Remedy Rising

Archives for February 2015

Best Diet and Best Exercise, Hands Down!

by Leave a Comment

Breaking News with Matt

Subject: The Best Diet and Best Exercise

———–

best diet and best exercise

The Best Diet and Best Exercise, Hands Down!

What is the Best Diet and Best Exercise?

In a land where we are bombarded with so many options and paths, deciding where to start can be very intimidating.  Everyone seems to be an expert and it is their way or the highway!

With so many choices – many of which contradict the others – one can easily get overwhelmed and likely choose to do nothing.  You would think having so many options would be a good thing, right?  Not quite…

Lucky for you, I’ve already tried the majority of diets and exercise routines that are out there.  I’ve discovered which ones are crap and which ones are worthwhile.

And now I am going to tell you the best diet and best exercise you could possibly do.

“PLEASE! Tell me the best diet and best exercise!”

Ok, ok.  It’s a simple answer, really.

Prepare to be shocked…

Drum roll please.

…

…

…

The best diet and best exercise are ones that you will consistently follow.

best diet and best exercise

“No way!”

best diet and best exercise

“Like, I can’t even!!!”

That’s right.

The best diet and best exercise are simply the ones that you will stick with.

What’s the point in trying to improve your health with some crazy new diet fad if you are going to drop that habit and resort to your old ways shortly after?

Seems like a waste of time to me.

“Okay, so there is no best diet and best exercise…but that still doesn’t help me know where to start…”

How to Eat for Life, Fat Loss, and Muscle and Exercise: Strengthening the Beast are good places to start.

How do you choose the best diet and best exercise for YOU?

I don’t know about you, but time is very important to me.  I want to get the best results from the least amount of time.

Because my time is so important, I rely on using my time conveniently.  If a routine is very inconvenient for me, then I won’t do it.

Convenience can conveniently be broken down into a few subcategories:

  1. Time – Does preparing the food require a lot of time?  Am I going to have to purchase a lot of spices, etc so I can cook this food?  How often do I have to workout, and for how long?  Can I do this at home or do I need a gym membership?  All of these questions come to my mind as I can be very impatient.  Especially when I’m hungry.
  2. Social – If I have to eat out somewhere, will they have food that fits my “diet?”  If I’m invited to a cookout or dinner can I eat without requesting special accommodations?  Eating is such a social event – you will face challenges here constantly.  Unfortunately, it’s just something you’ll have to learn to deal with.  Don’t let anyone stand in your way.
  3. Price – Am I going to have to break the bank to stick with this plan?  Are there cheaper alternative?  What are my options?  The price is always something to consider.

For me, convenience is a big factor in deciding upon the best diet and best exercise.

What’s convenient for me, may not be convenient for you.  This is something that only you know and that you will have to take into account.

Going 100 is a detailed compilation of my whole life’s worth of research and experience condensed into an easy-to-follow guide.  I include what I have found to be the most effective ways to gain marked results with minimal time expended.

I include options for people with either “money to blow” or “money no-go.”

I encourage you to read it, apply it, and work it into your schedule in a way that best conveniences you.  The most important thing is to stay dedicated, persistent, and never give up.

Why did I even bother writing this article on the “best diet and best exercise?”

Because most people, myself included, only want the very best.  During this search, we often miss out on golden opportunities because we are too busy looking for the “best” one.

If all of the time we wasted searching, was spent APPLYING, we would have already achieved our goals.

 The Takeaway: You should always be working towards something – even if you aren’t using the so called “best method.”

Let’s be honest:

The only type of diet you will follow is one that includes foods that you enjoy eating.  

The only type of exercises you will do are ones that don’t require you to be in the gym for hours at a time.

Just in case you completely missed it, I am going to tell you the secret again:

Almost every diet and exercise routine is going to work as long as you fully commit to it and stick with it.  If your eating habits and exercising habits aren’t sustainable, then what’s the point?

Make conscious eating and exercising a LIFESTYLE, not a trend.

It takes 21 days to create a new habit.  Start today and push through the pain.  Tackle any obstacles that may come your way.

Trust me when I say that once these things become a habit and are integrated into your core being, sticking with them will be a breeze.

You will start feeling “off” if you miss a workout or when you let unhealthy food fork you over.

So quit making excuses and make the decision to better yourself RIGHT NOW!

Make a convenience plan, stick with it, set goals, and crush them.

Oh yeah, and one more time:

The best diet and best exercise are ones you will follow.

Peace,

-Matt

Photos by: Stuart Miles 1, 2, David Dominici, and Photostock

Is Cellucor C4 Preworkout Safe?

by 23 Comments

Safety Concerns with Matt

Subject: C4 – Blowing up, or Blown up?

———–

Is the popular Cellucor C4 preworkout safe and cost effective?

c4 preworkout safe

Is C4 preworkout safe?

More and more people are buying into this preworkout supplement, however I don’t think they are aware of the potential risks involved.  You certainly wont find all of them written on the product’s label.  And finally, is this product over-priced?

What am I talking about?

Let’s see what kind of punch C4 Preworkout is packing.

Here are the ingredients.

c4 preworkout safeIt’s low in sugar, that’s good.  Vitamin C content is good, Calcium – good, Niacin – good, Folic acid – good, Vitamin B12 – good.  Ok,  now we get to the interesting part.

Beta Alanine – 1,500 mg(underdosed). Standard Dosage – 2,000 – 5,000 mg.

What is beta alanine?  It is the rate-limiting precursor to carnosine.  This is a legit supplement.  It is shown to increase carnosine stores in the muscles. Carnosine increases endurance through lactic acid buffering, helping you bust out a couple more reps and pack on lean mass.

It is mostly shown to help when doing higher reps, and isn’t too influential in the lower rep range.  If too much is taken at once it can cause a harmless, yet uncomfortable tingling sensation known as parasthesia.  This can be avoided by taking smaller amounts throughout the day instead of taking it all at once(source).

This Bulk Beta Alanine is a good option(With this bulk powder you could do the max dosage of 5,000mg for 100 days(~3 months) for a total cost of $6/month!).  Beta Alanine also has synergy with the next ingredient:

Creatine Nitrate – 1,000mg(way underdosed). Standard Dosage – 5,000 – 10,000mg.

Creatine itself is a well-researched and must-have supplement.  Creatine Nitrate, on the other hand, only has one published study.  This study shows no benefits of using the nitrate version over any other creatine versions(source).

For the moment, creatine nitrate is not worth the extra money, when you can buy Creatine Monohydrate for next to nothing.

Arginine AKG  – 1,000mg(ok).  Standard Dosage – 1,500mg – 3,000mg.

L-Arginine itself is poorly absorbed, which is why this AKG version came about.  However, I have tried both AAKG and l-arginine, and they did nothing for me except make my wallet lighter.  On top of that, there aren’t any studies that really prove that supplementing with Arginine AKG helps with anything(source).  Save your money and skip on supplementing with AAKG for now.

So even though these aren’t optimally dosed, they aren’t garbage.  What else does C4 have to offer?

Is C4 Preworkout Safe?  Let’s take a look into the “Explosive Energy Blend”

The “Explosive Energy Blend” is what is known as a proprietary blend.  Proprietary blends allow manufacturers to hide the amount of ingredients in their product.  Most manufacturers will claim that this is to “protect their formula,” but more often than not, it is so they can rip you off.

Example:  Say you make a proprietary blend of a 3 ingredients which includes: Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Expensive Herb #3.

All you have to write on the label is the total weight of these ingredients.  Let’s randomly choose 700 mg for our blend.

Well, it just so happens that Expensive Herb #3 is only active in the amount 500mg.  With the proprietary blend, the consumer doesn’t know how much they are taking.  So theoretically, there could be 600mg Vitamin C, 50mg Magnesium, and a wimpy 50mg Expensive Herb #3.

Not enough to make Herb #3 active, but enough to rip the consumer off.

Guess what?  The price tag of the supplement will be much higher because they can market it as a special formula that contains the hot and popular Expensive Herb #3.

Even though they are ripping you off and giving you a sub-par dose of it, you will never know.

The manufacturer pays $5 for the raw ingredients, and then charges the consumer $50 for a $45 profit.

And the crazy part is…

People will buy it.   Lesson to be learned – be weary of proprietary blends.

Now, back to C4’s Explosive Energy Blend.  The blend contains 741mg of ingredients.  We can see from the list, that they have some of the same ingredients that are listed above the blend.  These include “Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Folic Acid, and B-12.”

It is unclear whether they add additional amounts of these vitamins, or if these are the same amounts as stated above the blend.

The Explosive Energy Blend:

Bitter Orange (30% Synephrine) – ? mg.  Standard Dosage Depends.

P-synephrine is used to increase fat loss and decrease appetite without increasing heart rate.  It actually has a lot of studies backing it’s usage. Here is a Bitter Orange (30% Synephrine) Supplement where you actually know how much of the active ingredient you are ingesting.

Caffeine – 135 mg.  Caffeine in a cup of coffee ~70 mg.

The power of caffeine is well-known.  Caffeine increases heart rate, alertness, and enhances dopamine transmission in the brain.  Isolated caffeine pills are also dirt cheap.  I drink coffee for my caffeine boost.

N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine – ? mg.  Standard Dosage 300-500 mg.

NALT is a potent precursor to l-dopa.  L-dopa is then directly converted into the neurotransmitter dopamine.  So now we have both caffeine and Tyrosine acting to increase dopamine levels.

Mucuna Pruriens – ? mg.  Standard Dosage Depends on L-Dopa Content.

They say their Mucuna is standardized for L-dopa, so we’ll roll with that.  L-dopa is a direct precursor to Dopamine and is commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease.  I have taken a l-dopa standardized product before and can attest to its power.  Within minutes I found myself feeling very energetic, with a strong desire to workout and flex my muscles.  My libido also shot through the roof…and then some.  I took this supplement before I knew about its hidden dangers.

L-dopa’s powerful effects on dopamine are both what makes it useful and risky.

It can raise your HGH levels and Testosterone, while giving you immense energy.  Seems perfect, right?  Well, there is also the chance that l-dopa will cause tardive dyskinesia(source).  But luckily, this doesn’t normally occur in healthy people.

C4 has 3 ingredients that all serve to dramatically increase dopamine in the brain.

The other ingredient, Vitamin B6, is used as a cofactor to convert L-Dopa straight into dopamine in the brain.

Vitamin C serves the purpose of converting dopamine into norepinephrine.  Norepinephrine is the stress hormone that stimulates heart rate and is the cause of the fight-or-flight syndrome(source).

What’s wrong with increasing dopamine?

c4 preworkout safeIt is never a good idea to mess with your brain’s delicate balance of neurotransmitters.  Your brain and your body always strive for BALANCE.  They call this balance homeostasis(source).

What happens when you take caffeine, tyrosine, mucuna, and these cofactors?

You raise your dopamine levels beyond normal levels.  You disrupt the balance.  Taking this much dopamine causes levels of your other important neurotransmitter, serotonin, to drop.

One sign of waning serotonin levels is if you find yourself having a harder, and harder time falling asleep.

Not only should you be concerned about your serotonin, but what do you think is going to happen once you stop taking this product that jacks up your dopamine levels?  Do you think you will feel normal?  Probably not.

The longer you boost dopamine, the longer the “hangover” period will be once you stop.

If you are interested in learning more about neurotransmitters, their importance, and how to balance them naturally – then I highly suggest reading The Edge Effect.  This book is perfect for learning all there is to know about the 4 major neurotransmitters in the brain.

How do I prevent my serotonin levels from dropping?

  1. Don’t take the supplement in the first place.
  2. Take 5-HTP along with ECGC.  5-htp is a direct serotonin precursor and will make sure your serotonin levels don’t drop.  However, you have to take it along with ECGC to ensure that all of the 5-htp gets to your brain.  If 5-htp stays in the periphery, it can cause heart valve damage(source).

It sure does seem like a lot of trouble to go through just to take a supplement that you would assume is safe, right?  Well that’s the reality…

What makes it worse that we have no idea how much of these substances you are actually ingesting when you take C4.

Without knowing the amounts it is hard to attest to the safety or danger of this product, BUT I can say with certainty that combining both N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine and Mucuna is overkill and will eventually result in depleted serotonin levels.

To Sum It All Up:

Is C4 Preworkout Safe? – Not Quite.

Will C4 Preworkout work? – Yes.

Is C4 Preworkout at least priced fairly? – Not Really.

Q) “How long can I take C4 before my serotonin levels will drop?”

A)There is no way to tell how long it will take for this supplement to start depleting serotonin levels.  It is dependent on so many variables, and individual chemistry is always a major factor.  There is a chance you could use this supplement everyday for months and be fine, but there is also a chance you could use it for one week and completely screw over your brain’s balance.

Q)”Why do you not think this product is worth it?”

A)This product is currently $22 for a month supply, and that is assuming you take the minimum dosage which is 1 scoop.  The label recommends taking 1-2 scoops based on how much you can handle.

Taking 2 scoops, obviously, doubles the cost for a month’s supply to $44/month.  Plus, when you take more than one scoop you are increasing your risks of negative side effects.  You can purchase the ingredients in C4 for much less than they charge for this formula.

What do I recommend?

My main recommendation is to not bother with this supplement.   But, if you do bother with it, then bother sparingly.

Instead, I think that your money would be better spent buying bulk beta alanine and creatine monohydrate.  For $30, you can buy a 3 month supply of both of these supplements and use them at their intended doses.  You could also throw in a cheap, yet effective caffeine pill for a preworkout energy boost.  Personally, I avoid consuming more than 200mg caffeine in one day.  So in my case, no more than two coffees.

*Important Notice*If you currently own this product, you need to check and make sure it does not contain 1,3-Dimethylamylamine.  This chemical is banned by Federal Law, but there is still a chance that you own a product from an old C4 batch.  New batches of C4 DO NOT contain 1,3-Dimethylamylamine.  This chemical can make you test positive for amphetamines and was found in other popular preworkouts like 1MR and Jack3d – products which I described as “stimulants stimulating stimulants.”*

That concludes this article.  I hope that you exercise caution in whatever you decide.

At least now you know what you are getting yourself into!

Live Long and Stay Strong.

Your friend,

-Matt

Photo by:  Stuart Miles

Confessions of The Tomato Man

by Leave a Comment

Belief and Faith with Matt

Subject: Life

———–
moretomatoWe’ve all had those random experiences in life that leave you asking “What just happened?”  

You know you will never be able to logically explain it so you just accept it as-is.  

(2/4/15) Today was one of those times.

To preserve the identity of this guy, I am just going to refer to him as the Tomato Man.  That and because I honestly don’t even know his name.  So this guy comes into work about once a week.  I have seen him a lot throughout the years, but our conversations never went past the casual “Hey, how’s it going, ok bye, see you next week.”

Before I begin with his story, let me fill you in on the recent happenings.

It was back in late November with Christmas quickly approaching.  One thing the Tomato Man always is, is consistent.  He shows up every week at just about the exact same time.

This week was different…

He never showed up.  He missed a week.  This was very unusual for him.

Rest assured, the next week he was back at the same time.  He didn’t look like he was doing too good so I asked him how he was, and that was when he told me that his wife was in the hospital.  She had a stroke and was now in a coma.

He told me that the doctors told him that she was pretty much a ‘vegetable.’  His wife was still alive, but unable to move or speak.  The last thing he said to me before leaving that day was that the doctors told him the situation was looking pretty grim.  I told the Tomato Man that I would pray for them, and out the door he went.

The next two weeks were the same story.  She wasn’t looking any better.  No signs of his wife getting better.  Nothing positive.  But he didn’t give up on her, despite the hospital pressuring him to pull the plug on her life support.

It’s tough to think about, and imagine what you would do if the roles were reversed.  What you would do if you were in his shoes.

Much like the Tomato Man, I know that I wouldn’t want to give up either.

I don’t know the guy that well but I’m pretty sure he had to be thinking to himself that it was time for miracles.

miracletime

The next week when I saw the Tomato Man, I could tell something good had happened.  He walked in with this big grin on his face.  He told me that he experienced a Christmas miracle, and that his wife was now talking and moving.  He couldn’t believe it, and I couldn’t either.  I was happy things were starting to look brighter for the guy.  But during this interaction he concealed the details which he revealed to me today.

Now, fast forward back to the present.  Well, the present past- Wednesday, February 4th.

Ok so, it has been over a month since we’ve talked about his wife and the Christmas miracle.  Today I asked him how his wife was doing and he told me that she has been doing better and she is making progress.  But then he started telling me much more.

He began telling me how the hospital wanted to take her off of life support because there was no hope for her, and how he refused to believe it.  He told them that only God had the power to make her heart stop beating and that taking her off of life support was the equivalent of “playing God.”  So after telling the doctors that, he stormed out upset, and then turned to God.

He prayed to God that night.

He told me that he was awoken during his sleep by a thundering voice that said “I CAN DO ANYTHING!”

"I CAN DO ANYTHING!"

“I CAN DO ANYTHING!”

He felt confident that it was God speaking directly to him.  So he said to God, “God, if you say you can do anything, then please help heal my wife!”

Silence…

The next time that he went to see his wife, she was still in the same vegetable-like condition.  However, as he stood there, he received another message from God.  God told the man to place the palm of his hand on his wife’s forehead and say “Bless you my child, I love you, you are healed!”

Without hesitation, he did as directed.  No sooner than the last word left his mouth, his wife miraculously began talking and moving.  She came out of the coma just in time for Christmas.  Unbelievable.

After hearing all of this, I didn’t know what to think.  But the man continued to tell me of many other instances where God has spoken to him and guided him –  along with other equally unbelievable stories.

He admitted “You probably think I’m crazy after telling you all of this.” and I thought to myself…

“Am I crazy for believing it?”

He spoke with such passion, joy and intensity.  The way he spoke reminded me of the way Mr. T does in this interview where he praises God: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.  Yeah, I didn’t know Mr. T was a holy man either.

I just don’t believe that anyone could possibly fake that level of conviction.  On top of that, the timing for him to randomly tell me all of this about his life and experiences with God couldn’t have been any better, for at this point in my life I am working on strengthening my own relationship with God.

I mean the Tomato Man really had no reason to reveal his life stories to me.  He could have easily left it at “my wife had a Christmas miracle, the end.”  Which is a story that most people can accept.  But after hearing the details that he told me, he’s right.  Most people would think he is crazy.

The Tomato Man and I are pretty much acquainted strangers.  Much like my own relationship with God I suppose…acquainted strangers.

For whatever reason he decided to tell me all of that, I’ll never know and I’ll never ask.  But I am fortunate for it.

Now, a lot of people will dismiss his story and say “oh, he’s bullshitting” or “hearing voices? yeah. that guy is a lunatic or a schizophrenic.”

They will dismiss his story the same way that they say a 71 yr old can’t look like Sam Bryant Jr, or a 78 yr old like Jim Morris.  They will chalk it up to “steroids, growth hormones, good genes, etc.”

They will dismiss his story in the same way they dismiss a young millionaire “oh he has rich parents, he won the lotto, he got lucky, etc.”

I met a guy who went around to fraternities with a buddy selling a special  “beer bong” that was made for liqueur drinks.  Long story short, the popularity caught on, and him and his friend were contacted by Monster with a multi-million dollar contract.

Last I heard from him, he was just living easy playing video games all day.

My point is that now-a-days people are so ready to disbelieve or discredit something that they limit their own possibilities.

The majority of people now-a-days don’t believe in anything.  I doubt they even believe in themselves.

Society, your parents, your friends, your peers, your coworkers…they all can influence your beliefs.  But ultimately they are your beliefs and only you choose what you believe.

So what’s the point?

I want you to believe in something.  But even that isn’t good enough.  Be confident in your beliefs even if they don’t line up with everyone else’s.  Be willing to challenge your existing beliefs, even if you don’t change your beliefs.  This is called keeping an open mind.

“Closed minds close doors, and closed hearts close more.” – Matt

crossdoorRegardless of whether you believe in God or not, I think it is His message that is important.  To me, that message is one of kindness and compassion.  A desire to help mankind.  The best feeling I ever had was helping out a good friend in a time of need.

My friend was just establishing himself as a devout Christian, when tragedy struck.

I open up facebook and see that I am invited to a page that my friend made.  It said that his beloved dog, Bella, was  accidentally run over by a neighbor.  Bella needed to have an operation to fix her legs.  If he couldn’t come up with the money he would be forced to put her to sleep.

The group had overwhelming support and was full of people offering their prayers etc.  It was easily over thirty people who all said the same thing.  If each of these people would have donated him a little bit of money, he would have quickly had enough, and that was what bugged me the most.

I wasn’t loaded with cash, or making bank, but I knew I couldn’t sit around and just let his dog get put to sleep.  My friend was going through hard times… He was a single father of a 4 year old daughter, stressed from work, had bills to pay, and now this situation with his dog.

This dog was pretty much a family member to him, and the nicest, happiest little dog I’ve ever met.  On top of that, I knew that his daughter would be devastated at the loss of their pet.

bellala

Listed on the page was the amount of money he needed for the operation.  With my next paycheck in hand, I made the decision that I was going to give him all of the money needed to save his dog’s life.

At the very moment I made that decision, I felt overwhelmed by a sense of joy.  I was hit by a crushing wave of emotion that left me paralyzed. The feeling was so intense, it made me want to breakdown.

I felt weak, yet powerful and full of joy.  Like I was fulfilling my purpose as a human being. I felt confident that the purpose of life was to help others.  I felt great.

I put the money in an envelope and wrote “For Bella” on it.  Luckily he wasn’t home when I drove by his house, so I dropped it off in his mailbox and that was it.  Then I waited…

Later, I saw this on his Facebook:

“Ok, so somebody left an envelope in my mailbox for my dogs medical bill! u know who u are! please call me! GOD IS SO GOOD! I AM SO BLESSED”

“I know! Somebody left a crazy amount of money for her! I owe them my dogs life! GOD IS SO AMAZING! It is so nice to know there are still incredible people out there that are full of heart and kindness! I wish I could find out who it was so I can pray for them!”

I didn’t tell him it was me.  Not because I wanted it to be a secret, but because I felt like it was something that needed to be done regardless of who did it.  I didn’t want the credit or attention.  I just wanted to save his dog’s life.

Note: I did eventually tell him it was me.  We may not talk or hang out as much as we used to, but I know if I were ever in a time of need that he would be there for me and vice versa.  I didn’t ever expect to be paid back for that money.  I wasn’t worried about it.

I just wanted to do what I knew was the right thing to do.  I knew it in my heart and soul.  Now most of you who know me personally, know I’m not one to brag.  Which is why some people that are close to me don’t even know about this story.

The reason being, I don’t care for the attention.  These days you see all of these videos made just to trend and make people famous.  That’s not what life is about.  It’s about what goes on when the camera isn’t on.  It’s about the kindness that goes on everyday that never gets published.  It’s that feeling you have deep down in your gut that goodness is right.

I recently read that one should spend money on experiences rather than material things, because experiences last and shape a human being.  To a point, I can agree because that experience I “paid” for was absolutely priceless.

As if saving Bella’s life wasn’t enough, my friend’s gratitude and appreciation was the cherry on top:

“Matt! Dude, I owe u my dogs life! Y would u put so much man! May God bless u in so many ways! I’m going to plan somthing for u bro! Will every body that commented on this pray that God bless Matt in so many ways!”

My friend and his dog were every bit deserving of the money.  He has a good heart and a giving personality.

And don’t worry buddy, God has blessed me in so many ways.  There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t express my gratitude.

You know, it was actually during that same time frame that I asked God to help me figure out what I should do with my life.  I was feeling depressed…I was hopeless.  I was going nowhere fast.  I was a college drop out and didn’t have much going for me, except for my passion for health and music.  I was standing in the kitchen, still feeling hopeless, when I begged God to help me.

It was then He answered me.

I want to say that I “heard” Him, but it was more like a feeling…I felt Him tell me to start a website and write an e-book, with the intentions of helping people.

And so I did!…4 years later ( “Don’t Wait.” explains what happened.)

Sorry it took so long for me to listen God.

What is the take-away message from all of this?

Believe.

Have faith.

Take action.

Help others.

Be humble.

This is RemedyRising.com.

Until next time,

God bless.

-Matt

Photos by: Catalin82, Zdiviv, Stuart Miles, Foto76, Naypong, and Bongoni

Exercise: Strengthening the Beast

by 3 Comments

Don’t Wait, Lift Weights: Matt

Subject: Exercise

———–

Exercise and diet go hand-in-hand.

Some professionals actually place more importance on diet than on training.  They claim that diet is responsible for 85% of your physique.  Personally, if I am not exercising, then I have no desire to eat healthy.  As long as I maintain a consistent workout schedule, eating healthy is a piece of cake. 😉

There are many different workout routines and exercises available.  The type you should do depends on your goal:exercise muscle beast

  1. If you are an athlete, then you will need sport-specific training.
  2. If you are a body builder, then you will be working out to gain size and symmetry.
  3. If you are a weightlifter, then you will be working out to gain strength.
  4. If you are the average person, then you are working out to live longer, look better, and feel great.

Exercise for the average person.

If you follow my plan, exercising for health and aesthetics is the least time demanding approach.  But this does not take away from its effectiveness.

A simple exercise plan that I recommend is a mere THREE workouts a week.  The best part is that I don’t spend more than 20-30 minutes per workout…and I still have a body that my wife fawns over.

Exercise #1:

One of the exercises is HIIT(high-intensity interval training).  In this exercise you are required to sprint at ~80-90% speed for 20-30 seconds, 6 times.

In other words you will be doing 6 sets of sprints.  Each sprint lasts 20 seconds(for beginners).  After each sprint, you rest for 1 full minute.  This exercise goes as follows:

  1. Warm-up – 10 minutes
  2. Sprint – 20 seconds
  3. Rest- 1 minute
  4. Repeat 2 & 3 -Five more times
  5. Cooldown  
  6. Finish.  Congratulations, give yourself a high five because you are awesome.

You can also do a variation of this on a treadmill, an elliptical machine, or a stair climber.  Just follow the same guidelines illustrated above.

I prefer doing sprints outside due to the benefits of increased oxygen(from plants) and beneficial sunlight(vitamin D), but I still do sprints on my elliptical machine as well.

Sometimes I like to switch it up and do my sprint workout on the steepest hill I can find.  It is so much fun…and painful.

Now, let me give you a run-down on the benefits of sprinting:

  • Vastly increases HGH – Growth Hormone(coming soon), and as we learned in Eat for Life, Fat Loss, and Muscle, HGH is responsible for blasting fat cells, building muscle, and improving recovery.  It is the Youth Hormone.  Do you remember what else increased HGH? Hint: It rhymes with “Fasting.”  Which is why I recommend doing sprints in a fasted state, such as upon waking, and then doing a long cooldown of walking to amplify this HGH release.  Carbohydrates can interfere with HGH release, so they should be avoided until later in the day.  I highly recommend drinking a KeVita  post-sprints, the feeling is amazing.
  • Fat loss.  Sprinting sends fat cells straight to the incinerator and burns those little globs right off your body.  Sprints are arguably the best way to lose fat. Period.
  • Improves resting metabolic rate for 24 hours after the exercise.  What this means is that after sprinting you get to enjoy the benefits of your hard work the whole next day as well.
  • Improves insulin sensitivity – send those carbs where they belong – into your muscles!
  • Improves cardiovascular fitness  better than slower, longer distance running.

Sprints vs.  Regular Distance Running

First, I want you to envision a side-by-side comparison of a distance runner and a sprinter.  What do you think of when you see that distance runner?  Do you see somebody who is  just skin and bones?   Now lets think about the sprinter. The sprinter is much more muscular.

This happens for various reasons but one of the major ones is that chronic distance running results in high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone(coming soon).  High levels of cortisol cause so many problems that it has an article dedicated to it.  For now,  just know that it interferes with fat loss and muscle growth.

One of the main reasons that I never had a body like I do now is because I was always doing some kind of long distance running.  I ran track and cross country all throughout high school, and then even later I was still guilty of doing long runs because it was all I knew.

I was not aware that my chronic cardio was preventing me from achieving the results I desired.  The whole time I thought I was doing good, but in reality I wasn’t.

Live and learn, right?

Exercises # 2 and 3:

The other two exercises will be the same.  A full-body routine.  These exercises involve doing 2 sets of pull ups, push ups, and squats until failure.  What is failure?  Failure is when you could not possibly do another repetition, even if you were given one million dollars to do so.

  1. Pull ups.  To do these at home, you’ll probably need a Pull-Up Bar.  If you are unable to do a pull up, then don’t worry.  You can use a chair to stand on and then you can use your legs to gently assist your arms in pulling yourself up. You can also do what is called a “negative” rep.  This is where you only focus on doing the lowering portion of the pull up instead of the pulling up portion.  This is beneficial because you are stronger during the “negative” phase and this will kick start your way to being strong enough to do pull ups unassisted.  This was the same thing I did when I was unable to do a pull up by myself.  Now-a-days I am able to do pull ups while wearing my weighted vest.
  2. Push ups.   I don’t think I need to explain push ups.
  3. Squats. These will hurt the most but give you the greatest benefit.

Why do you need to do full-body exercises?

To build muscle.  Having more muscle means you burn more calories at a resting state.  So more muscles means an easier time staying lean.  These muscle-building exercises also increase HGH and raise testosterone.

exercise muscle beast

Full-body exercises will give you that tight and toned beach-ready physique.

Don’t worry ladies, testosterone isn’t a bad thing.  To be healthy, Women need a certain amount of testosterone, just like Men need a certain amount of estrogen.

Many girls shy away from weights because they are worried they will look like those manly muscle woMEN in body building competitions.  Well you won’t look like that.  It takes injecting testosterone and steroids for a girl to reach that level of manliness.  Jamie Eason is a perfect example of a female that lifts weights and doesn’t look like a dude.

 Extra Credit Activities:

On days that you don’t workout you are encouraged to engage in some kind of activity.  You can choose to walk, play a sport,  chase the kids around the park, do some lawn work, hike, bike, do yoga, stretch, or play hide and seek.  The possibilities are endless.

•If you want to jump start your weight loss, you can do 20-30 minutes of cardio(running) on two of your non-workout days.  Once you reach your desired weight, definitely switch over to walking.

•The best activity you could do is to use a Sauna(coming soon).  I am very excited about the benefits of sauna usage, which I just recently learned.  

Oh and more importantly, we can’t forget about my favorite extra credit activity:  sex.  😉

Be sure to read my book Going 100. I go into more detail and even provide synergistic twists to these exercises among much more.

Exercise: Why Should I?

Anybody that is looking to add years to their life, not have to worry about the “pains of aging,” and avoid costly doctor bills along with the poisonous prescription drugs should immediately make exercise and diet a high priority.

You really have no excuse.

Don’t watch TV, don’t smoke that joint, and don’t say you’ll do it tomorrow.  Get up off of your lazy ass, suck it up, and just do it.  The only regret you’ll have is that you didn’t start sooner.  Don’t wait.  Your body is a temple, and you need to worship that shit day-in and day-out.

«“People don’t slow down because they grow older, they grow older because they slow down.“ – Me»

What do I mean by this?

I put a little twist on the common belief that most people hold.  Most aging people suffer from joint problems, weakness, weight gain, and all of the other “pangs of aging.”  They blame this on the aging process.  They believe that growing old means you must suffer these common things.

I don’t believe this.  I firmly believe that people suffering from these problems at some point gave up on themselves and decided to “slow down.”

Think about it…

I know many people who at one point in their lives were very fit.  What made them fit?  Sure, hormones have a part, but more importantly they were active.  Very active.  Engaging in weight lifting routines, sports, and play daily.

As these people get older, they abandon their high activity lifestyle and begin consuming terrible foods with no remorse.  They become sedentary.  Overtime their bodies begin to reflect their lifestyle choices.

But for most of these people it isn’t because of their lifestyle choices that they look that way and have those problems…nope.  It is because they are aging.  Age is the terrible thing that is bringing them down.  Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that they don’t exercise or eat healthy anymore, right? – Obviously I’m being sarcastic.

Health has everything to do with your daily activities and dietary choices.

There are two types of aging.  

  1. Chronological Age – This you have no control over.  As time passes, your chronological age goes up.  This is your “age number.”  This is your answer when people ask “Hey, how old are you?”  Chronological aging has marginal impact on your …(wait for it…)
  2. Biological Age –  This you have control over.  This term refers to the health of your cells, which is a direct result of your lifestyle.  Person “A” who exercises and eats right will have a lower biological age than Person “B” who does neither of these.  Person “A” will appear to be younger than Person “B,” even if both of these people are the same Chronological Age.

In case that was confusing, let’s take a look at Mr. Sam Bryant Jr.  Sam is 71 years old(chronological age), but he looks MUCH younger(biological age).  He uses no steroids.  He started working out at the ripe age of 44 and hasn’t stopped since.  He is a true inspiration.

“Age is just a number.” – Sam Bryant Jr.

Sam holds the same belief that I do about aging.  He believes that it is all in your head.

If you think you’re old, then you will be.  If you think you’re young, then you will be.

Where the mind goes, the body follows.

In an interview Sam said that people come up to him and say “Oh, just wait till your my age” lol.  He then proceeds to tell them his age and the person walks away embarrassed.

The only way that time is the enemy is in the form of toxin and waste accumulation.  It is possible that we slow down on a cellular level if our body can not keep up with the removal of wastes that begins from the moment we are born.

This is where I believe fasting(coming soon) plays an important role.  When we fast, our body finally has a chance to direct its energies towards healing and removing toxins through a process known as autophagy.

In the experiment where a biologist was able to keep a cultured chicken heart alive for 34 years, he attributed cellular aging to waste accumulation(cellular age = biological age).

By maintaining proper nutrition and waste removal, he was able to keep the chicken heart alive indefinitely.  He only ended the experiment so he could publish the results. This brought about the theory of cell immortality(source)

Living a long, healthy life is an overarching goal of mine.  I am constantly exploring exercises, ideas, nutrition, supplements, lifestyle choices, and anything else that will make longevity possible.

This brings me to my next topic, which is almost always neglected in mainstream health advice:  internal energy(coming soon).

Internal Energy

exercise beast

Feel the energy!

What the hell is internal energy?

Internal energy(coming soon) is essentially your life-force.  Different cultures give this energy different names:  Qi, Chi, Prana, etc.  For the most part, they are referring to the same thing.  This may seem like a mystical topic, but it does hold logical implications.

It is easier to understand if you view internal energy as your internal electricity.  It is well established that we produce electricity within the body.  I mean..what do you think electrolytes are?  Hint:

“Electrolytes are minerals in your blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge(source).”

Ok big whoop, our body has electricity in it.  Who cares?

You should.

Kirlian photography shows that living things produce an electrical aura.  The size of the aura represents the health of the organism.  This energy field that surrounds living things is used by traditional chinese medicine to heal people.  Problem areas will show up with lower energy fields, or smaller auras.

Physical exercise and good food increase your internal energy levels, but a direct way to power up your energy levels is through Chi Kung Training.

You’ve probably heard of Tai-Chi.  Tai-Chi is a form of active meditation that uses different poses to strengthen and circulate this internal energy throughout the body.  It is pretty moderate and a good place for beginners.  You can find courses for Tai-Chi for free on Youtube.

I have tried both free and paid-for programs that are designed to raise your internal power, but there is only one that I recommend.  It is very effective and produces results quicker than any other program I have found to date.

You will have to wait for my internal energy(coming soon) article to find out which program it is. 😛

What can you expect from chi training?

You can expect more energy, better focus, stronger will power,  a calm sense of clarity, increased confidence, and better immunity to name a few.

That concludes today’s article.  Now you know how to exercise.

Be sure to read “Best Diet and Best Exercise, Hands Down!“ as a follow up to this article.

Also, as of 2/6/15, I started a new bulking protocol.  My beginning weight was 158 lbs and my ultimate goal is 190 lbs.

Thanks for reading.

Love, Peace, and Lift

-Matt

Recent Comments

Join other subscribers now, and get FREE updates on becoming the best, FAST! It's Easy. Just enter your e-mail address below, and hit GO! We will never sell or share your e-mail address with anyone...