Strength for Life

My no iPhone Experience: From Raving Fan to Just Raving

I love my Macbook. No big thing until you consider I used to think macs were for artists. I was an engineer, wrote code, never liked Windows but knew how to make a PC work, low-level. So Macs were not my thing.

Then I got one—a new one—and loved it. Still, I miss a few things about my PC’s but overall, no comparison. It’s all Mac, all the time for me.

All good. Then I finally decided to get connected, to get the new 3G iPhone.

Being a busy guy who values my time immensely, I waited until the rush was over. I think it’s way cool (like as in "nuts" cool) that people will stand in line for days to get a phone but don’t think for a moment I’m going there.

Now way, no how.

So, I wait… and wait… then it looks like things are easing up. And it’s my birthday and my wife, Angie has given me a gift certificate to get one a new iPhone, so off the APPLE world I go.

Here’s the really, really short version of my ravingly bad experience. I walk in… no one talks to me. Perhaps I look too old? Who knows… I walk and walk. No one. Then I spot a random, unlabeled line in the center of the store. More people my age standing there. I ask. Yep, this is the iPhone line.

Just 4 people ahead of me. No big thing, right?

Now, this time like you mean it

Some people will tell you I'm intense--others, myself included, prefer "passionate" as a descriptor for my unrestrained energy.

As passionate as I am about a strong body and strong mind, I'm equally passionate (e.g. intolerant) of those who mail it in... who are just faking it. And I mean that in any and every aspect of life. As a whole, it seems to me that's there's far too much acceptance in America today... we've taken to settling for "good enough" far too often to excel.

And as a result we're getting our proverbial ass-kicked in many areas by other cultures around the globe. This is impact I can see but the day to day reality of it is maddening--we simply expect too little of ourselves and those around us.

Look around, you'll see people "phoning life in" all around. They do it in the gym, watching TV and talking more than exercising, they do it at restaurants any place where there's an opportunity for service.

I agree with Christopher Walken and Seth Godin, no doubt we could use "more cowbell."

The Shape of Dara Torres’ Life

Already the proud owner of 9 gold medals, she went to her first Olympics before the Tiger Woods, of the pool, Michael Phelps was born and now she’s qualified to swim for the US in Bejing by winning both the 50 and 100 meter freestyle—swimming’s premier sprints.

Unless you’ve been away on a very deserted island, your iPhone rendered useless by a spilled pitcher of marg’s, you’ve heard about Dara Torres’ nearly superhuman performances at the tender age of 41. 

No question, Dara Torres is at full Strength

If you’re in your 20’s, it’s pretty cool to see someone “nearly your mom’s age” kicking-ass like this. If you’re in your 30’s her record setting performance may bring relief and hope that 40-something isn’t all “that bad.” And if you’re in your 40’s or beyond, Dara’s strength is elevating, inspiring and perhaps a bit of a wake up call for your own life potential.

For it seems that for many, once across the big 4-0, age becomes the central reason (aka excuse) for why they are struggling to get in (and stay in) shape. I’m not one of those opportunistic hype-sters you often find promising you there’s no such thing as age. Age is real—what’s not is the way it impacts most people, much more rapidly and drastically than it should.

Fact is your

life, my life, everyone’s life has a shape. Unfortunately most people’s lives are shaped like a cross section of a speed bump. They rise up, arch over and through their peak and don’t wake up to their declining condition until they’re well into the descent. It doesn’t need to be this way. You can change it, at any age.

How to Create a New Shape to Your Body and Life

In Chapter 2 of my new my book, Strength for Life, I explain how we’ve been conditioned to accept this early and unnecessary demise—and how you can change The Shape of Your Life, both figuratively and literally, in short order.

New Flash: Maybe It’s Not a Weight Problem?

We hear about it every day... Americans are overweight. It’s beyond being collar grabbing news yet it’s a story repeated over and over.

Seems the media is playing the game of self-deception that any parent of a young child has engaged in: the false belief that if we say something enough times, and speak it loud enough, it will somehow result in a behavior change. It doesn’t. This much any parent can confirm.

Now, I believe I’ve uncovered some REAL NEWS here. You see, as I was being reminded (as if I needed it) of just how much weight the average American has added in the last 4 decades, it hit me...

Perhaps it’s not an issue of weight at all?

I propose that we’ve been looking at "the problem" all wrong, through a conditioned lens that has tainted our view. If you stand back, get out of the conditioned assumptions and take a fresh look, you too may see that it’s not that we’ve become too heavy but that we’re too short!

Have you ever seen an overweight player in the NBA? Exactly. Need I say more.

Yes, I think that’s it. The weight we’ve added, some 24 pounds on average between 1960 and 2002, may be the result of natural evolution of man but something has prevented us from growing in height!

Look at it this way... it’s simple math. As the average American has added 24 pounds * (likely more since this study but this is close enough for the moment) all this “average person” need do to stay at the same BMI (body mass index) is to add between 6 and 8 inches to their height. Heck, that’s less than one-quarter an inch per year!

Is that expecting too much? I, for one, don’t think so.

(* according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.)

Then why have we not kept up with the demands on our height?

It could be toxins in our environment, the transfats, high-fructose corn syrup, global warming or even fluoridation… Clearly something is stunting our growth. And with the increasing burden of our growing weight we can ill afford to be stuck at this height. The ramifications are immense (no pun intended… well… not really).

Now that the real problem is clear it’s time to switch our focus, stop obsessing on weight loss (sorry Weight Watchers) and start resolving the real problem. Height!

Toss out the scale and bring on the tape measures!

The Top 7 Most Common, Energy Draining, Life-Robbing Errors

In my decades in fitness and nutrition, I’ve seen more diets come and go than I can count, experienced nearly every type of workout you can imagine, worked with all types of people; from those who were hundreds of pounds overweight to world champion athletes, the Hollywood A-list, Fortune 500 CEO’s, Moms, Dads, Sisters, and Brothers…you name it, I’ve seen it, felt it, touched it and may even have tasted it.

What I’ve discovered from all my years may very well come as a surprise to you. In fact, I fully expect most people to dismiss what I’m about to tell you...

In my 23 years of experience the #1 most common road-block to people enjoying robust physical energy, stunning mental clarity and abundant vitality is…improper, out of balance, inconsistent, excessive and downright devastating eating.

Sure, you know exercise is important (or better yet “training”) but you can’t out train poor nutrition. And no, the problem isn’t that people are missing some magic pill or miracle diet. In fact, the way most people undermine their energy and well-being is as ordinary as ordinary gets… most of the errors are seemingly small things repeated day after day.

The Top 7 most common, energy draining, life-robbing errors:

1. Skipping meals to save time because you’re “too busy”
2. Eating too much at one meal and not enough at the next
3. Eating everything on your plate without regard to portion
4. Consuming “fast-drive-thru-food,” loaded with fats and carbs
5. Hidden sugars in many “sports drinks” and juices, smoothies
6. Chronic snacking on junk foods, sweets, chips and …
7. Unconscious reactive eating when you’re too hungry to choose a healthy meal.

I am sure you’ve seen others make some or all of these mistakes and know some from personal experience. They are real and they are serious. Do any of these and you are literally pressing the “early exit” button on your life.

I’m not suggesting that you’ve got to tow a perfect line or that you can’t afford to miss a meal now and then. The real question is: “How do eat 80% of the time?” Are you fueling your way to wild success or feeding failure?

If you’re seeking a quick, easy and insanely delicious way to fuel your success, consider giving the world’s finest total nutrition shake a try. Clinically proven to increase fat-loss and add lean muscle in addition to lower cholesterol and elevate energy levels by over 40%, Full Strength may be the best thing you can do for yourself in the lest amount of time.

The Strong Forge on Fueled by Belief, Passion…

In this lifetime you will come across an infinite number of easy roads, you will be offered millions of short-cuts, easy ways… there’s always another one promising you a way around the real hard work that stands between you and your vision or dream.

And guess what? You got it… take any of them and you’ll find yourself back to square one eventually, hopefully wiser, certainly more exhausted.

In order to achieve anything worthy of your valuable time on earth you will find passion and purpose indispensable co-pilots. Only when you’ve found a vision, have a purpose and are filled with passion will you have a chance in hell of making it through the long road to a worthy achievement.

When I built the world’s first and only true premium nutrition shake I never fantasized that there would be anything easy about sharing it with others. I recognized in a time when MRP’s and numerous average nutrition shakes have become an interchangeable commodity and people have learned to buy price alone, that creating a off the scale top-end passion driven product was anything but a wise business move.

Get Ready for the Samsonite Underwear!

I received an email today from Tumi, the luxury luggage (say that five times, fast…ouch) company this morning. Seems they’ve decided that they love their brand so much they should put it on workout clothing.

Hummmm…. Interesting thinking…check this shirt out.

Now, I really like my Tumi bags but I’ve never ached for a Tumi shirt and now that I can finally own one, I’m crystal clear that I desire Tumi workout wear no more than I crave Samsonite underwear – especially the hard-shell style. 

Tumi should stick to what they really well, really well. That’s luggage.

Leave the workout stuff to those who know a thing or two about working out, like UnderArmour.

Although, as much as I like the UA shorts, those skin-tight shirts leave a thing or two to be desired. They may look good on a 265 lbs linebacker and be perfect under shoulder pads but wearing one around can be a bit uncomfortable – physically and emotionally as well, if you’re over 3% body fat! 

Personally, give me a thin, worn, cotton t-shirt…cut the sleeves off and let’s train!

Oh yes, and don’t resist a good BOSS sleeveless either. 

How about you? What do you most like to sweat in?

Needed : One Large Skullcap

A skullcap...huh?

What's this all about? Ah, allow me to 'splain.

You see, I just noticed it's been a few weeks since I've posted to this blog, or any blog for that matter. It's a bit frustrating to me as I really do want to share -- and it seems I have about a hundred inspired ideas to post for every single one I get up here.

That's where the skullcap comes in. If I could simply hook my mind up to a cap of wires and download the thoughts, i'd be in great shape.... or perhaps really big trouble. Hard to say. Careful what you wish for. :-)

I'm not actually all that shocked about the last few weeks -- as I've been out of town (and country) getting a little reeelaaaaxation. Much needed. Now I can get back to work and struggling to find the time to blog as richly as I would like.