Three-time TRAIN cover model Chris Cavallini may have a physique forged in the sweat of the gym, but it’s his lifestyle counterbalances that have given him the platform to achieve success on many levels through focus, energy and overall wellness. He shares his weekly schedule so you can improve your quality of life.
Wellness and fitness may seem like a harmonious marriage, but they’re just as likely to be natural enemies. It’s possible to look incredibly fit on the outside and be unhealthy on the inside, both physically and mentally. If you’re looking to strike a balance that maximizes your longevity while cultivating your optimal life, it’s wise to put your wellness first because this gives you the platform to become fitter and healthier. What is wellness? It may seem like something people with trust-funds of spare time chase as they discover inner peace on mountain tops. Not true, proves Chris Cavallini. He has conditioned himself to optimize each day to find success on every front. This starts with the business he founded, Nutrition Solutions, which has become an eight-figure meal prep company that grew by 34% last year and is on track to do the same this year. This level of success and expansion requires significant energy to curate, motivate and develop his loyal team through a workplace culture of improvement. He is also an active investor in stocks and real estate and has forged a personal brand designed to help people achieve their best selves through his social media and his popular Start Today podcast. He achieves all of this while staying in cover model shape and advising celebrity athletes how get into the best condition of their lives. Needless to say, this means every minute of his days are precious, so he’s developed a weekly schedule that gives him the physical and mental clarity he needs to succeed. TRAIN’s editor in chief, Ray Klerck sat down with Chris to find out how he breaks down his schedule to include not only the obvious things like training and nutrition, but all the wellness building elements that optimize his longevity and energy. Use his essential advice to feel calmer, healthier and inject a little more enjoyment in your own life.
Unlock Your Wellness
Wellness is about taking deliberate and regular action to optimize how you feel, think and perform. Like anything, there are levels to it and the following is how you can get the best out of every element in your world.
Cavallini’s Weekly Wellness Schedule
MONDAY
4:50am Wake up
5 – 5:10 am Gratitude
5:15 – 5:25 am Breath work
5:30 – 5:40 am Cold shower
6 – 6:40 am Fasted cardio
7 – 7:25 Sauna
7- 8:15pm Training
8:30 – 8:45pm Stretching
11pm Sleep
TUESDAY
4:50am Wake up
5 – 5:10 am Gratitude
6 – 6:40 am Fasted cardio
6:50 – 7am Cold shower
10 – 11:15am Training
7 – 8pm Massage
11pm Sleep
WEDNESDAY
4:50am Wake up
5 – 5:10 am Gratitude
5:15 – 5:25 am Breath work
6 – 6:40 am Fasted cardio
7 – 7:25am Sauna
7:30 – 7:40 Cold shower
7- 8:15pm Training
8:30 – 8:45pm Stretching
11pm Sleep
THURSDAY
4:50am Wake up
5 – 5:10 am Gratitude
5:15 – 5:25 am Breath work
5:30 – 5:40 am Cold shower
7- 8:15pm Training
8:30 – 8:45pm Stretching
11pm Sleep
FRIDAY
4:50am Wake up
5 – 5:10 am Gratitude
6 – 6:40 am Fasted cardio
7 – 7:25am Sauna
7:30 – 7:40 Cold shower
7- 8:15pm Training
11pm Sleep
SATURDAY
4:50am Wake up
5 – 5:10 am Gratitude
5:20 – 5:30 Cold shower
7- 8:15pm Training
8:30 – 8:45pm Stretching
11pm Sleep
SUNDAY
4:50am Wake up
5 – 5:10 am Gratitude
5:15 – 5:25 am Breath work
7 – 7:25am Sauna
7:30 – 745am Stretching
7- 8:15pm Training
11pm Sleep
Give Thanks
“When my alarm goes, I wake up,” says Cavallini. “I never hit snooze. It’s the first task and win for the day. There are no exceptions and I honour that commitment. Before I get up, I think about everything and everyone I have to be grateful for. The things I give gratitude for change daily but the everyday ones are the bed I sleep in. The roof over my head. My dog. The people in my life. The meal I enjoyed the night before that nourished me and improved my health. This includes everything that may not be going great, such as a problem that gives me the opportunity to learn, grow and help someone else. This makes me better myself and those around me.
It primes me to be a peak positive state because how you start your day determines how the rest of your day goes. I want to start my day with a win and feel as good as possible and this is the first step.”
Breath Easy
“Several days a week I do breath-work, following the Wim Hof breathing protocols,” says Cavallini. “This involves doing 3-4 rounds of 30-40 deep inhalations where you get as much air as possible into your lungs then release a third of it out. After each round, you also need to hold your breath as long as possible, then when you need a breath, take one more deep breath and hold it for 10-15 seconds. I do this prior to eating and it helps clear my head and start the day positively.
Cold Therapy
Chris appreciates the value of both comfort and discomfort and grabs hold of every opportunity to experience both. “I take a cold shower daily because it’s a version of cold-water immersion therapy. This significantly improves my immune system, mood and is an opportunity to develop discipline. Honestly, it’s usually the last thing you want to do, but to start your day off with something that’s hard, makes the rest of your day significantly easier. When you’re done, you’ll feel more focused, your mood will be uplifted and you’ll have far more energy to attack your day.”
Turning Up The Heat
“During the COVID lock downs, when the gyms closed, I began training outside in the heat of the day,” explains Cavallini. “I immediately noticed that afterwards I felt two steps ahead when compared to my regular workouts because I had more energy afterwards and was in a far better place mentally. I did some research and realized this was thanks to the benefits of heat shock proteins. To get more out of this I began sitting in the sauna for 20-25 at 180 degrees because this was the protocols that improved mood and heightened your immune system.” He’s completely correct. A paper in JAMA Internal Medicine found that going in the sauna 4-7 times per week was linked to a 40% reduction in all cause mortality. “This means people who used the sauna had a lower chance of than those who didn’t,” says Cavallini. “I felt better mentally, and my mood was improved because I have more clarity and fewer problems running through my head.”
Increasing Flexibility
“A regular stretching routine has become a game changer for me,” says Cavallini. “It impacts every part of my day from the moment I wake up. I use the ROMWOD app, and it’s seriously changed my life. Having an app to follow eliminates the excuse of not knowing what to do and there is a new routine to do. It’s destressed my body, especially the hip flexors and psoas muscle. When your body is stressed these muscles lock up and go into survival mode. This makes you tight and gives you lower back pain which makes your body release cortisol, a hormone responsible for making stressed, overweight and less intelligent. I set a goal to do the splits and now I can do the side splits which has improved my athletic performance immeasurably. I also use a product called Pso-Rite (www.pso-rite.com) which hits the muscle that connects your upper and lower body. When I feel tightness in the lower back or hips, I lie on it for 15 minutes and feel immediately better.”
Massaging: The Truth
Training deserves a counterbalance, and Chris realizes this is sometimes just as painful. “Once a week I have either a deep tissue sports massage or a Neurosomatic therapy,” he explains. “These appointments help loosen any tight or problem areas and helps to reset my body by identifying structural and biomechanical patterns in my body that could cause pain later.” It’s a smart move because even a small amount of massage can be beneficial. Just 10 minutes of massage can dramatically help your body to fight off stress, found a paper in Scientific Reports. Even the shortest and most affordable massage appointment will help you to be better.
