Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv. Profile picture
Founder Apex Fitness Advisory. Greek Yogurt Fanatic. Helping High Performers get Lean and Strong, Reverse Decline, and Reclaim Peak Performance and Health.
May 31 12 tweets 3 min read
Pull Up Strength is an indicator for health and longevity.

But most people can't even do one.

60 year old client Mike is doing pull ups for the first time in 18 years.

Here's how you can go from zero to pumping out pull ups for fun:

(Instant bookmark)

= Thread = After 17 years and 1,000+ client transformations...

The pull-up remains a fantastic indicator of strength, health, and longevity.

Most people can't do a single rep.

That changes today.
May 28 11 tweets 3 min read
The simple 60 second test that helps predicts your health and longevity.

CEOs, surgeons, founders — those who lead at the highest level.

Most can't hit 60 seconds on day one.

Here's what is is — and how to fix it:

= Thread = Here's why lower body strength is a critical.

Muscle mass declines 3-8% per decade after 40. Your legs contain the largest muscle groups in your body.

When they weaken → balance deteriorates, metabolism slows, cardiovascular health follows.

And the decline starts early.
May 24 14 tweets 5 min read
'What's the best exercise for [muscle group]?'

After 17 years coaching 1,000+ executives, surgeons, and founders — let me remove the guesswork.

Here's a complete 65-exercise database, categorized by muscle group.

Bookmark this.

= Thread = Every exercise falls into one of 6 movement categories:

⚬ Squat
⚬ Hinge
⚬ Vertical Push
⚬ Vertical Pull
⚬ Horizontal Push
⚬ Horizontal Pull

Master the categories first.

The exercises are just tools.
May 21 10 tweets 3 min read
There's a 60-second test that predicts how long you'll live...

Grab a pair of dumbbells and walk.

Most people can't complete it.

Here's the test, why it matters, and how to fix it:

= Thread = In 2015, The Lancet published a study of 140,000 people across 17 countries.

Conclusion: grip strength predicted death from cardiovascular disease more accurately than blood pressure.

Not a minor finding. One of the most cited longevity studies of the last decade.
May 17 17 tweets 6 min read
If I had to get in the best shape of my life with nothing but dumbbells and a bench...

Back. Chest. Legs. Shoulders. Arms.

All of it. Covered.

Here are the exact 11 exercises I'd choose:

= Thread = 1. Incline Dumbbell Row

My number one back option.

▫️ Chest glued to bench (no momentum)
▫️ Drive elbows back (not just up)
▫️ Squeeze shoulder blades hard at the top
▫️ Control the negative
▫️ Use straps so grip doesn't limit your back

Quality reps = quality results.
May 16 12 tweets 3 min read
"I eat really healthy but I just can't get lean."

I hear this from executives and business owners every week.

And almost every time — the problem isn't the food.

It's the numbers behind the food.

Here are 4 Steps to build a nutriton plan that actually works:

= Thread = Image Here's the truth nobody wants to say:

"Eating healthy" and eating for recomposition are not the same thing.

Avocado is healthy. Olive oil is healthy. Nuts are healthy.

But with no tracking?

That's how you eat 3,000 cals thinking you ate 1,800.
May 15 11 tweets 3 min read
Most 50-year-old men are still training like they're 25.

High volume.
High frequency.
Chasing soreness.

It's destroying your body — and killing your results.

Here's 4 Training Mistakes you need to stop after 50, and what to do instead:

= Thread = At 25, you could train 5 days a week, eat anything, sleep 5 hours, and still make progress.

At 50, that same approach leads to:

▫️ Chronic injury
▫️ Elevated cortisol
▫️ Poor recovery
▫️ Stalled results

The game has changed.
May 12 13 tweets 4 min read
One resistance band.

That's all it takes to train every muscle group — hotel room, airport gym, or living room.

After 17 years coaching high performers on the road — here are 41 resistance band exercises organized by muscle group.

Bookmark this. You'll need it.

= Thread = Your training doesn't stop because you're in a hotel room.

These 41 exercises cover every major muscle group.

One piece of equipment. Weighs less than your laptop charger.

Let's go →
May 11 9 tweets 2 min read
Stand on one leg. Close your eyes. Count to 10.

Did you fail?

Your nervous system is aging faster than your body.

This isn't a party trick.

It's one of the strongest predictors of early death we have.

Here's why and how you can reverse it:

= Thread = A 2023 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine followed 1,700+ adults aged 51–75.

Those who couldn't hold a 10-second single-leg balance had an 84% higher risk of death within the next decade.

84%.

Let that sink in.

But why?
May 10 13 tweets 4 min read
You sit 5+ hours a day.

Your lower back is screaming by 3pm.

After 17 years coaching executives and surgeons, here are 5 exercises I prescribe to reverse desk damage in under 10 minutes:

= Thread = Here's what I see with every new client:

→ 50-70 hour weeks behind a desk
→ Back-to-back flights and hotel rooms
→ Chronic lower back pain they've been "managing" for years
→ Rounded shoulders from 10,000 hours of screen time

They're crushing it professionally.

But their body is falling apart.
May 7 9 tweets 2 min read
After 17 years coaching executives, parents and surgeons, I know exactly why most high performers can't lose fat.

It's not discipline.
Not genetics.
Not time.

It's these 5 mistakes they keep making without knowing it.

= Thread = Image Mistake 1: Too little protein at breakfast.

Most executives eat 5-10g at breakfast — toast, fruit, coffee.

Then wonder why they're ravenous by 11am and making bad decisions all afternoon.

→ Front-load 30-40g. It switches your body from breakdown mode to building mode.
May 4 12 tweets 4 min read
Most men over 40 overcomplicate their training.

More sessions.
More volume.
Worse results.

Here's the exact 4-day workout system I use with busy executives, surgeons, and founders to get better results in less time:

= Thread = After training and coaching for the last 17 years...
The professionals who get the best results aren't the ones who train the most.

They're the ones with the right structure.

This is it:
Apr 24 14 tweets 6 min read
My clients travel 100–200 days a year and never miss a workout.

One resistance band.

That's the secret.

Here are the 10 exercises I give every client to hit every muscle group on the road:

= Thread = 1. Bent Over Rows

Muscles targeted:

⚬ Rhomboids
⚬ Lats
⚬ Traps

Tips:

✅ Step on the band and hinge forward at the hips
✅ Pull back through your elbows (not your hands)
✅ Squeeze shoulder blades together at the top
✅ Control the return (don't let the band snap back)
Apr 22 14 tweets 6 min read
7 fitness tests every man over 40 should be able to pass.

Most can't do more than 3.

Test yourself. Be honest.

= Thread = 1. Push-Up Test:

Drop and do as many push-ups as you can. Full range. No half reps. No sagging hips.

✅ 30+ reps: Excellent
✅ 20-29: Good
✅ 10-19: Average
❌ Less than 10: Red flag

If you can't hit 20 clean push-ups — your upper body strength is declining faster than you think.

Most executives I work with fail this one on day one. Within 90 days? Crushing it.
Apr 19 14 tweets 4 min read
Pull Up Strength is an indicator for health and longevity.

But most people can't even do one.

50 year old client Eric is now doing weighted pull ups with ease.

Here's how you can go from zero to pumping out pull ups for fun:

(Instant bookmark)

= Thread = Pull Ups are a killer bodyweight exercise

Being able to do these is a show of strength, health and longevity...

But also they also develop your lats, traps, delts, and biceps.

But most can't even do one pull-up

Never fear. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Apr 4 12 tweets 4 min read
Fat loss is simple.

I lost 37lbs in 19 weeks eating the same 5 meals.

This is exactly what I ate every single day:

= Thread = Image Here's what most busy professionals get wrong:

→ Hours of cardio
→ Complicated meal plans
→ Eat "clean" for 3 days then blow it at a client dinner

Fat loss is a nutrition game.

Not a cardio game.

Dial in your nutrition. Keep it simple. Stay consistent.

That's it.
Mar 29 16 tweets 5 min read
The only 5 Exercises you'll ever need to get in the best shape of your life:

(Videos of each included) 1. Quads: Hack Squat

Arguably the best quad builder.

▫️ Takes strain off the back
▫️ Increased range of motion
▫️ Prioritizes muscle failure over task failure

Training Cues:

▫️ Narrower lower stance
▫️ Control the eccentic
▫️ Keep torso engaged with back flat againse the pad
Mar 15 10 tweets 4 min read
10 years ago I herniated a disc in my back.

- Pain
- Sciatica
- Inability to train

But now I deadlift over 220kgs.

Here are the 4 Simple Exercises I used to get my back strong and pain free:

= Thread = 1. Cobra Stretch:

• Lie face down with hands under your shoulders.
• Gently push your torso up, keeping your hips glued to the floor.
• Breathe out as you reach the top and hold for 2–3 seconds.

The Benefit: This extension helps to decompress the spine.
Mar 6 6 tweets 3 min read
10 years ago I injured my knee, had surgery, and lost all my muscle mass.

But now my legs are bigger than ever.

How?

Because I used the 5 best leg exercises on the planet:

(Here they are with videos of each included below)

= Thread = Image 1. Hack Squat:

Arguably the best quad builder.

▫️ Takes strain off the back
▫️ Increased range of motion
▫️ Prioritizes muscle failure over task failure
▫️ Increased mechanical tension on the quads
▫️ Better stimulus on the quads over back

*Pendulum squats are also elite
Mar 5 14 tweets 4 min read
I torched 37lbs of fat in 19 weeks by changing one thing.

Nutrition.

This is exactly what I ate every single day:

= Thread = Image Struggling to drop fat?

Learn this:

Nutrition is the key to fat loss.

→ Stop doing hours of cardio.
→ Start dialing in your nutrition.

It's how I lost 37lbs of fat in 19 weeks.

After 17 years simplicity always scales.

Below is exactly what I ate every day:
Mar 4 15 tweets 5 min read
"What is the best exercise for this muscle group at home?"

I've got you.

You just need dumbbells, a bench, and a plan.

After 17 years training, here is a complete 48 Exercise 'Dumbbell Only' Database for every muscle group:

(Bookmark for your next home workout) We've all been there.

You want to lift weights but don't know where to start.

I got you.

Your exercises will be split into one of 6 categories.

⚬ Squat
⚬ Hinge
⚬ Vertical Push
⚬ Vertical Pull
⚬ Horizontal Push
⚬ Horizontal Pull

Here are 48 options to cover each...