HAVE A STRONG DAY®

2011-12-01T13:45:00.001-08:00

New StrongDay Blog: "THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF MILLIONS." http://ping.fm/9RAVn

THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF MILLIONS.

2011-11-30T07:13:00.001-08:00

Ever had a trusted accountability partner?

Ever been in need of an organization such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or Celebrate Recovery or had to attend some sort of rehab / detox due to an addiction?

Ever had someone with whom you could share your hopes and dreams without them being dashed to pieces as a result of their past hurts, failures or negativity?

Someone who could hold you accountable to your goals and commitments?

Choosing someone to share with and hold you accountable is a delicate thing for the following reasons:

You don’t want to tell too many people at first because you don’t need to hear everyone’s opinion. It’s already difficult enough to follow your heart / intuition without hearing every negative, pessimistic, cynic around you calling your dream down and telling you that it cannot be done.
You DO need a few CAREFULLY SELECTED people to whom you can be accountable because, well, you need it.

When I moved to Los Angeles, I told only a few people at first to get the ball rolling. Then, as I began moving forward, I told everyone at large and that was it. And ultimately, there was only a slight amount of push back from my first L.A. roommate’s cynical best friend, but I didn’t know him so I got over it pretty quickly. And here I am, over two years later still trucking along. Getting by with a little help from my friends.

Speaking of accountability, try laying yourself on the altar of public opinion. Try advocating for and building a brand that is completely predicated upon “What are you going to do when the bottom drops out? Are you going to remain even keeled or are you going to lose it?”

Yeah. Well, you’re reading the blog that undergirds the lifestyle brand that is advocating just that.

I’ve completely staked my tents on the front lines of that entire thing. And now I’m accountable to, well, technically everyone on the planet with an internet connection. So what do I do? Do I fold them up and go home when things get tough? I daresay not.

It's a pretty terrifying place to be, nonetheless. But remember...

"Courage is the art of being the only one
who knows that you are scared to death."
-Earl Wilson

Do I grit it out and gut it out and dig down deep and pray it out and wait it out? When the going gets tough, the tough get going right? Tough times call for tougher people right? You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have right? What happens to those who have never experienced anything rough? They fold like origami cranes. They collapse like empty aluminum cans under pressure.

Or they come to you, the one who is rock solid to help sustain them.

When you have accountability it forces you to be one of those people who DOES WHAT THEY SAY THEY’RE GOING TO DO. 90% of people don’t do what they say they’re going to do. The math is simple. All you have to do is SHOW UP and DO IT and you’re setting yourself far ahead of those that are all talk and no action, and no follow through. You're putting yourself in that elite 10%.

Seriously.

Rome was indeed not built in one (strong) day. It was built with many, many, MANY back-to-back strong days. Commitment. Endurance. Vision. Goals. Marathon not sprint.

And now, If I ever back slide and step away from the day-to-day STRONG DAY business of inspiration, motivation, wellness, healthy choices, fitness, etc., I give EVERYONE permission to hold me accountable to that. You have carte blanche to call me out, to ask me why I’m not walking the talk, to ask me what gives? Sure I may be going through a rough patch. I’ve exercised for almost 20 years and I have definitely had my rough patches and I’ve come back from them, mostly on my own.

But now, it goes to a whole new level. Everyone, friend or family or fan or foe or acquaintance, you can call me out. Because it’s MY job to call YOU out.

It’s how we become better. And strong.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

THE DIRTY DOZEN AND THE CLEAN FIFTEEN.

2011-11-19T12:32:00.001-08:00

"Dirty Dozen"
Buy these organic:

Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Sweet Bell Pepper
Spinach
Kale / Collard Greens
Cherries
Potatoes
Grapes (Imported)

"Clean Fifteen"
Lowest in pesticides:

Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn (Frozen)
Pineapples
Mango
Sweet Peas (Frozen)
Asparagus
Kiwi Fruit
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe (Domestic)
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet Potatoes
Honeydew Melon

What does organic mean?

No use of pesticides, herbicides
No use of fertilizers made from sewage sludge
No genetically modified seeds or use of irradiation
Thorough record keeping
Facility inspected by USDA-accredited certification agency

Washing and rinsing produce can reduce pesticide residue, but will not entirely eliminate them. Peeling reduces residue, but important nutrients and phytochemicals are lost.

Get to know your vendors at the farmer's market and ask questions. Because organic certification is so costly, many farmers choose to not have the certification, but still grow their produce without the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

BRAND OR BE BRANDED.

2011-11-17T10:09:00.001-08:00

"The world makes way for a man
who knows where he is going."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

When a livestock is branded with the symbol of a ranch, the rancher is indicating to all parties that that animal is his and should be returned if found. The animal really doesn't have a choice in the matter.

You, as a non-livestock (though there are many in society that are "sheeple"), can carve your niche and unfurl your banner so that people know that you are your own person and that you can't be lumped in with everyone else.

Or, you can either be misunderstood, misrepresented and mistaken.

You can be branded a coward, a hero, or fearless, or a weakling, or any other creative descriptor someone would like to apply to you.

You can stake your claim. You can raise your standard. You can stake your tents on the front lines of whatever it is that you espouse. And with the tools handed to you on a silver platter, most of which are on the internet (and free), you can do this even easier these days.

Friend, you can create the brand of you, or you can get lost in the crowd. You can carve your niche, or you can get lost in the herd. For that matter, you can establish your strong voice or you can get lost in the heard, or not heard at all. You can make yourself known so that when adversity strikes (aka, cutbacks, layoffs, restructurings, business closures, etc.) or if you decide to go a new direction with your career or change careers entirely, you already have a network of people that are plugged in to what you're doing.

In "Crush It: Why Now Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion", Gary Vaynerchuk states, "Whether you're delivering your content by video, podcast or blog, it's the authentic you, the one thing that is guaranteed to differentiate you from everybody else, including those who share your niche or business model... The thing that most people don't realize is that in today's world your business and your personal brand need to be one and the same... Your latest tweet and comment on Facebook and most recent blog post? That's your resume now... Think about how different your situation would look if you got laid off but had been keeping up your personal brand and become well established as a hot commodity... Consumers want you to tell them the truth, they want to know that the person they're dealing with is honest..."

"No man who bothers about originality
will ever be original: whereas if you
simply try to tell the truth
(without caring twopence how
often it has been told before)
you will, nine times out of ten,
become original without
ever having noticed it."
-C.S. Lewis

You can be led by the nose to the next pasture, or even to the slaughter, and you never had a choice in the matter.

Or you can be authentic and real and your audience will gather like iron filings to a magnet.

It's been said hundreds of times, but just in case you've missed the message, the days of working for the same company for 30, 40, 50 years are over. You cannot afford to be blown in every direction by the winds of change WITHOUT having your own network in place.

Change is inevitable, but you can position yourself to best weather that change.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

OF VAMPIRES AND SELF-REFLECTION.

2011-11-16T23:14:00.001-08:00

My facebook status from two years ago on 9/11: "Jeremy did the best improv of his life during his L.A. YMCA interview when, to gauge his sales skills, they asked him to 'sell' them a foam pen with a bobble flamingo on top. It was priceless. If only it was filmed..."

Several weeks back, I was in the best improv scene of my life with two great teammates. I'm still high from it. Thank you Eric Reeser / John Corrigan / David Magidoff and Monkey Butler L.A. Our class is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, unequivocally, the high point of my week.

So on this 10th anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11, I choose to reflect and reflect deeply on the event and the past 10 years of my life. I fully expect that every 9/11 will be a personal day of reflection for the rest of my life.

According to Wikipedia, "vampires do not have a reflection and sometimes do not cast a shadow."

What does this mean? It means that if you're NOT REFLECTING, YOU'RE DEAD. Or, you're dead to life and just going through the motions.

Can you allow 1, 5, 10 years to pass and just write it off to life and not use that experience and wisdom to build higher, dig deeper or live stronger?

No. You can't afford that.

So today, of all days, you MUST think about where you are, where you've been and where you're headed or you will truly be a boat without a rudder.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

PAIN vs. DISCOMFORT

2011-11-15T09:35:00.001-08:00

From my experience, I've had both pain and discomfort throughout my exercise history.

What's the difference, you ask?

Allow me to explain.

I've had sharp or shooting PAIN when something is definitely wrong: pulled, strained, sprained, etc.

I've had DISCOMFORT when something is weak and needing to be strengthened. When I hurt my lower back in 2004, the next year was full of DISCOMFORT when re-strengthening my core, but by pushing through, it has led to the ability to perform exercises I wasn't sure I'd be able to perform again.

Understandably, people are ultra concerned when they feel even the slightest twinge of something being out of the ordinary in their lower backs (and / or other areas).

Though, more often than not, as long as you are keeping good form, it is simply connective tissues, muscles, bones, etc. being made stronger. As long as you are starting slow and not trying to swing a 75 lb kettlebell on the very first day of your kettlebell training (for example) and gradually allowing your musculature to strengthen, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT. You MUST be able to handle it or you won't ever progress.

Our knee-jerk reaction is to avoid things that are uncomfortable, but we must fight this as usually that is the exact "thing" on which we need to be focusing.

And now, if I experience low back pain / discomfort, it usually means I HAVEN'T BEEN EXERCISING ENOUGH, not the opposite.

Yes, if you have shooting pain, or if you have definitely pulled or strained something, LAY OFF and / or get a physician's advice. Earlier this year, I strained my left shoulder and had to lay off for about 8-10 days, which is frustrating, but at the end of those 10 days, I was back to 100%.

In January 2009, I severely (at least by my reckoning) strained my left calf (medial gastrocnemius to be exact), and after a brief walk-in clinic visit, the advice was just to lay off. 14 days and a bit of therapeutic massage later and I was able to start putting weight on my left foot again and another two weeks after that to really be able to exercise again.

Put your pain and discomfort in perspective, and push through as best you can.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

AN OPEN LETTER TO PERSONAL TRAINERS.

2011-11-14T02:16:00.001-08:00

Dear Personal Trainer,

You’ve decided to make an impact on the lives of others, and for this, you are to be commended.

But you MUST realize, that many, if not most, of those that are taking this next step with you are perhaps completely terrified of something you’re completely comfortable and familiar with – fitness and the language thereof.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you perform your professional duties -- I'm sure I'll think of more and thus add to this list as needed.

BUILDING BRIDGES AND KNOCKING DOWN WALLS
Perhaps you know about all the ins and outs of frontal / saggital / transverse planes, abduction and adduction, concentric / eccentric, medial / lateral / anterior / posterior, proximal / distal, origin and insertion, etc. but most people don’t know nor need to know this information to make progress towards a fitter lifestyle. People don’t need to be confused and bogged down with asinine terms such as “muscle activation technique.” And this is YOUR responsibility to break things down in the easiest to understand terms so that they feel comfortable with each new stage of fitness progression.

BREAK IT DOWN FOR ME, FELLAS (AND LADIES)
Speaking of breaking things down, if you have someone new, you MUST break things down to the basic, most easy to understand, square one, starting line, beginning place when instructing exercises and techniques therein. You've been around the gym and you know the shortcuts (some of which are simply because you have the physical strength now to take certain SAFE shortcuts), but they don't, and like a child, they are watching you like a hawk and are going to do EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT YOU DO. Gradually advance them as they're ready and as they have the strength to do so.

SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE
But only when the time is right! Whether or not you like it and whether or not they realize it, you are their therapist. When a trainee comes in for an appointment, don’t spend their session unloading YOUR problems onto them. Regardless of how much you know about fitness and wellness, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. It’s THEIR time to unload onto YOU. Why? Because you won’t internalize their issues like they will and as they can get things off of their chests (in a confidential fashion of course, and if you can't be confidential maybe you're in the wrong line of work), they can perhaps eradicate more stress from their lives thus allowing them to be in better shape both holistically and physically speaking due to their time with you. Exception: if you have someone who is a regular trainee for a long period of time, and a friendship develops in which you can both equally share about “life stuff,” then so be it. But initially, IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU.

DO AS YOU DO, NOT AS YOU SAY
NEVER HAVE SOMEONE DO AN EXERCISE OR A ROUTINE THAT YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY PERFORMED YOURSELF. You will look like a fool (and thus destroy your credibility) if you cannot perform the task that you are putting your client through. Enough said.

At the same time you’re building fitness-bridges between the uninitiated and experienced, you’re also tearing down walls that keep people from taking steps towards a better life. Walls of fear, uncertainty, doubt, misinformation and confusion. They don’t need more obstacles that will keep them from getting there and it’s your responsibility to make sure they are shepherded as such.

I thank you and they thank you.

You'll be just fine if you simply remember to keep it simple while being honest with yourself and with them. It will pay dividends for both of you that you couldn't imagine.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

[18+] CORE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE: THE ORIGINAL NATURAL MALE ENHANCEMENT FORMULA.

2011-11-13T20:26:00.001-08:00

The onslaught of “natural male enhancement” pharmaceutical advertising has reached a sickening level. 

Natural male enhancement and erectile dysfunction, are some of the terms that have become ingrained in our top of mind vocabulary recently in terms of male performance issues. And very, very unfortunately, our youth are not immune from this backwards culture of "take a pill, fix your problem."

This philosophy will (if it hasn’t already) become the first option that is thought of in every aspect of health and wellness, not only intimacy. 

I’m here to tell you the truth when a lot of other sources won’t. That’s why this site is your “oasis of real” in a desert of false.

To channel Mike Meyers' character in SNL’s “Coffee Talk,” Natural Male Enhancement is neither “natural” nor “male enhancement.” Lets talk amongst ourselves.

#1) TAKING A SYNTHETIC MAN-MADE-IN-A-LABORATORY PILL IS NOT NATURAL. 

#2) IT REALLY ISN'T MALE ENHANCEMENT. 

About #1, Research indicates that watermelon has similar effects to that of these enhancement pills. How about this… How about, avoid the side effects that I am sure you DON’T want (blindness, deafness), and eat some flippin’ watermelon. THAT’S natural and it will be more easily assimilated into your NATURAL body. 

About #2, Male Enhancement requires a multi-faceted approach. Male Enhancement is blood-flow, core-strength, muscular-endurance, cardiovascular health, weight management and the avoidance of stress and anger. How about this… How about, eat right, exercise, keep your stress low and you will reap the benefits in EVERY area of your life. 

One website even recommends that you "watch your medication use." Well, of course we will. At least, that is, until we go BLIND from using your drug. And we will go right along watching our medication usage combined with your encouragement for us to use your medication. Pray tell, pharmaceutical companies, how one can reconcile this? 

And men, research shows (or I’m sure they will just tell you what they need if you ask) that your women very likely will need more time to "get where they’re going" in the intimate sense, thus, your CORE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE is the key that will open her lock. 

So, these type drugs are now showing signs of blindness and ringing in the ears? And men are more visual of the two sexes and now that part of your intimacy is in jeopardy due to a pill? And don't you want to be able to hear your partner unimpeded during intimacy? Yes, yes and yes.  

AND NO ONE IS PAYING ATTENTION TO THESE SIDE EFFECTS?!? Hello? 

I suggest an alternative.  

Get moving. And lift some weights. And strengthen your core. 

You might want to start here: www.youtube.com/haveastrongday

And then, if you STILL need it, WHEN ALL OTHER OPTIONS HAVE FAILED YOU, then and only then, go get some toxic substance and put it into your body because yes, intimacy is a big part of staying together and I don’t discount that. And sometimes we need to do what we can to recapture it.

But perhaps, the pills can at least only be temporary. 

Men, this is a call to arms (and your legs, and your core and your crotch) to be a man and not a mouse and get moving.

Give your middle finger to the pharmaceutical companies and give your middle "member" to your partner who deserves all of you.

HAVE A STRONG DAY (AND NIGHT).

WORK HARD, BE KIND. CONAN O'BRIEN'S 2011 DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS.

2011-10-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

"No specific job or career goal defines me, and it should not define you. In 2000—in 2000—I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that. But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality." -Conan O'Brien

'Work hard, be kind and amazing things will happen,' O'Brien says

This is the text of the Commencement address by Conan O'Brien, delivered on June 12, 2011.

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~commence/speeches/2011/obrien-speech.html

DOUG "STRONG DAY" FULKERSON: IT'S JUST PAIN, AND PAIN DON'T HURT.

2011-10-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

After my many years of exercise, I've been injured and I've dealt with working through the pain. Back pain, shoulder pain, etc. But today I'm thrilled that you get to hear from someone else who faced even greater adversity and greater pain than myself and is back on his feet. Doug went through great pain, challenging rehab and ultimate recovery.

Enjoy and be inspired.

Last year on the 8th of May, I was on my way home from work after midnight and fell asleep at the wheel resulting in me hitting a large oak tree with my Jeep. Thankfully, and by the Grace of God, it was only me involved.

When I woke a few days later, I was in the hospital with serious injuries. I had broken my right femur like breaking a pencil in half and there was even a small piece of the bone missing. I cracked my right hip, as well as my sternum and several ribs. My left radius was also broken and had split apart like a wishbone. They put a titanuim rod that runs from knee to hip in my leg and a steel plate in my arm.

Before the accident I was a solid 225 lbs. I was very thankful that my non broken arm and leg were as strong as they were as it really helped me to be able to do various daily activities without the use of the broken limbs. However, most of that muscle mass deteriorated and I went down to 185 lbs in about a month's time.

All I wanted was to recover from this as fast as I could. So I drank a lot of protein shakes, took 3 bottles of bone density pills from the Vitamin Shoppe, and would do basic movement exercises shown to me by the nurses and doctors as often as I could.

As I got STRONGer, I continued to up the exercises to whatever I could do without pain, including riding a stationary bike for an hour at a time, sometimes twice a day. I also had 10 lb, 20 lb, and 30 lb weights at home that I used to do basic upper body movements and to regain some range I had lost in my arm and shoulders. I was doing all of this with a cast on my arm as long as I felt very little to no pain.

Upon walking again, the doctor was going to send me to the gym with a physical therapist to do leg extensions, presses, etc., to help regain my strength. As I already had years of experience in the gym, I told the doctors all I had been doing on my own already and would probably not need a therapist. He told me to start light and do many reps, and I did. I was in the gym 4-5 times a week doing everything I could to get STRONG again.

Soon enough, my bones were fully healed. I was told by the doctors that my bones healed as fast as a newborn's due to the bone density pills I was taking. It almost 1,000 mg of calcium a day.

Then I went full force in the gym, several times a week and really hit it hard. There were many times it hurt due to movements my shoulder, elbow and hip did not agree with, but I pushed through it and was able to get them all moving correctly.

Now, a little over a year after the accident, I am back to a solid 225 lbs of body-weight. I can also lift nearly as much as I could before the accident. I am squatting over 300, bench-pressing 225, curling 50's, and can also jog over a mile.

Every day was a challenge and it was very difficult, especially all the pain in the beginning, but I was determined to get it all back and was not going to give up. I couldn't stand being broken and sitting around all day waiting to heal, so I made myself heal and regain my strength.

Now, I not only wear my "Have A Strong Day" shirt with thanks because it was a gift from Jeremy during my recovery, but also with pride because it states how I approached each day and physical challenge I faced.

If you are faced with any kind of injury in the future, do not tell me you can't do it, or that it hurts too much! In the famous words of Patrick Swayze from Roadhouse, "It's just pain, and pain don't hurt!"

HAVE A STRONG DAY, Doug.

HAVE A STRONG DAY indeed.

#FITCOM: FITNESS COMEDY.

2011-10-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

ABDOMINATION on Twitter#FitCom = Fitness Comedy.

Fitness Comedy is what I do.

Fitness Comedy from me is what you will watch.

Fitness Comedy from me is what you will watch and enjoy.

#FitCom is the hashtag, from me, that you will use in your posts so that you can tell others about the Fitness Comedy, from me, that they will also watch and enjoy.

Here's what others are saying about ABDOMINATION: Fitness Comedy Video Series:

"Dude, I have to say that I was a little...apprehensive about this. But, as I watched this trailor I thought "holy shit, this is awesome!" Totally hilarious, but def awesome! Keep it up Ho-Ice, I love it!"

"I totally agree. Great video."

"I want to be a part of the nation!! The ABDOMINATION!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! When you punched that guy in the face I almost fell out of my chair. That looks mega-awesome. Can't wait for the full thing to come out! Are you going to do one for chics too?"

"it was worth the wait, great teaser trailer. can't wait for the finished product. might need a disclaimer bout friends not being hurt in the making, can somebody get him an icepack?"

"i crack up every single time. every time. love it. Also, just tried the wraparound, and it is a BIZNATCH."

"GOOD STUFF.I will pass this on to my buddies.."

"man this work out rocks"

"okay this funnyiest shit ever hahahahahah"

"ololololololololololololololo funny mofo"

"This guy rocks. Came across it by chance and glad I did."

"Awesome exercise."

"Holy frijoles, man. Gonna try that one..."

"Someday you should release the outtakes."

"My favorite part was 'Want to get punched in the face... with fitness?'"

"At last...what the world has been waiting for! It never stops being funny, you punching him in the face with fitness. :)"

"Original Male Enhancement. Dude, no joke. I think it works for women too. ;) Meow."

And perhaps one of my favorites thus far:

"Please tell me you are going to put out a DVD one day."

Hells yes I am. Hells to the yes.

ABDOMINATION on YouTubeIn the meantime, I suggest you subscribe to my ABDOMINATION YouTube page.

The comments above were made by YouTube and Facebook users.

HAVE A #strongday.

FAT ON FIRE: EFFECTS OF EXERCISE, NUTRITION AND STRESS.

2011-10-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

And where there's fire there's a raging body-fat burning inferno with your name on it.

You can't start a fire without three things: fuel, oxygen and heat.

You also cannot start a body fat burning fire without three things being in order in your life: exercise, nutrition and stress management.

I have three very specific case-studies of current / past clients who showed a great deal of progress in a short amount of time, simply by diligently doing those three things.

Horace M. - male, 60 years of age - he came to me to begin training 6 weeks before he was supposed to make a hiking trek to the top of Mt. Rainier. I prescribed 3 days per week of weight training and 5 days per week of stair climbing at the Doak Campbell Stadium at Florida State University. He cleaned up his eating habits and already was in a place of being a very easy-going, low-stress guy. He dropped 15 pounds in 6 weeks. The backpack he was to carry was to be in the neighborhood of 45 pounds. That's a net difference of really only being an additional 30 pounds he had to carry. He made it to the top with his 21 year old son who was a punter for FSU at the time.

Paola G. - female, 40 years of age - for 3 months, she had a bit of a rough time getting started with her exercise routine, not the least of which was due to being busy over the holidays, stress at home and a fast-paced work environment. She started her exercise plan in October and up unto the point where the holidays kept her from exercise for two weeks, she had lost seventeen pounds -- 7 of which she put back on during that lapse. She started exercising again in January to moderate results. After a request to meet with me for a follow-up, and after about an hour discussion about various things including nutrition, exercise and such, we determined that her home-life was causing a great deal of stress in her life. We talked through some things and I suggested she take a look at Meetup.com to find some activities with some people that have similar interests. 6 weeks later when our paths crossed again, I could tell that she had lost another 10-15 pounds - I wasn't in a place where I could get an accurate number from her, but she was/is definitely shaping up well.

Allyson G. - female, 29 years of age - like Paola, she had some starts and stops for about 3 months as well when it came to getting her routine underway. Work was stressful and although she was exercising, she wasn't seeing a great deal of progress. But she stayed on it. When things leveled out at work (aka, when the work-related stress subsided a bit), she buckled back down on her exercise (a combination of indoor and outdoor cardio and resistance training) and with the accountability of Weight Watchers, she was down 12.6 and then 26.2 pounds at two meetings that we had to discuss her progress (each about 6 weeks apart) after our initial set-up of her exercise plan at the beginning of January. After seeing her in passing last week, she is down 30+ pounds since the beginning of 2011.

I've been working with another gal, Laura, who is 30 and definitely getting stronger but feels like her shape isn't changing too much after almost 6 weeks. She raised this concern with me and after a brief discussion (she eats fairly decently and exercises 6 days a week), it seems that outside stress is sabotaging her progress.

This composition has mainly taken a turn toward being about stress, even though I indicated that it takes all three things to have a balanced approach to wellness and weight-loss. Though, I suppose that was a natural course in which this article would flow, because stress is perhaps a less-discussed part of the wellness continuum.

EVERYONE knows that if you eat poorly, it will reflect in poor body shape, and a litany of other health-issues aside from just excess body fat.

EVERYONE knows (even if they're not willing to admit it) that exercise (cardiovascular, resistance training) are going to assist with general wellness, weight management and a feeling of well-being.

Even in Los Angeles, which is rated the #1 Most Stressed Out City in America, many don't consider that their stress / stress-management may be torpedoing their exercise goals without even realizing it.

In Laura's instance (and the other two for that matter), they indicated that coming to the gym for exercise was a big step in helping reduce stress and that is absolutely correct. You're all right on target ladies, and we haven't even gotten into any discussions about hyper-thyroidism (which can lead to major weight gain due more to hormonal imbalance) because it wasn't applicable in these cases. But, how we deal with stress as it presents itself during the day on a day to day basis is enormously key in helping keep our cortisol levels under control and generally aiding in a feeling of well-being.

And know that not all stress is bad, or at least, the way your body is designed to respond to certain stress is not necessarily bad. Cortisol is a stress hormone that has numerous benefits, including:

A quick energy burst for survival reasons
Heightened memory function
Increased immunity
Lowering pain sensitivity
Homeostasis maintenance in the body

Though, it’s important that the body’s relaxation response be activated so the body functions can return to normal following a stressful event.

Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (such as those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as:

Cognitive performance impairment
Thyroid function suppression
Blood sugar imbalances -- hyperglycemia
Decrease in bone density and muscle tissue
Higher blood pressure
Lowered immunity / inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, other health consequences
Increased abdominal fat. Abdominal fat is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, the development of metabolic syndrome, higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL).

To keep cortisol levels healthy and under control, your body’s relaxation response should be activated after the fight or flight response occurs. Learn to relax your body with various stress management techniques, and make lifestyle changes in order to keep your body from reacting to stress in the first place.

Cortisol secretion varies among individuals. One person may secrete higher levels of cortisol than another in the same situation. Studies have shown that people who secrete higher levels of cortisol in response to stress also tend to eat more food, that food being higher in carbohydrates than people who secrete less cortisol.

So, the takeaway...

Do we roll with the punches (indeed there are many in life and sometimes they are punches in the face with fitness) and keep on trucking?

Do we let things roll off so that we don't hold onto unnecessary burdens?

Easier said than done right?

Yep.

But you have to find a way. You MUST find a way. There is NO other way. YOU have to find what works for YOU.

In each of the 3 success stories above, they found what worked for them. And what worked for them was NOT by purchasing an over-the-counter cortisol reducing supplement (which only treats the symptom and not the cause of the problem) but by balancing their life.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

FEEDING THE CYCLIST.

2011-10-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

by Skylar Nelson, Nutritionist
The most important nutritional need for cyclists is energy. The more intense, the longer the ride, the larger the total energy expended. It has been estimated that professional cyclist need to consume between 3,000 to 7,000 calories per day. The typical sedentary, normal weight human being consumes between 1,400 to 2,800 calories per day. This wide range only highlights the need and importance of individual assessment, but estimating energy your needs in daily practice simply requires satisfying your appetite and monitoring your weight. Not meeting your energy needs will lead to decreased performance, chronic fatigue, and weight loss.

The nutrient that is most important for cyclists and is the primary fuel for muscle contraction is, carbohydrate. The energy from carbohydrates is released 3 times faster than the energy from fat in exercising muscles. But the body only stores a limited amount of carbohydrate in the muscle called glycogen. When glycogen stores are depleted the level of training and racing diminishes and the cyclist will experience fatigue.

In order to accomplish daily glycogen repletion it is important to consume a substantial amount of carbohydrate—approximately 60 percent of your total daily caloric intake. For most cyclists this amounts to 500 to 600 grams of carbohydrate or 2,000 to 2,400 calories per day. Feeding and fueling a cyclist means consuming large amounts of carbohydrate foods. Always remember to consume a variety of different carbohydrate foods and to consume several smaller meals throughout the day. This will ensure that the carbohydrates are digested and absorbed properly for maximum energy utilization and minimal recovery time.

Recent research suggests that additional dietary protein may be beneficial to endurance athletes. The added protein may be necessary to repair damaged muscle tissue and to provide an alternate fuel source during long-term training.

Fortunately for most cyclists, major changes in diet are not necessary. If you consume 10 to 20 percent of your diet in protein, which most people do, your intake will be adequate. Remember to include high protein foods like low-fat milk, yogurt, lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, and lentils.

While it is true that cycling stimulates changes that increase your body’s ability to utilize fat as an energy source, there is no need to supplement. The recommended intake for healthy and active individuals is 20 to 25 percent fat. Adequate fat intake can be achieved by consuming a diet containing whole grains, dairy products, fish, and lean meats. Remember that fat aids in providing energy, helps to store and use fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), and is essential to the movement of nutrients in and out of cells.

Most nutrition researchers and sports nutritionists and dietitians agree that the optimal ‘athletes’ diet contains 60 percent carbohydrate, 15 to 20 percent protein, and 20 to 25 percent fat. There are mountains of research and data to validate this recommendation. Experts also recommend the consumption of carbohydrate before and during exercise to improve performance, and the consumption after exercise to replenish glycogen stores and thus reduce recovery time.

Most people don’t think of water as a nutrient, but it may be the most critical part of a cyclists diet. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of the average person’s body weight is water, and it is lost in many ways. Through breathing, urinating, and sweating, the typical human being can lose up to 1 liter of water per day. Cycling in hot weather can easily double or triple that amount of water loss. Insufficient fluid intake and small changes in fluid levels will lead to fatigue and decreased performance. Even losing 2 to 3 percent of body fluid through sweat (3 to 4 pounds in a 150 pound person) will decrease cycling performance by 5 percent. Losing 4 to 6 percent of body fluid, and the cyclist risks cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and possible death.

It is best to drink 2 to 3 cups of water before exercise and to drink often during exercise. Also, remember to include a fluid source that contains carbohydrate to help supple vital energy to your muscles.

HAVE A STRONG DAY, cyclists.

Skylar is a MS in Nutritional Science Candidate from Cal State University-Los Angeles as well as a Registered Dietician candidate. He has been a dietetic Intern at the following locations: St. Johns Health Center, Santa Monica, CA; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA; Ketchum-Downtown YMCA, Los Angeles, CA.

Skylar is a former soccer player with college and professional playing experience. He currently competes in triathlons, road cycling races and various running events. His interests include helping both regular individuals and athletes with eating right and choosing the best foods for a healthy lifestyle, increased energy and overall well-being.

Contact him for nutrition plans / counseling through our contact form and take the next step in your Strong Day TotalStrength® plan.

Please use "Strong Day Nutrition" as the subject of your email.

As professionals, we will keep your information completely CONFIDENTIAL. We do not sell or rent client information to any third parties. We do not disclose personal identifying information as tied to successful case studies that we might use as a reference for new inquiries unless explicit written permission is given.

"BAD" CHOLESTEROL IS GOOD FOR BIG MUSCLES?

2011-10-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

The more LDL (Low-Density Lipoproteins), or “bad cholesterol,” you have, the more muscle you build during resistance training, according to a new study.

After fairly vigorous workouts, adults who were in generally good health, but not normally physically active, gained the most muscle mass but also had the highest levels of the “bad” cholesterol aka LDL.

“It shows that you do need a certain amount of LDL to gain more muscle mass,” says Steve Riechman, assistant professor of health and kinesiology at Texas A&M University. “There’s no doubt you need both, the LDL and the HDL, and the truth is, it (cholesterol) is all good. You simply can’t remove all the “bad” cholesterol from your body without serious problems occurring.”

LDL is almost always referred to as the bad cholesterol because it tends to build up in the walls of arteries, causing a slowing of the blood flow which often leads to heart disease and heart attacks. HDL, usually called the good cholesterol, often helps remove cholesterol from arteries.

“But here is where people tend to get things wrong,” Riechman says. “LDL serves a very useful purpose. It acts as a warning sign that something is wrong and it signals the body to these warning signs. It does its job the way it is supposed to.

“People often say, ‘I want to get rid of all my bad (LDL) cholesterol,’ but the fact is, if you did so, you would die. Everyone needs a certain amount of both LDL and HDL in their bodies. We need to change this idea of LDL always being the evil thing7mdash;we all need it, and we need it to do its job.”

Full article can be found here:
http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/ldl-doesn%E2%80%99t-deserve-black-hat-moniker/

Have we been programmed to think that bad cholesterol is bad because the Pharmaceutical companies want to sell you more drugs?

Food for thought.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

THE WORKOUT: SMOKING GUN.

2011-10-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

CrossFit 110117 - “Smoking Gun”

Warm up (3 rounds):

200m row/150m run
20 jumping jacks
10 mountain climbers
10 squats
5 bar power clean/5 bar clean and jerk
Bear Crawl

Skill: Mobility

WOD “Smoking Gun” (7 rounds):

4 burpee deadlifts
3 burpee power cleans
2 burpee squat cleans
1 burpee squat clean and jerks

15:00 cap

Are you ready to get punched in the face with fitness? Yeah. This one just might do it. I'm going to give it a go this week.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

FEARFUL AND WONDERFUL SYNERGY.

2011-10-14T10:57:00.001-07:00

I am fearfully and wonderfully made; […] I know that full well.

We are all fearfully, wonderfully and naturally made.

Every cell in your body is connected to nature’s God. Every cell is crying out to be exercised, worked, used, fed, regenerated and given thanks for. Every existing cell in your body will be replaced with a new one within 5-7 years. Will the NEW cells be added to a foundation of muck and mush and created from nutritionless "food?" Will your health and wellness be a house of cards set up to collapse under the weight of not having prepared for the future by preparing your finances, family and faith?

Or will the new cells - the new YOU - be constantly built and rebuilt on a foundation that is stronger and stronger? A foundation of holistic bricks that addresses all areas of your life. You are NOT engineered to fade away and weaken until the day you take your last breath. You ARE engineered to keep a strong metabolism and outlook until the day you are called home. GIVE YOUR NEW CELLS A REASON TO LIVE and your life will change.

Every cell in the lining of your GI tract is regenerated every 48 HOURS! If things "hang around in there" by not eating enough healthy foods and fibers, the likelihood that it will poison you from the inside out IS NOT A LIKELIHOOD, IT IS A DEFINITE CERTAINTY!

Truly, quite literally and figuratively, you are not the same person you were 5 years ago. New cells are there to replace the old. New experiences come to pass to bring wisdom and insight. Even the delicate valleys and crests in the shape of YOUR brain are unique as YOUR thoughts and experiences cause the shape of your "grey matter" to change over time.

The farther you go from man-made, chemical laden, artificially colored / flavored / sweetened waters, drinks, foods and personal care products, the closer you will grow to strength and success. Everyone’s target for personal best health is different, but it doesn’t have to be a moving target.

As you train, you have probably noticed that you've had good days and bad days. I would wager that you could trace some of your bad days to poor "fuel" - an order of fries snuck here and there, too little water being consumed, too few vegetables in your diet, etc. I know that I can notice a clear difference in my own performance when I do those things.

I began changing my cheat day from Sunday to Saturday because I was noticing a HUGE lag in my body responding during my Monday workouts after having eaten not as well as usual on a Sunday. So when my cheat day was on Saturday, I've had another full day (Sunday) to replenish my body with good things so that I don't miss a beat when Monday / early week workouts come. Nowadays, I don’t have a cheat day necessarily, it is oftentimes just a cheat meal, which makes even less of an impact on my workouts, but I digress.

Of course we all need our down time to relax our eating habits for a bit, but remember how you perform with both good and bad foods and plan for it. Remember the old saying "garbage in, garbage out." You will be amazing for your exercise or for events in which you may be competing if you put good things in. And your outcome will be amazing even when compared only to yourself. It doesn't matter what times others log, it only matters that you compare yourself to… yourself. A race begun -- for someone who has never taken this step before -- is already a race won.

As you change your body, you WILL change your life. THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION. It is a universal truth. Adversity will come, but you will be stronger because of it.

Be well and give thanks for every step and breath you take for they are the best gifts.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

"RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME": WHAT POSSIBLE PHARMACEUTICAL INSANITY COULD BE NEXT?

2011-10-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

Restless Leg Syndrome.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

WTF.

This is like someone claiming they have: "Post Workout Exhaustion Disorder"

Patient: "Doc, I just worked out and now I'm SO TIRED! What could be the problem??"
Doctor: "You're an idiot."

What's next after Restless Leg Syndrome, "Twitching Eyelid Disease?"

"Doc, Doc! My eyelid was doing this funny thing where it moves up and down at will??! WHat COUld IT be!??"

"Well my trusty patient who has kept me in business for far too long with insane pharmaceutical purchases, it could be that your eyelid is doing this thing that it does to keep dirt and debris out of the eye and keep the eye moist. This procedure is also known as blinking. I know, its scary. But there will be a new drug out soon to treat it. A new drug that will cause you to lose all bowel control at an inopportune time in public, it could cause dry mouth, wet skin, stomach cramps, menstrual bleeding in men, nipples that stay erect for longer than three hours for women (please see a doctor immediately in this case as this could be the sign of a problem), it could cause your hair to start growing inward toward your brain thus causing you to be bald AND brain dead and in a vegetable-like state within 3 weeks of taking the aforementioned drug - but nevermind those side-effects because, my trusty patient, your eyelid WILL - STOP - BLINKING. Even if you will no longer be alive, it will - stop - blinking. They are developing a logo and a brand and a drug and a t-shirt and a theme song and hiring Tom Skerritt (yes, the guy from Top Gun because he probably has restless legs since he hasn't done anything to speak of since Top Gun. hm. well i guess he DID do steel magnolias...) to be the spokesman, and hell, while they're at it they're going to come up with a catchy tag line. Maybe something like: Try our drug "Blink Free." 'Blink Free: For when you want to be free from blinking.' Because Everyone knows that people who F'ing blink too much are guilty."

For the love. of. god. Did you see the early TV commercials about "Restless Leg Syndrome?" What kind of asinine, inane B.S. is being perpetrated on us now? And of course, there is a DRUG to fix it. You can sleep better tonight now. Right? You can sleep better knowing that just as quickly as they can develop and have new drugs approved that they can make up a new disease for it to treat?

Yes. I said make up a new drug and THEN define the disease that it treats. Not, find a disease and then develop a drug to treat it. Why wait for a disease to treat when they can simply prey on our already weak, overmarketed-to populace with another drug that we can go request from our doctors.

Restless Leg Syndrome. Let's examine what this means etymologically word for word. No. Actually, lets call it what it is. Lies. Stupidity. Misconception. Misleading. Insanity. Ridiculous. What horse's a$$ came up with this. Restless Leg Syndrome is your legs' way of saying to your body and brain "You suck. Move around."

Restless Leg Syndrome. Another "syndrome" that can have a nice logo and brand created for it and then develop a foundation to collect money for drug research WHEN THE ONLY THING NEEDED IS FOR THESE PEOPLE TO GET OFF OF THEIR A$$ AND STOP B*TCHING ABOUT RESTLESS LEGS.

Restless leg syndrome. Sounds like an SNL skit. Or even one of those fake commercials that they play - generally after the SNL monologue where they play a complete farce of a commercial for some ridiculous pointless product.

Somewhere, somehow there is a pointless person receiving a pointless salary for a pointless job and a pointless medical "syndrome" (which is what they call anything that can't be defined) and answering the phone "Restless Leg Foundation. How can we help you on the road to recovery?"

And the RLS logo which looks somewhat like the sun? The sun you haven't seen because you have been sitting on your lazy a$$ and haven't actually seen the sun in recent history because we're also now terrified that the sun is going to vaporize us in a puff of cancerous smoke if we leave the house, when in actuality, ALL LIFE COMES FROM THE SUN. Yes, its still up there and shining away. Waiting for you to come visit. But the logo is there to remind you what it looks like since you apparently haven't done anything to enjoy it. The marketing genius behind this "Well, our victims probably don't know what the hell the sun looks like anymore. Let's remind them. It's a new day."

AND GUESS WHAT! THERE IS A FOUNDATION FOR THIS! OF COURSE! BECAUSE WHERE ELSE WOULD ALL OF THOSE WITH RESTLESS LEGS GO! THEY WOULDN'T ACTUALLY GET UP AND MOVE THOSE LEGS, THEY SHOULD SIT AT HOME AND KEEP THOSE LEGS STATIONARY AND SEARCH FOR HELP ON THE RLS FOUNDATION WEBSITE.
Friends, if this wasn't so serious, it would be hilarious. I challenge you. When their website was first launched, it had a menu link at the top that says "I Have Restless Legs" that actually has multiple menu options under this drop down. The only thing that should be present under that menu option is a message that says "STOP WASTING TIME ON THIS WEBSITE YOU LOSER AND GET OFF YOUR A$$ AND GO FOR A WALK."

You can even join their membership! Please do. And then you will assuredly be WELL on your way to recovery.

Their newsletter was called NightWalkers. Sounds like a farcical horror-comedy flick. Or maybe it sounds too close to Nightcrawlers. You could also get a handy membership card. To SHOW TO WHO?! FOR WHAT PURPOSE?! To show your doctor so that he will know without a question that you are an idiot and that you are a prime candidate to buy whatever crap drugs they are selling you?

Can you believe this crap.

Here was the definition of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). THIS WAS COPIED DIRECTLY FROM THEIR WEBSITE. My comments in red:

RLS occurs during periods of inactivity. (Yes, get off your a$$.)
Become more sensitive in the evening and at night. (Give me a break.)
RLS is relieved by the movement of the limb. (No kidding. Limbs were meant to be moved. Get your lazy can up off the couch and MOVE around and you will have no problems with this part.)
Often cause difficulty staying or falling asleep, which leads to feelings of daytime tiredness or fatigue (No. Kidding. How much better do I sleep personally when I have had a good workout. I sleep like a log. You will have NO trouble if you move around like human beings are in existence to do.)
May cause involuntary jerking of the limbs during sleep and sometimes during wakefulness (I'm spent. This is insanity that people swallow this hook line and sinker.)

They even had a national meeting in Orlando. Wow. I bet that will be a rip roaring good time. A bunch of lazy bastards laying around not able to do anything because they have restless legs.

And support groups. A link in the menu even to "Support Groups." Wow. Someone please send this blog post to them when their contact info is available. Someone save those restless legs! The ONLY thing that needs to be present under this menu option is a link to a personal trainer in your area that will whip your a$$ into shape.

You see, in the "old days," oh you know 12 or 15 years ago when I actually WENT to the doctor and wasn't sickened by the way symptom-based medicine treats patients, the doctor would check you out and then prescribe a drug or give a sample to try IF IT WAS NECESSARY. But now, thanks to mass media and modern science, we can self-diagnose and TREAT OURSELVES before we even walk into a doctor's office! How does that make you feel?

When is the last time anyone actually cured a disease? Salk curing Polio in the 1950's and 60's? And then what happened. The drug companies realized that they would lose billions of dollars. Please don't be naive enough to believe that the powers that be don't suppress cures.

The drug companies RUN COMMERCIALS, and OBTAIN MEDIA BUYS in all major publications and television channels (What do you think drives the cost of our drugs up so high? Think about it. Don't be sheep.) so that you can be exposed to their product relentlessly so that you ACTUALLY believe you need this drug so that you can REQUEST it when you go to the doctor (because if someone is going to decide what toxic pharmaceutical substance to put into your body it might as well be YOU and not a doctor since apparently doctors don't know anything about treating health problems with nutrition anyway because why waste extra time in medical school talking about nutrition and / or correcting the SOURCE of the problem rather than the symptom, when we can just churn out more clones that will write prescriptions to keep the money flowing and keep us in bondage to them) so that the doctor will actually PRESCRIBE it so that the drug companies can make MONEY off of the health insurance that you're ALSO PAYING FOR so that they can continue to run drug ads and continue the cycle over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

Don't believe the lies.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

HOW TO GET STRONG IN ONE DAY.

2011-10-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

This post goes out to those (yes, believe it or not, there have actually been more than one) who, over the last year, have found my site using the search term "how to get strong in one day," "how to be strong in one day," "how to get strong in a day," "how do you get strong in one day," "how to get strong in days," "how to get strong in 1 day," "how to strong in one day," and last but certainly not least, "how to get very strong in one day."

Here's a secret tip: YOU CAN'T GET STRONG IN ONE DAY.

Aside from the fact that on the day you work out you actually get WEAKER because you're breaking your body down and then the strength actually comes from the day or two or few afterwards where your body is rebuilding STRONGER, there is no way that anyone, in any area of their life (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) can become truly strong in one day.

Our lives are very similar to the stock market. Rises and falls. Upswings and downswings. But over time, the goal is to have an upward trend in your portfolio.

"Let me tell you something you already know.

The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows.

It's a very mean and nasty place and

I don't care how tough you are

it will beat you to your knees and keep

you there permanently if you let it.

You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life.

But it ain't about how hard ya hit.

It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

How much you can take and keep moving forward.

That's how winning is done!"

-Rocky Balboa

Yeah, I'd love to have things be all sunny and blue skies all the time. But when would I ever learn anything new or grow if things were easy all the time. When finances are limited, it forces you to analyze and optimize every dollar you spend. When you have a physical limitation if forces you to create a workaround or be patient until that deficient area has been repaired.

By staking my tents on the STRONG DAY Manifesto, in essence I've opened myself up to people scrutinizing how I handle trials in life. That's a scary place to be, but it makes me vulnerable. And who really wants to be or seem vulnerable? We all want to seem like we have everything put together all the time.

"Now if you know what you're worth

then go out and get what you're worth.

But ya gotta be willing to take the hits,

and not pointing fingers saying you ain't

where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody!

Cowards do that and that ain't you!

You're better than that! ... until you start believing in yourself,

ya ain't gonna have a life.

Don't forget to visit your mother."

-Rocky Balboa

Take heart, you have permission to not have everything together all the time. BUT YOU WILL PICK YOURSELF UP AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN because, WHAT OTHER OPTIONS DO YOU HAVE? Give up and end up in the gutter? Perhaps so. And then, YOU WILL PICK YOURSELF UP AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. And more than likely there will be someone there to help you pick yourself up.

If you take a holistic, long-term approach to your life and becoming stronger, you definitely can be STRONG ONE DAY or someday down the road, but NOT strong IN one day.

Oh, and don't forget to visit your mother.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

APATHY KILLS.

2011-10-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

So I was pondering the other day about our apathy. Our apathy as a society - everything from voting to exercise to our health and so on. What drives this? How could we come so far from fighting for our freedom from England to the point where we barely have the desire to vote in a presidential election - much less, a local one. I'm convinced it is a disease of the spirit. Somewhere, someplace, somehow, in the past of each person who has given up on something important in their life, a disease was picked up that seems to have no cure, antidote or antivenom to overcome it.

To single out people's motivation to address their health and fitness, it is curious to me that this is such a widespread problem - an epidemic even. Akin to the chicken and the egg, does our laziness come from a poor diet or does our poor diet come from our laziness to put energy into one of the most important things in our lives?

$75 billion to treat obesity in 2003. $75 billion.

Regarding 1 billion:

A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate Washington spends it.

$75 billion - to treat something that IS PREVENTABLE. Just to put it into perspective, they estimated $40 to $60 billion to rebuild New Orleans and surrounding areas after Hurricane Katrina. And people can't justify redirecting some of their hard-earned money they spend on trash foods (that provide completely empty calories) into some healthy nutrition or supplementation to get their health and bodies in order?

It seems to me that it really does start with the nutrition (the nutrition being the "chicken" in the chicken and egg scenario) and because we have skimped on our diet, avoided taking action, misspent on foods that our bodies can't process (just look at the shelves and shelves of space in every grocery that are dedicated to antacids and laxatives), misplanned our meal planning, misdirected resources and disbelieved that we could achieve better health, we have created a medical system that is bent on writing prescriptions to treat symptoms not causes and we have created a monster of obesity that WILL overwhelm our medical society in this generation - or if it doesn't overwhelm it doctors will be writing prescriptions faster than the drug companies can keep up.

Our lack of proper nutrition has left us in such a state of inactivity that we don't have the energy to get up before work and exercise because we sleep so poorly. How many are kept up all night because of acid reflux from eating poorly all day? How many of us cannot get up the gumption to exercise after work because we are too exhausted after barely being able to get up in time for work and then eating so poorly all day that we have nothing left at 5pm? How many of us work such demanding jobs that we can't break away to exercise even at lunchtime to take care of whats most important - ourselves. How many of us don't even have the energy to enjoy any sort of recreation on our weekends because we are so spent or unmotivated?

$8.8 billion is spent on energy drinks yearly. The sales of energy drinks grew by 38% in 2004. We need the "get up and go" apparently.

Believe me - I've done all of the above. I've been in the same ruts. I'm not pointing fingers or speaking of anything I haven't experienced myself. Sure, we all need some downtime to just sit around, recharge and do absolutely nothing. But because I have been in the vicious cycles and done all of that, and since I've broken through and broken away, my life will never be the same again.

What category will YOU fall into?

Leave the apathy behind.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

STRONG DAY MANIFESTO.

2011-10-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Perhaps, with all of the insanity and instability in the world today (ahem, MIDDLE EAST, ahem, US ECONOMY, et al.), it's high time to remind you of the STRONG DAY MANIFESTO.

This is a reminder that even if gas goes to $4.39 a gallon, oh wait, it already has in Brentwood, Los Angeles, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LOSE YOUR MIND.

You are NOT going to make decisions based on emotion.

You are NOT going to have your well being, stress level, self-worth, or anything else in your life tied to the stock market.

And thus begins the manifesto:

You don't wait for anyone to "allow" you to have a strong day.

You don't mind starting a business in the middle of a "bad" economy.

You excommunicate yourself from the emotion of your circumstances.

You'll move across the country even if the state to which you're moving is planning to declare bankruptcy.

You'll protect your life and the lives of others in self-defense even if it means losing your job at Walgreens.

You don't base your life, success, contentment, or anything else on the economy (a good or bad one).

Or the government. 
Or the stock market. 
Or your 401k.
Or the potential of catching swine flu.
Or ANY political party. 
Or gas prices. 
Or inflation, depression, recession. 
Or global warming.
Or global cooling. 
Or hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, tsunamis or mudslides. 
Or your high school being bulldozed to make way for a new med school. 
Or your boss. 
Or your job. 
Or your crazy, volatile family. 
Or any news broadcast, station or personality. 
Or having a dead car battery. 
Or having a flat tire. 
Or anything that could potentially ruin your day. 
Or on the fact that you're not exactly where you want to be.

Because you're headed there.

You're always headed there.

And as rough as things may seem sometimes, you're never out of options.

And with every downswing, surely it will be followed by an upswing.

And you're enjoying the grand, glorious, beautiful, frustrating, bittersweet process of life.

HAVE A STRONG DAY, WORLD.

FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING.

2011-10-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

“Let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle,
but let me first do some great thing
that shall be told among men hereafter.”
— Hector from The Iliad. Homer.

5 years ago in December, HAVE A STRONG DAY was born out of an unshakable desire / calling to inspire people to better themselves.

5 and a half years ago, I started a blog (it is still online but not being currently added to) and the following are some excerpts from it. With every 5-7 years all of the cells in your body being replaced by new ones, I am indeed a new person by now as well. 5 years seems a good time to reflect on what has taken place and where I’m headed. I still hold to these even today.

“Two things, health and hope.

Starting with health, we all have some form of it. Good, bad, decent, vibrant - you pick the adjective for yours. I have perfect health. This is not to be boastful, this is only to preface the next portion of this post. Aside from a few miscellaneous "irritants," I have perfect health. Hay fever, pollen allergies, etc. are the only real concerns that I have. With a recent insurance physical, I qualified for the best possible rate for disability insurance because, yes, my health and fitness is in line. My health is a precious gift. My health is a blessing. My health is the BEST blessing. My health, is my life. Your health, is my life. If I were to disregard that what would I be doing to protect that blessing? Not much. How is your health? Whatever state it is in, PROTECT IT! Fight for it. Believe in it. Hope through it. Do you want to change it? Change begins with choice. Change your mind, change your body. Change is good. These sayings are familiar to many of us. There is not any portion of this planet earth that does not undergo change. It’s somewhat arrogant that we decide that we have it all figured out and that we can be the one entity on planet earth that doesn't change. If your body is changed, surely your life will be also. I promise you, when your health and fitness are in order, every other area of your life will begin to fall into line - personal, professional, recreational, familial, etc. Start today. You may not have tomorrow.”

"If your health is not in line, how do you know where the problem lies? How can you treat a symptom without having the root cause of the problem addressed? How quickly does our medical community write prescriptions to treat symptoms WITHOUT TREATING THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE HEALTH ISSUE? How many side effects do prescriptive drugs have THAT ARE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF or ARE SO NUMEROUS THAT ITS NOT WORTH IT TO TAKE THEM? How many drugs are prescribed TO OFFSET THE BAD EFFECTS OF ANOTHER? Don't get me wrong, there are good pharmaceuticals. But how quickly do we jump to put some toxic or life destroying (antibiotics) pill in our mouth when we are too lazy and too stubborn to even get our basic nutrition in order? Slick ad campaigns, backwards medical training mindsets, etc. have led up to a social programming that has caused our group as a whole to jump first to the nearest pharmacy to solve our problems when the problems really result from what is in our refrigerator, pantry and cabinets."

5 years is a long time. In terms of a lifetime though, 5 years is to our life span as our life span is to a millennium.

So, what do you spend your time on? Are you willing to work and spend every day of your life investing your time and money into something from which you may never reap benefits or financial rewards so that you can leave a legacy from which your progeny can benefit?

The great irony and juxtaposition between our life span and what we feel driven to accomplish in our life span, because it is indeed so short and we want to be remembered or feel that we made a difference, is that the things we do during our time here don't even really become a legacy or don't mature until after we're gone.

Do you think that Van Gogh set out to create artwork that was worth millions of dollars per piece today? I highly doubt it. I wager that he set out to do something he was talented / skilled at or passionate about. Artists often labor in obscurity with their work never seeing the light of day. Artists are often troubled individuals that have to have an outlet to cope or feel productive. But then again, aren’t we all troubled in some way. And this is even more of a reason while we all need an outlet.

Do you have that vision for your life? Do you want to “live” forever? If so, then you need to recalibrate your long term goals. Instead of setting 5- and 10-year goals start thinking about 50- and 100-year goals with the clear understanding that you will never see what they become. But if you don't leave a roadmap for those to carry the torch, then your work might as well die with you.

Salvation Army.
The YMCA.
Boys and Girls Clubs.

How many of the founders of these organizations never were able to see what their organizations have become today? All of them.

Go to a funeral every year to remind yourself that time is short and you must live while you may.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

CARPAL TUNNEL VISION.

2011-10-06T23:17:00.001-07:00

Time after time after time, those who are wandering aimless in the pain management wasteland find that when they exercise the area that is deficient or otherwise is their “weak link,” things begin to improve.

I’ve had those come to see me that have shoulder pain.

I’ve had those come to see me that have carpal tunnel issues.

I’m currently working with someone with rheumatoid arthritis as well as someone who played tennis for 7 hours in 107 degree heat, had a minor heat stroke and compartment syndrome in his lower leg and had part of his calf removed.

Even if the affected area never again reaches 100%, the body has an amazing way of compensating and accommodating for those areas that need help.

If you work around and strengthen the surrounding area, it can take some load off of the troubled area thus allowing it to heal, allowing scar tissue to break up, etc.

I’ve given encouragement and advice to those with knee pain / problems, some of which actually shouldn’t be as bad as it is, but they opted for surgery that might not have been necessary and now their pain is worse than previous.

Remember this, pain can be different than discomfort. Specifically, pain from something that is clearly very wrong and needs prompt professional medical attention (x-rays, MRIs, etc.) or something you should just lay off of until it has healed versus the discomfort we feel when tissues are being exercised again, muscles are re-knitting and re-strengthening, scar tissue is being broken down, and so on.

I certainly experienced plenty of discomfort after hurting my back by doing squats with a Smith machine. And, though I have rehabilitated myself with plenty of core and total-body functional-fitness exercises, I can tell when my exercise has dropped off too much because my back will begin to tighten and pain will begin to return.

Pain and discomfort both bring an emotional response – one in which we want to avoid pain and discomfort, so our first reaction, our knee-jerk reaction is to avoid doing what hurts. Of course, if you’ve consulted with a physical therapist, doctor, orthopedist, etc. then follow their advice first. The bottom line still is, you need to keep moving.

Take the blinders off. Expand your vision. And work through it.

It’s better to move than to be still.

Or you just might find yourself more stiff, more frozen up than even the Tin Man, and we don’t want to challenge him for his title now do we?

Wear out, don’t rust out.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

MUSCLE MEMORY.

2011-10-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

Today, we will discuss Muscle Memory.

And no, I’m not asking if you remember the muscles you USED to have, I mean the ability of muscles to remember precise and repetitive movements as well as muscles’ ability to return to the shape they were in previously if you have indeed taken time off from exercise due to not exercising for a while.

What’s that you say? You have muscle amnesia? No. Muscle amnesia is for the weak, untrained and uninformed. Muscle memory is for the strong and the conquerors.

I’ve taken time off from the gym before. GASP. I know. Even me.

Sometimes, you just need a mental break.

Sometimes, your body needs a break.

Sometimes, you just need a change in your routine – such as running stairs and doing bodyweight exercise outside for example.

And when done right, this break can help you refocus and return to your resistance training with a new found inspiration.

When the day comes that I return to the gym, not only am I recharged mentally to focus properly on my workout, but it also doesn’t take very long for my muscles to remember where they were prior to the break in weight training because, like elephants, they never forget and they bounce back to their previous state pretty quickly.

Now, specifically for the women.

You all curse supermodels whose bodies bounce back almost “immediately” after giving birth.

Remember two things:

1) They still put in plenty of HARD work after birth to regain their figure.

2) They EXERCISED WITH WEIGHTS (or at LEAST did some kind of resistance training) BEFORE PREGNANCY (something that many of you are scared of because you think it’s going to make you look like a man, which is disproven in every instance) thus, after pregnancy, when they were again free to buckle back down on their resistance training routines, their muscles REMEMBERED where they had been before thus making it easy for them to return to their previous glory. Not to mention, being in shape before and during pregnancy helps with carrying the added baby weight for 9 months, and helps ease the process on the actual child-birth “game-day.”

Women, you don’t have to be power squatting 300 pounds, but you DO need to lift something heavier than 3 or 5 pounds.

Muscle memory is the trump card in your post-partum return-to-svelteness hand of cards.

You CAN bounce back. Don’t blame it on muscle amnesia. Give your body more credit than that!

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

HYDROXY-CUT FROM THE TEAM.

2011-10-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well friends, I don't need Hydroxycut.

Who knew??!

I knew.

But I still went to an interview by a production company casting individuals for some sort of upcoming Hydroxycut and Whey Protein campaigns.

I was dismissed from the interview for being "too lean" for their purposes.

A couple of things:

I knew I didn't need to use Hydroxycut when I went, but I do have just a tad bit more body fat I'd like to dump. I know I could get a bit more defined for a campaign and possibly use that to springboard my career a bit. They would definitely have good "Before and After" pics from me. But is it really worth it with everything you hear about Hydroxycut not being good for you? No. Not really.

I've gotten to the place where I am with proper FUNCTIONAL exercises and proper diet.

I know I can help you achieve the same.

You DON'T need expensive fat burners.

You DO need to take one step at a time and DO THE WORK to figure out what your body responds best to in terms of both diet and exercise.

I KNOW that I can't eat junk for my body type without it turning out poorly in terms of my body fat percentage.

The bigger story here is that I just need a new challenge to get me out of my rut and this just might have done it. Though, a new challenge without Hydroxycut will definitely allow me to be much more true to my goals and beliefs.

And I'll be better for it.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

STRENGTH TRAINING MYTH: WEIGHT TRAINING MAKES WOMEN BULK UP.

2011-10-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

Will weight training make women too bulky?

NO.

But you don't have to take my word for it.

Please see the following:

http://exercise.about.com/od/exerciseworkouts/ss/strengthmyths_5.htm

http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/womensfitnesstopics/a/womenmyths.htm

http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/6-strength-training-myths-for-women-debunked/article15088.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/story?id=6797940&page=11

http://xgym.com/women-and-the-myth-of-bulking-up/

http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/3576/1/Some-Common-Myths-That-Keep-Women-From-Weight-Training.html

http://health.learninginfo.org/fitness/weight-lifting-myth.htm

http://strengthtraining.suite101.com/article.cfm/weight_training_for_women

http://sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=54

Still not convinced?

Google it yourself: "weight training myth women bulk up when weight training"

Ladies, please HAVE A STRONG DAY.

YEARBOOK PROPHECY.

2011-10-05T09:00:00.001-07:00

A long time ago, in a high school far, far away, some of my peers wrote in my yearbook, during the obligatory end-of-the-school-year yearly yearbook signing.

You know, those often cheesy, often shallow blurbs scrawled inside the front and back covers that usually ended (at least they did back in the day) with some sort of “K.I.T.” or “B.F.F.” meaning “Keep In Touch” and “Best Friends Forever” and sometimes included a phone number so you could maybe hang out over the summer.

They wrote things about me that were just as true then as they are still today. The only difference is, it has taken a lot of years and a lot of growth to accept and embrace my gifts.

I was told, I think aptly so, that I was a good writer and that I was funny. I’ll let you be the judge about the latter, or both for that matter, but I do believe both of those to be true because I still get third-party confirmation of both even to this day.

The thing about the adolescent years is, many of us are so terrified to be different that we just want to fit in and not be made fun of thus we repress the things that make us unique and different. Or we purposely don’t excel in grades so that people won’t call us a “nerd” or a “geek.” We repress the things that ultimately really will draw people to us, not make people run away from us screaming in terror like we think might happen.

Ever heard the old saying, “there’s nothing new under the sun”? It’s true – to a certain degree. There is a lot of recycled junk that goes around because people don’t tap into their creativity to do anything different. The thing that IS new, is you. You are the only you that has ever existed or ever will exist again and you owe it to our humanity to find what makes you unique and then DO THAT THING over and over and over.

People are so sick and tired of being fed the same repackaged crap over and over and they are sick of stupid (false) reality TV crap that they are STARVING for what you have to offer in the uniquely individual package that God has put together.

“Reality” television only exists because we have come so far from embracing our OWN real reality and living our own lives that we are willing to suck down this type of garbage to avoid having to live our own lives. The more time we spend in this routine the more time we are taking away from ourselves and the process of becoming who we are supposed to be.

You know, I don’t even remember what I would have written back in high school. Much less, know which of my classmates would have even read what I don’t even remember that I wrote??? But for whatever reason, and however it came about, they did read something, and it resonated with them even then at our ripe young age of 15.

I remember being a bit of a class clown. There’s one in every class I suppose. I guess to a great degree it was me. Not in a disruptive or disrespectful way though… I don’t think.

Stop what you’re doing, and go dust off your high school yearbooks and truly allow yourself to see what others saw. And be honest with yourself.

If it brings up something that you had forgotten about yourself, or never knew or never embraced or never realized that that was what made you tick or it reminds you of your true passion, then you need to do what it takes to make it a reality.

It will be a long road.

It will not be easy.

But the things that are most worthwhile, usually aren’t.

This is too important to blow off and I’m on your side.

Even when your parents and friends tell you you’re crazy.

You only get one chance at this life.

At the end of the day, the only person you have to please is yourself.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

YOUR RIGHT TO PURSUE.

2011-10-05T00:24:00.000-07:00

Let’s begin with this premise:

You aren’t owed anything by anyone.

Your most basic right is to know that you can take your God-given talents and do the most with them that you can.

To succeed.
To profit.
To help others.
To inspire others.

This country has afforded individuals the opportunity to do that.

And that’s why countless individuals have come from other countries to pursue something that their form of government or economy couldn’t – or wouldn’t – allow.

The very act of increasingly taxing someone who produces more and succeeds based on their creativity and ingeneuity is a direct affront to God and our rights that are derived from Him.

These are the very people that create jobs and income for countless others but are then demonized by politicians who have job and career security to protect by tapping into the emotions of the populace (see my post on emotion based decision making) and turning them against the very people who are paving the way for others to have success and income.

Class warfare.

Don’t stand down wind of the smoke coming from the flames the of class warfare fire that are constantly being fanned by those who think they know better for you than yourself, as sooner or later you will be consumed by it and you won’t even know how those seeds of bitterness were even planted.

And here’s a news flash: the most wealthy will STILL find other ways and other places to put their money to avoid paying higher taxes, but YOU will be left out in the cold because instead of re-investing that into businesses and jobs, their money will be locked up and put away safely to avoid prying beauracrats.

These beauracrats are the same clueless people who don’t believe in property rights, who don’t believe that you should succeed on your own merits and creativity and want to direct this country towards socialist, Marxist, communist and / or fascist policies (because of course, those are all Godless and humanist) “for the good of the people” and we only need to look to history see how well those policies have worked in the past. You should pay more just because it’s good for society. But somehow, those who aren’t being intellectually honest and don’t have anything firm on which to stand / place their lives are still somehow going to get sucked into the lies of those types of systems (and then attempt to subject those who live in and thrive on freedom and liberty) to their stupidity.

And there’s no quicker way to completely destroy someone’s self-esteem and to suck the wind out of their ruggedly-individualistic sails than by giving them a government handout. Which in the end is a pittance anyway based on how much money it took to get that handout to that person due to the value of a dollar being completely stripped and destroyed by a government-policy directing jackass.

In Germany parents can be sued by their children if they don’t pay their living expenses while in college. Now what parents wouldn’t VOLUNTARITLY want to help their children as long as they were able? But now we have to inject possible damage to a relationship where people give freely to one-another because of fear of reprisal from government or legal proceedings?

Families are only strengthened organically and through a mutual respect for each other and what they bring to the relationships. Not by having done something for the other out of being forced to do so.

It’s time for you to put up (find your true skills and talents) or shut up (and roll over so that you can thus be rolled over by the government system you want to secure you).

Oh, and if you need me, I’ll be out there “putting up” and showing you how it SHOULD be done.

Don’t look for me in the bread-line.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

OF HEALTH CARE AND HOUSES OF CARDS.

2011-10-05T00:23:00.000-07:00

So, who’s going to be the one that puts the Suicide King on the “House of Cards,” known as United States of America Health Care, that then causes it to collapse?

Will it be a senator?
Will it be a state representative?
Will it be the insurance companies?

Or will it be us – individually yet collectively?

There is no way that ANY entity, governmental or private, can compensate / accommodate for lack of personal responsibility when it comes to eating, exercising properly and reducing stress in our lives and the resulting strain that is then put on health care providers by chronic health problems that would “cure” themselves if they were addressed properly.

If the people of this nation would take care of themselves properly, then that would leave the health care system to treat those that REALLY DO have health problems. Leukemia, cerebral palsy, autism, etc. If people who didn’t need constant care from some chronic ailment to which they subjected themselves, then they could be removed from the system and the true cost of health care would then be realized without all of the excess clogging up the system.

Insurance providers are tied in with doctors who are tied in with Medicare and Medicaid and when money is so rife in the system, why would any of these groups have any desire to lose money?

Granted, those with the purest intentions are most likely doctors who purposely chose and followed a path to help people with their health needs but self-preservation is a powerful thing and when they are also trying to pay bills from medical school, keep the doors to their practice open as well as put food on the table, well, given the current place to which our health and health care system has gone, they still need to get people in and out the door to keep the lights on.

Insurance companies are in business to make money. Don’t be so naïve to think that they shouldn’t put some sort of limits on pre-existing conditions because their actuaries have told them that this is what they need to do numbers-wise to stay profitable and viable. If I’ve specifically purchased health insurance from a provider, and I get the lowest rates because I am in great physical shape (which I have, and I do), then why should I be subject to the meddling of government officials who have never done or accomplished a damn thing in private business and don’t have a clue about how their stupidity and lack of knowledge is going to force my rates upward to compensate (yet again) for those who lack personal responsibility?

Yes, getting a claim or application kicked out due to a pre-existing condition sucks, but again, if all of the excess in the system wasn’t there, then the prices would self-correct and this would (should…) include the lowering of prices for health care treatments, surgeries, anesthesia, x-rays, MRI’s, hospital stays, etc.

Government health care is yet another card on this unstable house as well as a band-aid on the broken leg of our health and wellness in this nation.

How high will we build this card-house before it collapses under its own weight of political stupidity and the public's complete departure from personal responsibility?

We need to remove stress from our lives. It is a poison that can create or amplify health issues / problems.

We need to eat properly – at least as well as we can afford to.

Food manufacturers need to take responsibility for their products and create more offerings that are void of chemicals and poisonous artificial sweeteners, etc. And here’s a tip: when they realize that you’re going to stop spending money on crap food, they’re going to begin providing more of the products that they know people will buy and if that is a healthy alternative to something they produced prior but have had to do away with due to popular demand for something better / healthier, then they will change their status quo with what they produce.

Government officials and politicians need to stay out of the way and stop enabling those that don’t want to take responsibility. You can only take your so-called “safety net” so far before the net will assuredly break.

Even family counselors will step in and tell parents and family members to stop enabling those family members who are destroying themselves somehow with drugs, alcohol or the like.

We’ve been living like (or at least eating from the bountiful and prosperous table of) kings with no self-restraint and thus enabling our own suicide and we don’t even know it.

It’s time to push back from the plate and take a good hard look at who’s really to blame for the health care "crisis" and make honest adjustments with what we can individually to thus correct it collectively.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

ABDOMINATION : FUNCTIONAL FITNESS COMEDY VIDEO SERIES.

2011-10-05T00:21:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to get punched in the face with fitness?

Are you tired of the same old traditional 3-day split of "back and bi's," "chest and tri's," and "legs" workout breakdown each week?

Then step into the fires of the Ab Lab, with the Absmith and prepare to be Abdominated.

Dominate your abdominals with a total-body, core-centric workout.

Core strength and endurance:

The original natural male enhancement formula.

Subscribe to ABDOMINATION on YouTube: youtube.com/HaveAStrongDay

Can you "DIGG" it?

The sounds of a blacksmith shop fill the air.

ENTER THE FORGE.

Imagine a place filled with the roar of fire and the noise of hammers and chisels.

The smell of forged steel permeates the room.

The intense heat of the furnace burns the nostrils and stifles the breath.

The bright orange glow of the hot metal illuminates the face of the Absmith as he visualizes his final product.

Sparks and ashes scatter around him as he and his furnace coax the best out of the raw materials.

This time your will becomes his and you submit to change your life.

This time isn't like every other fruitless time before.

This time, with you, he will...

BREAK THE MOLD.

Are you ready to get punched in the face with fitness? Then step into the fires of the Ab Lab, with the Absmith and prepare to be Abdominated.

Dominate your abdominals with a total-body, core-centric workout.

Core strength and endurance. The original natural male enhancement formula.

Are you a member of the nation?

The Abdomination?

No?

Well then become a member with exercises such as the Superflye, The Abdominable Snowman, The One-Sided Pimp-Slap, and The Tripod of Death.

Get to the core of the matter and reforge your weak link.

And Have A Strong Day.

*** DISCLAIMER ***

This video series provides creative, comedic and
entertaining advice and instruction on exercise and
fitness.

ABDOMINATION and Bravo Fitness urge you to
consult your physician prior to engaging in any of the
activities or exercises presented in this video series or
on BravoFitness.net or on HaveAStrongDay.com.

Thank you...

...and Have A Strong Day.

*** DISCLAIMER ***

DEHYDRATION NATION.

2011-10-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

How is your water intake? Good? Bad? Decent? No clue? No idea how much you should be taking in each day? Does the water in your food and drink intake count toward your total water intake each day?

Let’s navigate your water needs and other information together and filter out the junk that could be clogging your perception about proper hydration.

Water and weight loss

A recent study from Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California, indicates drinking water associated with weight loss. Data from short-term experiments suggest that drinking water may promote weight loss by lowering total energy intake and/or altering metabolism. The long-term effects of drinking water on change in body weight and composition are unknown, however. (We’ll go out on a limb and say that it was helpful in keeping the weight off… at a minimum, drinking water consistently and in the proper amounts is healthy for you.) This study tested for associations between absolute and relative increases in drinking water and weight loss over 12 months. Absolute and relative increases in drinking water were associated with significant loss of body weight and fat over time. The results suggest that drinking water may promote weight loss in overweight dieting women. (We’re also going to go out on a limb and say men, you should be drinking plenty of water also…)

The following excerpted from Livestrong.com. Follow the link at the end of the blog post for the full text, “Facts on Water and Weight Loss.”

Drinking Water Can Help With Weight Loss - Replacing soda and juice with water will help with weight loss. High-calories drinks add to your waistline, and...
More Is Not Always Better - While your body needs adequate hydration, you doesn't necessarily need to drink 8 glasses a day year-round…
Foods Contain Water, Too - Much of your daily requirement for water may come from foods, meaning that you don't have to drink it all in water form. For example...
Drinking Water Before Meals Helps With Weight Loss - To aid with weight loss, drink a glass of water right before a meal as it will fill up your stomach…
Urine is a Good Indicator of Hydration - Frequent, nearly clear urination indicates that your body has more than enough water and is passing the extra…

Minerals that are present in my tap water… aren't those good for me?

Ever noticed the buildup of minerals around your showerhead, sink drain, garden hose, etc.? Ever tried to scrub that off with only water and not by using vinegar, CLR, or some other caustic household cleaner? Ever use tap water in your iron while steaming / pressing your wrinkled clothing and then see small white "flecks" or "chunks" of mineral deposits that fall out during the process? Ever notice clogging in the jets that spray your windshield when you use tap water instead of special windshield washing fluid in your automobile?

This water corrodes and clogs various pipes, valves and filters. Conversely, your body includes a delicate series of pipes, valves and filters in the form of arteries / veins, heart and kidneys / liver. Though it may clean your shower head, you certainly can't down a shot of CLR every day to clean out your body's organs and pathways without great personal trauma or death. So then why subject your bodily systems to any more work than they already have to perform on a daily basis to properly filter an additional unusable substance being put into it?

Any energy expended to deal with eliminating a substance that the body can't use, takes valuable energy away from the most basic processes on which your body SHOULD be expending energy; such as, digestion, metabolism, immune system function, respiration, cardiovascular function, weight maintenance, fat loss, maintaining healthy balance of pH / good bacteria, and on and on.

“In order for a mineral to be of any use to the body it must be presented in a form in which it can be used. That form involves an association with an organic (carbon based) molecule. Carbon based molecules are to be found in living systems, and are not found in the ground which is where mineral water comes from,” writes Ron Kennedy, M.D. of Santa Rosa, CA on www.Medical-Library.net.

Thus, your minerals should be coming from your diet in the form they can best be assimilated and used by the body.

Dr. Kennedy continues, “Water from the ground comes with minerals, but these minerals are in salt form. When salt is presented to the body (with rare exceptions such as sodium chloride) it must be either stored or excreted. A good example is CaCO3 (calcium carbonate). Carbonate is not a sufficiently complex organic molecule and therefore cannot properly contribute its calcium to living systems. The calcium comes out instead in ionic form (with a positive charge) and precipitates by forming other salts. Common locations for precipitation of calcium are the lens of the eye (cataracts), the kidneys (kidney stones) and the walls of arteries (arteriosclerosis).

“CaCO3 comes from limestone and comprises the bulk of most calcium supplements, including that in ‘calcium enriched orange juice.’ If you want cataracts, kidney stones, and arteriosclerosis, be sure to eat and drink plenty of ‘calcium enriched’ foods.”

Can we at least count on spring water?!

Contaminated runoff, chemicals, pesticides, insecticides, dry cleaning chemicals, oil from automobiles, fuels of all sorts, fertilizers and weed killers, by-products from industrial production and manufacture, etc. etc. etc.

These are all things that seep into our soils every day. Spring water comes from aquifers that are the unfortunate recipients of this runoff. What process does the water pass through before being bottled? Is it the most basic of processes just to make the water "passable" by the Department of Agriculture? Or are heavy metals and other contaminants properly and completely removed?

Are there too many unanswered questions here? Do you want to subject yourself and your health to product uncertainty?

Spring water can also contain dissolved solids (Total Dissolved Solids or TDS, usually measured in parts per million or PPM), as discussed in the previous question and answer, which can lead to the same health issues.

Chlorine and Fluoride: Don't we need those in our water?

Chlorine is used to bring water to your tap disease free. It was introduced to eliminate the spread of cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and gastroenteritis, as well as many other waterborne diseases, which once killed tens of thousands of Americans.

New mothers are typically instructed (or should be) to ingest pure water for the safety of breast-feeding their child. Why should we not do this on a permanent basis for our OWN health, not to mention that of a newborn?

But with thousands upon thousands of websites, books, etc. that give explanation as to the dangers of drinking chlorinated water, it seems that we need to take a serious second look as to the safety of drinking or showering with chlorine in the amounts that we do.

Water arrives "safely" to us with chlorine. The onus is now upon us to take that final step for our health and well being to get the chlorine out before ingesting it.

Fluoride has been added to our water to fight tooth decay. Despite this benefit, it is a poison. Before being discovered as a decay-fighter, it was mainly used as a rat and insect poison.

On the side of your toothpaste box, it encourages you to call the local poison control center in case of ingesting more than is needed to brush one's teeth. And in an ironic twist, long-term fluoride use can stain and discolor teeth in a condition known as dental fluorosis.

There are many more drawbacks to fluoride usage, even in the "small" amount that is in our water supply. It seems that ingesting fluoridated water also requires a serious look into taking responsibility for our own pro-active dental health and leaving the fluoride for the rats and insects.

And the winner is…

Eight 8-ounce glasses of pure water each day. Start there. Make it a habit. If you can do more, then do so, especially if you’re in a dry climate, working hard or working out regularly.

Water helps in every bodily function and helps you get more energy out of the food you consume.

Drinking cold water causes your body to burn a few extra calories in heating that water up to normal body temperature and is also absorbed more quickly.

EXCEPTION TO THE COLD WATER RULE: Don't drink cold water when you're already warmed up and exercising. When you're not warmed up in general, it's easier to pull a muscle or get injured in some way. Therefore, once warmed up, you don't want to inject cold water back into a system that already has the blood flowing. Go with room temp water at that point.

Drinking water is associated with weight loss in overweight dieting women independent of diet and activity.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18787524

Livestrong.com: Facts on Water and Weight Loss
http://www.livestrong.com/article/950-facts-water-weight-loss/

Distilled Water versus Mineral, Carbon Filtered, and Reverse Osmosis Water
http://www.medical-library.net/content/view/228/41/

The Fluoride Action Network
http://www.fluoridealert.org

Fluoride Dangers
http://fluoridedangers.blogspot.com/

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

PART 4 OF 4: EMOTIONALLY SPEAKING AND WHY TED KENNEDY NEVER MATTERED

2011-10-02T22:45:00.000-07:00

Your Right To Fail… And Get Stronger In The Process

"Always bear in mind
that your own resolution to succeed
is more important than any other."
-Abraham Lincoln

Each time you give up a bit more of your rights to make your own decisions, whether you realize it or not, you are handicapping yourself to the limitations of the one to which you willingly give up these rights.

In terms of giving up your right to be the captain of your own ship to the Federal Government, well, suffice it to say that the Government will never be able to see as clearly, step as confidently or soar as highly as you will when taking action on your own behalf.

And as much as politicians (of BOTH parties) attempt to wrest control away from the People and impose their asinine, inane, defeating, burdening, taxing limitations on the back of hard-working individuals, this will ultimately never succeed given the very DNA of this country.

It’s YOUR responsibility to find out what your talents and skills are and I WELCOME you, no, I BEG you to succeed based on those as it will inspire ME further.

"If there is anything that a man can do well, I say let him do it.
Give him a chance."
-Abraham Lincoln

And I owe you the same.

You moved somewhere or took a step somehow in pursuing your dream.

No one supports you more than I.

"Whatever you are, be a good one."
-Abraham Lincoln

But you’ve hit a snag or 10. Life keeps throwing you curveballs. You decide to put an end to the barely scraping by wage that you’re making for some big(ger?) bucks. Soon, you’re working 80 hours a week selling real estate, stressed out, out of shape, hating every day that you wake up, 5 years have passed and whoosh. There you go, rushing right past your dream as you take the Metro home again at 11 that night only to get up at 5 again the next morning to do it all over again. And don’t even mention weekends. What you wouldn’t GIVE for a weekend, even one day in your weekend to have it all to yourself.

It’s time to get a reality check and get off of the merry-go-round of death.

I would rather work 3 part-time jobs and barely be getting by and drop dead doing what I love rather than trade my control over my life and time to anyone again.

Because even if I flat-out drop dead, I won’t know it but I will have been an inspiration to others to live more freely and pursue their passions.

I’ve been there and done 80 hours a week. Never again.

Everything that I’ve done hasn’t worked out for a reason.

It all hasn’t worked out purposefully so that something else WILL work out.

So that I won’t get 30 years down the line and say “What if…?”

I’ll be able to say “I did.”

And when what I’m pursuing finally begins to pay off (literally in terms of income and figuratively in terms of personal satisfaction with my progress and success) THEN I’ll be ready to make some better money.

There is no feeling as good as being able to find out what you’re made for and why you’re here and then stepping forward confidently in that.

"Let not him who is houseless
pull down the house of another,
but let him work diligently
and build one for himself,
thus by example assuring
that his own shall be
safe from violence when built."
-Abraham Lincoln

Competition, in any arena or profession, is a good thing.

The Government’s constant barrage and assault on the wealthiest and most successful of our population is a travesty and a sin.

Republicans and Democrats who have spent this country into oblivion and lied through their teeth every step of the way should be thrown out on their ears and stripped of all retirement and pensions for which the TAXPAYERS are paying.

There used to be something known as honor. It has all but been lost to the sands of time in Washington D.C. People used to do their time in serving their country and THEN go back to their careers back home, not make politics their career. Because when you make politics your career, then you will do anything and everything to keep your “job” – including selling your soul to the devil (or lobbyists as the case may be).

“You cannot strengthen the weak
by weakening the strong.”
–William J. H. Boetcker

The progressive tax is there to bring those who have succeeded down to everyone else’s level.

Even those who are homeless and struggling would have no one to look up to.

They would have no one to look up to except for, what would be the Government’s ideal scenario, the Government. And try this on for size, the Government doesn’t produce a single thing to add to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Someone who is not succeeding looking toward another entity that is not succeeding? Where do you think that will take you?

If you are really ready to give it a go, then know this: you will fail.

At least once.

And then you will use your OWN intuitions and strengths to evaluate what didn’t work, what did work and what you can do better next time.

And you will be stronger for it.

"You cannot help men permanently
by doing for them
what they could and should
do for themselves." –William J. H. Boetcker

When your right to fail is taken away, your right to be stronger is taken away.

When muscles are exercised to FAILure, the fibers are broken down and when rebuilt by the amazing human body, they are, get this, STRONGER.

Imagine that.

So it goes with your own life and efforts.

Freedom is your birthright.

Don’t trade your birthright for a bowl of porridge.

Or welfare.

Or a stimulus check.

Or free health care.

“I am a success today
because I had a friend
who believed in me
and I didn't have the heart
to let him down...”
–Abraham Lincoln

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

PART 3 OF 4: EMOTIONALLY SPEAKING AND WHY TED KENNEDY NEVER MATTERED

2011-10-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

Pick An Issue, Any Issue

“It is better only sometimes to be right than at all times wrong.”
–Abraham Lincoln

Let’s leave the emotionality of health care for a bit.

There’s a realistic and logical counter to any issue’s emotional side.

What are other issues are constantly under assault by those trying to usurp our rights?

Job Creation.

THE EMOTION: Government help us! People need to work! People need to provide for themselves and their families! We need you to pass a jobs bill to create more jobs for those that are out of work!

THE REALITY, LOGIC AND TRUTH: If government would get out of the way, reduce taxes and allow US to use our talents and god-given abilities, we could thrive and create our OWN jobs without waiting on an ineffective government bill or program to take effect. Bill Clinton took all the credit for the prosperity of the 90’s, but anyone with even a shred of common sense knows that investing takes years to pay off. In fact, it was the tax cuts of the 80’s that set our populace up for the prosperity that was to follow even 6-8 short years later. You want to create jobs? Get out of our way.

Gun Ownership.

THE EMOTION: If guns are used by criminals to kill someone, then no one should be allowed to own a gun.

THE REALITY, LOGIC AND TRUTH: Even if guns didn’t exist, people would still murder with bows and arrows, knives, clubs, rope, or whatever they could get their hands on. They did it before guns, and they would do it after guns were eradicated. People who don’t abide by laws certainly aren’t going to give a damn if the gun they own is now banned, they will still use it to exercise power and control over others. Yes, a world with no guns and wars would be great, yet this completely unrealistic, immature and juvenile view of the world in which we live is held by those that want to ban guns.

Global Warming.

“No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”
–Abraham Lincoln

THE EMOTION: We’re going to burn up in a firey ball of hell! The sea levels will rise and our glaciers will melt and we have no faith in anything other than ourselves so it stands to reason that we will freak out and try to subjugate everyone else to our emotional terror!

THE REALITY, LOGIC AND TRUTH: The speeches were lies. The reports were fabricated. The emails were hidden. The speeches, the movies, the everything was conceived and perpetrated to obfuscate the truth. You good and honest hard-working people knew this, you just didn’t know when, where and how you could put your finger on it. And Al Gore stands (or perhaps stood is more accurate now that the lies have been made evident?) to reap a billion dollars from his green crusade. Follow the money. Something stinks. And when something stinks it’s rotten and dying. All the emotion in the world can’t revive the dead. The truth will set us free.

What emotional issue is next?

PART 2 OF 4: EMOTIONALLY SPEAKING AND WHY TED KENNEDY NEVER MATTERED

2011-09-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

The Liberal Lion

"Nearly all men can stand adversity,
but if you want to test a man's character,
give him power."
Abraham Lincoln

So, health care.

Ted Kennedy staked all of his inherited “American Camelot” tents right on the firing line of public health care.

Why?

Because he had nothing ELSE on which to stake his tents.

The living in the shadow of two popular, populist and charismatic brothers, the death he caused of Mary Jo Kopechne, the failed presidential campaign, the ability to live off of his family name.

None of that would take him where he wanted to go, nay, where he felt he DESERVED to go.

And upon his death, we had to endure endless hours of newscasters in the Lamestream Media trying to recreate this so-called “amazing” life from nothing of substance.

Sure, nothing is accomplished without passion. Story of my life.

But becoming Socialized Health Care’s “Champion” is all he had to cling to when all else failed.

And as we can see by our citizenry’s most recent rejection of the socialization attempt of America, the tents that Ted Kennedy staked so passionately were indeed directly on top of a pit of quicksand.

Ted Kennedy, like most of the politicians who create and enact policy on what they think is best for the people, never created a single job in the real world. Ted Kennedy was a "kept man." He never had to get his hands dirty in the real world, other than to cover up a murder perhaps. Ted Kennedy never had to do the real things that real people have to do to really make it, and people like him sit up high looking down on those he only had to endure while he pursued policies that damage liberty and the RIGHT to work hard and succeed on your own merits, not by taking from those who have worked hard to achieve something and given it away to someone else. There's no quicker way to destroy someone's self-worth and self-esteem than to get a handout from the government.

He had to have something that he could use to replace the stigma of killing Mary Jo and to possibly rebuild his credibility in the public eye.

He had to have something that would replace the first top-of-mind term of “murder” with perhaps “health care” when you heard or were presented with his name.

And here’s the cold hard truth:

If YOU are able to keep more of what YOU EARN by trading the limited and precious hours in your life for a wage, whatever that wage may be, you can put more of what YOU EARN towards making your OWN decisions and purchases of health care and disability insurance. As opposed to waiting for and being dependent upon an organization that knows better how to produce waste and strip the value of a dollar quicker and more efficiently than any other entity on the planet: the Federal Government.

But Jeremy, don’t you want everyone to have health care?? Isn’t it their right as a human being?!

Then, I ask you this: what would you do if NO health care and NO government existed on which you could depend?

Even those that are at the lower income strata could purchase what they need if allowed to keep more of their own money and the price of practicing medicine would be kept down if trial lawyers didn’t affect it so greatly due to ridiculous malpractice and / or frivolous suits.

Even those who derive their income from nothing but welfare, panhandling, begging, churches / synagogues / mosques, other charitable organizations, those that basically have nothing are still able to be treated (as and where required by law) at virtually any Emergency Room. Because those that have nothing in America, STILL have more than the poorest in most other nations.

Yes, I get the fact that when money and profit is injected (pun intended) into health care it can lead to pushing pharmaceuticals on those that don’t really need it and it can take the focus off of helping people get better and leaving them in the vicious cycle of never getting well and constantly paying for some sort of health treatment.

But even then, it’s not all about pharmaceuticals. New technologies are derived that aid in the treatment of diseases and such, hospitals have to cover their losses when treating those who have no insurance and pharmaceutical companies have to reinvest profits into researching new treatments and cures.

Let’s not even open the can of worms about how most health care in America treats the symptom and not the root cause of the problem. That’s another blog post entirely.

But a pox on pharmaceuticals when they PUSH and market drugs directly to the masses to get into their heads thus making them think that they NEED and have to ask their doctor for a pill versus letting the doctor prescribe it only if necessary.

There’s the rub when attempting to separate greed from profit.

We can only hope that these companies will keep ethical individuals in charge.

PART 1 OF 4: EMOTIONALLY SPEAKING AND WHY TED KENNEDY NEVER MATTERED

2011-09-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Emotion-Based Decisions and Why They’re Bad

Have you ever made a decision based on emotion?

When you were hurt, angered, saddened, frustrated, embarrassed.

A decision needed be made, and you acted out of emotion rather than logic and good (common) sense.

Probably so.

I know I have.

In hindsight, it was virtually always the wrong decision.

"In times like the present,
men should utter nothing
for which they would not willingly be responsible
through time and eternity."
–Abraham Lincoln

Have you ever had to “eat crow” or “swallow your words,” as it were, based on something you’ve said when related to this emotion-based decision?

Probably so.

I know I have.

If you haven’t, then it quite possibly means you're not being intellectually honest right now or you were too proud to admit mistake and / or failure and you’re still clinging onto what felt right before but you know in your heart of hearts that it isn’t right now. Virtually every decision that I’ve made in that situation was bad, wrong or misguided in some way, and every time I didn’t admit my mistake, it sat in the pit of my stomach and festered.

It’s not easy to excommunicate yourself from the emotion of your circumstances, but it has to be done.

This is (probably) one of the primary reasons as to why financial advisor Dave Ramsey always advises those who have just lost a loved one to wait 6 months before making any sort of major decisions related to the financial impact of the death.

It’s difficult enough to make good financial decisions when everything is “normal” much less when your entire life has been put onto an emotional roller coaster for a while. Many are faced with having to deal with or reinvest large sums of money from life insurance or other sources and doing this while in mourning is seemingly an impossible task to do correctly. When possible, put it on ice, and then decide. If not possible and a decision has to be made right away, call someone close to you, a couple of trusted people perhaps that can be objective third parties, that can give honest and real input.

As for me and my recent trials, I recently hurt my calf muscle.

I strained it in my Monkey Butler improv comedy class of all places.

I’ve never been injured in this way before, so it was an entirely new experience for me.

Because I didn’t have any previous injuries with which to compare my current one, I didn’t know how bad it was, I just knew it was swollen and painful.

After one week of almost no improvement in the reduction of swelling and the lessening of pain when attempting to stretch my calf a bit, I started to get a bit panicky.

I have health insurance.

I have a disability policy that would kick in and pay my bills if something kept me from being able to work or, God forbid, pay my debts if I died.

But, it still started to affect my psyche.

Even at that, I don’t want any hand outs from the government.

I want to be dependent upon those around me who wish to help and I want those around me to be able to depend on me.

Once you remove the need for other individuals from the equation, you begin to miss out on why God designed us to REQUIRE each other (whether we realize it or not, and I’m here to help you realize it) to be able to make it through on a daily basis.

And no, I didn’t get any of my “stimulus” money that came back from George Dubya’s previous administration either.

You can keep it. I don’t want it.

Even though it was mine to begin with.

HEALTH CARE BEGINS WITH YOU.

2011-09-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

"I do not choose to be a common man.
It is my right to be uncommon... if I can.
I seek opportunity to develop whatever talents
God gave me - not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen,
humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build,
to fail and to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.
I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence;
the thrill of the fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor
my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any earthly
master nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid;
to think and act myself, enjoy the benefit of my
creations and to face the world boldly and say -
'This, with God's help, I have done.'
All this is what it means to be an American."
-Dean Alfange

America, it's time to cut the crap.

You are not owed health care by the government.

You are not owed health care by your employer.

You are not owed health care by ANYONE other than yourself.

Gasp. What could this mean?

It means that it's YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to take care of you.

If you are not eating as best you can and exercising as best you can to give your body the best that it needs to survive and repair itself, then you can blame no one.

And you can even only blame your genetics to a certain extent.

I've read of overweight children who were ADOPTED by overweight parents - no genetic connection. Maybe the child was predisposed to overweight genetics? Just as likely, the child was imitating what his parents exemplified and didn't have a chance at wellness from the word "GO."

From The International Fitness Professionals Association's (IFPA) "The Book on Personal Training":

"It is projected that 70% of the American population will be obese by 2010 and 50% of all school aged children obese by 2012.
Adult obesity alone portends horrific consequences, but childhood obesity is far worse.
Adult obesity leads to Metabolic Syndrome that is the cause of over 60 different diseases, disabilities and dysfunctions that lead to personal devastation and early death.
Children's obesity leads to all of the above, but because the obesity occurs in a child whose physiological systems have not fully matured, childhood obesity will result in children who will NEVER achieve their GENETIC POTENTIAL - NOT MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, ARTISTICALLY, SPIRITUALLY and certainly not FINANCIALLY!!!"

America, this is a travesty.

America, this is right around the corner.

America, THIS IS NEXT YEAR.

Going to another cancer / multiple sclerosis / alzheimers / march of dimes / whatever fundraiser walk is not going to do an ounce of good in terms of getting to the root cause of the problem for EVERY disease, ailment, sickness, and sufferation that exists until YOU start at the BEGINNING and give your body the proper nutrients (macro and micro) that it needs not only to exist but to repair itself. And THEN, once everything is in line and all deficiencies are met you are free to truly diagnose and achieve victory over and healing from your ailments.

Do you know someone diagnosed with colon cancer? Did he eat horribly for his entire life, consuming mostly junk and processed foods, never ingesting any fiber (not to mention consuming those de-acidifying / detoxifying fruits and vegetables) that would have cleaned out his system so that polyps wouldn't develop and fester thus becoming cancerous?

Do you know someone with Type II diabetes? Did he eat horribly for his entire life, never exercising, constantly eating processed / refined sugars so that his body's insulin cannot now moderate it's blood sugar levels and thus he has to check his blood sugar levels manually now 6 times a day?

Do you know someone who cannot lose weight even while doing all of the proper things? Controlling portions, calories, exercising, eating healthy natural foods? Has she gotten stress out of her life thus getting her cortisol levels in check so that she CAN lose weight properly? Is her thyroid completely blown out due to horrible nutrition / hormonal imbalances thus leaving her body unable to regulate basic body management / weight management functions?

Who all do you know that wears their health problems as a badge of honor? That the first thing they mention when you see them is all of the health problems that they have?

I daresay that this is an escape hatch that saves them the pain of never achieving their dreams. That this is a way to point to everything beset them and give an easy out from accountability to themselves and their calling.

"This is the true joy in life: Being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations. -George Bernard Shaw

It's time to realize that everything you do will affect everything you will become - or won't ever become - as the case may be.

How many "health care providers" have you seen that DON'T EVEN TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES? And you expect THEM to be an example of what YOU'RE supposed to do in and with your OWN life? How many in health care are overweight? Smokers? etc.?

Oh, well see, they're going to where the money is so they can survive and support their families. And the money is there because YOU aren't taking responsibility and you're ending up in their care. And so the vicious cycle continues.

Who do you know that suffers from lower back pain?

Imagine the following (or don't as it's probably pretty close to what you already see or experience on a day to day basis)...

We lay flat each night while sleeping. We sit while we eat breakfast. We sit in a vehicle on the way to work. We sit all day while at work. We sit in a vehicle on the way home. We sit and eat dinner. We sit and watch television until we head to bed. And then we lay flat each night while sleeping. We sit while we eat break.... and repeat the cycle over and over and over and over again ad nauseam and WONDER WHY WE'RE SPENDING THE BILLIONS THAT WE SPEND on chiropractors, lower back decompression treatment, pain killers, back surgeries, and much more.

Functional fitness is not a suggestion it's a REQUIREMENT for all-around wellness. You don't need to be a body builder. You need to find a fitness pro that knows functional fitness - exercises that you can use to strengthen your body for your real-world, every-day needs. If your core is strong, so will your back / lower back be.

Several years ago in a local north Florida rag known as the "Tallahassee Democrat," right around the time of prescription drug legislation / pricing reform / etc. an article sprang forth about a local couple that was spending $1,200+ per month on prescription drugs.

My god.

I don't look at them without compassion, I look at them and ask WHY THE HELL were they so taken in by the establishment that can always promise everything to get your money and your addiction to the drug BUT CAN NEVER HEAL YOU?!

I look at them and wonder why people are shy about spending money on personal training. EVEN IF THEY SPENT HALF OF WHAT THEY WERE SPENDING ON FITNESS AND NUTRITION RATHER THAN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.

Friends, you don't have to get hooked up with some jackass muscle-head trainer that is coursing with steroids and growth hormone. The vast majority of fitness professionals are not this way. The vast majority are down to earth and PASSIONATE about helping you become who you are destined to be and they exercise that passion by building into your life. Your holistic wellness (heart, soul, mind and strength) are at the very epicenter of who you are and how you will find and fulfill your destiny and you do have a destiny - whether you like it or not.

If you spend $100 or $200 on some fitness instruction, is that NOT better than the previous scenario? Is it NOT an investment in yourself to save money in the long run? But most of us don't think in the long run.

So where does this insurance-political-legislative-health-care charlie foxtrot leave us?

It leaves us with spiraling and out-of-control health care costs that are fed and continually raised by government AND insurance not being able to keep up with the rapidly declining overall health of our population.

I tell you now, it IS a house of cards that WILL collapse.

It doesn't matter how many senators and representatives attach themselves to a reform bill just to save face and save their jobs. All of that WILL come crumbling down.

Ever heard of someone being charged $14 for an aspirin? We ALREADY have a situation where our private hospitals spread the cost of treatment across the base of patients being treated, and it STILL isn't completely working but they do have to survive and keep the doors open right?

It's still better than the alternative of having the value of a dollar absolutely destroyed by filtering it through a wasteful government organization and ending up with what on the other side? Another fine example such as public / government housing perhaps?

And because I take care of myself and DON'T need health care other than major catastrophic care in case of emergency, I will now potentially be criminalized if I don't carry health care to offset the cost of all of those that don't give a damn about taking care of themselves.

If we REALLY wanted to reduce the inflated cost of health care we would begin taking care of ourselves better to reduce the quantity and severity of our ailments thus freeing up and leaving the health care system not for hypochondriacs who go to the doctor every time they get a zit and for all of those with self-inflicted health problems, but for those who REALLY need our compassion and our care to help them holistically overcome the sickness and ailment.

People, you are making your bed.

And you will lie in it.

Will you also DIE in it?

It's just too bad that it will be stainless-steel and on wheels - surrounded by, doctors and nurses, heart monitors, glucose drips, perhaps even other patients in your room when the powers that be realize that they cannot afford for every individual in the health care system that is coming to have his or her own room.

Don't give control over YOUR life to those that cannot even manage their own.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

"STRONG IS BEAUTIFUL!"

2011-09-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

This week's post comes to us from a new follower / reader Chelsea W. in Pennsylvania.

I'm not sure I can say it any better than she has in her letter (email) below.

And I'm not sure that I can say it to WOMEN better than a WOMAN as evidenced below.

The neverending myths and misconceptions from women are "I don't want to weigh more" (even though weighing "more" after losing body fat and adding muscle is better than weighing the same or less and still carrying too much body fat) and "I don't want to get muscles like a man" as an illogical response to using free-weights of at least a moderate weight to then add muscle that will sculpt and tone and burn calories even while not active and increase the attractiveness-factor.

IT'S NOT THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE, IT'S THE COMPOSITION OF THE BODY.

Listen to Chelsea:

Your Name: Chelsea

Subject: Strong is beautiful!

Message: I was browsing "weightlifting" on cafepress.com when I came across "haveastrongday.com". I was so inspired and encouraged by your words and your thoughts.

I am a twenty-year old female. I did a lot of moving while growing up and at the end of my freshman year of high school was introduced to the gym scene. I had never played/grown up around sports, and the most activity I got was walking. My aunt took me to the gym two times with her, and introduced me to weightlifting (machines). I went to the gym every day from that day on for 300 days straight.

As a beginner, progress happened quickly and kept me motivated. Five and a half years later, I have become absolutely enveloped in building, sculpting, toning and taking care of my body. I grew up with a beautiful older sister with an incredible body (that's never been worked for, just natural), who never had a problem with guys. I am bigger boned and built nothing like my sister, or my thin brother. I struggled internally with self-image and finding beauty in myself.

I found my niche, my home, and my comfort at the gym. No matter what gym it was, I felt so powerful and beautiful. A few years ago I achieved a lot, and was able to bench press 105% of my body weight. My first day of college freshman year I was in that gym the day it opened. No intimidation, no questions. It's just where I belong.

I took up teaching aerobics for three semesters while at college, and found that quite fulfilling, too.

Since then, I have gone through a lot of life changes (relationships, family, education).

With my love of the gym and my body has come a complete attitude makeover, as

I live my life by two things:

1) Each day is a chance to start over
2) Strong is beautiful!

I ran across your site and have just been absolutely inspired knowing that somebody out there shares my PASSION! I also am a huge fan of Thoreau/Emerson/Transcendentalism and had to smile when I saw a quote in one of your posts.

Just wanted to let you know that I am across the country in PA but you inspire me and keep me strong. I know there are people out there that understand my "obsession" and my power of positive thinking.

Keep it going. Stay strong!

Chelsea

Thank you Chelsea for following, contributing and being a great example.

Others are watching you and they WILL be impacted by your commitment even if not right away. Sooner or later they will. They won't have a choice otherwise. Just simply doing what you say you will do sets you apart from 90% of the people out there who don't follow through.

We will keep it going.

And we will stay strong.

That's it for now.

Carpe diem.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

SUBVERT DOMINANT EXPECTATIONS.

2011-09-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

I hate seeing people not living up to their potential. I hate seeing ME not living up to MY own potential - which is why I am always trying to make changes for the better. And with what seems like such a culture of underachievement these days, just simply DOING WHAT IT IS THAT YOU ARE SAYING THAT YOU WILL DO will set you apart from others. I fail at this all the time, though hopefully the frequency will become less and less. Maybe overall we're just "spoiled" from being so blessed and we just feel like we should expect all of the good things to come to us without having to work for it anymore.

The Maker's Diet states "Americans seem to accept poor health as a normal consequence of aging...Fully one half of your nerve cells are located in the gut, so your capacity for feeling and for emotional expression depends primarily on the gut (and only to a lesser extent on your brain). By the time you add together the number of nerve cells in the esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestine, there are more nerve cells in the overall digestive system than are in the preipheral nervous system. Most people would say the brain determines whether you are happy or sad, but they have their facts skewed. It seems the gut is more responsible than we ever imagined for mental well-being and how we feel."

THEREFORE, being passionate / creative / actors / artists / musicians / people, that others might look to for inspiration, how much better can we inspire them if we are even in better touch with our OWN "gut" and feelings? I submit to you, that we JUST MIGHT be in better touch with our own gut and feelings if we put good things into the core of our bodies. The more natural, healthy, organic, less man-made or processed food I ingest, the closer I feel to the God who provided it for my benefit.

There seems to be a natural progression that we go to college, graduate and spend our 20's running our bodies down by drinking / smoking / poor nutrition / etc. and then spend the rest of our lives just trying to manage our health instead of striving to have as good of health as we're capable of so that we can really do what we're called to do in this life. Many people don't do what they're CALLED to do as they get sucked into the "get a job just to make money to survive long enough to pay the next bill to justify keeping a job" rut. These are those that will even moreso look to those that are inspirational for inspiration (?!) whether that person is a musician, singer, performer or whatever. Even if they don't feel called to get up and take the microphone, they might feel inspired that just because you're doing what it is that you're called to do, that they too can possibly have their dreams become reality.

A bird that flies, flocks, eats bugs, builds nests and does bird-like things is not BRAGGING about being a bird - instead, it is honoring God just by simply doing what it was created to do. The biggest band in the world leads tens of thousands into WORSHIP (whether they realize it or not) every night that they PERFORM, just simply by doing what it is that they are CALLED to do. And U2 would not still be around and making the impact that they make without this inextricable connection with God above.

And the "expectation of poor health" thing can be applied to many other areas especially since we're Generation X or Y or whatever the hell they're calling us these days - sometimes known as the generation of "casual fridays." Poor health directly ties in with how people present themselves.

I do try to do the best I can with what I have and I think - no, I KNOW - that once we feel better about ourselves and the way we look (which VERY often ties in with wellness and what we put into our bodies), the way we then begin to present ourselves with the way we dress and the shape of our bodies when we are out and about is an outward expression of inner confidence. The #1 most attractive body part - as rated by men and women alike - is a flat, toned midsection. A strong core. A strong core belies commitment and attention to detail. The realization that you're only as strong as your weakest link. Core weakness leads to myriad problems - but when your core (physical and spiritual) is strong, so will the rest of your body and life be.

I have just seen so much of people who have creeped up to 30 or passed 30 already and they've just resigned themselves to the fact that "oh well, its just supposed to happen as i get older." Its ok, I'll just get on a good HMO plan and get plenty of Big Pharma to keep me going. And then invariably, every few years, the dung hits the fan and everyone scurries around worried about their prescription drug plans because they are so reliant on big brother instead of putting their faith in something bigger. Which, candidly, is bulls**t. This is what I've tried to get across in my bio on Bravo Fitness - only without using the word bulls**t. You MUST not rely on a company to give you a health insurance plan. You MUST work to not be any bigger of a burden on the best health care system in the world by TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF. Even the best man-made system in the world will fail one day. When the fallible nature of man is involved, something WILL break down. And what then of all of those that have built their trust upon this "health care sandcastle?"

The more selfish we become, the more our divorce rate will continue to rise. The more self-centered and less god-centered we become, the more we will look to government and social programs to fill the void of our lack of faith. It is a tenement of virtually every belief-system worldwide that one should be charitable and look out for those less fortunate. WE should be the ones - through our faith - running "programs" for those in need. Not the black-hole waste-pit of ANY government, tax code, beauracracy or political-party. As our faith wanes, our programs will wax larger and larger until like a millstone it will drag us to the place that we deserve - to our knees so that we have nowhere else to look but up.

This selfishness can also be a cause of relationships that fall apart. "Oh well, we're together now, I exercised to be in shape for her and dressed up and acted proper enough in public enough to get her, now I can let myself go behind closed doors." Or, even in front of closed doors. How does that make the other person feel? And it goes both ways ladies. Not that you do EVERYTHING in your life for the other person as ultimately you are accountable to God, BUT it does make the other feel important when you still try to impress them after being together for a length of time - and not just with staying in shape to keep her attention from wandering to someone who will make her feel special by trying to impress her, but with anything that you know she likes that you can do to make her think of you first. Throw that towel in the dryer so that it will be warm when she gets out of the shower. Maybe a picnic lunch on a day when shes not having such a good day. And when you've made a commitment to someone - especially a life long commitment - then there's always going to be a need to make things new or renewed and special for the other person. Keep her satisfied with YOUR affection so that she won't have to look elsewhere.

The underlying theme is that we should simply ALWAYS strive for excellence and not give in to underachieving since the world EXPECTS that. The world EXPECTS you to be fat, out of shape, and sick. The world EXPECTS you to stifle creativity and go with the way things have always been done. If you're not thinking and not being creative, ruggedly individualistic, then you can be more easily controlled to fit into some person's or government's confines. The world EXPECTS you to bounce from lover to lover without a second thought as to what you could have done better to wait for the right one and / or to keep your attention focused on the one you've actually gotten instead of having a wandering eye.

Being normal is being in debt, out of shape and hopeless.

Don't be normal.

Subvert the dominant expectation and your life will become what it truly is supposed to be.

HAVE A STRONG LIFE.

GIVING IS LIVING.

2011-09-28T08:46:00.001-07:00

“Money! A special piece of paper, decorated in sombre colors, which everyone agreed was worth something – and she believed it, everyone believed it – until you took a pile of that paper to a bank, a respectable, traditional, highly confidential Swiss bank and asked: ‘Could I buy back a few hours of my life?’
‘No madam, we don’t sell, we only buy.’”
—Paulo Coelho, “Eleven Minutes”

“Why do you give?” I was asked recently.

“Because I love.”

But prior to 2006, I didn’t give. At least, not very much, and not very often. Is this because I didn’t love and care for others? I should say not.

I feel like I’ve always had a heart for helping others and for making an impact. Why then would I not put my money where my mouth is? Or, perhaps, where my heart is.

I had an emotional attachment to my dollars that ran deep. To some degree, I still do. We all do. Though as my priorities shift over time, as God refocuses them, this attachment lessens.

When we work, we get compensated. Usually with money. At least, we will get compensated in this fashion until such a time that our economy collapses, our currency is worth nothing and we slide back into an agrarian society / way of doing business. Yowza.

Lets hope it doesn’t come to that.

If we’re doing work that we hate, or even don’t like, or even are bored with, or even we loved it at one point but it has become mundane, we will develop a subconscious (or blatantly conscious) attachment to the compensation we received for trading our precious time, time that we can never get back, for $8 an hour.

Now, let’s be honest. Is an hour really worth $8? Is it worth $50? Is it worth $150? In terms of my relatively recently retained attorney, is her hour of legal counsel worth $495?

In the last instance, when needing to trust that she will navigate the international legal waters with negotiating and finalizing my slogan-licensing deal with Nike Europe, I daresay it is. But I digress.

Even at that rate, she doesn’t get to keep all of that for herself as a good portion goes to her Firm as a whole to help keep the doors open and the lights on for business longevity and viability’s sake.

Unless today is your day to cross over to The Great Beyond, we all get the same amount of time in a day.

24 hours.

1,440 minutes.
86,400 seconds.

Time. The Great Equalizer. You have the same amount of time in a day as every other living human. What will you do with it?

When you give of your finances, you’re giving a tangible expression of your intangible time that you gave of once already from your “time bank” for something for which you quite possibly didn’t want to trade your time in the first place. You’re giving of your time when you give your money. Time you will never get back. Time that slips away like grains of sand in the hourglass. Or, like pennies in a multi-trillion dollar multi-generational debt-ridden government budget even.

To attempt to put a tangible, monetary value on something that is completely intangible is altogether impossible. But we still attempt to do so as we like to have – we need to have – things in a place where our human minds can grasp them.

Given that, how much more important is it that we are doing work that we truly believe in and care about - even if the financial compensation is minimal. Yes, I said it.

Given that, how much more meaningful is the giving of someone who hates their job but is still faithful to genuinely give (similar to that of the woman who gave all that she had) as opposed to the rich who gave (give?) a tenth out of their abundance?

I’m also not saying that God won’t leave us in a job or position that we dislike for a while to teach us a lesson. Including giving.

It is our responsibility to find contentment in where God has placed us for a time.

Sometimes peace is something that we have to work to maintain and that’s okay. Lets work to keep it, as when we lose it, everything just feels wrong.

Surely there are other reasons for giving aside from love. Ulterior motives. Expecting something in return. The reasons for giving can be as diverse as each of us are. I would suggest though, that sincere giving always boils down to love.

When we give, we break the stranglehold of greed and selfishness on our lives. Which then frees God to entrust us with more. And God’s economy always works in the reverse of that economy that has woven its way throughout or lives and society.

When we give freely, it blesses us in ways we had no concept of prior. In many cases, it blesses the giver more than even the receiver. This is the tragedy of a public assistance program in which the individual receiving the aid is otherwise disconnected from the person from whom money was taken and then filtered through a nameless and faceless government agency.

There is no accountability. In that type of transaction there exists the lie of compassion when in reality the human spirit needs the edification of work and the feeling of accomplishment and of overcoming. The enabling of the destruction of self-esteem through a government program is not compassionate. The cycle of welfare can be broken but its up to us to make it happen through blessing others.

Having income stripped from our hard earned grasp to then be distributed to someone else destroys the blessing of giving freely and truly. Not to mention that after filtering a dollar through the administrative costs of countless accounts, hands, offices, delivery people, government officials, politicians, the value of said dollar has all but been destroyed.

“In giving you are throwing a bridge
across the chasm of your solitude.”
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944); aviator, writer

Receiving from someone whose eyes you haven’t been able to look into or whose hand you haven’t been able to shake in thanksgiving and appreciation and make a human connection thus destroys the interconnection that God has placed the need for inside of every human purposely so that we realize that we cannot make it through this life on our own.

No government agency or entitlement program can replace that.

No politician or political party can replace that.

Ever.

If you’re not in a place in which your heart identifies with genuinely wanting to give, but God is working in your life and you’ve committed to being attuned to His voice and leading, then I daresay you’re right where you need to be. I’ve been there but have grown through that and I am still growing into a heart of true giving as God shows His faithfulness to me.

People have given to me.

Very recently even.

And I would be NOWHERE without it.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

PART 2 OF 2: FEEL DIFFERENT.

2011-09-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

And now we have TiVO. Yet another distraction based on television. Now, not only can we watch TV more conveniently, but we can cram 33% more into our heads in the same amount of time after deleting commercials. (Everyone knows a half-hour show really only yields 20 or so minutes of actual entertainment content and the rest is there to fuel our consumerism)

33% more murders.  
33% more affairs and adultery.
33% more lawlessness.
33% more rebellion of youth against parents and authority.
33% more drug usage.

Or maybe the flip side is 33% more good things? 33% more educational programming and such? If we watch it? But mostly our tv watching population segment gravitates toward the lurid don't they?

You can either live YOUR life or you can live vicariously through the formulaic and fake world of so-called "reality tv." What an ironic oxymoron. The successful don't care about who just got kicked off of the island or what fake and purposeless relationship was just spawned on the Bachelor / Bachelorette.

Why are you here? Why are you reading this? Why are you staying in touch with people through Facebook and MySpace? Why do we all spend so much time on Facebook and MySpace? Why do we want to look through old yearbooks and notes to remind ourselves of names that we can then go search for on these sites so we can then add them as a friend even if we've not spoken to them in PERSON for 10 years?

THE ANSWER AND THE ONE EXISTENTIAL TRUTH IN THIS BLOG POST WILL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH:

Because we want to be remembered. We want to know that we existed. That we made a difference. That we left footprints in someone else's life. Or that we made this planet a better place. Facebook and MySpace are "virtual sidewalks" of sorts - the wet cement if you will - for our generation. And we want to leave our initials in it. One day you wake up and you're graduating high school without a clue as to where you're headed and then one day you wake up and realize that tomorrow you are to attend your high school's 10 year reunion and everyone asks "Where did the time go?" You write your name in wet cement because you want to be validated.

"Every moment in time is just an answer to find what you're here for, what you breathe for, what you wake for, what you bleed for, what you hope for, what you live for."
-Mute Math: Progress

Let them know you weren't scared to take a chance.

In wet cement or in life.

Make your mark.

Taking a chance to decorate someones "freshly smoothed" cement means that you might get caught. You might get in trouble - at least temporarily. But regardless, if you can pull it off, you will be a permanent part of the landscape.

Walking my college campus, I cannot help but notice those that have gone before me and "left their mark" in the cement.

Where are they now?

Successful in career?
Building leaders of tomorrow?
Alive?
Musicians? 
Entrepreneurs?
Politicians? 
Raising families?
Service men and women defending our right to write... in concrete?
Passed on to the next life? 
What was their legacy?

I think the draw to make a mark in concrete stems from our quickly fading lives. It stems from our ingrained desire to know that we were here.

And that we made a difference.

We were here. We helped someone. We succeeded. We fell but got back up. We grew up. We made something of ourselves. We fell but got back up. We gave to the poor and disadvantaged. We adopted a child. We ran for office. We fell but got back up. We did it with passion. We lost a loved one. We fell but got back up. We went to war. We beat a cancer diagnosis. We fell but got back up. We fell but got back up. We fell but got back up. We fell but got back up. We fell but got back up. We lived. And we died.

"I went into the woods because
I wanted to live deliberately.
I wanted to live deep and
suck out all the marrow of life...
to put to rout all that was not life;
and not, when I came to die,
discover that I had not lived."
-Henry David Thoreau

I've lost two former high school buddies and a first girlfriend. What would they have made of this life if it wasn't taken too soon? What will you make of yours?

Our high school had a tradition of a "senior sidewalk" whereby we could pour a new strip of concrete each year and add our graduates' initials to the campus landscape permanently. When our school was demolished to build a new medical school for the Florida State University a couple of us even went so far as to have a discussion about how to pick up the sidewalk and re-plant it at the newly constructed high school across town.

For various reasons - partially because this was an insane idea and the concrete would no doubt be disintegrated into thousands of pieces without the aid of any reinforcement from rebar and partially because we had enough life commitments underway to make something like this impossible - it never materialized. But the sidewalk was such a part of who we were as students that we didn't want that to be forgotten and left to be covered by the sands of time. Inevitably it was and it is what it is.

Use the wet cement of your life to remember someone. Thank someone. Memorialize someone. Honor a mentor. Shamelessly self-promote. Recognize a charity. Start the revolution.

Wet cement knows no countries, borders, skin colors, races, creeds, preferences, political capital, religions, hairstyles, business objectives, clothings styles, strategery, unified differentiality, automobiles, material posessions, diseases, afflictions, pretenses, cell phones, disabilities, frustrations, joys, pains or anything else that we use to "define" ourselves. It only knows names and initials.

Ok, maybe some words and drawings here and there. But you get the point.

It celebrates our differences and our interwoven existences.

It shows that we have lived, loved and maybe, died.

We are only here for but a short time.

Make it great.
Make it special.
Make it amazing.
Make it sincerely. 
Make it while reaching out a hand to help someone else up.
Make it even when the odds are against you.
(hint: the odds will ALWAYS be against you)
Make it believable.
Make it with passion. 

Nothing is accomplished without passion.

Leave it beautiful. Leave it strong. Leave it wiser. Leave it older. Leave your legacy.

Leave your DNA. Leave it well.

Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day" feels the pressure of trying to "save" everyone from themselves once he knows what will befall them. Most times, people need to learn from their mistakes and ALL of the time, we can't be Superman to everyone else.

This movie illustrates why we need God, why we need each other and why we need to feel.

All of our lives are inextricably linked, just like the profiles on Facebook and MySpace. WE cannot save each other, but we can be there for each other. And in the simplicity of "being there," God is also.

And maybe -- just maybe -- God saves others through us -- but not because of us.

I once read a headline on someone's MySpace page that asked, "Am I too old for MySpace?"

To which I reply, "You're never too old for MySpace."

At least, you're not too old for the need to make a difference to someone else.

You're never too old to write in wet cement.

And, you're never too old to find your purpose.

Start today. You'll feel the difference.

HAVE A STRONG LIFE.

PART 1 OF 2: FEEL DIFFERENT.

2011-09-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

In memory of Kelly Snyder, Jacob Douglas and John Krell. You will never be forgotten and may each day spent in the living of my life honor you - the ones who have left this life too soon.

"To be yourself
in a world that is constantly
trying to make you something else
is the greatest accomplishment."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

So when is the last time your feelings were hurt? Probably, too recently.

Here's the deal:

If you give others the power to hurt your feelings, -- then they have control in your life.

If you give others control in your life, -- then they can manipulate your thoughts, feelings and ultimately - your actions.

If you allow others to manipulate your actions, -- then more and more of your life leaves God's will and becomes the will of others.

If you give up your life and your will to others, -- and not to God, then you are abandoning your gifts and the calling on your life for the fulfillment of your destiny and subjecting yourself to the rollercoaster ride of emotion and whim in the lives of other people.

Why do others want to exercise their will in your life? Because most likely they don't have it together themselves and instead of dealing with their own issues, they spend all of their time trying to tell you what is best for you when they don't really know.

Excommunicate yourself from the emotion of your circumstances.

I got off of the rollercoaster ride of emotion and indecision a long time ago. When you come over the hill on the coaster track of life, and the bottom drops out, and your hands are thrust into the air, what will you hang on to?

Have you ever have one of those dreams where you feel like you're falling and can't stop yourself?

Terrifying.
Helpless.
Hopeless.

The next time your rollercoaster comes to a stop, I recommend you follow suit by getting off of this ride, and your life will never be the same again -- it will be better.

There's nothing wrong with accountability and having some other select people in our life to help keep us on track. Accountability keeps us, well, accountable. It helps us by not only allowing us to open up to others in a safe way, but sometimes others can see into our lives easier than we can. It helps us, among many things, to make sure that while we're in the middle of seeking our dreams and living life the way we believe we should, that we're also not doing that at the expense of others.

And I said "select" people. Not anyone and everyone. You can't expose the personal calling, your heart's desire to anyone and everyone. People are very free to give advice - everyone, including myself. And people are also willing and ready to call your dreams down and bring you to their level of disappointment with the fact that they haven't achieved their OWN dreams due to bitterness, contempt or some other sour root in their lives.

I certainly don't put psychobabble in front of God's leading in my life, but Maslow and his "hierarchy of needs" has a certain ring of truth to it of late. When your basic needs are met and dealt with, you are more free to be a blessing to others. When you've stripped everything away (or been stripped of everything) and have learned to be at peace with where you've been placed, you are more free to genuinely interact with others on a root level when the other party doesn't feel that they need to "buy what you're selling" because there is nothing to buy. You're not selling anything. It's all free. The walls come down because there are no expectations. Because its all genuine.

Why is Bill Murray required to repeat February 2nd, over and over again in "Groundhog Day?" He's required to repeat it over and over and over and over until he learns that his life is not about him. He's required to repeat it over and over and over until he learns that its about love and giving freely and selflessly of himself to others -- and the catch: without expecting anything in return. And when he DOES finally realize this on the 487th re-run of his own personal Groundhog Day, he is allowed to move forward - and he really begins to live.

Its interesting how 'live' and 'love' are separated by only one letter.

Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of pressing rewind. We have to come to that understanding of giving freely of ourselves by living, learning - and ultimately loving - through spending the "days" in our life's bank account --- and the next catch: we don't know the balance of how many days we have left on this "account." There's no 24 hour number to call or website to visit that will tell you your life balance, thus the making the most of each day should be our only goal.

There is something that you're expected to do. Period. Someone needs what YOU have to offer. Specifically, they NEED the gift that you have to give when you follow and fulfill your dream(s). Whether that be something that they specifically receive from you related to you fulfilling your dream or whether that be their simply being inspired by you following your dream(s) that inspires in them the thought that they can then do the same in their life.

Either way, if you don't put every ounce of energy that you have into finding your purpose, the sin lies in the fact that you are withholding from others the power that is supposed to flow through you into others when you are true to yourself.

My Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Stair Climb for Los Angeles results

2011-09-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

my Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Stair Climb for Los Angeles - Open (Individual/age groups) results

75 Floors in 18:37.

And I’m happy to say that my time has improved over the past 3 climbs:
2009 24:15
2010 23:49
2011 18:37

I’m predicting 17:30 for 2012!

Come out next year to the YMCA Stair Climb for Los Angeles and we’ll see you at the top!

#STRONGDAY

2011-09-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

Aside from everything included in the Have A Strong Day Manifesto found on this site's Home Page, a "strong day" is not only about your physical well being. It includes a heart, mind, soul and strength approach to your life. You can't divide your life into compartments and expect to be successful all-around. They all require attention. You owe yourself that.

Ever felt stretched thin? Yeah. You have. And the dividing of your life into compartments is probably why.

For all you twitter-users out there, drop a #strongday hashtag (What the heck is a hashtag??!) into your tweets to let people know that yeah, you're on your way and you're not going to let trivial junk weigh you down. Life is too short.

Here's an example as provided by twitter.com/OriginalCindy:

"Heading to bed after an awesome run, fantastic dinner and friends. #strongday <- It's not just about your physical well being."

So, I guess it goes without saying, but it must be said... maybe just in a different format this time,

HAVE A #strongday.

THE WORST ADVICE I'VE EVER RECEIVED.

2011-09-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

No, the paragraph above is not the worst advice I've ever received. It is however just the opposite of the worst advice I've ever received. I will lead up to telling you this bad advice by giving you the BEST advice I believe I can:

DO NOT limit yourself. DO NOT hold yourself to only one thing, one career or one dream. Try as MANY things as you believe you have a mind to do. Experience EVERYTHING life has to offer -- including the hard, sad and rough times -- because those times lead to more fully experiencing the better times. You will die one day. What will you have made of the time given you?

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat." -Teddy Roosevelt

When I went to the career counseling center to make an attempt at selecting a path to follow at FSU, the meeting went long. Way long.

Unfortunately for the career counselor, my interests are too wide and too deep to be contained in one simple to follow path of pre-requisites, majors, minors, core credit hours and other higher-ed red-tape gobbledeegook. Fortunately though, she seemed to have been faced with this before as indicated by her swiss-army-knife-like ability to proffer a new profile sheet for each of a dozen different major courses of study that outlined core and elective courses virtually as quickly as I could name them.

And then one floated to the top (What of this "Information Studies" of which you speak dear counselor?) with the promise I could bend it to fit whatever path I wanted to take. I mean, what does "Information Studies" really mean anyway? THAT sounds nebulous and intangible enough to be perceived on the outside as a worthwhile endeavour. Gorgeous. Wrap it, pack it and ship it. I'm buying what you're selling Mrs. Career Counselorette. Slap a "General Comm" minor on it and call it done. No. Stick a fork in it and call it WELL done.

Not only were these courses of study wide enough to encompass my interests (for the most part) but the courses inside of each ranged from Advertising to Films of Spielberg to Computer Programming.

No, this is not a blow by blow, play by play of the last 10 years of my life. Don't pop any popcorn. It won't be as boring as being subjected to watching someone's home movies.

Let's switch gears for a moment, though still sticking with the education theme. Bear with me.

Who was your favorite teacher? Most likely, though we don't like to admit to it at the time, it was the teacher that was the most hard edged, demanding, diverse, exciting, and rigorous teacher you ever had. One cannot truly teach without experiences to glean from. I've heard it said (and experienced first-hand) when one begins to teach, one truly finds out what one really knows about a subject. If a high school history teacher once had a job as a secret service agent, a fast food sub sandwich maker, coached little league, and spent time in the armed services -- of which each have relatively nothing to do with "History" -- all of those historical experiences in that teacher's life will give that teacher a unique perspective from which to relate to and thus interact with the students, which will then potentially inspire them onward in their educational endeavors.

Professor Loganathan whose life was taken in the shooting several years back at Virginia Tech, was just this kind of teacher. He engaged. He entertained - sometimes with self-deprecating humor. He debated - eloquently.

From a report on CNN.com: "He cared about his students as if they were his own children, fretting about their grades, making sure they understood the concepts," said Loganathan's wife, Usha, her voice breaking. "To the last minute, he loved teaching."

In the 1988 movie "Stand and Deliver" (based on a true story) a dedicated teacher was shown inspiring his dropout-prone students to learn calculus to build up their self-esteem. They end up doing so well, they are accused of cheating. Mr. Escalante was a mathematics teacher in a school in a hispanic neighborhood in Los Angeles. Convinced his students had potential, he adopted unconventional teaching methods to try and turn gang members and no-hopers into some of the country's top algebra and calculus students.

Who has ever seen something in you that you can't see yourself? DON'T blow these observations off as happenstance. This is a further indication as to why God has engineered our interactions to be interdependent.

17 years ago, an english teacher (who then several years later passed away from ALS / Lou Gherig's Disease) saw in me a speaking / acting / narrating talent. I still have the letter she wrote to me on this topic - a unique letter she wrote to each student in her final class. It is now framed and sits beside my mirror I use to get ready each day or to get ready for an audition. It's there to remind me that THAT is what I am supposed to be doing since it has taken me this long to come to terms with it. What I would tell her now if I could? The best way for me to honor what she saw in me, now that I realize she was right, is to ACT on it and give it the best effort I can.

So, finally, the worst advice I've ever received. "Jeremy, you need to find one thing and stick to it. You're spreading yourself too thin." This intones the exact opposite of what my two loving parents told me for the entirety of my youth -- "Jeremy, we believe you can do anything you put your mind to."

Let me tell you. I've been spread thin before. And this is most certainly, unequivocally not it.

If I was not to be someone who wanted to try everything and squeeze it all in and get absolutely everything I could out of this life, then God would not have organized my DNA in such a way that I am someone who wants to try everything and squeeze it all in and get absolutely everything I can out of this life.

I am bouncing back from this bad advice and I am moving forward. I am embracing that which makes me who I am. I am doing it all -- and working my way closer to my calling in the meantime -- and making no apologies to ANYONE anymore about this.

One day, you find yourself taking this advice of (CLICHE ALERT) putting all of your eggs in one basket. Then, the very next day, you find yourself as one of those who are picking up the pieces -- whatever pieces there are left to be picked up -- from having invested your entire life and savings into one "Enron." One day, you're checking your retirement fund and the kids pre-paid college fund to see how it is progressing and then the next day you awaken to find some dirtbag, scum-sucking, corporate executives (or, just as easily, government officials) who have robbed the organization blind, having interfered with the free-market and having absconded with your financial future.

One of which (Kenneth Lay of Enron fame) has already died. They say it was "coronary artery disease." I'm sure that regardless of whatever they "diagnosed" it as, it stemmed from stress. Can YOU imagine the stress of ruining the lives of that many people who had put their trust in you? I'm sure his Pastor father -- if he were still alive -- would be proud.

And they say stress doesn't kill...

We can only hope the same outcome for good ol' Bernie Madoff who "made off" with the financial futures of many.
Every investment advisor -- who's worth a damn -- tells us to DIVERSIFY OUR PORTFOLIOS. Why? Because sooner or later one or more of our holdings will take off. Or, if one falters, it won't bring down the entire house of cards.

Mutual Funds are so attractive because they spread the risk (and investment return potential) out over an entire litany of stock holdings for long term security. To think of all of those poor souls put everything they had into Enron. And this has happened time and time again.

I will not put my entire skillset and career potential into just ONE basket. I will be light on my feet with diversity in my quiver. There hasn't been a time yet when an experience I've had in one area has not come into play with giving me something I can tap into to bring positive influence to a completely different area.

So where does this diversity leave me today? It leaves me in a state of freedom and peace. It leaves me light on my feet. Ready to change directions and grab the next big opportunity by the tail. It leaves me in a state of flexibility that gives me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 1/4 days a year of being able to do exactly what I want. My life's bank account contains 31,557,600 seconds per year I can spend gloriously and thankfully. That's worth more than having a million dollars in the bank. Many times over.

Of course, I have my responsibilites to uphold. And, upholding these responsibilites is edifying - to myself and to my God. Those to whom I am responsible know that I do what it is I say I'm going to do. And because of this, they know if a particular instance arises that takes me out of my everyday routine and focuses my attention towards a different commitment, it is something I need to uphold. They grant that freedom to me, and I am thankful for it.

Where will this diversity leave me in ten years -- or sooner? It leaves me still in a state of freedom and peace -- to an even greater degree. It leaves me free to dip into my bank account of time for the family I will one day have so I can be there always. It leaves me free to dip into my bank account of time to thus be there to affect change and to give myself to others freely and wholeheartedly as God would have me to do. The only important things in this life are finding and fulfilling your destiny and building relationships along the way. It makes us who we are and it is the ONLY thing that lasts.

A 1,000 piece puzzle is not complete until the last piece is in place. It may look complete with just one piece or 5 pieces missing. But it will nag you to no end if you get to the end and there is one piece not found. All that work! To be cut off at the pass before full completion.

Use the puzzle as a metaphor for all manner of paths and life experiences we attempt. Maybe you have to try 999 different things to find where you fit. Or maybe its the 1,000th piece that completes the puzzle of your life to allow you to sink in to the place where your destiny is fulfilled. There's nothing like finding the last perfect puzzle piece, lining it up, and pressing it into perfect place. So it is with our lives.

All of those attempts at locking the right pieces into place may have been frustrating -- and may have delayed the ultimate completion of the puzzle. But they weren't all for naught, because the puzzle is finally done.

Sometimes we get so bound up we don't know which step to take next. We don't know which piece to put in place next. But its better to be headed in the wrong direction and make a turn or follow a curve to where we're supposed to be than to stand on square one of Candyland just hoping to make it to the Gingerbread House at the end.

God uses our mis-steps and swerves and curves and running off of the road and yes, even backsliding to ultimately - and maybe ironically - move us..... forward.

Which leads to the final point.

Its impossible for God to direct your steps if you're standing still.

This is some other of my own advice I have to be reminded of in my own life on a regular basis. I rarely know what the ultimate outcome will be, but I know I'm taking steps to get there.

Each new experience is a form of thanksgiving for being taken out of my comfort zone.

I now look forward to change, in fact, I now thrive on it, due to all of the positive things ultimately borne out of it.

Each puzzle piece set in perfect place is one step closer.

My place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat. My place is to sprinkle, or pour, or bring dump-truck-loads of salt everywhere I go flavoring people's lives after having been impacted by my outlook.

Each opportunity you make the most of makes God smile because He knows each little opportunity you give your all to will prepare you to handle the big ones with grace.

When you go in to talk with the career counselor, give 'em a run for their money. Keep 'em on their toes. Make 'em remember you. Or you'll be just another face, getting another piece of paper, from another university.

Be well this week and embrace your opportunities head on with all the vigor you can muster. They are not there just by chance.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

HOW DO YOU FEEL?

2011-09-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

Security does not exist in nature,
nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure."

-Helen Keller

How do you feel?

Really.

How. Do. You. Feel?

When I ask how you feel, I don't mean the temporal, elusive, day-to-day, fleeting, superficial, paint-on-a-happy-face, answer-I'm-fine-when-someone-asks-how-I-am-when-I'm-really-not-doing-that-well, "I feel happy" feeling, which probably isn't really true "happiness" at all.

I mean in what ways do you allow yourself to feel. Do you allow yourself to experience all that life has to bring or do you try to shut it out?

On my cross-country journey, I saw broad blue skies that would break your heart. I saw mountains so high and valleys so deep and expanses so wide that they would make you cry. I saw open roads and sunsets and rushing rivers and barren deserts and wildlife that would make your heart pound and your soul sing just for the sake of singing. It's no wonder that "America the Beautiful" was written after Katharine Lee Bates' inspiration from visiting Pikes Peak.

I met people, places and things that have changed me forever. My path crossed with people, places, things and situations that can only be experienced by stepping out and allowing God's "coincidences" to unfold.

We spend time and effort to create a perfect box for our lives so that we don't ever actually have to engage the real "stuff" of life and all of the feelings that come along with that.

We spend time and effort in attempt to insulate ourselves from the fear, insecurity, terror, sadness, pain, unhappiness, feelings of loss or loneliness, and every other feeling in the entire range of emotion that is tied to human existence. And if we don't allow our lives to be opened up to that entire spectrum, if we don't open up our lives proactively, we're not really living. And oh how short the life really is.

Because the truth is, you can try to create that hermetically-sealed, sanitized, life-box of emotional safety, but you're never going to be able to completely insulate yourself from life's trials.

So. Would you rather have allowed yourself to experience emotional and situational diversity so that you can better handle the slings that life throws? Or would you rather attempt (futilely) to shield yourself from any harm and then self-destruct or shut down emotionally and withdraw from life when a bump (a brick wall even) appears in the road?

I've felt pure joy, elation and freedom. I've felt complete and utter loss that I would equate with the feeling of losing a limb (even though I've never lost a limb thank God) or even deeper. And I've felt everything in between.

I've felt (on more than one occasion I might add) the sick-to-the-stomach, nervous, I-want-to-curl-up-into-the-fetal-position-on-the-floor-throw-up-and-then-rock-myself-to-sleep feeling when big change was coming in my life. I embraced it, as difficult as it was, and the good things that have come out of my life through those periods of growth are innumerable. Why can't the feeling associated with all of that just be a happy-go-lucky feeling to make it easier and to let you know you're doing the correct thing?!??

Because you're being tested to see if you will really do what you say you will do and to separate yourself from those who never really allow themselves to LIVE. Because if things were too easy, then you wouldn't grow and you wouldn't know the satisfaction of knowing you stuck it out and made it through.

And what of my temperament, countenance with others, personality and psychological make-up if I hadn't experienced, nay, allowed myself to fully experience those things? Bland. Dull.

If people are interested in my thoughts, opinions, advice or input, its not just because they might like me. They may feel that way on the surface, but the real nuts and bolts are that they know I've been through some stuff and how much better is it to get input from someone with experience and wisdom and that's what draws them in whether they realize it or not.

I certainly know that I want input from mentors and elders who have some dirt under their fingernails. Those who have lived, loved and lost. Not those who have lived an antiseptic and sterile life.

Because the thing that matters most in life is living.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

ON AGING AND PEAKING TOO SOON.

2011-09-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'd like to make mention of the disturbing trend of poor appearance with aging.

Having recently turned 30, the troubling trend with my peers is that they have spent the better part of their 20's setting themselves up for a lifetime of poor health and living below their potential. There is an acceptance with aging that "I'm just supposed to go along with the crowd, and look like hell and not take care of myself." Whether it be related to drinking too much, poor nutrition, being overweight, poor hygiene or complete lack of attention to appearance, people seem to expect their poor health, out-of-shapeness and other alarming red flags that can lead to a lifetime of managing health problems instead of really living each day for the purpose that they are actually here.

Yes, it takes work to keep all these things in line. But the easiest thing is rarely the best thing.

The hottest, best-known and wealthiest movie stars are generally in their 40's. Why peak at 25 or 30?

Some of the most successful entrepreneurs started businesses AFTER they turned 60. Why peak at 25 or 30?

Do you want to look 5-10 years younger and impress everyone around you? Even those who think you're "sick" because you lost weight? Forget them, and lose weight. Immediately.

No, I don't leave the house every time in a suit. No, I don't eat perfectly every time I pull up to the table (though I have made huge gains in my nutrition and most things i used to hold as dear in my dietary routine don't hold any appeal anymore).

But in the majority of cases, I understand the image I display is a reflection of self-worth and self-confidence and can directly affect how I will succeed in life. Have we become so wrapped up in so much time spent seeking material things that we don't take time to work on ourselves and find out who we are such that we can make that a priority? Do we try to fill our insecurities with material things when we should be spending time getting to the root of our problems and hang-ups to realize why we don't feel good about ourselves?

We now expect that we are supposed to have declining health as we age because, well, "thats just the way its supposed to be."

We now expect that we are not supposed to take care of ourselves properly (which includes dressing poorly) because, well, "thats just the way its supposed to be" and "I don't have anyone to impress" and "I just don't care anymore." Well if you don't care, then why should anyone else take the time to care?

And we wonder why the divorce rate is so high. Men and women both, if you don't continue to work to impress your mate, then how much more "second-rate" could you possibly make them feel? When the luster comes off and you resign yourself to "well I got him / her now, I can just let myself go and he / she will still love me," its no wonder people begin to look elsewhere for someone who still wants to impress them by staying in shape, dressing nicely (including perhaps wearing what the other would like to see) and generally spending time and effort taking care of themselves. The love affair doesn't end with the wedding, it ends when you die.

I know people who spend so much time on a pet that they neglect themselves. This includes someone who got a new dog, wouldn't discipline it properly, it helped to throw her back out and this has helped lead to that person's overwhelming health problems for years now. Think about the amount of time and money spent feeding the pet, getting medical care for the pet, boarding the pet, paying the neighborhood pet sitter to come watch the pet, replacing things in your home because the pet has destroyed them, paying for cleaning services, replacing carpet, the tangential effects upon your own health in cases of allergies, medical care and so on, and then realize that this all also can turn into self-neglect. If only due to the fact that that money poured into a pet could be used to better feed or clothe yourself. When something or someone else is depending on you for their survival, invariably you will put their needs above yours. Which is to be expected with a child - but a pet? And not that pets are in and of themselves bad. I don't hate pets. But where are our priorities? We need to get ourselves in order first.

Yes, financial resources are always an issue to many. And it is not altogether inexpensive to dress well and to eat healthily. But do we have our priorities completely mixed up if we don't work to properly take care of ourselves first? This is not selfish and don't let anyone convince you it is. I've found that I've spent too much time going and doing for others when actually neglecting some of my basic physiological, emotional and spiritual needs.

Making little steps towards better nutrition and reducing stress leads to being in better shape, which leads to feeling better about oneself, which leads to more confidence, which leads to the desire to dress in such a way that one radiates this confidence is certainly a process that people can go through if they wish.

Even if no one but you notices how well you try to take care of yourself (though I assure you that won't be the case), isn't that the most important person to impress? That confidence and self-assuredness will grow with time and by default you will impress others.

And like a good football team that doesn't want to peak too early in the season, what is gained by peaking at 25 and then heading downhill towards pain management for the next 50-75 years? Make every experience worthwhile and use the knowledge from it to move the ball forward and build into making your life something that will peak at the right time.

Don't let the expectations of the "world," or lack thereof, keep you from living up to your potential.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

THE MAN MUSCLE.

2011-09-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

The inguinal ligament. The inguinal crease.

Starting just above each hip and heading downward and inward, this is often noted by women to be the sexiest muscle on a man. Various names are offered for it below. Please submit your own so that we can create the most comprehensive list on the web.

Apollo's Belt.
Thunder Road.
Ram's Horn.
The Man V.
Hip Loin Connection.
The Longhorn.
Tigris and Euphrates.
Funnel of Love.
Road to Perdition.
Vitamin V.
Love Line.
Moneymaker.
Marky's Mark.
Michelangelo Muscle.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

WELLNESS IS NOT A SICKNESS.

2011-09-25T22:55:00.001-07:00

A friend recently returned from spending the summer living and working in Washington D.C. He has been doing well at eating healthily, exercising regularly and trying to make little lifestyle changes for a healthier existence. In turn, this will make his work more focused and productive in regards to the completion of his Doctoral Dissertation. A byproduct of his taking better care of himself, as one might expect, is weight / fat loss. This is of course excellent, as carrying weight around the abdomen (in men or women) increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease... amongst other potential health problems.

A professor of his made the point to ask if he was healthy - as if the first response to someone getting in shape should be that they are "sick" in some way. Yes, there are those with deeper emotional traumas or psychological battles that can affect their diet or eating habits. If we're close to them, we need to be aware of such situations so that we can help them through a tough time (eating disorders, sickness, loss of a loved one, etc.) if we do indeed have the relational right to do so.

But lets press pause for a moment. Has our view of "healthy" been reprogrammed in our hearts and minds so completely by this point that when someone is working to lose weight, have more energy and get in shape that our first response is "Uh oh, there must be something wrong. Lets get them some help." Has our view of "healthy" actually consciously or subconsciously morphed into overweight such that we actually accept the wrongful carrying of too much body fat as being "healthy" and the opposite (being lean and trim) as not healthy?

When someone who is extremely overweight achieves their goals of losing weight and getting in shape its a victory to be celebrated. I'll be the first to cheer and support this accomplishment. When someone who is moderately out of shape does the same, are they to be considered out of balance and unhealthy? Do they deserve any less support or encouragement?

Please, let's unlearn this "new" way of looking at people and their waistlines. I don't pre-judge any who seek my coaching or input since it's difficult enough as it is to get yourself (or others) moving in a positive direction with fitness. I wish to be counted as one of the sources of support and encouragement for that person / those people. The only thing I need to see, regardless of size or shape, is the desire to make a positive lifestyle change for good. Everything else is details that will be worked out over time through their gradual lifestyle change or negative outside attitudes that detract from that person's success.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

PART I: HAVE A STRONG ROAD TRIP W/ MAIDA VALE MUSIC.

2011-09-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

"I was coming back, to show you what I'm made of.

To try and grit it out, make it something good."

Music video I produced for Maida Vale Music (based in Tallahassee, Florida) using a collection of videos shot while moving / driving cross-country.

Shot in Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Nevada.

Song Title: Great Lakes
Album Title: American Sun
Release Year: 2008
Band: Maida Vale

* Available on iTunes

Maida Vale Music online:
maidavalemusic.com
youtube.com/maidavalemusic
twitter.com/maidavalemusic

Video shot, edited and produced by: Jeremy Hovan

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

ECHO LAKE : MT. EVANS, COLORADO

2011-09-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

"Dont ask what the

world needs. Ask what

makes you come alive,

and go do it.

Because what the world

needs is people who

have come alive."

-Howard Thurman

I took a dip in a glacier lake - Echo Lake... It was not warm.

But I was alive.

HAVE A STRONG ADVENTURE.

2011-09-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

"If anybody wants to
keep creating they
have to be about
change."
-Miles Davis

Everything on planet Earth undergoes change, why do we feel like we as humans are the only entities that shouldn't have to undergo some sort of change? The best things in my life have come from change as change inspires growth.

Muscles cannot grow and / or strengthen without change - without applying resistance - without varying your exercise routine.

The healthiest measure of your spirituality is your ability to change.

If you encounter "resistance" in your life, you will become stronger.

Are you driving your life or is your life driving you?

THE CORE OF THE MATTER.

2011-09-23T09:20:00.001-07:00

Attention all human beings that walk upright:

You don't need to train like a bodybuilder.

and

Nothing in your body works completely individually.

Thus, you don't need to isolate "individual" areas - unless you are attempting to rehab a particular area, but that's another issue.

If you're not training your body using compound, total-body exercises and movements with a decent amount of core training thrown in, you need to rethink your workout immediately.

How many times have you heard someone say when asked what they're going to work out that day, "I'm doing back and bi's," or "chest and tri's," or "lower body."

Ad nauseam most likely.

I even trained in that fashion myself for many years. Until I got a clue.

Your entire body works in concert. All muscle groups work tangentially with some other closely placed / closely related group.

And the link that brings everything together in health and harmony... your core.

If you have no core strength, you can bench press 305 lbs all day long, but you're really only as strong as your weakest link.

If you blow a tire on the highway, your ability to do a hammer curl doesn't have any bearing on whether or not you will have the core strength (the core strength that is the glue to pull your upper body and lower body strength together) so that you can jack up that vehicle and then crack those lug nuts loose.

This is why our need is so great for FUNCTIONAL fitness. If you're a body builder, great. Do your thing. Most people on the face of the planet aren't and thus they need to train in ways that will support their well-being in day-to-day life.

Most people do the following:

Lie flat all night when sleeping.
Sit at the table and eat breakfast (if they do eat breakfast).
Sit in the car on the way to work.
Sit at their desk all day and wherever they go for lunch they sit there also.
Sit in the car on the way home from work.
Sit at the table and eat dinner.
Sit in front of the television and watch some mindless programming.
Get back in bed and start the cycle all over again.

Where in that scenario was this individual's core (or any other strength for that matter) exercised?

Now ask yourself why most people have back / lower back problems?

Coincidence? I think not.

Everything revolves around your core strength.

Let me say that again.

Everything revolves around your core strength.

Let me say that again.

Everything revolves around your core strength.

Chopping wood. Cleaning house. Putting the tupperware away in the lower cabinet. Loosening and tightening lug nuts. Carrying luggage. Golf. Moving furniture. Oh, and exercising properly.

You, as a want-to-be-healthy-and-enjoy-life-day-to-day type of person do not need to be a bodybuilder and you don't need to train like one. You need to train for functionality and overall wellness.

Find a personal trainer that can help guide you through that. Or if you're experienced enough around the gym, do some reading and refocus your own routines. You'll thank me for it.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

'ROID RAGE.

2011-09-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

News flash.

Supplement manufacturers implying that you will reach the size and definition of those bodybuilders (those bodybuilders who are paid big bucks to endorse said supplements I might add) who have spent the majority of their careers using steroids, HGH and other major mass increasing potions and concoctions not available over the counter, are not telling you the entire truth.

I've exercised for 16 years. I've tried many supplements of various descriptions and purposes. Some of which were touted by these "Superheroes" of the bodybuilding and fitness world. Some worked as described. Some didn't. Some worked moderately. Some tasted horribly. Some tasted great.

NONE OF THEM turned me into a steroid-like monster.

None of them will turn you into a steroid-like monster.

With the amount spent yearly on nutritional supplements (annual totals typically exceed $20 billion), why shouldn't they take a chance on getting you to contribute your hard-earned income to lining their pockets as a part of that total?

Why would there be the need for natural bodybuilding competitions if those competing in the big league bodybuilding contests were natural? Its because they're not natural. And no supplement (or series of supplements) alone can make you into a bodybuilding poster child the likes of Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman.

If you're not upset about being sold a false bill of goods, you're not paying attention. You're definitely paying for something else, but you're not paying attention.

If you want to use steroids, that's your decision.

If you want to use HGH, that's your decision.

Maybe you won't be caught. Or fined. Or prosecuted.

But you'll know. And when the times comes that you're forced to be honest with yourself, well, maybe you won't feel like a fraud.

Sure, I still spend a certain amount of my income on supplement purchases, but after years of research and consideration, I am very particular about what I purchase. And I adjust my purchases as I acquire new information. I encourage you to do the same.

Find what works. Find what's natural. Find yourself in the process.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

WEIGHTS BEFORE CARDIO.

2011-09-22T00:23:00.000-07:00

Dear America,

No, scratch that.

Dear Earth,

Please stop doing cardio before weights (unless you decide to perform a 5-10 minute warm-up). You need the glycogen (glucose) stores in your muscle tissue to be able to perform the weight training properly and in the most effective manner. If you go use up all of your energy stores doing cardio (exercise that doesn't provide virtually any ongoing benefits for calorie burning), then you're cutting yourself off at the knees in terms of having a successful weight-training workout.

The main goal for your average gym attendee in regards to cardio is to "burn fat." This is never more evident at times other than New Year's Resolution time. Ah, New Year's Resolution time, the insanity of which is another whole blog in and of itself. But I digress.

The main goal for your average gym attendee in regards to cardio is to "burn fat," which is really only made effective by spending the first 15-20 minutes BURNING OFF SUGAR (glycogen) STORES from your body and THEN your body can really get down and dirty with the fat-burning portion of the exercise. Yes, the same energy stores that you need to preform the aforementioned weight training. Yes, the same weight training that will continue to burn calories all day long by adding several pounds of good lean muscle as opposed to cardio that for all intents and purposes stops burning calories as soon as you step off of the treadmill.

Endless, mindless gym cardio (elliptical, treadmill, exercise bike) will NOT change your body. I can take you into the gym in which I've worked for almost 4 years now and on any given day point out to you all of those that have come in EVERY DAY or at least the majority of days in ANY GIVEN WEEK, and their bodies have NOT CHANGED ONE BIT.

ZERO. NADA. NIL. ZILCH.

I can draw a line down the floor in our gym between the free-weights and the cardio / weight machines sections and you can tell in every way those who are in better shape from those who aren't.

If you're training for something in particular (triathlon, road race, marathon / half-marathon, etc.) then obviously you need a safe, effective program that will help you graduate upwards in terms of your endurance, shaving minutes / seconds off of your personal best time, and so on. But most going to a gym don't need this type of specialize niche training in the same way that most going to a gym don't need to "body build" through their weight-training program. They need functional fitness which is not accomplished through programs or routines that don't include compound / total-body / core-centric training. This is also another blog entirely.

I beg of you. For the sake of everyone in every gym everywhere. Find a personal trainer that you're comfortable with that you can at least spend a few sessions with in learning some basic free-weight training exercises. Invest in yourself. Even if you do those exercises for 6 months before you meet with a trainer again for an update and to learn some new exericises, that is still better than just showing up at the gym, hopping on a cardio machine and following a program that may or may not even be best suited for you.

You'll feel better about yourself and you'll be a part of the solution in not perpetuating the "cardio will change your body" myth.

Some is still better than none. Some cardio is better than sitting on the couch. Getting a bit of cardio in on your non-weight training days is just fine. Getting some in as a stress relief is just fine. Getting some in just to unwind at the end of the day is just fine. So please stay active. But much like our finances, we also want to invest our time wisely.

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

LET'S BE HONEST.

2011-09-22T00:20:00.000-07:00

"Its a bittewsweet, symphony this life." -The Verve

Have A Strong Day is here to be your oasis of real.

Have A Strong Day is my trademarked slogan that was born out of / developed through the organic growth of my endeavours and experiences with impacting people through personal training to then inspire them to make a positive change in their lives.

"Honesty is the best policy" (English proverb, 16th century) thus honesty will be one of the cornerstones of this website. Lets begin with some input about honesty:

"An honest man's the noblest work of God."
-Alexander Pope, Essay on Man

"No legacy is so rich as honesty."
-William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well

"No man is bound to be rich or great, no, nor to be wise; but every man is bound to be honest."
-Sir Benjamin Rudyard, Hansard's Parliamentary History

“Honesty is the moral conscience of the great.”
-William D’Avenant

"No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar."
-Abraham Lincoln

"Honesty needs no disguise nor ornament; be plain."
-Thomas Otway, The Orphan

There's enough out there to distract, dismay, dismantle, detract and derail you on your life journey (and it is all about the journey, not the destination, don't let them fool you) to the point where you won't know which end is up, or whether you're coming or going.

This is the first post of substance to really kick off the new compilation of life known as Have A Strong Day. I promise to be as real with you as I can possibly be and we'll all be much better off that way.

Consider this site as the "sketch / note book" where I will compile my ideas, experiences and lessons to one day be honed and edited for my book.

Perhaps, if God chooses to use me in this fashion, I can make a positive impact in the lives of those around me. For those that believe in God, I'm on a mission from God. For those that don't believe in God, well, I'm still on a mission from God.

I welcome your comments and interaction. I will enter all types of posts - from those related to my life lessons, experiences and experiments. More often than not, I will post motivating and encouraging items that cross my path. Either something created or spoken by someone else (with credit given where credit is due of course), or something that has happened in my life. I owe this to you because I'm also owed the blessing of learning from your experience.

Life is a series of next steps. Whats yours?

You only get one chance at this life. Lets make it a strong one.

Lets talk soon. Okay?

Until then,

HAVE A STRONG DAY.

THE WAY I SEE IT #204: PAULO COELHO QUOTE ON STARBUCKS CUP.

2011-09-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

"Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life. There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure. Never forget your Personal Legend. Never forget your dreams. Your silent heart will guide you. Be silent now. It is the possibility of a dream that makes life interesting. You can choose between being a victim of destiny or an adventurer who is fighting for something important." -Paulo Coelho

STAY HUNGRY. STAY FOOLISH. STEVE JOBS' 2005 STANFORD COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

2011-09-21T23:52:00.000-07:00

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." -Steve Jobs

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says.

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

Transcript: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

HAVE A STRONG DAY®

THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF MILLIONS.

THE DIRTY DOZEN AND THE CLEAN FIFTEEN.

BRAND OR BE BRANDED.

OF VAMPIRES AND SELF-REFLECTION.

PAIN vs. DISCOMFORT

AN OPEN LETTER TO PERSONAL TRAINERS.

[18+] CORE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE: THE ORIGINAL NATURAL MALE ENHANCEMENT FORMULA.

WORK HARD, BE KIND. CONAN O'BRIEN'S 2011 DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS.

'Work hard, be kind and amazing things will happen,' O'Brien says

DOUG "STRONG DAY" FULKERSON: IT'S JUST PAIN, AND PAIN DON'T HURT.

#FITCOM: FITNESS COMEDY.

FAT ON FIRE: EFFECTS OF EXERCISE, NUTRITION AND STRESS.

FEEDING THE CYCLIST.

"BAD" CHOLESTEROL IS GOOD FOR BIG MUSCLES?

THE WORKOUT: SMOKING GUN.

FEARFUL AND WONDERFUL SYNERGY.

"RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME": WHAT POSSIBLE PHARMACEUTICAL INSANITY COULD BE NEXT?

HOW TO GET STRONG IN ONE DAY.

APATHY KILLS.

STRONG DAY MANIFESTO.

FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING.

CARPAL TUNNEL VISION.

MUSCLE MEMORY.

HYDROXY-CUT FROM THE TEAM.

STRENGTH TRAINING MYTH: WEIGHT TRAINING MAKES WOMEN BULK UP.

YEARBOOK PROPHECY.

YOUR RIGHT TO PURSUE.

OF HEALTH CARE AND HOUSES OF CARDS.

ABDOMINATION : FUNCTIONAL FITNESS COMEDY VIDEO SERIES.

DEHYDRATION NATION.

PART 4 OF 4: EMOTIONALLY SPEAKING AND WHY TED KENNEDY NEVER MATTERED

PART 3 OF 4: EMOTIONALLY SPEAKING AND WHY TED KENNEDY NEVER MATTERED

“It is better only sometimes to be right than at all times wrong.” –Abraham Lincoln

PART 2 OF 4: EMOTIONALLY SPEAKING AND WHY TED KENNEDY NEVER MATTERED

PART 1 OF 4: EMOTIONALLY SPEAKING AND WHY TED KENNEDY NEVER MATTERED

HEALTH CARE BEGINS WITH YOU.

"STRONG IS BEAUTIFUL!"

SUBVERT DOMINANT EXPECTATIONS.

GIVING IS LIVING.

PART 2 OF 2: FEEL DIFFERENT.

PART 1 OF 2: FEEL DIFFERENT.

My Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Stair Climb for Los Angeles results

#STRONGDAY

THE WORST ADVICE I'VE EVER RECEIVED.

HOW DO YOU FEEL?

ON AGING AND PEAKING TOO SOON.

THE MAN MUSCLE.

WELLNESS IS NOT A SICKNESS.

PART I: HAVE A STRONG ROAD TRIP W/ MAIDA VALE MUSIC.

ECHO LAKE : MT. EVANS, COLORADO

HAVE A STRONG ADVENTURE.

THE CORE OF THE MATTER.

'ROID RAGE.

WEIGHTS BEFORE CARDIO.

LET'S BE HONEST.

THE WAY I SEE IT #204: PAULO COELHO QUOTE ON STARBUCKS CUP.

STAY HUNGRY. STAY FOOLISH. STEVE JOBS' 2005 STANFORD COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says.

“It is better only sometimes to be right than at all times wrong.”
–Abraham Lincoln