Diet-friendly burger options for summer grilling

I’m gonna give you 4 burger options that are available at @Wegmans right now that will help you stick to your diet as you enjoy your summer grilling:

1️⃣ Buffalo-style chicken patties – 250 calories, 25g protein
2️⃣ Greek-style turkey patties – 220 calories, 29g protein
3️⃣ Bison patties – 190 calories, 23g protein
4️⃣ 90/10 ground beef – 260 calories, 30g protein

JZ Tips: if you want to add some flavor and bulk to your burgers, my favorite hack is to add mushrooms and onions to your patties. I also love putting some @ghughessugarfree BBQ sauce in the middle of the raw patty before cooking… makes it super delicious. My favorite way to enjoy these burgers is on a high-fiber bun or in a @MissionsFoodsUS Carb Balance wrap.

#shorts

Review: Genius Shot

Product Review: @GeniusShot from @DrMikeIsraetel.

Let’s talk about Genius Shots – because from a macro and convenience standpoint, they’re next-level.

Each shot delivers 23g of protein for just 90 calories with zero fat, zero carbs, and zero sugar.

Convenience-wise, they nailed it:

🔘 It’s 3.4oz, so it passes TSA guidelines – perfect for travel.
🔘 It’s non-dairy and shelf-stable, meaning no refrigeration needed. I literally keep a few in my trunk with my snacks, no cooler required.
🔘 I recently took one to a family festival – just threw it in my pocket. You cannot beat that portability.

Now for the one downside: the taste.

To me, it’s slightly better than children’s cough syrup. Not great, but not unbearable either. I’m hoping the flavor gets refined over time.

All in all, this product is a gamechanger for anyone serious about hitting their protein goals while on the go.

Highly recommend.

#shorts

Macro-friendly grilling

Happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸

As we head into this long weekend, I hope you take the time to relax, connect with your family and friends, and most importantly, enjoy your food without guilt.

Holidays and social gatherings can sometimes feel tricky when you’re trying to stay on track with your nutrition goals. That’s why I wanted to share a few of my favorite diet-friendly Fourth of July options that let you enjoy the celebration while keeping things balanced.

If you’re attending someone else’s gathering and don’t feel fully in control of the food choices, that’s totally okay – focus on enjoying the moment and being reasonable with your portions. Track your intake as best you can, but don’t stress or overthink it. Remember, one meal won’t make or break your progress – one day won’t either, as long as it doesn’t get out of control.

The key is to find your balance: enjoy the flavors and the company without feeling pressured to be perfect.

Celebrate thoughtfully, listen to your body, and then get back to your routine the next day.

Wishing you a safe, happy, and healthy Fourth!

Eat Better bagel alternatives

*I thought Eat Better bagels had high 20g fiber, they actually have over 30g fiber… RIP🪦

Some of you may have noticed that I’ve stopped recommending Eat Better Bagels – and it’s not just a personal preference shift. Unfortunately, there’s more to the story.

From my understanding, there was some internal fraud – including an employee who sabotaged the business and stole thousands of dollars in inventory. The brand has been forced to pause operations and has been taken off shelves. With the amount of work it would take to rebuild, it’s unclear whether they’ll be able to bounce back.

That said, if you’re looking for high-protein, high-fiber bagel alternatives, here are a few brands I do recommend and continue to enjoy:

🔘 @Hero | 130 calories, 19g protein, 21g fiber
🔘 @EatRoyo | 70 calories, 9g protein, 32g fiber
🔘 @TheSolaCompany | 140 calories, 16g protein, 24g fiber

In comparison to Eat Better | 160 calories, 26g protein, 35g fiber

Each of these alternatives offers a great nutrition profile without compromising on taste.

#shorts

Home Gym Tour 4.0 | $47K Garage Gym

Welcome back to the fourth installment of my Home Gym Tour series!

In today’s video, I’m giving you a full update on my garage gym setup – what’s working, what’s not, and what I’ve learned along the way. Whether you’re building your first home gym or looking to upgrade your current space, I’m sharing my honest thoughts on every piece of equipment I own.

We’ll cover everything from Rogue, REP Fitness, to SMRTFT – plus a few items I wouldn’t buy again. If you’re serious about strength training at home, this video is full of insight on what’s worth the investment.

From must-have home gym essentials to gear I’d return, I’m diving into the upgrades, complaints, and lessons learned after building out my garage gym 4.0.

📌TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 | Intro
1:20 | Rep Fitness Athena Functional Trainer + Power Rack
3:00 | Barbells – Kabuki Transformer, Hex Bar, EZ Curl
4:30 | Dumbbells – Adjustable dumbbells, Rep x Pepin, Nuobell
6:00 | Adjustable Bench – Reps Nighthawk, Titan Fitness
6:40 | Omniwall – Ergonomic tricep attachment, Iron Neck, Micro Gainz, Resistance Bands, DMoose Cuffs
8:05 | Rogue Belt Squat
9:00 | Freak Athlete
9:30 | Cardio equipment – Concept Bike, SkiErg, Rower, Assault Bike / AirDyne
10:20 | Kettlebells
11:15 | Outro

PDCAAS in application

Yesterday, I broke down what PDCAAS is and how it helps us understand protein bioavailability – in other words, how much of the protein you eat your body can actually use.

Today, I’m putting that into practice with a few popular protein bars:

➡️ Quest Bar:
🔘 21g of protein
🔘 Multiply that by 2 = 42%
🔘 Label shows 42% → ✅ All the protein is bioavailable
🔘 This is a solid option if you’re looking for a protein bar that delivers what it promises.

➡️ No Cow Bar:
🔘 20g of protein
🔘 You’d expect to see 40% if it were completely bioavailable
🔘 Label shows 22% → ❌ Only 11g of that protein is bioavailable
🔘 Despite the label claim, this one doesn’t hold up as well in terms of protein quality.

➡️ Built Puffs:
🔘 17g of protein
🔘 But there’s no % Daily Value listed
🔘 That’s because they’re not legally marketing it as a high-protein food, so they don’t have to disclose the percentage. And as I’ve said before – Built Puffs are 💩.

This is a quick, easy way to check if the protein in your food is worth your money (and macros).

#shorts

What is PDCAAS?

The Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) is one way to measure the bioavailability of protein in a food. Bioavailability refers to how much of a nutrient, once absorbed, actually becomes usable by the body.

Protein is made up of amino acids and some amino acid profiles allow for better absorption than others. By eating a variety of whole foods, you’ll likely never have to be concerned about the bioavailability of protein. However, the more you rely on things like protein bars or other processed foods in order to hit your macro goals, the more you should be concerned about the bioavailability of them.

Is that protein bar you’re eating truly giving your body what it needs to build muscle?

➡️ Here’s how you can get a sense of that using a quick trick:

The FDA sets the daily value for protein at 50g. So if a product contains 50g of protein, you’d expect to see 100% next to the protein line on the nutrition label.

🔘 If a food contains bioavailable protein, the % Daily Value listed will be roughly double the number of protein grams.
🔘 For example, Siggi’s yogurt has 18g of protein, and its % Daily Value is 36%. That’s exactly 18 x 2, which tells you all of that protein is bioavailable.

But if a food has, say, 20g of protein and only shows 25% on the label, that means a chunk of that protein isn’t being fully absorbed and utilized by your body.

🔑 Two quick notes:

🔘 If you’re eating a diet of mainly whole foods like chicken, beef, Greek yogurt, I wouldn’t be overly obsessed with the bioavailability of each of those foods.

🔘 This % Daily Value for protein is only required on foods that make a high-protein claim on the packaging – so you won’t always see it unless the product is being marketed that way.

Use this as a simple trick to help you pick protein sources that actually deliver on their promise.

#shorts

Client Spotlight: Jordan W.

Client Spotlight: Jordan W. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jordan through my Training Program and his progress has been nothing short of inspiring. When Jordan joined coaching, his goals were clear: build muscle specifically in his chest and shoulders, improve his leg day training approach, and stay consistent despite his busy lifestyle. 

Here are a few of Jordan’s wins:

✅ 99% adherence to his prescribed workouts
✅ Increased his 1RM back squat by over 100 lbs
✅ Made gains in 11 different pressing variations
✅ Trained consistently from home, all while balancing a demanding career, being a husband, and raising kids

Jordan signed up for our Training Program which is custom training on my app. My app features over 1000 exercises demonstrated and voiced-over by yours truly. You receive check-ins Monday and Friday – including form checks, help with weight progressions, and all of the guidance that you need to take your physique to the next level. 

Jordan had been active but was unsure how to navigate training to build muscle which required optimizing his form. Over time, we zeroed in on:

🔘 Movement quality via video feedback
🔘 Progressive overload to build strength and size
🔘 A balanced, sustainable training split

Even through holidays, family travel, and a packed schedule – Jordan never made excuses. He consistently held himself to a higher standard and showed up ready to work.

His biggest takeaways from coaching:

🔘 The power of patience and trusting the process
🔘 Gaining a deeper understanding of why each movement matters
🔘 Asking the right questions to truly understand how everything connects to the bigger picture

Jordan’s been joking about how often people complain about his commitment – but that just shows his laser focus and commitment. Be like Jordan. Stay consistent. Stay curious. And always push for better.

Link in bio to change your life. Click COACHING at JacobZemer.com to see all the services we offer.

Don’t do this during your rest breaks…

Are shorter rest breaks a good way to make your workouts more challenging?

The short answer is yes. But let’s get into why it won’t make your workout more effective.

If your goal is to look good in and out of clothing, you need adequate rest breaks for two reasons:

1️⃣ You need to be using challenging weight
2️⃣ You need to be pushing yourself near to technical failure

If I take a 2-3 minute break between challenging sets, I can near duplicate the same level of intensity as I continue my workout. Whereas, if I’m trying to rush my rest break and jump right into the next set, I’m going to be gassed and the appropriate volume and intensity are simply not going to be there.

You need sufficient weight that’s taken near to technical failure in order to change your body’s appearance.

#shorts

Review: Oikos protein shakes

A couple of weeks ago, I spotted these @Oikos protein shakes at @Costco. They have the vanilla flavor in-store and I got the chocolate and caramel at Stop & Shop. Here’s my honest review.

Each shake contains 30g of high-quality, bioavailable protein from a blend of milk protein concentrate and casein isolate. That means your body can actually absorb and use all 30 grams. They also pass The Protein Test with flying colors (at least 10g of protein per 100 calories):

🔘 Caramel & Vanilla: 170 calories, 30g protein, 5g fiber
🔘 Chocolate: 180 calories, 30g protein, 5g fiber

Each one contains just 1g of sugar, 2.5g of saturated fat, and zero artificial sweeteners which is pretty rare for a ready-to-drink shake that still tastes good.

Flavor-wise, they’re solid. The chocolate is definitely the standout, though I’m still partial to my ride-or-die: @Fairlife Nutrition Plan. Caramel was a little too sweet for me but it’s not one of my favorite flavors anyway. That said, if you don’t love Fairlife, I’d recommend giving these a try, especially if you’re looking to work on both your protein and fiber goals in one convenient drink.

📲 Let me know if you’ve tried them in the comments below!

#shorts

Fiber while traveling

Q: “How do I hit my fiber goal while traveling?”

This came up on my most recent Zoom call—and it’s a great question.

When you’re on the road, it’s easy to fall short on fiber. Restaurant meals and grab-and-go snacks often lack the fiber your body needs to stay regular, feel full, and support gut health.

That’s why I always recommend traveling with a few simple tools.

First, bring supplements. One of my favorites is @SmartSweets—they’re tasty, easy to pack, and surprisingly effective. Just one serving of the Sweet Fish has 130 calories and 6g of fiber.

Second, Psyllium Husk capsules are a great way to top off your fiber intake without much effort. Depending on the brand, you’ll get around 1–2g of fiber per serving, and you can scale up as needed to meet your daily goal.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how much I emphasize fiber throughout the day. When you’re traveling and not sure what’s in your meals, having go-to fiber options like these can make a huge difference in staying on track.

#shorts

Better-for-you cereal options at DeCicco & Sons

If you’re like me, you grew up loving cereal.

I’m at @Deciccos looking at better-for-you cereal options:

5️⃣ @Kashi Go Protein & Fiber
4️⃣ @FoodForLifeBaking Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal
3️⃣ @ThreeWishes
2️⃣ @MagicSpoonCereal
1️⃣ @CatalinaCrunch

#shorts

Tatum Sharp

Director of Social Media

"For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it."
- Amanda Gorman

Tatum is the mastermind behind Jacob Zemer’s social media. Every post you come across has its journey through her creative touch. From crafting compelling content and refining videos and reels to composing captivating captions, overseeing videographers, and meticulously planning release schedules – she’s constantly immersed in curating the Jacob Zemer content that captivates our audience!

Away from the digital buzz of social media, Tatum enjoys taking the stage, wielding her bass in her hardcore band, Volition, and indulges her passion for all things horror by frequently cozying up with scary movies.

Specialities:

  • BS Exercise Science minor in Communications
  • EXOS Performance Specialist
  • ACE Group Fitness
  • Creative writing
  • Visual communication

Elise Ladaw

Director of Coaching

“Science is Stronger”

Elise’s primary role as Director of Coaching is to ensure that the coaching business runs smoothly and is driven by science based principles concerning nutrition and exercise science. Her goal is to continually work to enhance the overall client experience, educate the clientele, monitor key performance indicators related to the coaching services, and foster a company culture of continuous learning among coaching staff.

When Elise is not helping the company with all things coaching she is either in the gym lifting weights or taking long walks through the grocery store finding new tasty and macro friendly nutrition products.


Specialities:

  • BAS Food Science 
  • NQ NPC Figure Competitor 
  • ACE CPT 
  • J3 University

Michelle Freedman

Chief of Operations

“Practice not perfection”

Michelle holds a crucial position in supervising the daily operations, aiming for operational efficiency, fostering growth, and contributing to the achievement of the organization’s strategic objectives. Beyond providing structure, Michelle is actively involved in coaching and managing social media activities.

Away from refining policies and operations at Jake Zemer, LLC, you’ll discover Michelle outdoors, often barefoot with her kettlebells, engaging in adventures alongside her husband, two children, and two bulldogs.

Specialities:

  • BFA Graphic Design 
  • 10 years Corporate Fitness Management 
  • ACE CPT & GFI 
  • ACE Nutrition Specialist 
  • Kettlebell Master Instructor 
  • FMS I & II
  • USA Weightlifting 
  • Pre/Post Natal Certified  
  • TRX 
  • Schwinn & Maddog Cycling