STOP READING NOW.  I mean it…what you are about to read is going to rattle your normal attitude towards food.  This article may be your choice between the red pill and the blue pill.  Once you choose there is no going back!

Folks, most of us have been brainwashed by the triplet of big gov, big pharma, and big ag (including big fast food) into believing that we can have our cake and eat it too!  Well you can’t.  There are penalties for eating too much cake and they are not always the obvious ones either.

Just imagine if 10% of the people who smoked a cigarette died in the 3 days after their first cigarette.  How many people would smoke?  I know I would never have started.  And would we let it be legal?  A cigarette is not the only product that, if used as directed, will kill you.   Everyone thought margarine was good for us back in the sixties and seventies.  We beat up butter and replaced it with a chemical product that resembles plastic.

Healthy choices at fast food restaurants?  NOT!  Between the food handling procedures and the big agriculture products eating at any Fast Food place is potentially hazardous to your health both long and short term.  Buy your own food and eat it at home.

Soy is good for you.  NOT!  Soy milk is a waste product that big ag has marketed you into believing is good for you.  And the potential for hormonal disruption especially for men is too great.  If you must eat soy and you really don’t, then eat the fermented products like tempeh.

Milk provides calcium.  NOT!   Pasteurized and homogenized milk, even with calcium added, has little to no nutritional value except to provide lactase (a sugar) and casein, an inflammatory agent in the protein.  Drink only raw organic milk for health.  Better yet…skip the milk in favor of fermented dairy if you must (kefir and yogurt).  Goat milk is better than cow too.

The food pyramid is the way to eat.  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  Just look around you…there is an epidemic of obesity and diabetes in this country.  And every country across the globe that adopts our style of eating gets fatter as well.  The food pyramid was originally designed to have limited grain consumption, not the current 6-11 servings daily.  Guess what…grains are not good for you.  They are high glycemic, cause insulin spikes (accelerating weight gain) and create inflammation and addiction to sugar.  Bad, very bad.

Eat vegetables, lots of vegetables—raw, steamed, roasted, or grilled, some fruit, seeds and nuts (pumpkin, sunflower, almonds, walnuts etc.), meat from organic natural sources, organic, free range and local eggs (including the yolks), healthy fat—avocado, olive, butter, coconut, nut butters and drink water.  Simple, really, but not terribly easy for many people.  Aim for about 80% of your food consumption like this and you will be on your way to optimum health and fitness.

If you liked this article or have any questions leave me a comment below!

Namaste

-John

You can get more info from John at his own website, or follow him on Twitter and read his blogs (Feel Good Friday and Sunday Stories)

Life threatening illness.

Divorce.

There are certain life events that are so gut wrenching, so debilitating, that they can crush the health habits of even the most disciplined among us.

For me, it was recently shutting down my gym and filing bankruptcy.

Since I was a kid, all I wanted to do was own a karate school.  Later in life, as I became devoted to fitness training, it seemed natural to blend my two passions into my own business.  In 2004 I opened Metro Martial Arts & Fitness in Columbus, Ohio.  I was living my dream.

But it wasn’t all sunshine and rose petals.  My business was born on heavy debt, and from the very beginning I was playing catch up.  Year after year of 14 hour days and my failure to adequately cope with the financial pressures eroded most of what I held dear in my life.  I lost touch with friends, destroyed my relationship, and to large extent lost the passion I once had – especially for the martial arts.

I know I did good work.  The outpouring of support I received from my former clients and students went a long way in reminding me of that.  Computer programmers lost 30 pounds.  College professors fought off osteoporosis.  And many of the hundreds of kids who came through my doors over the years improved their grades, served their community, and protected themselves from school yard bullies.  People came up to me with hugs and told me in no uncertain terms, “You changed my life.”

But as much as I succeeded as a trainer and teacher, I failed as a business owner.

There is no other way to put it when you find yourself sitting in a bankruptcy lawyer’s office.  And I was a complete wreck during the weeks leading up to that moment.  My diet consisted almost exclusively of donuts, coffee, pizza, and beer.  Working out was the farthest thing from my mind.  I didn’t shave and I was lucky if I took a shower every third day.  I was losing my dream and I was letting it effect the very essence of my being.

But there comes a point (maybe when you notice that you smell worse than your dog) that you have to snap out of it.

There comes a time when you have to ask yourself if you really believe all of the motivational bullshit you’ve been spewing to others over the years.  You have to look at yourself in the mirror and remember that you have the choice to not let this event define you.  And then you have to move on.

Below are a few things that helped me through this difficult time.  I hope that others going through the trials of life can find some benefit.

Move. I’m notorious for slamming long slow cardio.  But if 30 minutes of the treadmill trot while watching Oprah is all you can muster at the moment, it’s way better than twisting another bottle cap.  Clean the house, play with the dog, go for a long walk.  Do ANYTHING that will get the blood flowing, even just a little.  For me it was supersets of chin ups and push ups – not max effort mind you – just 5 chin ups and 10 push ups repeated 3 times.  I always felt better afterwards.

Put The Fitness Goals On Hold. So you were working on packing on 10 pounds of muscle before the car accident?  Or you were getting ready for your first powerlifting meet before you accepted the certified mail for the foreclosure on your home?  I was experimenting with the next iteration of the 31 Day Challenge when things fell apart.  Stop.  Just stop.  Your new goal is to come out on the other side of this major life challenge in the best way possible.  Everything else can wait.  It will be there for you on the rebound.

Find The Silver Lining. I played fetch with my beloved golden retriever Coda for an hour yesterday.  I had NEVER done that before – it was damned near impossible with the hours I was putting in.  Everything is a trade off.  And as brutal as it can be at first, once the smoke clears you can start to see that the major life changes often yield some unexpected benefits.

Let It Out. Losing my business was pain like I had never experienced before.  And part of getting through it were the tears and the anger.  Holding it in would have only prolonged this stage and made it difficult to get some forward momentum.  So whether you journal, talk to a close friend, seek professional counseling, or just let loose with a good cry – the release you feel can help clear the path for moving on.

Let It Go. Nearly all of the life events I am referring to involve great loss.  For me the greatest pain came from refusing to acknowledge the loss.  But one small gesture – bagging up all of the t-shirts with my business logo that I had acquired over the years and donating them to a thrift store – gave me much needed finality.  Find what works for you, some gesture or symbol of the end, and then don’t look back.

On a long enough time line, life will throw us all a few curve balls.  Everyone goes through tough times and if you’ve made it out on the other side, I’d love to hear your story (or just a comment about whatever below)

- Vic

P.S. – I will still be running Gym Junkies and posting new content each week along with John & Rannoch.  I actually am working on 2 new BIG projects for Gym Junkies that I think you guys will absolutely love.  While my gym may be gone, my love for helping you reach your goals is not!

Everyone reading this should be able to crank out 10 dead hang pull ups, 30 full range push ups (elbows in tight) and 60 “Ass To Grass” bodyweight squats.

One after the other. No rest. Triple Tap. Bang, Bang and one for luck…Bang! This is non-negotiable. And here’s why…

I get people through my workshops who are keen to learn how to use a kettlebell. It’s not that complicated, but it is challenging, actually make that seriously challenging.

Many folks will have a background in training, athletics, in Martial Arts or perhaps they are motivated to lose some weight and simply get back in shape.

But often they under report. I ask what their current training or activity level is like and they tell me they go to the gym but they have had a month off, they did a marathon last year, they used to do Karate, rugby, soccer etc…But it gets foggy sometimes and who am I to question?

Come Training Day is always obvious who’s been working and who hasn’t. In 5 minutes we can see who works out and who likes the idea but hasn’t mastered the application for a while.

So here is your bench mark. Get the following moves and numbers down. Start with what ever numbers you can work.

It won’t take you long to get going but the pay off is immense.

With body-weight training of this sort you can afford to do a little every day and as your strength and numbers increase you can increase the volume/intensity but cut back on the sessions.

How To Start

Start with Pull ups. What ever number you can do simply multiply by three and do that many push ups. So, for example, if you do three pull ups you drop and do 9 push ups and follow this my multiplying your pull up score by 6 and perform 18 body weight squats.

So there you go, 30 reps. Should take you a minute or so. Aim to add a pull up if not each session, then each week. If you are struggling with even getting one then drop me a line. We’ll get you there.

If you are struggling, start with what you can do. 1 pull up, 3 press ups, 6 squats. Work that sequence a few times a day. When one becomes two, you know what to do.

There simply isn’t enough volume here to produce any type of over training. But once you can bang out you 10 / 30 / 60 in under 2 minutes you will be feeling pretty tight and light.

Once you can roll out 3 full rounds of this as you might increase the numbers (which at this stage will be much easier) add some weight to the drills or make the moves more challenging with variations.

How do we arrive at these figures? What rigorous scientific methodology has been applied to establish these baseline numbers? In lengthy double blind, triple filtered, zero bullshit study conducted at my house I decided if you can’t do these numbers chances are you are kidding yourself about your current strength and conditioning levels (and probably your eating habits and your ninja skills too!)

…And you really should put away the toys and get to grips with real strength. A pull, a push and a squat, just like mother nature intended. These three moves work major muscles, engage the core and get the body to work as a single unit.

This is tensile strength. As natural as it gets. It is also the foundation for tackling bigger, nastier and altogether more difficult challenges…and they are just around the corner.

Leave me a message below if you have any questions or comments!

- Rannoch

You can get more info from Rannoch on his blog Simple Strength

OK, I am going to come clean.  Some years ago I thought breakfast was a cup of bad (read cheap) black coffee, a greasy apple fritter and a cigarette.

Every morning, stop at the local mini-mart, grab and go, eat it in the car at 80 MPH on I80 on my way to work.  No wonder my waistline was expanding!

I mean really …only a couple three hundred calories (easy) about 60% fat (the bad kind of fat), the rest high glycemic carbs.   How could you not get fat on a daily intake of that?

Today, breakfast looks like a grapefruit.  Actually, today breakfast looks like nothing.  Today is a fast day for me.  I started intermittent fasting a couple of months ago.

I fast on Monday and Thursday from the night before until my evening meal that night.  The evening meal is my normal meal…not a 2000 calorie pig fest.  I will drink tea throughout the day, maybe an emergen-c or 2, then a protein and vegetable meal in the evening.  I also do not change my workout schedule on those days.

Why fast?  Fasting is an important component of the paleo diet regime.

Our ancestors often had times of no food.  No food allows my digestive system to rest a bit and re-set itself.  Since I eat little to no refined food, grains and other inflammatory foods (more on this next week) when I fast I do not crave sugars and other foods.  Fasting also serves as a tool in weight management.  I will lose 2 to 4 pounds over the 24 hours of fasting, some of it is water granted (most of the real food you eat is water), but my energy levels actually remain high and my mental acuity is easier to manage.  A caveat…if I have been eating not so clean (like on Monday after some weekend indulgences) I will be irritable when I fast and crave sugar as well.

So…no nutrition is an important part of your nutrition program.  I know this is heresy to many people on the 6 meal a day program, never allowing your body to not have fuel to burn.  I have been there on that plan too by the way.  I get it and it works to a certain degree.

Remember the mantra…Move More Eat Less.  Fasting is part of the mantra.  Eating the right foods in a conscious way, with an attitude of gratitude, in the company of people who support and love you is part of the mantra.  Walking after you eat with the same people is part of the mantra.

Next week, Eat this not that!!!

Namaste

- John

- You can get more info from John at his own website, or follow him on Twitter and read his blogs (Feel Good Friday and Sunday Stories)

Whether that’s the latest Tae Bo-esque exercise fad or some “magical” diet based on a supposed rare rainforest berry. But it’s just as easy to find your way home.

Any time you feel distracted by the “latest and greatest” a return to the basics will reset your fitness compass.

1. Get Picky With Body Weight Movements.

For exercise, you can’t get any more basic than the body weight movements. Revisit the push up, the pull up, and the body weight squat and go through your technique with a fine tooth comb.

The things to pay the closest attention to are your range of motion and postural alignment. Use a video camera or a training partner and get some unbiased feedback on your performance on the most basic of the basics.

2. Reduce The Weight You Use On The Barbell Lifts.

No doubt, the barbell lifts are meant to be done heavy. What I’m suggesting is knocking back the weight you use just a bit and focusing on the technique.

There are undoubtedly minor tweaks you can make to your lifts that you would not discover without reducing the poundages. Even better – go find an expert coach on these lifts, pay them what they’re worth for a session, open your mind and be a student. The results will be priceless.

3. Simplify Your Circuits.

I’m notorious for putting clients through circuit training with every sort of jumping, throwing, swinging, and lifting movement you can imagine.

But it’s tough to beat finding a steep hill and running up and down it until your heart feels like it will explode from your chest. Or seeing how many burpees you can do in 10 minutes.

Pulling out your bag of exercise tricks can be nice for variety on occasion, but it’s never necessary for a good fat burning workout.

4. Eat The Same Thing Everyday.

Take the guess work out of meal planning and eat the same thing every day. This makes grocery shopping, cooking, and packaging your meals a snap.

Change the menu up weekly if you like, but for a solid week eat the same thing for breakfast, the same thing for lunch, and the same thing for dinner.

If you can’t stomach doing this, then just make sure you prepare your meals ahead of time and take a little extra time on Sunday to get everything ready for the next few days…

5. Get More Sleep.

Maybe that means turning off the television at night or setting the alarm clock an hour later (wouldn’t that be nice). Our recovery time is often the most neglected aspect of our health and fitness regimen. And you can’t get any more basic when it comes to recovery than a good night’s sleep.

There is no need to get fancy with your workouts. We all stray from the proven path from time to time because we were dazzled by the latest late-night infomercial or in search of a quick fitness fix.

When this happens, revisit the technique on the basic movements, keep things simple, and get more sleep.

Your results are sure to improve…

- Vic

“On a large enough time line, the survival rate for everyone will drop to zero”

We need to get this one out of the way first. The longer you stick around, the shorter the odds, so you might as well get in shape for the trip, however long (or short) it might be.

“This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time”

Yup, one minute at a time. This leads on from the last quote. Remember, your next excuse might be your last. We get better, improve, one second at a time. So what is it going to be? What are you more interested in? TV or your T-Levels?

“If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person?”

Today you will have numerous opportunities to deliver. You have these every day but time and time again we’d rather not take the risk. We are so scared of looking stupid, making fools of ourselves. If you want things to be different, do things differently!

“One minute was enough, Tyler said, a person had to work hard for it, but a minute of perfection was worth the effort”

What you put in is what you get out. The sublime effort to get it right, to flirt at the outer reaches of your ability. Just now and again, just often enough to experience that fleeting moment of perfection.

“If you don’t know what you want,” the doorman said, “you end up with a lot you don’t.”

Everytime you train, everytime you practice, you are on a journey. If you have a ton of experience under your belt then you can freestyle for sure. But if you are like the vast majority of folk, far from your potential, you need to think about where your training is taking you. Get a plan, stick with it long enough to see the difference it can make. Training doesn’t need to be a leisure activity. Make it count.

“May I never be complete. May I never be content. May I never be perfect”

And then you need to realise that it’s a life’s work. There is always something to improve on. Something to do. And that is what makes it at the very least, interesting and at it’s best, exhilarating.

“I just don’t want to die without a few scars”

This really doesn’t need much explanation…does it? the following tell you why…

“After a night in fight club, everything in the real world gets the volume turned down”

You can escape into that last set. You know the one. It would be easier to pack up and go home. But if you hang in there, when the mind wants to walk but the body is still capable, you will be better person for it. Stressed? Go lift. Can’t sleep? Drop and do fifty. Had enough? Crank out those pull ups. A little intensity goes a long way.

“The gyms you go to are crowded with guys trying to look like men, as if being a man means looking the way a sculptor or an art director says”

It’s perhaps ironic that the film spawned a generation of men who wanted to look like Brad Pitt, weighing in at around 160lbs at Six feet. Work with what you’ve got. Don’t worry about the guys training next to you, work with who you are.

“At the time, my life just seemed too complete, and maybe we have to break everything to make something better out of ourselves”

For a generation for whome luxuries have become neccessities and everything exists in abundance, we’ve lost sight of the value really living. Can you ditch it all and get back to basics? No t-shirt, running shoe or hot new gadget will make you train any harder. Which is another way of saying…

“It’s only after you’ve lost everything,” Tyler says, “that you’re free to do anything.”

Pick three moves, a push, a pull and a squat. Work them back to back til you know your done. No pen and paper required. Simple.

“You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone else”

The upside is we are all in the same boat. Everyone starts somewhere. The trick is to start.

“You’re not your job. You’re not your family, and you’re not who you tell yourself…. You’re not your name…. You’re not your problems…. You’re not your age…”

In the current climate it’s easy to feel the odds are stacked. Kettlebell swings, 30 seconds on 30 seconds off for 10 minutes are a great leveller. Want to switch off the monkey mind for a while? Who says meditation can’t involve sweat…Go swing.

“The best way to waste your life, … is by taking notes. The easiest way to avoid living is to just watch. Look for the details. Report. Don’t participate.”

Humble thanks to Chuck Palaniuk. If you have not read the book do so. It’s not about fighting, it about being alive. Check it out…

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/

- Rannoch

Hi Gym Junkies…Recently our intrepid leader Vic Magary sent out a note asking for volunteers to write a blog once a week for Gym Junkies.

I volunteered and he decided to let me have at it (although it may be against his better judgment).  Vic and I met a couple of years in Greensboro Alabama at an Ultimate Black Belt Test service function.

We were there to build houses (think Habitat for Humanity), train and spend some time exploring how community service can serve both the community and the business at the same time.

I am pretty sure Vic thought I was crazy as I was in the middle of my 500,000 push up quest.  Yes, you read that correctly… ½ million pushups, ½ million crunches in 22 months.

These were not the greatest pushups…not like I do them now with the elbows tight to the torso and chin/chest on the mat.  By the way, don’t try 500,000 at home or anywhere else.  My shoulders paid a dear price for that bit of over use.

Almost 20 years ago at the ripe old age of 34 I started martial arts training in TaeKwon-Do.

In the intervening years I have tried to be a body builder type (no steroids though)after which  I ran marathons and ultra marathons (anything over 26.2 miles is ultra) until my knee surgery (which was caused by something other than running) although running precipitated the surgery and all the while maintaining my martial arts training.

Today I am a 53 year old 5^th degree martial artist and fitness instructor.

If I had to distill my workout/nutrition philosophy in a single sentence it would be this:  Move more and eat less.

This mantra comes from Mark Sisson and the primal blueprint.  We were all wrong for so many years…Chronic Cardio (thanks Mark) is a slow death.

I owned a gym for a short period of time…you know the typical Globo-Gym…people would come in and get on a bike or treadmill or stair stepper, grab a magazine and proceed to read, talk on the phone, text, or zone out for the next 45 minutes.

No intention and no change in the routine…and guess what…no change in their bodies either.  Granted moving like this is better than not moving BUT there are better and more interesting ways (less time consuming as well) to create optimum health and fitness.

And that is the goal my friends:  Optimum Health and Fitness.  A strong mind in a strong body powered by whole foods eaten with intention and gratitude.  More next week on the nutrition front because you cannot exercise yourself skinny!!

Namaste

-John

BTW be sure to check out Vic’s comments on a new article over at Fitness Spotlight on the best cardio workouts

Yep, I’m basically saying you’re a punk. I’m saying you don’t push the envelope. I’m saying you haven’t even flirted with the red line. Prove me wrong. And watch your results sky rocket.

2. Because familiarity builds contempt.

You’ve been working out at the same gym with the same equipment and the same people day after day after day. . . Break free. Go hit some trail sprints. Or push your car across the parking lot just for shits and giggles. Or pick up your significant other and run around the house until your lungs are on fire (thank me later for the post-workout workout on that one). Break the mold, break the plateaus, and break free!

3. Because you know everything.

Think you know how to do a deadlift, eh? Well go find a pro powerlifter, hand him a fifty dollar bill, and beg him to critique your technique with brutal honesty. And then apply what they say. Best fifty spot you’ll ever spend.

4. Because you’re stuck in the matrix.

Yep, your workouts are just another part of the routine. It’s nothing more than an extension of the shit, shower, and shave. You do it on auto pilot. You do it because it’s habit. Which can be a good thing but after a while. . . it becomes as rudimentary as flossing your teeth.

Shake things up. Instead of the back squat, hit the front squat. Instead of the standard deadlift, hit the sumo deadlift. Instead of your gym, hit the jungle gym at the park. Break free from the matrix.

5. Because your diet still sucks. You’re still eating shit that comes in a box. You’re still twisting caps on bottles of Budweiser.

You’re still chalking up an entire pizza to you’re cheat day. Stop it now and enjoy the difference in your energy levels, sleep patterns, and training results.

6. Because you’re unmotivated.

You haven’t found that pic of you of you in a bikini on a Mexican beach where you were in the best shape of your life and taped it to your bathroom mirror.

You haven’t taken the time to create a playlist for your iPod of all of the music that makes you want to rip shit off of the floor and break it.

You haven’t put those pants that are currently two sizes too small but perfect for your ideal weight on lay away. You haven’t found what ever it is that gets you through the inevitable middle ground. Quit being so fucking milquetoast and do it.

7. Because you still don’t track.

You don’t keep a workout journal, you don’t do periodic regular one rep max tests, and you don’t weigh in weekly. Shit, you still walk around the gym waiting for an open piece of equipment, get on it, do a few reps, and then get off.

That’s nothing more than masturbation – making yourself feel good but missing the real thing. Walk into the gym with a written plan, track your results, and be amazed at the results.

8. Because your ego is still in the way.

You still can’t do a full pull up. But instead of working with the bands, you do some half range of motion wanna-be pull up crap. You spend too much time on the bench press because that’s what everyone else does and you don’t want to be “different”. Leave your ego behind, quit being a sheep, and do what you know your body needs.

9. Because you have no sense of urgency.

You are going to die. And what is even more pressing, you don’t know WHEN you are going to die. Acting like you have forever to get into shape is foolish. Do it NOW, you might not have tomorrow.

10. Because you are good.

Yep, you’re in decent shape. You are stronger than most, faster than most, and hell you look better than most. But you are not at you’re personal best. You have settled. You are complacent. And you are complacent because you are “good”. Challenge yourself to be your best self.

End rant.

- Vic

I’m looking to help out 1-2 trainers & nutritionists (or just knowledgable lifters) to get their name out there by having them write for Gym Junkies.

I havent had as much time lately to put up 3 quality posts per week, and I think the best way to keep giving you guys KILLER content is to have some new voices writing each week on this blog (along with myself)

If you’re a trainer, blogger, nutritionist or a knowledgable lifter that wants to get their name out and get more readers for your website then I’d love to help you and feature you on Gym Junkies.

I’m looking for 1 quality post per week from a new writer – and I’d like someone that is committed for the long term.  If you’re looking to just do this for a month and quit then don’t bother applying.

If you’re interested send me an email help@gymjunkies.com with some of your writing (or videos) and some info about your training style!

I think this will really help take Gym Junkies to the next level – and all the readers will be getting even more great content each week!

As I said Im only looking to bring on 1-2 writers so email me ASAP….

- Vic

I highly encourage you to read it.

This is something I’ve preached over and over here on GymJunkies….  Once you have a good workout plan and understand nutrition, the rest is totally dependent on YOU!

The people who hustle and put in the work are the ones who get results!  Check out his post here…

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/02/08/the-world-belongs-to-those-who-hustle/