How to Remove Toxic People From Your Life & Live Happier
Do you want to know how to remove toxic people from your life so you can live happier and be greater? Of course you do.
Most of us already know that we should steer clear from toxicity. But not everyone knows how to spot a toxic person or how to forgive themselves for being around one for so long.
We'll go over both of those topics. But first you need to know (1) why you shouldn't put up with toxicity and (2) why you did in the first place.
Why you should remove toxic people from your life.
As a general rule, people don't change unless their own life circumstances demand it. And when you are someone who tolerates toxicity, it's a safe bet that you won't be a source of their change.
Here's the truth you need to know -
All the toxicity you put up with isn't worth it.
Read that line again.
All the toxicity you put up with isn't worth it.
This is serious.
People who behave like this subconsciously make you believe they have something to offer.
What they deliver is underwhelming and the value you’re holding out for doesn’t exist. Their toxicity and superior attitude is unfounded. You were deceived by the act, the illusion.
You’ve mistaken a vampire for a magician.
You sat down for a drink with a vampire in hopes of learning tricks-of-the-trade and a magician’s secret.
Only to realize you’ve been drinking their poison straight out of your glass. While you poured your own life’s blood into theirs.
Before you learn how to remove toxic people from your life, you must remind yourself that the world is better than you think.
Answer the following two questions honestly:
(1) Are you a kind-hearted person? (2) Have you been around cool, decent people?
If you can honestly say that deep down you're a good-hearted person, there's a high chance you attract narcissists. That's right, you attract narcissists.
You may have been brought up to follow their lead. The same way they've been raised to take your lead. Both being on opposing sides of the social spectrum due to unconscious programming.
When you're frequently around toxicity, you forget that you’ve met many cool and nice people in your life. Toxic people are capable of leaving big impressions on your idea of humanity like that. Even worse, they leave you with shitty ideas about yourself.
This is why they are toxic. This is why they are "spiritual vampires".
How do you know if you’re around a toxic person?
Rate your interactions on a scale of 1 - 5 1 = Toxic | 5 = Healthy
This idea of rating your interactions comes from this article on Mike Cernovich's blog. I also highly recommend his book Gorilla Mindset.
Have you seen the dead look in people's eyes? People with "soulless" eyes are almost incapable of living in the moment. Instead they are focusing on an inner pain.
This inner pain is caused by excess cortisol and leads to depression. When you fall into depression you stop taking action.
This is why it’s important to stay away from people who leave you feeling worse in every interaction. They get dopamine for poisoning you.
You need distance. Learn to despise these people so you can have energy to move forward. Rather than spend the finite energy you have on trying to stay afloat.
How to forgive yourself, drink the antidote, and move forward with your life.
To forgive yourself you must be able to conjure up a life lesson that you can apply for the rest of your life. Otherwise, you'll judge yourself for foolishly paying a high price for nothing.
Your ego needs a takeaway from the experience to justify being in that situation in the first place. It also needs it to be a different lesson than any you've had before.
Here are some of the lessons I've learned by being put through these types of situations:
You can't control another person's actions
People's hearts are as different as their thumbprints
Now is the time to seriously filter the people you surround yourself with. Because if you don't, they'll give you a toxic view of the world and yourself.
After you reconcile with yourself you'll understand that wounds take time to heal. Give it time. Enforce your life lesson and stay away from the problem.
The lifelong treatment to living a happier life after you remove toxic people.
Most of your problems exist in the mind. Feelings of anger, sadness, resentment all come from stories you replay in your head.
One of the most underrated skills of all time is the ability to set the mind aside.
You can reconcile with your mind by negotiating the value you received for the price you paid. Which will help you with self-forgiveness and soul-suffocating obsession.
After you're done negotiating with the mind, it's important that you set it aside and simply be in the moment. Remind yourself that the moment is all that matters now.
When you can train yourself to set the mind aside you will free yourself from disappointing pasts and fearful futures. Instead you will be able to live more happily in the moment.
How to Safely Choke Your Partner During Sex
A man must know how to safely choke a woman. Because all women have some sort of interest in BDSM and a desire for uncontrollable orgasms.
Why Do Women Like to be Choked During Sex?
Because a woman wants a man who can dominate her. By choking her you display the dominance over her that she craves.
Psychologically she loves this display of power. She wants to be overpowered by a strong, 'dangerous' man that makes her feel vulnerable and feminine. As it enhances her sexual arousal.
Physiologically she gets a rush of dopamine and endorphins when you choke her and restrict oxygen to her brain. I'll explain more below.
Physically her body responds to the "pain" as pleasure. With proper timing she can experience an out of body orgasm in a crossfire of pleasure and emotions.
Most women loved to be choked. So the matter is less about 'does she want to be choked?' (although you should be sure first).
The question is, are you man enough to dominate her?
How to Properly Choke Play Your Woman
Like most men, when I first started choking a woman during sex I was doing it completely wrong. I would grab her neck and push the webbed part of my hand into her throat.
That is not how you do it.
When you make the mistake above, you are actually crushing her trachea, or windpipe. Which is dangerous.
To properly choke her you need to squeeze the two veins (carotid arteries) on both sides her her neck.
When you squeeze the carotid arteries you're cutting off the blood flow that goes from her heart to her brain. The loss of oxygen and increase of carbon dioxide results in head-spinning exhilaration that heightens feelings of pleasure.
The best way I can describe choking a woman in writing is to imagine how you'd use your thumb and fingers to squeeze the cheeks on her face. Do the same thing to her throat.
Practice squeezing for her carotid veins and you'll get better at it.
But be careful.
You won't come back from bdsm choking sex.
You won't want to go back to normal sex after choke sex and dirty talk. It's just one of those things. Sort of like a BDSM sex gateway drug.
In case you didn't know, BDSM includes a variety of kinky sex. This includes the dominant-submission dynamic that choke sex falls into.
What I mean by sex gateway drug is that people who share intense sexual fantasies with each other will have better feelings of connection, novelty, and happiness in the relationship.
This is because masculine men and feminine women want to dominate and be dominated. So when you start to have kinkier sex, don't be surprised when vanilla sex doesn't do the trick anymore.
Experiment with sex toys and be open to new ways to sexually express yourself.
Do it because she adores your acts of dominance. It turns her on when you have your hand on her throat and you sternly whisper in her ear, "Who owns you?"
She craves that sexual desire from you. And if you want to really take it to the next level, I recommend you restrain and buckle her down to your bed so you can really show her who she belongs to.
Scott Press VS Arnold Press (Transform Weak Shoulders Into Rock-Hard Boulders)
The Scott Press is easily a better exercise than the Arnold Press.
Why?
Because the Scott Press was designed for the very first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, himself. In fact, it's how he turned his poor weak shoulders into rock-hard boulders.
The reason why the Scott Press works so well is because it targets all three parts of the shoulder at once. The front deltoid, middle delt, and the rear.
Now I personally prefer to focus on strength training my shoulders with the overhead press. But when it comes to stimulation and growth, the Scott Press blows all the other shoulder exercises out of the water.
So then how do you perform the Scott Press? Well I'll show you in just a moment.
But first I want to mention the distinct difference between the Scott Press and the Arnold Press.
The Arnold Press has a HUGE range of motion. And even though it can work, you'll see down below that it only stimulates 2/3 of the shoulder heads.
Meanwhile, the Scott Press has a much smaller range of motion and hits all three parts of the shoulder. Performing partial exercises like this requires a weightlifter to be more cautious with his movements.
NOTE: People don't realize this move is not a press at all. It's simply a shoulder girdle retraction and elevation.
Before showing you how to perform the Scott Press, I should stress that this is a movement that requires good technique with a weight you can manage. Be sure to check your ego. That being said, let's move forward:
How to Perform the Scott Press
Stand with a dumbbell weight in each hand
Lift weights up to your shoulders and lean slightly forward
Lift the weights from the sides of your head to 80% of the top of a shoulder press movement.
Make sure to focus on pulling your elbows and shoulders back while slightly tilting your head forward as you push upward.
Lower the weights back down to the sides of your head
Repeat the movement in a controlled "swinging" manner.
Quick Look at the Arnold Press
You start with the weights in front of your chest facing each other. Then you move your arms way laterally while twisting your hands so your palms face forward. Lastly you push the weights all the way up, then you bring the weights back down and in front of you.
The Arnold Press stimulates both the front and middle parts of the shoulders. It also stimulates the upper pecs because the weights are moved from the front of the body. But it doesn't hit the back of shoulders like Scott Presses do.
Use light weight with higher reps. Since Scott Presses are essentially a variant of Arnold Press partials, you may feel inclined to use heavier weights. This is a mistake. The Scott Press was designed for deliberate movement and time under tension.
Keep the pinkie higher than the index finger. Having a higher pinkie finger gives you a more stimulation because it allows you to more easily swing your elbows to the side and rear for the "arc" movement.
Do not lockout. Again, the entire purpose is time under tension. While the Arnold Press allows you to rest when you bring the dumbells in front of you, the Scott Press is meant for continuous movement throughout the set.
GORILLA MIND RUSH DETAILED REVIEW – BRAINSTORM IN A BOTTLE
This is a detailed review of my favorite nootropic, Gorilla Mind Rush.
I’ve been using Gorilla Mind Rush since it first released about three years ago. I bought a batch upon its release and I still use it to this very day. So I believe I’m very qualified to teach you how it works.
Gorilla Mind Rush is a nootropic that promises unmatched motivation, massive concentration, and intense drive for ultimate productivity. It’s a cognitive enhancing supplement that intends to deliver sustainable, all-day focus.
The Gorilla Mind product line comes in two forms, Rush and Smooth. The difference being that Rush is a stimulant blend and Smooth is a non-stimulant blend.
Since we are taking a close look at Gorilla Mind Rush today, you can find a list of its ingredients below:
DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol): Improves information processing abilities; Increases mood, memory, and mental concentration
Alpha-GPC: Improves info recollection/absorption, HGH levels, focus, cognitive functions, memory, concentration levels, and physical performance
Bacopa Monnieri: Aids in brain neurons protection; mild euphoria; reduces joint/muscle pain; enhances memory, mental energy, info recollection/absorption
L-Theanine: eases stress and anxiety
L-Tyrosine: Improves energy, motivation, concentration, and mental focus; decreases anxiety and stress
2-Aminoisoheptane: Preserves energy; enhances fat-burning, awareness, motivation, and focus
Caffeine Anhydrous: Improves logical reasoning, mood, physical vigor, recovery times, concentration, and energy levels
Higenamine: Enhances concentration, fat loss, and energy
BioPerine (Black Pepper Extract): Preserves longevity of the effects and absorption of ingredients
The suggested usage is that you take 3 – 6 capsules throughout the day, preferably on an empty stomach for the best results. However if you’re new to nootropics, start with 1-2 capsules to your evaluate sensitivity.
How long do the effects last?
According to the Gorilla Mind website, the effects can last beyond 6 hours. Although you might not notice the effects taper off since the comedown is very gradual after you peak around the two or three-hour mark.
Chances are you won’t even notice it’s been six hours since your first serving, I’ll explain more about that later.
How long will a bottle last?
A bottle of Gorilla Mind contains 90 capsules and a single serving size is 3 capsules. However, Gorilla Mind Rush is mostly intended for those who want to hammer down on their productivity. These consumers are likely to consume 3-6 capsules per day. It will last them 15 to 30 days of use.
If you’re not someone who tries to be massively productive or you’re sensitive to stimulants, you might find the 3 capsule serving size excessive. In this case, a bottle can extend beyond 30 days of use.
My Personal Experience
Does Gorilla Mind Rush Really Improve Studying & Creative Work?
I personally like to take two pills of Gorilla Mind Rush on an empty stomach early in the morning before studying, coding, or doing any creative work such as writing. Then about an hour or so in I’ll take a third pill.
By the time I take my third pill, I’ll notice my focus enhance and my thinking becoming clear. This is great for reading or when you’re studying coursework.
However, there is a caveat.
When you do work that requires thinking first thing in the morning, you’re not mentally warmed up. Although your concentration does improve, your comprehension will only be up to par if you’ve already had a mental warm-up.
What I mean is this – I like to study as early as I can, but I always have to re-study the first two or three topics because my brain isn’t fully awake yet.
After I get my mental juices flowing I’m able to comprehend all topics I study from that point on. Gorilla Mind Rush makes focusing and learning easier BUT that does not mean you get to skip any morning mental exercises you may need.
(A small detail, but I think it’s worth mentioning)
As for creative work, I’ll occasionally let myself get distracted by creative thoughts, or moreso my memories. If you’re someone who likes to ponder ideas, you’ll actually really like this because your ability to recall memories is incredible.
A lot, and I mean a lot, of articles on my main blog are thanks to the enhanced creativity I get from taking Rush.
Usually about 3-5 hours in I’ll notice that my energy levels are noticeably higher and I can feel a light “buzzing”. As you gain a tolerance, this buzz will become less and less noticeable (take a few days off).
Since you’ll be so engrossed with your work, you won’t even notice several hours have flown by. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Gorilla Mind Rush is “flow in a bottle”.
Will Gorilla Mind Rush Enhance Mood & Sense of Well-Being?
The short answer is yes, Gorilla Mind will make you feel overall better.
For example, one day I remember stepping out to take a breather and empty my mind. I was upset about something and I was hoping to walk it off.
I’d forgotten that I’d taken 3 capsules of Rush about an hour earlier. But see, initially my mood wasn’t getting better. Only my focus was improved.
So I used that focus to try and be in the moment. I focused on mentally narrating my actions to cancel out the thoughts in my mind. Sort of to distract myself.
About another 40 minutes in I felt my anxieties melt away and my mood improve. I felt good, really good. A bit warm, but in the nicest way you could imagine. Specifically in my legs.
I was no longer thinking poorly because my mind was focused on being in the moment. Any negative emotions I had fell into the background. I felt incredibly content and pleased with myself.
As I write this right now, I can feel those same effects of Rush. However at this instance these feelings of well-being aren’t as potent as I described above. I can only assume this is because I’ve been very focused and productively writing blog posts for the past several hours.
BENEFITS MENTIONED: – Enhanced Mindfulness – Decreased Anxiety – Improved Mood – Mild Euphoria – Improved Sense of Well-Being
Can Gorilla Mind Rush Work as Pre-Workout or Appetite Suppressant?
You will notice that most people who review Gorilla Mind Rush use it during some sort of fast. There’s a good reason for that.
See, it’s not simply because they want to feel the best that Gorilla Mind has to offer to push out a review. No way! That would mean they’re posting misleading reviews based on a single experience.
(By the way, you do feel Rush better on a fast. However, as long as your meal isn’t huge you will still feel plenty of the benefits at about 70% more-or-less of your fasting optimal.)
The reason why people fast when they take Rush is because it’s an astoundingly good appetite suppressant. I would even argue that it’s better than the top-quality fat burners I reviewed.
When you take Rush it’s very easy to disregard any cravings you may have because you know it will disrupt your focus and enhanced mood. Why ruin a good time?
My latest batch has actually made it incredibly easy to diet and eat only one meal a day. And I feel absolutely fine. In fact, I feel great!
I do want to mention that when you use this supplement that you may notice your mouth get a little dry. This is no big deal, just make sure to drink your water and stay hydrated.
Now would I recommend using this supplement as a pre-workout? Sure.
I mean you can use it. It works. But there are supplements that would work better. Especially the Gorilla Mode pre-workout I intend on reviewing soon.
Although Rush can provide you a nice bump of energy, I personally didn’t really notice my workout feel much better viscerally. I assume that’s because Gorilla Mind is intended for the mind.
However, I can recommend it if you workout at the end of a long day. Specifically because it does promote wakefulness without any crash. It’s also convenient and portable in its pill form.
Gorilla Mind is safe to use as long as you take it responsibly.
However, I took my own liberty to experiment with Gorilla Mind Rush and I can undoubtedly say, it is an incredible nootropic blend as is. I don’t recommend you stack it with anything other than coffee.
DO NOT USE GORILLA MIND RUSH ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN ADVERTISED.
As of the time of this writing, I’ve stacked Rush with two major drugs and got the following results:
Marijuana: Both times these two have been stacked were completely on accident, where the effects of Mind Rush hadn’t worn off yet. The way marijuana stacks with Rush will give you some of the worst, discomforting trips you’ll ever have. Trust me, don’t do it.
Phenibut: When I stack it with phenibut my senses become overloaded and my mind becomes too mentally encumbered to make sense of things. Again, do not take Gorilla Mind Rush any differently than advertised.
Don’t Use For Multiple Consecutive Days. Since I’ve taken Gorilla Mind Rush, I noticed that taking it daily (3 pills minimum per day) for multiple days straight (10+ days) will leave me with sort of a mild erectile dysfunction. When I stop taking it for up to two days everything goes back to normal.
The Gorilla Mind website clearly states “It is best to rotate Gorilla Mind Rush and Gorilla Mind Smooth and not take either for multiple consecutive days.” —– This is my mistake.
How to NOT Waste Gorilla Mind Rush (& Use It Wisely)
I’ve used Gorilla Mind Rush in a variety of activities. The activities you generally don’t want to use Rush for are activities that don’t require strict attention.
For example, I’ve taken Rush (and Smooth) before events like visiting huge outdoor gatherings, social outings, and dog walks at the park.
In each of these instances my mood simply elevates and I pay more attention to the podcast or person I’m listening to. Nothing remarkable.
I suggest you don’t spend your Rush supply on these easygoing activities. Although your mood may improve and you feel good physical sensations, your output from these activities are the same.
You won’t get more from a walk on Rush than a slightly nicer walking experience. There are also better nootropics out there to help with socializing.
To put it bluntly, Rush is best used on work that requires focus.
Final Verdict? Gorilla Mind Rush is the Legal, Real Life NZT-48 Pill from Limitless
Many nootropic and smart drug users, including myself, actually prefer Gorilla Mind over other strong substances like modafinil. Many of us are actually very impressed that something over-the-counter works this well.
If you found my review helpful, please feel free to use my link to make your purchase here. If you’re still skeptical, you can also try out their “to-go Rush” samples for a taste of what you could be missing at a very affordable price.
This past month I’ve been getting into direct thick neck training. Although its only been a month, I’ve noticed my neck feels puffier due to increased blood flow, a slight increase in vascularity, and my shirt collars are fitting tighter.
So its been my personal observation that the neck actually grows fairly quickly when you give it special treatment. Even though its only been a month, I’ll continue to train it until my neck has respectable size.
In the meantime, I’ll show you my neck routine for this past month. So you can grow your neck in as little as thirty days. All you need is the following:
I’ve decided to keep neck training as simple as possible. This means you will only be performing two neck exercises for twenty minutes every single day for 30 days.
The neck exercise you will be doing is the neck curl and neck extension.
However, you may stumble upon other neck exercises as well. Don’t worry about those other neck exercises. The neck curl and extension exercises are more than enough.
You want to start off with a light weight. For example, I started with 7.5lbs. When you start at a light weight, you don’t need to worry about reps and sets.
At a light weight, focus on performing the movements slowly with time under tension. This way you learn how to perform the neck movements safely and get the neck used to weight resistance.
When you work your way up to 20lbs+ you will focus less on slow movement. Instead you will perform the neck exercises in a controlled manner for multiple sets of 10+ reps.
For your neck training you will do as many sets as you comfortably can within the duration of twenty to forty minutes.
You will do this every single day for thirty days. If you feel neck pain or you feel you neck is being overworked, take two days off from neck training.
Neck Training Tips
Make sure your neck harness is on properly. When you put on the neck harness, check a mirror to make sure it’s on straight. This helps keep the weight evenly distributed to your neck and prevent possible injury.
You don’t need to go very heavy. Personally, I only went so far as 25lbs for up to 20 reps per set. A self-inflicted neck injury is the last thing you want. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Try to keep your neck training around the same time every day. This means you will have twenty hours between each neck training section. Although this isn’t a hard rule, it’s suggested so you don’t strain you neck by training it too often (ex. two neck training sessions within 12 hours).
Warm-up your neck before neck training. It’s important to warm-up your neck to avoid neck strain. Typically you can skip a warm-up if you perform neck training in the later part of your day. You can warm-up your neck by turning and bending your head in all directions for a nice stretch.
3 Reasons to Get a Thick Neck
A thick neck protects you from being sucker-punched. When you see a fighter deliver a knock-out punch, the receiving fighter stumbles and falls to the ground. The reason he got laid out is because the force of the punch was enough to shake the receiver’s brain within his skull until he lost consciousness. By having a thick neck you give your head much more stability.
A thick neck helps intimidate weaker men. If you compare two men, a thick neck and a thin neck, you will easily assume the thick necked man can beat down the other man. Well, the man with a thin neck thinks the same thing. Everyone assumes that a thicker neck means you are more athletic and more physically capable of taking someone down. This possibility makes people hesitant to take you on.
Women find a thick neck to be very masculine. A man with a thick neck simply looks more physically capable than most men. Women who are more feminine appreciate this sort of aesthetic on a man because it’s such a rare masculine trait to have. Whether they realize or not, a thick neck is an attractive quality, similar to big arms or a v-taper.
How To Break Through Overhead Shoulder Press Plateau
For the longest time my overhead press was stuck around 130lbs. No matter how much rep-work or deloads I did, my shoulder strength wouldn't improve.
It wasn't until I said "fuck it" and tried a new strategy that I finally saw some real change.
The strategy is to dedicate an entire 30 minute session to shoulder overhead press.
You might be thinking - what the hell?
And I get it.
But if you've really been struggling to improve your overhead press for some time now, it's best you hear me out.
Now you can still do your regular routine. But this is going to take a separate 30 minutes of your day.
My recommendation is to have your overhead press sessions two days on, one day off. Take two days in a row off if you feel your body needs it.
If you're exercise routine is a back/chest/leg split, then you'd be having your overhead press sessions on the same days as your leg and back sessions.
This is because you want to give your shoulders adequate rest time and upper-push days, like chest days, won't help you.
How To Break Through Overhead Press Plateau
You will get to your work area and start a countdown of 30 minutes. You will fit in as many, or few, sets it takes to fill your 30 minute countdown.
Here is a quick layout of the Shoulder Press Session:
Two Warm-up Sets
Your first 2 sets will be increasing warm-up sets of 5 reps each. Take as little rest time necessary.
Two or Three Working Sets
Your working weight is the weight you are currently stuck on.
You will aim for 5 reps per set on your two or three working weight sets.
If you fail to reach 4 or 5 reps, you will take a three to five minute rest period. If you reach all 5 reps, take as little rest time you feel necessary.
End with Heavy/Single Sets
These last sets will be heavier sets and lastly single sets.
For these ending sets it's perfectly fine to perform your reps similar to a Push Press.
This Push Press is essentially the Overhead Shoulder Press, but with a slight bounce from your legs; you want the minimal leg bounce necessary.
Every set you will incrementally increase the weight on the bar.
You want your body to get used to handling weight heavier than your working weight.
Eventually you will reach single sets. These are sets that are so heavy, you can only perform one single rep.
This is perfectly fine.
Your last set should be an attempted single Overhead 'Push' Press.
This is essential because you want your body to get used to holding heavier weight over your head and a controlled (not slow) negative.
Here's a sample illustration of a session
Warm-Up Set - 115lbs - 5 reps 1 to 5 minute rest
Warm-Up Set - 125lbs - 5 reps 1 to 5 minute rest
Working Set - 135lbs - 3 reps 3 to 5 minute rest
Working Set - 135lbs - 3 reps 3 to 5 minute rest
Working Set - 135lbs - 2 reps 3 to 5 minute rest
Heavy/Single Set - 140lbs - 2 reps 3 to 5 minute rest
Heavy/Single Set - 145lbs - 1 rep 3 to 5 minute rest
Heavy/Single Set - 150lbs - 1 rep 3 to 5 minute rest
Heavy/Single Set - 150lbs - 0 reps DONE or use lighter weight
Why does this work?
You're giving the overhead press your complete focus. Since you're body isn't tired from previous movements, you're able to give your shoulders the attention, time, and energy they need for the lift to improve.
Your overhead press form is going to improve. The special treatment you're giving this movement will result in increasingly better form and technique. Especially since it's costing you an additional 30 minutes out of your day.
You will improve your mind-muscle connection. You'll notice when you're shoulders are taking an unnecessary beating. In turn, you'll avoid overworking your shoulders so you can make consistent progress without any hiccups.
Additional Tips
Your shoulders should be the very first muscles you workout. When your shoulders are given priority they will be at their strongest. This is opposed to working your shoulders after an intense body workout.
Use a barbell for the overhead press, if possible. I find that a regular barbell is the best way to perform the exercise. Fixed barbell weights tend to jump the weight up too much to be useful. Curl bars aren't as easy to manage, especially when you start pressing 135lbs or more.
You need to increase the weight very incrementally. This means you will only bump up the working weight by 5lbs (2.5lbs each side) at a time. You can also use 1.25lbs plates - I never used them but it stands to reason they'd be incredibly useful with this movement.
Grip the bar very, very firmly. The more intentional you are with your grip, the more control you will have with the movement. The straighter you can make the bar path, the easier this movement will be.
Make sure you shrug at the top of the movement. To avoid shoulder pain make sure you shrug at the top of the movement. This avoids rotator cuff issues because when you shrug you make space between your arm and AC joint. When you don’t shrug, you don’t create space - hence shoulder impingement.
There is no need for additional shoulder exercises. The only other shoulder exercise you need for direct strength carryover is the push press movement.
Your overhead press strength should be half of what you lift for bench press. Obviously this rule isn't cut and dry. But it does give you an accurate idea of whether or your OHP is below or above where it should be. When I first used this strategy I was below where I should be. Nowadays I'm about where I should be. And you can be too.
Recap - How To Get Through Your Overhead Press Plateau
Dedicate time to your overhead press.
Warm-up and practice your form and technique.
Get your body used to pressing heavier overhead than you're used to.
Use the Push Press modification; use minimal bounce as necessary.
Have as many progressing overhead shoulder sessions as possible.
100 Bicep Curls & 100 Triceps Extensions for 23 Days
Last month I took up a challenge presented by AJAC. The challenge is detailed below:
February Challenge Directions
From Now, February 2nd, until February 29th, you'll train arms daily.
You will 100 bicep curls
You will do 100 tricep pushdowns.
You can experiment with different grips on the exercises (say 50 forearm curls, and 50 hammer curls), but don't overcomplicate. Bands, cables, barbells, Dumbbells, etc, USE it all and keep interesting.
100 reps for biceps and triceps, DAILY.
For 28 Days. Exactly 4 Weeks
I made a slight modification to the challenge. Instead of tricep pushdowns, I performed tricep extensions.
Although the challenge was meant for 28 days, I stopped after Day 23.
Why did I stop? I wanted to put my focus elsewhere.
I already knew what the challenge was meant to accomplish because I'd done it myself back when I was doing A Stud's Physique.
How did I perform the exercises?
The exercises were a constant variable; EZ-Bar Curls & Standing Triceps Extensions
METHOD 1: 10 supersets of 10 curls then 10 ext. Light to Moderate weight.
METHOD 2: 7 to 10 sets of 10 to 15 curls. 7 to 10 sets of 10 to 15 ext. Light to Moderate weight. Heavy weight last two sets.
METHOD 3: 5 sets of 20 curls. 5 sets of 20 ext. Light weight.
The heavier the weight the longer the rest periods. If the weight was light then I kept rest periods around one or two minutes.
Results
Although I didn't complete the entire 4 weeks, I noticed more veins on my biceps. My triceps also pop more thanks to muscle memory.
Since I was on maintenance I neither gained or lost weight. So not much was gonna happen in terms of results.
Instead my arms built up an endurance since they were pumped with blood on a daily basis.
Obviously there wasn't much of a change for me - HOWEVER! I can definitely recommend daily arm work to people with small arms.
Why I Recommend Daily Arm Work (Especially to Novices)
I don't have good triceps insertions. For whatever reason everyone in my family has better looking triceps than I do.
When I was a complete novice my tricep muscles were just a single visible "line" on the back of my arm. Despite being able to bench press 255lbs for 5 reps.
It wasn't until I did tricep extensions every single day for four months that I developed my triceps.
That's when I learned that arms need DIRECT WORK with HIGHER REPS.
Strength isn't going to develop smaller muscles like the biceps and triceps the way higher reps can. Your arm muscles need to be pumped with blood in order to grow.
You need to apply this DIRECT WORK with HIGHER REPS philosophy when building your forearms as well.
I learned this first-hand when I was a young buck and took up a warehouse job where you pick up and put down boxes for 10 hours a day.
Your forearms build up with this type of "endurance" training.
Look at the arms of men who work doing physical labor and you'll notice they have thick forearms. Specifically the "belly" of the forearms.
Keep in mind that bone density is a huge factor in your overall size as well (arms and forearms included).
20 Quick Tips to Lose Weight & Look Great
General Tips
Stop eating as early in the day as possible. When you eat your last meal of the day long before bedtime, you will burn fat in your sleep.
Drink coffeeon an empty stomach. Drinking coffee in a fasted state (1) boosts your energy and improves alertness, (2) curbs your appetite, and (3) works well as a pre-workout
Do fasted cardio. You burn fat most directly when you exercise in a fasted state.
You can't burn off fat if you keep eating. The longer you go without eating, the more fat you will burn. This means you should fast by skipping one meal a day and get rid of snacking entirely.
Stay hydrated. Sometimes you think you're hungry when you're actually thirsty. Make sure your urine is clear when you use the restroom. That way you know you're not dehydrated and you keep your belly full.
Chew gum. When you chew gum your stomach will churn because it expects food. Consider this churning to be auditory proof that your body is working to slim you down.
Prioritize sleep. The less sleep you get, the more cortisol you have. Cortisol causes stress and increases your appetite. The more sleep you get, the less cortisol you have. Plus you can't eat in your sleep.
Avoid stress. People gravitate to their kitchen when they feel stressed. Get rid of any stressors and occupy yourself with something that keeps you calm.
Plan your meals ahead. Prepare and take your foods with you if you know you won't have access to your dietary needs.
Fundamental Tips
Give yourself a calorie cap. You can search online for a calculator and give yourself a deficit of 500 to 1000 calories. Or you can multiply your desired weight by 10 (ex. 170lbs x 10 = 1,700 calories.)
Find a method that works for you. I've experimented with several dieting strategies over the years. My favorite is definitely the OMAD Carnivore diet.
Insulin is a chemical that stops the fat burning process. The higher your insulin, the longer it takes for your body to start burning fat again. Carbs trigger high insulin release. Protein and fats trigger a lower insulin release. This means you want to keep your carb intake low for efficient fat-loss.
Carbs are best eaten before bed. If you can't go without carbs, then you must only eat them at the end of your day. This way you burn fat during your waking hours. By eating carbs before bed, you'll be asleep by the time your appetite spikes. You also avoid brain fog caused by carbs.
Avoid your devil food. There are foods that will destroy your progress the moment it touches your tongue. Sure it's tempting at first, but you'll find that "one thing leads to another". Personally, these foods are pizza, buffalo wings, chips, alcohol, etc. Pay attention to the foods that make you lose your discipline.
Choose real foods over meal replacements. Meal shakes, protein bars, and most diet supplements are utter garbage. Real food tends to be more affordable than these processed products anyway.
Use diet supplements that ACTUALLY work. The only fat burning supplement I recommend is Red Burner. I've lost 12lbs in a month easily because it completely destroys bad appetites and cravings.
Misc. Tips
Fast an entire day, once a month. The benefits include (1) enhanced longevity, (2) decreased blood sugar, (3) improved heart health, and (4) cell recycling.
The best fat-loss meal at Chipotle. A salad bowl with a double serving of steak/chicken/babacoa/carnitas. For toppings get cheese, sour cream, and/or guacamole.
Keto Coffee at Starbucks. This is black coffee is "light" whipping cream. Although the calorie intake is sizeable (upwards of 600 calories) you only get 6 grams of carbs. Proper planning makes this feasible when your intention is to keep insulin levels low. The whipping cream also doesn't get you hooked on sweets like artificial sweetener does.
Check out A Stud's Physique. Get your fitness ebook that shows you how to lose weight, look great, get strong, and build muscle.
If you’re looking to lose weight and look great or get strong and build muscle, check out A Stud’s Physique for the easiest and simplest fitness ebook ever created.
It took me two years to learn this simple life lesson. But there are still people who have yet to learn it. This is for them -
Back in 2016, I lived in a college dorm that had a campus gym very close by.
I'd been to the gym regularly for three weeks now as part of my program. When one day, in the middle of my leg workout, I hear something pop.
I felt like I was struck with a metal bat and my body instantly lost strength. Luckily, I somehow managed to rerack the weight.
But my back was fucking killing me. So I grabbed my stuff and walked back to the dorms in shame.
The next morning it got worse. I couldn't bend back and forth or side-to-side.
If someone were about to come up and punch me in the face, it'd hurt less to take the hit than it would to move out of the way.
The girls at the dorm told me to go to the doctor. I told them that I'm invincible and that I don't need a doctor.
Pfft.
The next day while they were out I went straight to the doctor.
This first visit he told me to get rest and the pain should go away. He was sure it was just muscle soreness.
... Right.
A week goes by and my back feels worse than before. Hell, I feel emasculated by how much it pains me to move.
This made it difficult to walk, lay down, stand up, or even sit down to take a shit.
The second visit to the doctor was at Kaiser. He determined that it was just muscle soreness and gave me medication for the pain.
For another month I lived with this discomfort. Sure the meds helped, but I still had trouble bending and moving.
Eventually I got used to the daily pain and nearly accepted it as a way of life.
I was a twenty-year-old guy with the mobility of an old man!
On my third visit, I finally had a doctor recommend something useful - physical therapy.
So I went to physical therapy.
When they called me in I was led to a private room to lay on a thin, blue bed.
Then in comes the nurse -
Smooth cocoa skin, long black hair, soft voice, luscious lips covered in dark red -
His name was Carlos.
Nice guy.
After a month of physical therapy nothing got better! Nothing these doctors recommended fixed my issue!
I lived with back pain every single day for two whole years until I figured out how to fix it myself.
The point of the story is this -
You have to be your own doctor.
Doctors aren’t doctors for you and me. They don’t give a damn about you.
They only care about the money lining their pockets and making their student loan payments.
Hell, asian families only push their kids to be doctors for the money and prestige. Helping people is hardly an afterthought.
So what should you do? You must take control of your own health.
You have to make it priority #1 because your health is no joke.
5 Real Ways to Take Better Care of Your Health
Eat a natural diet.If it doesn't come from the ground or an animal, it's not good for you. Natural foods will satiate you and make you feel good.
Processed foods won't satiate you and get you addicted to sugary foods. This addiction causes you to eat more processed foods, which wears down your digestive system more than natural foods ever will.
Get your weight under control. If you are morbidly obese or fat, it's your duty to get to a healthy weight. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for others.
There are people who want to see you live a long life and being fat leaves you open to thyroid issues, diabetes, and other diseases.
Exercise your body and keep active. Get into the gym or play sports. If you can't do that then go for a jog, take a hike, or get exercise equipment.
Whatever gets you trim and fit. Because when you're trim and fit, you are in better physical condition than 70% of people in the United States.
Research and fix your body's weaknesses.If parts of your body aren't working the way they're supposed to, or you experience regular discomfort, go the extra mile and do your research.
Most times you have a muscular imbalance that you need to fix. Do the work and get what's necessary to fix it yourself. No pill or injection will be able to fix that.
Strengthen and protect your body. Honor your body like the precious asset that it is. Make yourself a force to be reckoned with by adding muscle to your frame and learning self-defense.
Get serious and be your own doctor for your own personal health.
What happens if you don't become your own doctor.
The year is 2019, I'm at work in the middle of a sale when I suddenly get a phone call -
"Come to grandpa's! Something's happened-"
Turns out that my grandfather's stomach has been in pain for months. Just like me, he went to the doctor's office right away to get checked.
On his first visit, they told him he must've eaten something bad and that the pain would pass.
Weeks later he still had pain and it was getting worse.
On his second visit, they told him he must've gotten the stomach flu. So they did nothing.
As the weeks went on my grandfather started getting slower, he lost his appetite, and lost weight quickly.
One day his stomach was in excruciating pain. So my uncle took him back to the doctor.
On his third visit, it was the same run-around. The staff tried to shoo them out the door.
My uncle refused -
“No! He’s in pain! You guys help him! He’s been coming and you guys don’t do anything! I’m not leaving until you give him something!”
So they took him back in.
That's how they found out he had cancer.
He was going to die.
When I got to his room his senses were already leaving him.
He was laying in his bed. Barely alive.
His eyes were moving, but he couldn't see. His mouth open, but he could hardly breathe.
Family gathered in the room. Faces full of tears.
My grandfather's oldest brother was at his side. He held onto his arm to comfort him.
I showed no emotion. I kept a thick face as I watched my mother tend to her dying father.
Everyone said what they had to say before he left this world. And when everyone was finished the room got quiet.
All you could hear was the rattle.
Be Your Own Doctor Recap
No matter how many times I'd gone to see the doctor, they were no help.
I was in pain for two years.
No matter how many times my grandfather had gone to see the doctor, they were no help.
He was in pain until he died.
Now I'm sure there's a reason for all of this, but my message is the same - You must make your health your priority.
Doctors have their responsibilities and you have yours. And even if they could help you, they can't save you.
The doctors didn't do anything to help my grandfather live.
But they did help him die.
Take it upon yourself to take care of your health and body.
Make sure you keep a natural diet.
Get your weight under control.
Exercise your body and keep active.
Research and fix your body's weaknesses.
Strengthen and protect your body.
It's your life and your body. Nobody else's. Protect it and honor it.
Until next time.
Your brother,
- Rich
How to Harness Your Sexual Energy (Sex Transmutation Explained)
To this day there are many people who still don't understand what sexual transmutation is.
Sex transmutation is defined as "switching of the mind from thoughts of physical expression, to thoughts of another nature" according to Think and Grow Rich.
If you want the easiest understanding of sexual transmutation and how to utilize it, keep reading.
This is a simple example of sexual transmutation at work -
One day I was texting a woman that I strongly desired. I wanted her like no other and I thought of her fairly often.
In simple terms I was obsessed and driven by her. I don't typically feel this way towards women. It was like having a school crush.
This is because my sex energy was bursting and caused me to act and think in such a way.
Until one day I asked myself what I truly desired.
I wanted money, and lots of it.
This sudden burning desire for money opened my eyes and showed me an opportunity.
This woman had cousins who ran a certain business.
Without concern towards her, I told her I wanted to meet them since I sensed an opportunity.
In turn, my desire for this women was immediately knocked down a peg or two in priority.
My sexual energy was transmuted and used for the pursuit of something else; money.
It was this sudden shift of obsession, priority, and desire that is a true example of sexual transmutation in action.
Why we have the power of sexual transmutation.
If the short story didn't make sense to you, don't worry. It will all come together.
By nature, sexual energy is the default energy for a regular person.
Sex is the hugest motivator there is because of this.
Like animals, it's in our very nature to procreate.
But the difference between man and beast is that men are always "in season".
A man's sexual energy is always building. Even when he releases his seed, his body starts rebuilding his sexual energy.
This buildup of sexual energy enhances the man. Similar to how animals increase in liveliness when it's time to mate.
This is why people who let their sexual energy build up, will experience:
Increased Confidence
Increased Willpower
Deeper Voice
Better Sleep
More Ejaculate
Calmness
Lower Stress
Better Mood
Improved Focus
Better Memory
Heightened Intuition
Increased Creativity
Biologically these "supernatural" enhancements are part of the human survival and reproductive strategy.
You experience these benefits because your body wants to find a girl to pass down your genes.
How to have sexual discipline & channel your sexual energy.
Make sure you don't waste your sexual energy on (1) masturbation or (2) overindulgence of sex.
When you have built up sexual energy, you have no choice but to apply that energy to something else.
All energy finds an outlet - whether good or bad.
This is the gift nature gave us and as humans we are intelligent enough to use it in pursuits outside of sex.
Remember how in the story my priority shifted from the girl to money?
At that moment, not only was my sex energy very high. But I was admittedly obsessed with getting the girl.
(Obsession as in a strong desire and dignified willingness to pursue.)
Then I found something I valued more, something else to obsess over.
The power of sexual transmutation exists to help you conquer what you desire. To take advantage of this power there must be something that you desire to conquer (other than sex).
Once you decide what your #1 priority is, you will realize this:
This is the greatest positive outlet for your sexual energy.
If you are a single man you must stop watching porn and stop masturbating. It's okay to still want women, that won't go away. But instead of acting on the emotion of sex, pursue something else.
This could mean getting in shape, writing a blog, starting a hustle, etc. The point is that you accomplish something greater with your life. Without any goals, there isn't much reason to do any of this.
If you are a taken man you must express your sexuality only to that woman. Yes, you can still have sex. But you can't overindulge in sex or masturbate.
Hopefully you are with a certain woman that can bring more energy out of you than you would be able to without (a muse). The right women will amplify your sexual energy.
Side Note: Women tend to spice things up during ovulation. But that very specific area of sexual transmutation is yet to be dissected by women (men can't do it).
What if you lack sexual energy?
There are only two common reasons why anyone lacks sexual energy.
(1) Hormonal Imbalance - The lack of testosterone can be a real problem. Without your sex hormone you actually lack vitality and action.
A beast will lose its fight and drive when is lacks sex hormones. This is why animals that are fixed become miserable and docile.
If you even think you lack the male hormone, I recommend you invest in a credible testosterone booster.
Make sure you consult your doctor if you have any concerns.
(2) Displaced Focus (Stress) - Remember that you experience sex energy benefits because your body wants to procreate. If you're going through something then your body instinctively knows to back off of sex.
What you are experiencing is the result of a negative outlet for the sex energy you do muster up. If you're in a bad relationship with a poisonous woman, you have to leave. She's taking your energy, not building it.
If you are experiencing money issues or a death in the family, then this is no surprise. Get assistance so you can get through your rough time. If you are simply overworked, take a step back and breathe.
Sex Transmutation Recap
Sexual transmutation is redirecting your desire to have sex into your desire to have something else.
Nature has given us the benefits of sexual energy so we can attract and achieve.
The ability to focus, obsess and take action towards a goal is a result of successful transmutation.
Don't watch porn or masturbate and find a good woman to be your muse and means of sexual expression.
Now that you have the secret recipe for success - Use it wisely & take action.
How to Fix Weak Knees (Easy Solution for Bad Knees)
Do you have bad knees? Do your kneecaps give you discomfort for days at a time? Lucky for you, I have your solution.
I was cursed with bad knees that always felt seemingly weak or tender. I always felt too aware of my kneecaps.
But after some time researching and finding the perfect exercises, I no longer have bad knees. And I'm gonna show you how I did it:
What's really going on with your bad knees?
The issue is very likely not your knees. Instead your issue is your gluteus medius.
This muscle is easily neglected and I'll get to why in a moment.
When you lack gluteus medius muscle your body relies on other ways to support your body mass. Oftentimes your knees are compensating for your lack of medius ass muscle.
This muscle is also very associated with your hips. So it's been my personal observation that people who can't hula hoop will have bad knees.
How do you fix your weak knees and strengthen the gluteus medius?
If you're reading this then you specifically need to work your gluteus medius directly.
First you're gonna need resistance bands. I personally use industrial rubber bands. But I recommend you use actual exercise bands.
There are only two exercises that you really need to do. I recommend doing both of these exercises because they are easy and can be done at home.
Exercise #1 - Band Seated Abduction
Exercise #2 - Band Crab Walks
Perform 3 to 4 sets of both of these exercises every single day.
Here's a quick Knee Rehab Routine: - Seat Abduction (12 reps) - Crab Walk (1 minute)
- Seat Abduction (12 reps) - Crab Walk (1 minute)
- Seat Abduction (12 reps) - Crab Walk (1 minute)
You'll be amazed at how quickly your knees will improve.
After your second or third session you'll notice your knees feel relief and gain stability.
Hell, it only took me a little over a week before my knees felt healthy again.
And to be honest, it was so easy, I’ll never go back to having weak knees again.
Until next time,
- Rich
How to Build Self-Respect
So you want to know how to build self-respect? Well understand this:
There is more to self-respect than dealing with people or achievement. Self-respect has to do with your soul.
To build self-respect you must understand the basics of boundaries:
Do what's your responsibility
Don't do what's not your responsibility
As every adult has their own responsibilities and needs; bills, family, health, happiness, etc.
Your self-respect is tied to how much you honor your boundaries.
When you have no boundaries and take up others' responsibilities you build resentment and feel violated.
When you honor your boundaries you teach others to take care of themselves so they can learn and grow.
Build boundaries to build self-respect.
Self-respect is a sign of maturity as people who are mature respect boundaries.
Mature people take care of their own responsibilities. Immature people do not take care of their responsibilities.
Here are signs of immaturity: - Unreliable and lazy - Violates boundaries - Overly reliable (shoulders others' duties) - Lacks boundaries
Those who show the qualities above are not mature and aren't fully developed.
Understand that irresponsible, boundary-violating, lazy people are cons. They don't deliver.
And people who take on others' responsibilities and lack boundaries are pushovers.
Among those who haven't fully developed you may notice a funny pattern:
(1) Good performers that spare others' feelings and (2) shit performers that seem brutally honest.
Those who are mature are capable of handling their duties and can speak bluntly (understanding truth may hurt, but it doesn't harm).
How do you build self-respect and protect your boundaries?
Say "no".
You say "no" because it's your duty to honor your boundaries.
As a rule of thumb: - If it's not your responsibility, you say "no". - If it's a ridiculous request, you say "no". - When you feel unsure, you say "no".
It's not your responsibility to offer an explanation nor deal with their displeasure.
A mature, healthy adult doesn't get upset when you refuse their responsibilities (a skill they should've learned as a child).
We are all expected to deal with our own thoughts, actions, feelings, and behaviors.
Sometimes the best thing to do is physically get away from a person. Especially those you hold resentment towards.
Why stay around someone who is toxic to your soul?
Maintain the self-control to stay away and despise individuals who are toxic to you. As you distance yourself you will become healthy.
The physical distance can also make the immature person feel loss of fellowship.
People with self-respect let others fail.
My earliest memory is walking up to a playground jungle gym on a hot day and grabbing the metal chains. I was told not to and I didn't listen. My hands burned like hell, but I learned from the experience.
As the saying goes, "You reap what you sow." (Cause and Effect)
You must let the immature receive the consequences of their own irresponsibility; tough love.
Rescuing someone is not loving them. Because then they don't grow and mature. Let people fail and let them learn how to pull themselves back up.
That's how they learn.
Why you must protect your boundaries to build self-respect.
Let yourself be firm with your boundaries so you may live the way you are meant to.
Your soul cares most about two things, in this order: #1 Your freedom #2 Your service to others
You hand over control of your life and freedom if you don't say "no".
To shoulder someone's responsibilities is to violate your freedom (which builds resentment in your soul).
Your gut instinct is there to help protect your soul. But you can't be deaf to it.
To say "no" is to protect your investment to yourself. To go against your gut is to cut off this crucial growth.
That's why it's best to be around others who can cultivate and respect others' boundaries. (Yes, finding these people will be time-consuming).
But when you honor your boundaries your giving is genuine. You can be a service to others and not expect anything in return.
Instead you can take pleasure in helping (as opposed to resentment).
This is because you are happily invested in yourself. You have self-respect.
You simply get more out of life when you give yourself freedom to invest your time in what your soul believes is right.
So how do your build your self-respect?
Honor Your Boundaries
Boundaries = Self-Respect = Freedom
Make the choice to live life the way you are meant to live it.
Not how others want you to.
Until next time.
Your brother,
-Rich
13 Ways to Boost Testosterone
Are you a man looking for ways to boost testosterone? Do you believe you have low testosterone and it's impacting your life?
I understand your concern.
Testosterone is the most important hormone in your body, as it controls your:
bone density
muscle size
voice
facial hair
energy
emotions
libido
confidence
Without enough testosterone you are less a man than you're supposed to be.
How is testosterone produced?
When your testosterone levels aren't where they should be, your pituitary gland secretes two hormones that work their way to your testicles:
Luteinizing-hormone (LH). This hormone helps convert cholesterol into new testosterone.
Follicle-stimulation hormone (FSH). This helps with the process to create new sperm.
The new testosterone is released into your blood and circulates in your body as "free testosterone".
Free testosterone is absolutely critical to have in your body.
The free testosterone is what gives you your more masculine qualities, like bigger bones and stronger muscles.
The problem with free testosterone is it makes up less than 10% of your total testosterone.
The remaining testosterone is already "taken" and automatically binds to enzymes and different proteins.
It's important to understand that "free testosterone" is the most important part of your "total testosterone".
Even if you have high total testosterone in your body but low free testosterone, you will suffer symptoms of having low testosterone.
And if you already have low total testosterone then you're left with even less free testosterone.
Testing your testosterone levels
I personally don't recommend going to the doctors to test your testosterone levels. Here's why:
This information is from my healthcare records via app. I lost the paperwork.
Medical science has chosen to neglect research on testosterone.
When I got tested I found out that I didn't have low free testosterone. Nope.
I found out my total testosterone was low altogether!
Now what doctors consider healthy is to have total testosterone in the range of 300 to 1,200 ng/dL.
I knew something was wrong because back in 2016 I was 20 or 21 years old. This is considered the age of peak testosterone levels.
But my testosterone levels were barely in the range at all!
I talked to the doctor about this and he insisted I was healthy.
"Doc, I'm young. Wouldn't it make more sense if I were higher on the spectrum instead of lower? My testosterone levels would only make sense for someone who is old..."
If you experience any of the following symptoms, I'll show you where to go for proper testing:
Symptoms of low testosterone
Constant fatigue
Irritability and/or brain fog
Low sex drive (if any)
Weak erections
Difficulty burning fat off
Slow muscle recovery time
Increased injury frequency
Depression
Low feelings of self-worth
Gynecomastia (“bitch tits”)
Brother, if you experience any of the above and you want real help with testing your testosterone levels you can go to MyLabFax. You'll get tested and get a proper reading on your total testosterone and free testosterone.
Ultimately, you want your free testosterone to be as high as possible. But if your total testosterone is low, your free testosterone will be low too.
After you try to raise your testosterone levels naturally, or if you just want fast results, if you don't notice a change there is still another option.
You can talk to a doctor (see specialist) who can prescribe Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for you.
I have never used TRT and I have no opinion on TRT. Therefore I can neither recommend it nor give you advice on how to use it.
However! If you're in your early to mid-twenties, doctors aren't even going to consider you for TRT.
Instead you will have to resort to rare, legal supplements to increase your testosterone.
Lucky for you I know which products actually work.
A few years ago I recommended an incredible testosterone supplement. But like all products that work, it became illegal.
So I started trying out new supplements to see which ones work best.
For an older gentleman, this may be your last option before getting a TRT prescription from your doctor.
Red Beast is the only testosterone supplement that I recommend that isn't illegal yet.
If you want to read more about it, you can do so here.
If you care about being a man...
Then you already know having low testosterone is a very real problem to have.
Because having high testosterone levels is the difference between mediocrity and greatness.
Seriously.
So if you even suspect that your testosterone levels are low, then follow the advice above.
Whether it'd be changes in your diet, activities, or supplements -
You owe it to yourself to feel like the man that you are meant to be.
Until next time,
Yours.
-Rich
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional and this is not health advice.
13 ways to boost testosterone. 13 ways to boost testosterone.
4 Ways to Get Rid of Muscle Soreness By Tomorrow
Are you struggling to get rid of muscle soreness?
(Originally posted May 9, 2017)
One of the most disappointing experiences you can have in the gym is realizing that your muscles are still busted from your last workout.
You grab the loaded bar, squeeze out a few reps, but you already feel drained and weakened from the intensity of working only half of your set.
Your workout suffered because you didn't know how to maximize recovery.
Not anymore! I lift weights for at least five days a week, and I have no issues using the same muscles or exercises on several consecutive days in a row.
Here are 4 tips to maximize your recovery and get rid of muscle soreness:
Drink Water
Yes, you’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again. Drink your damn water! But don’t just drink it during your workout. Drink it before, during, and after.
Also, make sure to drink water first thing in the morning. Because when you wake up and you’re dehydrated, your body isn't functioning properly.
That said, you’re much stronger hydrated than you are dehydrated. As long as your urine is clear, you are drinking enough water.
I recommend buying and using a plastic gallon of water. You can use it everyday and it's under a buck to purchase.
Sleep
Get enough sleep every night. This bit is crucial. Without enough sleep your body won’t adequately recover.
I wake up every day at 5:00am and I schedule to be asleep by 10:30pm almost every night.
Have a sleep schedule to follow and your body will use that time to recover.
Because if you don’t take time to sleep, your body will make time to sleep. Then you’ll start to crash in the middle of your day.
So it’s best to make the time to get your sleep hours in.
Be as productive as you can be throughout your day so you can reward yourself with sleep earlier than your allotted time.
The more sleep, the more likely your muscles will recover for tomorrow’s workout.
Consistent Weightlifting Times
Have your workouts generally around the same time every day.
Working out Monday night at 9:00pm followed by a 6:00am Tuesday morning workout isn’t really giving your body much elbow room for recovery.
Consider that not only do you need adequate sleep. You also need adequate food intake to help your body recover.
If you’re working out with sufficient intensity, it is difficult to believe that you’ve given your body enough recovery resources it needs in the span of 10 hours.
I weightlift as soon as the sun rises and I'm able to see my surroundings. This can be as early as 5:30am to 7:00am, depending on the season.
Considering how I lift, I get nearly 24 hours of recovery before my next workout.
Although everyone is different, 24 hours of recovery is undeniably more effective than 10 hours.
So to consistently recover you need to give your body enough time before your next weightlifting session.
Protein Intake
Your muscles won’t even recover if you’re not taking in enough protein.
Think of your body as a business. Your muscles are your employees. If you make them work then they are going to expect compensation.
How do you pay them? Protein.
Sure, they like all the other benefits you offer for the job; carbs, vitamins, minerals.
But nothing beats cold, hard protein.
Not paying your muscles the protein they’ve worked for will make them drag their feet.
And your body’s performance will decrease.
So be sure to feed yourself enough protein to maximize recovery time.
BONUS: Ballistic Stretch (In-Between Sets)
I am guilty of not stretching as often as I should after a workout.
What I’m not guilty of is stretching in-between sets.
By performing ballistic stretches between sets you will improve recovery time for your next immediate set.
Ballistic stretching lets your muscles relax by swinging your limbs and allowing gravity to do the stretching for you.
It’s an effective use of the down time that you have resting between sets.
What if I’m still sore (I haven’t recovered)
Your intensity has gone up
If your diet is good and you’re getting enough sleep, you’ve probably increased the intensity.
Maybe you’ve increased the weight at the expense of reps or vice versa.
Perhaps you’ve added more exercises to your routine and/or extended the amount of time you have in the gym.
If this is the case, then your body is left more depleted than before.
Make sure you truly are eating enough calories, hitting your new maintenance or a small surplus.
Another possibility is that you’ve reduced your resting times.
This happened to me when I first dropped my rest times to a one minute max.
It’s far less time-consuming and I recommend everyone modify their weightlifting routines to have only one minute rest periods.
Your body will grow accustomed to shorter breaks within a week.
Your calories are below maintenance
If you’re losing weight or ‘cutting’, you need to lower your intensity.
In other words, if you’re cutting your calories, you need to cut your sets.
Fight hard to keep your exercises at the same reps and weight as before your cut.
And leave out the extra sets.
Not doing so will result in losing muscle, since you’re actively tearing your muscles and not getting them the calories they need to recover.
You haven’t exercised those muscles in forever
You’re probably stiff. Move around.
Your recovery will be faster if you move those muscles around more than if you didn’t use them at all.
And it’s a pain waiting for neglected muscles to recover.
So to avoid the long recovery time in the first place, you can work them up from a very low weight/rep range.
Sure, low weights can be embarrassing. But using your legs modestly 5 days a week is better than using them once a week and waiting to recover from being sore and stiff.
Use A Different Muscle Group
This seems like the obvious thing to do.
However, I do full-body workouts.
Whenever I feel like I didn’t recover enough from my last workout I tend to cut my entire workout short.
If I know my body isn’t going to be able to reach the same reps and weight as last time, I call it a day.
I could work out a different muscle group. But instead of using my body’s resources for lifting and recovery. I rather I let my body focus on full recovery for the day.
Depending on how you train you may choose between using different muscle groups or calling it a rest day.
Maximize Recovery
To conclude, every work day make sure you are:
drinking enough water
getting enough sleep
giving your body the time to recover
eating enough protein
Follow these basic steps and you will maximize recovery and be ready to kill it at the gym again tomorrow!
Why You Should Always Follow Your Gut Instinct
What is your gut instinct?
Your gut instinct is more than just a hunch, an intuition, or inner voice.
Your gut instinct is your path, your prosperity, your destiny.
As a child you acted on your gut instinct without hesitation.
You listened to this inner voice and it guided you to your interests, your "calling".
As a child you smiled and laughed with glee because you already knew what you wanted in life.
But over time you're led astray.
You are told to do one thing and your gut tells you to do something else.
Although your gut instinct continues to learn through your subconscious, you mistakenly learn to not listen to it.
Where does your gut instinct come from?
Your gut instinct, or inner voice, comes from your ancestors.
It's been passed down and developed generation by generation.
Biologically this is true. Your bloodline has developed this inner voice since it originated from the very first.
And now it belongs to you.
Is there more to this gut instinct?
Yes.
Some consider it to be a way to communicate with God, the universe, and other religious figures.
Don't be quick to dismiss these beliefs.
Most people who discover their inner voice tie it in with their spirituality.
Who can blame them? The voice seems to come from the beyond.
Let your inner voice guide you.
These past 7 months I’ve had two of my grandparents die of cancer.
One dealt with cancer over many years. The other seemed to die within a month.
These people died and they had nothing to show for it.
Nobody should live past 70 years and have nothing to leave behind.
Thankfully, everyone who dies is never truly gone.
Although their soul may go on to a happier place, part of them lives on in your body and blood.
They continue to live on in an ethereal way.
A way that lets them guide you to where you should be.
Our ancestors and lost loved ones continue to live on within us.
In our inner voice.
The very same voice that knows what's best for us.
As it only makes sense that our ancestors want to see us safe and prosperous. We're the only thing they left behind that matters.
So they offer us their wisdom through our inner voice. Should we be lucky and aware enough to tap into it.
This is how I like to see it. You can see things however fits you best.
How to get in touch with your inner voice
Sometimes your inner voice speaks to you out of the blue.
Other times you need moments of silence to let the voice find you.
It’s when you're in solitude that the answer will find you. Whether you're in a crowded place or not.
But beware -
You must learn to tell the difference between the physical sensation of your emotions and your gut instinct.
Careful not to mistake one for the other. As emotions can appear in your moments of weakness.
This is also why we become wiser as we age. Emotions become old and easier to differentiate from gut wisdom.
Young and naive souls are still open to emotional influence. As it's harder to differentiate emotion and gut instinct when you’re so young.
Learn the sensations you experience when your intuition speaks to you.
Because great things happen when you listen to your intuition.
Thanks to my intuition I knew when to quit my job and make online money.
I knew when to leave an area and avoid a robbery.
And somehow it always knew whether or not to trust somebody.
I listened to the inner voice and it was the right decision every time.
It's your duty to take the time to speak and consult with your inner voice - then honor it.
So you can continue on your path and prosper.
Your ancestors wouldn't have it any other way.
Until next time,
-Rich
12 Ways To Get A Studly Physique
Workout Length
Short workouts of three to five exercises (12 to 25 sets) are great for focus.
You drop the excuses and work harder when you only have time to kill a few exercises and sets.
This isn't always the case when you have a longer workout (6+ exercises totaling 25+ sets).
Longer workouts imply a lack of urgency and requires more sustainable energy. This causes your motivation to wane by the end of your session.
Ballistic Stretch
Ballistic stretches elongate your limbs repeatedly via a bouncing motion (example).
Stretching like this is convenient and immediately practical. When you ballistic stretch, you lengthen the muscle which helps release lactic acid.
This is useful during your rest period between sets. As someone who ballistic stretches will be able to push harder on their next set than if they hadn't.
Drink Your Water
Buy a gallon of water and aim to drink it all every day.
There's no need to carry it around wherever you go. Just keep one wherever you frequent.
Drinking water makes it easier to lose weight for a few reasons:
Your body retains less water
It helps your satiation
You perform better hydrated
Replenish your body frequent enough that your urine is clear.
Avoid Weed & Alcohol
This is important if you're trying to lose weight.
If you cut and you smoke weed, the munchies will fuck you over.
If you cut and you drink, your inhibition drops and you'll end up eating.
Both substances also disrupt your REM sleep and can cause groggy hangovers the next day.
Despite what potheads say ("I feel more calm and in control, when I'm high"). These substances are meant to help you "lose control" and "let loose".
If there is ever time to use, it's on a bulk. These substances will make it easier for you to eat if you have a pipsqueak stomach.
However, there are obvious drawbacks and you're better off staying healthy and clean in the long-run.
Strength & Stimulation
I fell victim to the strength train. I'm one of the little guys in the gym who lifts heavy.
This was not the goal. I wanted to build muscle. But out of fear of getting fat again I adopted the belief that strength = muscle.
This is not the case.
You will end up strong but not big. Don't neglect stimulation.
To gain strength and size, simply work both at the same time.
Chest Tip: bench wide grip and do the double-take exercise.
When you do the same exercise for too long you eventually plateau.
If you keep doing the same thing expecting different results, then you're shit out of luck.
Instead try out different exercises, rep ranges, or tweak your grip and hand placement.
Ex.) Instead of benching with "ring on ring", put your index finger on the ring instead.
A slight tweak can make a major difference.
And don't hesitate to change exercises because you don't want to lose your strength gains. Mixing things up will help stimulate parts of your body you didn't realize were being neglected.
You'll find that a change of pace leaves you stronger when you return to your preferred lifts.
Workout to Music
Exercise is easily the greatest emotional outlet when accompanied with music.
All of your emotions will rise to the surface in the form of grit, power and sweat.
I make sure to pack my earbuds in my bag whenever I want an intense, cathartic workout.
Have Your Warcries
Have a mantra that gets you focused on the weights.
