Why It’s So Hard to Work Out (and 3 Ways to Make It Easier)
The caveman is doing burpees.
Not hunting. Not running from danger. Just trying to tone up for summer. His tribe would’ve thought he lost his freakin mind!
For 99.9% of human history - 298,000 of the past 300,000 years - movement was for survival.We walked to hunt. Ran to escape. Lifted to build. Rested whenever possible—because food was scarce and energy was precious.
Burning calories for fun? Unthinkable.
Only in the last 100 years has that flipped. Now we have too many calories and not enough movement. But your brain hasn’t caught up. It still thinks effort = danger. So when you hit the gym after work? It says, “Why would we do that, you beautiful lunatic?”
The good news? Once you understand the resistance, you can outsmart it.
Here are 3 simple ways to make exercise whole lot easier.
1. Fix Your Sleep
Tired brains don’t chase long-term goals.
When you’re sleep-deprived, the logical part of your brain (prefrontal cortex) powers down. The primitive part (amygdala) takes over—craving comfort, not challenge. So even if you want to work out, you probably won’t feel like it.
That’s not weakness. That’s biology.
Poor sleep also:
Lowers testosterone and growth hormone
Disrupts hunger regulation
Kills energy, mood, and motivation
Working out tired feels like lifting through mud. Fixing sleep is the fastest way to make training feel easier.
Try this:
Stick to a consistent bedtime
Avoid caffeine after 4 p.m.
Cut screens 30–60 minutes before bed
Aim for 7–8 hours
You can’t out-discipline exhaustion. Sleep first—everything else gets easier.
2. Train Early
Before your brain has time to argue.
By noon, you’ve already made hundreds of micro-decisions. By evening, your mental energy is drained—and your workout becomes one more negotiation you’re too tired to win.
Morning training works because you haven’t started negotiating yet.
It’s a preemptive strike before the texts roll in, before work derails your plan, and before your sneaky brain whispers “skip it”
Try this:
Lay out your clothes the night before
Commit to just 20 minutes (you’ll usually do more)
Anchor it to something automatic—like coffee or brushing your teeth
A lot of days it sucks to squat before six AM - but it sucks way less than feeling weak or unhappy in your body.
3. Remember the Benefits You Can’t See
Your body is changing—even when the mirror doesn’t show it.
Most people quit because they’re chasing the wrong proof - visible weight loss, definition, tighter clothes. And when that doesn’t show up fast enough, they assume it’s not working.
But the real benefits? They’re internal—and they start from day one:
More energy—even on busy days
Improved blood sugar + insulin sensitivity
Stronger heart, brain, and immune system
Greater bone density and joint stability
None of that shows up in a progress photo. But it all adds up.
Every workout is a vote for the future version of you. The one who doesn’t need meds at 50. The one playing with their kids—or grandkids—without pain. The one who feels sharp, capable, and strong on a random Tuesday morning
That’s the stuff that matters. That’s the stuff worth showing up for when motivation dips.
Final Thoughts
It’s not supposed to feel natural to burn calories for no reason.
You’re wired to avoid discomfort, conserve energy, and chase pleasure. You live in a world that rewards convenience.
And now you live in a world engineered to exploit that wiring:
Ultra-processed food designed to override fullness
Instant gratification at every swipe
Comfort on demand—no effort required
So yeah—of course staying in shape feels hard. But the cool part is—you get to choose your hard.
You can rip off the covers and lift at 6 a.m. Or deal with chronic pain, fatigue, or medication later. You can eat more protein and fiber now. Or wonder why your energy, weight, and blood work keep trending the wrong direction.
You can do the uncomfortable thing today, so your future self gets to move freely, live fully, and feel dang good doing it.
Hard is coming either way.
Might as well pick the one that pays you back.
And if you’re ready to stop letting biology and convenience win, and start building the systems that actually stick - now’s the time!
🎃 Spooky Season Coaching Sale — Ends Halloween Night
Commit to 6 months of coaching and get $500 off—immediately. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just a plan built to outsmart modern life—and help you hit January already in motion.
(Offer vanishes October 31.)
Best,
John
P.S. We celebrated our friend’s Monica wedding in L.A. this past weekend. Great friend and beautiful wedding.
P.P.S. If you’ve never been to an Armenian wedding before, you need to go to an Armenian wedding.
3 Steps You Can Take
Apply for coaching - If you’re ready to start, you can fill out a coaching application here (it takes 90 seconds or less). Best case, you change your life. Worst case, I’ll help you draw up a road map to get closer to your goals.
Sign up for my newsletter - If you’d like to hear more, sign up for my mailing list here.
Keep learning - You can check out my other articles here. Nobody asked me to, but I’ve spent a ton of time researching everything from artificial sweeteners to saturated fat to testosterone and more, so you don’t have to.
