Hola from South Padre Island, where the sand gets into crevices that even modern science can’t explain and the wind’s been howling like a drunk banshee on a full D-9 caffeine bender.

We’ve only got a few days left here, and maybe you’ve noticed the newsletters slowed down a bit this past week…

Here’s why:

The wind has been absolutely bonkers—in the best way possible.

We’re talking daily whitecaps and wind forecasts that read like an adrenaline junkie’s vision board.

…So instead of sitting inside hammering keys and crushing deadlines, I’ve been launching myself skyward on a kite like some sunburnt flying squirrel... then chilling with the wonderful wifey in the evenings, sand still in my ears, chasing sunsets and soaking up what’s left of this electric trip. Of course I am still doing my usual online client work.

And if I’m honest (brace yourself), I was crispy as hell after the last couple weeks.

Vegas: checked.
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Massachusetts: NSCA keynote talk delivered.

Home: blink.
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Back in the car: 1.5 days later.
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Drive straight into kiteboard Valhalla – sort of- brief stops along the way.

No regrets, no complaints as I love it—but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cost me some recovery chips.
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The nervous system is real home fry.
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Travel stress is real. And pretending like I’m not affected by it? That’s how you end up face down in a bowl of Moose Tracks ice cream wondering why your HRV looks like it flatlined.

So what do you do when stress clamps down like a rusty bench vise on your skull?

You figure out your non-negotiables.

The sacred rituals.
The daily meathead commandments you follow even when your schedule’s lit on fire and tap dancing in a puddle of cortisol.

Here are mine—and what I prescribe to my 1-on-1 M3 mutants online:

Training

Don’t need to deadlift a car. Just do something.
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On this trip, I’ve trimmed it way back—one longer upper-body session per week, maybe 1–2 mini lift sessions depending on wind, soreness, or general crustiness.
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Legs are out. The quads have been screaming since day 1 like they’ve been living in a Bulgarian split squat dungeon. The pro is that my knees overall are feeling great, so the brutal quad based 2+ hour program I’ve been crushing on Saturdays for almost 1.5 years now has been amazing.

But the cardio? That streak’s still alive.

Started Feb 8 in El Cuyo, Mexico, and hasn’t missed a beat since.
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Sometimes it’s just a 6-minute progressive (shoutout to the Flexible Meathead Cardio crew).
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Sometimes it’s a 1K row pre-lifting.
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Sometimes it’s Death by AirBike—60 seconds of max effort violence, full rest, repeat until your soul exits your body through places that it should never visit.
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Or 20 minutes of Zone 2 at 8:20 p.m. with sea salt still crusted on my forehead after 45 miles of kiteboarding.

Training’s not always pretty, but it gets done.

Protein

Even in the chaos of travel and eating tacos off paper plates, I almost never drop below 0.7 grams per pound of bodyweight—like I teach in the Flex Diet Cert.

No, I’m not weighing and logging every molecule of shredded chicken right now.
But the shaker bottle and Driven Nutrition protein and David bars are always within arm’s reach.

Because muscle ain’t built on tortillas and excuses.
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Recovery takes substrate.
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Protein is the hammer and nails holding the house together.

Sleep

Ah yes, the one thing modern society treats like a luxury but it’s more like oxygen with a circadian rhythm.

I aim for 8–10 hours in bed each night—no shame in that game. I’ve needed more sleep than most humans since high school, and every time I skimp, I pay for it later with interest.
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I go to crazy extents on sleep quality too with a cooling device and the soltec magnet under my bed-even down here.

Here in Padre, with 30–45 miles of daily kiteboarding, a battered CNS, and a body that’s been airborne more times than my frequent flier account, sleep is the keystone.

When I get enough of it, everything else—training, writing, existing—feels like cheating.

When I don’t? It’s like moving through molasses while being punched by gravity. I’ve seen the same thing with my clients and online consults with crazy people working to cross Antarctica to a post cancer patient working to get back into training. Sleep is super important.

There you have it - the trifecta.​
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The tripod of staying sane under pressure.
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Even if the volume drops, the signal stays.
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Keep lifting, keep the cardio rolling, get your damn protein, and sleep like it’s your job.

That’s how you walk out of the storm stronger, not scattered across the parking lot of your life with a bag of half-used supplements and a flat tire on your HRV.

Much love from the land of flying humans,
Dr. Mike

PS – If you want the full system I teach to clients—nutrition, recovery, exercise, NEAT, sleep, and more—check out the Flex Diet Cert. It opens again on June 16.

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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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