The Primal Way: How I Train, Eat, and Live Like My Ancestors

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The Primal Way: How I Train, Eat, and Live Like My Ancestors

What’s poppin, people? It’s Dante. I’m walking along Boathouse Row right now, shirt off, sun blazing, barefoot in my Vibram Five Fingers, soaking in the beauty of the Schuylkill River Trail in Philly. Just a beautiful space.

What Is Primal Fitness?

So today I’m thinking about primal fitness. What is primal health? What are primal goals? This is interesting because for me, it started with something simple: removing shoes. Just marching.

For two years now, I’ve been wearing these barefoot shoes — Vibram Five Finger LX knits — and that was the beginning of this primal health journey.

Meanwhile, I see people biking and running and rattling their bones, sitting on uncomfortable seats, giving themselves hemorrhoids. Just being unnatural. And I’m just walking — upright, slow, strong gait, eyes up, shoulders back, chest open.

Walking Into the Light

No sunscreen. Shirt off. Five-inch Lululemon “License to Train” shorts. Rolled up. Skin exposed.

Why? Because I chase the sun. I literally cross the street to stay in the light.

Sunlight is the source of my circadian rhythm.

All these people running around trying to burn calories. But to me, calories are the ultimate scam. If you’re obese or metabolically sick, here’s the simple fix:

  • Buy barefoot shoes
  • Walk in the sunlight
  • Do it all day

Forget the gym. Forget cardio tracking. Just reconnect with natural movement.

My Life Goals Are Primal

  1. Never miss a sunrise again. Wake with the sun. Sleep with the sun.
  2. Never sit down during the day. I’m either standing or walking. Always.

Even if I’m working at the computer, I have a standing desk. If you’re wondering where Dante is — I’m outside, standing in the sun.

So by the time the day ends? I’m tired. I sleep deep.

Weighted Walking Is Superior to Lifting

You don’t need a gym membership.

  • Walk barefoot
  • Add a weighted vest

I use a 40-pound Rogue plate carrier. That builds:

  • Feet
  • Calves
  • Quads
  • Core
  • Posture
  • Spine

My core is naturally tight when I walk. I’m aligned. I’m upright.

We’ve been sold chairs, cars, offices — and they’re killing our vitality.

My Diet Is Simple

  • One meal a day.
  • Red meat. At least 3 pounds.
  • Raw milk + raw honey for electrolytes.
  • Fermented kimchi before meat.
  • Pasture-raised organic eggs — the expensive kind.

That’s it.

No decision fatigue. Just fuel.

I buy half cows from Amish farmers in Lancaster. Hundreds of pounds in my deep freezer. I don’t think about food. I eat for strength, clarity, and testosterone.

Why I Fast

I don’t fast for weight loss.

I fast for mental clarity.

I fast so I can:

  • Be sharp
  • Be intuitive
  • Recognize patterns
  • Photograph with instinct

Fasting puts me in a clairvoyant state.

I eat one meal, right before the sun sets. Every day.

My Daily Training Ritual

  • Weighted vest walks
  • Gymnastic rings (pull-ups, dips, push-ups)
  • Rogue squat rack (pistol squats, shoulder raises, curls)
  • Ashtanga yoga
  • Boxing

But here’s the key:

One set to failure. Then move on with your day.

We’re not toiling. We’re not grinding. We’re not optimizing reps.

We’re primal.

We’re existing.

We’re being.

Daily Recovery

  • Cold showers in the morning
  • Hot baths at night

That’s my nervous system reset.

I don’t count macros. I don’t weigh my food. I don’t track reps.

Just do some pull-ups, man. Go for a walk in the sun. Eat meat. Sleep deep.

The Primal Way

The modern world is robbing us of vitality. AC offices. Cars. Screens. Junk food. Sitting all day.

I ask: how did our ancestors live?

  • They woke with the sun.
  • They walked barefoot.
  • They hunted.
  • They feasted.
  • They slept deeply.

We’re barefoot. We’re sun-kissed. We’re tall. We’re sexy. We’re powerful.

We eat meat. We fast. We walk. We breathe.

And yeah — that’s Washington right there. Badass.

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