Regenerative Performance

Performance scientist and former elite cyclist Hewitt offers a myth-busting guide to thriving without falling victim to hustle culture.

In this self-help book, the author rejects the notions of a relentless grind and passive “quiet quitting,” instead delivering a compassionate, data-driven framework centered on rhythms of exertion and renewal. His insights draw on his own personal and professional trials, whether he’s discussing racing bikes in France or surviving cancer at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hewitt opens by asking readers to embrace shoshin, the Japanese concept of “beginner’s mind”—an attitude of open curiosity unburdened by expertise or expectation. This mindset, he writes, helped him to rebuild after “hyperoptimization” failed, and it anchors the book’s grounded tone. Each chapter explores a core pillar of sustainable performance, tackling mornings and workdays, downtime, sleep, fitness, and nutrition, and examining one’s mindset and personal growth. Hewitt dismantles trendy wellness advice, such as delaying intake of caffeine or plunging oneself into cold water, with peer-reviewed evidence and calm clarity. Such fads, he argues, often succeed not on merit but due to cognitive distortions, including confirmation bias. He encourages readers to work on understanding themselves, and to that end, he recommends identifying one’s chronotype using a simple two-question Circadian Energy Scale, then building routines aligned with one’s natural rhythms. His “Cognitive Gears” model reimagines mental effort as akin to athletic training, aiming to help readers shift between intensity, focus, and recovery. His use of “expected value” calculations, a concept borrowed from the field of economics, recommends making lifestyle decisions by weighing benefits, risks, and implementation costs. Hewitt’s voice is precise but never preachy, and he offers reflection prompts, infographics, and planning tools that make complex science actionable. He blends aspects of neuroscience, behavioral psychology, and practical coaching into a system that prioritizes adaptability. Although some readers may balk at the book’s many homework assignments, its coherence and credibility make for a deeply rewarding guide.

Thoughtful, rigorously researched, and refreshingly practical self-help advice.