Be the Main Player of Your Life with the P.L.A.Y.R System - Jacked Nerds Issue #002

👋 Welcome Back, Jacked Nerds!

How’s your week been? What was the one small action you picked last time to move your fitness forward?

Last week, my wife said she wanted to bring bananas to work but was worried they'd get squashed in her lunchbox. Naturally, as a 3D-printing nerd… I printed her a banana-shaped container. 😂🍌

Check it out

🧠 Why Fitness Needs a System (Not Just Motivation)

In today’s issue, I’m going to share a system rooted in the business world — one that’s helped companies scale and succeed, and one I’ve used for years to stay on track with my fitness goals.

My goal by the end of this issue is to:

• Help you understand the P.L.A.Y.R. system

• Show you how I’m applying it to my 2025 fitness goal

• Equip you to map your own plan the same way

Let’s get to it 👇

🎮 The P.L.A.Y.R. System

Getting fit and staying healthy is less about motivation — it’s more about consistency.

It’s about showing up even when you don’t feel like it. And the key to showing up consistently?

A repeatable system that takes the guesswork out — especially on the days when motivation is low.

Over the last 15 years, I’ve led teams at massive global corporations and scrappy tech startups. I’ve mapped our UX strategies, chased OKRs, scaled products — and through all of that, I’ve also stayed committed to training and building a stronger body.

What I’ve realized?

The same principles that grow a successful business, also build a successful physique.

Clear goals. A solid plan. Relentless execution. Regular tracking. Iteration and refinement.

👉 The same systems that scale a business… build your body.

So I created the P.L.A.Y.R. Framework — a 5-step system to help you approach your 2025 fitness goals with clarity and confidence.

🎯 Plan Your Goal

Vague goals = vague results.

Just like “we want to grow revenue” isn’t helpful in business, “I want to get in shape” doesn’t cut it as a fitness goal.

Instead, your goal needs to be specific and time bound.

For example:

• “Gain 10 lbs of muscle and bench 225 by Sept 1”

• “Lose 15 lbs and walk 10k steps daily without back pain”

Specific goals are:
✅ Measurable
✅ Trackable
✅ Actually motivating

Make your goal feel like a boss fight — and boss fights are fun.

🪜 Layout the Steps

Once your goal is set, you need the roadmap. These are the daily, weekly, and monthly actions that move you forward.

Example questions to ask yourself to help layout the steps:

• Will I do cardio or strength train? How often?

• Will I track my calories? If so, how often?

• What’s my daily protein target?

• When will I do cardio?

Each step is a mini system that compounds over time.
Your body craves consistency. Give it a process, not chaos.

🏋️ Act Consistently

Goals and plans are useless without tangible action. Execution is what separates the main players from the NPCs.

Anyone who’s spent hundreds of hours grinding gear in an MMORPG knows — some days you’re hyped, others you’re just showing up to stack XP.

My favourite way to keep myself accountable and consistently execute? A surprisingly old-school tool — the good ol’ whiteboard.

Every workout I complete gets a cell filled in. It’s visual, tactile, and satisfying AF. More than any app I’ve ever used.

Sometimes it’s just this simple. And simple, repeatable system builds powerful habits.

📈 Yield the Data

Companies obsess over metrics — you should too.

Examples:

• Want to lose 15 lbs in 3 months? Track calories + weigh-ins.

• Want to squat 225? Log your lifts + test regularly.

• Want visible progress? Take photos. Weekly.

Tracking builds consistent habits, accountability and momentum.
Progress you can see is progress you can repeat.

♻️ Recalibrate & Reload

No business hits perfection on v1 — and neither will your plan.

Fat loss stalled? Drop calories or add cardio.
Strength plateaued? Change the program or adjust recovery.
Schedule blown up? Tweak your workout program with what does work.

You’re not failing — you’re iterating.
Every reload is a step toward a better build.

✏️ Applying the P.L.A.Y.R System

Here’s how I’m applying P.L.A.Y.R to my 2025 fitness goal.

Plan My Goal: reach 8 to 12% body fat by summer while maintaining 80% lean muscle mass.
Layout the Steps: lift weights 4x / week, 2× cardio sessions / week. For diet, I’m currently tracking against 2,380 calories per day, 195g of protein, 70g of fat, 245g of carbs.
Act Consistently: my weights session is ~75 mins, cardio is 30 mins per session.
Yield the Data: I track my diet using MacroFactor, workouts using fitlist and bodyweight using Renpho.
Recalibrate & Reload: I’m about 3 weeks into this goal and have already noticed I’m dropping weight faster than I’d like, so I’ll be bumping up my calories slightly next week.

🫵 Your Action Step of the Week:

How will you apply the P.L.A.Y.R. system to your fitness goal?

Reply to this email with your plan — I’d love to see it and help you fine-tune it. Your goal might even get featured in an upcoming issue 👀

🤓 My Favourite Nerdy Thing of the Week

You might’ve heard by now that Nintendo’s delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. due to the ongoing trade war.

Guess the name of the president of Nintendo America.

Doug Bowser.

As in Bowser, Mario’s archnemesis. Can’t make this stuff up.

📣 Share the Jacked Nerds

If you’ve been digging these issues, share it with a friend!

My mission: 10,000 like-minded legends in the Jacked Nerds crew by end of year.
Help me get there 💪

🔮 Next Time on Jacked Nerds…

In the next issue, I’ll show you how to use ChatGPT to build a fully personalized workout and diet plan — for FREE.

Stay tuned. 💥

🧠 Final Thought

As always, this isn’t about chasing aesthetics. It’s about buffing your health, energy, and confidence - on your terms.

We’re not here to impress anyone.

We’re here to build our best selves.

Catch y’all in the next one! ✌️ 

Dave Chen

(aka your Jacked Nerd guide)