The full catalog
Protocols
762 entries pulled from 62 stacks. Items are ordered by how many tracked people are on record about them, including discussion, use and recommendations.
Filter counts cover the full catalog. Type, goal and cost filters apply to items only.
Items
137 entries
Reset- ProtocolFREE, no cost01
Time-restricted eating
Confining food to a set window, often 8-10 hours a day
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 13 do it, 8 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost02
Consistent sleep and wake times
Same bedtime and wake time every day, weekends included
On record from 20 of 62 tracked people: 11 do it, 6 recommend it, 3 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost03
Zone 2 cardio
Easy aerobic work you can hold a conversation through, 3+ hours a week
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 5 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost04
Eight hours of sleep
Protecting a full night in bed as a training input, not a leftover
On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost05
Morning sunlight exposure
Bright outdoor light soon after waking, 5-30 minutes and no sunglasses
On record from 10 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it, 3 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost06
Stability and mobility work
Daily joint, foot and breathing work to keep strength usable
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 7 do it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost07
Breathwork
Structured breathing sessions to shift the nervous system up or down
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost08
Daily stretching
Long, regular stretching sessions to undo years of tightness and keep training possible
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost09
Environment design
Change the room instead of relying on willpower
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 5 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost10
Time blocking
Give every hour of the workday a job before the day starts
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 2 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost11
Deep work blocks
Long, scheduled, distraction-free sessions on one cognitively hard task
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost12
High-intensity interval training
Short all-out efforts with full recovery in between, a few times a week
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost13
VO2 max intervals
Hard interval sessions to raise peak aerobic capacity
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it, 2 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost14
Daily cardio
Around half an hour of aerobic work most days, at any pace you can sustain
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost15
Identity-based habits
Aim at who you want to become, not the outcome you want to hit
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost16
Training close to failure
Finishing most sets with 0-3 reps in reserve, and the last set of safe lifts to failure
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost17
Workday shutdown ritual
A fixed end-of-day routine that closes open loops so work stops
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost18
After-action review
Debrief what happened, what should have happened, and what changes
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost19
Autoregulated training (RPE)
Set the working weight from how the day feels, not from a number written weeks ago
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost20
Circle of competence
Work only inside the area you can genuinely evaluate, and know exactly where its edge is
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost21
Delayed morning caffeine
A 90-120 minute gap between waking and the first coffee
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost22
Habit stacking
Anchor a new habit to one you already do without thinking
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost23
Low-carb diet
Cutting carbohydrates and sugar so the body runs mostly on fat and protein
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost24
Never miss twice
One missed day is an accident; two is the start of a new habit
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost25
Pre-training warm-up
Easy laps, stretching and light cardio before every session, never skipped
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost26
Tempo training
Prescribed rep speeds, usually a slow three to four second lowering phase
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost27
Temptation bundling
Only allow yourself something you want while doing something you avoid
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost28
Anti-inflammatory eating
Mostly plants, some fish and lean meat, and little sugar, dairy or processed food
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost29
Body recomposition
Building muscle and losing fat together by eating near maintenance with high protein
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost30
Deliberate wandering
Unplanned, inefficient exploration kept on purpose as the counterweight to efficiency
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost31
Digital declutter
A 30-day break from optional tech, then reintroduce deliberately
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost32
Flexible dieting (macro tracking)
Track calories and macros, keep no food off limits, adjust from weekly trends
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost33
Hard thinking before lunch
Book the mentally demanding work for the morning and stop making big calls late in the day
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost34
Hiking
Trail walking with elevation, usually an hour or more at a talking pace
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost35
Inner scorecard
Judge yourself by your own standards rather than by how the world grades you
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost36
Minimalist training
Short, hard sessions built on a few sets per muscle, drop sets and non-competing supersets
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost37
Multi-day fasting
Going without food for two to five days, done rarely and usually with medical oversight
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost38
Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR)
10-20 minute guided body-scan rest, sometimes called yoga nidra
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost39
Physiological sigh
Two inhales through the nose, one long exhale; heart rate drops within seconds
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost40
Pomodoro technique
Work in timed sprints, usually 25 minutes on and 5 minutes off
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost41
Reverse diet
Adding calories back a little at a time after a long diet, instead of all at once
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost42
Shipping creative work
Publishing on a schedule rather than waiting for the work to feel ready
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost43
Slow fat-loss phase
Losing 0.5 to 1 percent of bodyweight a week, or slower, so the diet barely registers
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost44
Two-minute rule
Scale any new habit down until it takes under two minutes to start
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost45
Vision setting
Write down a specific picture of who you are becoming, then filter decisions through it
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost46
Yearly audit
Seven questions and a scroll through the year's photos before setting goals
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
20-slot punch card rule
Imagine a lifetime card with only 20 punches: every big decision has to earn one
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
3x5 notecard planning
Write the next day's three to five most important tasks on a single index card
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
4-7-8 breathing
Inhale for four counts, hold for seven, exhale for eight, repeated a few times
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
5 Second Rule countdown
Count 5-4-3-2-1 out loud and move before hesitation talks you out of it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
5-4-3-2-1 rule
Weekly activity scaffold: five active days down to one long session
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
72-hour rule
Train each muscle you want to grow at least every 72 hours
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
80/20 analysis
List what produces results and what produces misery, then cut hard
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
A few high-quality decisions a day
Aim for three well-made decisions rather than a hundred rushed ones
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
ABC goal system
Set three levels for a daily goal so a bad day still counts as progress
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Anti-glycolytic training
Short powerful bursts with long easy recovery, keeping lactic acid low
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Anti-to-do list
A short written list of behaviors to avoid, kept beside the ordinary to-do list
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Aspirational hourly rate
Setting a personal hourly price far above what you earn, then honoring it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Attention management
Pick what deserves your focus instead of counting the minutes
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Automatic rules
Decide the behavior once, as a rule, so it is not decided in the moment
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Backward planning
Start from the fixed deadline, list what has to happen before it, then work back
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Balance training
Single-leg and unstable-surface work for footing, foot strength and reaction
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Blank sheet method
Write what you already know before reading, then add each session in a new color
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Box breathing
Inhale, hold, exhale, hold, each for a count of four, repeated for a few minutes
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Budget and deadline discipline
Treating the number and the date as hard limits that end the project
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Challenge network
A named group whose job is to attack your work, not encourage it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
CODE method
Capture, organize, distill, express: four steps from reading to output
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Cookie jar
A mental store of past wins to draw on when you want to quit
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Couch stretch
Kneeling hip stretch with the back shin against a wall or up on a couch
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Day one, week one mentality
Show up every day as prepared as you were on the first day of the job
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Decision journal
Record the reasoning before the outcome is known, then read it back later
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Disagree and commit
State your objection once, then back the decision fully instead of relitigating it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Eating to 80 percent full
Stop eating before you are full, the Okinawan hara hachi bun me practice
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Energy calendar
Color-code each finished day's calendar by what created energy and what drained it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Evening review
Going back over the day at night: what you did, said and could have handled better
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
FBI feedback method
Say the feeling, then the behavior that caused it, then the impact it had
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Fear-setting
Write down the worst case, how to prevent it, and how to repair it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Front-loaded eating
Most of the day's food eaten earlier, with the smallest meal last
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Galpin equation hydration
Three to six ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes of exercise
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Grease the groove
Frequent easy sets of one lift spread through the day, never near failure
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Grounding (earthing)
Bare skin on grass, sand or soil, or a conductive mat wired to earth
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
High-fiber eating
Pushing daily fiber well past typical intake with vegetables, fruit, grains and legumes
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Hybrid athlete training
Chasing strength and endurance in the same block instead of picking one of them
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Implementation intentions
Decide in advance: I will do X at TIME in PLACE
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Infinite mindset
Play for staying in the game rather than for beating this quarter's number
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Intermediate packets
Finish one small reusable piece per work session, not the whole project
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Inversion
Ask what would guarantee failure, then avoid those things
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Jump training
A few minutes of jumping and landing most days, aimed squarely at bone
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Killing the ANTs
Writing down automatic negative thoughts and putting each one on trial
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Let them, let me
Two words to stop managing other people, then two more to decide what you do
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Long rest between sets
Three to five minutes or more between heavy sets so each one starts fresh
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Long-term games with long-term people
Picking work, partners and industries where you keep meeting the same people
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Low but sufficient protein
Keeping protein modest through midlife, then raising it again in later years
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Maker days and manager days
Whole days given to creative work or to other people, never both
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Microburst
Set a timer for ten minutes, then stop when it goes off
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Monk Mode
Shutting out the world for months to finish one large piece of work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Obituary test
Decide what you want your obituary to say, then live so as to deserve it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
One and a quarter reps
A full rep followed by a quarter rep in the stretched position before the next one
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
One Page Miracle
One sheet naming what you want in relationships, work, money and health
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
PARA method
Sort every note and file into projects, areas, resources or archives
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Partial reps
Squeezing shortened reps out of a set once full range of motion has gone
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Personal Quarterly Offsite
Companies do this every quarter; the same session run for one person
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Polarized training
Most sessions easy, a few genuinely hard, almost nothing in the middle
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Posing practice
Rehearsing competition poses as its own session in the weeks before a show
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Positive framing
State the outcome you want instead of the one you are trying to avoid
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Pre-Mortem
Name what will derail this before you start, not in the postmortem
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Progressive muscle relaxation
Tensing and releasing muscle groups in order to find and drop held tension
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Progressive overload
Adding weight, reps or cleaner reps to the same lifts, session after session
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Progressive summarization
Compress a note in layers, adding one only when you open it again
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Reflected Best Self Exercise
Ask twenty people for a story of you at your best, then find the pattern
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Regret minimization framework
Picture yourself at 80 looking back, then pick the option you would regret least
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Rereading your notebooks
Opening old notebooks to today's date in previous years, as a writing prompt
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Saying No Gracefully
A three step script for declining without wrecking the relationship
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Second-order thinking
Keep asking and then what until the picture of the consequences stops changing
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Self-coached contest prep
Setting your own calories, cardio and peak week instead of hiring a prep coach
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Silent meditation retreat
Ten residential days of silence and long sitting, no reading or phone
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Six small meals a day
Eating every three to four hours instead of three large meals
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Six-page narrative memo
A written memo read silently at the start of the meeting, in place of slides
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Specific knowledge
Building the kind of skill nobody knows how to teach, by following real curiosity
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Stopping short of failure
Ending each set with reps to spare, and tracking progress by how the weight felt
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Strategic quitting
Setting your quit conditions in advance, then quitting without drama
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The 1-2-3 Method
One essential task, two urgent ones, three maintenance items, then stop
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The 40% rule
The idea that when your mind says you are done, you are at about 40 percent
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The 5x5 method
Five sets of five on one main lift, adding weight only when all sets come out clean
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The 85 percent rule
Working at about 85 percent effort so relaxation and form do the rest
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The Golden Circle
Explain why, then how, then what, in that order
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The smallest viable audience
Naming the fewest people you need to serve well, then building only for them
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Three to five rule
Strength template built on threes and fives across every variable
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Twelve favorite problems
Hold a dozen open questions in mind and test what you read against them
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Two meals and a snack
Breakfast plus one main meal, with a small low-sugar snack between them
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Two-a-day training
Splitting the day: an aerobic session in the morning, strength work later on
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Two-way door decisions
Sort choices by how reversible they are, then move fast on the reversible ones
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Ultimate frisbee
A running team sport played with a disc and no referees
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Visualization
Rehearsing a performance in your head before you do it for real
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Walking meetings
Taking the conversation on foot instead of around a table, and ending it with the walk
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
WHY discovery exercise
Ask a close friend why you are friends, then listen for what they say about themselves
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Yesterbox
Answer only yesterday's email today, so the queue never grows
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed.