Death To Health In The Fitness Industry?

 With all the advancements in nutrition, sports science, exercise adaptation and manipulating the body to do many things, the fitness industry is still creating flaws that are slowly killing the real application for what fitness is in the first place....About TRUE HEALTH!!! Sure there have been enhanced breakthroughs where people have longer life spans than what the average age was let's say in 1930 but there are still problems that aren't getting attention that spills crisis and that's the issue with those who take things to the extreme.

Just yesterday I read more than 25 bodybuilders alone that we know of, averaging 35 years old and up dropped dead due to many factors beyond steroid usage. That scares the shit out of me cause I'm over 40 and outliving some of these guys when they should be having lives that end too soon. It has become a serious issue in the industry as to why these things are becoming a normal thing when in reality it shouldn't be normal at all. Granted Bodybuilding today is a sport that has little to nothing to do with health and since the dawn of guys like Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman, it is destroying the very foundation to what is healthy and living a long life of quality. 

With 8 billion people in the world, the speck amount that are bodybuilders and pro athletes dying young can go by the way side and I get it but when it comes to those who are focused on their health or are starting out, are already pre-conditioned to believe that those in the magazines, those videos of men and women on Generation Iron and the extreme training modalities are the only ways to be "fit" when those can be the very things that can kill you. This goes beyond bodybuilding, it's the flashy and "cool" looking stuff that gets the most attention when basics of movement and awareness are the true keys that keep you going. Coming from a guy who also promotes supplements, that aspect of the industry has gotten pretty ridiculous too. 

Supplements should be treated as the word implies, supplementary or small additions to what you're doing with your current training regimen or goals. Do you necessarily NEED them? That depends on the individual but from a general perspective, no you don't. People rely way too much on supplementation as if its the the true way to health which it isn't. If that were the case, why would we need food anymore? They can just come in pill form right? Again, it sounds contradictory coming from me who works with Lost Empire Herbs and take certain things like Creatine & Spark but I don't rely on these things to keep me healthy, they're just part of the journey. Like anyone else I still believe in eating well as best as possible keeping things stocked up like Chicken, Beef, Rice, Fruits, Veggies and other great stuff. Limit the amount of junk to near zero which isn't impossible but it's not so easy as knowing what 1+2 is. 

In a multi billion dollar industry, supplementation has had people taken aspects of real food out and taught to only use supplements as a means to be healthy. There are dark sides to what people will do. Luckily, there are people out there who treat health the way it is meant to and teach those how to balance things according to their needs and not some textbook generic outlook to what someone has to do. The problem is, many of those who practice don't get the credit they deserve or even get recognized for actually helping an industry that has many flaws. 

There are a lot of mistakes that need to be corrected. Will it ever be completely corrected? Most likely not but we will do what we can to help those find the best resources available so they can do things and research on what can be useful that will give them a long and sustainable life training smart, eating better and understanding how supplementation really works. 

There are those in this world that treat training and overall health like it's a fucking joke and think they can get away with teaching people that smoking cigs and drinking enough espresso to give an elephant a heart attack is part of a healthy lifestyle. Train to the extreme everyday without any repercussions and that if you don't go hard all the time, you're a F@ggot and Loser. To me, that's not inspiring nor MORAL, it's pure bullshit evil that can get a lot of people hurt while banking on their misery and pain. Training is about balance and understanding your body and what it needs to be successful in your journey. I've never smoked a day in my life and don't plan on taking it up ever and caffeine has different effects on me than others but I don't take it to be so wired my hair might stand up like from an electric shock, I take enough of it that it helps with focus and energy without crashing. As a matter of fact, caffeine barely gets my wired at all, it has more of a calming effect on me instead of jumping around like a madman on Angel Dust.

Overall, learn what can be suited to you and research into things that can be helpful. I do believe in questioning things because you never know who's trustworthy in this industry. There are 100's of thousands of people all over the world selling and making many things in their respective fields in fitness and health but at its core, you'd be lucky to find 10 (not thousand) people that are worth trusting and knowing the true aspects of what it means to be fit, healthy and pain free. You have the power to make something happen, make it worthwhile but don't stress or try to kill yourself doing it. Find your balance, make your goals come true and keep a good head on your shoulders in your journey. You do have options and I'm right here to help you find them as best as I can because I want you to kill it in your own life and be successful in your endeavors. Be amazingly awesome. 

Training At Home Vs. Training In A Gym

 Both have their qualities for helping others gain their health in fitness and well-being but yet they also have distinctive entities that differ them away from each other. With home workouts, depending on your set up or you just do bodyweight exercises, in my opinion, you have a lot more freedom than you would at a commercial gym. You get to pick and choose what you want without having to wait for anybody and you can pick your own music to listen to. You know the environment better, you're saving money on gas and let's face it, a lot of idiots on the road. 

You don't have to interact with anyone and you can be in your own fortress of solitude. Letting out some aggression and focusing on yourself in a therapeutic way. Home gyms have perks that regular gyms can never have. You get to do things your way and utilize your time for what you want to do.

Training at a gym has its perks too but it also has its downsides. The perks is that you get to get out of the house and go to a place where you can utilize and use equipment that would normally cost you thousands upon thousands of dollars to try and set up at home. You may make a friend or a workout buddy whether it be man or woman and help encourage each other and make progress you may not be able to do on your own. Sometimes it's good to have somebody. It's a sanctuary where you see people from all walks of life from world-class athletes to weekend warriors and those who are just starting out and making changes in their life. 

The downsides may sometimes be bleak or just annoyance but it can sometimes be a pain in the ass. You have to deal with people on the road to get there, often having to wait on the next person for the machine or free weight you want to use. Time is wasted when you're trying to train but not knowing if someone will snatch up your area because their impatient as fuck. The music isn't always that good and you're trying to use headphones with your own playlist to tune out the building's acoustics, trying to be respectful while some numbnuts is texting or taking the call right in the middle of what you're trying to do. Equipment isn't always clean and some guys get too distracted from checking out the wanna be model's ass on the treadmill or while she does squats. Don't get me wrong, there are attractive and strikingly awe inspiring people there but if you're easily distracted, you need to figure out how to tackle the mindset that you're there for a purpose and not to creep on others. 

Very few gyms these days have a camaraderie where like minded people get together and train together. Most of the time now, people just keep to themselves while at times feel the need to walk up to someone as if to just casually get into a conversation. The atmosphere can vary and it's very climate controlled so others can feel comfortable as they train. I guess most of the downsides are the people really and realizing that most gyms are very shiny and have a Hollywood feel to them in the way where there are people who are just ignorant pricks and act all high and mighty cause they can do a few reps more with a machine that gives you the legs or the arms of a wanna-be athlete. 

I'll go to the gym with my wife on a shopping day every now and then and either help her out with form on certain exercises to get the best benefit for what her goals are but mostly we do our own thing and I'll bring my Fat Gripz with me and put them on the handles of a machine or dumbbell to add some zest to the exercise I'm working. For me, there's no such thing as isolating a muscle, when I train regardless of equipment, I want to work as many muscles as possible and not just a specific body part. When I do pulldowns or chindowns, I want to feel my core, my back, my hands, all the muscles in my upper body. When I work dumbbells and do presses, curls, squats or farmer's walks I want to feel it all as much as possible. I train there to the degree where I make people think twice about coming to talk to me. I don't interact with anyone, I don't text or play on my phone, I walk along the area I'm working on thinking about the next set as I rest. I'm in that zone. That's my way of training.

Training in a gym can be fun as you challenge yourself to see what's possible for certain exercises. Because of the Fat Gripz, I make exercises harder, not easier and only rest long enough to be ready for the next set which ranges from 30 seconds to a couple minutes. The gym for me is more of a strength based kind of day and a "rest day" for me cause I just work certain things, take a break and go again until its time to go. I never do anything to failure, just enough to where I'm good to go and still have something left in the tank. Never get sore or do things sloppy. 

I love training at home because once I get something in whether for a few minutes or almost an hour, I can jump into the shower within seconds, chill out, watch a movie, do some promoting and writing and make some food right there like a good Steak and Eggs or some wings and fries. Its good to relax after a workout and know you have whatever you need within feet of you.  

How To Deal With The Unbearable Taste Of Lost Empire Herbs

 The herbs from Lost Empire can really put a fire under your ass when you first take it either in the morning or in the beginning if you're new to the herbs themselves. Honestly, some have even thrown up at times like one customer on Cistanche Extract: “The cistanche is really unbearable to take. I tried like the video to scoop it in and wash it down, was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten. I tried mixing half a teaspoon in my tea… still so difficult to drink and gagging the whole time. Any advice?” There's an article you can find about this here...

There are reasons why there's a capsule culture even when it isn't the best option. As time went on, many customers became accustomed to the bitter taste to certain herbs like Tongkat Ali for example. Some however, just don't get to that point. I'm one of those people and I prefer the capsules like Pine Pollen or Thor's Hammer . If you do choose to take in the bitter taste of the herbs, here's some ideas for you to go for that cut and mask the taste itself...

It's never going to be perfect and everyone has different preferences but you can experiment with certain things that could help you get over that hump. Using something Sweet & Sour can be useful, some forms of juice can be another option as well that is sweet to a more tart taste such as: Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Grapefruit & Cranberry. The amount of volume you'll need to mask with these is not a general thing, it's an individual thing and experimenting with what could work for you. Is it better to take a 1/2 teaspoon in a shot of juice or taking a 1/2 teaspoon in a 16 oz glass? That's really up to you to figure out.

At times, using less can be more efficient, get that shit down quickly like taking a shot of tequila. The taste will be diffused but still won't be that great and you'll have to chug down a bit. The same idea can be used for the herbs themselves. For the "worse" tasting herbs such as: Hercules Formula, Phoenix and Shilajit, you can also use a mixture of the more sweet and sour herbs like for example; Beet Juice Powder, Goji Berry, Seabuckthorn & Schisandra. These not only give those other herbs flavor but also bring benefits themselves. 

For something like the Beet Juice Powder, it's one of the best things for Nitric Oxide Production which can be very helpful for working out or having a little fun with your significant other in the bedroom. It also pairs well with Hercules & Thor Formulas in a great way too. The taste has a higher chance of being better and works like a fucking charm. Double whammy I say.

Now, the next option would be to blend into smoothies. The same factors still apply here, you have quite a number of ingredients that can mask or cut the taste but be forewarned, sometimes one herbs or several can become undrinkable. Start with smaller doses and build up from there. You could use some of the more normal ingredients like fruits and juices or hell even options like honey and nut butters. 

At the end of the day, if the taste is just too much for you (I'm with you on this one), there are plenty of other options that have awesome benefits. Grab some herbs and make the best of them for you. They're top of the line and there's a ton of research done on them and learning what you can do with them. Be amazingly awesome and stay healthy.