Archive for May, 2010
Zero to Hero?
Publisher Steve Blechman and my friends over at Muscular Development and FitnessRx for Men have been terrific supporters of all my work, from Legal Muscle to Alpha Male Challenge. Steve gave AMC awesome coverage in multiple issues of FitnessRx for Men, including a major spread last fall.
Apparently, the husband of one Mrs. Mona Lannigan, inspired by the article, took the MaleScale with not very satisfactory results. But rather than slinking off to the nearest couch to drown his woes in beer and nachos, he bought Alpha Male Challenge and started reading … Read the rest of this entry »
The Shoulder Shocker
This exercise was inspired by my good friend, former Navy SEAL, Lieutenant Stewart Smith.
The shoulders can be quite a difficult muscle group to develop. Try this awesome & outrageously INTENSE exercise circuit and you’re bound to get those shoulders in shape, double-time! Read the rest of this entry »
Summer Foods for Six Pack Abs
Of all the seasons, summer is my favorite. I love the back yard barbeques, pool parties and get togethers with friends and family.
Many of the social get togethers involve food, and there are many foods of the season that can wreak havoc on your physique, while there are many that are great for sleek, sexy, sculpted abs.
Here’s your guide to navigating summer backyard barbeque parties.
Snack/Appetizers
We all know that 90% of the time, when we are invited to a back yard barbeque or picnic, people always put out a variety of chips and dip. It’s a no brainer that these snacks will turn your six pack abs into a keg in no time, and not only that, they have absolutely no nutritional value.
What you can do, is bring a healthy snack to share. Whole wheat pita chips are a great substitute for nacho and potato chips and they’re a snap to make. All you need to do is buy whole grain pita bread, cut it up into wedge slices, lightly brush some olive oil on it and toast it. You can serve it up with some home made hummus or guacamole. Read the rest of this entry »
In Defense of Manliness
Last month, Harvard’s “Men Against Rape” invited Michael Kimmel, author of “Guyland,” to the campus to explore the “Perilous World Where Boys Become Men.”
Kimmel’s focus was on the worst of the gender – disenchanted, predatory rapists. But Harvard student Rachel L. Wagley (’11) takes Kimmel to task in her essay in the Harvard Crimson.
An optimistic male audience member asked Kimmel how we can re-inspire manly virtue and create noble men. Kimmel responded that there are no good distinctively manly qualities, rejecting the uniqueness of manhood in a room full of talented men.
Wagley disagrees, taking the position that there’s more to men … and to manliness.
Denigrating manhood harms society because when we assault manliness, we devalue men. Take a moment to admire Heinrich Harrer’s aggressive spirit of pursuit, Tom Sawyer’s territorialism, Nelson Mandela’s courage, and the stranger in the courtyard who held open the gate. Endless illustrations of manly nobility, honor, and courage abound on Harvard’s campus. To Harvard men: You are worthy of honor and respect.
Food Addiction?
It sits there, staring at you, daring you not to eat it.
We have to eat to live, to grow, no two ways about it. But now there is even more evidence that what we eat not only affects our energy levels and body composition – some nutrients can affect our brain in ways that emulate the changes associated with drugs of abuse. Read the rest of this entry »
The Alpha Male Challenge Workouts Log Book is Awesome!
I’ve been a hyooooge fan of Rick’s writing ever since I read his first book, Legal Muscle, so – needless to state – I jumped at the chance to read and review a galley copy of Alpha Male Challenge last September. I figured it would be good.
And so it was… good enough to get me to try the workouts myself. And – true to form – they were every bit as challenging and awesome as I thought they would be.
Except, for ONE LITTLE THING…
Two Cheers For Processed Foods!
This WWII quote:
“If it moves, salute it; if it doesn’t move, pick it up; and if you can’t pick it up, paint it.”
… is a wry comment on the sort of “old school” style of military discipline that demanded complete, unquestioning obedience from those compelled to serve under it. The subtext is that following a limited range of rote, knee-jerk rules is the best way to stay out of trouble. Thinking is not required… or even desired.
Our Mental Powers: A Limited Resource?
Much of what we do is automatic – it has to be because we can only remain vigilant for so long.
Research at the University of Pennsylvania used Magnetic Resonance Imaging to look at brain activity during sustained attention and found that, over time, our ability to maintain focus, recognize important events and make decisions declines. Simply put: we’re limited as to how long we can concentrate.
Likewise, self-control is like a muscle – it can be exhausted, it requires rest to return to full strength, and can even grow stronger with exercise. Our ability to concentrate is an important part of self-control, and it is also limited. The take-home message is to be conscious of our limited ability to maintain vigilance; plan ahead, create a structured program we can follow fairly easily, and allow ourselves time away from temptation by limiting the choices we have available.
No need to try white-knuckling it all the time – your brain is working against you. In time, our new plan will become as automatic as the old one.
True Alpha FAMILY
Childhood obesity is on the rise and with many schools looking to get rid of physical education classes because they deem them “unnecessary”. I wrote an article on CHILDHOOD OBESITY a little while back and the statistics that are out there are extremely scary.
Who is to care for our children? These are the children of our future who will run this great country one day. We are all responsible. I know you have already read Alpha Male Challenge. You have made some positive changes in your life and are living the alpha lifestyle. But why must it stop there? Read the rest of this entry »
How Many Days A Week Do I Need To Workout To Get In Great Shape?
As a fitness professional, my livelihood depends on me being in the gym just about everyday. I usually weight train about 5 days a week, but I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I always make sure to avoid overtraining.
Most people don’t have the available time to train more than a few times a week and even 3 days a week can be tough to fit into a schedule. This is why it is important to make the most out of the days when you can train and why you must make sure to give each workout session absolutely everything you’ve got.
I don’t train 5 days a week because it’s what I need to do to get/stay in great shape. I usually train only one muscle group per workout. I could easily Read the rest of this entry »
