So I got my testosterone test results back…

This is how I feel right now

…and it's not good.

I've been lucky most of my life.

Lean, healthy, can take a beating. Strong, fast, and active. Smart, inquisitive, and kind.

But too much stress, too little rest, and shortcuts have killed my metabolism, fucked up my heart, and cut my T in half.

Shit!

So it's time to get really fucking serious.

I'm too young to feel this damned old. Plus, I have 4 kids, all under 11 years old (my youngest just turned 2).

I ain't having no more. Trip to the doc's a couple years back virtually guarantees that! (snip snip)

I need to be here with them. And I love my wife and want to spend another 50 years with her.

Early death isn't an option.

And zest for life is a high priority.

This is what I'm going to do:

• MOVE every. damned. day. Do something active and physical for 60 minutes. I may split this into 2 sessions of 30 minutes each due to time constraints.
• Meditate. I need to calm the hell down. Relax. Chill.
• Lift weights 3-4 times a week. I still haven't decided if I want to do my trusted 3x a week split or a M-Tu-Th-Fr split. I've had my best results on the 3x split but 4 days a week may prove more beneficial at this point in time. Hell, I should just try both.
• Cardio 5x a week, in the gym. At least 30 minutes every day at a fairly high intensity.
• Go back to small, frequent meals. I've experimented with intermittent fasting (don't eat from 8pm until 12pm the following day). It's easy, but totally ineffective for me.
• I need to drop 40 pounds. I know. How the fuck did I get this out of shape? Shit, I could see myself getting fatter. Why didn't I just turn this fatass around before it got out of hand? Reasons, that's why 🙂
• Use supplements wisely. Below I will post my “supplement stack.” I've always been a huge believer in supplementing for specific effects. Now is the time.
• Mindset matters: That's where the meditation comes in. Plus, I'm going to try the wishy washy “affirmations” and “gratitude.” Yes, I said it. It's feel-good shit but man, in the past, when I did it, I'll be damned if it didn't work! Visualization will play a role here, too.
• I'm going to write more. Writing is my heaven, my safe place, my mental yoga.

Dang, I didn't mean to lay it all out on you. But I bet at some point, you've faced similar challenges. And I bet you overcame them, just like I will.

Here's the supplement stack I mentioned:

• Omega 3s from krill oil
• A good food-based multi-vitamin/mineral
• A supplement I've used in the past that made me feel great – Longevity
• A supplement I've researched that can naturally help T levels (and I know it works in the libido area, because I've tried it – it works super fast and doesn't have any noticeable side effects like I've heard Viagra and its cousins have) – K20
• To help metabolize fat and keep my insulin and glucose levels where they should be – Gluco Guardian
• I have used, and will use now and in the future, MexRx – I love this stuff!

If the above doesn't produce results (mostly in higher T levels, losing body fat, and feeling better), I will pursue the HRT path – yes, sticking myself with freaking needles full of testosterone.

I'm reading up on all of that now. I've been in consultation with a doctor who is open-minded about this sort of thing, which I've found is pretty darn rare.

Eggs are the Perfect Muscle-Building and Fat-Loss Food

Eggs are a perfect protein source

Eggs are the perfect muscle-building food: They're protein-dense, promote fat loss, and the bad cholesterol image they've been saddled with was completely overblown!

Eggs offer the most complete source of protein from food (as opposed to supplements); in fact, they're the yardstick that all other foods fail miserably at measuring up to. The “biological value” (BV) of the egg is 100 on a scale of 1 to 100. Cow's milk, for example, comes in at 91 while beef comes in at 80 (wikipedia).

On a side note, whey protein isolate (from cow's milk) comes in at a whopping 104! This is the primary reason that you should be ingesting, and investing in, whey protein powders mixed with milk.

Coupled with its small size, the egg gives you a lot of protein for its small weight. In other words, it's protein rich and nutrient dense.

Don't worry, either, about the fat or the cholesterol in eggs (if you're a healthy individual): You will not increase your body fat or cholesterol levels by ingesting several eggs a day. In fact, you could probably eat a dozen eggs a day for several weeks in a row (if not months) and not suffer any ill consequences.

The egg is an ideal source of protein, offering all of the essential amino acids your body needs. Plus, eggs have an incredible anabolic effect on a person's body. Old timers like the late Vince Gironda used to prescribe dozens of eggs a day to his pupils during their brief (3 to 6 weeks) “bulking up” phases. This super food causes an outpouring of human growth hormone, which helps immensely in BOTH muscle-building and fat-loss efforts.

In short, you will build muscle and drop bodyfat by making intelligent use of eggs in your diet.

Give them a try! You'll like the results.

Do you know how to hard boil the perfect egg?

Swimming SUCKS for Fat Loss and Here’s Why

Is swimming a good exercise if you want to lose weight? Probably not.

Did you know that swimming actually sucks for fat loss, even though it's a great cardiovascular exercise?

Seems conflicting, right?

Weight training may be your best best, IF you're trying to shed body fat and gain muscle.

And who doesn't want less fat and more muscle? Amiright?

Kevin DiDonato of ProGrade Nutrition explains why in the article below:

Can Swimming Get Your RIPPED ? Or Is It Just A Waste Of Time?

Are you a few pounds overweight?

Has your doctor told you to start an exercise program to lose weight?

Have you been hooked by the late night infomercials, only to be let down by a lack of results?

You and I both know exercise is important.  You can improve general health, shred unwanted belly fat, and build strength and endurance.

But you buy a membership to a gym, only to see your money go up in flames because you just don’t use the membership.

You are confused by what you read about exercise.  Which is the best?  Which can make me lose the most weight and keep it off?

You implore the help of a trainer and they try to tell you what the best workout for fat loss is.  They don’t even scratch the surface of the different types of exercises out there.

You walk out of there more confused than when you went in.

I am here to tell you that not all exercises are the same.

Read more here…

In the above article, Kevin goes on to cite two different studies that show not only how swimming doesn't help reduce body fat, but the reason it doesn't.

Here's the main study, by G. Gwinup:

Weight loss without dietary restriction: efficacy of different forms of aerobic exercise

After 6 months or slightly longer, the women assigned to walking lost 10% of initial weight, the women who cycled lost 12%, but the women who swam lost no weight.

Read more here…

So swimming didn't cause any weight loss. Interesting, right? But why?

According to this study, it's because swimming in cold water affects appetite:

The Acute Effects of Swimming on Appetite, Food Intake, and Plasma Acylated Ghrelin

These findings suggest that swimming stimulates appetite but indicate that acylated ghrelin and food intake are resistant to change in the hours afterwards.

Read more about that here.

Simply put, swimming in cold water (most people swim in unheated pools) increases appetite. And while you do burn a whole lot of calories while swimming, you also have a natural inclination to eat more afterwards, due to the cold temp. This may be hard-wired in our DNA – cold water signals to the body that it's in a crisis state and needs more fat to survive.

You don't want THIS GUY coming for you!

I mean, maybe you fell in an icehole and a polar bear is coming to eat you!

Bottom line: If you like swimming, swim. It's great exercise. But watch what you eat afterwards. If you have a difficult time losing body fat and keeping your eating in check, swimming may not be the best exercise for you.

Need help with your metabolism? You may want to give this a try.

Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/npsclimatechange/23085163652

What Is the Best Way to Build Muscle and Burn Body Fat?

With all the recent talk here and everywhere else about The Holy Grail (building muscle and burning body fat simultaneously), you'd think that perhaps that was ideal, right?

I mean, who doesn't want to build muscle and drop body fat at the same time?

I know I do!

However, it may be the slower route to go. Let me explain.

There is a large body of evidence on building muscle. Same goes for losing fat. Conceptually, doing either is really quite easy. The effort is difficult, but the idea is pretty simple.

If you want to build muscle, you have to have a calorie surplus.

If you want to shed body fat, you have to run a calorie deficit.

It's really very simple and just boils down to a math problem. Indeed, aren't many of life's problems just math problems?

Back to the real story. What is the best way to get totally buffed? I mean big like Jay Cutler and ripped like Clarence Bass?

Based on years of personal experience as well as the collective knowledge of thousands upon thousands of personal trainers, bodybuilders, and other fitness athletes, it's clear to me that there is a better, more effective approach.

Now, I'm not saying that what's in The Holy Grail is wrong. It's perfectly correct. You most definitely can gain muscle and lose fat within the same time period. All I'm saying is you can get big and ripped faster if you take a different approach.

And that approach is to “zig zag” or take a “stair step” approach to your fitness goals. Why not take 2-3 weeks to build muscle, then maintain for a week, and then take another 1-2 weeks to drop whatever fat you build up in your “bulking” phase?

In a month's time, you will not have gained a significant amount of body fat, but you could certainly pack on 2-4 pounds of pure muscle. So every 8 weeks, you could add 2-4 pounds of quality muscle to your frame. That means there is the potential for adding between 12 and 30 pounds (give or take) a year while not increasing your body fat. In fact, even if you maintained your fat poundage, you will have lowered your body fat percentage significantly because you've added so much lean mass.

I will tell you this is the better, faster way to the body you want. Yes, you will gain some body fat in the first phase, but you'll lose it all and more in the last phase. In that third phase, you're not even trying to add muscle; you're only seeking to maintain it.

So your body doesn't go on overload, get overtrained, and you will never lose muscle mass. The third phase is all about losing body fat while maintaining muscle mass.

It doesn't sound as good or sexy as “build muscle and burn body fat simultaneously,” but it sure works better.

Bodybuilders for decades have used this very system to fashion their championship bodies. The results come whether you take steroids or not, though I will say that “chemical enhancements” will certainly speed your progress. In the short term.

Nobody really knows the long-term effects of competent steroid use. You know, the kind administered by a doctor and followed to the “T” by the user.

Bottom line: Bulk up, maintain (or plateau), and then shed body fat. It works. Really really well.

Should You Bulk or Cut?

Let me preface this by saying that “bulking” means putting on 1 or 2 pounds a month.

The 5-10 pound-a-month bulks are dumb as hell.

That said, dudes are either bulking or cutting.

Am I right?

You are either trying to add muscle mass or lose fat.

There is no “maintaining” when it comes to bodybuilding.

So, how are you supposed to know which to choose?

Bulk or cut?

I have 3 keys when it comes to making this decision.

3 keys for making the ‘bulk or cut' decision

1.  The 15% Body Fat Rule

This is something I came up with.

I tell guys that if they are at or above 15% body fat then they should cut.

If, on the other hand, they are under 15% body fat then they should bulk.

Under 15% —> Bulk

Over 15% —> Cut

There are several reasons for this.

The leaner you are, the easier it is for you to build muscle.

The fatter you are, the more likely it is that excess calories will be stored as fat.

Insulin sensitivity is also negatively affected the fatter you are.

2.  The time of year

Normally, guys bulk during the winter and cut during the summer.

The reasoning is that you can put on some fat and cover it up with sweaters during the winter and then you cut the fat and show off the abs during beach season.

This makes sense.

You can do it this way or switch it up and do something that hardly anyone does.

You can cut during the winter and bulk during the summer.

I've been meaning to do it that way just out of curiosity.

 3.  Personal Preference

Look, I can tell you why you should bulk or should cut, but what it really comes down to is personal preference, i.e., what do you want to do?

So, if you're at 20% body fat and love eating and gaining muscle, then go ahead and bulk.

If you are 6 feet tall, weigh 160 pounds with 8% body fat and want to cut, then go ahead and cut.

After all, you have to enjoy what you do or what's the point, right?

So, hopefully this helps you make the ‘bulk or cut' decision a little easier.

I have given you guidelines, not rules.

Just out of curiousity, how do you decide when to bulk and when to cut?

Photo credit:  Anton Mukhametchin