The 20-Minute Insurance Policy: Arnold Schwarzenegger's Simple System To Never Miss a Workout Again

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Today’s Health Upgrade

• Arnold’s Corner: Monday motivation

• When motivation fails, do this

• The key to better tasting coffee?

• Workout of the week

Arnold’s Corner 
Monday Motivation: The 20-Minute Insurance Policy 

I’ve learned something over the years of talking to people about fitness: it’s never the big disasters that destroy your progress.

It’s the slow drift away from consistency. One day off becomes two. Two becomes a week. Before you know it, you’ve lost your momentum and you’re starting from scratch.

That’s why I tell people: don’t chase perfection. Protect (or build) your routine.

When life is fantastic, of course you want to train an hour, push yourself to the hard reps on every set, and feel like a champion.

But life doesn’t always cooperate. Maybe you had to stay late at work. Maybe the kids needed you early in the morning. Maybe the world was just a little black and white this morning.

The champions build a system to stay in the game, no matter what.

So here’s a tool I want you to adopt, starting today: The 20-Minute Insurance Policy.

It’s simple. Every day, no matter what, you commit to 20 minutes. Fifteen minutes of movement. Five minutes of recovery. That’s it.

You can always find 20 minutes, even on your worst days.

On your good days, your 20 minutes might become an hour. But the rule is simple; even on the bad days, you’re doing 20 minutes for yourself.

Now, let me tell you why this works.

First, it keeps the engine warm. Even a short walk, a few pushups, or one of my bodyweight circuits we share here tells your body: “We’re still training. We haven’t given up yet.”

Second, it protects your identity. You’re not someone who “sometimes” trains. You’re not someone who starts out and then quits when they run out of motivation over and over.

You’re someone who trains and keeps a promise to yourself. Period.

Even if it’s short and imperfect, you’ve kept your promise and you’ve trained. That builds confidence, and confidence compounds like every great investment.

Third, it kills the all-or-nothing trap. Too many people think, “If I can’t do the full workout, it doesn’t count.”

That mindset has destroyed more fitness journeys than any injury. The 20-Minute Insurance Policy reminds you that something always counts.

If you have to choose, consistency will always beat intensity. But the good news is, you don’t have to pick.

Consistency gives you a chance to show up on the days where the fire is burning bright and you’re ready to be your best. If you don’t show up every day, you don’t get that chance.

There were many times Franco or I just weren’t “feeling it.” We showed up anyway, and some of those days, we ended up lifting personal bests once we got going.

That was only possible because we gave ourselves the opportunity by showing up even when we weren’t motivated.

Here’s how you can use a 20-Minute Insurance Policy right now.

Pick a simple movement option: bodyweight squats, pushups, situps, bands, or even just a brisk walk outside. Do one of the workouts we share here every week. That’s your 15 minutes. Then, pick a 5-minute recovery option that makes you feel good: foam rolling, deep breathing, or meditating. Whatever you choose, write it down.

That’s your insurance plan.

If you’re in the Pump Club app on a program, The 20-Minute insurance policy applies to you, too. Use it to build a daily routine. But do not add resistance training to your program — just go on a walk or ruck or do some yoga on those rest days. I’ll make sure your training days more than cover your 15 minutes.

And I need everyone to remember this rule: you don’t miss twice.

One bad day happens to everybody. But the next day, you get your 20 minutes no matter what. That’s how you bounce back before you drift.

I used this myself during my craziest filming schedules. I didn’t always have the perfect gym for my perfect workout, but I could always run up the stairway of my hotel.

That consistency didn’t just keep me in shape. It kept me sane. Because even when it felt like I had almost no control over my schedule, I was able to control a few minutes.

So this week, I want you to test it. Build your own 20-Minute Plan. Make it one of your three habits in the Pump Club app, or stick it on your fridge, your mirror, or in your phone. 

Share your 20-Minute Plan on social media, tag me, and tell me what you chose. I’ll share some of my favorites in Friday’s newsletter.

Champions don’t wait for perfect. Champions show up, every single day.

Now get moving — your 20 minutes starts today.

Start Your Week Right 
When Motivation Fails—Do This Instead

We’ve all been there. You get excited about starting a new habit—maybe it’s going to the gym, writing a book, or finally learning that second language. You feel inspired, maybe even unstoppable… until real life kicks in. A week or two later, your momentum disappears and you're left wondering what went wrong.

Create a simple “if-then” plan can make you more than twice as likely to follow through on your goals. 

Researchers examined what helps people follow through on healthy intentions. They recruited 248 regular people—not elite athletes or productivity gurus—and gave everyone the same motivational boost. Participants learned why exercise was important and how it could improve their health.

Then the experiment split. One group got just the motivational talk. Another group, however, took two extra minutes to write down exactly when and where they’d exercise. For example: “If it’s Monday at 6 PM, then I’ll walk for 30 minutes around the neighborhood.”

The difference was significant. In just two weeks, only 39 percent of the motivation-only group exercised. But in the planning group? A whopping 91 percent followed through on their goals.

This approach, called “implementation intentions,” turns vague goals into concrete actions. Instead of relying on motivation in the moment—which can vanish with stress or fatigue—you create a mental shortcut. Your brain sees the cue (like “Monday at 6 PM”) and triggers the behavior automatically.

And this works for anything, not just exercise. 

Want to read more? Say: “If it’s Saturday at 9 AM, then I’ll read for 30 minutes at my kitchen table.”
Want to eat healthier? Try: “If I’m making lunch, then I’ll add a serving of vegetables before I prepare anything else.”

The more specific you are, the better.

Here’s your challenge: Pick one goal. Then write down:
“If it’s [day] at [time], then I’ll [action] at [location] for [duration].”
That’s it. You’re not hoping. You’re planning—and that changes everything.

Together With Cometeer
Why Your Coffee Lacks Peak Flavor

We've all experienced the disappointment of coffee not tasting as good as the caffeine feels. But what if the secret to maximum flavor was more about how you stored your coffee?

Researchers found that flash-freezing brewed coffee helps maintain and preserve flavor that is lost when coffee is pre-ground or naturally cools.

Scientists at Stanford used advanced gas chromatography to analyze what gives coffee its distinctive taste. They compared freshly brewed coffee, bottled coffee, pre-ground coffee, and a flash-frozen brewed sample. 

The results were striking: exposure to air and time dramatically changed the flavor — and flash frozen coffee preserved up to twice as many flavor compounds compared to coffee that’s bottled or pre-ground.

Every minute after coffee is ground or brewed, flavor quickly begins to fade away. Flash-freezing immediately after brewing hits the "pause button" to lock in the flavor before it can be lost.

That's why Cometeer works — and tastes as good as the caffeine feels. 

Each cup of Cometeer coffee is precision-brewed, flash frozen, and contains 180mg of caffeine (what you normally get in 2 cups), plus more antioxidants than a handful of blueberries. No sugar, no fillers—just pure coffee that enhances performance instead of fighting against it.

These frozen capsules melt into perfect coffee, hot, iced, or espresso style in seconds. No machine required. TSA-approved for travel, and perfect for your gym bag or when tossed in a smoothie.

As an APC reader, enjoy pre-sale access to a special collection from World Barista Champion James Hoffmann. We’re long-time Cometeer subscribers, and the coffee tastes like you’re getting a fresh cup at your favorite coffee house.

Limited supplies are available, but you can get $20 off the Special Discovery Box (16 cups, 8 unique roasts) at cometeer.com/apc.

This isn't just better coffee—it's coffee that uses science to bring even more flavor and enjoyment to that habit that helps power your day. 

Fitness 
Workout Of The Week 

Intensity is the name of the game for results — but that doesn’t mean you need to go heavy every workout or even require a lot of equipment. 

Mechanical drop sets allow you to hit failure without changing weights — just by tweaking the movement. This keeps intensity high and prioritizes efficiency so you can work hard, feel accomplished, and get on with your day. 

How To Do It

Each block is a mechanical drop set: 3 back-to-back variations of one movement pattern, going from hardest to easiest. Rest as little as possible (or not at all) between exercises in a set. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between full rounds.

Dropset #1: Lower Body Ladder (2-3 rounds)

1. Dumbbell front foot elevated lunge: 6 reps/leg

2. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge: 8 reps/leg

3. Dumbbell Goblet squat: 10 reps

Rest 2-3 minutes and then repeat for 1-2 more rounds. 

Dropset #2: Pushup Power (2-3 rounds)

1. Feet-Elevated Pushup: 10-20 reps (depending on your strength)

2. Regular Pushup: 10 reps

3. Incline Pushup (hands on bench): As many reps as possible

Rest 2-3 minutes and then repeat for 1-2 more rounds. 

Dropset #3: Backside Boost (2-3 rounds)

1. Dumbbell single-leg hip thrust: 8 reps/leg

2. Single-leg hip thrust: 10 reps/leg

3. Hip thrust: 12 reps

Rest 2-3 minutes and then repeat for 1-2 more rounds. 

Give it a try, and start your week strong!

And that’s it for this week. Thank you for being a part of the positive corner of the internet. We hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell