Grant Cardone, the CEO of Cardone Enterprises and Cardone Capital, manages a vast multifamily portfolio valued at over $5 billion. He has raised over $600 million in equity via social media. While Cardone appears to be perpetually "on," he faced physical challenges a few years ago due to the demands of building his empire. This led him to prioritize his health, seeking ways to combat the wear and tear on his body without resorting to surgery or painkillers.
The Genesis of 10X Health System
Cardone's quest for better health led him to Gary Brecka, then CEO of Streamline Medical Group. Impressed by the results, Cardone partnered with Brecka to form the 10X Health System. This system focuses on preventive health programs, providing customized health solutions based on individual genetic testing. Cardone credits the system with transforming his health and enabling him to feel better than ever.
Cardone's Daily Routine: A Symphony of Wellness
Cardone's daily routine is a testament to his commitment to health and fitness. It's a blend of oxygen therapy, targeted workouts, and recovery techniques designed to optimize his physical and mental performance.
Morning Ritual: Oxygen, Exercise, and Magnetic Therapy
Cardone starts his day with a workout. He uses an oxygen bag containing 900 cubic liters of pure oxygen while riding a stationary bike. This practice aims to enhance oxygen intake and boost energy levels. His workout is complemented by a magnetic mat and daily infrared bed sessions. The infrared bed helps to heal the damage of 60-plus years.
Targeted Workouts: Maintaining Core Strength
Cardone focuses on hitting the major core muscles to keep them working. His routine involves leg day, back day, and arms, which he rotates. This approach ensures that all major muscle groups are engaged and maintained.
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Addressing Physical Breakdown: A Proactive Approach
At 64 years old, Cardone acknowledges the natural breakdown of the body. He credits 10X Health with helping him avoid potential surgeries and health issues. Without it, he believes he might have faced a heart condition, knee replacements, ankle surgery, and rotator cuff issues. He also emphasizes that he would probably still be overweight.
The Imperfect Diet: A Work in Progress
While Cardone has made significant strides in his fitness journey, he admits that his diet is still a work in progress. He recognizes that he doesn't eat enough and doesn't drink enough water. He acknowledges that he often fills himself up with business deals instead of nutritious meals.
Past Dietary Experiments: Veganism and Frequent Eating
Cardone has experimented with different dietary approaches in the past. He found that going vegan was a great improvement for him. He also experienced success with cutting weight when he ate every two hours.
Prioritizing Sleep: Eight Hours of Rest
Cardone prioritizes sleep, ensuring he gets eight hours every night. He learned the hard way that sleep deprivation is detrimental to his performance. He had done it for years when he was coming up, from 29 to 35, to beat the sun up every day.
The Importance of Winning
Cardone emphasizes the importance of winning in both workouts and business. He believes that people stay motivated when they see results. If you're not winning when you're working out, you're going to quit working out. The people who don’t get results quit working out, and the people who do, keep working out. It’s the same thing in business. People who are motivated are motivated because they’re winning. They’re making money, getting customers, or making a difference to their clients.
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Dissatisfaction as a Motivator
Cardone attributes his drive to his dissatisfaction with operating below his potential. He sees this dissatisfaction not as a source of depression but as a motivator to do more. He knows he can do more, and if he knows that, he should do more.
The Vitamins of Success: Discipline, Energy, and Courage
Cardone identifies three key "vitamins" for success: Vitamin D (Discipline), Vitamin E (Energy), and Vitamin C (Courage). He emphasizes the importance of discipline in consistently working towards goals, energy in bringing enthusiasm to the game, and courage in taking risks and pushing boundaries.
The Fundamentals of Good Health: A Universal Approach
Beyond Cardone's specific routine, the fundamentals of good health - sleep, movement, and eating - offer us a chance to extend kindness to ourselves, and nurture our bodies and minds. These principles are universal and applicable to everyone, regardless of their background or goals.
Sleep: The Foundation of Well-being
Sleep is paramount. Without adequate sleep, it’s difficult to focus on the other two. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule even on weekends. Limit exposure to blue light from electronic devices in the evening to improve sleep quality.
Movement: Activity, Not Just Exercise
Think of “movement” as activity, not “exercise”, because how you choose to be active makes a difference. Incorporate movement throughout the day, rather than relying solely on structured workouts. Find ways to integrate activity into your daily routine, such as taking short walks or using the stairs instead of the elevator.
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Eating: Fueling the Body
Food is fuel. Focus on nourishing your body with whole, unprocessed foods. Prioritize lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Be mindful of portion sizes and avoid overeating.
Small Changes, Massive Results
Improving your fundamentals of good health doesn’t require an overhaul. It’s about consistent, intentional adoption of small changes. The story of Stephen Guise’s mini habits is a testament to the power of starting small yet remaining unwavering. Small and easy are the keys to making a lasting improvement.
Overcoming Obstacles: A Gradual Approach
When making changes to your health habits, start small and gradually increase the intensity or duration. This approach helps to build consistency and avoid burnout.
Breaking Harmful Habits
The quickest way to improve is often by stopping something we know is not helping, we can start by stopping. Identify and eliminate habits that are detrimental to your health, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and recreational drug use.
Grant Cardone's Transformation: A Personal Anecdote
At the age of 61, Grant Cardone decided to get in the best shape of his life. This was encouraged after experiencing increasing pain and discomfort physically. He realized what he needed more than physical therapy twice a week was getting his body strong again by getting into the gym and putting muscle back on my bones. Over the next 12 months, he truly got into the best shape of his entire life, including his 20’s.
Prioritizing Health
He made a decision to do the work as a priority. For me, there are no real decisions made without investment in time and money. So, he allotted time on his calendar and invested money to make sure it was a priority.
The Power of a Trainer
He hired a trainer to meet him daily, six days a week. I also insisted on paying him in advance to ensure I showed up each day and show I was serious about the commitment.
Consistency is Key
The first 30 days…no days off. He was unable to do even one complete pushup or pull up when we started. He was ashamed and uncoordinated-and had I had the opportunity to take a day off, I would have quit because I was so disgusted with myself.
Ritual over Intensity
The first 90 days was just getting into the ritual. His commitment was to simply get in a workout without hurting himself. He abandoned the no pain/no gain concept (this is the first time in his life he didn’t hurt himself and had to stop his workouts)
Short and Sweet Workouts
He did a maximum of 59-minute workouts beginning each morning at 6am.
Adding Cardio
He added 20 minutes of cardio at night in the third week.
Diet Comes Later
45 days in he started handling his diet. His trainer tried to get me handling my diet in the first week but it was too much for him to confront. He needed physical victories before he approached the eating issues.
The Entrepreneurial Edge: Health as a Competitive Advantage
The best entrepreneurs know that in order to crush business, your body needs to be bulletproof. These members of The Oracles have engineered their bodies to feel half their age and perform at the highest levels.
Juicing: A Daily Investment
Get yourself a good juicing machine. There are more people drinking a sugary Big Gulp today than drinking 32 ounces of vegetable and fruits. Juicing daily is an investment in your greatest asset-your body.
The 80/20 Rule of Diet
My mom used to say: it’s not what you eat 20 percent of the time that kills you, it’s what you eat 80 percent of the time. Focus on maintaining a healthy diet the majority of the time, allowing for occasional indulgences.
Fasting and Strategic Supplementation
Daily to remain in a fasted state for 18 hours virtually every day. I only make supplement products that I need and use myself-that’s the driving principle of my business. Hence, I take the specialized products in my product line: a comprehensive multivitamin/mineral/antioxidant formula, an omega-3 supplement, a probiotic, a high-protein, low-carb meal replacement powder, a phosphatidylserine supplement when I’m under heavy stress, and Vitamin D in the wintertime.
Fueling Productivity with Food
Fuel your productivity. I usually skip breakfast, so I can fulfill my 16-hour fast to help me burn fat and stay energized. I’ll have the occasional black coffee-high-altitude Arabica beans are better than instant coffee. Lunch and dinner typically comprise of lean meats like chicken with vegetables or salads. I’ll snack good fats like raw almonds and avocados to balance my blood sugar and maintain concentration.
Food as Fuel
The biggest shift in my life occurred when I stopped looking at food as filler and started thinking about food as fuel. You have to put nutritional value before convenience. Stop filling your shopping trolley with stuff that is packaged or processed. Instead, reach for leafy greens packed with dense nutritional value.
Strategic Eating for Energy
I eat a light breakfast and lunch, then I crush dinner. Eating large meals activates the parasympathetic part of your nervous system, which makes you tired. Eating light during the day with a larger meal in the evening allows me to be energized during the day and tired at night.
Hydration and Marine Phytoplankton
Upon waking, I drink a liter of micronized water with two droppers of Oceans Alive Marine Phytoplankton to flush the body with nutrients.
Moderation is Key
I don’t have fatty foods often. I stay away from gluten. I make sure I have small meals throughout the day. If I decide to eat chips (my favorite), I grab a handful and put them in a bowl. I never put the whole bag in. Everything in moderation.
Exercising in Nature
At first light, I surf or exercise on the beach. Exercising in nature starts my day in the most positive way.
Cardone's Broader Lifestyle: Family, Freedom, and the 10X Growth Conference
Beyond health and fitness, Cardone emphasizes the importance of family, freedom, and continuous growth. He homeschools his children so that they can travel with him. He is a strong advocate for freedom of speech and encourages others to pursue their passions.
Social Media and the First Amendment
But social media for Grant is more about the First Amendment - freedom of speech.
The 10X Growth Conference
Uncle G says what he wants to say when he wants to say it - and he’ll tell the whole world about it. By the way, Grant is pushing hard for YOU to attend the best business conference in the world - the 10X Growth Conference. Why?