FRLN112: Injury Free Body, Looking Rich vs Getting Rich, Key Ingredient to a Rich Marriage

I’m writing this from Huntington Beach, California.

Last night, Carly and I celebrated Chinese New Year with 50 family members.

Dragon dancers. Big round tables. Loud laughter. Endless food. Multiple generations under one tent.

It reminded me:

A rich life isn’t built alone.

It’s built through strength, discipline, and connection — repeated over time.

Let’s dive in.

FIT — Train the Opposing Muscles (Or Pay Later)

Every sport builds strength.

But most sports also build imbalance.

Running?
You move forward thousands of reps.

Pickleball?
You grip hard. Rotate explosively. Stop on a dime. Lunge laterally.

If you only train the primary motion… You create overuse.

And overuse becomes injury.

I’ve tweaked my back twice playing pickleball over the last 9.5 months, and I'm battling tennis elbow.

Why?

Because:

• My hip flexors and psoas get beat up.

• My inner thighs are weaker than my outer thighs.

• My lower back has been absorbing force it hasn’t prepared for.

• I am gripping my paddle for hours on end, multiple days a week.

Now I train the opposite.

• Grip → finger extensors.

• Forward motion → backward sled pulls.

• Lateral cuts → Copenhagen planks + adductor.

• Explosive rotation → controlled core strengthening.

• Hip thrusts & back extensions to keep both sides strong.

Think in opposites:

• Front / Back

• Inside / Outside

• Flexion / Extension

• Acceleration / Deceleration

If you play a repetitive sport or do a repetitive physical activity, ask:

What muscle group is doing 80% of the work?
And what’s barely being trained?

Add 2–3 weekly sessions for the neglected side.

Prevent the injury before it forces you to rest.

Training the opposing muscles is performance insurance against injury.

RICH — Looking Rich Vs. Getting Rich

I used to live in a luxury high-rise condo. Used to drive a Range Rover. I wore expensive watches.

I was $80,000 in bad debt.
I was six years behind on taxes.

I looked rich.

But I was fucking broke in reality.

When I decided to get rich instead of "looking rich," everything changed.

• Lived in the cheapest rental my wife could stand for 9 years.

• I sold the Range Rover. Bought a 2012 Toyota Prius.

• Didn’t eat out or do takeout for three years.

• Invested every extra dollar into index funds.

Every dollar saved & invested was buying my future freedom.

I went from $80K in debt to a millionaire in about 2 years.

I retired from the 9-to-5 rat race at 42 in March 2024 as a multi-millionaire.

Now all work is optional because I spent my money on my freedom.

Here’s what I’ve noticed after knowing 50+ real-life millionaires:

Almost none of them “drive” their wealth.
Almost none of them “wear” their wealth.

They buy assets.

Index funds.
Businesses.
Rental properties.

Wealth is quiet.

The formula is simple:

Spend less than you earn.
Invest every month.
Repeat for 10+ years.

You can compress it to 3–5 if you’re extreme (like me).

The average person can do it in 10 years.

Or it will stretch to 12–20 years if you go at a slower pace.

But it will NEVER happen if you don't make Financial Independence a top goal.

You must decide:

Do you want to impress strangers…
Or free your future?

If you get the expensive toys BEFORE you become financially free, it will delay your freedom by years or even decades.

I recommend you get the fancy car, fancy watch, and shiny toys AFTER you're financially free.

But like me, you may realize what you really wanted all along was the freedom to live life on your own terms.

Now that I'm rich & free — my Prius and Garmin watch suit me just fine.

Although we did move into a nice modern home 5-minutes from the beach.

The point I want to illustrate is that once you're financially free, you can strategically upgrade your life in ways that are aligned with your life vision, goals, and values.

And you can keep upgrading as your wealth continues to compound, all while staying free and work-optional.

But if you ever want to become free (and stay free) — that must be the priority.

LIFE — Communication Muscle For Love Longevity

Carly and I hit 5 years married this summer.
13 years together this Thanksgiving.

The biggest difference between thriving couples and struggling couples?

Communication.

Communication is like a muscle that must be built up & maintained to stay strong.

Two practices that have dramatically strengthened our marriage:

1. The Bid for Connection

When your partner walks into the room:

Stop what you’re doing.

Even for 20 seconds.

Turn your body toward them.
Make eye contact.
Smile.
Hug.
Kiss.

If I’m working (not in a meeting) and Carly comes home, I greet her, physically connect (hug, squeeze, kiss), and if I am in the middle of something, I say:

“I love you. I need 20 minutes to finish this. Then I'd love to connect deeper.”

That’s it.

That tiny moment says:

You matter more than my work.
You matter more than my laptop/phone.
You matter more than whatever random thing I'm doing.

Ignore enough bids for connection… and intimacy slowly erodes.

Answer them consistently… and connection compounds.

2. The Mind-Reading Conversation

This one is huge.

We expect our partner to know what we need.

Then we get frustrated when they don’t.

That’s insane.

No one can read minds.

So we made it explicit:

If either of us is expecting mind-reading — we call it out.

Instead of trying to read one another's minds...

We say:

“How can I support you right now? Do you want me to listen, hug or hold you, give you feedback, or something else?”

That one shift eliminates unnecessary resentment.

Most relationship conflict isn’t malicious.

It’s the unspoken expectations that are not met.

Say the thing.
Ask the question.
Over-communicate.

Strong marriages aren’t lucky.

They're a lifelong practice of communicating, learning, healing, and growing.

I still make mistakes and miss bids for connections or go into problem-fixer mode when my wife just wants me to listen.

But I'm committed to growing stronger in my marriage, so every mistake is a learning lesson and an opportunity for me to become an even better husband.

ACTION — Keep Building Momentum

Pick one and implement it this week:

• FIT — Train the neglected side.​
Identify one overused movement pattern in your sport or training. Program specific exercises into your weekly training that focus on the opposing muscles. Build balance before injury forces it.

• RICH — Stop signaling wealth. Start building it.​
Identify one expense that exists mainly to “look successful.” Redirect that money into investments this month. Getting rich > looking rich.

• LIFE — Answer every bid for connection.​
For the next 7 days, stop what you’re doing when your partner enters the room. Also, have the mind-reading conversation with your partner.

Positive momentum doesn’t come from thinking, learning, or just reading this newsletter.

It comes from DOING — consistently.

And consistency compounds into an amazing life.

Here’s to building your Fit Rich Life through balanced strength, real wealth, and courageous communication repeated for years.

To your health, wealth, and happiness,
— Justin David Carl

P.S. If you haven’t listened to the newest episode of the Fit Rich Life Podcast, I share my full fitness + money journey on episode 100. It’s the most updated & in-depth breakdown I’ve ever shared — from $80K in debt and kinda fat… to super fit and financially free.