Thursday, April 26, 2012

WHO AM I? I AM A CHAMPION!!!


 
Mixed Martial Arts
Muay Thai Kickboxing for 1 hour focusing on body kick defense countering to body kick attack to combo punches
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for 1 hour (GI Uniform) focusing on sprawling - defense against takedowns

Gymnastics
Muscle Ups (with kip) for 3,2,2, reps (back to previous PR)
L-Sit on parallel bars for 30,25,25 seconds
Box Jump up to belly button height
Strict Hanging Leg Raises toes to bar for 3 x 10 (sets x reps)

"Out of every 100 men, 10 shouldn’t even be there,
Eighty are just targets,
Nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them,
for they make the battle.
Ah, but the one,
One is a warrior,
And he will bring the others back."
~Heraclitus

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

ADVENTURE


 “Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
- William Hutchinson Murray, The Scottish Himalayan Expedition (1951)
The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.

Strength Training
Super Squats for 1 x 20 reps - 210 lbs taking about 3 minutes and breathing deeply between reps
Front Squat for 1,1,1,1,1 reps with 210 lbs
Adventure Race Training
Mountain Biking through Wissahickon Park (HILLS!) for 40 minutes
then shortly afterwards
Trail Running through Wisshickon Park (HILLS!) for 30 minutes
The Tarahumara Indigenous Running Tribe of Mexico 


Martial Arts Training
Muay Thai Kickboxing, Boxing, and Clinch Sparring for 30 minutes: 3 min rounds with 30 sec rest

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Last One Standing

Each episode begins with the contestants being introduced to a new indigenous society, meeting the local elder or head man. The contestants are introduced to the sport they will be competing in. They must live and eat with the villagers, and help out with village chores while being trained by the villagers, both for general fitness, and in techniques required for the particular sport. Competitors often undertake local rituals or traditions, such as ceremonial dancing, the wearing of tribal clothing, body painting, medicinal treatments, ritual tests of strength or courage, and the offering up of prayers or offerings to local gods or spirits.



When I travel to Brazil this summer, I will do everything within my power to go to the Amazon rainforest and live among some indigenous tribes.  I want to compete in some sport and become like them.  I want to be free from western societal chains and see what it is like to live as a tribal warrior.  I want to learn how to hunt with primal methods.  I have been training my body through functional exercises and combat sports to attempt to achieve hunter-gatherer esque fitness abilities.  I nourish my body as closely to indigenous hunter/gatherer tribes as I can through primal eating and intermittent fasting through the Warrior Diet principles.  I avoid chronic stress by keeping my cool.  Unless a saber tooth tiger is coming at me there is no reason to freak out... I get plenty of sleep.  I unleash my aggression by doing Mixed Martial Arts several times a week.  I will be reading books on tribal life and what to expect.  I think that there is a lot that myself and the western society as a whole can learn from these people.  Their way of life is about sustaining their needs and harboring nature.  Not destroying and exploiting it like we do in the West. I will become a better man through the experiences which in turn will make a better world.  BUTTERFLY EFFECT!


Read about indigenous tribes in Brazil HERE
Story of uncontacted Tribes in the Amazon at Amazon.com... IRONY! -  
"THE UNCONQUERED"
TEDxTalks - Amazonia (Randy Borman)

Sunday
1 hour of boxing training
Monday
Strength
working on Anderson (below parallel) back squat 3x3 (205#) and sumo deadlift 3RM (365#)
Tuesday
Gymnastics
Parallette Handstand Push-Ups down to floor for 3x1 (HARD!)
100 russian kettlebell swings without stopping or putting bell down 
Muay Thai banana bag training for 20 minutes


Grappling for 1 hour working on Judo Throws then against an opponent
Boxing for 1 hour for 3 x 3 minute rounds with 1 min rest

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Intro to Mountainbiking

 Introduction to Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is a fantastic way to explore the outdoors, stay in shape, get the adrenalin moving, or just have fun. There is an element of danger involved, but if you ride within the your skill limits and stay in control, it can be enjoyed by the entire family.

Hard Tail Cross Country BikeMountain Bike Styles

There are three main styles of mountain biking -

  • cross country,
  • downhill, and
  • free riding.

(and yes, I know, there is Super-D, Dual Slalom and a lot more, but we will get to that in another article) The styles have many similarities, but they do require different skills and different types of bikes. The style you choose will determine the type of bike you will buy.
The image on the right shows a hard tail cross country bike. It has about 4 inches of travel and weighs less than 25 pounds. Some of the carbon fiber hard-tails weigh in at less than 20 pounds.

Locations for mountain biking

Cross Country BikeMountain biking is the best on unpaved trails and even better where there are differences in elevation. Gravity matters! The best locations for the sport include single track. Many areas throughout North America have specific locations designed for mountain biking.  Many places, like trails in Marin County have limitations on where mountain bikers can ride. Always check with the local park, county or open space district on what rules, restrictions, routes and regulations apply to mountain biking....
read more HERE

Rally in the Valley
Mountain biking festival at Wissahickon Park
Worked on skills then went on ride for about 2 and a half hour of riding through MOUNTAINS


Friday, April 20, 2012

Fitness is...

Fitness Is...

Opportunity.

Take advantage of yours.

A farmer doesn’t plant crops without a harvest. An investor doesn’t invest without a return. But such is the tragic circumstance of a man who trains day after day without using what he’s gained.

With the surplus of material floating around the Internet, shelved in libraries, and taught in schools, it’s easy to lose ourselves amongst the methodology. Nutrition, programming, recovery, adaptation—there’s so much to know that the ‘process’ of fitness becomes a trap well laid. All this information fights for our attention and, as a result, we lose the forest while sifting through the trees.

That forest, while superficially unique from person to person, typically boils down to a....
read the rest at anywherefit
by Blair Morrison
Link

Strength
Super Squats: 1 set of 20 repetitions breathing a couple times in between reps with 205 lbs (set took 3 minutes to complete with no racking)
Overhead Press with fat gripz working to find 2 rep max (155 lbs)
Weighted Pull-ups with fat gripz cluster sets: 3 reps (rest 20 sec), 3 reps (rest 20 sec), 3 reps, rest 2 minutes, repeat for 3 total sets using 25 lbs
Weighted Dips with fat gripz cluster sets: 3 reps (rest 20 sec), 3 reps (rest 20 sec), 3 reps, rest 2 minutes, repeat for 3 total sets using 70 lbs


Muay Thai Kickboxing for 1 hour doing 2 x 5 minutes of rope jumping, 2 x 5 min of shadow kickboxing, 2 x 5 min of combos on thai pads

Thursday, April 19, 2012

BRICK Training

Bricking It - The essentials of brick training for triathlons.
For us beginners, a brick is usually a bike/run combo. This simulates the bike to run transition - many think is the toughest part of the race.

What's a "brick" and why is it named so?

  • Bike-Run-ICK!
  • That's how your legs feel for the first part of the run.
  • Named by Mark Sisson and Scott Zagarino one day in 1988 after they completed a Bike-Run workout -- "Just another brick in the wall".

For us beginners, a brick is usually a bike/run combo. This simulates the bike to run transition - many think is the toughest part of the race. It should be done during your final training phase leading up to a race. A brick simulates the bike-to-run transition. It's wiggy. Have you ever had your leg go to sleep on you? You can move it ok but you don't feel like it's part of you. Really. It's like running on rubber pegs or running with a ball and chain attached to them.
read more HERE

BRICK Training
50 minutes of road cycling at a fast pace
then with little rest
5 K run in about 24 minutes
then with a couple min rest
Road cycling for 15 minutes at a moderate pace


I have a 20 mile Adventure Race coming up on April 29th.

The Savage Adventure Race is a great race for those new to the sport, as well as for those seasoned athletes looking for a challenge. We'll give you 6 hours to complete the 20 mile course.

Approximate race distances.......
5 miles of running, trekking, orienteering
10 miles of mountain biking
5 miles of canoe paddling plus fun team challenges.

Link
Some may call me a Renaissance Man

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Secret Agent Training

1. Endurance and Speed
When international terrorists or Russian Operatives are trying to evade you from capturing them, you will have to RUN like HELL, FAST AND FAR. The best way to do this is to vary your running workouts. For best results, it is recommended to do 2-3 running workouts with 1 short interval to build your bad guy catching speed (EX: 8 x 200 meters or 30 seconds on and 90 seconds off for 20 minutes), 1 longer interval (EX: 4 x 800 meters or 3 x 7 minutes) and 1 long run to build up your cyborg like endurance (EX: work on increasing the distance or time running and incorporating Time Trials like a 5 K, 10 K, or half marathon to gauge progress). This is a similar protocol that CrossFit Endurance utilizes. Incorporating circuits with weights, bodyweight, and running/rowing/cycling is also vital for the conditioned spy. The Secret Service has a kettlebell snatch test with a 53 lber to measure their fitness.
2. Strength and Power
This will be necessary when you have to tackle a jihadist leader before he reaches the detonator of a bomb and kills a bus full of small children. Or when you have to rappel down a building of a North Korean Nuclear facility with 50 pounds of gear strapped to your back. For building strength, everyone (even women) should be lifting some weights. Wendler, a great powerlifter, has a simple yet effective program HERE. But strength and power is meaningless if you can't lift your own bodyweight. Al Kavadlo offers tutorial videos on cool bodyweight exercises to build pure strength that is fun to show off at cocktail parties (shaken not stirred) and even more effective at allowing you to navigate around minefields.
3. Sports Specific Fight Training
Punching, kicking, throwing, and dominating bad guys is not as easy as it looks. It takes experience training in martial arts. Any operative worth his or her salt is able to take out a larger enemy and often multiple at one time. A future agent should join a Mixed Martial Arts Gym and take up Urban Defense and/or Krav Maga (Israeli Defense training).

You may not have to change your identity or go through water boarding to become a secret Linkagent but you still can train like one. It will only make you a more effective human being and look better NEKID...
  Link

Sparring in Boxing and Muay Thai Kickboxing and Clinch for 30 minutes of 3 minutes on and 30 seconds rest
Grappling working on takedowns then rolling with a partner for 2 x 5 minute rounds with 30 second rest

Monday, April 16, 2012

5 Ways to Destroy the Illusion of FEAR

5 Ways To Destroy The Illusion Of Fear

excerpted from Addicted to Success


Can you remember the last time you really wanted to do something, but didn’t? What stopped you, what changed your mind? Was it that voice inside your head? Have you ever stopped to question, who and what that voice is? Fear. Fear is the catalyst for inaction. Fear is the voice that tells us, if we try, the probability of failure will be higher than that of success, that rejection is more likely than acceptance, fear is the impetus that makes us do nothing instead.

In his most recent novel, ‘Aleph’, Paolo Coehlo says that, it’s in fact, not courage but willpower that leads to success. He says that willpower provides us with the determination and dedication required to pursue our dreams and not the absence of fear.

If we look at all of the successful people in the world, Ghandi, Steve Jobs, Mandella, Donald Trump, above all else, they possessed the fortitude to keep going. They all experienced issues along the way, however, when they embarked on their journey, they never anticipated the road to be a smooth one. So any problems they encountered, motivated them more, they chose to keep going when others would have given up, they chose to fight not retreat, they chose … freedom.

Here is a list of points to help you overcome your fears:

1) Feel the fear and do it anyway

You might remember this title from the best selling book by Dr Susan Jeffers. In her book, Dr Jeffers talks about developing assertiveness and challenging our negative thought patterns. She also talks about how we can extend our comfort zone by taking risks. The message to be learned then is that the only way we can overcome our fears is by confronting them. Put your fear aside, and just do it.

2) Go beyond reason

I recently watched the film ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’. Following the movie, I was researching the events of 911 on the Internet, and I came across an article listing accounts of several people who were delayed on that fateful day. People lost their car keys, others were caught in traffic, one woman was late for work because she forgot to set her alarm, another man got stuck on the freeway because of an accident … the stories are endless.

Sometimes we’re not aware of the master plan, the grand design and it isn’t until some time has passed, when we reflect back, we possess an understanding of why we met someone, why we missed that train or that an unforeseen obstacle or delay was in fact a blessing in disguise or the universe conspiring. Call it destiny, serendipity but regardless, remember, there is always a reason why things happened, even if we’re not aware of it at the time.

3) Too little, too late

Eight years ago my father was diagnosed with reflux. After a further year with no resolve, he decided to seek a second opinion. However, it was too late, the doctor diagnosed him with liver cancer which was in the advanced stages, and he was given 2 months to live. That was in November of 2004, by January the following year, he had passed. When my sisters and I were sorting through his papers, we came across a visa application for Burma. My father had left his home town 35 years ago and had always vowed to return. Have you heard the expression ‘too late she cried’? If my father had sought a second opinion sooner or not waited 35 years to return to Burma, perhaps this story would have a different ending. That holiday you’ve never had, the language class you never enrolled in, the friend you never made amends with, don’t find yourself saying, ‘I always wanted to … ‘ instead, write your bucket list and start planning your goals.

4) Regrets

If you ever speak to those that are somewhat older and wiser, they will tell you that, in life, we usually regret the things we didn’t do, rather than the things we did. If you spend your life procrastinating, you will never know the outcome. And remember, no result is a negative one. It’s what you make of your experiences, every moment, every encounter shapes you, bringing you to the point in your life, you’re at now. A wise man once said,

“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves – regret for the past and fear of the future.”

5) Finding Obstacles

How many times have you found yourself making an excuse for why you haven’t done something? ‘It’s too hard … I’m too tired … I haven’t got time?’ Does that sound familiar? We are all perpetrators of that mind set at one time or another in our lives, however, successful people invest the time and effort even when they don’t feel like it. Successful people do things the things that others find difficult. They take calculated risks, they are accountable for their actions, they have initiative are motivated, passionate and encourage others. They weren’t born successful or ‘lucky’, they achieved their goals through determination, hard work and by being fearless, they have courage of their convictions. They find opportunities … not obstacles.

Feel the fear, and do it anyway.

Article By Charlette Barry

Need4Speed: Insight from Phoenix Fly on Vimeo.

Strength

Anderson Back Squat (Parallel depth) working to a 5 Repetition Max (225 lbs)

Anderson Front Squat (Parallel depth) working to a 5 Rep Max (175 lbs)

Jerk working to a 1 rep max (205 lbs)

Muay Thai Kickboxing Heavy Bag/Banana Bag work for 20 minutes

Mixed Martial Arts Training for 45 minutes - working on takedowns and takedown defense.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

10 Keys to Happier Living

10 Keys to Happier Living --by ActionforHappiness.org, Original Story, Apr 14, 2012

Action for Happiness has developed the 10 Keys to Happier Living based on a review of the latest scientific research relating to happiness.

Everyone’s path to happiness is different, but the research suggests these Ten Keys consistently tend to have a positive impact on people’s overall happiness and well-being. The first five (GREAT) relate to how we interact with the outside world in our daily activities*. The second five (DREAM) come more from inside us and depend on our attitude to life.

1. GIVING: Do things for others
Caring about others is fundamental to our happiness. Helping other people is not only good for them and a great thing to do, it also makes us happier and healthier too. Giving also creates stronger connections between people and helps to build a happier society for everyone. And it's not all about money - we can also give our time, ideas and energy. So if you want to feel good, do good!
Q: What do you do to help others?
2. RELATING: Connect with people
Relationships are the most important overall contributor to happiness. People with strong and broad social relationships are happier, healthier and live longer. Close relationships with family and friends provide love, meaning, support and increase our feelings of self worth. Broader networks bring a sense of belonging. So taking action to strengthen our relationships and create new connections is essential for happiness.
Q: Who matters most to you?
3. EXERCISING: Take care of your body
Our body and our mind are connected. Being active makes us happier as well as being good for our physical health. It instantly improves our mood and can even lift us out of a depression. We don't all need to run marathons - there are simple things we can all do to be more active each day. We can also boost our well-being by unplugging from technology, getting outside and making sure we get enough sleep!
Q: How do you stay active and healthy?
4. APPRECIATING: Notice the world around
Ever felt there must be more to life? Well good news, there is! And it's right here in front of us. We just need to stop and take notice. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our well-being in all areas of life - like our walk to work, the way we eat or our relationships. It helps us get in tune with our feelings and stops us dwelling on the past or worrying about the future - so we get more out of the day-to-day.
Q: When do you stop and take notice?
5. TRYING OUT: Keep learning new things
Learning affects our well-being in lots of positive ways. It exposes us to new ideas and helps us stay curious and engaged. It also gives us a sense of accomplishment and helps boost our self-confidence and resilience. There are many ways to learn new things - not just through formal qualifications. We can share a skill with friends, join a club, learn to sing, play a new sport and so much more.
Q: What new things have you tried recently?
6. DIRECTION: Have goals to look forward to
Feeling good about the future is important for our happiness. We all need goals to motivate us and these need to be challenging enough to excite us, but also achievable. If we try to attempt the impossible this brings unnecessary stress. Choosing ambitious but realistic goals gives our lives direction and brings a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when we achieve them.
Q: What are your most important goals?
7. RESILIENCE: Find ways to bounce back
All of us have times of stress, loss, failure or trauma in our lives. But how we respond to these has a big impact on our well-being. We often cannot choose what happens to us, but we can choose our own attitude to what happens. In practice it's not always easy, but one of the most exciting findings from recent research is that resilience, like many other life skills, can be learned.
Q: How do you bounce back in tough times?
8. EMOTION: Take a positive approach
Positive emotions - like joy, gratitude, contentment, inspiration, and pride - are not just great at the time. Recent research shows that regularly experiencing them creates an 'upward spiral', helping to build our resources. So although we need to be realistic about life's ups and downs, it helps to focus on the good aspects of any situation - the glass half full rather than the glass half empty.
Q: What are you feeling good about?
9. ACCEPTANCE: Be comfortable with who you are
No-one's perfect. But so often we compare our insides to other people's outsides. Dwelling on our flaws - what we're not rather than what we've got - makes it much harder to be happy. Learning to accept ourselves, warts and all, and being kinder to ourselves when things go wrong, increases our enjoyment of life, our resilience and our well-being. It also helps us accept others as they are.
Q: What is the real you like?
10. MEANING: Be part of something bigger
People who have meaning and purpose in their lives are happier, feel more in control and get more out of what they do. They also experience less stress, anxiety and depression. But where do we find 'meaning and purpose'? It might be our religious faith, being a parent or doing a job that makes a difference. The answers vary for each of us but they all involve being connected to something bigger than ourselves.
Q: What gives your life meaning?
* The first five keys are based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing developed by nef as part of the UK Government's Foresight Project on Mental Capital.

This article is reprinted here with permission. Action for Happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier society. The organization is a UK-based with participants in over 120 countries.

Adventure Race Training

Mountain Biking in Valley Forge Park for 40 minutes

Then 1 hour later

2 mile run on flat ground

(this is NOT easy, legs do not want to run after mountain biking)

Friday, April 13, 2012

Why don’t we have the things that we want?

Linkexcerpted from Addicted to Success

Why don’t we have the things that we want?

Ever think it’s because we don’t deserve it?

Of course we don’t. “I deserve what I want. I work harder than the kid driving a Lambo because his dad’s a millionaire. What did he do to get that car? Nothing! Am I right?”

Nope. I don’t deserve the Lambo because I haven’t done what I need to do to get the Lambo. That kid did exactly what he needed to do; he came out of the right lady, and was born into the right family. What he doesn’t have: the opportunity to EARN the Lamborghini… more on that in a bit.

We spend so much time wishing and complaining, that we fail to come to grips with the fact that we have everything that we deserve to have. We’re as happy as we should be because our attitude and outlook on life determines our happiness.

We’re as successful as we deserve to be because we’ve put in the amount of work that determines the amount of success we’ve achieved. We’ve also risked and sacrificed what is necessary to be where we are. No more successful, and no less successful than we are right now.

We’ve done what’s necessary to be where we are at this very moment. We HAVEN’T done what’s necessary to achieve everything we want to achieve. Otherwise, we’d be there.

Now what about the spoiled rich kid driving that Lambo… Why shouldn’t we be pissed off at him from being born with a silver spoon while we have to work our asses off for everything we want? Or what about our buddy who has had everything go his way in life; don’t we have the right to be mad at him?! We’re slaving away here, and he’s off in South America living the good life, that lucky son of a bitch.

Yah, we have that right if we want to be a sour, jealous, shadow of a man for the rest of our lives… on second thought, no we don’t have that right. But we do have an opportunity. A great opportunity.

The kid with the Lambo and the silver spoon will never have the greatest opportunity a man can ever have: the chance to elevate his status, to work hard, and to EARN. I have this opportunity. This gift. This blessing. And so do you.

We can be sour, mad, and jealous of our buddy who’s had some good breaks. But will he feel the same towards us when we achieve our success? Probably not, he’s a good dude.

So where do we stand?

Exactly where we deserve to be standing.

Success, no matter how you define it isn’t a right. It’s something that has to be earned. Wherever we are right now in life is where we deserve to be.

Sometimes it sucks to say this because some very hard working and deserving people don’t get the breaks that others get. Sometimes this leads to a change in attitude or a break in their faith. The shaken faith can lead to a lack of hope. The lack of hope can lead to poor decision making, which can lead to more bad breaks ending in a life that had promise, but was never realized.

We are never put under circumstances that we can’t handle. Believe it?

If you do, when time’s get tough and life seems unfair, you’ll know that you can handle it. That no matter how dark life gets, it’s nothing but a passing phase. Like the night is before daybreak. The darkness will always pass if you’re strong enough to stand through it.

If you don’t believe it. If you instead become angry that life isn’t going your way. If you resent other’s success and hate the world for the lack of your own, the darkness will never cease until you decide to change how you view it.

Yes, we are where we deserve to be. Even more, we are where we’re supposed to be.

No higher. No lower.

Only you can create the change that will determine the most important position: where you end up.

Article By: Chad Howse

Checkout chadhowsefitness.com for more amazing articles by Chad.


Physical Training
Strength

Back Squat with 245 lbs for 3x5
Rack Board (6 inches from chest) Bench Press working up to 1 Rep Max with 285 lbs
Weighted Chin-Up working up to 1 Rep Max with 90 lbs
Pistol (one legged squat) box jumps for 4 x 2 (per side)
Around the world Pull-Ups for 2 x 10
Heavy Bag / Banana Bag Training (punching/kicking) for 30 minutes with high intensity
Muay Thai Kickboxing for 1 hour working on the jump body kick


Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Top 5 Regrets of Those About to Die

excerpt from Addicted2Success
To all my readers out there, sorry to bring down the mood on this one, but I believe this post you are about to read will be a life changing article in the way that you see your life and how you are living it at the moment. This article is written by Bronnie Ware, a palliative care worker who has worked with a countless number of patients who are sadly seeing their last days on earth. When Bronnie had questioned the patients about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

The Top 5 Regrets of those about to die

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honor at least some of your dreams along the way.

From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard – This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship.

Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings – Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends – Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier
This is a surprisingly common one.

Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice.

They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

By Bronnie Ware – Purchase Bronnie Wares full – length book:


Make It Count from Casey Neistat on Vimeo.


Speed
12 x 50 meter sprints
Martial Arts
Muay Thai kickboxing for 1 hour (conditioning focus)
Muay Thai Sparring for 30 minutes

Quote of the Day
"It is my aim, and every effort bent, that the sum and history of my life, which in the same sentence is my obit and epitaph too, shall be them both: He made them smile and then died. "
Ben Chera
Song of the Day

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

5 WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS

Chronic Stress will kill YOU! It has been linked to causing HEART DISEASE. Humans or any other animal were not meant to be stressed out for prolonged periods of time like we often are today. This is often because of long days at work or that "the world is on my shoulders" belief that some have adopted. We are only meant to be stressed out for short bursts of time to give us the adrenaline boost to outrun a saber tooth tiger or to beat an attacking tribe.

1. Get off your butt and EXERCISE!
It has long been reported that exercise can reduce stress, with one 2003 study suggesting that short, intense bursts of exercise are most effective at reducing stress and stress-related diseases (such as cardiovascular disease). While this is definitely good news for those of us who are feeling a time crunch, it should be noted that other forms of exercise, such as hiking, pilates and yoga, can also help quieten the mind and help you unwind.

2. Get your mind right
You are NOT responsible for the fate of the world. The world will go on without you. Also, picture what you are stressed about and try to imagine what it would be like if you were a poor, blind orphan child living in a third world country. Its not so bad now, is it?

3. Eat REAL food (not fake processed man-made trash)
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Basically, anything that does not have a shelf/fridge life is not real food and you shouldn't eat it. Eat food that nourishes you, energizes you, and strengthens your brain. Natural/Organic foods may be more expensive but it will save you from buying diabetes medicine, or when you need new organs, ect.

4. Laugh/Smile more
Watch a comedy movie or tv-show. Go see stand-up comedy live or make friends with funny people. And if smiling/laughing comes hard to you, fake it till you make it. But you must truly think happy thoughts for it to work.

5. Punch/Kick something or someone...
What if you could take out all the anger or frustration built up after a long day/week/year at the office or school? Through Martial Arts Training (boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, jiu jitsu, ect) you can release it in every punch, kick, take-down, ect that you do on a heavy-bag or with a friend holding pads and eventually sparring.



Mixed Martial Arts Training for 3 hours (back to back)
Muay Thai Kickboxing for 1 hour focusing on body kick defense
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (NO-GI uniform) grappling for 1 hour (triangle choke) rolling/sparring
Boxing for 1 hour focusing on south paw stance - defense/offense

Monday, April 9, 2012

Manthropology - Modern Men are Sissies

In his book Manthropology: The Science of the Inadequate Modern Male, anthropologist Peter McAllister writes, "As a class we are in fact the sorriest cohort of masculine Homo sapiens to ever walk the planet."
According to John Mehaffey of Reuters, McCallister's evidence includes a set of footprints made by Australian aborigines chasing game 20,000 years ago. Analysis of the footprints shows the men were running at about 37 kph (23 mph) along the muddy shore of a lake. For comparison, world record holder Usain Bolt reached a speed of 42 kph (26 mph) at the Beijing Olympics. McAllister writes,
We can assume they are running close to their maximum if they are chasing an animal. But if they can do that speed of 37 kph on very soft ground I suspect there is a strong chance they would have outdone Usain Bolt if they had all the advantages that he does.
HOW DOES MODERN MAN STACK UP?
Russian arm wrestling champion Alexey Voyevoda has a twenty-two-inch bicep and has curled more than two hundred and fifty pounds---with just one arm. But could he stand up in an arm wrestling match with an average Neanderthal male? Or, for that matter, a female? (p. 10)
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Today’s Ultimate Fighters compete in a sport where bouts routinely end with an unconscious loser splayed out on a blood-soaked canvas. But what would a match in the Octagon look like next to the Pankration bouts of the Ancient Greeks: a battleground or a playground? (p. 77)
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A modern army goes into battle with state-of-the-art technology and centuries of strategical insight. But for sheer determination, could they have bested Nero’s legions, who marched nearly two marathons a day for six days straight---each legionary carrying hundred-pound packs? (p. 99)
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There’s philological evidence that suggests Homer may not have written the Iliad; he may have rapped it. If 50 Cent had to face Homer in a rap battle, would he come out on top? (p. 160)
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Wilt Chamberlain is known for scoring on more than just the court. He claimed to have had as many as twenty thousand sexual encounters in his lifetime. Such conquest could only be matched by one of the world’s greatest conquerors: There is the evidence that approximately 32 million people are descended from Genghis Khan. (p. 248)
This motivates me to embrace my primal nature. I not only want to be capable of what I as a male human being is supposed to do, but I desire to be the best possible to reach alpha male status. I will train to meet and surpass FITNESS STANDARDS.

I will also eat like how my body was designed to by following a primal/paleo diet (MOSTLY) and by implementing the WARRIOR Diet.

Its premise: eat one main meal at night, avoid chemicals, combine foods adequately and challenge your body physically. The Warrior Diet shows how to nourish the body in sync with its innate circadian clock – separating between a.m. foods and p.m. foods for effective removal of toxins, increased conversion of fat for energy, increased utilization of nutrients and improved resilience to stress. The result: a leaner, stronger and healthier body.

The Evidence is Undeniable
  • Recent studies on intermittent fasting have shown the benefits of following eating programs similar to The Warrior Diet. Mice and rats maintained on an intermittent fasting regimen lived up to 30% longer than those fed ad libitum. Especially striking are the improved insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular risk profiles in animals maintained on diets with long inter-meal intervals.
  • "Our ancestors consumed food much less frequently and often had to subsist on one large meal per day, and thus from an evolutionary perspective, human beings were adapted to intermittent feeding rather than to grazing." (Mattson, M.P., PhD, Lancet 2005; 365:1978-80).



Muay Thai Kickboxing for 1 hour

ALPHA MALE TRAINING
Max Effort Lower Body

Back Squat finding 1 Rep Max - 275 lbs (parallel depth)
Deficit Sumo Deadlift finding 1 Rep Max - 385 lbs
Olympic Depth (butt to ankles) Anderson Squat for 3 x 3 - 205 lbs
Dynamic Effort Upper Body
Speed Bench Press with mini bands for 10 x 3 - 155 lbs
Metabolic Conditioning
Every minute perform either 3 x thrusters (135 lbs) or 10 x kipping pull-ups - alternating exercises each min for 20 total min [10 sets of thrusters and 10 sets of pull-ups for 30 total thrusters and 100 total pull-ups]