This Didn’t Happen Overnight

I don’t sell fitness plans. I don’t post mirror selfies.
I just train. Five days a week. Every week. For nearly seven years straight.

The Long Game

I walked into my first gym in 8th grade. My dad brought me into a Navy base gym and lit a spark that’s never gone out. A couple years later, I got an Olympic weight set for Christmas. By the end of high school, I was training with a former D1 running back who became my first real gym mentor.

For most of my life, I trained 3 to 5 days a week whenever I could. But raising six kids, running companies, and coaching year-round varsity football meant consistency came in waves.

That changed in July 2018.

I had just finished coaching my last football player. Around the same time, I tore my calf and blamed it on “getting older.” But I knew better. That moment flipped a switch.

I wasn’t going to slide quietly into decline. I made a decision:
Five days a week. No excuses. No negotiations.

Since then, I’ve missed maybe a few days per year. Usually for travel. Never because I didn’t feel like it. This isn’t a phase. This is who I am.

Discipline First. Results Second.

I’m up at 3:15 AM. In the gym by 4:30. Done by 6:30.
Right now, it’s just me and my 24-year-old son.
We train. We push. We plan. We talk. We stay sharp.

No music videos. No ego. Just real work.

How we train:

Old-school bodybuilding split, inspired by the 90s greats

Two muscle groups per day
Five-day routine:
- Monday – Chest / Upper Legs (Heavy)
- Tuesday – Back / Lower Legs (Heavy)
- Wednesday – Traps / Core (Heavy)
- Thursday – Upper Legs / Shoulders (Hybrid)
- Friday – Arms / Lower Legs (Hybrid)
Three working sets per muscle
One or two warmup sets per movement
Working sets at 12 reps
Warmups at 8 to 10 reps
No cardio

It’s more than lifting. It’s structure, clarity, and fire before sunrise.

You’re Not That Serious If You Train After Work

That’s what I told one of my former gym partners, the day he asked about my routine.

He used to train after work. I asked how often life got in the way. Meetings. Fatigue. Kids. All of it.

Then I told him this:

No one needs me at 3:30 in the morning
No one’s asking me for anything
I haven’t had a bad day yet
And by the time most people are reaching for coffee, I’ve already lifted 60,000 pounds

That conversation changed his life. And it reminded me why I do this.
Discipline doesn’t show up when it’s convenient. It shows up when no one else does.

Also—don’t hit snooze. - EVERYTHING FROM HERE DOWN SEEMS TO BE MISSING

One of the first commitments people break is the time they said they’d wake up. You set the alarm, then negotiate with yourself the second it rings. That one small decision snowballs into letting yourself down the rest of the day. If you want to build trust in yourself, start by getting up when you said you would.

What Fuels the Work

Supplements I use:

Pre-workout stack:

A note on food and tracking:

Macros and calories matter, especially if you’re prepping for the stage or chasing extremes. But if you’re just starting out, the biggest shift happens in the basics:

Of course, if you have health concerns or significant weight to lose, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian first.

Mantra:

Discipline is freedom. Get ahead before the world wakes up. I don’t rely on motivation. I rely on my alarm clock. I’ve trained my body and mind to follow through, regardless of how I feel.

How You Do One Thing Is How You Do Everything

The discipline I’ve built through training?
It’s the same discipline I bring to business, family, and leadership.

This isn’t about abs or PRs. It’s about being the kind of man who keeps his word, even when no one’s watching. Especially when no one is watching.
Who shows up when it’s hard.
Who doesn’t wait to be inspired.
He leads by example.

This Didn’t Happen Overnight

The Long Game

That changed in July 2018.

Discipline First. Results Second.

No music videos. No ego. Just real work.

How we train:

You’re Not That Serious If You Train After Work

Then I told him this:

Also—don’t hit snooze. - EVERYTHING FROM HERE DOWN SEEMS TO BE MISSING

What Fuels the Work

Supplements I use:

Pre-workout stack:

A note on food and tracking:

Of course, if you have health concerns or significant weight to lose, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian first.

Mantra:

How You Do One Thing Is How You Do Everything

The discipline I’ve built through training?
It’s the same discipline I bring to business, family, and leadership.

If there’s one thing to take away from this page, let it be this:
You don’t need a coach. You need a standard.

info@jameskfarias.com

Stay Sharp. Stay Connected.

This Didn’t Happen Overnight

The Long Game

That changed in July 2018.

Discipline First. Results Second.

No music videos. No ego. Just real work.

How we train:

You’re Not That Serious If You Train After Work

Then I told him this:

Also—don’t hit snooze. - EVERYTHING FROM HERE DOWN SEEMS TO BE MISSING

What Fuels the Work

Supplements I use:

Pre-workout stack:

A note on food and tracking:

Of course, if you have health concerns or significant weight to lose, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian first.

Mantra:

How You Do One Thing Is How You Do Everything

The discipline I’ve built through training? It’s the same discipline I bring to business, family, and leadership.

If there’s one thing to take away from this page, let it be this: You don’t need a coach. You need a standard.

info@jameskfarias.com

Stay Sharp. Stay Connected.

The discipline I’ve built through training?
It’s the same discipline I bring to business, family, and leadership.

If there’s one thing to take away from this page, let it be this:
You don’t need a coach. You need a standard.