Better Lovelive With More Energy

Today we need to chat about your hormones.

Yeah, I chat a lot about hormones. That’s because I have been to Hormone Hell and back. Twice.

I’ve lived to tell the tale.

It’s scary… and it’s one of those hidden illnesses that you might not even know you have.

I had it at 27. I did not affect my lovelife, but that was probably due to my youth. If I did not treat it then, I would have no lovelife or drive at ALL right now.

I treated it with drugs. That is all we had back then.

Today I use a combination of therapies, many of which are natural….

1. I train with weights to increase testosterone-levels naturally.

2. I train and do cardio before eating in the morning do increase gH levels naturally without drugs.

3. I cycle my calories to increase my thyroid levels naturally.

As you can see there are many ways to increase your hormone levels naturally.

But it’s not all exercise and nutrition. Now we have several “botanical” supplements: Herbs and other natural helpers to help the fight.

I wish I would have known about Dr. Lucille when I was 27.

She’s the expert in that field. Herbs, nutrition for hormone help, and how to protect your body IF you have to take drugs to help the problem like I do.

I listen to her. So should you.

Here’s her site:

Hormone-Helper Kit <—- natural energy help

The best thing about having your hormones optimized is energy.

Yes, you will burn more bodyfat.

Yes, you will increase your lovelife and your desire to have intimacy.

Yes, you will increase your resistance to disease and common illnesses.

But I think MORE ENERGY is the best.

I have the energy to do anything I want at just about any time I want.

Here’s an example:

Today I had to go to the funeral of a dear friend. She passed away after struggling with a lifetime of various illnesses, many of which were made worse by lifestyle choices. Some she had no control over.

We all loved her dearly.

We drove until 1:00AM this morning. I got up early for the funeral but not early enough to eat breakfast.

I had a large lunch afterwards and then we headed back — another 3 hour boring drive in traffic.

Even with all of this emotional stress, my body only needed a 2-hour nap to pop right back into high gear. I could literally go and workout now at almost 11:00pm if I had to.

I’m glad I don’t because I have a night of packing ahead of me for a business trip!

Still, the point is simple:

Hormone Health = Greater Energy

Most people do not exercise because… get this….

They do not FEEL like it.

I don’t mean “feel like it” as in they would rather do something else, although that is the case sometimes.

I mean “feel like it” in the sense that they have NO energy to do it.

They are tired, run-down after a 9 to 5 day, and feel zonked.

You too?

If so, you need this info…

Hormone-Helper Kit <—- natural energy help

Remember: More energy, more lovelife. More workouts that burn fat. More done in the day.

More living… in the best way possible.

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Training With Weights vs “Weight Training”

———————————————————————————————————

Just a word of warning:

I will be using the term “bodybuilder” or “bodybuilding” to refer to anyone who wants to build lean muscle and burn bodyfat in this article.

That means you.

Yep… you are a “bodybuilder.” That does not mean you want to look like a monster on stage and pose in front of thousands of people wearing nothing but your undies.

That means you want more lean muscle and less bodyfat — that’s it.

With that in mind, here’s something you have to know:

Bodybuilders do not “lift weights” — we “train” with weights.

We use weights as a tool like a sculptor uses a hammer and chisel.

The object of the game is not to lift some heavy weight from Point A to Point B and back. That’s weight lifting. “Bodybuilding” is about making the muscle you want to change do all the work.

Here’s two ways to do it:

1. Lower the weight and focus: Most people are just concerned with the lift itself. “Get this weight off of me!” seems to be the unconscious mantra. This will not get the job done. In fact you may end up looking bulky rather than sleek… or just not change at all. Instead, lower the weight slightly, slow the pace down (especially on the descent of the movement) and picture the muscle in your mind doing ALL of the work. Literally put your mind in the muscle. You will be amazed at how different the same exercise feels with this degree of concentration,.

2. Contract, hold, release: At the top of any movement, contract the muscle hard. Hold that contraction for a second or two, then release it and lower the weight slowly. This will not only cause faster muscle growth (that is a good thing) but also demand that you use less weight to get the job done. This means your joints — shoulders, knees, elbows — will last a lifetime. At 45 my joints are in perfect health. Protect yours at all costs.

Just remember: You are not just lifting weights when you train for muscle shape and “tone” — you are a sculptor. Treat your tools and your body with that degree of care.

I cover many more tips on how to build lean muscle and burn bodyfat faster in my book “7 Minute Muscle”.

Read more here:

7 Minute Muscle System <—- more muscle in far less time

quoteme, May 2nd 2012 | Posted in Health

The Science Behind Shorter Workouts

A few years ago I released a book whose title was more reminiscent of a line out of “There’s Something About Mary” than a serious work on fitness. “7 Minute Muscle” — yep, it’s getting more and more difficult to distinguish fact from parody.

Since that time its kissing cousin, “7 Minute Body”, has been released, featuring a complete in-home version of the same workout principles covered in 7 Minute Muscle, as found below:

7 Minute Workout Solution <–61%Off

Here’s the real irony: Of the 127 testimonials I’ve received so far that I deem worthy of publishing on the web, over forty were from fitness professionals. I’m not talking about “doctors” with a gut as large as their paycheck. I’m speaking of men and women with both academic and real-world experience in the fitness and bodybuilding world.

There were exceptions of course. My friend John Berardi, while saying some nice things about the work, couldn’t endorse it due to the emphasis on shorter training sessions. That’s cool. Everyone has a different approach. But the overwhelming number of folks with consonants behind their names — those who read the book and applied the principles — had wonderful things to say.

There’s a reason for that: The workout protocol is based on the science of hypertrophy as well as psychophysiology, the study of the mind/body connection.

I will delve into the mental aspects of the protocols in a later article. For now, since most of you are experienced, educated and (dare I say it) hard-core, let’s delve into the meat.

7 Minute Muscle (and 7 Minute Body) is primarily a density-based training system. It demands varying rep ranges done within specific time periods. The protocol factors six of the primary variables of hypertrophy, or muscle growth: Intensity, Load, Volume, Density, Time and Force. (Time includes rest intervals as well as the time required to perform a given task.)

A layman’s take on one of the basic laws of physics states that time and energy are interrelated. Doing the same amount of work in less time demands more energy, which translates into more power. While power is a factor in training, our interest is focused on forcing muscle growth and adaptation. This is also an element of time and energy. More energy expended in less time = more power.

If you break down the typical 3-4 set bench press routine, with reps starting at 12 and ending in the 4-6 range, with longer rest intervals between heavier sets, you’ll find that the aggregate weight lifted is “less” than a protocol like 7 Minute Muscle, which uses ‘less’ weight (easier on the joints) but demands more work in less time. In other words, X amount of repetitions done with Y amount of weight in just 5 minutes (phase 1 of our two-phase protocol) ends up being greater than your typical 3-4 set protocol, despite the fact that more weight is used in the latter.

Other routines, of course, utilize this factor of density. Vince Gironda’s infamous 8 sets of 8, EDT and so-forth. 7 Minute Muscle goes a bit further by varying rest, load factors and repetition range. Reps will vary from as low as one rep to as much as ten, and all of this is at the trainee’s discretion.

They have only one real objective: Increase the aggregate repetition count from one training session to the next. Since time is limited (broken down into two phases: A Power Phase of no more than 5 repetitions and a Mass Phase of no more than 10 repetitions) the trainee is given a system that more accurately measure the seventh and most crucial factor of hypertrophy: Progression.

More work in less time. Variable repetition ranges. Variable rest intervals. And all in seven minutes (for beginners.) Intermediate and advanced-level trainees are given 14 and 21-minute protocols if they wish to implement them. I myself rarely go beyond 14 minutes, as that is all that’s required to stimulate muscle growth.

I will cover health factors, cardiovascular work, ab training, and the science of mind and body in future articles. For now, give 7 Minute Muscle a shot. There’s nothing funny about it, except for the fact that you’ll be laughing all the way home from the gym as you finished your killer workout while your buddies were still warming up.

And, for this week only, you can get it at a 61% discount. You’ll get everything: 7 Minute Muscle (the gym-based workout) and 7 Minute Body (the in-home workout) plus the six training videos today for less than the cost of a cheap dinner.

It’s a system and a price that’s impossible to beat.

Go here now:

7 Minute Workout Solution <–61%Off

P.S. You’ll thank me later for the months of time I’ve given back to your life… not to mention that new body in the mirror.

Remember:

Train Hard. Train Smart. And Train Cheap…

7 Minute Workout Solution <–61%Off

quoteme, April 30th 2012 | Posted in Fitness

Is Bodyfat Contagious? New Research Says…

It’s like a dream come true.

“Gaining bodyfat is the result of a virus.”

Wouldn’t that be great news?

Well…

Let me tell you about the AD-36 adenovirus. Adenoviruses are the same nasty bugs that cause the common cold. We all have these viruses in various forms in our body all the time.

That last bit is a critical distinction.

Remember that.

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana has been doing some really ground-breaking research on AD-36. AD-36 affects stem cells… more specifically fat cells, both pre-formed and post-formed.

This means AD-36 can make MORE fat cells if contracted as an infant and make your fat cells larger if contracted as an adult.

Or so the theory goes.

To quote the study:

“Earlier researchers have concluded that Ad-36 may be contributors to obesity by super-charging fat cells to grow and store more fat. Until now, though, those researchers thought the viruses targeted pre-fat cells (called pre-adipocytes), causing them to convert in higher numbers to fat cells and causing those fat cells to be larger. Those studies were in mice. Pasaricas work determines the virus targets stem cells in humans.”

The result?

“In one test, a third of obese people had the rare and highly contagious virus compared to just 11 percent of thinner people. Weight gain can last three months until the body has built up resistance to the bug.”

Wow. Sounds like we have a winner here. A virus that you can catch that literally makes you gain bodyfat! All we need is…

a vaccine!

Right?

Wrong.

First of all, notice that 11% of LEAN people have AD-36. And at any given time, just like a cold or a flu virus, you could contract AD-36. If your body has ‘never’ been exposed to it, you may require about 3 months to build up antibodies to ward it off.

Now, you can gain a lot of weight in 3 months… but come on. You cannot become obese in three months unless you are really, REALLY working at it.

Plus, like most viruses, you build up immunity to AD-36. Researchers do not know how long the immunity lasts, but some theorize it could last years… some even decades.

And let’s not forget those 11% who are lean and have the virus.

Why did they not all of a sudden get “sick” with bodyfat?

Because they are not EATING or LIVING in a way that allows them to gain bodyfat no matter what nasty freakin’ viruses may be floating about, that’s why.

That’s right folks: It is always going to come down to the food we put in our body and the way we move.

Here’s another hypothesis presented by Sherry Strong, food philosopher and nutritionist: “This could very well be the result of nature creating a mutation to encourage us to eat more due to the fact our consumption of natural, whole and organic foods is so low.”

Brilliant observation… and one tha makes complete sense.

Even if a “virus” is responsible for 20% of our weightgain, what about the other 80%?

We do not need a vaccine other than good food and a common sense workout plan.

Here’s the best —

7 Minute Muscle <—- the “vaccine” for bodyfat

Here’s why I love this workout:

1. It’s fast. 7-14 minutes 3-5 days per week. Anyone on earth can do this.

2. The Basic Upgrade (you will see it) still comes with a copy of my book “The Every Other Day Diet.” Put the two together and you have an absolute winner of a plan that’s practical and enjoyable.

3. Plus, anyone who owns “Every Other Day Diet” gets my upcoming “Radical Fatloss Blueprint” book freee. It comes out March 1st.

That’s 3 good reasons to go here and check out 7 Minute Muscle…

7 Minute Muscle <—- the “vaccine” for bodyfat

Here’s one more:

You know better.

You know that there’s never going to be a magic pill for health, vitality, energy and looking your best.

We can keep hoping… or you can take action and get what you want now.

To me, that makes more sense than AD-36 “Super-Retro Fat-burning Vaccine” to hit the marketplace in 2021.

quoteme, April 29th 2012 | Posted in Fitness, ImportFit

Stay Hungry; The One-Machine Workout

Got a question for you—

Should you “stay hungry”?

Here is what it mean.

Arnold Schwarzenegger made a movie a while time ago called “Stay Hungry.” Only a handful of people saw it.

I was one of them.

I loved the idea of “staying hungry” — of never sitting on your rear end too long… of never being totally comfortable… and of always progressing.

Think about it:

Most of your greatest progress comes at the expense of temporary comfort.

This does not mean you should torture yourself. But being ‘too’ comfortable? Well that’s bad news when it comes to weightloss and success in general if you ask me.

Here’s two examples:

First, it is now 1:02 AM Texas time. I am writing this letter to you despite being quite tired and ready to hit the sack.

Why?

Because when it comes to my job, I like to stay hungry.

I am not satisfied with a “do it tomorrow” attitude. I have something to say and I feel that I owe it to you to say it.

Plus I love my job. I know my information is more than just “books that sell well” — I know it’s information that changes peoples lives.

That makes me stay hungry.

And that’s a good thing. My greatest successes have been when I’ve stayed hungry and lived at the edge of comfort.

But let me share my second example and see what you think.

This one deals with my upcoming book.

The book I’m talking about tonight is one that thousands have been waiting for… literally. I have a waiting list.

The title says it all:

The Radical Fatloss Blueprint: How You Can Safely Lose Up To 21 Pounds In 21 Days

Pretty bold statement, right? In fact… it’s radical.

Hence the name. : )

And I have to warn you: You will stay a bit hungry. Literally.

Not ‘starving’… but hungry. And that means you’ll be burning a lot of bodyfat.

Now, before you think I’ve lost my marbles, let me explain:

This is NOT a “dietbook” — this is a blueprint for 21 days ONLY.

It is the same exact system I personally have used for years (with the addition of one new supplement that I really like) to get into top shape.

I’ve used this System on quite a few eager people, and the average weightloss has been over 16 pounds. Some folks lost like 30 or more… others only 11.

Still… in 21 days, this is amazing.

Some of the weight is going to be junk out of your system that can cause illness. It can build up inside and this program helps you get rid of it painlessly.

Some of the weight is water…. but it’s water that you do not need to be carrying around. Needless waterweight.

The rest is almost pure bodyfat… and that’s RADICAL. To keep muscle and burn that much bodyfat is very hard to do.

Like I said… it’s radical.

And it’s only 21 days long.

Now, I will also tell you this — you cannot buy this book.

Not yet.

The reason is simple: I’ve reserved the first few thousand copies for those of you who own by book “Every Other Day Diet.”

They get it first… and since you will need a few supplements to make the plan work (I provide wholesale pricing for those as I do not make supplements) you can see why it’s important to get in line if you want this book.

I’m only ordering a limited supply of the supplements that go along with the book.

And I’m just passing the savings on… I do not want to get into the “wholesale” business, but I also knew I could save you folks over 100 bucks if I did it this way.

So… here’s the deal:

  1. Pick up a copy of “Every Other Day Diet” now unless you already have it.
  2. On or before March 15th you will receive a letter from me letting you know where to get your freee copy of “Radical Fatloss Blueprint”.
  3. You will also receive a link to order the supplements needed (only 21 days worth… no “reorders” needed) at wholesale price. You can have them shipped right to your door just about anywhere in the world.

No stimulants are used. Nothing dangerous. Just smart supplementation to help the body hold on to muscle, stimulate natural fat-burning hormones, and help you stay healthy and strong.

Again, this is the system I use to get in top shape.

So, step one: Get “The Every Other Day Diet” today…

Get that here:

Every Other Day Diet Get This, Get Radical Fatloss Free March 15th

After that, read the book. Be sure you have it down because you will NEED this book to follow right after Radical Fatloss is over.

The worst thing you can do is try a radical dietplan without having a SANE dietplan to fall back to.

That’s what Every Other Day Diet is: A sane, real-world, eat-like-this-forever dietplan that works.

The Radical Fatloss Blueprint just kicks everything into high gear for 21 days.

So, get Every Other Day Diet here:

Every Other Day Diet Get This, Get Radical Fatloss Free March 15th

THEN go to this page and let me know what you think about the new cover for Radical Fatloss Blueprint… and the supplements I have in store for you –

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/radicalfatloss.php More About Radical Fatloss Blueprint

Finally, get ready to stay hungry: And by that I mean to push yourself a bit more in order to become a whole lot leaner.

 

From Around The World…

 

I get letters like these every day. I thought I would share a few with you.

These folks live all over the world and still find it easy to stay on The Every Other Day Diet.

Check it out –

quoteme, April 28th 2012 | Posted in Nutrition

Fish Oil and Heart Health Proven

The American Heart Association’s 2005 Scientific Sessions are finally making their way into mainstream medical journals. The topic: JELIS, or “Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study.” That’s a fancy way of asking, “Would 1800 mg of EPA per day reduce fatal coronary events?”

The answer was yes: by almost 20%. The overview of the study can be found in the March 31 Issue of The Lancet.

If you want to decrease this even further, I suggest the combination of modest lifestyle changes, nutrition strategies and mindset shifts I cover in the book Fit Over 40. Pick it up if you haven’t already. The JELIS Study demonstrated that combining a modest amount of EPA (eicosapentaenoic aid, found in fish oil) with low-dose statin therapy dramatically affected the mortality rate from fatal coronary events as compared with statin therapy alone.

Perhaps the most telling aspect of this study was the fact that these results were realized without lowering cholesterol levels. Our conservative medical community seems to turn a blind eye to the fact that cholesterol and heart disease are not as connected as they wish to believe.

Both the statin-only group and the statin/EPA group reduced their LDL cholesterol levels by 26%. Fish oil did not affect this variable — yet it reduced fatal coronary events. This should tell us something.

“The beneficial effects of EPA could have stemmed from many biological effects that lead to the attenuation of thrombosis, inflammation, and arrhythmia, in addition to a reduction of triglycerides,” write the authors.

Inflammation is finally being linked to heart disease, and studies like this one leave little to the imagination as to why. There is no doubt that fish oil decreases inflammation. And, there’s no doubt that decreasing inflammatory markers reduces heart attack and stroke risk.

Here’s where the study falls short of the mark: fish oil alone was not tested as a variable. While other studies have compared fish oil and found it superior to statins, this one did not bother to isolate EPA and compare the results evenly. It appears that statins are a presumptive step in preventing heart disease. In order to find out if this is true or not, authors of these types of studies should include a true test group.

Then again, funding for studies like the one I’m proposing is hard to come by. Most studies are backed by pharmaceutical companies, either directly or indirectly. Obviously they do not want a natural substance upstaging their drugs.

I am not saying that statins have no place in medicine, although there are physicians who make a living claiming this is the case. They may be correct. The bottom line is we’ll never know without more precise and thorough testing variables.

In the meantime, the is a fantastic take-away from this study if you are currently on statin drugs: take fish oil. You can also eat fish three times a week or so, but I personally find fish oil (actually I prefer krill oil for numerous reasons) easier to consume on a daily basis.

If you are not on statins, it should be obvious that the benefits of fish oil need not be realized only in conjunction with taking drugs. Fish oil is one of the most beneficial substances known to mankind.

My personal recommendation is 1,000 mg krill oil plus 1,000-2,000 mg of EPA/DHA as found in fish oil per day for greater heart health, as well as better overall health and energy.

quoteme, April 23rd 2012 | Posted in Diet, Nutrition, Related Topics

Bye-bye carbs

Don’t ask me how I know this stuff, but I do — I know when it’s time to ditch carbs, raise protein, lower or raise fat, and when to change the channel when Reba comes on television.

Most of that stuff is a mystery to explain timing-wise. That last thing is easy — as fast as I can reach the remote. You know, Reba would make an ideal poster gal for the “See The World Through Our Walls And Become A Monk” campaign. The water company hates her as well. I mean, cold showers? One glance and it’s a done deal.

This same, shall we say, lack of enthusiasm breached its way into my nutrition plan this past week. Oh, I told you — don’t go freakin’ on me. Didn’t I say that you have to be flexible? Keep it moving? Roll with the punches?

Coulda swore I said that. Perhaps not. Perhaps it was a book I read. Or, perhaps it was nothing.

At any rate, that’s swell advice. You should follow it. I did. And here’s why.

Carbs are basically benign creatures who occasionally decide to rip out your innards and play hopscotch with your intestines. Nice graphic there. Sorry. I just had a dream about Stephen King and then I had a dream about a writer who didn’t sell out — back to back! Wow. Strange night. There were intestines involved, I’m quite sure. So…that’s what’s going on there.

They’re like…let’s see…a cute, fuddly-wuddly baby Panda Bear that eventually grows up and eats your head when you’re not looking. By the time you notice, you’re half way down Spot’s gullet with Panda digestive goo all up your nostrils as you roll on down to Black-out City.

So, yeah — carbs are okay and they suck, all at the same time. Actually, at different times. That’s what makes them trickier than Spot the Panda Bear because you can actually watch Spot growing up to be a vicious Rummyhole who eats heads but looks so cute oh you just wanna goooosmuuooochiiewooochie mister panda-wandaaaaaa.

Then BOOM. No head.

I think I’ve made that point abundantly clear. Carbs can be dangerous and perfectly kind depending on the cycle your body is in. Yes, you can say carbs are like women — you know, beautiful to look at, yummy, and seductively dangerous at times. What did you think I meant?

As I type this, I’m chowing on a wonderful tuna salad created by me (read: my chef, as if I could find the kitchen) from a can of tuna, a bit of Miracle Whip Lite (I like the taste) mixed with homemade balsamic vinaigrette, walnuts, fresh veggies…yum. Very little carbs, no starch, and a lot of taste. Plenty of protein and fat, though.

Why the change? After all, I’ve ditched more than my 10 already and working on the next 10, right? Right — except I started wanting to nap every day. At first, I just figured I was getting old — then I remembered that I’m only 42 and still enjoy loud music. That, mixed with the non-gray hair, changed my mind quickly. I then turned to the more likely culprit — elevated serotonin levels. Too much “happy sugar” — sugar being starches and carbs, not table sugar. A bit on the lazy side I was, yepper. So, I decided to give my MasterMeals a kick in the pants — I dumped my carbs down to about 100 grams per day, give or take a few.

This is nothing new, nor is it a surprise. My training is getting more intense, my muscles are reappearing slowly but surely, and my body fat is dropping. At some point, my particular metabolism says “feed me protein and fat, please”, so I listen. I was craving live cow, so I guess that tells you something.

Kidding, kidding — partially warmed cow.

Every 4th day or so I’ll toss in a meal with a bunch of brown organic rice and yams in it. Perhaps every 5th…maybe less. It’s all instinct and MasterMeals flexibility.

There’s no doubt that most people, myself included, discard fat more rapidly on a low-carb diet. The issue becomes how to make it healthy and something you can live with. The Atkins Diet (nothing new, just the first time a “doctor” said it) gets incredibly boring after a few months for most people.

My version of low-carb eating doesn’t. There are many reasons — I’ll cover a few tonight, and then I’m outta here.

First, I don’t cut carbs really low until I’m prepping for a photoshoot. There’s no need — about 100-125 grams per day for me, then 500 grams on a high day to reboot the system and restore some glycogen (sugar stored in the liver and muscle that gives you that nice pump in the gym.)

Linda Stevens used to do that back in my college days, but she retired and now owns a day care center in Dupont, Washington. What? Linda pumped up those big blue Swiss balls you see in the gym. Geez. Get your mind out of the gutter.

She was also a call-girl.

Anyway, carbs are needed for that pump. Some people can live just fine energy-wise without much in the way of carbs, like myself. Others just like the taste, like myself. Still others thrive on carbs and require them for energy — like most of the people we love to hate.

Second, my carbs are basically water carbs — carb foods with more water than food. That’s the technical definition. Really. That, combined with walnuts and a bit of starch in the day makes 120 grams come and go pretty quickly.

The real trick is the fat. Most people go hog wild on the fat on a low-carb diet…and it works. To a point. Ah, there’s always a “to the point” in my points, isn’t there?

I’ll tell you why tomorrow. For now, I’m a happy camper with my moo-meat, veggies, salads and whey.

~Good Eating.

quoteme, March 3rd 2012 | Posted in Diet, Nutrition

BowFlex vs Dumbells: What’s The Better Choice?

Readers are asking what I thought about BowFlex machines. Here was my response.

“Hey there Bird,

Really good question. I trained on a BowFlex for about a month by necessity. I found it adequate for maintaining muscle mass but not so hot at adding any. That was my experience as an advanced trainee. An intermediate or novice trainee may have a different experience.

What I “do” like are the Nautilus adjustable dumbbells. Take a pair of those, an adjustable bench, and you’re off to the races with a really high-quality workout that’s less expensive than a BowFlex machine.”

Bottom line: given a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a high-quality adjustable bench (preferably one that goes to decline, flat and incline levels) you can do just about everything needed to build your body using a standard workout… or much faster using my 7 Minute Muscle training method (Click Here To Read More). We have an In-Home Version of the workout that’s all band and bodyweight-based as well, but I prefer the dumbbells and bench routine by far.

What’s cool about this approach is that you actually save money AND room over the BowFlex option while losing none of the flexibility and options. It just requires a bit of creativity.

Plus, to be frank, a BowFlex cannot compete with a dumbbell press, dumbbell curls, etc. for muscular development.

You’rs in fitness

~Coolski

quoteme, March 3rd 2012 | Posted in Fitness, ImportFit

Big Brother To The Rescue

America’s obesity pandemic has caught the attention of the HHS

It’s official: we’re fat. Children, teens, and adults alike.

While this is hardly news, the fact the the Department of Health and Human Services creating federal guidelines for our physical activity most certainly is.

This just in from the AP:

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced the members of the advisory committee that will make recommendations pertaining to the development of the first federal guidelines to focus on physical activity.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans was issued in late 2008. The report provides science-based recommendations on the latest knowledge about activity and health, with depth and flexibility to target specific population subgroups, such as seniors, children, and persons with disabilities. Secretary Leavitt announced the initiative in October.

Allow me to wax philosophic for a moment.

Despite the fact that America is the land of the free, there may come a time in the near future where food, much like alcohol, is legislated by law.

Think about it. The only reason alcohol and drugs are either controlled by abuse laws or flat-out against the law is, supposedly, for our safety.

Yet the obesity pandemic makes our alcohol and drug-related problems seem trivial. It is literally taking and threatening more lives every year than alcohol and drugs combined times a factor of near infinity. Food has become far more dangerous these days than hard liquor and black tar heroin, numerically speaking.

As Barry Sears says, “Food is the most powerful drug of all.” Unless you and I and everyone we know begins to realize this fact and treat food like a drug, it may very well be handled as a drug in the future.

Is it possible that too many doughnuts could one day be illegal? Or, perhaps blood sugar monitored like blood alcohol levels after leaving a fast food restaurant? Scary thought, isn’t it?

I’m no more in favor of this than I am in favor of ignoring obesity and hoping it will go away. However, I truly can see this being a very real possibility if Americans keep turning their backs on the problem. The eventual collapse of our health care system will be sufficient reason for the government to step in with more serious things than suggestions. Indeed, laws may be the only thing that keeps little Junior away from the sugar cereals and steer Aunt Edna clear of the second helping of pecan pie.

How Bad Is It?

Try this fact on for size. For the first time in history, the life expectancy of teenagers is less than that of their parents. Why? See the aforementioned obesity pandemic.

These are not scare tactics. These are facts that are rapidly transforming our nation into a third world country when it comes to the health of our children.

If you want to do something about it before Big Brother steps in, I highly suggest you start by setting the example at the dinner table and with your activity level. The folks in Fit Over 40 are great examples of how you can work fitness into your life and the lives of your family members.

Give it a read. If ever our nation could use more role models over 40, it’s now.

quoteme, January 29th 2012 | Posted in Health, Nutrition

To Be Or Meant To Be?

“Well, it just wasn’t meant to be.”

I hear that phrase all the time. Some of the deepest and most profound people in my life utter it frequently. You hear it from the mouths of people who had something turn out differently than they hoped. You hear it from the faithful when their prayers are seemingly not answered.

Well, to me, there is no question here — this is a cop-out.

Hang with me. I’m not knocking faith, or rolling with the punches of life. I’m knocking the “meant to be” mindset…and for good reason.

A few weeks ago I was working on a project with a friend of mine. One of the computers we were using decided not to respond. “Well, it just isn’t meant to be…let’s move on.” That was his reply to the situation.

My reply was to reboot the computer.

What do you know. All of a sudden it must have been “meant to be.” The computer came back on, and we proceeded with our original plans.

My friend was not trying to be lazy by any stretch. In fact, this was his way of coping with disappointment in a constructive and positive way. The only problem is it was not the least bit accurate.

My world view may differ from your own. That’s fine. Who is to say who is correct, if anyone. But in my opinion there is no “meant to be.” There is only reality as we perceive it.

My stance is simple: if you have a time machine and can move ahead in time until the day you die, then and only then can you say X, Y or Z is not “meant to be.” Without that in place, you can only say, “It is not meant to be at this exact moment,” which to me doesn’t do much good other than to state the obvious.

You also relinquish a bit of your personal management over the situation by assuming something is out of your sphere of influence when, in fact, it may be totally within your power. The computer example I gave above is an ideal illustration of this.

What’s my beef? Simple. I say take responsibility before taking the “meant to be” route. Ask yourself if you’ve done all that you can do before assuming the universe or a higher power has decided something for you. While this may indeed be the case (I’m not saying it never is), you may be jumping the gun. And, in fact, you may never know until days, months, or even years down the line.

“Not meant to be”, to me, is disempowering. It removes so much of our personal power. I prefer not to use the phrase. “I haven’t figured out how to make it happen yet” is more empowering. “Perhaps something better will come my way instead” is also a better way to look at events that do not turn out the way you plan.

Just remember — unless you can see the future, you cannot determine was was meant to be, or if anything at all is or was meant to be.

We can only determine our reactions to what is. That we can do for sure. That is our greatest responsibility.

Food for thought that was, perhaps, meant to be.

quoteme, January 22nd 2012 | Posted in Related Topics

How 25 Extra Pounds Can Rob Your Life

Perhaps you saw the study. “The” study making for some interesting water cooler talk and talk show fodder.

Released a few weeks before Thanksgiving, 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study suggests that extra twenty or twenty-five pounds of body fat — the fat most of us try so hard to shed — is not going to cause us any health problems. At least health problems that lead to death; the study was based on new mortality figures for 2.3 million American adults.

The conclusion? While obesity, defined in the study as a Body Mass Index, or BMI, of at least 30, leads to early death and the onset of dozens of disease states, those with a BMI between 25 and 30 showed no increase risk of death from heart disease or cancer.

So, should you just forget about those love handles after all? Not so fast.

First, this study analyzed “death”, not “life”. Quality of life, or the state of living in optimum health and energy, was overlooked in favor of sheer mortality statistics.

These statistics can be vastly skewed. For example, there are millions of overweight Americans with heart disease, forced to live on medications and at a considerably slower pace, who do not “die” from the condition.

Dr. Robert Eckel, a spokesperson from the American Medical Association, disagreed with the conclusions and the false impressions of the study. He stated that, for example, diabetes (found to be much higher among even moderately overweight individuals) often goes hand in hand with heart disease.

Also, the researchers used the rather inaccurate BMI to judge their findings. What’s my problem with the BMI? At under ten percent body fat, I have a BMI of 26. This would put me into the “overweight but healthy” camp — yet I am far from overweight. My additional muscle mass throws off the BMI scale. Other factors can cause the BMI to be less reliable than actual body fat percentage, ranging from water retention to bone density. The use of hydrostatic weight, or even calipers to measure body fat, would have provided a far more accurate examination of the data.

The researchers also failed to take into account the fact that abdominal fat, also known as visceral fat, has been shown to lead to metabolic syndrome. A study presented at the 23rd Annual American Medical Association Science Reporters Conference in Washington, D.C. revealed that metabolic syndrome nearly triples heart disease risk, even in “non-obese individuals”, and that visceral body fat is the strongest of the predictors for the condition.

Many people with a large amount of visceral fat are not technically obese when judged by the BMI.

Moreover, this study fails to look at the quality of one’s life — only the cause of death. Most of us would not want to spend the last ten or fifteen years of our life on drugs, machines and in a state of infirmity, even if it meant we would technically outlive the onset of heart disease or cancer.

I have yet to meet one person who decreased their body fat in a healthy manner who did not also increase their energy and passion for life. Yet, from personal experience, I can say with certainty that an extra twenty-five pounds of fat will rob that energy and vitality faster than you can say, “Pass the stuffing, please.”

This prompts a question that no study can answer: What is the value of thriving, excelling, and achieving our best in every area of our life, including our body? And, what will this mentally empowered state do for our mortality?

Something tells me it will increase it far beyond what we can measure.

 

quoteme, January 12th 2012 | Posted in Health, Nutrition
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