaline response, which gives us energy.

My simple idea is this:

Unlimited black coffee during the day, but strict abstinence on coffee once the sun sets (or night time).

Souls delight to be wet

SF, 2016. Portrait by Luis Donoso
SF, 2016. Portrait by Luis Donoso

I read this strange fragment from Heraclitus who said:

Souls delight to be wet.

I have no idea what it means, but it just gave me a simple idea:

Drink more water during the day.

Drinking more water seems to be a good way too fast during the day. When you are hungry during the day, just drink more water (ice water, sparking water, still water, whatever). It seems that it doesn’t really hurt to drink too much water. I think it is better to drink more water (and be over-hydrated) than to be under-hydrated.

Cup of espresso. NYC, 2017

The pre-socratic philosophers talk a lot about moisture. And where does moisture come from? Water!

So perhaps to have more energy throughout the day,

Drink more water.


Music

Shot through the reflection of an aluminum espresso machine. Kyoto selfie with Cindy. Reflection, 2017. Orange and Blue.

Music is another good source of energy and stimulation.

Whenever I listen to music I like, I feel movement and vibrations in my muscles which make me want to dance!

Experiment with headphones, or speakers.

Drinking Espresso. Madison, Wisconsin 2017

My theory:

Speakers will stimulate you more than headphones, because speakers pulsate with more sonic-waves — which hit your body harder.

Unfortunately because of modern office living, we are slaves to headphones. But perhaps invest in some headphones which are bass-heavy.

I read a theory that bass simulates the sensation of the heart beating and pumping blood. So perhaps when we listen to heavy bass in music, it gives us more energy, because it causes our heart to pump more blood to our body?

Free BEATS BY KIM >


Sauna

When I went to Japan, I loved going to the sauna. The sauna was both relaxing and energizing.

This is my theory:

The hot temperature as well as the hot steam/moisture of the body, somehow stimulates or energizes our body.

I’m lucky enough that the local Gold’s gym has a nice hot-steam sauna. I always use it after working out, and it gives me a relaxed zen-mind — and more energy as well. I usually don’t spend more than 5 minutes in it or so, and I just close my eyes, and let my mind wander.

I’ve even experimented with working out twice in a day– once in the morning or afternoon, and another time later at night. That means in a single day, I workout twice, and use the sauna twice.

Using the sauna during the day still gives me energy throughout the day. Using the sauna at night relaxes me before sleeping.

So as a simple idea:

Try to join a gym that has a sauna.

Cold showers

Cindy hand shadow, selfie. Kyoto, uji

I’ve been a religious cold-water showerer for the last 7 years. It has been amazing– it has helped me the following ways:

  • Rush of energy in the morning: Icy cold shower in the morning is equivalent to a triple-shot of espresso. Good way to start the day (then proceed to have a real espresso).
  • Improved mood (when I am angry or feeling a bit depressed, an icy-cold shower gives me a huge rush of serotonin and endorphins)
  • Relaxation before sleeping (I find that a lower body temperature before sleeping helps me sleep better)

I think embracing the extremes of temperature (icy cold showers and really hot sauna) strengthens your body, and gives you more energy.


Standing while working

Cindy inside our Ryokan, looking out towards the water.

Ever since Cindy taught me about a standing desk, I try to sit as little as humanly possible.

I find that when I am standing, I have more energy. I am more focused and can concentrate easier.

Cindy’s ghetto standing desk. At Ryokan in Uji, Kyoto 2017.
Cindy’s ghetto standing desk. At Ryokan in Uji, Kyoto 2017.

I often use a ‘ghetto standing desk’ — I just place my laptop on top of any elevated surface.

Cindy standing desk. Airbnb Amsterdam, 2017
Cindy standing desk. Airbnb Amsterdam, 2017

For example, I have done the following:

  • Put the laptop on top of a piano (what I am doing now)
  • Put a chair on top of a normal table, and put the laptop on top of that chair
  • Put the laptop on a bookshelf

Also I’ve been doing more blogging on a phone or tablet, while standing.

Cindy at work at her makeshift standing desk in our apartment in Kyoto, 2018
Cindy at work at her makeshift standing desk in our apartment in Kyoto, 2018

My idea:

When you are standing, and there is pressure on your legs — your body is more active and engaged.

When you sit, there must be some negative physiological effects on your body.

This is my personal barbell:

Either stand, or lie on your back.

Don’t sit.


Feasting at night

Meat on sale. Osaka grocery store

We have been brain-washed so much that we should have small meals at night before we sleep, or else we will get fat.

I think this is silly– because our body is constantly in a state of flux:

Our body is constantly removing fat, putting on fat, putting on muscle, etc.

I’ve been doing the following for the last 2 years:

No food for breakfast or lunch, and a MASSIVE ‘gorging’ meal at night.

And the result? Improved muscle gain, improved fat loss (I can see my abs).

Topless bathroom selfie. Hanoi, 2017.

A typical meal at night might be like 2 pounds of meat (pork, beef, chicken, fish, etc), some leafy greens or herbs, or sometimes I will eat 12 whole eggs with the yolk.

The benefit of feasting at night is this:

You have 0 ounces of guilt for feasting, and you are able to sleep easier at night.

Because after you have a massive meal at night– of course you will get food coma, this is the point! And you can channel that food coma to fall asleep immediately after you eat.

And I’ve found for myself, eating a heavy meal (lots of fat, meat, etc) doesn’t disturb my sleep or digestion. Perhaps eating heavy meals is actually better for my digestion.

I just keep eating until I am full. I don’t try to “over-eat”, or “under-eat”. I just eat until I am satisfied and satiated.


Takeaways

These are just some basic ideas on how I’ve been able to maximize my energy throughout the day. To sum up:

  1. Extreme fasting during the day, extreme feasting at night
  2. No sugar, no carbohydrates (you can eliminate all this from your diet, ‘via negativa’ style, with no downsides).
  3. Bass-Heavy music to get you dancing and moving
  4. No sitting: Only standing or lying on your back (sleeping or napping)
  5. Powerlifting everyday
  6. Barbell between super-hot saunas and icy-cold showers

HUSTLE HARD.
ERIC