Today, President Obama welcomed my hometown Baltimore Ravens to the White House to congratulate the team on its Super Bowl win over the 49ers earlier this year.

For all of us long suffering Ravens fans out there, this win was amazing…and I think it tasted even sweeter than our Super Bowl win in 2000 because we came so close so many times…

Literally year after year our team had high expectations only to have great season after great season end in bitter heartbreak…

2006: lost to the Colts in the Divisional Round (awesome when a team you hate beats you then wins the Super Bowl)

2007: I have completely erased this year from my memory (does anyone remember anything about the 2007 season? guys?)

2008: lost to the Steelers in the AFC Title Game (it doesn’t get any worse than this)

2009: lost to the Colts in the Divisional Round (the colts are seriously getting annoying now)

2010: lost to the Steelers in the Divisional Round (at least the packers beat these guys. suicide watch over)

2011: lost to the Patriots in the AFC Title Game (the most heartbreaking way to lose ever)

…but all of that heartbreak has turned into tears of joy because those guys kept grinding and finally got over the hump.

Always keep your eyes on the prize baby!

As Coach Kriese (my coach at Clemson) used to tell our team all of the time: “Breakdown before Breakthrough”…meaning you can’t experience massive success without experiencing the grind, the pain, the suffering, etc.

Look, we all want to win life’s ‘Super Bowl’…but the road to success is never easy and you’re going to experience a ton of heartbreak, setbacks, disappointments, adversity, and some painful losses along the way…

…so when life kicks your ass and beats you down…keep fighting…never give up…and always keep your eyes on the prize.

Eventually, all of your hard work, sacrifice and dedication will lead to a major breakthrough — so stay focused, keep grinding and always rememember: PERSEVERANCE BUILDS CHAMPIONS.

Go Ravens.

The post Breakdown Before Breakthrough | The 2012 Ravens appeared first on PerfectBodyRX.com.

Guns, pipes, pythons, you know the deal.

All guys want em’, but not ever guy will ever claim em’.

Jacked, ripped, intimidating, and dare I say SEXY, arms…

Arms that intimidate other guys…

Arms that make the ladies swoon…

Arms that make people turn their heads and say “holy shit look at that guy”…

It pains me to say this, but most guys will never be able to get their arms to grow…

Why?

Simple.

Because it’s hard.

Of course, just about every dude in the gym these days wants to get bigger arms…but it’s a lot easier said than done.

Let’s face it, if it was easy to get swole arms…just about every dude on the planet would be walking around with arms busting out of their shirts right now and there wouldn’t be a million ‘how to get bigger arms’ articles online.

Now, I don’t have the most jacked arms in the world…I have no problem admitting that…

BUT I think that if Muscle & Fitness uses your pic in a ‘How To Get Bigger Arms’ article, you should AT LEAST be able to rock the sleeveless anytime you want without anyone giving you shit about it, right?

CLICK HERE for a bad ass Arm Workout from Muscle & Fitness

But I digress.

Here are a few of my best tips how to build bigger arms:

Note: If you’re just starting out, have arms smaller than 15 inches or so, don’t squat, don’t deadlift, or haven’t been training seriously for at least a year or two…you don’t need to worry about trying to get bigger arms just yet. In fact, you should close this page right now and go search for a ‘how to squat heavier’ or ‘how to deadlift’ article instead so you don’t waste your time or mine. I’m not trying to diss you here, but rather telling you that you should focus on getting bigger & stronger using compound movements as your foundation first. THEN, after you have a few years of solid training under your belt, come back, re-read this page and try to get your arms bigger. So if you’re a beginner, skinny hard-gainer, tire-kicker, or poser…this article is not for you. Serious arms training would be a complete waste of your time.

Anyway, now that I’ve pissed off all of my skinny beginner readers, here are the tips :-/

1) Increase Volume & Frequency

As much as none of us want to admit it, we all notice (to a point) what types of workouts most of the regular members at our gyms are doing…it’s hard NOT to notice sometimes…and honestly NONE OF US want to be ‘THAT GUY’ in the gym who trains arms two or three times a week. It’s just not cool.

You just don’t want to be the ‘oh yeah he trains arms all of the time LOL’ guy…because it kind of makes you look and feel like a poser. But you know what? That’s what it takes. You’ve got to keep your volume high if you want your arms to grow. So screw what all of the cornball haters at your gym have to say.

By keeping your volume high you’ll create a ton of muscle damage, which in turn, helps hypertrophy (muscle growth) happen efficiently. Since the arms are a smaller body part (compared to legs or back), they can take a greater pounding and generally recover faster, so you can hit them with more frequency and volume without any significant negative reactions.

(PRO TIP: the worst negative reactions you will probably experience will be all of the dudes hating on your new set of jacked pipes)

I like to train arms once or twice per week and hit each (biceps & triceps) for about 6-10 sets & 8-12 reps with 45-60 seconds between sets (I’ve found that optimal growth lies in that range). Sometimes I’ll go up to 20 reps but it just depends on my training goals at the time.

Note: you will start to see diminishing returns after about 6-8 weeks when following a specialized high volume/frequency arm training plan, so never train like this for longer than two months in a row.

2) Focus On Time Under Tension & Tempo

Time under tension is just a super nerdy way of saying “this is how long it takes your muscles to move the weight during a set”. What you’ll want to do here is use working sets that are long enough to produce effects that will help your arms grow (effects such as: massive, muscular arms that are busting out of your shirt and hot girls wanting to touch your biceps every chance they get). Keep it real, that’s what you’re reading this article for, right? The ‘effects’.

When I train arms I like to keep my sets between 30 to 60 seconds each (I keep track of the length with a timer). Next, I’ll try to maintain a good tempo for the entire movement. For example, on each rep I will use a 4-0-1 tempo where the first number (4 in this case) refers to the lowering phase of the exercise, the next number (zero) is the pause, and the third number (one) is the lift.

So if you’re doing curls at 4-0-1, you would take 4 seconds to lower the weight, no pause at the bottom; then take 1 second to lift. That full rep equals 5 seconds and if you do 8-12 reps you will fall within the recommended 30 to 60 second range.

8 X 5 = 40 seconds. 12 X 5 = 60 seconds. (But you knew that math already, right bro?)

3) Keep Things Simple

These days it’s so easy to get caught up in ‘science’ and ‘research’ and ‘high tech’ training stuff that we often forget about the basics. Honestly, if you want to get bigger arms, the basic strategy is relatively simple: Eat more food and lift heavier weights. Duh. You don’t need a scientist or ‘expert’ to tell you that, right?

When I train arms I like to stick to the regular stuff like: barbell curls, dumbbell curls, hammer curls, chin-ups, and EZ bar curls when I train biceps; and close grip bench, dips (ring/parallel), rack lockouts, push-downs, floor presses, board presses, and extensions when I train triceps. You can worry about all of the fancy stuff later.

In my experience, I’ve found that the basic movements work best, so I strongly recommend you stick with those. As my college coach used to say: “Regular stuff is good enough…”

Good luck with your training, be sure to pound ‘LIKE’ if you enjoyed this article and share it with your friends.

Jamin

PS – Arm training articles are great, but they can only take you so far — so if you’re looking for a specialized program to help you build more muscle (including bigger arms), I highly recommend Muscle Gaining Secrets by Jason Ferruggia.

PPS – For all of you skinny beginner readers who kept reading when I advised you to close the page, I applaud you. Now, take all of the anger you have towards me and use it to your benefit when you’re doing squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and military presses later. I’m out!

The post How To Get Bigger Arms | Arm Workout appeared first on PerfectBodyRX.com.

Argentinean style steak is one of my favorite healthy dishes, and it’s really easy to make. Below is an excellent Argentine Steak with Chimichurri recipe for you to try from the Metabolic Cooking Cookbook by Dave Ruel & Karine Losier. It took me about 25 minutes to make the entire thing.

Note: There are a ton of different variations of this recipe out there (depending what part of Argentina you’re in) but the basics are below. I modified the Metabolic Cooking recipe a bit based on my own experiences, travels, and preferences. Feel free to experiment with your own combinations such as: substituting lime juice for lemon juice, white wine vinegar for red wine vinegar; eliminating the garlic, red pepper, or swapping out various other secondary ingredients. Just be sure to keep your base in there (oregano, olive oil, and parsley) and you should be fine.

Ingredients:

Steak:
Two 4 oz sirloin steaks (I prefer skirt steak)

Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce:
1/3 cup olive oil
1-2 cups chopped parsley (I prefer flat leaf Italian parsley)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
3 to 5 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons minced onion
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea-salt

Directions
1. Combine olive oil, parsley, oregano, garlic, red pepper, onion, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and sea salt. Mix in a serving bowl.
2. Trim excess fat from the steak and season both sides with black pepper.
3. Grill steak for 3-4 minutes on each side over medium-high heat.
4. Place steak on a cutting board and let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
5. Cut into thin strips (slice across the grain).
6. Serve with Chimichurri Sauce (drizzle over steak).

Per Serving
Calories: 274
Protein: 35g
Carbs: 2g
Fat :14g

Pro Tip: You can use the chimichurri as a marinade or sauce for just about any type of meat (chicken, fish, steak, pork, etc) and it even goes well with roasted veggies and potatoes.

Try this delicious Argentine Steak recipe out sometime and be sure to let me know how you like it. Also, if you enjoyed this recipe be sure to check out the Metabolic Cooking Website as it has over 250 healthy recipes just like this one that you may also enjoy.

The post Argentine Steak appeared first on PerfectBodyRX.com.

Let’s face it…eating boiled, sodium-less, tasteless, rubbery, chicken, broccoli, and brown rice (or even worse, Tilapia & asparagus) meals every day when you’re trying to get or stay fit SUCKS.

My advice is not to do it.

Why?

Because it SUCKS. Duh.

Now, I LOVE to eat, but I absolutely HATE eating “healthy” crap every day that tastes gross just to try to get or stay ripped.

It was kinda cool back in the day…but eating tastless “healthy” crap day in and day out is a surefire way to fail on your diet.

I mean…how long can you last eating dry, tastless, nasty, food before you “crack” and have a weekend binge…or worse…completely fall off the wagon and pound junk food for days…or even weeks?

Will you last a week? A month? 12 weeks? Then what?

Luckily for you there is a much better (and easier) way to stay on track and hit your fat loss goals without torturing yourself.

In fact, there are a TON of healthy recipes out there that taste great and won’t ruin your abs…

One of those recipes (and one of my personal favorites) is the following Asian Turkey Burger Recipe – compliments of my friends Karine Losier and Dave Ruel, aka The Lean Kitchen Queen and The Muscle Cook from www.MetabolicCookingRecipes.com.

(Actually, I stole this recipe out of the new Metabolic Cooking 2.0 Cookbook for you but don’t tell Dave or Karine lol)

Asian Turkey Burger Recipe – From The Metabolic Cooking 2.0 Cookbook.

Makes 3 Servings (3 Burgers)

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey (i prefer organic white meat turkey)
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl.
2. With clean hands, squeeze it together until it’s very well combined.
3. Divide into three equal portions and form into burgers about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick.
4. Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Place over medium-high heat.
6. Cook the burgers for about 5 minutes per side until cooked through.

Nutritional Facts

(Per Serving)

Calories: 184
Protein: 33g
Carbohydrates: 4g
Fat: 4g

——-

Do yourself a favor and go hit up the grocery store n’ stock up on the ingredients for this amazing Asian Turkey Burger Recipe TODAY(if you don’t have them already) and whip this baby up for yourself to try.

Trust me, you’ll LOVE IT

Enjoy,
Jamin

PS – POUND LIKE if you actually ‘Liked’ this tasty recipe (and for extra cool points, share this post with your friends on Facebook or tweet it to your followers).

PPS – If you like this recipe and want to get your hands on 249 more great tasting healthy meals just like it you should head over to the Metabolic Cooking 2.0 website (www.MetabolicCookingRecipes.com) right now to download your copy of Dave & Karine’s recipe books.

PPS – The main package actually comes with several “mini” cookbooks that categorizes the recipes by snacks, side dishes, fish + poultry, vegetarian, red meats, desserts and many more!

It’s pretty rad actually and I think you’ll love it. Don’t take my word for it though, check it out for yourself here.

The post Asian Turkey Burger Recipe appeared first on PerfectBodyRX.com.

Let’s face it, prisoners are some of the most jacked dudes on the planet.

Yep…they’re gym “freaks”…which is kind of ironic considering how many FREE men out there make lame excuses about why they have weak, flabby physiques…

…and every time I hear guys make lame excuses for their failure(s) in the gym (aka lack of dedication and commitment) I just chuckle to myself on the inside and think about how the average inmate is twice as jacked as this guy…

…twice as jacked without having access to weights, eating a diet that’s comprised mostly of processed food/high fat/barely any protein, literally no access to supplements, and can’t purchase designer workout programs online.

All prisoners usually have to train with are some lame water bags, basic bodyweight exercises, and perhaps a pull-up bar if they’re lucky.

Yet they are still twice as jacked as most guys you see at the gym every day…

Interesting.

Now, prison workouts aren’t anything new; they have been around for literally hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

We’ve all seen pictures or perhaps watched Lockup on MSNBC and seen countless prisoners in amazing physical shape…

…and I’m sure at some point we have all wondered “how the hell do these dudes get so jacked with minimal equipment, no expensive whey protein, and terrible food?”

They literally have almost NOTHING to work with…but there are a few things that separate these bad dudes from the rest of us normal dudes. They are training to survive.

Just imagine being chained up and locked up for 10 or 20 years (or more)…surrounded by dark concrete walls, an impenetrable cage with thick metal bars, barbed wire, violent psychopaths, and armed guards who are constantly on edge…

Now imagine having to go to the “Yard” to train each day…instead of going to your plush, air-conditioned gym, with the fancy equipment and hot chicks in yoga pants…

I’ve never been to the “Yard” (or ever been to jail for that matter) but I hear it can be a very intimidating place…a place where prisoners can get jumped, stabbed, and even killed. It is literally hell on earth – and yet these guys still go out there each day and train with one thing on their minds. Survive.

It’s kill or be killed out there, so these guys HAVE to get big. They HAVE to get strong. They HAVE to train hard. They HAVE to build their bodies for combat.

In a violent world where the weak get eaten alive and only the strong survive…the one thing that can separate a ‘Lion’ from a ‘Gazelle’ who gets eaten is that guys prison workout.

And trust me…you’ll never hear one of these guys crying about “being too tired to train” or “being sore”…or making up any other lame excuse to sit around and chill…

These guys are training to be ass kickers, so they have no choice but to just man up and train like freaks. The ultimate goal is survival. They aren’t lifting to look pretty at the beach or impress some random chick at the gym. They attack their workouts with a relentless aggression because they want to (and NEED to) be bigger, stronger, faster, and more mentally tough than the other guy just in case they get attacked without warning.

So yeah, none of that conventional “pretty boy” fitness magazine advice is going to cut it. Lucky for you though, you are free and not a prisoner. So advantage, YOU.

In fact, you are reading this page right now which means you have access to the internet, so advantage YOU again.

Clearly you have just about every advantage possible over the average inmate…so you can probably see where I am going with this…

PRO TIP for all of you FREE dudes out there: if you dedicate yourself to your training the same way a prisoner is dedicated to his, there is no way you can’t transform yourself into an absolute BEAST using nothing but a few simple moves (done in your own comfy living room, of course, because that’s one of the perks of being free).

You don’t have to go to jail to get jacked; you can create your own prison workout using various combos of the exercises listed below.

Note: steroids are a big problem in the prison system so keep that in mind if you don’t transform into a 275 pound monster after just a few months of training. It’s not that easy, or simple. Be realistic, but train your ass off. 

Here are a few basic prison workout exercises:

Upper Body
Handstand pushups
Handstand holds
Pushups (and pushup variations)
Hindu Pushups
Pullups (my all-time favorite)
Pullup Variations
Dips (use a bench with feet on a chair but this move can be rough on the shoulders)
Muscle Ups

Lower Body
Lunges (and lunge variations)
Prisoner Squats (no pun intended)
Jump Squats
Split Squats
Skater Squats
Pistol Squat
Wall Squat (sit & hold)
Squat Jumps
Glute Ham Raises (cellmate can hold feet)

Core/Abs
Hanging Leg Raise (for abs)
L-Sit
Back Bridge
Single Leg Hip Thrust
Scorpions
Mountain Climbers
Plank Variations
Handwalking/handcrawling/bearcrawls
Crab walks/tiger walks

Cardio
Shadow Boxing (and Kickboxing)
Jump rope (use shadow technique since they may not allow ropes)
Run sprints
Giant Killers

For Bad Mofo’s Only
Tai Chi
Yoga/Meditation
Squats with cellmate on back
Pushups with cellmate on back
Climb stairs carrying cellmate on back
Sprint carrying cellmate on back
Bedlifts (yes you deadlift your bed)
Fight in the yard (optional)

This is far from a complete list (you can see more advanced bodyweight exercises in this video), but I can’t possibly cover all of the various bodyweight exercises in just one post. This is simply a ‘starter kit’ that was designed to show you the basic premise of the prison workout.

I highly recommend working on mastering the exercises listed above (as well as these advanced bodyweight exercises), and mix in some olympic lifts & strongman exercises as well.

Combining all of the training resources you have available to you as a free man, (nice gyms, custom meal plans, supplements, hot girls in yoga pants for inspiration, the internet, etc) you shouldn’t have a single excuse for not being able to build the gangster physique you’ve always wanted.

Get your mind right.

I’m out.

PS – If you’re looking for a great prison workout resource that will help you get bigger, stronger, and more jacked than you ever thought possible, check out Convict Conditioning by Paul Wade.

The post The Prison Workout appeared first on PerfectBodyRX.com.

It’s my birthday!

Yaaaayyyyyy………..

It’s no secret, I’m not a big birthday person.

No big bashes, no huge parties, no hype no hoopla…

Honestly I think it all went downhill ever since i got that silver BMX bike for my 10th birthday…

I mean let’s face it, nothing was cooler than turning 10 and getting a BMX bike back in the day!

Now I get birthday gifts like Facebook comments, oil change giftcards, and new cell phone chargers…but I guess that’s just how it goes when you get older.

Sigh…

Talk about a letdown.

Anyways, enough of my old man whining.

In all seriousness I actually PREFER to keep my birthdays low key and spend quality time with friends and family.

Not because I’m lame (ok well maybe I’m a little lame), but these days I prefer to sit and think about everything I have be thankful for and try to reflect on yet another year of life.

Without going into a long boring birthday speech, I just want you to know that one of the things I’m beyond thankful for going into this new year of life is you, my reader.

I honestly consider many of you (even though we have never met personally) to be some of my best friends. I know that’s kinda weird to say, but it’s 2013 and I’ve been interacting with many of you online now for almost 10 years. We’re tight like that.

So yeah, today is my birthday, but instead of asking for a bunch of gifts (a baby tiger or white leopard would be awesome though) I’d like to give you a small gift instead.

For the next 24 hours I am giving all of my readers a chance to get my full Six Pack Abs program for half price. You’ll get the 240 page 6 Pack Secret program manual, plus all 9 bonuses for a huge 50% discount.

CLICK HERE to grab the entire program for half price before I come to my senses and change my mind…

I’m only charging $20 for the full program, and not giving it away for free for these three reasons:

1. I want everyone to be able to afford the program, and don’t want finances or the economy to be the reason you never get ripped.

2. Priced less than a greasy burger n’ fries combo meal, I figure it’s a very small investment to make if you’re serious about your body.

3. I can’t give it away for free because it’s not fair to the thousands of people who have already paid full price over the years.

So if you’re serious and ready to take me up on my AMAZING birthday offer (for a very small entry fee) simply CLICK HERE to get the full 10 component six pack abs shredding program for half price.

See you on the other side,

Jamin

PS – This sale will END in 24 hours at 12am eastern time on Monday 4/1/2013. There is no marketing angle, no recurring billing, no funny business, and no exceptions. 24 hours only!

PPS – Thanks for all of the birthday wishes I’ve received on Facebook & Twitter. You guys are da best!

PPS – Happy Shared Birthday to my amazing niece Erin. I love you so much!

The post The 6 Pack Secret: Birthday Sale appeared first on PerfectBodyRX.com.

I get emails just about every day with questions about The Renegade Diet.

Many ask if it’s legit, if I actually use it, how I use it, what effects it has had on my strength, size, bodyfat, energy levels, etc. 

Note: I snapped the cheesy ‘selfie’ bathroom mirror pic on the right while using The Renegade Diet.

Due the sheer volume of the emails I can’t possibly reply to each one so I decided it would be a lot easier to just write a blog review of my experience using The Renegade Diet and the relative effects I’ve seen from it personally.

Hopefully this post will answer all of the questions you have, and if not, just drop a question in the comment box below and I’ll try to answer it for you (or you can just read the FAQ section on The Renegade Diet website).

Ok, enough of the cheesy intro. Here are my thoughts:

I started using The Renegade Diet about 10 months ago right after Jason launched it…but I waited a while to post a review like this because I wanted to use the program myself for a long enough period of time for me to be able to figure out the relative pros & cons of the diet and determine if it was even worth writing about to my readers.

I know there are a ton of Renegade Diet reviews like this online (I’m not sure if any of those guys put a face behind their review or know anything about nutrition though)…so I’m going to try to give you the best info possible and you can trust it’s from a real source.

This may or may not come as a surprise to you but most of the health & fitness diet plans out there are severely outdated (from a scientific perspective), and in my opinion, flat out dangerous. Yes, this even includes many of the “custom plans” you can get from the world’s top trainers.

Sure, these types of diet plans can get you ripped fast, and even get you into “show shape” but usually they come with a price…your health.

And if you think I’m kidding, I’m not…

From hormonal imbalances, to metabolic disorders/crashes, extreme fatigue, adrenal fatigue, prolonged menstrual cycle stoppages, malnutrition, and psychological disorders…to bitterness, depression, suicidal thoughts, and emergency room trips – I’ve literally seen it all.

These are the types of REAL PROBLEMS that REAL PEOPLE are having to deal with, caused by REAL DIET PLANS.

These are the stories you rarely hear about (the fitness magazines never talk about them), but they happen all of the time, right under your nose. In fact, I get messages on Facebook just about every day from people just like this who are suffering in silence.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and say that all diets that are designed to get you ripped fast will ruin your health, but the fact is, many of these plans are just flat out unhealthy. They typically involve severe caloric deficits, in many cases drug/supplement use, and the X-Factor, if you will, is that they all seem to hinge on the fact that you will be required to do 1-3 hours of cardio daily if you want the diet to work. 

Sure, you’ll look ripped…but look at what you’re sacrificing. You’re weak, miserable, irritable, and your internal organs are likely suffering. Your whole life will revolve around the diet and when you’re going to eat your next meal.

You are forced to prepare meals in advance and take them everywhere you go in Tupperware containers. Your social life suffers…and you feel miserable.

In my opinion, any diet plan that leaves you famished, weak, and mentally unstable is just flat out unhealthy; in fact, it’s nothing but a professionally designed eating disorder cleverly disguised as a meal plan.

Here’s your typical get ripped fast diet plan of hell: (1) eat very little and cut carbs…(2) eat only boring tasteless sodiumless bland foods like baked tilapia, boiled chicken, or egg whites and a nasty green veggie like asparagus or broccoli…(3) torture yourself doing morning and evening cardio several times per week because the fitness model in the magazine said so…(4) pound 1-2 gallons of water each day & constantly have to run to the bathroom and expel nasty asparagus piss…(5) develop irritability and self-esteem issues when you inevitably start to feel sick, tired, and miserable…(6) get tired of it and give up…(7) even if you finish the plan your new ripped body will only last temporarily.

Nobody can stay on a tilapia and asparagus diet forever…and once you get tired of starving and reach for those cookies or chips…BOOM…you can’t stop binge eating and before you know it…you’re FAT, BLOATED, HUGE, and DEPRESSED.

Sound familiar?

Now I know what you’re thinking…“but Jamin, you’re ripped. Don’t you follow the same diet plan as most fitness models and bodybuilders?”

That’s a great question (if you were actually wondering that), and unlike some of my colleagues, I’m not afraid to speak up about the lies and bullshit the fitness industry feeds you…

From the magazines (owned by the supplement companies), to the junk supplements (yep same guys), and fitness/bodybuilding shows (sponsored by supplement companies)…this industry preys off your weaknesses & inability to reach your goals…

…and creates the illusion that extreme dieting, unhealthy practices, and illegal drug use is somehow OK…all because beautiful fit bodies are glorified in magazines and across social media….

I get it…incredible physiques inspire us all…but all that glitters isn’t gold. The fitness industry has a scary dark side, and the people who suffer from it the most are usually the people who get glorified in the mags & websites…

Now, some people in the industry may call me a hater for exposing a few unspoken realities about the business but honestly I could care less. I don’t need to starve myself for weeks, then grease myself up on stage in a speedo to prove anything to anyone. At this point in my life and career I’d much rather focus that time and energy on feeding the needy & homeless (who may not even get to eat 1 meal per day) instead of stressing out that the chicken for my meal number 6 only weighed 5.7 ounces instead of 6.0 ounces and now my competition abs will be ruined.

Vomit. 

But I digress…

Over the past 10 years I’ve personally experimented with many of the popular diet plans out there…from the raw diet…to vegetarian…to Paleo…to traditional bodybuilder diets….to fitness show and photoshoot prep diets…the list goes on and on…I’ve literally tried them all.

These diets all have their relative pros & cons but as a whole I believe they are all fundamentally flawed – and that the health risks you put your body through on extreme diet plans like these for long stretches are very real.

Sure, you get quick results, but quick fixes never last forever because nothing extreme can ever give you sustainable results. Many of these types of plans can cause severe damage to your hormones and metabolism…as well as create nutritional deficiencies that could take months or years to correct. 

The concept of ‘quick fix’ alone goes against the natural biology of humans in general. You shouldn’t have to ‘battle through’ or ‘fight through’ a healthy diet plan…if a diet sucks that bad there’s a pretty good chance it’s not working for you it’s working AGAINST you.

I know you want to get in better shape, but let’s face it, getting ‘ripped’ has diminishing marginal returns. Especially if you do it the wrong way. The quick way. The get ripped by any means necessary way. The starve yourself and do endless cardio way. Or if you’re trying to build muscle…the eat until you vomit way…

I know that the traditional school of thought says:

Never go more than 3 hours without eating (protein, carbs, and some fat).
Lots of whey protein supplementation (2-4 servings per day; 50-150 grams).
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

I know you have been led to believe over the years that in order to get ripped you have to:

Eat “6 meals a day”, “no carbs at night”, “taper calories throughout the day”, “never miss breakfast”, and “carbs are bad” etc, but the research indicates that these assumptions are all flat out wrong.

Am I saying you can’t get ripped following the typical 6 meals a day, pound protein supplements all day, and restrict carbs to the point where you can’t sleep because you’re starving method?

Absolutely not.

The traditional methods work quite well to get ripped…in fact I’ve used traditional methods to get ripped myself. All I’m saying is that these methods are just fundamentally flawed when it comes to building a healthy physique that stands the test of time.

Here are the main problems with traditional “get ripped” or “get jacked” diet plans:

1. Too difficult to follow. Cooking and eating 6 meals per day is a huge pain in the ass…and it’s the number one reason most people fall off the wagon and quit. Who has the time or the energy? Plus the carb cutting is usually a deal breaker because it always leaves you tired, hungry, and lethargic. Add 1-2 hours of daily cardio on top of that…

2. You’ll get “ripped” but lose too much muscle. Regardless of what some “gurus” tell you, you’ll typically lose a pound of muscle for every 2-3 pounds of fat you lose while trying to lean out…so you’ll be leaner…but have a lot less muscle. Kind of a waste if you ask me.

3. If you’re trying to build muscle you’ll gain 1-2 pounds of fat for every pound of muscle you gain. So you’re basically just getting fatter. Then you have to do the cardio and “fat loss diet” to get ripped after (see point #2 above)…basically leaving you the same size you started in the first place. Lame.

If you’ve followed traditional ‘bodybuilder’ style diet plans in the past…you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

But honestly, there’s more to your meal plan than just getting ripped…

As I said earlier, the traditional way (6 small meals a day, protein shakes, low carb) works very well to get ripped…but it comes at a price. You’re moody…your energy levels are down, you’re hungry and miserable all the time…and it’s generally a huge pain in the ass.

In my opinion, if a meal plan is designed in a healthy manner, you shouldn’t have to suffer while you’re on it…and you should be happy following it.

It should provide you with nourishment, taste good, give you energy, make you stronger, improve your mood, and make you look and feel better overall. It’s not only about getting ‘ripped’…it’s about how you feel and what’s going on inside your body.

One of the big reasons I love The Renegade Diet approach is because the author (Jason Ferruggia) follows a health first, performance second approach. Just like I do.

Health & Fitness isn’t simply about getting temporarily ‘ripped’ from a quick fix 12 week crash diet…only to rebound and gain all that weight back (and more). Health & Fitness is about building towards a lifestyle that places health first, enhances quality of life, and prolongs duration of life — whatever “ripped look” you get from doing that is just the icing on the cake. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll know that’s what it’s all about.

The Renegade Diet breaks the rules and goes against many commonly accepted “truths”…and teaches us the science behind why:

1. Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. I don’t think there is one single “most important meal of the day” actually. They all should work together synergistically to help you achieve your goals.

2. You don’t need to eat 6 meals per day to get cut and jacked. You also don’t need to pound a bunch of protein all day either. There’s no research out there that says increased meal frequency results in greater weight/fat loss…and the research doesn’t lie – marketing people who try to sell you expensive diet programs and supplements do. I’ve been eating less frequently on the Renegade Plan and allowing my digestive system to rest & recover. I feel much less tired during the day and stronger in the gym as well.

3. You can eat large meals after 7pm & still get lean. Some trainers & experts advise against eating large meals at night…but research study after research study show that meal timing doesn’t matter (no more traveling with smelly tilapia & Tupperware).

4. Missing meals won’t make you lose muscle. I know many people are afraid to go for long stretches (over 3 hours) without eating because popular bodybuilding and fitness culture has conditioned us to think that “if you miss meals, you’ll enter starvation mode and lose all your muscle”. There is strong scientific evidence out there that suggests this is completely false… and some studies have even shown that metabolic rate can remain constant for up to 90 hours during a fast before declining. The science also tells us that the digestion process requires a ton of energy and is quite stressful on the body, so the more meals you eat each day the more stress you place upon your digestive system each day. This is why it’s a good idea to just give your system a rest and fast for 4-8 hours each day (as taught strategically in The Renegade Diet) to give your body a chance to recover and replenish its enzyme pool.

5. Getting ripped should never be your main priority. Focus on optimizing health first (especially digestive health) and physique second. If your health sucks, you’ll never see legit results. I’ve been obsessed with digestive health ever since I first got sick with intestinal inflammation (“Crohn’s Disease”) over ten years ago – and gut health should be the foundation of every nutrition program.

6) If you want to get ripped, you don’t need to pound protein shakes throughout the day. Supplements are great, but they should only be used to back up what your nutrition plan is already doing. Right now I am using a greens supplement, omega 3 fish oil, bcaa, and whey protein in small amounts.

Are you still with me?

Look, Health & Fitness about living a long, healthy life – a life where you can enjoy your lean body every second of every day. Forget short-term gains that are wiped out by long-term losses, and medical expenses; we need to think long term health and what is sustainable for the duration of your precious time on earth. I don’t know about you but I want to be healthy and still kicking ass in the gym when I’m 90 years old.

Most fitness models, bodybuilders, and ‘gurus’ never come out and say it but: eating thousands of excess calories to try to gain muscle or depleting yourself to a single-digit body fat level is neither healthy (or sustainable) in the long-term.

Remember, food is fuel. Don’t sacrifice it, or abuse it; use it to your advantage. Never partake in unsafe diet practices (severe caloric deficits/surpluses, drugs, hours of cardio, lack of rest) just to get ripped for a brief moment. You love yourself more than that. Health and fitness is supposed to be fun. Enjoy it.

I honestly want all of my readers to live to the age of 150 while still being healthy and active. That’s what it’s all about. There’s more to life than getting ripped quick and sacrificing your health in the process just to look cool at the pool, or win a $5 sword on stage at a fitness competition, or get a few comments and ‘Likes’ on your picture on Facebook…

The ultimate goal of The Renegade Diet is to redefine what it means to live a healthy lifestyle when it comes to nutrition, and the approach is going to be completely different than what you’re used to. I can guarantee that when you read through it for the first time you’ll be shocked at how it completely goes against everything you think you know about nutrition. It’s honestly a really good read; I finished the entire thing in about an hour.

As I said earlier, I’ve been following The Renegade Diet plan for about 10 months now. As a disclaimer, I was already lean when I started the plan, but my goal wasn’t to get more ripped, or build more muscle…I wanted more energy…I wanted to feel better…and I wanted to place my health above everything else.

To be quite honest, I went from eating 6-7 meals a day (with 4-5 of those meals including animal protein) and 2-3 protein shakes per day…and have cut back to 5 meals per day, two of which are meals that include animal protein.

Like I said before, I haven’t gotten “more ripped” but I haven’t lost any size either. I feel strong in the gym, I have more energy, and the tendinitis I’ve had in my elbow & shoulder for over a decade has improved significantly. I feel good, I don’t feel deprived/hungry/moody, and I believe my internal organs, joints, etc are thanking me in return.

Note: if you suffer from ‘belly bloat’ (which can be caused by gut inflammation)…you may find relief (and get flatter, leaner abs) simply by changing your eating style to the method outlined below:

Now, if you’re not familiar with the basic premise of the Renegade Diet, here is a basic rundown: There’s a fasting period that typically lasts from 14-16 hours where you eat nothing from dinner the night before until sometime the following late morning or afternoon. This allows the liver to detox, replenishes your body’s enzyme pool, and reduces much of the stress digestion places upon the human body.

After the fast is up the overfeeding phase begins and it typically lasts for roughly 4-8 hours. This strategy of fasting/under eating during the day and overfeeding at night allows leptin levels to remain in check while boosting glycogen stores at the same time. This has been shown in studies to significantly improve the body’s fat burning and muscle building response. After 10 months of doing this i can honestly tell you that I’m very pleased with the results.

Here’s what a sample day looks like for me on The Renegade Diet:

Meal 1 12pm – 30g protein shake, 1tbsp Athletic Greens, 6g Omega 3 Fish Oil
Meal 2 2pm – 25g egg white omelette w/ spinach, peppers, onions, 1 serving raw cashews
Meal 3 4:30pm – 8oz bison steak, 2 cups jasmine rice, 2 cups steamed bok choy
Meal 4 7pm – 8oz grilled chicken breast, rosemary roasted potatoes, unlimited green veggies, apple cider vinegar
Meal 5 8pm – 1 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
Fast – After meal 5 there is a 16 hour fast until around noon the next day. Then there is the 4-8 hour overfeeding period.

Pretty simple stuff, right?

Some days I’ll have organic coffee in the morning a few hours before meal 1…and even throw in a homemade protein bar or healthy snack if I get hungry between meals as well.

As I said earlier, I haven’t lost any weight (I was lean when I started), but my gut/joint inflammation has definitely decreased, my energy levels are up, my concentration and focus are both up…and I’m feeling pretty good.

Note: Many of my readers who are also currently using The Renegade Diet have told me that fasting for breakfast was the toughest part about the program…but that it gets easier after the 2nd or 3rd week. You may have to experiment with different breakfast times to see what your body responds to the best.

I’ve never really been a breakfast person (I used to skip it all the time until I started reading silly nutrition books in college that told me it was unhealthy) so the skipping breakfast part was easy for me. Sometimes I’ll eat breakfast on the weekends though. It all depends.

I know said this earlier…but I just want to reinforce the fact that I’ve cut down on my meat & protein shake intake significantly…and I eat a ton of calories at night. I know this all sounds kind of crazy but I’d like to point out my cheesy ‘selfie’ pic above again…and also say that I feel pretty damn good.

Look, we are all different, we have different workout times, different genes, etc…so what works for me may not work exactly that way for you. There is more than one way to ‘skin a cat’…so once you start using The Renegade Diet…feel free to experiment with various meal times and see what works best for you.

It’s all about testing, testing, testing. Figuring out what works. In order to improve we must all constantly evolve and not get stuck in certain “popular” ways of thinking for long periods of time. Test, learn, evolve, grow, and optimize upon what you’re currently doing. If you continue doing the same thing day in and day out you’ll probably get the same shitty results each and every time — and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.

Overall, I have to give The Renegade Diet a 4.8 out of 5 star rating. It’s really easy to follow…it won’t force you to eat plain, boring, tasteless foods in small portions — you won’t have to slave in the kitchen prepping countless meals each day…you’ll be able to pound food at night…have cheat meals…and you’ll get healthy & lean in the process.

It’s not a fad or quick fix, it’s a way of life, it’s sustainable for the long-term…and I will probably eat this way for years to come (or at least until science tells me to change my ways).

Look, I’m personally putting my name and reputation on the line here by recommending you try Jason’s Renegade Diet Plan, but I have full confidence that it will work very well for you (if you follow it). My challenge to you is to try it out 14 days in a row, and if you’re a gamer, go for 30 days in a row.

You can download it in eBook format at www.TheRenegadeDietBook.com.

Drop me a comment and let me know your thoughts.

I’m out.

Jamin

The post The Renegade Diet – A Real User Opinion | Review appeared first on PerfectBodyRX.com.

These 44 Bodyweight Exercises (I counted 43 actually but feel free to count em’ yourself and prove me wrong) should be part of everyone’s strength training program, especially if your goal is to get bigger, stronger, faster, and ultimately more jacked.

And I’m not just talking about sit-ups  push-ups, and air squats here (yawn)…I’m talking about the hardcore stuff. Not sure what the hardcore stuff actually is? Just watch the video and find out.

Note: many of the exercises shown in this video are highly advanced so if you’re just starting out you may want to stick to the basic exercises at first (i.e. basic push-up variations, mountain climbers, basic grip pull-ups/chins, burpees, rope work, etc) and slowly work your way up to the more challenging stuff later.

There are a bunch of great resources out there to help you if you don’t know where to start. Jason Ferruggia’s post: Top 20 Bodyweight Exercises for Building Muscle & Strength is a great resource, and of course you can always download my free workouts which contain many of the exercises on the video above, outlined in workout format.

Here are the exercises listed in the video for your reference.

1. mountain climbers
2. dragon walks
3. jumping lunges
4. pike roll out
5. burpees
6. hanging knee to elbow
7. frozen v-sit
8. spiderman pushup
9. single leg burpee
10. hindu pushups
11. diamond pushups
12. lawnmower extension
13. archer pushup
14. fingertip pushup
15. hanging leg raise
16. clapping pushup
17. single leg box jump
18. chest tap pushup
19. archer pullup
20. clapping pull-ups
21. crucifix pushup
22. hanging wipers
23. hanging leg raise to lever
24. one arm hanging leg lifts
25. pistol squat
26. L seat
27. muay thai pushups
28. dragon flags
29. ab crunch shredder dips
30. triple clap pushups
31. lalanne pushups
32. muscle ups
33. standing ab wheel roll outs
34. bodyweight tricep extension
35. one arm pushup
36. one arm, one leg pushup
37. thigh slap pushups
38. aztec pushups
39. superman pushups
40. hannibal for king leg leg flutters for men
41. one handed clap pushups
42. back flip burpees
43. 360 pushups

Thanks for watching and good luck with your training. Please pound LIKE and share this post if you thought Tee’s bodyweight video was badass. 

The post 44 of the Best Bodyweight Exercises Ever appeared first on PerfectBodyRX.com.

Ray Lewis.

Love him or hate him, you’ll always remember him…and hopefully when it’s all said and done, always respect him.

If you’re unfamiliar with his story, it all started at The “U” (my beloved University of Miami), and now Ray is in the twilight of an amazing hall of fame football career.

He is arguably the greatest Middle Linebacker of all time (12 Pro Bowls, 7 time All-Pro, 2 time Defensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl MVP) and is the most decorated player at his position in NFL history.

Some may argue that Lawrence Taylor, Ray Nitschke, Mike Singletary, Jack Lambert, and/or Dick Butkus are better players, but that’s a discussion for another time.

As a former athlete at the University of Miami, lifelong Hurricane Football fan, and diehard Ravens fan who grew up in Baltimore, it is impossible for me not to love everything about Ray Lewis.

Call me a bit biased here…but regardless of if you hate Miami, the Ravens, or Ray Lewis personally…as a sports fan you’ve got to respect and admire the amazing ‘comeback’ story of a kid who everyone once said was “too slow and too small” to play football…who fell from greatness…only to pick himself up, completely reshape his image and go on to become arguably the greatest linebacker of all time.

Back home in Baltimore, Ray Lewis is viewed as a guy who always humbly goes out of his way to help others. He’s viewed as an icon who has selflessly made countless charitable contributions without seeking any type of recognition.

He’s viewed as a guy who has a strong disposition to kindness and compassion. He’s viewed as a guy who has mentored the youth and become a helping hand for countless people in need.

Every time I go home I see Ray Lewis mentoring young kids at my mom’s gym. He doesn’t have to do any of this stuff in his down time; he could be on vacation, partying, or at home relaxing. Instead, he chooses to spend his time off from football helping others; mentoring, donating, giving, caring, and devoting himself to the greater good.

In my opinion, Ray Lewis is the ultimate athlete. The consummate professional. A true legend. He dominates on the field. He helps others off the field. He is a leader. He is a dedicated father. He is dedicated to the game. He is a champion. He succeeds with humility. He plays for the right reasons. He is one of the greatest motivators of our generation. And his pre-game speeches are the stuff of legend.

One speech in particular gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it and it’s sort of become my mantra slash personal mission statement as of late. It’s a powerful speech about EFFORT that Ray gave to the Stanford Basketball Team before their NIT semifinal game against UMass last year. Check it out below:

Look, there is always going to be someone who is bigger, stronger, faster, quicker, richer, smarter, better looking, etc than you are. Don’t even fight it. Don’t even get mad about it. It’s just one of the facts of life. This doesn’t mean that you can’t beat those guys or leave a greater legacy than they will if you work your ass off and make a 100% commitment to greatness.

Ray Lewis beat the odds. He worked his ass off and made the most of his opportunities. Now, his legacy will live on for a long time after he retires, even after he dies. He has reached a level of sports immortality.

Of course, there are negative people out there who will always try to focus on the negative stuff that has happened in Ray’s life…but as I have said in previous posts: focusing on negativity and dwelling on the opinions of negative people gets you nowhere in life and nothing positive ever comes from it. These types of people will only drag you down not lift you up. Screw what the critics and haters have to say. Hating takes way too much energy. Take that energy and use it for something positive instead.

There is a lot we can learn from Ray Lewis. His belief in himself, his ability to out-hustle everyone, his unmatched will to win, his indomitable level of commitment, his ability to overcome adversity, his ability to handle success and failure, his ability to unselfishly give of himself to others, and his ability to always remain positive even when the whole world was against him are lessons we can all benefit from.

Ray Lewis may only have a few games left, but he has already left his legacy. He’s left his mark. Now, it’s your turn. You are 100% in control of your life and your future. No one controls your fate but you, and all of the success you achieve in life will come through commitment and EFFORT.

Thank you Ray, for the inspiration.

Thanks for reading. Please drop your comments below and let me know what YOU think about Ray Lewis.

*PS – if you liked this post please hit the LIKE button & share it with your friends*

The post Effort and Immortality: The Ray Lewis Legacy appeared first on PerfectBodyRX.com.

Another year has come and gone, and now is the time most of us will sit back and assess ourselves and our achievements, or lack thereof.

It’s New Year’s Resolution time!

Listen, last year is history.

2012 came and went.

Maybe you achieved your goals.

Maybe you didn’t.

Maybe the economy kicked your ass last year.

Maybe your boss or wife had you by the balls.

Maybe you even lost your job or got divorced.

Maybe you suffered chronic illness or endured severe hardship.

Maybe you completely lost focus and wandered down the wrong path.

Maybe this year you want things to be better.

A better job, a better relationship with your partner, to lose weight, to get healthier, to get ripped, to be a better parent, to go back to school, to start your own business, to make more money…

Or perhaps you are simply searching for truth, love, and contentment in life…

Whatever your goals are, now is the perfect time to go after them…and quite frankly, it doesn’t matter if you didn’t achieve a single goal you set for yourself at this time last year.

Leave it in the past.

Life is too short to spend it full of regret and looking back at the past feeling sorry for yourself over dashed dreams and “what could have been”…

2013 is here. It’s a brand new year. It’s a chance to take control of your life, to do things your way, to achieve new goals and live on your own terms.

Why let life slap you around for another 365 days without deciding to do anything about it…the time is now.

So where do you start?

Many people disagree with this, but I believe that in order to achieve success in any new chapter (aka a new year) we must think beyond simple resolutions. We must think long term. And build our futures from there.

What did you accomplish last year?

Are you a better person today than you were on this date last year?

What are your goals for the future?

What are the overall goals for your life?

How will the resolutions you set this year help you accomplish those goals?

Do you even know the answers to these questions?

If you don’t like the answers you came up with, perhaps it is time to re-assess your direction in life and get more serious about your future.

The late Jim Rohn once said, “I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps it’s because escape is easier than change.”

Don’t set weak, emotionless “resolutions” this year…

Don’t set fragile, generic goals this year that you only partially commit to…

This isn’t a Pac-Man video game where you get three lives, you’ve only got one life to live; so setting goals for that ONE LIFE should be taken very seriously.

That’s right. ONE life.

If tomorrow wasn’t promised to you, if you only had a few months, or weeks to live…what would you do today? Forget what happened last year. Forget any past mistakes or hardships. What would you think about, right now? What would you pour your heart into? What would you sacrifice everything for?

We only get one chance to live our lives, one opportunity to leave a legacy. One chance to make our mark on the world. And then we die. Then it’s gone.

We must always be on a relentless pursuit of constant self-improvement…on a focused, and dedicated commitment to greatness. Every second. Every hour. Every day. Every year.

And if you screwed around last year, it’s not too late to change.

You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight. ~Jim Rohn

Ever since I was a little kid, my mom pounded this simple message into my head “Always work on trying to improve yourself, always work on getting better. Then work on being better than that. Try to be better than you were yesterday, and work harder at it today than you did yesterday. Always try to be better.”

So every day, every year I work on being a better person. Becoming a better man than I was the day or year before.

Your “better” could be anything…a better parent, a better brother, sister, friend, employee, whatever. Just get better at it.

Call it what you want, reinvention, evolving, personal development, progress, whatever…

I think doing the opposite would be the same as dying…

In my opinion, there isn’t anything worse than going through life and staying the same. Or even worse, going through life and regressing…

I’m a different person than I was five years ago, and I’d like to believe that I am a better person today than I was back then. I know I will also be a different person five years from now; hopefully a better, more refined version of my current self…and I wish you the same.

In biology, moulting, also known as sloughing, shedding, or for some species, ecdysis, is the manner in which an animal routinely casts off a part of its body, either at specific times of year, or at specific points in its life cycle.

My favorite example of this is the snake, and I like to think of the passing of each year and growing as a person sort of as a snake shedding its skin.

Leave the old, less sophisticated, less intelligent, less battle tested, weaker version of yourself in the past.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that you can never take a break on your quest for self improvement. You can never remain stagnant. You can never get complacent. You should constantly be focused on trying to better yourself. To be better tomorrow than you were today. And leave the old you in the past.

With all of that being said, I don’t think that any of us need to come up with any complex philosophical “resolutions” every year. Instead, I prefer to keep it simple. Just focus on improving a little bit each day. And improvement comes through focus and effort.

I know a lot of this new years resolution stuff can sound corny and played out sometimes, and I apologize if you’ve heard all of this stuff before…but if you’ve read this far I know that you “get it” and want to succeed more than the average person does. So if you’re still with me, here are a few tips to help make this year better than last year:

1. Avoid making “resolutions” and instead set a written purpose or personal mission statement. Write down your future goals and project yourself into the future. Where do you want to be 5, 10, 20 years from now? How will 2013 help you get there? Everything you write down must fall under the umbrella of your personal mission statement. Set goals that will back up your ‘purpose’ in life and then let your mission statement be the guiding force as you write out your master plan and goals.

If you have never created a personal mission statement, here is a great example. It is Merlin Olsen’s (NFL Hall of Famer) and one of my favorites:

“The focus of my life begins at home with family, loved ones and friends. I want to use my resources to create a secure environment that fosters love, learning, laughter and mutual success. I will protect and value integrity. I will admit and quickly correct my mistakes. I will be a self-starter. I will be a caring person. I will be a good listener with an open mind. I will continue to grow and learn. I will facilitate and celebrate the success of others.” 

2. Eliminate the dead weight, deadbeats, haters, and useless BS from your life. A few years ago I cut all of the dead weight out of my life and now I only associate with hard working, positive thinking winners. From relatives, to friends, girlfriends, acquaintances, business partners, and all of the lazy, negative, blame the world for their problem types…I got rid of them all.

Look, I know it can be tough to cut people you care about out of your life…but trust me…if you surround yourself with negativity, your entire outlook on life and how you see the world will change. These people will drag you down. You will accomplish less WITH them than you can WITHOUT them.

We all become like the people we surround ourselves with. So try to only surround yourself with people who you want to be like. People who are headed in the same direction you want to go. People who have accomplished what you want to accomplish. People who support your dreams, goals, and vision.

Always remember this: there is no force more powerful to drag you down than a group of negative people…and there is no force greater to lift you up than a group of hard working, positive people. Cut the dead weight loose before it drags you down too.

3. Use a support team. It’s impossible to make it to the top or achieve any type of success without a solid support team to help you along the way. From my parents, to coaches, teachers, mentors, etc, I would not be the man I am today or achieved ANY of the success I have achieved in my life without their help and guidance.

My mom has been there for me in more ways than I can even count. Aside from the fact that she spawned me into existence, she has made countless sacrifices to help me succeed. All she does is give, give, give, and asks for nothing in return. I could not be more thankful to have been blessed with such a wonderful mother.

Let’s face it. None of us can do it alone. We all need a support system. With that being said, if you have a health and fitness goal this year I strongly encourage you join an online fitness community because the support you will get from the members, who are all pursuing the same goals you are, in a positive way, is priceless. If you’ve never joined an online community before, Jason Ferruggia’s Renegade Inner Circle and Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat Inner Circle are two great places to start as you will be able to surround yourself with amazing, like minded people. It’s a fact that people who train with support systems achieve their goals much faster than those who try to do it solo.

4. Make the investment of time and pain. Now that you’ve written down a personal mission statement and come up with a few goals, it’s time to put in the work in order to make those goals materialize.

Never forget that a major goal can only be achieved by: (1) putting in the time, and (2) fighting through the pain, adversity, and hardship. Sure you can have a great plan to get there, but preparation alone (going to seminars, buying courses, ebooks, diets, making resolutions, etc) does absolutely nothing these days as it is easy to pretend to care when things are easy. It’s so easy to fake commit until the journey gets tough.

Of course we all want a better job, a better relationship with our partner, to lose weight, to get healthier, to get ripped, to be a better parent, to go back to school, to start our own business, to make more money, etc…but how many of us will quit at the first sign of difficulty? How many of us will pull the plug when adversity strikes? How many of us will jot down a few goals this year only to “get busy” or “get tired” a few months from now and give up on those goals until January 1, 2014?

Sound familiar?

Zig Ziglar once said that, “A goal casually set and lightly taken will be freely abandoned at the first obstacle.”

Nothing that’s worth doing in life is going to come easy. We’ve all got to work for what we get. We’ve all only got one life to live, remember? Why spend it living in the comfort zone? Why spend it mired in regret? Don’t fall into the trap of committed failure, partial commitment, self-sabotage, and chronic failure.

So as you write down your mission statement and future goals, keep in mind that until there is a real investment of pain and time, your “efforts” don’t really count. There will be adversity, hardship, and pain to deal with along the way, and it will take time to reach your goals. The problem is that once people reach their pain threshold or go beyond their comfort level…they pull the plug…year after year…which leads me into my next point…

5. Have perseverance. As stated in number 4 above, this isn’t going to be easy, and things are going to get tough. That’s inevitable. The question is: will you hang in there long enough to reach your goals? Will you fight through any adversity that comes your way regardless of how much pain or hardship it inflicts upon you? Will you stand your ground when life comes at you with a flurry of body punches? Will you get up and keep fighting when life knocks you down?

The greatest warriors and athletes in history all had the remarkable ability to do one thing better than everyone else…they were able to persevere and sustain the durability of commitment. They refused to quit until the job was complete. They indignantly repudiated the idea of surrender.

This is a brand new year, and your future is in your hands. Go forth, and conquer. Never quit. Fight on.

Dale Carnegie once said, “inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

Thanks for reading, I wish you all the best this year and hope you achieve massive success in 2013 and beyond.

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