This step alone will not only improve your quality of life, but it will also make your skin look amazing. Having quality vitamins and minerals (found in vegetables) on a regular basis lays the foundation for a stronger immune system. When your immune system is strong, your body is better at fighting off all sorts of viruses and environmental factors that make your skin look aged and beat. Make sure the vegetables are organic. Nonorganic vegetables typically have 30% fewer vitamins and minerals compared to their organic counterparts. Also, make sure you don’t boil or heat your vegetables in any way. A typical vegetable is about 85% water. Once heated, the vegetable loses its nutrient quality almost immediately. There is no point to eating them at that point.

If achieving straight As, being physically attractive, and winning athletic championship titles are things that interest you, follow the five steps outlined below, and you will also achieve those things:


Step 1:Explicitly define what you’re trying to accomplish. What is your specific goal?

What I did: Before I began college, what mattered to me most was becoming an intelligent, good-looking, physically fit man with unshakeable determination. Those things meant the world to me, and I honestly wasn’t aware of anything else outside of those goals. I didn’t care about parties, I didn’t care about socializing or dating, and at times I didn’t even care about sleeping. It meant so much to me that I was willing to sacrifice anything and everything to achieve those goals. It was just that simple for me.

What you need to do: Find what you’re trying to accomplish. Once found and clearly defined, see it through all the way. Nothing else should exist in your life outside of that goal. Most people turn in fear at this point and settle for something less than they actually want.

Step 2: Circular benefits of activities:

What I did: I wanted to be intelligent, but I also want to be physically fit.  Mastering one of those things takes a lifetime, but mastering both takes some serious time management skills, a mature character, and solid planning. You still only have 24 hours in a day. You still only have one brain, two legs, and two arms. At this point, strategy and control of emotions become the most important aspects of the entire game plan.

How could I merge the two without sacrificing either? Well, I thought to myself, I’ll pick up the study of psychology. Psychology will teach me about the human mind and how to improve my motivation and confidence. I will learn and become more intelligent through the study of psychology, and I will use my knowledge of motivation and confidence to achieve any goal, such as being physically fit and earning straight As

The sense of wellbeing that results from being physically fit will enhance the quality of all aspects of my life and will thus improve my studies. My improved studies will then enhance my intelligence which will then lead to better workouts. You see the circle?

What you need to do:  Create this circle of mutually beneficial tasks. One task should lead to better performance in the other and vice versa. Stay away from tasks that don’t lead to improvements in other areas as well. 

Step 3: Create a Grand Strategy:

What I did: Having a grand strategy means knowing where you currently are, where you want to be (your endpoint), what resources you have available to you, and how to use those resources to get to your endpoint. A grand strategy should always be written out and never just kept in your head. Below is an outline of how I wrote out my grand strategy.

Vision Board:on this vision board, which was located in my room, I had a detailed list of my objectives that needed to be accomplished on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. My progress on all these objectives was measured externally. For example, I measured the progress of my intelligence through my GPA and I measured my physical fitness progress by my progression pictures. The vision board, with all my goals, was the first thing I saw every day when I woke up and the last thing I saw every night before going to bed. This provided me with constant reminders to keep my mind focused on my goals and nothing else. This is huge. If you neglect this step, you will lose sight of your long-term goals.  Do not neglect the vision board.

This one is tough because we’re naturally hedonistic creatures. However, if you want to see hard goals through, if you want to really be successful in life, you have to learn to control your emotions or they will control you. It’s as simple as that. Emotions are like the wind, they blow in all sorts of directions. You can’t allow your goals to be blown off course because of petty emotions. Make decisions for yourself. Don’t allow emotions to make them for you.

I call emotions “the voice inside your head”. Whenever times get hard—whenever they get really, really hard—that voice will start trying to talk you out of doing something you initially intended and wanted to do. Most people listen to the voice. The voice is the ultimate killer of dreams. It’s pathetic. The voice will throw logical arguments your way that totally make sense at the time. The voice will tell you that life is short, you are young, you should drop your studies and go to that party. Honestly, the voice is often right—from its hedonistic vantage point, that is. Although the voice is right about how to temporarily satisfy hedonistic desires, it couldn’t be more wrong when it comes to seeing goals through and actually finishing shit. Ask yourself what is ultimately going to make you happier.

 Again, if you really want to succeed, if you really want to become absolute best at something, you have to completely kill this voice, not just neglect it. It won’t simply happen overnight; it will take years of conscious, daily effort on your part. All great soldiers, industry leaders, and brilliant scientists have mastered this skill in themselves. If you do not master it, you will not be the best at anything.

Step 5: “Closer or Further Away?” Assessment

This is another mental skill I used over the years. It’s pretty simple actually. Whenever I decided on an action, I would ask myself if that action would bring me closer to my end goal or further away from it. If that action brought me further away from it, I simply would not do it, no matter how appealing it was at that moment. You must be completely focused on you goal. There should be nothing in your life that is incompatible with attaining your goal.

This applies to people as well. If certain people distract (divert you further away) from your goals, you must quickly stop associating with these people. They’re poison and they will infect you. Erase their numbers and erase them from your life, immediately. 
             See what 50 Cent has to say about picking friends:

More Problems with Cortisol:

1.      Even with the aid of the best trainer, fat loss becomes nearly impossible. The fat just never seems to come off. (Compare Example A to Example B above.)

2.      Cortisol decreases muscle mass, thus making your body appear less firm. You will look soft and weak.

3.      Also important, but not as imminent: high cortisol levels dramatically increase your chances of a stroke, heart attack, causes immune suppression (you get sick very frequently and easily), ulcer development (hole in stomach), cancer development, and uncontrollable, consistent headaches and muscle tension.

4.      Cortisol decreases testosterone (the stuff that makes a man a man), decreases sex drive, decreases Growth Hormone (the stuff responsible for muscle repair), and increases depression and anxiety.

There are TWO important facts to consider when trying to understand how mental stress affects you and how cortisol makes you look uglier:

1.      The Central Nervous System (CNS), which is responsible for regulating stress, can’t tell the difference between a physical stress (running away from a serial killer) and a mental stress (dealing with boss you don’t like). It responds to stressors all the same: by releasing a massive dump of cortisol into your body. Thus, it is important to understand that both physical and mental stress trigger cortisol production.

2.      The CNS has a slow recovery process. Your CNS doesn’t handle repeated stressors very well if it isn’t given a few weeks to a few months to recover between stressors. It hasn’t evolved to do so. Ideally, your CNS has evolved for this:

(a)    You’re chased by a huge mountain lion for a few minutes.

(b)   You escape the mountain lion.

(c)    Nothing happens for a few months.

(d)   Repeat

The above structure is a totally healthy pattern—one that your CNS can easily regulate. The key variable is it has enough time to recover from stressful episodes.

    However, this is what typically happens in today’s corporate/office environment:

(a)    At the beginning of month, you’re stressed out about finishing work projects on time. Your CNS is taxed. Remember, your CNS can’t tell the difference between mental and physical stress; it reacts exactly the same to either kind of stress. A huge amount of cortisol is dumped in your body. Cortisol is fucked up and in excessive amounts will really FUCK YOU UP.

(b)   By the middle of the month, you’re still stressed out about finishing projects on time and your CNS has not recovered. Plus, something with the computer system breaks and sets you back. Your CNS is taxed again! More cortisol is released, adding to the large amount of cortisol already in your body.

(c)    At the end of the month, you get into several arguments with some coworkers. Your CNS is taxed even more, and it wasn’t even given enough time to recover from the stress that has been accumulating since the beginning of the month. You realize that another month has already gone by and you haven’t done anything enjoyable; the only thing you’ve done is work (a synopsis of the last couple of years of your life). This stresses you out so your CNS is taxed again, still without being given enough time to recover from the all previous stressors. Now there is a massive amount of cortisol in your body at ALL times.

(d)   Having to pay your mortgage causes you—and you CNS—even more stress.

(e)    Lay-offs happen. You don’t know, but you might be laid off. Although you don’t enjoy your job, you still need that paycheck to pay the bills. Screwed if you do. Screwed if you don’t. More cortisol is released!!! You were overburdened before, but now you’re in Armageddon mode.

You get the picture. And that’s just all in a one month period. Add a couple of years to that pattern and you’ll be looking really fucked up. I haven’t even included the stress of having kids, bad relationships, or countless other things that can go wrong during the month (car problems, injury, death of a loved one, etc.). Just the stuff I’ve listed above is more than enough to deplete your body’s ability to regulate stress and cause an excess of cortisol in your body at all times. Pretty soon, you’ll begin to exhibit the following symptoms:

·         Difficulty getting up in the morning

·         Craving for fast foods and sugars

·         General lack of energy throughout the day

·         Decreased sex drive

·         Decreased ability to handle stress

·         Mild/major depression

·         Less enjoyment or happiness with life

          Increased fat around midsection

·         Decreased tolerance

·         Decreased productivity

·         Everyday tasks seem to require more and more effort

·         No amount of sleep seems to give you enough energy

·         You look nowhere as good as you used to look before this stressful job



                                                     WATCH THIS VIDEO

(Picture above: Most people laugh at Milton from the movie “Office Space”. However, most people are just like Milton and don’t want to admit it.

Look, I’m not preaching any way of life. In fact, I support a hard-working, structured, non-hedonistic way of life. However, science shows that ideally, for optimum health, people should be living like this (videos below), because this is how people have evolved to live:

Science shows that our current life conditions (i.e., demanding work environments, jobs that involve sitting all day, fast food diets, etc.) are destructive to our health. We simply have not evolved to live like that. Having such an unnatural lifestyle will cause serious health problems. Just imagine a flower trying to grow out of concrete in order to reach some sunshine at the top. What happens is the flower is forced to grow out of the cracks in the concrete. Result: the flower ends up looking crooked, mangled, and deformed. Office work is the concrete. You are the flower.

And that’s the story behind how cortisol works, when it’s produced in your body, and how it makes you look different.


              Don't take my word for it. Hear what the guys with the Phds have to say:

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised
him most about humanity, answered “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in
order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result begin that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is
never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” – Dalai
Lama


What do you really need to be happy in life? I mean holy shit, the list is endless. Some people say, “Oh, to be really happy you need money.” Some people say you need millions of dollars while others say you don’t need much at all. Some people say, “You need love and sex.” Some people say,“You need recognition and accomplishments.” Some say, “You need power.”It goes on and on, and there seems to be as many opinions as there are people.

I’m sure everything I’ve listed previously has its place in a happy life. 

However, what is the foundation to happiness in life? I mean what sets the ground work, the base structure to everything else you do in life? Is it money? Is it sex? Does anyone know?

Well, I actually have the answer……………………………………………….It’s pretty simple.

It’s your health. Yep, your health is the foundation to all happiness in life. It’s simply a fact. It’s not even my opinion. 


Without your health, you don’t have shit, and nothing really matters. Health is wealth. Just think about it. When you’re really sick, like from the flu or something, nothing in the world matters outside of getting better.

Not your car. Not your house. Not your money. And for you sex freaks out there, not even sex matters anymore. Who’s gonna wanna make out with you when you look like a breeding ground for the Black Plague. < that's a period (statement) not a question.

In fact, if the situation arose, you’ll easily trade everything just to get your health back.

I remember when I broke my back in 2003. The pain was so terrible, and so persistent, I would have traded anything in my life just to not have back pain.


My good grades, car, athletic accomplishments meant nothing when I was sick for an entire 6 months in 2006. That was the worst year of my life. In fact, that was my worst academic year ever. It turns out that it's fairly tough to study when you have a pounding headache, and it takes all of your energy just to get up out of bed and eat something. I didn't know until it actually happened, for six months!!


Try to enjoy driving an expensive car while having serious back pain or a serious case of the flu. Can’t really enjoy it that much can you? At least I wouldn’t be able to.


You definitely wont be enjoying an expensive house in retirement, if you don’t make it to retirement.


And most prevalent, if you’re constantly loooooooooooooow on energy and lack vitality towards life, is any day really that enjoyable? I bet not. I bet it’s even tough just to get up in the mornings. That seems to be a task in and of itself.

Unfortunately, the world runs on necessity. People change their behavior, only if they have to.


Here is a illustration of what the hell I’m talking about (Graphic Below). As you can see, health does lay the foundation to happiness. Everything else is built off that foundation. If you’re power hungry, you still need your health to continue to pursue power. If you’re money hungry, you still need your health to pursue money. If you’re all about having lots of sex, well ya, you need your health for that obviously. Don't take my word for it. I've also placed Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid. Dr. Maslow is a a leading Psychologist, and he is respected for his ideas internationally.

As for what’s important after health, well that’s more ambiguous and subjective. That’s where hundreds of books, tied to hundreds of authors, have 104 ideas about what happiness is all about. But no one will argue that health does lay the foundation to the entire structure of happiness.
 

I was at a friend’s birthday party two weeks ago and everyone there was convinced I use steroids. They just did not believe it was possible to put on quality muscle without steroids.

I explained to them that I don’t use steroids, not because I have something against them, but I simply don’t really know that much about them.

Then they asked, “Well then, if not for steroids, how are you able to build that body of yours?”


And I responded with the following explanation:

(1)   People in America are confused about what fitness is. For most people, fitness equals nothing more than fat burning pills and a gym membership.

(2)   People put too much emphasis on working out. Working out is the least important factor in healthy living and achieving the body you’ve always wanted. In fact, working out ranks 4th on the fitness hierarchy of needs pyramid. Being motivated to live a healthy lifestyle is first, having solid lifestyle habits is second, having great eating habits is third, and working out is forth. That’s
right, working out is the least important when compared to the other factors listed.

Then they asked me what I ate on a daily basis, and I answered by giving them an outline of my daily schedule and how my eating and supplement routine formed around that daily schedule. The most important factor to consider is that I’ve been following this eating schedule for that past 8 years of my life. And I mean every single day. I’m not even exaggerating!

So, here is how it goes:

7:30am: Wake up and take pre-workout supplements

Wake up. Have clothing ready the night before near bed and put them right on. While answering emails, which take me no more than 10 minutes, I drink 40grams of Whey protein isolate mixed with 30grams of BCAA, and another 10grams of L-Glutamine.

After drinking the above protein mix, I prepare another customized protein drink to take with me to the gym. In the drink I take to the gym, I have the following ingredients: 50grams of Whey Protein Isolate, mixed with 30grams of BCAA, another 10grams of L-Glutamine, all mixed with about 20oz of Grape Juice. If you’re looking to cut weight, I would use water instead of the Grape Juice.


8:00am: Get to the gym and workout.

I get to the gym and workout. Throughout my workout I sip on the drink I’ve listed above. I usually time it with my workout. 20% through the workout, I’m about 20% done with the drink. 50% through the workout, I’m about 50% done with the drink. This is an important factor which helps to increase nutrient absorption. Since the protein drink is so dense with nutrients, it’s not a good idea to down it all at once because your body will not be able to absorb that many nutrients at one time. Especially since all the nutrients are in their pure state.

Why have a protein shake during the workout?

For the post workout supplements, a lot of people make the mistake of finishing the workout completely, before taking their post-workout supplements. This is a huge mistake that really hinders muscle growth. Muscle break down begins to occur with the first set of exercises and continues throughout the entire workout. Plus, if you bring the protein mix gradually throughout the workout, you'll get better nutrient absorption as compared to just downing the whole mix instantly at the end.

Remember, you’re bodybuilding not body destroying. 

To consistently build a body, you always need a surplus of all nutrients. Being in a deficit of any nutrients will simply cause you to
lose muscle and gain fat. It’s that simply. Make sure to understand that concept. To assure that this deficit does not occur, make sure to sip on a protein drink throughout the entire workout, from start to finish.

Lets continue.


9:00am: Finished with the workout.  Drive home.

9:15am: I get home and have my post workout meal right away. 


This is already prepared the night before. For my post workout meal I have 2000-3000mg of vitamin C, 400IU of vitamin E, 20oz of cold green tea, 1500mg of Omega-3s, 30-40grams of beef, chicken, or egg whites, and 70-80grams of Quinoa or Brown Rice. Once again, timing is the most important. I get this meal in before I even take a shower. Make sure to get it in right away. If you wait longer than 20 minutes post workout, muscle will begin die. 

Why take Vitamin C and E post-workout?

Vitamin C and E are important because of their anti-oxidant qualities. When you go through tough workouts, oxidants/ cortisal
is produced. Oxidants and cortisol destroy muscle mass and make your skin look old. Basically, oxidants and cortisol are what ages you and gives you an “old” appearance, and cortisol destroys muscles. To counter that problem, I simply have a lot of anti-oxidants post-workout. The Green tea is a rich source of anti-oxidants also. The more sources you get your anti-oxidants from the better off you’ll be.


Note: it’s very important to have a lot of nutrients centered around your workouts. The timing is even more important. Whey Isolate takes about 30 minutes to be broken down and actually used by your body. That’s why I have a Whey Isolate 30 minutes before my workout.


Critics: Some people would say you’re getting in too much protein at once. This is not true at all. People forget that the human body is not efficient at digesting protein products. There is a 20% burn off rate during the digestive process. What this means is that when you take in 30grams of protein, you’re body is actually only getting 24grams of protein. That’s 6grams less than what you intended to get. That 6grams, accumulated through years of intense training, can make a huge difference in your quantity and quality of gains.

Now, to put it into even more realistic terms, let’s say you have a fresh chicken breast which is about 50grams of protein. After you cook the chicken breast, you’re left with only about 40grams (depending on how you cook it). After you eat the chicken breast, your digestive system burns off another 8grams of protein; thus, your body actually gets only 32grams of protein.


50grams at start = 32grams post-digestion. That’s 18grams LOST!!!! That’s huge and you must calculate for that
You must calculate for this fact when measuring out your protein intake. Most people don’t take that into their calculation, resulting in massive muscle loss and lower motivation levels.


1-2pm: I have about 40grams of beef or chicken and about 50grams of Brown Rice or Quinoa. I also take about 1200mg of
Omega-3s.

5pm: I have about 3cups of green vegetables with almonds and maybe an Iso-Pure RTD.

8pm: I have my dinner which is composed of 40grams of beef or chicken and about 50grams of Brown rice or Quinoa and another cup of green vegetables. I also have a few slices of cheese and 1200mg of Omega-3s.


As you can see, I condense all my nutrients around my workout. The workout interval is the most important time to be nutrient conscious. That’s when muscle breakdown happens, and the only way to counter that is not by working out more but by consuming a large amount of nutrients before and after the workout.


Concluding Statement:
And that’s about it. It’s pretty simple in general. Where most people fail is just not following it on a daily basis for multiple years in a row. They follow it maybe for a month and expect to look like the guys in the magazines. It just doesn’t work like that. To get the most out of this type of eating program, you really have to do it every single day for a decade or two while training hard in the gym.

Other notes to consider:

(1)   I workout about 5-6 days a week.
(2)   I’m 200lbs at about 8-10% body fat.
(3)   I have a naturally high metabolism.
(4)   I’m 26.
(5)   This is my general diet. This is not my “lean, get ripped” diet. That diet is dramatically different.


 
 

 

OMEGA- 3 ARTICLE

I’m going to skip the fancy terminology when writing aboutOmega-3 fatty acids and their benefits. I like to keep things simple, and I’m sure you wouldn’t mind that also. I’ve divided this article into sections. Eachsection outlines the benefit Omega-3s have on a certain aspect of health.


Omega-3s and Fat loss:

Over a dozen studies have been done to see if Omega-3s help in fat loss. Some studies are encouraging, but many of the research results barely reach statistical significance (aka, nothing really happened). Even if you do evaluate statistically significant studies, you’ll find that fat loss really wasn’t all the impressive. Subjects taking the Omega-3s only experienced, on average, like 1 more pound of fat loss over several weeks compared to subjects that didn’t even take the supplement at all.

Conclusion: Omega-3s aren’t directly effective at accelerating fat loss.


Omega-3s and depression:

A while back, it was found that people with a deficit of EPA in their system could be prone to being depressed and anxious in life. EPA is something found in Omega-3 (Omega-3s = DHA and EPA). Thus, if a person was able to increase the quantity of EPA in their system, depression shouldn’t be an issue for them. Studies show Omega-3s to be ineffective for people suffering from Major Depression, Bi-Polar disorder, or any “serious” mental illness. However, with its serotonin boosting properties, Omega-3s have been shown to benefit those with mild unipolar depression and mild anxiety issues. 
 
Conclusion:  Mental health has to be approached in a holistic manner. Omega-3s can help, but they should only be perceived as minor aid and not as a fix and end all solution to a serious mental disorder.


Omega-3s and Motivation:

Omega-3s are going to do nothing to up your motivation level(s). If you’re not a motivated individual, Omega-3s aren’t going
to make you motivated. If you aren’t motivated, I would recommend a supplement called“Man”. Open it and become one. Luckily, it’s free and costs nothing.

Conclusion: Omega-3s will not help you be more motivated. However, since Omega-3s do increase your serotoine levels, indirectly this could help you be more motivated. That's a big if though.

(Alpha Lipoic Acid) ALA and Omega-3s:

A lot of studies show that a person’s digestive system can convert ALA into Omega-3s. For instance, you can get broccoli, which has ALA, and your body would be able to convert the ALA into Omega-3s.This is true, to a very limited extent. The conversion rate of ALA to Omega-3s is super low (below .5% to be exact). That means you would have to eat like 80lbs of broccoli (exaggerated so don’t quote me) to get your recommended dosage of Omega-3s. That’s just not even realistic.

Conclusion: ALA is not a good source of Omega-3s. Good in theory but bad in practice. The conversion rate is just too
low.


Dosage! How much Omega-3s should I get?

The dosage seems to be all over the place and no one has a concrete understanding of how much you should get in per day.
If you tend to already eat lots of fish, you don’t really need an Omega-3 supplement (If you eat fish every day, for instance). However, if you don’t eat a lot of fish, then taking an Omega-3 supplement can help you out. Genetic makeup and environmental circumstances have a lot to do with how much DHA and EPA (Omega-3s) you need in you system. There is no standard dosage. It’s all variable. However, I will say this: I’m 6-2 at 200lbs. During the year, my body fat falls into the interval of 5-8% body fat. I have very little stress during the week and my work is enjoyable. I tend to workout 4-6 times a week. Each workout is about an hour in length and no more. When I’m not consuming fish, which is usually for a couple of months at a time, my daily intake of Omega-3s is as follows: EPA = 1080mg and DHA = 720mg. When I’m eating fish on a daily basis (Salmon and Tilapia), I don’t consume Omega-3 supplements. 

Conclusion: You have to figure out your life circumstance, the purpose of you taking the supplement, and your genetic makeup before deciding on dosage. Generally, you don’t want to mega-dose from the get go (mega dosage = more than 5000mg of
Omega-3s).


Omega-3s Stack!  Omega-3s + Korean Red Ginseng!

This is a great combo to help up your mental game and level of concentration and memory retention. I won’t talk too much about Red Ginseng in this article, because it’s devoted to Omega-3s, but I will say Korean Red Ginseng is a great supplement to use with Omega-3s. It’ll help boost your energy, mental focus, and memory. This is the perfect combo for any student seeking an extra edge to better their test scores. Note that you shouldn’t use Korean Red Ginseng for longer than a month at a time. 

Conclusion: Combining Omega-3s and Korean Red Ginseng is a good idea. 

Omega-3s, Mercury, and Other Toxins. Should I Be Worried?

There is an increasing level of toxins found in various fish AND people nowadays. When I tell people to eat fish, they go pretty crazy. They say, “Eugene, all fish have such high levels of toxins these days.” Well, let me tell you this: the typical American male, with a body fat percentage way over 15%, is far more toxic than even the most toxic fish (swordfish) found in the oceans nowadays. Remember that toxins are actually stored in fat. When toxicity levels rise, your body will actually create MORE fat than allowing you to become poisoned. And I’m talking about the unhealthy type of toxins that make you sick and make you die. So I wouldn’t be too
repulsed by the fish; having said the following, stay away from eating Sword Fish, Marlin, Orange Roughy, Tilefish, Shark, Mackerel, and Tuna. What you should select from are the following: Salmon and Tilapia. There are other choices, but Salmon and Tilapia are the healthiest of the groups of choices and they’ll allow you to lose more weight.

Conclusion: Don’t worry about mercury levels in ALL fish. Pick from the choices I’ve outlined above and you’ll be good
to go. Supplements filter out all toxic chemicals from the Omega-3s (more about that below).



Farm Raised Fish VS Ocean Fish. Which is better?

Definitely stay away from farm raised fish. Farm raised fish are actually deficient in Omega-3s. This article is all about getting omega-3s, and you’ll definitely NOT find them in farmed raised fish. Try to purchase fish that have grown up in the ocean in their natural state. The further out to sea the better. Stay away from fish that have been gathered near the shoreline, especially near the shoreline of major cities. Definitely don’t go fishing in Huntington Beach for instance, and actually eat the fish. That would be a bad idea.

Conclusion: Stay away from farm raised fish. Purchase fish from deep sea water.



Which company should I use when purchasing Omega-3s?

What I usually do is look for the “USP Verified” stamp. You’ll clearly see this stamp on the bottle. I generally purchase my Omega-3s from Nordic Naturals. The exact name is “Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Soft Gels”. The company is a little more expensive but that’s because they pass all pharmaceutical standards for freshness and purity, their product is third-party tested, and their product is filtered for toxics such as lead, mercury, and PCBs. I also purchase “Nature Made Fish Oil” from Costco. Their stuff is pretty good and is USP Verified.

Conclusion: Purchase Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Soft Gels (Vitamin Shoppe sells them) or Nature Made Fish Oil (Costco sells
them).


 
End Statement:

That’s about it for Omega-3s. There is definitely way more to it, but I’ve outlined enough information to give you a good head start about the benefits of Omega-3s, dosages, and the sources from which you should get them from.


 
  

In the past few weeks I’ve had a lot of people ask me about body fat percentage, and how low does body fat have to be to have visible abs, striations in the shoulders and chest, and have a back that looks like a detailed map of the Rocky Mountains. Basically stated, here is how it goes:

20% Body Fat

If you’re at 20% body fat, you have no visible definition and separation between muscle groups.

15% Body Fat

If you’re at 15% body fat, visible separation begins to appear in the chest, shoulders, and back. Six-pack abs don’t show even when flexed.

12% Body Fat

This is where abs begin to show when flexed. Also, much more separation is seen in the chest, shoulders, and back. The face begins to thin out also.

10% Body Fat

Muscles begin to take a fuller appearance. Abs are a lot more visible but still not seen when unflexed. Also, deeper separation is visible in the chest and back. Shoulders begin to take on a lot more definition, especially in the front portion of the shoulder.

7% Body Fat

Abs are clearly seen all the time, even when not flexed. They seem to be permanently flexed at this point. Shoulders start looking pretty crazy and your back definitely looks like a map of the Rocky Mountains.

5% Body Fat

Striations appear throughout the entire body. Veins begin to show everywhere, including your lower abs. If you reach this body fat percentage, you are at the top point 1 percent of the US population, in terms of leanness. You’re crazy and more ripped than Spiderman.

Did you know that there exist many forms of strength? These strengths do not necessarily overlap. Being excessively well developed in one area does not mean you will be equally or even moderately well developed in another. Check out the various types of strengths below. If you find that you are in a severe deficit in any strength category below, work to bring it up to speed in order to be truly well rounded and strong.

Maximal Strength:

Do you have a tough time lifting a heavy load for 1 or 2 reps? Were you never the kid that could bench and squat the most out of your group of friends? If this sounds like you, your maximal strength might be underdeveloped. To turn this negative characteristic into a positive characteristic, do the following: (1) After getting thoroughly warmed up, proceed to your desired 1 rep max. exercise (Do this exercise first). (2) Do not exceed 5 reps when looking to improve your 1 rep max. (There are exceptions). (3) Take 3-4 minutes in between sets. (4) Gain weight.

Explosive Strength:

Do you have a tough time reacting to things very fast? Do you have trouble going from 0 to 100% tension in a short period of time? If you do, your Explosive Strength might be underdeveloped. To correct this problem, you need to implement the following: (1) Perform super-fast movements (safely) as fast as you can. (2) If you use weight resistance, only use 10-20 percent of your 1 rep max. weight.

Strength Endurance:

Do you seem to get warn out and fatigued really, really fast? Does climbing a mountain, doing 150 consecutive pushups, or maybe just running up a small hill seem IMPOSSIBLE to you? If so, you might have underdeveloped Strength Endurance. To correct this problem, follow the following criteria: (1) perform desired exercises (movement that you want to get better at) with the rep range of 50 reps to 100 reps.  Or try to perform timed exercises. Set a clock, and do a desired exercise for 2 to 3 minutes straight. Remember though, training Strength Endurance is like Mental Training: you have to keep going even when the muscles feel like they’re on fire!

Good luck,

Eugene @ www.trufkinathletics.com

Something I've found a long time ago.

"The mind of the warrior is just as important to work out as any muscle of the arm, torso, or leg. Without the cooperation of the warrior’s mind with the body of the warrior, no success is possible. Without proper control over your mind, you can’t reach your full potential.

When discussing the warrior mind and mind-set, it is easy to be distracted by what is going through a fighter’s head during an actual Fight. However, not only is the everyday mind of the warrior more important, but proper training of the mind in everyday situation will lead to control during an actual fight. Although you can train certain muscles of the body only every once in a while, the mind of the warrior can and must be trained consistently every day.

The mind-set of the warrior will eventually determine his destiny as a fighter, and his eventual destiny in life. To control the mind is to control one’s thoughts. When this is done correctly, the warrior is able to control his actions.

Acquiring the ability to quiet the mind and stop it from running wild in emotions like fear and negativity is often one of the toughest tasks for the warrior, but through constant training and practice one can master this. The mind and the body are interrelated. Without a strong mind, a strong warrior is impossible.

Before you do anything in life, you must first make sure that your mind is right or that you are taking the steps to improve your mind in its areas of deficiency. Below is a list of the nine characteristics of the warrior-mind set. You will need all of them in life. Examine each characteristic, and assess your current level in that area. If you are lacking in any of these areas, you must take action to strengthen that aspect of character as much as you would the muscles of your body."

Without the right mind-set, you will eventually fail at everything you set out to accomplish.

1.       VISION
"The warrior has a strong, defined vision of exactly where he wants to go. Until the vision is defined, a person has no destination. What is your vision for yourself and the future?"


2.       COURAGE
"The warrior knows that courage will be essential on his warrior quest. What he must also understand is that courage is not the absence of fear, for that is impossible. Courage is to first start and then continue moving forward toward the vision even through fear exists."


3.       DISCIPLINE
"Without discipline, the warrior can do nothing. Not only must the warrior be prepared to do the things it takes to make his vision a reality, he must also take action. This action, taken every day, is discipline personified."
 

4.       SELF_CONTROL
"A warrior will learn to understand that the only things he can truly control in life are his own thoughts, emotions, and actions. This control over oneself is the challenge that the warrior must face every day. The warrior must accept responsibility for his thoughts and actions if he is ever to reach true warrior status."


5.       PATIENCE
"The warrior knows that any vision worth pursuing is going to take a long time to achieve. There will be many days along the warrior’s path when it may not seem that progress is taking place. The warrior must embrace these days and push forward, knowing that staying the course is the only way to eventually reach the goal."


6.       DESIRE
"If a warrior does not stand for something, he will eventually fall for anything. The warrior must believe strongly in his quest and constantly keep in place reminders of why the vision was important in the first place."


7.       CONFIDENCE
"Not only must the warrior be confident in his day-to-day thoughts and actions, but the warrior must also be firmly resolved that his vision will, in fact, eventually become true. This positive mind-set is an essential tool in the warrior’s arsenal."


8.       RESILIENCE
"The warrior that achieves the highest vision is the one who has made the most errors along the way. A warrior must recognize that success is built not on success, not on past mistakes, mishaps, and errors. The warrior embraces these errors, moves forward, and makes sure not to make the same mistakes again."


9.       COMMITMENT
"The warrior knows that the achievement of a vision can be completed only with full and focused commitment. The warrior must remove any distractions and elements from his life that will jeopardize the fulfillment of his goals. Until the warrior has fully committed, the vision is just talk about a dream."

The general idea of this program is that you want to achieve a lean, toned body without having to spend 5-6 days in the gym at 2-3 hours a session. It’s important to realize that it doesn’t make logical sense to want to train like a professional athlete while working a full time job and is actually counterproductive.

What do I mean by counterproductive? Well, it’s pretty simple. You have a full time job, but obviously, you also want to look and feel your best. No one just wants to work all day every day. You look at sports magazines and see amazing looking people all the time. You say to yourself, “Well, it’s obviously very possible to look like that because they’re human and I’m human and we’re all in the same playing field.” This is true, they are human just like you; however, a confounding variable to be weary of is that they don’t have a full time job. Working out is their job and looking after their looks is their full time job. By trying to look like them, you are trying to be a master in two or more fields at the same time (the best at your full time job plus being in the best shape as a full time athlete). Does that seem at all logical to you? Imagine having a full time job and trying to graduate from college in the top 1% when all of your competition doesn’t work and only studies; I’m not saying you’ll do bad, but you definitely won’t be at that top 1%, and you definitely will be stressed out beyond belief. Throw in family and all and you’ll quickly see that you’re in over your head.

However, most people set this impossible goal and obviously fail to achieve it. More importantly, these same people get discouraged and leave fitness altogether because they simply do not realize that they’ve set an impossible goal that was never meant to be achieved from day one.

The type of program design I implement is meant to overcome this type of problem. By implementing this program, you will NOT achieve super shredded abs or achieve Olympic level performance; however, you will look great and be in good shape. Most importantly, the program is realistic, so you will not be overcome by the massive amounts of hours required, and thus, you will be able to build consistency for a much longer period of time; the saying goes that it’s better to run a marathon at a medium pace and finish than to run a marathon at a fast pace and get burned out.

Another way to look at it is in this way. Why do you want to spend ridiculous amounts of hours developing yourself physically – when you could be spending that time developing yourself intellectually? Yes, the body and mind are definitely connected, and a healthy mind needs a healthy body, but you don’t need working out to be a full-time job just to have a healthy body. After all, the only aspect, arguably, that separates humans and other animals is our ability to hold greater quantities of intelligence at greater quality; it doesn’t make any sense spending the majority of your limited time developing something that you’re going to be universally inferior at anyways. For instance, the weakest Ape can defeat the strongest man in a tug of war, and the slowest shark can out swim the fastest swimmer; you should also remember that the animals don’t even train.

 

CONTACT ME AND ASK ABOUT THIS PROGRAM ANYTIME. etrufkin@uci.edu or 949-378-4280

 

Best,

Eugene