Your Instagram feed is flooded with it.

Protein bars. Protein chips. Protein cookies. Protein fucking cereal.

Every fitness influencer pushing another high-protein snack like it’s the holy grail of muscle building.

• “Get 20g of protein in this convenient bar!”
• “Never miss your protein goals again!”

And here you are, bag loaded with Quest bars, thinking you’re crushing your nutrition game.

Here’s the thing…

You’re getting played.

The Protein Theater

I just had this conversation with a prospect - let’s call him Dave.

Dave’s a VP at a Fortune 500 company. Travels twice a month. Three kids. Golf every Saturday when he’s in town.

Dave: “Bart, I’m hitting 180g of protein daily. I actually track it. But I’m not getting stronger, and I’m definitely not getting leaner. What am I missing?”

Me: “Tell me about yesterday. Walk me through your protein intake.”

Dave: “Protein shake at 6 AM before my flight. Protein bar at 10 AM. Another bar at 2 PM. Steak dinner around 8 PM.”

Me: “Cool. Now tell me about your training this week.”

Dave: “Well… I was supposed to lift Monday, but I had that client dinner. Tuesday I was flying. Wednesday I was exhausted from travel. Thursday I did 20 minutes on the hotel treadmill.”

And there it is.

Dave’s obsessing over protein timing while completely ignoring the thing that actually signals his body to USE that protein: consistent resistance training that actually works with his travel schedule.

The Real Problem

The fitness industry has you chasing the wrong thing.

They’ve convinced you that muscle building is about hitting some magic protein number.

Truth?

Your body doesn’t put all that to good use if you’re not giving it a reason to build muscle.

All those processed protein snacks? They’re not just useless - they’re often counterproductive.

Zero fiber. Zero micronutrients. Just expensive, processed convenience that makes you think you’re doing something meaningful.

Want a snack that actually supports your goals? Eat a fucking apple.

4g of fiber. Better at fueling your workouts. Better at managing hunger between meals. Feeds your gut microbes.

The 3-Meal Solution

Here’s what actually works for busy executives:

Three solid meals. 40g of protein each. Done.

• Breakfast: 3-egg omelet with veggies and Greek yogurt.
• Lunch: Chicken breast salad with mixed greens and quinoa.
• Dinner: Salmon with roasted vegetables.

No tracking. No bars. No obsessing.

120g of high-quality protein from actual food that your body recognizes and can actually use.

But here’s the kicker - it still doesn't matter for lean mass gain or retention if you’re not training consistently.

The Training Reality Check

You know what builds muscle?

Progressive resistance training. Week after week. Month after month.

Not protein bars.

Not 200g of daily protein.

Consistent strength training that fits your actual schedule.

I worked with a client who dropped from 185g to 120g of daily protein but started lifting consistently 3x per week.

Result? Added 15 lbs of muscle in 8 months while losing 25 lbs of fat.

Same guy who used to miss workouts while obsessing over protein timing.

What Actually Matters in Your 40s

Stop chasing fitness industry bullshit.

Start building a foundation that actually works:

1. Consistent Training. 3 sessions per week. 45 minutes max. Movements that keep you safe and make you stronger for the shit you actually care about - golf, hiking, playing with your kids.
2. Simple Protein Strategy. 40g at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. From actual food.
3. Everything Else. Sleep. Stress management. Being active with your kids whenever you can.

The fitness industry wants you obsessing over minutiae because confused customers buy more products.

But you’re not trying to win a bodybuilding show.

You’re trying to stay strong, lean, and energetic so you can dominate at work and show up fully for your family.

The Bottom Line

Your body doesn’t need more protein bars.

It needs a reason to use the protein you’re already eating.

That reason? Consistent resistance training that progressively challenges your muscles and fits into your actual life.

Three meals. Three workouts per week.

Everything else is just majoring in the minors.

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