I'm on a mission to get in the best shape of my life. Here's how you can join in. Learn how being physically fit enhances your mood, reduces stress and boosts performance.

Most people looking at me would think I'm in good shape. And while that's appreciated, I've never aspired to just be good enough, I want to achieve my highest potential.

This applies to all areas of my life including the relationships with my family, how I run my business and the impact I have on those around me.

But for the next six weeks I'm focusing on getting in the best physical shape of my life. I'm turning 45 on September 12th so I've coined this as the "Fit by 45 Challenge."

You might be wondering why I'm choosing a fitness-related goal when there are so many other options available.

I'll start by sharing five benefits of being physically fit.

1. Improves Mood and Reduces Stress: Regular exercise releases chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. This can help to alleviate symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety.

2. Boosts Brain Health and Cognitive Function: Physical activity stimulates the growth of new brain cells and helps prevent age-related decline. It also improves brain function and memory, enhances creativity, and can increase focus and concentration.

3. Enhances Self-Esteem and Confidence: Achieving fitness goals or simply noticing improvements in physical capabilities can boost self-esteem and body image. This sense of accomplishment often leads to greater confidence in other areas of life as well.

4. Improves Sleep: Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get better sleep and deepen your sleep. Good sleep is important for various aspects of brain function, including cognition, concentration, productivity, and mental health.

5. Increases Resilience to Mental Health Issues: Regular physical activity can help reduce the likelihood of developing mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and ADHD. It's also a key part of the recovery process for many who are working through such conditions.

If you add all those up it sounds like the perfect opportunity to become a better husband, father and business owner. And, as a result, I'll be able to have a better impact on those around me through my actions and the content I share.

So, that's why I'm doing it. Here's how.

Training

In 2015 I was overweight due to a poor diet and lack of exercise. I would spend hours every week trying to find outfits that would hide my physique instead of actually doing something to improve the way I looked. At the same time I was eating like crap and drinking way too much alcohol.

That's when I reached out to Andy Rice, Head Coach and Owner of Relentless Strength and Conditioning. He worked with me to improve my nutrition and designed workouts that were challenging yet doable and effective.

But Andy wouldn't just send me a bunch of information every week. He'd check in to see how I was doing both mentally and physically, then augment the training based on my results. With his help I was able to run my first Spartan Race just six months later.

In 2020 when my gym shut down and I was forced to workout at home - with all four of my kids around, all day - Andy jumped in again to provide me with home workouts that could be done in a short period of time.

That's why I reached out to partner with Andy for this next challenge and I'll be sharing his guidance with you on a weekly basis.

And before you ask. No, we're not related. I'm working with him because he's an amazing coach who provides guidance, feedback and truly cares about the outcomes he delivers.

Related: The Top 15 Fitness Franchises You Can Buy in 2023

Nutrition

I have a confession to make. When my son Trevor was born I got into a bad habit of eating ice cream every night. And when I say every night, I mean every night. I was a bit stressed out because we had another kid coming and by that time it had been four years since I completely stopped drinking alcohol. So, ice cream became my way of unwinding at the end of the night.

This habit stuck with me for over three years! So even though I was working out on a regular basis, my eating habits limited my outcomes. Earlier this year I replaced ice cream with frozen Huel shakes. This resulted in me losing 20lbs over the course of four months. No crash diet, no starving myself. I just replaced one bad habit with a good habit.

I spoke to Andy about how I can further enhance my diet and I'll be sharing the plan he put together next week. For now I can tell you that it definitely involves Huel, AG1 and MCT oil from Sports Research.

Measurement

So how can you define "the best shape of your life?" I know it's common to only look at the scale or before and after pictures, but that doesn't tell the full story. You could potentially starve yourself just to get a six pack but that's not a healthy way to do it.

Instead, I'm going to measure my progress based on three benchmark workouts.

Rogue Assault Bike

The assault bike doesn't just offer a good workout, it delivers an exceptional one. It tests the limits of your stamina while engaging both the upper and lower body muscles. Plus, you gotta love the cool name. I'll measure how many calories I can burn in three minutes.

Crossfit "Cindy" Workout

A simple, yet challenging workout that consists of three different bodyweight exercises.

The workout is structured as follows:

• 5 Pull-ups
• 10 Push-ups
• 15 Air Squats

You complete as many rounds of these exercises as possible within 20 minutes.

To make it a bit more interesting I'm going to do this while wearing a 20lb weighted vest from TacTec.

Bench Press

I'm sure this one isn't new to you. I'm going to track how many reps of 225lbs I can complete in a single set.

These workouts will take place at Murder of Crows Fitness in Brooklyn, NY. I'll share videos and photos on both LinkedIn and Instagram. So, get ready for those before and after pictures that I talked about earlier.

Related: Unlocking Human Performance

Accountability

I'll keep myself accountable by checking in with Andy on a daily basis. He's also encouraged me to get a device to track my resting heart rate, REM sleep and other vital health information. I haven't purchased the gear for this yet, but let me know if you have any recommendations.

Beyond that, just sharing my goals and progress with you is a great way to stay accountable. According to the American Society of Training and Development if you have a goal, and meet with someone just once a week to share updates, your chance of success goes up by 95%. So, thanks in advance for your help on this journey.

How can you get involved?

This is only day one of my journey so there's plenty of time for you to join in as well. First, if you're connected to any other fitness-related brands that can help me along the way, I'd greatly appreciate an introduction.

Ready to get involved yourself? Share your own goal - fitness or otherwise - on Instagram using this template and tag me at itsterryrice. And if you want an even better shot at hitting your goal, grab an accountability partner for guidance and support.

Have any questions or suggestions, feel free to message me on Instagram. And be sure to reach out to Andy at Relentless Strength and Conditioning if you're interested in having him design programs for you as well.

Ready? Let's do this!