Home Aggressive Strength Magazine Issue 148 - 3/13/2008

Aggressive Strength Magazine

Issue 148 3/13/08

1. Aggressive Strength Living Article Of The Week

We associate truth with convenience, with what most closely accords with self-interest and personal well-being or promises best to avoid awkward effort or unwelcome dislocation of life. — John Kenneth Galbraith

A recent issue of Entrepreneur Magazine gave me a clear insight:  the people writing for the magazine are clearly not entrepreneurs.  Moreover, like most print magazines, Entrepreneur Magazine is a slave to advertisers, pretty much publishing anything they're told to.  Here are two examples of what I'm taking about.  One, a recent article described Apple, the company, as an example of providing exceptional customer service.  Well, much of the time, that may be true, but the example used in the article was pure idiocy.

A while back, Apple introduced the iPhone, which retailed at $500.00.  Sales didn't meet expectations, so the price was reduced to $300.00.  Not surprisingly, the early, loyal, buyers who paid an extra $200.00 for the iPhone expressed irritation.  Still, Apple didn't offer these customers any compensation until being inundated with complaints.  Did Apple offer to refund each customer $200.00?  Of course not, that would be the proper thing to do--which most corporations couldn't care less about.  Instead, Apple sent each person a $100.00 coupon--valid to purchase more Apple products!  The coupon rebate was a joke and the worst part is it's not even equal to the initial overpayment.  Apple could have at least sent out $200.00 coupons!   Further, why would these customers even want to do more business with Apple?  They were screwed for spending $500.00 on the iPhone!  The reality?  Corporations know very few people take the time to use coupons or mail in rebate offers.  The coupons Apple distributed will mostly go unused--which is why they did it that way.

Apple’s poor handling of the iPhone incident is bad enough, but a magazine using it as an example of exemplary entrepreneurship and customer relations is reprehensible.

In another issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, a so-called "marketing expert" advised avoiding lengthy promotional ad copy for online product sales.  She wrote that no one reads such copy, so you should get to the point in a few sentences.  In theory, it seems like reasonable advice but only someone who's never sold products online would posit something so wrong.  Anyone with any level of success selling products online, especially information products, knows you need well-written--and often lengthy--promotional copy to effectively sell those products.  I wrote twenty-five pages of promotional copy for my last Kettlebell DVD set, The Boys Are Back In Town.  Why?  Because it's an expensive DVD and people need to know exactly why they should spend their hard-earned money on it.  A few sentences won't cover that; I can't possibly convey all the great information within the DVD set in a few sentences.  Do I expect everyone to read, word-for-word, 25 pages of ad copy?  Of course not, but as they skim down the pages, people quickly realize the ton of information the DVD contains and why it's worth the price.  The result?  The DVD set, the most expensive DVD I've ever released, with the longest ad copy to promote it, ended up making more money than any other DVD I've put out in the time it's been on the market.  The kicker?  It's sold more total units than any other DVD I've produced, considering the time it's been available for sale.

Reality, and what you think will work, don't always add up.  When you take advice, make sure it's based on reality--not what some so-called expert recommends.

Fortunately, I was able to curtail my disgust with Entrepreneur Magazine by reading a great book, Freakonomics, by Steve D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.  Levitt and Dubner are both economists with an intense desire to know why things are the way they are.  Accepting conventional wisdom, or even common sense, isn't enough for them--they wanted to apply the science of economics in acquiring precise explanations.  The book is a fascinating, thought-provoking read.  Here are some of the topics I think may interest you, possibly changing how you see the world.

First, Dubner and Levitt look at why crime rates have declined over the years.  Many people think it's due to having more police on the streets. Sounds reasonable, yes?  Well, that may have little, if anything, to do with it.  Both Washington, DC and Denver have about the same population yet DC, with many more police on the streets than Denver, has much higher crime than Denver.  Dubner and Levitt instead draw a correlation between Roe vs. Wade and lower crime rates.  Intrigued?  They assert legalizing abortion prevented many would-be criminals from even existing.  Not surprisingly, people who grow up in rough, impoverished neighborhoods are more likely to become criminals.  The vast majority of abortions come from these same population centers.  The legalization of abortion occurred in 1973 in the U.S. and the significant decrease in crime happened during the 1990's, when the unborn criminals would have been entering their criminal primes.  Not an easy pill to swallow whether you're pro-choice or anti-abortion.  Remember:  reality and what you consider morality aren't always going to be aligned.

The next example I found fascinating had to do with drug dealers.  The title of the chapter is Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live at Home With Their Moms?  The media likes spreading illusions that most drug dealers are raking it in off the suffering of others, which creates especially bad PR for drug dealers, since nothing pisses off law-abiding citizens more than reports of criminals making lots more money than them!  When people think of drug dealers, they think of Al Pacino, in Scarface, living in his mansion, or Wesley Snipes, as Nino Brown, in New Jack City getting rich of the misery of his own people.  The reality is...most drug dealers aren't raking it in.  Like any other job, there are a few people making a lot at the top while the majority are doing okay--or just getting by.  The average drug dealer, according to Levitt and Dubner, makes about $3.30 an hour--far less than the minimum wage!  These dealers typically supplement their drug dealing income with a legitimate job while living at home--with mommy--to get by.  So why even bother dealing drugs?  The illusion of working up to the top level someday--and enjoying the lifestyle perks that come with it--keeps most drug dealers engaged.  Similar to multi-level marketing (aka pyramid schemes) most people selling drugs are making little money at all, much less livable incomes.  What they have in common is a pipe dream that's unlikely to materialize.

Perception is rarely reality--things are infrequently what we'd like them to be.  One reality that's certain is Entrepreneur Magazine is worthless for any real entrepreneur and Freaknomics is a great book for people who prefer thinking over spending their days alternately finding offense and seeking self-aggrandizement.  All right, all right, this may be just my opinion...but at least it's coming from me, not paid advertisers.

 

Mike Mahler.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler

***Article Edited by Teresa Blazey: teresa.blazey@gmail.com


New: Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop DVD

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- Chris Pontius, Star of MTV's "Jackass" and "Wildboyz"

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– Pamela Monteros

DVD Feedback

“This is by far one of the best DVDs on kettlebell training that I've seen, and I have seen tons of them. What's interesting is that I can tell that you guys ( i.e.,Maxwell, Cotter, and yourself) have not been stagnate in your development. I'm still trying to digest all the *new rules*, as I like to call them, about KB lifting that was presented in the DVDs. 

I encourage anyone who is interested in learning the more traditional and up to date KB techniques, buy this video and be prepared to be blown away. I tried the relaxed press yesterday, and I can see how it is easier to press heavier bells going from a relaxed state and only using as much tension as needed. On another note, bro I really think that you and the "Steves" should get together and develop a KB and flexibility certification, which, of course, is different from the RKC. From watching this video, it's very clear to me that you guys know your shit, and when all this is combined into one system, I think a lot of CPTs and fitness buffs would benefit tremendously. I'll be one of the first to sign up.”--Muata Kamdibe

“Got your video – great stuff – liked lecture on stress – where is the bar set? This is something to consider every day - I really liked your US Marine in Iraq stress level example vs. a whiney wanker housefrau. I was impressed w/ Steve Maxwell and Steve Cotter’s lecture. All of the KB overview info improved my form/technique and per set performance. Thank you, I thought it was very well done and very educational.”--George Sucher

“Let me say that I was blown away by these DVD's. (you can use me as a testimonial if you wish)..I learned so much from you and everyone. Each guy brought their special knowledge to each session..I loved your talk on supplements and careful watching of your hormonal levels through blood tests. Also, I study Shaolin Kung fu and I've always wanted to see Steve Cotter in action. By the way I am 46 and boy has Steve Maxwell given me something to shoot for as far as physical condition! I also found relaxing through tension a very valuable lesson from Nate Morrison.”--Alex Katsanos

"I also wanted to let you know how highly I regard your products and the obvious effort that goes into them.  The DVD was well worth the money and is by far the most comprehensive I have ever seen on training, health and lifestyle.  The excellent presentation skills of each speaker ensured that all the points were conveyed in a simple, direct and effective manner; I was also able to understand how joint mobility and posture increase the effectiveness of KB workouts and have tried to apply the correct principles in my own training."--Tom Haddon 

DVD Info

DVD Length: 7 hours and 30 minutes and as a bonus you will get a download link for the bonus report “The Aggressive Strength Solution For Optimizing Hormones And Well Being” when you place your order. 

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2. Aggressive Strength Training Article 

Ten Reasons Why I Don't Do Aerobics 

By Steve Maxwell 

I spend my days at a corporate gym. It's a sweet gig and a temporary livelihood.

One morning, while observing a female member endlessly running the treadmill-to-nowhere-fast, I realized I see the same people returning day after day, iPods silently blaring or, worse, mindlessly captivated by one of the ten wall-mounted television screens, while grinding away on those steppers and treadmills.

The drudgery of their Sisyphean tasks compels their attempts to lose self-awareness by inundating themselves with external stimuli. Often, their bodies reflect this lack of self-awareness in skewed gaits and other imbalances.

These same people come in religiously to get the feel-good fix, believing somehow their mindless, movement addiction is in some way benefiting them. Interestingly, they stay fat, show no progress, and sometimes even get fatter, especially after holidays. Most of these people are loathe to touch a weight, much less engage in any kind of productive strength-training. You see this same phenomenon in gyms all over the country.

Some will say, "Well, some exercise is better than none,"

But I say, if you're going to spend the time, why not produce something worthwhile?

Here are ten reasons why I don't do aerobic exercise:

But first, what is aerobic exercise? Any steady state locomotion elevating the heart rate into the zone for twenty minutes or more. The zone is determined by formulas based on age and resting heart rate.

Now, ten reasons why it not only doesn’t work but is a poor use of exercise time:

  1. Oxidative Stress
    Which causes a breakdown of tissues. It also predisposes one to cancer and heart attack.

  2. Elevated cortisol production
    Which causes a breakdown of muscle tissue and increases fat storage or depot fat. People do aerobics to alleviate stress yet end up creating more stress.

  3. Lowered testosterone and HGH levels
    For men, aerobics are a form of chemical castration. Low T-levels are associated with lowered libido, depression, anxiety, increased body fat and decreased muscle tissue. This contributes to muscle-wasting and lowers the basal metabolic rate.

  4. Increased appetite and a tendency toward binge eating patterns
    Aerobic exercise makes people hungry!

  5. Excessive Muscular Fatigue
    Making it difficult to do other more productive forms of activity. Aerobics creates muscular weakness.

  6. Conversion of fast-twitch muscle fibers to slow-twitch
    The loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers contributes to aging and the loss of explosive power and speed. People become slower and slower.

  7. Burns a relatively small amount of calories vs. the time spent
    One large meal completely offsets the pitiful amount of calories burned in an hour aerobics session.

  8. Overuse injuries to the feet, ankles, and knees from excessive, continual force transmitted throughout the body
    This is exacerbated by over-engineered running shoes which cushion the feet in such a way to create a neural amnesia.

  9. Shortening i.e., deformation, of the muscle tissue from repetitive mid-range (partial range) movements
    This creates inflexibility, immobility, and muscle imbalances. Besides being tight, the bodies postural alignment becomes compromised. Aerobics create tight, inflexible bodies that are in chronic pain.

  10. Adrenal burnout
    A consequence of the “feel good” neurotransmitters which also stimulate the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline is the fight or flight hormone. Excessive adrenaline creates an addictive response and people going routinely for the so called “high” of running end up with adrenal burnout, e.g., chronic fatigue and depression.

Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the father of aerobic exercise (and the person who coined the term) completely recanted his assertions regarding aerobic exercise. After observing a disproportionate number of his aerobic-enthusiast friends die of cancer and heart disease, he reversed his ideas on the benefits of excessive aerobic exercise. He now claims anything in excess of 20 minutes has greatly diminishing returns. In fact, he's now an advocate of scientific weight training.

In strength and health,

Steve Maxwell www.maxwellsc.com 

Upcoming Steve Maxwell Workshops 

April 19, 2008: 

Steve Maxwell Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Training Workshop in Philadelphia 
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April 20, 2008: 

Steve Maxwell Kettlebell Training Instructor Course in Philadelphia 
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May 10, 2008 

Steve Maxwell Joint Mobility And Bodyweight Training Workshop in Las Vegas, NV

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September 13, 2008 

Steve Maxwell Level One Kettlebell Training Workshop in San Jose, CA

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3. 2008 Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Workshops 

Can't make it to a workshop? Click here for the next best thing

 March 29 and 30, 2008: 

Steve Cotter IKFF Kettlebell Certification in Chicago, IL 

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April 5, 2008: 

Lisa Shaffer Level 1 Plus Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in Dallas, TX 

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April 12, 2008: 

Mike Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in New York City
» Click Now For More Information

April 19, 2008: 

Steve Maxwell Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in Philadelphia 
» click here for more info

April 20, 2008: 

Steve Maxwell Kettlebell Instructor Course in Philadelphia 
» click here for more info

May 10, 2008 

Steve Maxwell Joint Mobility And Bodyweight Training Workshop in Las Vegas, NV

>>Click here for more information

September 13, 2008 

Steve Maxwell Level One Kettlebell Training Workshop in San Jose, CA

>>click here for more information

November 1 and 2, 2008 

Steve Cotter IKFF Kettlebell Certification in Barcelona, Spain 

>>Click here for more info


4. Aggressive Strength Training For Women 

 Monica Brant-Peckham Fitness Q & A 

1) I am getting ready for a competition and I am extremely bored with my diet. Do you have any suggestions for a cookbook or something that may add a little "spice" to my strict eating habits? 

Training for a competition is tough enough: add a strict diet to the whole program and it can become horrendous! Throughout my years of competing, I have developed many tasty recipes that have saved me through those tough training days when all I wanted to do was cheat! Some of my favorite recipes are listed on my web site www.monicabrant.com including egg white /oatmeal pancakes, turkey/chicken tacos, a chicken and rice bowl, and a few others. The key is to add flavor without too many unnecessary calories-right?! For example, many people love ketchup, but you must be careful because it contains a lot of sugar, unless you find the no sugar-added kind- but this may not quench your thirst for flavor even and then you might possibly add even more! These seemingly small calories can add up quite quickly to more than we expected!

Try to have some innocent fun with some spices such as Mrs. Dash’s flavors, garlic, onions, cinnamon, and nutmeg- and yes, I even use Sea Salt too to help out! Just be cautious of what you eat as your competition gets even closer. Make sure you read your food and spice ingredient labels to assure yourself you are not going over your daily limit!

 
2) I am a kickboxing instructor and I work out four or five times weekly. I train my abdominals every day and yet I have seen minimal results. I don't understand what I am doing wrong, my diet is extremely healthy and clean-at least I think it is! Can you give me any suggestions as to how I can achieve rock-hard abs? 

In my opinion, training your core is similar to training other muscle groups. If you want to see results, you must vary your routines and rest them appropriately too. Often I find that people do the same exercises day after day and complain that they don't see results. With this I suggest to try doing some totally different exercises than what you are used to and split your AB training only to 2-3 times weekly- Maybe for you, only 1-2x weekly based on your classes. 

One of my ‘all time’ favorite exercises are done on the "AB Originals" by Brad Harris. You hook them onto a pull-up bar, hanging comfortably by your arms and do crunches and straight leg lifts to strengthen lower core region. It will take some getting used to but you will get the hang (HA HA!) of it soon and definitely see results! Typically I will do (3) sets of straight- leg lifts first, then (3) sets of obliques with bent knees, and then (3) sets of straight up-bent knee- lifts.. All sets to fatigue with maybe 20-30 seconds rest! WHEW! After these you will want to rest your abs best you can, considering you work them in your kickboxing classes!

 Stay Fit, Love Life & God Bless U!!

Monica Brant-Peckham--   www.monicabrant.com

F.E.M. CampTM Owner--  www.femcamp.net

ISSA Certified Personal Trainer

 ***Interested in having more personal contact with me? Join the VIP Fan Club and chat with me on the Discussion Board (Forum) AND meet many other athletic and motivational members!


5. Aggressive Strength Training Bonus Article 

Dan John's Three Principles Of Fat Loss 

By Dan John 

Writing for magazines guarantees one thing: your email inbox is going to fill up. I get dozens of emails a week from really hard working people who make very little progress. As I wade through the emails, three principle points seem to missing from most trainees’ “Big Dangerous Book of Lifting Weights for Ultimate Looking Good Nekkid.”

And, like I usually say in these articles, God Bless these guys for trying. I get emails from people who weigh the portions of each meal, count their daily carbs, proteins and fats, and train with stopwatches, calculators and as many charts, journals and printouts that they can fit in a gym bag. When I train, I try to remember to wear some kind of pants and shoes on the correct foot. If there is an overriding point to my advice to my email correspondence it is this: trust your experiences, but also trust the rest of us who made the same mistakes as you and learned to move on.

Principle One:  Advanced training methods are for advanced trainers. Yes, I know, we all know that, don’t we? Well, I often note about my years with the world famous Pacifica Barbell Club where Dick Notmeyer took me under his wing and had me do the following workouts:

Three Days a Week: Snatch and Clean and Jerk (Two hours worth)

Two Days a Week: Front Squat and Jerks off the Rack (Two hours worth)

Yes, I was working my legs five days a week and my body responded by packing on forty pounds in four months.

But, what most people miss is that I had workouts like the following:

Front Squat

135 for 3

155 for 3

175 for 3

185 for 3

195 for 3

205 for 3

215 for 3

225 for 3

235 for 2

245 for 1

You see, I was learning the lifts! I was training my body to be more flexible, to learn the positions and to prepare for the loads that I would lift months or years later. A few years later, I would do a total of maybe six to eight total reps in a Front Squat workout with the reps all hovering around 400. I’m not doing ten pound jumps for triples very often after we get over 300. But, “around” 200, early in the learning period, volume is appropriate.

Much of a beginner’s training is with weights that might not beyond much more than bodyweight. And, yet, I will get emails from delightful young people with intense periodization schemes and dozens of curl variations. Here is a little workout I recommended recently for a man my age (just past old) who hadn’t lifted in three decades.

Goblet Squats

Half Turkish Get Ups

Lawn mowers (One arm rows)

Push Ups

Suitcase Carries (Walk with one dumbbell for fifty yards, turn around and come back using the other hand)

When I explained the reps and Sets, and I quote myself, “Do a couple of reps with the exercise and get a feel for it. Do it again, but make sure you are doing each one right. Try to do a little more each time...either more sets or more reps. In two weeks, try to do this workout six or seven times.” He emails me back to tell me that “this isn’t what they are doing in the magazines.”

Right. And the magazines don’t recommend taking off thirty years first.

Principle Two: Strong Guys forget hypertrophy and Bodybuilders/Look Good Nekkid guys forget strength.

I only know this because I am the greatest sinner about forgetting this principle. Yearly, I come to the end of Highland Games season and try to find the license plate of the bus that hit me. You see, as the season goes on, I rarely get over doubles and triples in the weightroom. I rarely do a lift to keep a balanced physique. My focus is on throwing farther, higher and better. And, every year, I do two or three workouts of three sets of eight or five sets of twelve and my body sings “Yes, that is it!”

It is a lesson I have relearned a dozen or more times. The problem with specificity is that it leads to the highest marks possible with the small issue of crashing almost immediately after the competition. As difficult as it is to plan and recover from both hypertrophy and strength training, I recommend to anyone who will listen that you need to do both. Now, if only I would listen.

For many bodybuilders, the issue of being too strong isn’t an issue. Growing up in the Bay Area, many of the best bodybuilders also competed as powerlifters and Olympic lifters. Franco Columbo deadlifted weights for reps that are still beyond belief and the governor of California snatched 242, Clean and Jerked over 300 and famously won a stone lifting contest. But, many of my email nation seem to think that muscle growth is simply a factor of moving about quite a bit. I like that, the Moving Around Quite a Bit Protocol (MAQABP). I have opened up Excel spreadsheet workouts that would destroy a marathoner, a drill sergeant and an Olympic champion. But, the workouts are for one guy! You see running (from what?), cycling, some variety of marital art, the powerlifts, the O lifts and lots of calisthenics.  Okay, I get the pushups, situps and pull-ups, but shouldn’t there come a time where someone who wants to put on muscle should try lifting weights.

C’mon people: to get more muscle mass, the body needs to be put under some stress. Recently, I worked with a young man who “couldn’t put on weight,” but when I quizzed him about his workouts, he didn’t do a single movement with over 200 pounds. You have got to move the big iron to get big muscles. There I said it.

Principle Three: Fat loss is not a long-term process. Sorry, I used to believe that one cut fat by long involved brilliant calorie cutting and cardio, but the evidence from the Velocity Diet can’t be ignored. Fat Loss demands total focus. It can’t be done in conjunction with your county basketball tournament and a Strongman contest. You have to be single focused. And, please, don’t email me that the Velocity Diet is hard. I know that. My single clearest memory is calling my brother and asking him how to survive one more night. He told me to quit the diet the next day, but tonight I would hang in there. I went to bed thinking of roast chicken, but I woke up the next day and was back on track.

 Fat loss is a war. There are no little steps. Oh sure, I support a group here on campus that does “baby steps” towards their goals. I appreciate the idea. I appreciate the small life changes they are making. But, if you want fat loss you must take the scorched earth philosophy. When you take the baby step from Twinkies to Low Carb Bagels, your body still acts “fat.” Give fat loss its 28 Days. Then move on to the rest of your goals.

So, next time one our dear readers needs a question answered, think through these three principles and see if these help answer your questions. Remember:

1. Make sure your program fits your level of experience.

2. While you might have specific focused goals, be sure to also check to see what you might be missing. For most people, you need to get stronger!

3. Separate fat loss from the rest of your yearly goals and try to find 28 days to dedicate your life to it. It works better this way.

For more information on Dan John, visit his website at: www.danjohn.org and make sure you pick up his exceptional Free book at: http://danjohn.org/book.html


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Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength

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7. The Fitness World: "Insane in the Membrane"!

A Rant by Jon Hinds:

In real life, we move our whole bodies almost 100% of the time. In sports, in martial arts, when climbing stairs or picking up kids or shoveling snow - we use our arms, our legs, our backs, our stomach muscles all together. Then why do 99% of all people who exercise, train their muscles in isolation instead of using functional fitness?

What good is it to be able to bench 300 pounds with your back supported and your legs unengaged? Who cares if you can leg press the rack? These activities only train you to do… these activities! In the real world, you have to use your full body to get things done. If you only train isolated muscles on machines, you’re setting yourself up for imbalances and injuries.

Just look at all the power lifters at the gym who can’t pick up a comb without a weight belt on.

I think "the Matrix" is true for life and the fitness industry, otherwise why would so many do what is obviously so un-natural?

98% of all people who workout train purely for aesthetics and not for function. Here’s why: they’re getting their advice from professional bodybuilders, not functioning athletes.

Now, bodybuilding is a sport, and the goal is to look better than your opponents. Okay, I got that. Bodybuilders win by sculpting each individual muscle, and isolated training works for that purpose. but if you are not a bodybuilder, what the hell?

Why do you train the same way they do if you are NOT competing as a bodybuilder! Why not train for true health instead of the illusion of health?

Most bodybuilders are FAR from healthy.

They take drugs (big red flag), they are completely obsessed with their own appearance (another red flag), getting bigger is the goal of all in the sport. NOT performance, but appearance!

They eat massive amounts of animal protein. The China Study, the most comprehensive nutritional study ever done, proves that diets with over 10% animal protein leads to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and many more problems with long term health. 

Bodybuilders consume diets of at least 40% animal protein for year after year (BIG RED FLAG). This lifestyle, which is sadly followed by most Westerners, also breeds very un-healthy animal factories whose sole purpose is the confinement, enslavement and slaughter of animals.

Now I understand eating meat is a way of life and changing it would be hard for many, but the benefits are incredible. I know we can do it!!

Ted Nugent has a TV show that puts average Americans in his world for a short time. They must kill live animals to survive and eat, as well as stay on the show. People do not respect the lives they take; they do not think about it when they see it cleanly wrapped up in the grocery store. When they see and feel the life leave the animal they killed with their own two hands and respect the animal for providing, that is different.

My ancestors lived that way for thousands of years here in North America. Respect is long gone now, in all but a few. We can stop the slaughter and torturous conditions for animals all over the world. A lot of red flags, makes you think why? It is insane to me, why do so many follow a system that is so unhealthy in reality.

So how about changing the mindset and madness of the fitness industry! How about exercising for performance, training the whole body and mind, and learning to use your body -  NOT a machine! How about not static stretching anymore. Man, what a waste of time!! Humans are the only animals on the planet that engage in static stretching! Why is that? Do we know some secret about mobility and flexibility that Mother Nature doesn’t?

All animals active stretch, it’s normal and healthy. If you don’t know the difference, check out this video about active and passive stretching.

I proclaim a fitness revolution:

  • Let’s stop looking in the mirrors after every set
  • Let’s work out purely for performance, so we can feel healthy inside and out.
  • Let’s eat plant based diet that is good for us and the planet! No more buying of the cheap junk foods and dead factory-farmed animals that make us and our planet sick.
  • Let’s STOP SUPPORTING THE ANIMAL FACTORIES!!!! How about eating organic!

We can do better. We can train for health and function, not just for fashion. We can eat for health, not just for cheap protein. Can we exercise, eat and live naturally OR are we really that shallow and exercise purely for looks? Eat for comfort and affordability and screw what is right or healthy for us and the planet.

How about being conscious, truly living healthy, exercising the whole body and re-learning how it really works and eating a diet that is less destructive to the planet and us, one that is over 90% plant based.

Believe me, if you think you will get all weak, you won’t! You can still get enough protein 100% from plants and gain muscle too! Many have done it in the past and many do it now, including my good friend Mike Mahler and myself. Mike has been a vegan for about 15 years and is one of the strongest persons i’ve ever met.  Hell, just look at the animal kingdom…the silverback gorilla: basically vegan!!

I’m done, getting off my box for now!
Jon

for more information on Jon Hinds go to: http://www.monkeybargym.com


8. Aggressive Strength Equipment Recommendations

Power Wheel

Lifeline USA Power Wheel (The Best Ab Training Tool Period!)

Tired of boring ab workouts that are getting you nowhere? Get a Power Wheel and take your core strength through the roof! This is the ultimate ab wheel and a great device for building a strong mid section. Far more than just another ab wheel, with the Power Wheel, you can do a variety of killer core and upper body exercises.

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Jungle Gym

Jungle Gym

Do you workout at home? Travel a great deal for work? Do you enjoy bodyweight training? If yes to any of the above you will love the Jungle Gym. Great way to blast the upper body (both pushing and pulling muscles) and work your stabilizer muscles like crazy. Be prepared to shake all over the place when you do pushups with this killer training tool. In addition to being very portable it is inexpensive and like all other Lifeline USA products it is built to last. Get one today.

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TNT Cable

TNT Cable

Lifeline USA's TNT Cable is the ultimate strength enhancement tool for learning forced acceleration. Once you learn forced acceleration you will be able to blast through sticking points and learn what powerlifters call one gear strength. This means slamming a weight up from start to finish in one smooth manner. This is a great product for increasing Military Press strength and allows you to do a ton of exercises that you cannot do with any other implement. Incredible tool for building stabilizer strength and for rehab. Finally, It is a must have for busy travelers and is the ultimate home gym for those on a budget.

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9. Aggressive Strength Product Recommendations

Holosync Meditation CDs

Meditation is one of the best things you can do to relax your mind and handle stress more effectively. High stress equals low DHEA, testosterone, and GH levels. You must get a handle on stress to be at your best. My online client Les Larson told me about this program and after only a few weeks I am hooked.

Just listen to the program for 30-60 minutes per day and you will notice a difference after a few days. After a week you will look forward to each session. I like to use it after working out or before going to bed. Check it out at:

» Meditation CD's That Actually Work

EstroX

Warrior Rice Powder

Stabilized rice bran and germ soluble for a lean and powerful body.

Stabilized rice bran and germ is an exceptional nutrient-rich functional food with naturally occurring broad nutrient profile of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber, antioxidants and phytosterols. By virtue of its nutritional composition, stabilized rice bran and germ has shown to possess blood sugar lowering and blood cholesterol lowering properties. It is also a great natural source for hormonal supportive nutrients. Its main phytosterol, beta sitosterol, has shown to convert in the body to the steroid hormones progesterone in women and testosterone in men, and thus helps support the body’s hormonal integrity.

Warrior Rice Powder is an exceptional nutrient-dense product with naturally occurring hormonal supportive compounds, often missing in the diet. Warrior Rice Powder can help enhance the body’s nutritional defenses against excess of estrogen. It can be applied as a nutritional supportive product at any phase of The Warrior Diet and The Anti-Estrogenic Diet.

Made With: Stabilized rice bran and germ soluble, non-chemically processed. Contains naturally occurring vitamins in their most bioactive form including: vitamin E complex (tocopherols and tocotrienols), vitamin A (beta carotene and carotenoids), B vitamin complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, biotin, folic acid, choline and inositol), phytosterols (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol and brassicasterol), minerals including calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, iron, copper and zinc.

Recommended Use: Add 1 – 2 tbs. of Warrior Rice to 4 oz. of water, blend until fully dissolved. Can also be sprinkled on foods, added to soups or chewed dry as a snack. Warrior Rice can be mixed with Warrior Milk or EstroX meal replacement.

Benefits:

  • Can serve as an anti-estrogenic food
  • Provides hormonal supportive and metabolic enhancing nutrients
  • May help lower blood sugar and blood cholesterol
  • Tastes great

$29.95 per bottle

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EstroX

Warrior Vitamin C

Naturally occurring Vitamin C from Amla berries.

Vitamin C is essential to the human body. Unlike other animals, humans can’t produce vitamin C and therefore must ingest it from an outside source. Vitamin C plays critical roles as an antioxidant and a cofactor in hormonal and immuno functions. It is an antihistamine and an anti-inflammatory agent. It also helps in lowering the overall metabolic stress on the body. Vitamin C is highly concentrated in the adrenal gland, which may bear proof to its biological role in enhancing adrenal functions and resistance to stress. The vast majority of vitamin C products today aren’t natural.  The human body hasn’t been adapted to fully utilize synthetic vitamins including vitamin C, therefore synthetic vitamins have a lower biological value than naturally occurring vitamins.  Amla C is about 200 times more potent than synthetic vitamin C.  It is also a most viable source of other important cofactors including bioflavonoids and ellagic acid (a most notable anti-cancerous compound).

Warrior Vitamin C contains only naturally occurring vitamin C. No ascorbic acid or other synthetic substances added. Specially designed to fulfill the body’s demand for vitamin C to promote antioxidant activity and support the body’s metabolic integrity.

Made With: Fresh amla berries (amla C), cultivated without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Amla berries contain the highest known naturally occurring vitamin C of any edible fruit in the world. Warrior Vitamin C is naturally pH balanced.

Recommended Use: Take 2 tablets or more daily before meals. In special cases involving an increased metabolic stress or intense physical stress, take 8 – 16 tabs per day in divided doses, preferably on an empty stomach.

Benefits:

  • Most bioactive antioxidant
  • Promotes healing of the digestive tract
  • Contains all bioactive cofactors including bioflavonoids and alagic acid
  • Supports liver detox and resistance to stress

$24.95 per bottle

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EstroX

EstroX

We are bombarded with estrogen on a daily basis and it is important that men and women fight back. Excess estrogen equals excess stubborn fat, low sex drive, poor mood, and may even be the main culprit for prostate issues. EstroX contains a blend of Chrysin, DIM, Resveratol, Quercitin, and other ingredients to clear our harmful estrogen. If you have stubborn fat or a low sex drive due to excess estrogen this is a product for you. Moreover, why wait until you have estrogen dominance. Be proactive and make this supplement part of your arsenal today.

For more info on EstroX, read Ori Hofmekler's article:

Estrogen As It Relates To Fitness, Athletes, Bodybuilders, And Physically Active Individuals By Ori Hofmekler

Contains no gelatin or animal products and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Recommended Use: Take 3 caps 1-3 times per day.

Contains 180 caps per bottle.

Regular Price: $79.95: Your Price: $59.95

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10. Kettlebell Training Information  

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


11. Aggressive Strength Magazine Archives 

http://www.mikemahler.com/newsletter


Until next time.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler

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

Mike Mahler