Welcome to your modern fitness daily news report! Every weekday, we break down the trending fitness news, tips, and insider scoops to keep you informed. Each read will be under 3 minutes so that you can stay shredded and thumb through no-nonsense fit-quips. Thanks for reading!
TODAY’S LEVEL UP:
Coach's Corner: Portion Control Without Tracking: The Hand-Size Method
Supplement Spotlight: Glycine — A Quiet Option for Winding Down
Did You Know?: Most people underestimate what they eat
Question: "Is it okay to eat the same meals every day?"
Fit Trivia: Which wrestler played Thunderlips in a 1982 Rocky sequel?
Portion Control Without Tracking: The Hand-Size Method
Counting calories works, but plenty of men hate the logging and quit within a month. If that's you, your own hand is a surprisingly good measuring tool. It's always with you, and it scales with your body size.
The basic plate, per meal:
Protein: 1.5–2 palms (the palm, without fingers). That's roughly 30–45 grams — chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu.
Vegetables: 2 fists. Fill this first. It's the cheapest way to feel full.
Carbohydrates: 1–2 cupped hands — rice, potatoes, oats, fruit, beans.
Fats: 1–2 thumbs — olive oil, nuts, cheese, butter.
Three meals like this land most active men near 1,900–2,400 calories — a decent starting point for fat loss if you're moderately active and carrying extra weight. Add a protein-focused snack if you're hungry between meals.
How to calibrate it: Eat this way for two weeks, weigh yourself each morning, and look at the weekly average. If your average weight is dropping about 0.5–1 pound a week, you're set. If it's flat, trim one cupped hand of carbs or one thumb of fat from one or two meals. If you're dropping faster than a pound and a half a week or feel wiped out, add a cupped hand back.
Where it falls: Hand portions are rough. They don't capture sauces, drinks, or grazing, and they'll be off by a couple hundred calories either way. That's fine — the point is a consistent, repeatable plate, not precision.
Don't use it as a rigid rule: if measuring food makes you anxious or preoccupied. Consistency matters more than perfection, and a plan you can live with beats one you can't.
Simple rules you follow beat perfect rules you abandon.
Supplement Spotlight: Glycine — A Quiet Option for Winding Down
Glycine is the smallest amino acid, and it's one of the main building blocks of collagen. It doesn't get much attention — and the evidence for it is small but interesting.
Here's what it does: Glycine acts as a calming signal in the brain and may help lower core body temperature at bedtime, both of which are linked to falling asleep more easily. A few small trials in people with poor sleep found that 3 grams before bed improved subjective sleep quality and reduced daytime sleepiness. The studies are small, short, and mostly rely on self-reported sleep, so treat the results as preliminary. It doesn't build muscle, and it's no sleeping pill.
How to take it: Studies use 3 grams about 30–60 minutes before bed. It's a white powder with a mildly sweet taste that dissolves easily in water. You also get some from food — meat, fish, and gelatin (including bone broth).
Worth knowing: glycine is generally well tolerated at 3 grams; larger doses can cause stomach upset. If you take clozapine or another prescription antipsychotic, talk to your doctor first, as glycine may interact. And if you snore heavily, wake unrefreshed, or sleep badly for weeks, the conversation to have is with your doctor — not a supplement.
We recommend glycine as an optional, low-risk experiment for men who struggle to wind down — worth a two-week trial alongside a steady bedtime, not a replacement for one.
FROM RYAN’S DESK
Real transformation takes time. You won't build muscle overnight or lose years of bad habits in a week. Stop looking for shortcuts and start trusting the work. Train hard, eat with purpose, and stay consistent even when the results seem slow. Every rep, every meal, and every good decision adds up. Stay patient and let the process do its job.
Did You Know?: Most People Underestimate What They Eat
When researchers compare what people say they eat with what they actually eat, the gap is large. In studies using precise measurement methods, people underestimate their calorie intake by 20% or more — and the gap tends to be larger in those who are trying to lose weight.
It's not lying. It's the handful of nuts that doesn't register, the oil in the pan, the "taste" while cooking, and a restaurant meal that was twice the size you assumed.
That's why a short calibration helps: track everything for three to five days, just once, to learn what your usual portions really look like. Then go back to the hand method with a more honest eye.
Question from Our Readers: "Is it okay to eat the same meals every day?"
Yes. For many men, it's one of the easiest ways to stay on track. Repeating a handful of meals removes dozens of decisions a week, makes shopping and prep simple, and takes the guesswork out of protein and calories.
The catch is variety in the parts that matter. Rotate your vegetables and fruit across the week so you're not eating the same two plants forever, and swap your protein sources between chicken, fish, eggs, and dairy. A simple setup is two or three breakfasts and lunches on rotation, with dinner being the flexible meal.
If you're eating a very narrow range for many months, consider asking your doctor or a dietitian whether a multivitamin or bloodwork makes sense. Otherwise, boring and consistent is a perfectly good strategy.
Our Picks: Supps We Actually Use
Some of our coach’s favorite supplements:
Creatine (Travel Packs) - $36
Add this to your water in the morning or in your post-workout shake. Creatine is one of the few supplements that has a mountain of data proving its benefits. Don’t miss out on it!
A great way to hit your protein goals. Don’t rely on a protein powder alone, but add it as a post-workout shake or midday shake to increase your protein intake and hit your protein goals. Remember, high protein equals higher muscle and higher satiety.
Replenishes essential electrolytes. Use this if you sweat a lot, do intermittent fasting, or go on long-distance walks, hikes, or runs.
We are a proud partner of Thorne Supplements! We are affiliated and use these products. We may receive commission from your purchase.
Fit Trivia: Which pro wrestler — fresh off a run as a 1980s villain — played the brawling "Thunderlips" in 1982's Rocky III, tossing Sylvester Stallone around the ring in a charity exhibition match?
Answer: Hulk Hogan! The scene helped launch his Hollywood crossover, and the film also introduced Mr. T as the snarling Clubber Lang.
Ryan Engel, Intl. Fat Loss Coach
Ryan is a leading fitness coach and one of the most known professionals in the space.
He specializes in Body Recomposition and visual body aesthetics and has reached millions worldwide with his powerful messaging. He brings a unique, non-nonsense, yet sophisticated approach to body change.
Publisher: Ryan Engel
Editor: Michael Pender
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