The other day, I walked into a coffee shop, ready for my usual caffeine fix.
It had been one of those mornings where everything felt like it was dragging, and I was looking forward to a quick pick-me-up to get my day moving.
I waited in line doing admin tasks on my phone.
I was unaware of the people around me, but I was ready for that first satisfying sip of coffee.
Finally, I stepped up to the counter and asked for my usual white americano.
“Sorry, we’re out of cups,” the barista said.
“Like, coffee cups?” I asked, almost laughing because it seemed so ridiculous.
“Yeah, we forgot to order more last week.”
I stood there for a second, thinking, how does a coffee shop run out of cups?
Behind coffee beans, cups have to be the most important thing in their business.
No cups, no coffee.
No coffee, no sales.
And that’s exactly what happened – I walked out without my coffee, still in need of caffeine.
As I walked back to my car, I couldn’t help but shake my head.
It’s a coffee shop chain!
How does a place that’s built its whole existence around coffee manage to forget something as basic as cups?
The funny thing is, this particular coffee shop wasn’t new to dropping the ball.
The lines were always long, the place was often messy, and there seemed to be a revolving door of staff.
Yet, despite all that, they somehow always manage to put on elaborate seasonal promotions—pumpkin spice everything, cinnamon lattes, the works.
The whole store had been transformed into a full-on decorated Halloween castle.
But none of that mattered without the basics in place.
This situation stuck with me because it’s a classic example of what happens when people focus on the wrong things.
In business, life, and fitness, if you don’t nail the basics, everything else falls apart.
It doesn’t matter how fancy the extras are if the foundation isn’t solid.
Oddly enough, this reminded me of a conversation I’ve had countless times with clients and friends when they asked me, “What ab routine did you do for your shoot?”
People are always looking for that magic trick or secret exercise that’ll suddenly give them a six-pack.
They think it must have been some special ab workout that made the difference, but they’re missing the bigger picture.
Here’s the truth: my ab routine wasn’t the magic key to getting in shape for my shoot.
In fact, the actual time I spent working on my abs was minimal—maybe five to ten minutes a week.
What really made the difference wasn’t what I did in those five minutes; it was everything else I did the other 23 hours and 55 minutes of each day.
My actual ab routine was sticking to my calories every single day, even when it was tough.
It was turning up to the gym four to five times a week and training hard, progressively lifting heavier and pushing myself.
It was making sure I got 7-9 hours of sleep each night, no matter how busy life got.
It was drinking 2-3 litres of water a day to stay hydrated and support my recovery.
It was getting my 10-12,000 steps in every day, even if it meant taking the long route to work or going for a stroll in the evening to hit my target.
These were the basics I focused on daily, and they made all the difference.
When people ask me about my ab routine, they’re really looking for a shortcut—a way to bypass the basics and get straight to the results.
But here’s the thing: there are no shortcuts.
The basics are what get you results.
Want to lose body fat?
Start by nailing your calorie intake.
Want to build muscle?
Show up to the gym consistently and train hard.
Want to improve your recovery?
Prioritise your sleep and hydration.
It’s not the shiny or advanced stuff that makes the difference.
It’s the simple, unglamorous things you do consistently over time.
And that’s why the coffee shop experience hit me so hard.
It’s a perfect comparison for what I see all the time in fitness – people focusing on the pumpkin spice lattes of the world while forgetting to order the cups.
They want the flashy, fun parts of fitness – the new workout routines, the special supplements – but they skip over the basics, which are the foundation of everything.
Without those basics in place, all the fancy stuff means nothing.
Ultimately, success in fitness, like success in business or anything else in life, comes down to doing the basics well and doing them consistently.
It’s not about chasing the latest trend or trying to hack your way to success.
It’s about showing up, putting in the work, and sticking with it long enough to see the results.
So next time you’re tempted to look for a shortcut or focus on the next shiny thing, remember this: without the basics, none of it matters.
Just like you can’t serve coffee without cups, you can’t build a strong, fit body without a solid foundation of simple daily habits.
And if you’re still looking for the secret to my abs?
There isn’t one.
Just nail the basics, and the rest will follow.
Ryan