Winter is officially in the rearview mirror and I am extremely motivated to get back in shape. Winter and Christmas spending stress me out and long dark days really drive me nuts. Now that the days are getting longer it is time to drag my body out of hibernation and back into fitness mode. If you spent the last few months bulking up and lying around like I did, spring is the time to pivot.
But we are not talking about doing endless hours of steady-state cardio or starving yourself on a miserable diet like most influencers try to promote. We want to optimize performance, shred up, and feel like absolute machines. To do that, you just need to dial in a few details and make a couple seasonal changes
Here are the five non-negotiable fitness hacks I am implementing this spring to maximize my hypertrophy, boost recovery, and elevate the hell out of my mood now that I can finally see the sun.
1. 30 Minutes of Sunlight Every Day
Stop living like a vampire. If you wake up, get in your car, sit in an office, hit a basement gym, and go to sleep without ever seeing the sun, your biology is actively working against you. Spring and summer give you an amazing free gift: UVB and infrared light.
Getting outside for at least 30 minutes of direct sunlight daily is not just some feel-good, hippie advice. It is a biological necessity for hard-training athletes. Sunlight exposure, especially early in the morning, resets your circadian rhythm. This dictates your natural cortisol curve, meaning you get a spike of energy when you need it and a massive dump of melatonin when it is time to sleep. Better sleep equals more growth hormone and faster muscle recovery.
Furthermore, adequate vitamin D levels are directly linked to optimal testosterone production. If you want to build muscle and burn fat, you need your hormones firing on all cylinders. Some studies also suggest that regular sunlight can help lower cholesterol by converting cholesterol near the skin into vitamin D.
Warning: Some influencers promote lying naked and exposing your genitals to the sun. That is not necessary. It might work, but it will also land you in jail.
How to Implement It
Get outside within 30 minutes of waking up. Drink your morning coffee on the porch or take a brisk walk around the block. Do not wear sunglasses during this time—your eyes need to register the light. If the weather permits, take your shirt off. The more skin you expose to the sun, the better your vitamin D synthesis will be.
2. Daily Walking
Hardcore lifters often treat walking like it is beneath them. If you are not bleeding from the shins during a deadlift, it doesn't count, right? Wrong. You need to burn calories and circulate your blood with fresh oxygen.
Daily walking is the ultimate cheat code for getting shredded and recovering faster. It falls under Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). Bumping up your NEAT burns a massive amount of calories over the week without tapping into your central nervous system (CNS).
I often promote walking lunges for cardio, but walking is my favorite, especially in the spring and summer when I can do it outside. Walking is free therapy. It pushes blood through your legs, flushing out metabolic waste from yesterday's grueling squat session. I personally like to put on Joe Rogan and just wander.
How to Implement It
Aim for 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. The easiest way to hit this without overthinking is the 10-minute rule. Take a 10-minute brisk walk after every major meal. Not only does this rack up your daily step count, but it also improves digestion and blunts insulin spikes, pushing nutrients into your muscle cells instead of storing them as fat.
Aim for 20 to 30 minutes a day while the weather is nice. If you're busy with kids sports, try walking around the park while they practice.
3. Full-Body Workouts
Bro-splits have their time and place, but spring is the perfect time to switch gears to full-body training. I like whole body training three days a week because it is easy and allows me to miss a day here and there if youth sports, a hike, or weekend trip gets in the way.
Full-body workouts also force you to focus on the movements that actually matter. You do not have time for five different triceps pushdown variations or complex exercises you see TikTok trainers doing. You have to rely on compound movements to be effective: squats, lunges, deadlifts, presses, and pulls. This kind of minimalist training is great when you are extra busy, like most people are in the spring.
How to Implement It
Structure your sessions around one exercise per body part. A solid template might look like a squat variation, a hip hinge, a horizontal press, a vertical pull, and some loaded carries. Hit the gym hard for 45 to 60 minutes, three days a week. Go heavy, focus on progressive overload, and get out. If you have extra time, add in your walking.
4. More Water with a Pinch of Salt
You already know you need to drink water. But drinking plain water by the gallon can actually flush out essential electrolytes, leaving you feeling flat, weak, and prone to muscle cramps. This is especially dangerous in spring and summer when we all sweat a lot more.
Sodium is an athlete's best friend. It controls blood volume and stabilizes blood pressure. When you consume adequate salt, your body holds water inside the blood vessels. This leads to massive, skin-splitting pumps in the gym. It also ensures optimal nerve function and muscle contraction. If you ever feel your muscles trembling or giving out prematurely during a heavy set, a lack of sodium might be the culprit.
How to Implement It
Start your day by drinking 16 to 20 ounces of water mixed with a hefty pinch of high-quality salt, like Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt. Do the same thing 30 minutes before you train. You will notice an immediate difference in your energy levels, your endurance, and the quality of your pump. Do not fear salt; unless you have a specific medical condition, hard-training individuals need way more sodium than the average couch potato.
5. Nightly Stretching
Lifting heavy weights and extra sweating from the heat makes your muscles short and tight. If you never stretch, you will eventually turn into a stiff, unathletic block of meat who tears a hamstring trying to pick up a dropped dumbbell. I personally do not want to move like an old man, so one of my goals this spring is to stretch every night before I watch TV or go to bed.
Nightly stretching serves two distinct purposes. First, it restores tissue length and keeps your joints moving through their full range of motion. You cannot build muscle optimally if your range of motion is restricted. Second, and perhaps more importantly, stretching before bed shifts your nervous system from sympathetic (fight or flight) to parasympathetic (rest and digest). It signals to your brain that the day's battles are over and it is time to power down and recover.
My mind races at night, so this is a form of active meditation for me. If you are religious, stretching is a great time for prayer.
How to Implement It
Dedicate just 10 minutes before bed to a dedicated stretching routine. Focus on the areas that take the most abuse from sitting and lifting: your hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, and pecs. Hold each stretch for 60 seconds. This works best when done in the dark or with just the TV on.
Time to Execute
Spring is the transition phase for me and a much needed reset from the dark fall and winter. If you want to look better, lift heavier, and feel absolutely dialed in like I do, you need to step up your daily habits.
Get your face in the sun. Walk every single day. Train your whole body like an athlete. Salt your water. Stretch your tight, beat-up muscles before bed. These five hacks require minimal financial investment, but when done with consistency really make an impact.
Michael DiCroce, Founder/CEO
