Fitness coach Jeff Cavaliere wants everyone kicking off the New Year on the right foot. On Dec. 29, 2025, via YouTube, he revealed 15 warning signs of very poor health and how to reverse them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cavaliere is one of the most recognizable faces in the fitness industry. For decades, he\u2019s boasted a lean<\/a>, aesthetic physique and impressive strength<\/a>. He regularly offers training<\/a> and nutrition advice through his YouTube channel, ATHLEAN-X, which houses over 14.2 million subscribers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Age catches up to all of us, but Cavaliere has solutions. From stretching routines<\/a> to longevity plans<\/a>, he knows which levers to pull to extract results. This led him to take a hard look at common habits that might be holding you back in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeff Cavaliere\u2019s 15 Predictors of Bad Health and How to Fix Them\u00a0<\/p>\n Find a quick breakdown from the video below:\u00a0<\/p>\n Poor loaded mobility Poor loaded mobility<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you aren\u2019t doing quite everything you need to do or the right way to do everything, because that is the difference between mobility and loaded mobility. Everything changes once you put a weight on your back or in your hands.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Inability to hang from a bar for significant time<\/p>\n \u201cHanging from the bar will improve your core strength first and foremost,\u201d he shared<\/a>. \u201cIt will improve your grip strength, which we know has correlations to longevity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Get Fitter, Faster<\/p>\n Level Up Your Fitness: Join our \ud83d\udcaa strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!<\/p>\n Please wait…<\/p>\n You’re In! Let’s Crush Your Fitness Goals Together<\/p>\n Expect expert-backed workouts, nutrition advice, the latest in strength sports, and a whole lot of motivation heading your way.<\/p>\n Subscribe Another Email<\/p>\n Limited shoulder mobility<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is the importance here, though? You\u2019re measuring your external rotation in the top shoulder. You\u2019re measuring internal rotation on the bottom shoulder. Being able to maximize these at the shoulder is going to normalize shoulder biomechanics.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Low VO\u2082 max<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the biggest indicators of overall true fitness is being able to hold on to that Vo2 max and maximize it as much as you can as you get older.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Chronic dehydration<\/p>\n \u201cWill you go to the bathroom more often? Yes. Does that matter? No. Because in the long-run, staying hydrated makes everything in your body function more efficiently.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Not supplementing with creatine monohydrate<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just for the muscle heads, now it\u2019s actually expanding into neurological benefits. It helps people who are sleep deprived to function better because it\u2019s basically feeding your brain\u2019s energy system.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Avoiding exercises you dislike<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to devote at least a small portion of every workout, if not half your workout, to the things you really don\u2019t like doing. The reason is this: your bodies are masters of compensation. They love homeostasis.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Not training to true failure<\/p>\n \u201cTraining to failure is incredibly necessary if you want your body to force change.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Neglecting corrective exercises<\/p>\n \u201cDoing those rotator cuff exercises, doing those scapular retraction exercises, hip mobility, doing the things that we know actually pay dividends.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Over-relying on machines instead of free weights<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to urge you, especially this coming year, to find your way out to that gym floor. Grab those dumbbells.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Inadequate protein intake as you age<\/p>\n \u201cPrioritizing protein and upping protein intake is going to give you a better chance at holding on to more of that lean muscle tissue.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n No direct core\/ab training<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to start doing direct core training. Exercises that challenge rotation, that force you to not rotate, that make you control rotation while it is rotating.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Jumping to pharmaceutical interventions too soon<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about pharmaceutical interventions? asks Cavaliere. \u201cPart of the enjoyment of the journey is taking one step at a time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Weak glute medius \/ poor frontal-plane stability<\/p>\n \u201cMy challenge to you is to build up your ability to do this [side plank] for 30 seconds.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Overall lack of consistency in the above habits<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s do the things right. These little things will make a big change, and they are going to help you to live a longer, healthier, better quality of life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Staying disciplined throughout the holiday season is tough, but Cavaliere highlights the importance of consistency. He recently shared the only four exercises anyone needs to achieve a six-pack of abs\u00a0<\/a>over time.<\/p>\n Cavaliere believes avoiding these common mistakes could lead to substantial gains. By reversing these 15 principles, he\u2019s confident anyone can lead a better life in 2026.<\/p>\n
\nInability to hang from a bar for significant time
\nLimited shoulder mobility
\nLow VO\u2082 max
\nChronic dehydration
\nNot supplementing with creatine monohydrate
\nAvoiding exercises you dislike
\nNot training to true failure
\nNeglecting corrective exercises
\nOver-relying on machines instead of free weights
\nInadequate protein intake as you age
\nNo direct core\/ab training
\nJumping to pharmaceutical interventions too soon
\nWeak glute medius \/ poor frontal-plane stability
\nOverall lack of consistency in the above habits<\/p>\n