I Am Me

Life can be a royal pain in the ass and you live with various things day to day but it is important not to live life bitter and unappreciative. Nobody is perfect and what would be the point to even attempt to be. Being who you truly are is a chore in itself. I may not always show my appreciation but I do take it in and show my thankfulness in different ways. Some people have called me a version of "The World's Strongest Man" which as flattering as that is and very much appreciate the gesture but I will never claim that title whether figuratively or literally. I have claimed a lot of things fitness wise in my lifetime but never that.

I live everyday like everyone else with just a few unique entities. There are days where I don't feel all that important to myself or anyone, some days I'm brighter than the sun shining a beautiful beach but at the end of the day, I Am me. I love what I do and not try to be like everyone else, they're already taken. The truth is, when it comes to my playouts; I have no idea what I'm going to do that day. I never trusted any real routines and when I do or talk about them, it bites me in the ass. The fact of the matter is, I do what I do on instinct and not by a planned idea or a next day set up and I'll tell you why:

Every single time I have planned and prepared for a routine based on the program I have at the time, it only lasts less than a couple of weeks if not less than 6 days because whenever I push myself to that, my instincts kick and tell me to leave it alone. Training daily has been very difficult for me but I have managed to still do it whether for a minute or more than an hour since the summer of 2005. I always felt that was my biggest accomplishment next to everything else I have crossed in my life.

There are certain things about me I have no control over and being told to get over those things like cleaning dust with a mop has made me have doubts about myself at times and question who I truly am. I'm not perfect nor do I want to be, I'm happy with what I have, what I've done to make my life the way it is and where I go. I never thought I'd be getting married, never imagined having people read my stuff and talk about it in various forums (yes, I have read specific forums where they mention me in both positive and negative ways). I have learned that if people talk behind your back, they do it for a reason and don't have the balls to say it to you either up close or with a keyboard.

I Am me. What I put up on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or wherever on social media is not a character or someone just looking to get noticed, it's all me. What I promote and share are things that make me laugh, believe in something or give someone an opportunity to find something interesting for them. If you love what you do, never give up on it, whether someone likes it or doesn't it doesn't matter.

People project this form of body image and destroy people's intentions on ever doing something great for themselves. You can look as good as you want or strive to be but if you're an asshole on the inside, it will show one way or another. I don't have six pack abs, don't have 20 inch arms or able to run a marathon but I know I can do things many who do or have those things can't but that doesn't make me better or superior to them. Do I want to make more money? Of course I do, who wouldn't? The funny thing is, I don't care much about wanting to own a mansion or living a luxurious life. I wear sweats during the day at times, I read comic books, I watch various movies, I go on walks and/or hikes when I have an opportunity and if I want to train in a wide space; I go to a park or go swim in the lake. I don't own suits or leather jackets, I wear shorts in the snow, I put on shirts that are comic book related or have a funny theme or quote. In the words of Lynyrd Skynyrd "I'm a simple, kind of man."

I'm fit the way I was meant to be fit, I play video games and I tell my fiance I love her every single day; sometimes annoyingly more than once. Don't tell me how to live, don't tell me to believe in your religion, don't tell me to not love comic books and don't you dare tell me how to love. I Am me and if you want to talk behind my back and talk shit, well then you screwed yourself because you decided to choose me over something else that could make your life a little more brighter. Live happily and have a reason to be happy otherwise you won't be happy and you'll attract bullshit.

Athletes This Simple Herb Takes Your Workout To The Next LEVEL

Have you ever thought about using herbs to upgrade your athletic performance?

If you’re like most people your answer is “NO”.

… because herbs haven’t gotten popular yet out here in the Western world (though I think that’s about to change).

Most people do take vitamins and fish oil though.

Herbs are simply a powdered form of supplements… derived from a plant.

And some of these plants which companies are turning into powders have INCREDIBLE health, immune and athletic boosting properties.

They can…

Reduce stress (some herbs have shown to lower stress and cortisol in stressed individuals by 30%)

Balance hormones in men and women of all ages (this is crucial for folks over 40 who are experiencing all sorts of hormonal imbalances)

Increase your sex drive (which helps you stay motivated)

Keep you from getting sick.

And much much more.

This one simple herb I want to share with you helps with all the above, and it’s especially great for athletes who want to perform to at a higher level.

“I’ve added this to my recovery protocol and have seen an improvement in my running capacity. Top end speed and ability to maintain output has definitely improved over the past couple weeks!” -Stephen Hill

In studies this herb, Eleuthero, has been shown to SIGNIFICANTLY improve mice’s swimming endurance… VS mice who didn’t consume it.


And for decades, Russian athletes have been using Eleuthero for peak athletic performance.

So if you want to:

Increase your muscle mass at the gym

Reduce stress

Increase your physical endurance

Boost your metabolism

Then I highly recommend trying Eleuthero, specifically from Lost Empire Herbs (they’re the best herbal company I’ve found when it comes to quality… since they derive their herbs from the purest sources and lab test everything).

Here’s what another athlete has to say about Eleuthero:

“I’ve been using Eleuthero (often referred to as Siberian Ginseng) which is a performance-enhancing herb for a little over a year now; this 100-gram package has lasted me that long. Which is pretty impressive, that’s a lot of herbal performance enhancement millage from a supplement that costs about $40.

One of most well-documented effects of Eleuthero is it’s strengthening or tonifying of the immune system. I certainly experienced this.

Since I’ve been using Eleuthero I’ve been living and traveling in some countries that are best described as dodgy; I’ve none doubt exposed myself to all sorts of interesting pathogens.

During this time I’ve spent a winter and half (as in 1.5 winters) in Eastern Europe, which gets pretty extreme weather and in this time, with one exception I’ve managed to keep from getting sick. Anytime, I felt myself maybe getting sick I would step up my high dosage of Eleuthero for a few days and very consistently would feel back to normal.

The one time I did get sick, I really think it was because of the apartment I was staying in. I think there was maybe like a decaying body hidden below the floor that was making me sick. Just kidding, it wasn’t that bad!

I think herbs are kind of a victim of poor branding…

It’s funny before I knew about herbs I always kind of thought as them as being like kind of wimpy; you walk by the herb aisle in the vitamin store and you see all these bottles with like flowers on them but then I started researching herbs and herbs are actually like really manly!

Herbs raise testosterone.

Herbs make you more aggressive, assertive and energetic.

Herbs increase your libido and make you a better lover.” -Jonathan Roseland

How To Eliminate Boring Cardio

Ever been on a treadmill, elliptical, stairmaster or any machine that has you doing endless and mindless minutes of cardio? I've been there too and it isn't fun. Cardio in the real sense is the concept of getting your heart rate up within a certain level and keeping it there for 5 minutes sometimes up to an hour. Common areas of cardio generally have you running, power walking, riding and just be in a stationary position for up to a half hour or more to "help burn fat." The problem with this especially with recent studies is that long, slow cardio is not the best way to burn fat, build muscle and burn the amount of calories needed to lose weight. You can burn calories doing plenty of running or riding a bike but in the end, unless you're at a high level of speed and tempo, you're only burning calories during the exercise.

I genuinely hate cardio in the mainstream sense. It has no real use to be in realistic shape and you're only managing one area of conditioning and/or distance style training. However, you can burn off calories and fat in a much shorter amount of time when you speed it up for 30 seconds and resting 3 times that amount of time. This is what's called HIT or High Intensity Training. Some people added the word interval or SIT (Speed Intensity Training) so regardless of what you call it, it is still an area of cardio that not only takes less time but gives you less impact on the joints and ligaments. Now you can do all sorts of exercises for this, even with a machine (if its cold outside or just like being indoors) but for me I get the best cardio using Animal Exercises & Hindu Squats. I know what you're thinking "How can squats help your cardio?" The Hindu Squats generate loads of natural hormone production due to the level of intensity you make it and it's not just using the legs; you're moving the arms, contracting the core muscles for stability and it takes a bit of balance. I've literally heard and seen people do long ass treadmill running and for the life of them can't do more than 50 squats without getting out of breath.

If you think Hindu Squats don't build cardio than test that theory by doing 100 in under 5 minutes, i'll wait. It goes beyond cardio, once you hit into mid to high triple digits into the 4 digit reps, it becomes a mental game and it is a challenge that even world class athletes at times struggle with. When I was really serious into cardio, I would do up to 500 Hindu Squats a day and the objective is to get that number in 15 minutes or less. At first getting back into them, it took me around 20 minutes, than 18, 15, 13 and than a few times it was under 12 minutes, that's cruising. I shifted my mindset of counting down instead of up and that created a more fun way to hit high rep squats. Your heart is racing unlike anything else and yet you can do them anywhere. I've hit as high as 1000 squats in 33 minutes. This will burn calories like crazy and it will build muscle, shed fat and get you in incredible shape fast.

The other approach to cardio is doing Animal Movements; think about it, moving on all fours or bipideling for a period of time and getting your heart rate up in mere seconds. The movements use multiple muscle groups and have you going in awkward positions to the degree where you're adding in strength just starting with the stabilization. More than just moving, you're building muscular awareness and strengthening the joints, tendons and ligaments in order to stay strong in those positions. They don't take long either, 20 minutes or less and you'll be in phenomenal shape. You will have strength very few possess, conditioning that would make jaws drop and agility you didn't think existed.

The last ideal way to build great cardio is through the use of Isometrics. This is probably the most odd way to get cardio but trust me you can get a hell of a workout without moving a muscle. Push, Pull, Squat, Grip and Stabilize your body in all sorts of positions and flex hard for a few seconds or hold and do deep breathing. The most common isometric these days is the plank and for good reason, the majority of people do this exercise and hold up to 5 minutes or more but there's more to the concept than just the plank. If you lift weights, pick up a weight and hold it there for a period of time and what you'll start to feel are muscle fibers coming into play hard, your core tightening and your whole body will feel like on fire. For bodyweight this could mean holding a dead hang, a handstand, the human flag, stopping at a half squat, various yoga positions or a wall sit. Isometrics build the little muscles or tendon strength and if you hold for 30 seconds or longer, you'll not only feel it but your heart rate will go because you're generating greater strength in the muscle fibers.

These are just ideas on how to get rid of boring cardio and get in shape that is more fun and doesn't make you feel lethargic or feel like you're going out of your mind. We all have responsibilities and not all of us have the amount of time needed to get in the training we feel needed. Do what's possible but don't make it boring for yourself, make it interesting, fun and challenging.