I trust you celebrated last night with the requisite amount of lunacy—or at least bore witness to the revelry from a safe distance.
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Me? A quiet, almost disturbingly civilized evening here. The ever-patient and saintly wonderful wifey and I were tucked into bed by 9:45 PM, far from the chaos of firecrackers and flailing amateur drunks.

No lifting, either. I was on the last day of my 4-day no-lifting exile, post-tattoo.

Big shoutout to the wizard himself, Adam (@inktailor on IG), for his ink sorcery over the past year. Check out his IG above and drop him a note if you are looking for some artwork this year.

But now, the clock has flipped, and it's January 1st.

Back to the grind.

AM cardio was my re-entry—rower and bike, that cruel duet of sweat and suffering—followed by the icy baptism of a one-minute cold plunge at 42°F.

Tricky as hell keeping my freshly inked left arm out of the Arctic abyss, but I made it happen.

Now, I'm heading into the lion's den: the January 1st new me mob at the commercial gym.

Today’s mission? Upper body bro-dude and grip work. The kind of work that separates the committed from the confused. hahah

There was a time, years ago, when I’d feel a pang of regret for not chasing the big New Year’s blowout, not guzzling champagne or a dark beer at midnight or howling at the moon.

But now?

I couldn't care less.

Life’s a long, strange trip, and fun doesn’t have to be crammed into one calendar square.

I've been blessed to pack a ton in this past year from South Padre to El Cuyo Mexico kiteboarding to a few presentations and time with family - and even a 2 day seminar in the Netherlands with my brother from another mother - Luke from Muscle Nerds.

Same goes for training and nutrition.

One day, one training session or one meal, won’t make or break your results.

It’s the slow, relentless grind—the compound effect—over days, weeks, years, decades.

Bit by bit.

Brick by brutal brick.

With violent consistency.

This week, you’ll see a flash flood of heroic efforts in the gym—overzealous beasts on the machines, dripping sweat and Instagramming their glory.

But next week?

Crickets.

You don’t need to be a hero for a day.

You just need to get a little better every day. That’s how it adds up.

And mark my words: 2025 is your year to make it happen.

If you need a nudge, a shove, or a full-blown intervention, hit me up.

You’re here, reading this deranged manifesto, which means you’re already ahead of the pack.

This isn’t just what I do—it’s what I’ve lived and breathed for over 20 years as I started training clients in 2005 - which was after 7.5 years full time in college and another $30K at that point in more education. I love this stuff and I’m here for you.

Oh, and one more thing before I vanish into the chaos of dumbbells and delts: Keep your eyes peeled for the Flex Diet Cert opening this coming Monday. Nutrition, recovery, and everything you need to make the machine hum. Fast-action bonuses included.

Stay tuned. Stay savage.
And for the love of everything holy, don’t let the New Year’s resolution crowd crush your momentum.

Let’s get to work.

Much love,

Dr Mike

PS – If you need some motivation to get going and kick 2025 square in the nut sack on day 1, I give you Hatebreed "Last Breath: Live"

Every day is a gift so make the most of it.

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"All the prayers in the world can't bring you back
It's your last breath
This is your last breath
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Taken from this earth without warning
Victim of the ultimate injustice
Nothing will ever make sense of this
Nothing could have prepared me
All that is left are memories
And the pieces of a shattered existence
I wish I could bring you back
I felt your last breath" - Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed

PPS - one of the highlights of 2024 for me was taking my wife to meet Jamey Jasta and all of the guys in Hatebreed on their tour w Carcass, and Harm's Way - amazing show and great dudes to boot.
_____________________

Mike T Nelson CISSN, CSCS, MSME, PhD
Associate Professor, Carrick Institute
Owner, Extreme Human Performance,
LLC Editorial Board Member, STRONG Fitness Mag

Mike T Nelson is a PhD and not a physician or registered dietitian. The contents of this email should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.

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