Stop running = Get healthier

So, as you know, I’m not the biggest fan of running.

Actually, it’s not the bipedal form of moving from place to place faster than walking that I’m against …

It’s long, slow, boring “cardio” in the supposed “fat burning range” because … well … it doesn’t really burn that much fat, it makes you weaker, and it takes a lot of time while being boring.

Not to mention, it’s a HELLUVA lot of stress on your joints, bones, etc … especially if … like most runners you like to run on the sidewalk (hard concrete), etc …

Here’s something else …

Traditional Cardio Will Probably Kill You

This is something I’ve known for a while. Marathon runners suddenly drop dead when everyone (including themselves) thought they were in “Great shape”, etc …

Well, I just got some interesting news from my main man, Dr. Al Sears, here’s his article below …

Here’s the most important thing about exercise for your heart…

Endurance training, like cardiovascular endurance (“cardio” for short), is not the only thing your heart and lungs need. It won’t keep your heart and lungs from shrinking with age. And it won’t make your heart less prone to disease.

Here’s proof…

A 30-year study shows endurance exercise leads to a common heart problem.

Norwegian cross-country marathon skiers took part in a study that began in 1976. Researchers wanted to know if the elite athletes would develop heart disease.

They discovered endurance athletes are at unusually high risk for atrial fibrillation (AF), which leads to stroke.

AF is when the two upper chambers of the heart quiver instead of beating properly. Blood isn’t pumped completely out, so it pools and clots. If a clot breaks loose, it can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.1

In general, only 0.5% of the population has AF. But in the marathon skiers, it rose to 12.8%. What’s surprising, the youngest age group was most at risk. In the 26- to 33-year-old age group, 18.2% developed AF.2

You can have AF and not even know it. Some of the symptoms include:

• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Weakness
• Fatigue

Research is finally catching up with common sense. Short bursts of intense exercise are what nature intended. It’s better for your heart – and your health.

Your body is designed to adapt to the environment, just like when your ancestors were hunting or escaping from wild animals. Forcing yourself to exercise for long periods without rest is not what nature intended. When you do the same repetitive movement over and over like you’re a machine, you cause too much stress on your organs. Stress causes inflammation, and inflammation leads to chronic disease.

In this case, heart disease.

A Harvard study came to the same conclusion. Short bursts of intense exertion lowers the risk of heart disease – and death.3,4

There is an easy way to guard against AF and strengthen your heart. I designed PACE to take minutes – rather than hours – a day. Plus, it gives you a lean and toned body. You can start right now, wherever you are, even if you’ve never exercised a day in your life.

1. Choose a challenge. Choose an activity that challenges you. For one person it might be walking for one minute. For someone else, it might be sprinting full blast. Or use weights. Or a bicycle.

2. Warm up. Start your activity in a slow and controlled manner to get the blood flowing in your body. Become aware of how your body responds. Warm up for about two minutes.

3. Challenge your body. Once you’re warmed up and ready, turn up the intensity. Whatever form of exercise you choose, start at a level you’re comfortable with and put effort into what you do. Start with only a minute or two.

4. Rest and recover. Now relax. Notice your heartbeat. Keep track of how long it takes to get back to normal. Take as long as you need, but when you catch your breath, it’s time to challenge your body again.

5. Repeat. Repeat the challenge followed by rest four to six times. This shouldn’t take you more than 10-12 minutes.

If you want to know more about PACE, click here now.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

1. Wolf PA, Dawber TR, Thomas HE, Kannel WB (1978). “Epidemiologic assessment of chronic atrial fibrillation and risk of stroke: the Framingham study.” Neurology 28 (10): 973-7.
2. Grimsmo et al. “High prevalence of atrial fibrillation in long-term endurance cross-country skiers: echocardiographic findings and possible predictors – a 28–30 years follow-up study.” European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, 2010; 17 (1): 1.
3. Lee IM, Sesso, HD, et al. “Relative intensity of physical activity and risk of coronary heart disease.” Circulation. 2003;107(8):1110-11166.
4. Lee IM, Hsieh CC, et al. “Exercise intensity and longevity in men: The Harvard Alumni Health Study.” JAMA. 1995;273(15):1179-1184.

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What diet gets you a sexy body fast?

As a followup of sorts, to my article titled: Doctor Reveals What You Should Eat Every Day For Fat Loss And Health, I’d like to share with you how you can improve every marker of your health … in just ten days … by simply changing what you’re eating.

Can it really be that easy?

Yup!

What’s The Secret?

A New Study has revealed that switching to a “Paleo” diet will give you outstanding health benefits in as little as 10 days.

Here’s what you should know …

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine performed a study in which nine non-obese sedentary, healthy individuals consumed their usual diet for three days, then ate foods with more potassium and fiber for seven days, and then consumed a Paleolithic type diet which included lean meat, fruits, vegetables and nuts, and excluded grains, dairy and legumes, for 10 days.

The researchers found that when compared to the baseline diet, the participants showed significant reductions in blood pressure, plasma insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides from the Paleolithic diet.

So Is “Paleo” Eating The Ultimate Way To Eat?

Sort of …

Let me just say this, “it isn’t a bad way to go!”

Now, guys like my friend Martin from LeanGains.com has pointed out that basically eating “clean” might just give you the same results … BUT … what’s interesting about this study is that the health markers in the participants improved after just 10 days on the diet, BEFORE, they even lost any weight (which would improve their health considerably more).

Martin, a man much smarter than me, explains it well with this excerpt from his site:

“There’s now research that supports the health benefits of a paleo diet. A recent study* showed participants’ health markers improved when they switched to a paleo diet for ten days. Most people will see benefits in these markers simply by making an effort to eat healthier, in which case the cause would be reducing calorie intake and the resultant weight loss.

This study was of particular note because calorie and macronutrient intake was controlled and set to maintain the weight of participants. The benefits seen – such as lower fasting insulin, improvements in insulin sensitivity and blood lipids – resulted from manipulating quality, not quantity, of foods in the participants’ diet.

Also these results were recorded after merely ten days of following the paleo diet, so they were seen without the confounding factor of weight loss. When it comes to health, the paradigm of “a calorie is a calorie” doesn’t ring true. However, it isn’t wrong to assume that similar results would have been obtained by following a regular “clean” diet despite what some of the hardcore paleo proponents may tell you.”

So What Is The Paleo Diet?

The most concise answer I could find to explain it to you, is this, taken from The Paleo Diet website:

“Paleo is a simple dietary lifestyle that is based on foods being either in or out. In are the Paleolithic Era foods that we ate prior to agriculture and animal husbandry (meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, tree nuts, vegetables, roots, fruit, berries, mushrooms, etc.). Out are Neolithic Era foods that result from agriculture or animal husbandry (grains, dairy, beans/legumes, potatoes, sugar and fake foods).”

So that’s pretty easy right?

Think to yourself, “Would a Caveman Have Access To It?” If so, then it’s safe to eat.

As I’ve written before …

If you want a quick break down of what natural foods are, here’s the simple “eat this, don’t eat that” page from the Paleo website:

“Eat none of the following:

· Grains- including bread, pasta, noodles

· Beans- including string beans, kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, snow-peas and peas

· Potatoes

· Dairy products

· Sugar

· Salt

Eat the following:

· Meat, chicken and fish

· Eggs

· Fruit

· Vegetables (especially root vegetables, but definitely not including potatoes or sweet potatoes)

· Nuts, eg. walnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia, almond. Do not eat peanuts (a bean) or cashews (a family of their own)

· Berries- strawberries, blueberries, raspberries etc.

Try to increase your intake of:

· Root vegetables- carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, Swedes

· Organ meats- liver and kidneys (I accept that many people find these unpalatable and won’t eat them)

Expect some minor tuning problems- don’t worry, you can deal with them:

· It will take some time for your body to adjust to the changes after all these years. There is a huge surge in your vitamin intake. There is a huge decrease in your toxin intake.

· Start with breakfast for few days, as this is the easiest place to start as most people eat it at home, and it tends to be the least Paleolithic meal of the standard 3. For weight loss you will eventually need to reduce your carbohydrate intake, but ignore this initially as most people have high carb intakes and this can continue for the first few days that you are on this diet. If you reduce too quickly then you may fell unwell. Then move on to lunch or dinner for a few days and then to all 3 meals. If you work, you will often find it easier to take your lunch to work.

· Keep reading more about the diet- and read it again. Remember, there are many dietary myths that will need to be unlearned. Particularly, please read the section on fats several times. Knowledge on fats has exploded over the last decade and there is a realization in mainstream nutrition that omega 3 fats are critical to good health. It is very important to ensure that you have an adequate intake of these. The low fat diet craze of the 90’s was well intentioned but many people “threw out the baby with the bath-water”- most people reduced omega 3 fat intake as well as other fats, and sometimes even increased omega 6 fats. There is now a realization that the low fat diet theory of the 90’s doesn’t often work (it has about a 6% success rate like most other diets) and that the vast majority of the Western population need to increase their omega 3 intake and decrease their omega 6 intake. Even if you don’t end up on a Paleolithic Diet, you will benefit from a better appreciation of fats.”

Pretty simple, wouldn’t you agree? Basically, “If it didn’t grow out of the ground, off a tree, or you couldn’t kill it before hand… then don’t eat it!” another way to keep it simple is, “eat like a caveman“. And another simple way to think of it is: “if it comes out of a box — or it had to be created some how — don’t eat it!“

It’s amazing how far “common sense” eating like this can go. It makes sense because we’ve been eating this way for thousands (maybe even millions) of YEARS (farming, grains and all that is a very modern invention)

Change What You Eat, Change Your Life …

I’ve been experimenting with eating a lot better, more quality, natural foods lately and the results have been GREAT!

I’ve found I don’t need to worry so much about “dieting” or how much I’m really eating … AND … I’ve only done one or two cardio workouts in the past 3 or 4 months …

And you know what?

I’m actually leaner than ever. I’ll give you an update on all this after a little bit, but the results have been great.

So, if you’re looking for some “guidelines” on WHAT to eat, I’d say that starting with a Paleo based diet would be very good for you.

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Say Goodbye To Pregnancy Worries With This Breakthrough!

So I think I’ve found the perfect answer for guys who want to …

• Get super strong!
• Get massive size!
• Get absolutely shredded!
• And for the the best part?

Never Have To Worry About Birth Control!

Introducing: Testosterone!

I’ve long heard stories of guys who go on cycles losing their ability to father children, however I never thought about it being a legitimate form of birth control … until now.

Excuse my excitement, but this should be front page news!

Why am I just hearing about this now?

USA Today reports on a study that apparently showed up in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism…

“Injectable testosterone may be an effective form of male contraception, new research suggests.

Chinese researchers injected 1,045 healthy, fertile Chinese men aged 20 to 45 years with a 500 milligram formulation of testosterone undecanoate in tea seed oil once a month for 30 months …

… All of the study participants had a normal medical history and had fathered at least one child within two years of beginning the study. The female partners of the study participants, aged 18 and 38 years, also had normal reproductive function.

Results showed a contraceptive failure rate of 1.1 per 100 men in the 24-month efficacy phase, resulting in pregnancy. The researchers noted that no serious adverse events were reported in any of the men and, in all but two men, reproductive function returned to the normal fertile reference range.”

I’m Bad At Math, But That’s Like a 99% Success Rate Right?

Imagine that, if you did test, you could not only get strong, motivated, more zest for life, more muscle, more ambition, more sex drive, more everything … but also … you could also have a 99% effective form of birth control.

Combine that with all the other birth control options out there and you could severely sabotage your chances of ever leaving an heir to your family name, almost to the point of zero!

The Bad News For All Non-Asians …

According to a Times article on the same trial …

“according to several proof-of-concept studies, Asian men maintained a suppressed sperm count with greater frequency than Caucasians, but researchers still don’t know why …”

Hmm, so the therapy is slightly less effective on men that aren’t Asian …

That makes sense, after all, Asian men are the weaker race …

(For my Asian roommate, Paul, who’s reading this right now–GOTCHA!)

But did you also know Asians seem to have a higher tolerance for eating processed carbohydrates without gaining body fat? Yeah, so they got a little good and a little bad in the genes department — don’t we all!

Now here’s some math that really blows my mind …

+ More Testosterone = More Women – Less Babies!

Think about that for a minute …

Everything that extra testosterone can give you, women adore …

• Ambition
• Drive
• Sexual prowess
• Muscle
• Might
• Ability to hunt down wild animals, club them, drag them back to the cave, and skewer over an open fire …

AND the excess testosterone keeps you from accidentally starting families.

Seriously, What could be better than this and why haven’t I heard of it before?

The SERIOUSLY Bad News …

Apprently, for whatever reason, the “powers that be” have decided to stop funding big-pharma research into a male contraceptive like this.

Which means, we probably will never see a “legal”, commercially available testosterone based birth control product on the market.

So where does that leave you and I?

Well, I guess there’s always Hormone Replacement Therapy … or the well-known back-room gym equivalent … steroid cycles … but … I just don’t feel all that safe altering my hormone levels on the advice of just anyone.

So once again, I’m left with a deep, dark, emptiness inside that extra testosterone would surely blast away … yet … I can’t have that either. FML

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Mike Tyson, arguably one of the greatest boxers of all time reveals he is both scared to death and supremely confident before stepping into the ring:

And this vid from Arnold reveals the mindset you should have — mentally — to achieve success in anything:

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If you end up in the ring with Anderson Silva, here is your best groundfighting advice: "Lay down and play dead!"

In the past four years, MMA has become all the rage …

1. Lay on your back on the floor, legs straight out, holding a kettlebell in one arm. For demonstration purposes, lets say you are using your right arm. Your forearm should be close to vertical/perpendicular to the floor
2. Press the kettlebell up. Might be a good idea to use a light one first!
3. With your right arm up, bend your right knee to about a 90 degree angle–your right foot should be flat on the ground now
4. Extend your left arm out, as if you’re pointing to your left. Your arm should be flat on the ground.
5. Now, using your right foot to push, you are going to “roll” to your left, onto your left elbow. Once on your left elbow, push with your left arm, so you begin to sit up, leaning onto your left arm. Remember, your right arm needs to be pushing the kettlebell up! Keep that elbow locked!
6. Here is the tricky part! You need to get to a lunge position. At this point, your right leg is bent (foot on the ground), and your left leg is straight, laying flat against the ground. You need to get your left leg under you! You need to swing the left leg back, onto your left knee
7. Got it? It’s fairly simple, but takes a little flexibility and coordination. From this position,  you are in a standard lunge (left knee down, right foot down), with your right arm up, holding the kettlebell. From here, get up!

Getting back down is simple: do all the steps in the opposite.

Yes. He doesn't look impressive. But he has forgotten more ways to kill you than you'll ever know.

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For some reason, my suggestions on how to eat, sometimes fall on deaf ears …

Maybe it’s just cause it’s little ole’ me telling you what to eat. And maybe you think it only works for me? Maybe you don’t respect my opinion because I’m not a Doctor or nutritionist.

Well, to remedy that, today I’m going to hand it over to my good friend, Dr. Al Sears …

Here’s a combination of just a few of the good doctor’s articles where he shares his prescription for

• More health!
• More energy!
• More muscle!
• And less fat!

All the articles below are from Dr. Sear’s website. Take a it away Doc’ …

Ask Your Doctor for this Forgotten Fat Burner

Dear Health Conscious Reader,

In two words I’ll show you how to burn fat, build muscle and put an end to overeating.

More protein.

Protein gives you the feeling that you’re full, more so than carbs or fat. Protein boosts your sensitivity to a hormone called leptin. This hormone tells your brain that you’re full. As a result, you feel satisfied. Overeating stops.

Protein is important for both losing weight and gaining muscle. A very revealing study makes a point I always try to get across to my patients: People who increased their protein intake, lost fat and gained muscle.¹

In fact, the people who ate a high-protein diet lost seven pounds in six weeks. The group who followed a standard diet didn’t lose any weight. And, the high-protein group simultaneously gained twice as much muscle.

Here’s the good news… Foods that are protein rich are the best tasting. Meat and eggs are your best sources. If possible, eat grass-fed beef. The flavor is great and it’s far better for you because it has the right kinds of fats. If you eat commercial beef, find lean cuts or trim the fat yourself.

* The perfect food? *

Eggs are the perfect food. I eat them everyday. They are the “gold standard” by which we rate all other protein. This means that all of the amino acids are there in the ratios you need in one place. For best results, eat eggs that come from free-range chickens.

Health “experts” usually recommend 50 to 60 grams of protein a day. But Americans in general eat far too little protein. To reduce your appetite – and lose weight – try one gram of protein for every pound of lean muscle.

If you weigh 180 pounds, and have 20 percent body fat, you have 144 pounds of lean muscle mass. So shoot for 144 grams of protein a day. If you don’t know your body fat percentage, the average man can estimate between 15 to 18 percent and women 18 to 22 percent.

If you’re not getting enough protein, supplementing with protein powder can help. A protein shake especially after working out is a reliable way to boost your protein intake. Make sure the powder is pure protein. It should have no more than a few grams of carbs.

Eat Like a Pig And Still Lose Weight?

If you eat the RIGHT foods (aka. not McDonalds) then you CAN eat like a pig and actually lose weight. Proof below ...

At about the same time I was becoming more perplexed over why patients weren’t responding to restricting calories. I encountered a patient at the opposite extreme. We’ll call him S.T.

S. T. also weighed 170, the same as the young lady from your last letter. But S.T. wanted to gained weight. He had been told to put on more muscle he had to eat more protein. When this didn’t work, he added more protein. He continued until he came to see me, frustrated. He said, “Doc I’m up to eating like a pig 6 times a day. I’m stuffed all the time and I can’t gain a pound”

When I asked for a log of his food, I could hardly believe it. He ate a dozen egg whites a day. He ate 24 ounces of steak at a time, sometimes twice a day. He drank a 40 oz protein shake twice a day. In between meals, he would scarf down 36 oz of canned tuna and frequent pure protein snacks.

When I totaled the calories, he ate from 4500 and 5000 calories a day for the previous 12 weeks and his weight had gone down 6 pounds.

The answer must be in his exercise. But he said, “No Doc, I’m doing very little. I go to the gym 3 times a week but I do no cardio and I’m out of there in 20 minutes. I don’t want to burn the calories.”

Then it must be the difference in the rate these two individuals burn calories at rest or Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). But to account for this dramatic a difference the BMR would have to vary by more than 500%. The problem is, research has shown only marginal variation in BMR nowhere near that magnitude. Clearly, something else was at play.

* The Answer Was Staring Me in the Face *

What S.T. had done was discover by accident the most important principal of healthy weight loss. To make weight loss relatively easy and healthy you must over consume protein.

I mean you must eat more protein than your body is going to use. Why do this? Because this is what throws the metabolic switch. It tells your body that times are good. When times are good, it doesn’t need the stored fat. It can now burn it for other things.

I know that this is true from hundreds of patients that have proved it through their own results. If you want healthy weight loss, eat more than you requirement for protein.

Why this is true, I can only speculate. I suspect that this is nature’s way of knowing that the hunting is good. If you are getting more protein than you need the game is plentiful, your food source is secure. What do you need a lot of body fat for if you will eat again tomorrow?

* How to Get More than Your Requirement of Protein *

I recommend that you normally eat at least a half a gram of protein per pound of body weight.

If you are trying to become leaner, you should increase that to one gram per pound of body weight. For instance, if you are a 180-pound man you should eat 180 grams of protein per day during the time you are trying to make yourself lean. Once your goal is achieved, you can decrease it back to 90 grams per day.

For all of you nutritionists out there – Please don’t write to tell me that this is more protein than you need. I know that. That’s the point, to consume more protein than you will use.

I prefer lean sources of protein like steak, turkey, chicken and, perhaps the best source of lean protein – fish.

This is the key to effective fat loss. Remember your body sets your body fat at where it wants it. It has mechanisms with considerable power to maintain it.

It can shut down building new muscle or bone. It can down regulate your immune surveillance to conserve calories. It can decrease your metabolic rate or turn off repair mechanisms. This capacity to vary and control all of these processes is the most important determinant of whether your body fat goes up, down or stays the same.

In other words, your body will lose the fat if you prove it doesn’t need it. But if you try to force it to lose weight when it thinks it needs the fat, it will fight you tooth and nail –and in the end, it will win.

Build Muscle AND Burn Fat — At The Same Time!

Eat the right stuff and you can still lose fat and build muscle at the same time. 70's bodybuilder Serge Nubret picture here was said to about 2-3kg's of horse meat in one meal, which is about 300g of protein!

Men and women both ask me can they build muscle and at the same time burn fat. The answer is yes. It can be done but it’s not easy to do, and most people don’t know the secret.

Eating fewer carbs is key to getting lean. Yet, to gain muscle, your body needs more fuel than you usually get from a low-carb diet. But that doesn’t mean eating bread and pasta will get the results you want.

Today, I’ll show you how to get the best of both worlds. Get the muscle you want without the fat, heart disease, diabetes and poor health that comes from high carb foods.

* The Proof is in the Protein *

A very revealing new study shows a central point I always try to get across to my nutrition class at Barry University. People who ate a low-carb diet while raising their protein intake, lost fat andgained muscle.(1) In fact, the people who ate a low-carb, high-protein diet, lost seven pounds in six weeks. The group who followed a normal diet didn’t lose any weight. And, the high-protein group simultaneously gained twice as much muscle.

Protein is important for both losing weight and gaining muscle. Not only does it stimulate muscle growth, it can actually help your body burn fat. Protein creates an environment of abundance and good times in your body. You don’t need body fat if you will eat well again tomorrow. So, you will start to burn fat. A lack of protein does the opposite. It tells your body to store fat because your body fears famine.

Protein is your key to good health. Without it you’ll die. Carbs are a different story. Here’s something that might surprise you: your daily requirement of carbs is zero. You don’t need carbs at all. You can easily make carbs from fat or protein.

For years, the USDA’s food pyramid has been the model for the American diet. But by telling us to eat so many grains, carbs and starchy foods, we became the fattest nation on earth. The high carb diet causes problems with exercise too.

A recent study found that people eating high carb diets lowered the effectiveness of their exercise. When they started to lose weight, they lost muscle along with the fat. In some cases, muscle loss was as high as 30%.(2)

The same study revealed dramatic results for those on a protein rich diet. They lost more weight than the high carb dieters did. In addition, almost 100% of the weight they lost was pure fat. This means it’s a lot easier to lose that “spare tire” around your mid section. A high protein diet dramatically lowers your triglycerides as well. The combined effect is great for your heart.

* A Few Simple Tips for Getting More Protein*

The good news is: Foods that are protein rich are the best tasting. Meat and eggs are your best sources. If possible, eat grass-fed beef. The flavor is great and it’s far better for you because it has the right kinds of fats. When you eat commercial beef, find lean cuts or trim the fat yourself.

Eggs are the perfect food. I eat them everyday. They are the “Gold Standard” by which we rate all other protein. This means that all of the amino acids are there in the ratios you need in one place. For best results, eat eggs that come from free-range chickens.

If you’re not getting enough protein, supplementing with protein powder can help. A protein shake especially after working out is a reliable way to boost your protein intake. Make sure the powder is pure protein. It should have no more than a few grams of carbs.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

(1) Phinney S. Ketogenic diets and physical performance. Nutrition & Metabolism. Aug 2004. 1:2

(2) Layman D, et al. Dietary Protein and Exercise Have Additive Effects on Body Composition during Weight Loss. J. Nutr. 135:1903-1910, August 2005

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Get A Body Like Kim Kardashian With These Tips!

If you’re a woman and you want to know how to get that ultra-sexy … “just right” … combination of a toned body and curves in all the right places … just like Kim Kardashian … then you’ll discover exactly what you need to do right here in this article!

I’ve written before about how women can get a sexy body … so … today, I just want to share what Kim Kardashian does that works for her, and you can see that she’s been following a lot of the same advice I’ve been sharing.

First, Relax … Nobody is Perfect!

Even though I’d rate Ms. Kim up there on the “perfect” scale … just like all women … she still deals with body issues (just like all of “us”).

Kim has her own least and most favorite body parts …

“My least favorite body part is my thighs, and my favorite body part is my butt!”

And she still worries how she looks in a bikini:

“When they shot those photos of me and Reggie Bush at the pool, I was so worried what my butt was going to look like”

Just so you have a picture for reference, this is how the pictures turned out:

I think her booty looks fine! So don't worry about your "trouble spots" either! Just workout, diet and be confident!

So RELAX …

No matter who you are, nobody feels they’re perfect and we all deal with our “issues”.

Next, Eat Real Foods As Much As Possible …

Kim’s trainer shares her secrets for keeping that slim, sexy figure …

“I’m very much about real food, I want you to choose food closest to the source … I encourage Kim to have foods in their most natural state” …

Kim admits she has a really bad sweet tooth, but just a simple re-arrangement of how she eats helps to keep her from overeating too much sugar:

“I used to eat dessert first … she’s trained me to eat the salads and protein first, then if I’m still hungry I can have some dessert”

That’s an easy and simple tip eh?

Here’s a picture of Kim and her sister. Notice they both have different body types, but these tips work for everyone!

Kim and her sister have different body types. But we're all more alike than different, these tips work for everyone!

And Of Course, Resistance Training Is VITAL!

Kim maintains that resistance training is vital to the way she looks …

“I think weight training is essential to keep that muscle toned, you don’t want to look flabby. It is something I want to increase. I want to be firmer.”

Kim shared that she didn’t want to look like a big bodybuilder, and that she felt lifting lighter weights would help achieve a slimmer look … but THANKFULLY … her trainer stepped in and shared this info:

“I used to train an actress, Julianne Phillips, who was very thin and trim, but she could lift huge amounts of weight for her size. But she never bulked up. Here’s the key: if you see your body change in a direction you don’t want to go, change things …”

I’ll step in here and tell you how to NEVER get bulky ladies …

Ready?

• If you lift heavier weights, avoid the higher volume of 3 sets of 10 reps. 3 sets of 3-5 reps is plenty for strength and tone …
• Don’t eat a lot. Pretty simple. If you don’t provide extra calories, it’s really hard to “bulk up”.
• Remember, guys that get really big from lifting weights try REALLY hard to get that way! They lift a lot, and they eat even MORE … so much more … so don’t worry!

Resistance Training Is Vital For a Great Bikini Body!

Lastly, You Gotta Squat!

You want tight, firm thighs?

You want a tush that’s perky and peppy?

You want to get a lower body, legs, hips and a butt that gets you the nickname “gostosa“?

Then you gotta squat baby!

Kim Kardashian’s trainer says it’s the secret to Kim’s beautiful bottom:

“I coined the phrase from the top of the thigh, to below the butt is the “buh-thigh”. The squat, done properly, is one of the best lower body exercises you can do. Forward lunges, backward lunges, deadlifts, for your hamstrings … anything that targets the glutes and targets the legs is good.”

Now, for the PROOF …

PROOF Squatting Gives Girls a Body That Can Only Be Described As "Gostosa".

It’s Almost Like I Know What I’m Talking About, Huh?

For more information on how to train to get a sexy body ladies … check these out:

1. Fast Weight Loss For Women
2. Muscle Building Tips For Women
3. Workout Routines For Women

So there you go babe, get to building that perfect body with these tips from Kim Kardashian and myself

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So I’ve posted before about how awesome Will Smith is, in my post Will Smith On Success — Just Running & Reading …

Well it turns out Big Willy has got even more wisdom to share.

Watch The Video Below and Put It To Use!

And after you watch it, leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite piece of advice was?

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It's true ...

If you ever try to achieve a big goal … improve your life … or step outside your comfort zones … you’re going to eventually get knocked to the ground, stomped on and kicked in the teeth by life.

This is what you do when that happens

How I *Spectacularly* Bombed Out Of My First Powerlifting Meet …

Late last year, I decided to compete in my first powerlifting meet (a competition where you attempt to lift the most amount of weight possible in the squat, bench press and deadlift)

If you’ve seen my other posts, I’m no superman, but not that weak for my size … I was expecting to do well.

In addition to that, I decided to lose 23lbs to drop into a lower weight class to further help my score.

What happened ?

First, I Lost 23lbs in 14 Days …

I’ll share how I did this later, because I’m sure there’s a lot of people who want to know this

Also, in order to increase my strength, masculinity and overall badassness I shaved what little beard I had to reveal a super manly mustache.

(In previous efforts, the addition of a mustache has led to more weight lifted, more endurance, more women in my bed, etc so I was very optimistic with the addition of this “upgrade”)

And I continued training for the competition and was feeling good and expecting to do well …

Then, the unthinkable happened …

The Day Of The Competition …

The first exercise in the competition is the squat. I picked a weight to “open” with that I could easily do triples with in the gym, figuring this would be easy to lift for my first attempt (you get to do three different weights/attempts).

So when it was time to do the thing, I walked up and set up under the bar for the squat … walked it out … got a big belly full of air … sat back into the squat … hit the depth I needed … started to come up … and …

The Bar Would NOT Move!

I was flatlined right in the “Transition” of the squat, half way up half way down, the bar — no matter how hard I pressed into the floor with my feet and drove into it with my upper back, just stayed in place.

The weirdest feeling ever.

I had to rack it, missed lift.

Then I got a couple more chances …

“If at first you don’t succeed” …

Try and try again right?

Luckily, you get 3 attempts at each weight.

So I got up there again, went for it again and the same thing happened. Wouldn’t go past that point.

Then one more time, and the same results.

The bottom line? I BOMBED out of my first competition … not even able to lift a weight I could easily lift for multiple sets in the gym just weeks before.

When It Rains It Pours …

To add insult to injury:

• My brother, a former powerlifter, showed up and watched me fail
• My mom, drove to see my first competition, and watched me fail
• My nephew and niece not only saw me fail, but my nephew asked, “Why did you give up?” when I didn’t do it
• My training partners, Jabba the Bench, Brucie and Brett who got up before 5am to drive me there all saw me fail
• My dad, showed up a little late, missed seeing me fail, but got to hear about it

So what did I do?

WTF? Getting Pissed and Recovery …

The first thing I do when I fail … and believe me … I have a LOT of experience at failing … is I go quiet.

In those first couple moments, I want NOTHING MORE than to be left alone to my own thoughts. To consider my performance, what I did, what I didn’t do and what could have gone wrong.

This is usually not able to be accomplished when you have people around you supporting you. God bless these people but the LAST thing I want to hear is “you did a good job!” after a failure.

All it causes for me is extreme annoyance. I just like to be left alone. I try not to be a dick at this point, but a lot of times I answer people short and with obvious annoyance.

I’m not saying this is the right way to do it, or that I’m even remotely proud of it, just being honest …

But, after dealing with other people, I try to get a moment to myself to figure out what happened. And then …

I Get Really Pissed At Myself. Temporarily.

I get pissed that I lost. That I failed.

In the words of a really successful guy I forgot the name of, “winners are not good losers” because they want to win.

But here’s the thing …

You can NOT stay in this mode.

Set yourself a TIME LIMIT to be pissed, angry at your performance or depressed …

Depending on the loss and amount of teeth that were kicked in by life, this period of time can last a few minutes for me to a few days.

For this competition? About 10 mins and I was good.

(It didn’t look like that to the people I was with because I was moving on to the next part, where I get quiet again …)

Then I go back to …

Figuring Out Why It Didn’t Work …

With a clearer mind, not influenced by my emotions, it’s time to think.

Go over what I did, didn’t do, my peformance, etc … all that stuff again …

That’s what you do. You figure out why it didn’t work this time and mentally prepare for your next attempt (in this case, at a later date because I bombed out of the competition).

That’s what you gotta do man.

Fail. Get Pissed. Get Over It. Re-group and Refocus.

That’s all you got to do to get over getting knocked down, stomped on and kicked in the teeth by life.

Welcome the process because you’re going to be going through it a lot if you ever try to accomplish anything of worth in this life.

Then you can have some fun with people …

For example:

Tell your weightlifting buddies that you’re quitting powerlifting, shaving your body hair, taking up bodybuilding and doing fitness competitions because powerlifting is gay and so is lifting weights …

Then you can wait to see if they believe you or not

Let’s Recap …

• Life is hard, you get knocked down a lot
• If you try to do ANYTHING with your life, you’ll get knocked down MORE and kicked in the teeth by life
• When it happens, it usually SUCKS really bad
• Don’t supress your emotions, feel them, accept them, experience them fully …
• Then get over it
• And with a clear mind, examine the circumstances, regroup and plan your next attack
• Never give up

That’s pretty much it. So next time life kicks you in the teeth, I hope this helps

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Tiger Muay Thai! Represent!

When we left off, me and Alex (my GOOD friend … unlike the one that didn’t come … who shall not be named … YET!), were sitting here and I was typing this blog post while we waited to go meet the trainers.

You see, we paid more to get private training from some of the trainers. Little slips that you give the trainers that give you an hour of one-on-one time with them. This is a good thing, because you get more personalized attention — the teachings always the same, etc.

One thing people who’ve never trained at a martial arts school don’t realize is every single trainer is going to be different, even at the same school and the same martial arts style. They all have a “slightly” different way of teaching you something. One says “twist more with your wrist this way”, the other says “don’t”, etc …

So it’s good to try and keep things “same, same” as much as possible for accelerated learning.

After meeting the trainers, we come back to the house and start doing the only thing serious rock-n-rolla’s (“a real rock n’ rolla”) would do … we worked on the Jack Daniels n’ got in some smokin’!

Now, I know it might come as a serious surprise to some of you, that I occasionally partake of the smoking habit — however, from reading my other posts such as How To Drink Alcohol While Building Muscle and Losing Fat, maybe it’s not such a surprise?

If it makes you feel any better, I’ll do a post later about the benefits of natural, organic, tobacco.

Anyways, Onward!

Our temporary room came with two other people, Swedish they are, one man and one female. I could tell this when we arrived past midnight the first night because of the cute little pink flip flops with flowers on them. Ahhh, women

Quick Lesson In Gaming Girls Who Are With A Guy Already …

So we’re drinking and smokin’ and the two roomies come back. When I get the eye contact from the guy I immediately say hello and introduce ourselves, etc (when a guy is with a girl you want to talk to, always talk to the guy first, it puts him at ease, the girl at ease and he’ll be less likely to C*ck-block you later!)

Small talk follows, etc. He goes away to shower (because he wants a hot shower, he has to go next door) and we invite the girl to party later because she doesn’t drink whiskey (pity for her). So the most logical thing to do is go out with us and drink whatever it is she drinks.

What You Should Know About Eating In Thailand …

Here’s the only thing I’m not liking about this country so far. It’s not friendly to eating “anabolically” that is, in the states I survive on fat and protein — mostly red meat and not much else (save some veggies, etc) — while the weekends I eat like a pig of everything.

Here: the menu is mostly all chicken and fish. Very little beef I’m noticing. Is this because little chickens and those damn crowing roosters are so small and easier to farm and everywhere? I dunno, but maybe?

Anyways, we call this cabbie guy we met who is very cool and speaks good English. He takes us down to Rawai Beach because we wants the foodies and the bar. And we end up at this huge seafood place. Or maybe it looked huge because we were the only ones currently there.

No matter! We got to see some pretty cool ish’ when they let us pick the fish we wanted to eat, and the crab for the lady, and much hilariousness ensued while the fish jumped out of the baskets …

Why I’m Not a Big Fan Of Fish …

It’s not that I don’t like fish, it’s pretty good tasting, etc but I don’t like to die.

And when you’re drunk and you are eating fish that still have the bones in them, as ours did …

Notice the fish is whole, bones, eyeballs and all!

… then you could easily kill yourself choking on the little bones there. By the way, I’m not sure how you say “hot sauce” in Thai, but all it translated to for our waiter was “salt”.

Bar Hoppin’ In Thailand!

We finished eating and started walking to find a bar. We stopped to get some smokes and then our driver drove by and picked us up.

Speaking of smoking being unhealthy, did you know that in Thailand, instead of a “Sergeant Genereral’s Warning” on the box, they just take a picture of some unlucky soul who is dying from a smoking-induced death?

Seriously, check it out (I think this one is warning against lung disease?) …

We try to drunkingly convince our cabbie driver to come drink with us at the bar he chooses, but he protests with some nonsense about alcohol interfering with his job driving people around.

No matter!

We make it to the bar and start sippin on some Tiger beer. I think I’ve had it back in the states but it seems more “Thai” here.

The bartenders are all women and all cool and all speak pretty good English so after much flirting they start eating Grasshoppers. WTF?

So I tried one …

But her face was the best (she actually liked them, I think she just winced at the flash on the camera) …

TIP FOR GUYS: If you’re ever talking to a girl who you want to flirt with, or run out of things to say and she speaks a different language (even if it’s not in another country, and she just speaks a little) — try this — it always works for me:

ME: “How do you say ‘ You are so cute’ ?”

HER: ” Blah blah (in her foreign tongue) ”

ME: “Awww! Thank you ”

Say it with a big smile, overly-exagerrate the fact you’re flirting and then wait for her to punch you in the arm after laughing. It’s on after that (if you so choose) …

Alex’s New Thing: Narcolepsy …

So we have a new tradition now. We go out drinking and Alex falls asleep upright in his chair. Usually with a cigarette in his mouth …

I Almost Forgot! Lady Boys!

So, everyone was busting my balls before I left for Thailand because apparently lady boys are a big thing over here. For those not in the “know”, a lady boy is a Thai man who is usually effeminate and has had one or more procedures to get to lookin like a lady.

I THINK I identified one at the bar we were at. I don’t think He/she worked there, but I’m not sure. It could of been either way.

I did like our cute bartender, who I was pretty sure was 100% female, even though she ate bugs.

And of course, I really liked the Swedish girl we took out with us

Wakin Up Early, A.K.A. Train Muay Thai In 90% Humidity While Hung Over!

So 6:30am rolled around a little too quickly … especially since I was …  *ahem* … up late … “talking” … with the lovely swedish girl … but I’ve found when you’re on a vacation and you have tons of rad things to do, you have energy no matter what.

Plus, the fact that it’s already sunny and hot that early in the morning helps you wake up easy. It was off to the one temperature coldish shower (which also helps you wake up!) and up to the Camp at 7am to do some Yoga for an hour.

Now, I’m not big on running for cardio, especially for fighters, so I took the yoga class in the morning. They have a running class the same time, which I’ll probably end up doing at least every other day maybe in later weeks just to train more “Thai”.

Muay Thai VS Taekwondo …

So I made my way to the advanced ring, but a trainer seeing it was my first day there, had me show him the basic Thai Kickboxing moves, etc … and … promptly sent me to the beginner’s area.

The thing is: every style is different and with over 12 years experience in Taekwondo, I kick like that type of fighter, etc.

The differences are many but among them is we kick and put our foot down in front so you’re always moving forward, Thai boxing you put it back behind you or occasionally continue with the momentum for a full turn … and of course … in Taekwondo there’s no boxing with the hands, knees or elbows.

So it was 8am-10:30ish of Muay Thai Basic Techniques, etc then 3 rounds of pad work with the trainers, 3 rounds of bag work and 3 rounds of boxing sparring (light) with 10 pushups in between every round. Then ending the class with 300 situps and another 100 pushups.

One-On-One With My Trainer …

I go home, get some water, shower, (take some super secret supplements) and redress to meet up for the one-on-one training for an hour or so. I like this guy, he’s got cool long hair and seems to know his stuff. He’s 45 but looks 35. Trained for over 20 years with over 155 fights. Soooo … he knows his stuff.

Anyways, he holds pads while I kick a few times then immediately says I’m not a beginner and I tell him Taekwondo, etc and he’s like “OOOOH” then he says I’ll just have to tweak a few things and it’ll be no problem. Change the little differences, re-wire some habits, etc.

It goes good, sweaty, and whatnot then it’s over. I go home and try to nap, but no use. So I do some work instead.

What’s For Dinner? Even More Muay Thai!

So 4 o’clock rolls around and it’s Muay Thai sparring technique (combinations), pads, bagwork, and light kickboxing sparring for about another three hours or so. Then the aforementioned F*ckload of pushups (100) and situps (300) my stomach was starting to cramp up after that one.

It’s fight night so all the trainers bail and go to watch that after class ends along with most of the students. We didn’t have the right amount of money on us and me and Alex are pretty tired by this point so we just decide to go grab something to eat (find some Red meat!) and then go to bed.

So yea, unlike a rock-n-rolla, I crashed around 9pm ish last night

“Well, I Was Going To Take Off Saturdays …”

That’s what I told my trainer. But Thai Fighters train Monday through Saturday. Plus, he wants to get me ready (for what? Ah! You shall see later!) so this morning I get up at 6:30am again (after laying in bed trying to sleep for a couple hours) and we get some breakfast and coffee — GOD I love Coffee

By the way, what’s missing from this picture again?

Here’s a hint: this person, who is not on this trip, though should of come, says stuff that makes me and Alex give him that “C’mon Man! Are You SERIOUS???” face all the time!

Then it’s back to the room, I catch a nap and one-on-one with my trainer at 11:30 again. It’s hot. It’s sweaty. I’m pretty sore from the situps/pushups the day before (though not as much as I thought I would — but that’s the thing about DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) it usually takes a few days)

SORENESS TIP: The workout will actually help the soreness although many people still believe that you should not workout while sore, when you do the same movements, it pumps nutrient-rich blood back into the area and speeding recovery. Just take it a little easier if possible. either way, your body will adapt.

However, the bruises on my shins from kicking with those and blocking with them (we try to get out of the way with TKD and kick with our feet instead) are gonna take some getting used to. I was actually surprised to find that they kind of “numbed up” about half way through the first round on the thai pads.

Things I’ve Learned, Random Thoughts So Far …

• It’s hot here. I love it, and you always get a good sweat when training. Sersiously, it looks like you just got out of the shower but your muscles stay warm and you get plenty of sweating which is good for detox …
• Nutrition is important. All the trainers are skinny, probably because it’s a low-protein/low-fat diet in general around here. I bought a little milk to drink in between sessions to hold me over till my big meal at night for help with this …
• The kids here are BEASTS! I was talkin to a trainer about his brother who is 15 and been training for 8 years already. The kids are relentless.
• Thais respect speed power and fitness. If you have those three things they’ll probably like you. It seems, to me at least (and no dis-repsect to the trainers or anyone here) that Muay Thai is about being really effing tough and just beating on each other till one gives up. The training reflects that, high volume kicks, punches, knees, calisthenics, bag work, pad work, sparring, etc. A little too much “quantity over quality” for me … but … you can’t argue with results can you?
• I love foreign women. I can’t wait to meet a Thai Girl.

So that’s about it, I’m chillen on our porch writing this article and gonna try to meet up with a friend for hanging out the rest of the day. I won’t train tomorrow (Sunday) and I’ll try to get a massage either today or tomorrow to try n’ speed recovery a little and of course get some more calories in before Monday as well.

Overall, I love this country so far, the weather is amazing, it’s sunny all day and rains while you sleep, and the people are nice, down-to-earth and awesome too

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