AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH MAGAZINE

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ISSUE 117 - 12/28/2006

1. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Life is about change, learning to accept yourself for who you are good and bad."
- From Highlander The TV Series

2006 has been one of the most transitional years ever. If someone told me I would be moving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and that I would no longer be part of Pavel's Kettlebell organization, I would have laughed. Yet, here I am writing this article from the comfort of our new outstanding home in Las Vegas. As I look across the room, I see several kettlebells from the company Lifeline USA who have decided to enter the kettlebell market and want me as a consultant. More on that later.

The first big change of 2006 came when my good friend Charley Mahler passed on. Charley was a strong and independent minded golden retriever. Charley lived a full life and while life was tough towards the end, he held his head proudly and went out a grouch the same way he came in. I remember seeing Charley when he was just a puppy. I was twenty at the time and half way through college. I grew up tremendously in the last thirteen years and Charley grew up with me. It is amazing how much I have changed since I first saw Charley as a puppy and his passing is just another reminder that life is short and while business and career goals are important, you are not going to be on your death bed wishing you put in more work. Developing an empowering and pleasurable personal life is every bit as important if not more important for a complete life.

After Charley's death I realized I needed to make some dramatic life changes. I had been part of the leadership circle in top strength coach Pavel Tsatsouline's organization for many years and it was no longer exciting for me. I did not look forward to teaching at his Kettlebell Certifications and I knew I needed to get out. Not only for my benefit, but for the benefit of Pavel's organization. The last thing you want is a team member that does not want to be part of the team. I still loved teaching my own workshops as that is my domain and I need to be in control. Yes perhaps I have a big ego or am just too much of an alpha male. So be it!

Part of me thought that I just wanted to quit the strength training business all together and move on to something new and fresh. After all, I have tons of goals. Regardless, I started with giving Pavel six months notice that I wanted out of the organization. He has been a great friend and mentor and that was the least I owed him. I would not be where I am without his support and friendship. He is responsible for the resurgence in kettlebell training and his hard work allowed me to take advantage of a great opportunity. I will always give him the respect he deserves. Nevertheless, I need to grow and it was time to move on. There can only be one silverback in a tribe and it was time for me to branch out and be a silverback elsewhere.

Once I was out of the organization I was relieved and scared at the same time. I had the freedom to go in whatever direction I wanted. However, I was not sure what direction to go in. My income dropped dramatically in the months that followed after my departure from Dragondoor. I realized quickly that I was more dependent on their support system than I had realized. Yet, my website was getting more traffic than ever. What was the problem? The problem was I got very good at selling to Dragondoor customers. Now I was getting a new market and had to learn how to sell to them.

While I was learning how to market to my new visitors, my friend Rosie got very ill and had to be put down. Rosie was my girlfriend Carol's dog. We only had her for a year, but she really grew on us. We did not expect to lose her so soon. She died peacefully and as I watched her life leave her I had a horrible internal feeling of loss. I was actually depressed for some time after her passing. Yet, I soon realized it was not just about her.

Whenever we think about making changes in our lives, we fear losing ourselves. When I left Pavel's organization I lost a part of myself and it was never going to come back. It was time for it to be replaced with something else. I was comfortable with who I used to be and it was time to accept that he was no longer there. Once I accepted myself again, my energy and passion came back and I put it right in the business. I turned things around and my income went way up again. Problem solved, but now there was something else to solve.

With all the transitions in my life I pushed the one person I love most my girlfriend Carol away. Big mistake as I needed her more than ever. I just did not know it at the time as I was too busy working. Whenever I have an internal problem, I often try to work it out by working on my business or training harder. Neither method works and eventually a full meltdown is unavoidable.

A meltdown is exactly what happened. A meltdown is an emotional death and rebirth. While it is painful, it is very therapeutic and has an incredible cleaning effect. Essentially, it is a death and a rebirth. While I do not want to go into the details of the meltdown, I will say that I came out of the other end because of Carol's love and support. I know she is the one I want to be with for the rest of my life. Hell, I have known that for a long time and just never had the courage to let it in until now. I have never been more certain of anything else.

2006 is ending on a great note. I feel very balanced as a man and as a human being. My business is flourishing and more importantly my relationship with Carol is in a state of bliss to say the least. My friends at Lifeline USA are getting into the kettlebell business and have a great opportunity for me. As long as we are not trying to do what Pavel and Dragondoor have done with kettlebells, I am in. The last thing I want to do is be a clich?. Pavel has the best KB certification around and I have no desire to make my own. I am more interested in making more e-books, DVD's, and continuing to do my workshops around the U.S. and overseas. I want to show people how to incorporate kettlebells into their programs as I have done with my new e-book: The Aggressive Strength Solution For Size And Strength I have my own style of teaching and execution and that is what I will be focusing on.

Enough about business! It is time to celebrate another great year. My good friend and mentor Steve Maxwell is coming into town later this week to celebrate New Year's and we will be getting together with my friends and kettlebell instructors: Michael and Sara Cheatham, Brad Nelson, and hopefully a few more people. We look forward to bringing in the new year with some great friends and making 2007 an incredible year.

I will leave you with this. Emotional problems need to be worked out for true emancipation. We all hold demons inside and if we wait until they consume us, it may be too late. Do not let your internal demons run your life. Get it out and take charge of your life.

Happy New Year to you and your family and I hope 2007 is an incredible year for you.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler

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2. HELP THE KATRINA VICTIMS

My friend and top body worker Dianna Linden recently sent me a list of non-profit organizations for helping out the Katrina Victims. Here is the list:

• Operation USA http://www.opusa.org
• Mercy Corps http://www.mercycorps.org
• Oxfam America http://www.oxfamamerica.org
• America's Second Harvest http://www.secondharvest.org

I encourage you to take a look at the above organizations and make a donation to the one that sits well with you. Also if you want to help out animals, make a donation to http://www.bestfriends.org.

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AFFORDABLE HIGH QUALITY KETTLEBELLS ARE FINALLY HERE!

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3. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH SUPPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

I now carry three of my favorite supplements (ones that actually work and you will feel a difference) at the best prices on the market. For more info go to The Aggressive Strength Supplement Store.

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4. NEW AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH E-BOOK IS OUT!

Here is what people are saying about my new e-book:

"Wow. Now that I have seen the book I can honestly say that I just ripped you off, Mike. This e-book is a compendium of some of the best training methods all boiled down, with all of the nonsense filtered out and set forth in a way that even a training novice can understand. I think that there are enough routines to keep anyone busy for AT LEAST 2 YEARS, maybe more. The sections on testosterone and estrogen and how to get these hormones under control was worth the price of the e-book all by itself. Thanks again for an awesome product!"
- Nemiah VanGuilder

"You've done it again. I recently purchased your e-book, and it is full of useful information for serious trainees, from beginner to advanced. Whether it is nutrition, endocrine advice/management or program design, the advice is sound, tested and presented in a way in which there can be "no excuses". Way to go, Mike."
- Steve Strickman, RKC New York, NY

"Mike I just got done reading your latest book "The Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength" and it was time well spent over the holidays. You laid it all out when it comes to getting it done. Whether you have access to the best equipment in the world or just your own bodyweight you spoon fed us with all the programs, methods, and principles imaginable to get the desired results. I appreciate you reminding me of many great programs I had forgotten along with some new ones I can't wait to cycle into my training this year. But cutting through the BS and giving us your take on how to get the most out of our training was the difference in this book. You are a great motivator I found myself doing sets of heavy KB clean and presses as I read the chapters. If you can get me working out as I'm reading I can only imagine what your live training clients get from you!"
- Tim Larkin, Founder and CEO of TFT Group www.targetfocustraining.com

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5. RECOMMENDED LAS VEGAS MASSAGE THERAPIST

"I was in Vegas preparing for my own wedding. I was stressed to the max and the only thing I could think of to relax me temporarily get my mind off of things (other than wine) was Carol. Carol was so professional and so attuned to my needs. I believe it was the best massage I have ever experienced. Needless to say, with Carol's help I wasn't so stressed and the wedding went smoothly. Thank you Carol, you have a life-long client! The wedding did go very smoothly and we had a wonderful time. We plan to return to Vegas in June and we'll be back for another massage appt. Thanks again Carol!"
- Tonya Taylor, Lafayette, LA

My fiancé Carol is now available for therapeutic massages in the Las Vegas area. We have a great massage room at our house that will help you unwind right away. Check out her web page today at: Las Vegas Massage

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6. 2007 AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH KETTLEBELL WORKSHOPS

Interested in hosting or sponsoring an Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Training Workshop?
» Click Here for More Information

Attention: I will no longer be doing workshops in Northern VA/DC, Denver, and Northern CA.

February 24, 2007:

Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in Los Angeles, CA
» Click Here for More Information (Only 2007 LA Workshop)

March 10, 2007:

Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in Las Vegas, NV
» Click Here for More Information

March 11, 2007:

Mahler Level 2 Advanced Kettlebell Workshop in Las Vegas, NV
» Click Here for More Information

May 12, 2007:

Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in New York City, NY
» Click Here for More Information

May 13, 2007:

Mahler Level 2 Advanced Kettlebell Workshop in New York City, NY
» Click Here for More Information

May 20, 2007:

Mahler Level 1 Plus Kettlebell Training Workshop in Miami, FL
» Click Here For More Info (Only 2007 Miami Workshop)

September 15, 2007:

Mahler-Shaffer Level 1 PLus Kettlebell Workshop In Dallas, TX
» Click Here For More Information (Only 2007 Dallas Workshop)

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7. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH NUTRITION ARTICLE

Making Healthy Eating Work - Food Preparation Strategies

By Dr. John M Berardi, CSCS

Most people nowadays know at least the basics of what they should eat and what they should avoid to improve their health, their body composition, and their performance. Yet most people are overweight and/or obese.

So what’s the problem? Where’s the disconnect? Why is it so hard for them to make the change? Well, unless they really don’t want to change, the two biggest impediments to their success are:

1. Their habits — or their ingrained set of day to day food and activity related actions — remain poor because they don’t have a conscious, logical plan for changing them.
2. They aren’t ready for the tough times. Things might be getting better; then the tough times hit. They "get busy". Eating well becomes inconvenient. No one else supports their decision to make a change. When these inevitable circumstances come up, they bail.

Habits are more powerful than momentary desire. Habits are more powerful than information. Habits are more powerful than guilt. And only a concerted, conscious effort to override habits will lead to success.

So, in some respects, better nutrition is more about altering lifestyle habits and less about the food. Sure, you’ve gotta know which foods are good to eat and plan to eat them. But, as GI Joe once said, knowing is half the battle. Even if you know what’s good and expect to eat good foods, if the good foods aren’t around when it’s time to eat, you’re doomed. In other words, preparation is the other half. Here are my top food preparation strategies to ensure you win the other half of the battle – the doing part.

Strategy #1 — The Sunday Ritual

No, no, this ritual doesn’t include lamb’s blood or any special Kool Aid. The Sunday Ritual is performed by setting aside 3 hours or so every Sunday (any day of the week will do but Sunday is easiest for most) to write out your menu for the week, shop for the week, and prepare your meals for the week.

First, on your Ritual day, sit down and come up with your meal plan for the week. It should only take a few minutes to lay out 7 different breakfast meals, 7 different lunch meals, 7 different dinner meals, and 2-3 additional snacks for each day.

Next, once the meal plan is laid out, add up exactly how much of each food you’ll need over the 7 days and go pick those foods up at the grocery store.

Finally, once you’ve got all those groceries home, it’s time to start cooking for the week. Some people choose to prepare all their meals for the week on Sundays (excluding shakes). Others prefer to figure out which meals will be easy to cook just prior to meal time and save them for later, preparing only the meals that will need to be eaten during work hours or during busy times of the day when food prep becomes difficult.

For example, some people can easily prepare breakfast meals and dinner meals on demand by setting aside a few minutes each day for meal preparation. Others have a significant other who can prepare these meals for them. Either way, these meals can probably wait until they are needed. However the lunches, 2-3 daytime snacks, and workout shakes usually present a problem for the unprepared so they should be made in advance. Sunday is a good time for most to do this preparation.

So, if it suits your lifestyle, use the Sunday ritual to get these meals ready for the week. Cook all the meat, chop all the vegetables, measure out all the yogurt and/or cottage cheese, and distribute all the powders. Have them ready and set aside so that you can grab them in the morning and bring them with you regardless of what your day or your boss holds in store for you.

Strategy #2 — The Breakfast Ritual

Rather than preparing all their food for the week on a single day, some people prefer to do a little food preparation each day. That’s what the Breakfast Ritual is for.

Using the Breakfast Ritual, simply perform all your cooking for the day each morning. Since you’ve gotta prepare breakfast anyway, make sure you’ve got a couple of meals going while breakfast is being prepared. Again, this need not be a huge production. I can prepare all my meals for the day with a max prep time of 30 minutes.

Of course, as with the Sunday ritual, think about what your day will hold under both the best conditions (i.e. home from work early and a relaxing evening ahead) and the worst (i.e. unexpected deadline, all nighter at work, long day at work and soccer practice for the kids) and act like a boy scout — be prepared.

One great strategy for being prepared is to bring both the meals you expect to eat as well as some "back-up" options, just in case. So, as discussed earlier, even if you expect to grab lunch at TGI Fridays and have dinner at home, bring with you both a lunch alternative and a dinner alternative, just in case something else comes up. If you don’t need the meals, that’s fine — just eat them another day. But if you do need them, you can chow down without skipping a meal or choosing a poor alternative.

Here’s another idea for you. If you don’t want to bring several full meals that you’re unlikely to eat, another great option is to bring some homemade snacks with you. Things like homemade protein/energy bars are a fantastic alternative to the mostly crappy, store bought, sugar laden, artificial ingredient containin’, protein bars.

Strategy #3 — Have Others Cook For You

If you love the idea of having 5-6 ready made meals always available yet can’t see yourself using the Sunday or the Breakfast Rituals above or buying all the Tupperware, there are a number of options at your disposal.

First, you can hire commercial food preparation services to do all the cooking for you. If you’re anywhere near a metropolitan area, you’ll be able to find dozens to choose from. The two biggies nowadays are Atkins At Home (Atkins Diet) and Zone Nation (The Zone Diet). The Atkins At Home company delivers 3 meals and 1 snack to your door by 6 AM each morning. The cost of this is between $35 and $40 per day. Alternatively, the Zone Nation company delivers 3 meals and 2 snacks to your door by 6 AM each morning for the cost of $35-40 per day, just like the Atkins company. I hear good things about both services.

Now, if you’re not interested in supporting the Atkins or Zone programs, there are many smaller companies who can assist you with your meal preparation needs. For example, when I lived in Miami Beach I found a local woman who provided this very service for $5 per meal. Every day for lunch she brought me an 8oz chicken or turkey breast, a baked potato or serving of rice, and a large serving of steamed veggies. Other days, I’d have her bring me 2-3 meals just like this.

Here’s another tip. Pick 4 restaurants in your immediate area (2 fast food places, 1 medium-priced restaurant, and 1 higher priced restaurant) that prepare meals in a way that conforms to your nutritional plan and have them prepare the food for you when necessary. Of course, you’ll have to do a little research on your potential eateries by collecting hard copies of their menus or visiting their web sites (if they’re online).

If you’re looking for a few examples, here ya go. Dave Thomas’ Wendy’s makes a couple of tasty chicken salads and a chili that you can eat when on the go. Even McDonalds is offering healthier meal selections — I’m lovin’ it.

Choose healthier fast food meals that conform to your meal plan when you don’t have much time or much money for a meal and choose a medium-priced restaurant like TGI Fridays (US) or Kelsey’s (Canada) for a better quality menu to provide you with a solid daily lunch. TGI Fridays, for example, has a great list of Atkins-friendly selections.

Finally, choose higher priced restaurants if it’s time for a power lunch to impress colleagues. Since most people don’t really know where they want to go eat anyway, if you get roped into a business lunch, you can be the one to make the definitive decision as to where the group is going to eat. Your decisiveness will win you big points with colleagues and you’ll also be able to control your eating habits.

Of course, if you don’t have the resources to entertain strategy #3 and pay others to cook for you, consider the fact that if you use the first two strategies to effectively build a lean, muscular body, you might just be able to convince attractive members of the opposite sex to take over for you. However, getting them to drop them off at your place by 6 AM every morning is a trick I’ll teach you in a later article.

In the end, whether you choose to regularly prepare your own meals by using the Rituals described above or you regularly choose to have others prepare your meals for you, circumstances will arise in which you’ll have to "cross over" and use a different strategy than you usually use. It never ceases to amaze me how much time those interested in health and fitness spend seeking out "the perfect plan" and how little time they spend figuring out what they’ll do when life’s circumstances prevent them from following it.

Side Note: Food Support Systems

In order to make the Sunday Ritual and the Breakfast Ritual work, it’s important to pick up a few items — nutritional support systems, if you will. Here’s what we recommend picking up before you start using either of the two Rituals:

• A good countertop grill. Since you’ll most likely need to cook relatively large batches of lean protein, it’s important to have a quick way of doing this. If you’ve got a great backyard grill that you can use year-round that’s great. If not, pick up a Foreman or Hamilton Beach grill and you’ll be all set.
• A good cooler in which to store and carry your meals for the day. Coleman makes a few good ones. Before buying one, however, make sure there’s enough room to carry a few meals and a few shaker bottles.
• 5 small Tupperware-type containers. These containers will be for storing and transporting your daily meals. Make sure they are small enough to fit into your cooler but large enough to accommodate a full meal. Your choice of glass or plastic is up to you.
• 5 large Tupperware-type containers. These containers are for storing larger quantities of food. For instance, if you chop your veggies for the week or cook all your chicken breasts for the week, store them in one of these. Again, your choice of glass or plastic is up to you.
• 3 Rubbermaid Chuggable drink containers — 1L size. These containers are for your liquid supplements. Be sure to choose the blue top variety as these are far and away the best drink containers out there. Most others leak.
• Follow the guidelines in this article and you’ll be able to display the adaptability necessary to move from nutritional novice to "seasoned" nutritional veteran.

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Recommended John Berardi Nutrition Products

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8. COMING SOON: NEW KETTLEBELL DVD ON FAT LOSS AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS

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9. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH PERSONALIZED PROGRAM DESIGN SERVICES

"Lost 10 lbs and went down from a size 12 to a size 8 in jeans – that was something I expected not to happen for another 10-15 more lbs! So thanks for your guidelines – they really have helped a lot."
- Michele Milevoi

Tired of trial and error? Want a training program that actually works? Click here for more info!

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10. KETTLEBELL TRAINING INFORMATION PAGE (NEW)

http://www.mikemahler.com/kettlebell_info.html

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11. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

http://www.mikemahler.com/newsletter

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Until next time.

Live Life Aggressively!

Feel free to email me with your comments and feedback at mahler25@yahoo.com

Mike Mahler

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