Get Serious by Dr. Brett Osborn [A review]
My Strength Training Journey
I have been weightlifting for about 5 years now. Never have I been as consistent with any program as I have with Dr. Brett Osborn’s book “Get Serious”.
It simply provides a badass and highly integrated roadmap for physical fitness.
It may not be optimal for the quickest gains or the most aesthetic physique but it is optimal for real gains and a healthy physique with a balanced focus on aesthetics nonetheless.
It depends where you are on your fitness journey. I personally don’t care as much about aesthetics as I do when it comes to being physically strong, attractive, functional, and dangerous.
About Dr. Brett Osborn
Dr. Brett Osborn
Brett Osborn is a board-certified Neurological Surgeon with a secondary certification in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. 30+ years of exercise experience and a CSCS honorarium from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, in conjunction with his medical background, have afforded him the knowledge and expertise which he shares with the reader in Get Serious. Dr. Osborn has also authored Burn, Block, Boost with Body True, a supplementary guide to the Thermabolic Weight Loss System.
He currently resides and practices in West Palm Beach, Florida.
There are many idiots and “bro-scientists” in the fitness industry who have no formal qualifications or true understanding of their craft. In this case, my gut and the data tell me that he is worth listening to. Plus, look at the man himself. He is a living example of his work and practices what he preaches. I don’t really know many men who look like him at his age.
“On his own path to self optimization, Dr. Osborn has provided the aspiring body-hacker a battle tested roadmap— with himself, an embodiment of its success.” —Ali R. Malek, MD, FSNIS, Director, Neurointerventional Program and Comprehensive Stroke Program, St. Mary’s Medical Center.
No BS Approach
One of the things that immediately stood out to me about Get Serious is the tone in which Dr. Brett Osborn writes. It has a very masculine, no BS feel to it. I appreciate that type of writing because it’s man-to-man even though the cover says for men and women of all ages. This book fires you up and addresses a lot of the excuses people make about not getting fit such as “It’s not my fault, it’s my genes.”
Explenations Backed by Scientific Data
Almost everything he talks about has a good range of studies to back it up. If anyone wants more details and references, there are plenty of them in the book. Furthermore, this book is good for people with little to no understanding of science as well as for those who have a good level of understanding. I believe that when he was writing the book, he really tried to dumb down certain info yet retain details for those who wanted them, keeping both beginners and experts oin mind.
Supplementation for Brain and Body
A lot doctors and experts have negative things to say about supplementation. Others are way too in to them expecting us to take hundreds daily. But Dr. Brett Osborn offers a more balanced approach where he recognizes their benefits and only recommends the essentials for optimal performance.
#1 Purified Omega-3
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-oxidant
- Best overall supplement
Buy it here.
#2 Reservatrol
- Anti-aging benefits
- Counter-balances negative effects of high-fat diet
- Anti-inflammatory
Buy it here.
#3 Green Tea Extract
- Anti-cancer qualities
- Anti-oxidant
- Inhibits plaque formation
Buy it here.
#4 Vitamin D
- Enhances immune response
- Good for testosterone
- Maintains vascular health
Buy it here.
#5 Magnesium
- Stabalizes heart muscle
- Augments bone-density
- Protects the brain
Buy it here.
#6 Gingko Biloba
- Great for the brain
- Increases neuro-transmitters
- Enhances memory and attention
Buy it here.
Step-By-Step Explenation of Key Exercises
Dr. Brett Osborn emphasizes compund-movements such as dead-lifts, squats, overhead press, and bench-press as the main exercises to focus on. He also gives you supplemental exercises as well. He goes in-depth as to the steps for each exercise, what muscle-groups they activate, etc. He also offers good pictures of himself performing the techniques with explenations.
Tips on Stress Reduction, Diet, and Lifestyle
I like Osborn’s holistic approach to training. He truly gives you detailed explenations on how nutrition works and breaks down carbohydrates, proteins, fats, etc. I like his mindset about dieting too as he says he does NOT believe in diets. It’s not a rigid book at all in terms of ideology. He simply breaks down the essentials allowing you to make your own decisions. Osborn also talks about the importance of stress-reduction and the scientific backed data about the impact of stress on your health. He personally enjoys motor-cycle riding and bare-foot water skiing to relax. He says that riding a motorcycle is better than Adderall in terms of it’s effects on mental performance. I like this dude.
I personally like to listen to binaural beats, meditate, drink some Kava stress-reduction tea, do yoga/tai-chi, or just sit in silence/solitude (go-dark) to relax.
Dr. Brett Osborn w/ his stress-reduction equipment
In-Depth Exercise Roadmap
Hands down, the biggest benefit of this book is the integrated exercise roadmap he gives you at the end.
It is a 5-day training week with various type of training.
Mondays and Fridays are for strength-training. Tuesdays and Thursdays are for endurance. Wednesdays are for strength-endurance. It isn’t too rigid once again as he gives you different types of exercises that you can select and mix n’ match to suit your mood and goals.
What I really like is his approach for training all 3 of the different muscle-fibers (fast, med, slow). That way you develop a truly balanced physique where all of your muscle fibers are being developed without any in particular getting left behind.
Before and After (Me)
Before-and after
I used to be a skinny dude. Over the years, I have consistently trained in weight lifting and the picture on the right is about a year or so into consistently training in Osborn’s method. I have had some breaks in between and one of my biggest issues continues to be not eating enough which haults muscle gain. But I’m fine with that as I’m not optimizing to be that big. I feel strong and I like how I look.
Closing Thoughts
When I first heard of Get Serious, it was after reading Gorilla Mindsets by Mike Cernovich who is a prolific writer in the red-pill community. Mike Cernovich is a badass and truly passionate about health and has the physique to show for it.
I decided to give Get Serious a chance and quickly understood why Mike was so big on it. Get Serious provides a roadmap for men who are truly serious about their health. On top of that, Brett Osborn’s physique and lifestyle sets a new standard for men to aspire to (not mimick as we all have our own paths) but he is smart, succesful, masterful, and strong which are all manly traits by the way.
I believe that anyone reading this book will be armed with the necessary tools to achieve world-class fitness and maintain it till their dying day.
Best,
Maximillian Giamarco
P.s. Would like to make progress on your journey to self-mastery? Check out the Spartan Ownership shop here for badass tools, gadgets, and training courses that will accelerate your growth. Also, if you would like more personalized help with setting your objectives, book a coaching/strategy session with me here.
In this book, you will learn about supplementation, at home tests you can do to gage your physical health, in depth exercise regiments, step-by-step guides on the essential exercises: (Deadlift, squats, bench-press, and overhead press), tips on stress reduction, diet, and lifestyle. It really has a holistic/integrated quality to it.
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