How to Hack Your Metabolism Like a Marine

I don’t do many guest posts, but when Sgt. Manny Melgoza asked to write for my blog, I couldn’t say no. Manny is marine with one of the best personalities—and ripped bodies—that I’ve ever met.

Manny wanted to teach my readers how to hack their metabolism in order to improve muscle growth and fat loss. I’ve been following many of his tactics for months (especially drinking cold water in the mornings and deadlifting). These strategies have helped ratchet my fat loss considerably.

So, check out Manny’s article on how to Hack Your Metabolism. Follow these strategies, plus a consistent workout regime and diet, and you’ll find yourself in shape in no time. Don’t forget to subscribe to Manny’s content at 300pft.com

Take it away Manny

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[Editor’s Note: Some people have mentioned that a few of these ideas can also be found in the 4 hour body, by Tim Ferriss].

I don’t know about you, but I like to do things the easy way. It’s not that I’m lazy. It’s just that I like to do things the most efficient way possible. I’m a huge believer of working smarter not harder.

Not only that, I’m also a believer that a small fraction of actions influence a huge part of the outcome. Simply, less can be more.

Today I’m going to talk about my best and most efficient techniques for getting in shape fast. I will be teaching you how to hack your metabolism with minimal effort. It will however, require consistency.

The first technique will teach you how to take advantage of water and the laws of thermodynamics. Some of us have heard about Michael Phelp’s 12k calorie diet. It’s amazing to me how someone could eat so much and not get fat. It’s even more amazing to me that he was doing it just to maintain his weight.

The second technique will teach you about some common foods that have been studied and known to provide an incredible boost to your metabolism. Imagine eating something that causes your body to react as if you just had an intense workout.

Lastly I will teach you the “Teuful Hunden Routine.” It features two exercises that will work out 90% of your muscles. With just two exercises you can provide resistance training to almost your entire body. Stay off those cardio machines and learn to tear down some muscle fibers. The more muscle your body has the higher your metabolism will be.

Hack Your Fat Using H2O

Understand this basic concept. Your body uses more energy and burns more calories to accomplish the same tasks when it’s cold than when it’s warm. When you body temperature drops your body reacts, and attempts to maintain your core temperature. This reaction causes your body to burn calories.

• Want to boost your metabolism first thing in the morning? Drink an ice cold glass of water when you wake up. Your body has to work to bring the water to a temperature suitable to be metabolized, and this reaction burns calories.
• Want to burn some extra calories while you’re watching TV? Place ice packs on your back, behind your neck, and your upper chest for 30 minutes while you’re watching TV or sitting around. The body has to do work to keep you warm, and that burns calories.
• If you really want to step it up, start taking cold showers. After your regular routine, turn the water to cold and try to hang in there for 3-5 minutes. It’s as if you’re trying to induce the shakes for a short duration.
• For the hardcore only, and only after you have done the steps outlined above, take an ice bath up to your waist for about 10 minutes, do this three times a week, typically after your workout, this will help with the soreness, and burn even more calories.

3 Foods That Burn Fat

Now I’ll reveal 3 foods that you should be adding to your diet to hack your metabolism even further.

• The first is cinnamon, and it has the power to increase your metabolism by 20 times the normal rate! Try adding ¼ tsp per day to your coffee.
• Next is protein. When your body digests protein, it burns about twice as many calories than when digesting fat and carbohydrates. Eating lean protein sources such as fish, eggs, beans, chicken and lean beef boosts your metabolism.
• Lastly is caffeine from coffee or tea. Believe it or not caffeine will boost your metabolism quite a bit. Try combining coffee with cinnamon for a dramatic boost in your metabolism every morning.
• Here’s a fun bonus. Grapefruit or unsweetened grapefruit juice prior to a crappy meal will do some damage control. The fruit effects your insulin levels in a way that leads to less fat storage. Be very careful if you’re taking meds because this crazy fruit can affect its properties.

The Teufel Hunden Routine

Finally, the best way to hack your metabolism is to perform some level of physical activity. But that’s not really a hack is it? No not really, but me teaching you two exercises that work 90% of your muscles is.

Performing these two exercises 2-3 times a week will give you a complete muscular workout that will generate lean muscle which will then speed up your metabolism.

This routine is known as the “Teufel Hunden Routine.” According to US Marine Corps tradition, the nickname was used by German soldiers to describe the ferociousness that the Marines brought to battle in the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918. The term translates to “Devil Dogs,” they described us as fighting like dogs from hell.

• Your first exercise will be the Dead Lift.

1. Stand with the balls of the feet directly under the bar. (To exercise the muscles in your feet you could do this barefoot)
2. The feet should be flat on the floor with the toes pointed directly forward or slightly toe-out.
3. Stance is relatively narrow with feet positioned between shoulder and hip-width apart.
4. Keeping the hips below the shoulders, squat down until you can grip the bar with an alternated grip. (mixed grip)
5. The hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. The arms are completely straight and outside the knees.
6. While in the squat position the bar will be approximately 1 inch in front of your shins.
7. The body position will be similar to the Squat and all good lifting positions: head neutral, shoulders back, upper back flat, trapezius relaxed and slightly stretched, chest up and out, scapula retracted, straight back, shoulders over or slightly in front of the bar, eyes focused straight ahead or slightly upward.
8. Begin the lift by driving through the heels, hips, thighs and knees.
9. Keep the bar as close to your shins as possible without touching.
10. Once the bar clears the knees, slowly return to the starting position or carefully release the bar without crushing anyone’s toes.

• The second exercise will be Pull-Ups and Push-Ups.

You should perform 3 separate sets of 3-5 repetitions of the dead lift immediately followed by a set of pull-ups or push-ups. You should try to perform 5-10 pull-ups, or 15-20 push-ups.

For example if you did 5 dead lifts and then immediately follow it with 10 pull-ups that would be one set.

After each set you should rest a full 5 minutes. Then repeat the process 2 more times. This should only take you about 30 minutes to do, and you will be resting for 15 of those minutes.

Make sure to warm up properly before attempting any type of exercise. I’m not a doctor, I’m a Marine so please don’t kill yourself attempting any of this.

If you follow the steps for good exercise, and a proper diet, you’ll easily be able to achieve your goals. You don’t need to be a member of the most expensive gym in the world—you just need to exercise right and eat well.

My Gift To You

I love finding ways to hack my metabolic system just as much as Maneesh loves to find ways to hack life.

That’s why I put together a free email series that takes you through my entire workout program 1 week at a time. I will transform you from a regular body to a military physical fitness test hacker.

Thanks a lot for reading!