May 17, 2012

Supplement Review: GAT Jetfuel Pyro

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On this site, I’ve only ever reviewed one other product by German American Technologies. I was pretty unfavorable towards their JetFuse and I refused to try their Nitraflex. But I saw their Jetfuel Pyro fat burner and thought… What the hey? It sounds like a good product and seems fairly comparable price wise ($36.00 for 40 servings at Vitamin Shoppe). I hope it’s better than my last experience.

What makes this product different?

It essentially makes you feel good while you are taking it. Plus it attacks fat lose in 4 ways: An energy blend, An anti fatigue / dopamine  blend, Rapid Repair blend and a Maximum absorption blend.

This comes with chemicals such as Chocamine (naturally occuring Theobromine— i.e. the stuff women kill over because it’s in Chocolate).

The thinking is that taking thermogenic fat burners is no fun. By making you feel good (hence the dopamine blend) you’ll enjoy taking this while dropping fat.

Is it true? Let’s find out!

I took these suckers again right when work was starting. Usually I’m just barely existing and a couple of hours of sitting in the same place, I’m just exhausted.

So I popped these in.

The serving size is 3 pills. Lol, as I was taking the picture the other 2 fell out.

Keep in mind that the original Jet Fuel are the 2nd best fat burning sellers at Vitamin Shoppe behind Oxy Elite Pro.

Off tops, when you look at the label, you notice that everything, unfortunately is a Proprietory Blend. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but companies should be more like MuscleTech and stay away from that stuff. So then you as the consumer know exactly what you are getting. Of course— most companies don’t want that. If you knew what you were getting, you’d know that a) they are not giving you clinical doses and b) you’re beingway overcharged for what you ARE getting. Alas, such is the way with supplement companies.

The directions state that you are take 1 serving (3 pills) before breakfast by 1/2 hour and a 2nd serving 1/2 hour before lunch. Immediately upon taking this I felt a slight warming sensation. A slight one. There was an after taste to the pill, too. (I burped and a harsh smell of chemical erupted from my stomach. It was pretty disgusting.) I got a wicked headache. Instead of feeling energized, I felt like a zombie walking around. I felt like I waited awhile for those “euphoric” feelings to kick in. I did feel a slight elevation in mood… but keep in mind, I was well rested, the sun was out and I was happy for the day I had ahead. Did Jetfuel Pyro add significantly to my joy? I can’t say that it did for sure.

Energy? I was lethargic all morning after taking these for the time I took them.

Appetite? Yep, I was hungry again about 2 hours on average after taking these.

No jitters thankfully.

I noticed again, no fat loss. My waist stayed the same, and the week that I took these, I actually increased my cardio and reduced my weight lifting just to switch it up. Nothing.

I can say, I’m pretty much done with GAT after this one. My body just doesn’t respond to their products and there’s no way I’m taking something that has 350mg of Caffeine in it + 1,3DMAA (I like my heart thank you very much)

With GAT, I can say, I really like their business model. The CEO seems young, but very much a “go getter”. I think he will have a good company years from now. I really like their business model.

I just don’t like their products.

Not recommended.

Only 2 more fat burners, I’m interested in trying. You know one. And then of course the other. I have to hurry and get that before 1,3DMAA is taken off the market. So far… 0-2 for thermogenic fat burners.

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May 16, 2012

When life gets in the way Vol. 1: Can’t get to the gym

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Not sure if this post will ever see the light of day, but tonight is one of those nights, I can’t sleep.

This is an idea for a new series that I’m thinking of crafting here. I call it, “When life gets in the way.” Sometimes, the best laid plans of mice and men fail. For example— I suffered a car accident last week sometime. Don’t worry, I’m fine, but my car has been in traction for a while. I haven’t been able to get to the gym as frequently as I like, since the one I attend is on the complete opposite side of this city. It’s been hard enough just figuring out how I’m getting to work given that I work in another city.

So it occurred to me, though. Sometimes, life gets in the way of your fitness goals. Bills arise, and you can’t get the organic stuff you know you should be. A loved one passes away. And you find yourself unable to focus emotionally enough to make it through. You move to a new city and need to discover where the gyms are. In short, life happens and your fitness, diet and sleep often take the hit.

May hasn’t been a great month for me. But it got me to thinking, sometimes, despite life, you still have to get your workouts in someway and make slight alterations to maintain your peace of mind, fitness level and force yourself to take time away from the disaster. Thus, the creation of a new series.

This entries problem: I can’t get to the gym.

There I sat driving, when I heard it. The noise that would prove frustrating and very scary. “POP!!!” Suddenly, whilst on the highway, the car I was driving slinked to the left. With every bit of strength in my arms, as the car pulled left, I pulled the steering wheel right and came to rest on the shoulder of the nearest exit ramp. Talk about being blessed.

I was too shocked to take pictures, now I regret it. But believe me when I say… my car was missing the front wheel on the driver’s side. The @#$% thing apparently rusted off the frame and just… fell off. That could have been real tragic. I’m happy it wasn’t.

Fast forward a week, and I have no car still and thus haven’t been able to get to the gym. How  do I conserve the gains I’ve been making?

1) Continuing to do Cardio – I’m obviously walking a lot of places right now. It was a 2 hour walk from the repair shop to my home. That gave me a lot of time to think about things.

2) Finally found a use for online workouts – I typically don’t use these, but lately so I can get in some type of workout, I’ve been looking at some of the online workouts like ZWOW, and BodyRock. Those are HARD, but fun. And of course, I’ve gone back to the old reliable:

To keep the muscle I’ve gained, I’m going at a slower intensity than Shaun, but I’m still pretty up there. Anything helps, right? I won’t be doing this for longer than another week. Cause after 20 min— burning muscle. Not cool.

3) Increased Sleep – With the amount of walking I’ve been doing, I’ve been knocked out by 9:30 p.m. most nights and getting up around 7:00 a.m.

4) Diet - I’ve lowered my carbs some, but increased my healthy fats (nuts, avocados, etc). I’ve increased my protein as well. I’m walking pretty much everywhere now except work. I’ve not picked up any excess weight as I’m extremely carb sensitive and not lifting for a week tends to cause my fat to increase. This has not happened.

This is certainly all short term fixes. But the point is, even if you can’t get to the gym you can still do whatever you can to maintain a healthy lifestyle until you can return again.

Filed Under: When life gets in the way · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
May 15, 2012

SideKicked!: @rscottcrawford: 3..2..1 Launch!

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That’s right, it’s time for the return of our favorite team up series… SideKicked! Here a blogger takes over while I’m off fighting the war against fat and am away. Today’s guest hero? None other than Scott Crawford from 11 Squared, his blog about Architecture, Life and Fitness! One of the reasons I love Twitter so much is that it allows you to meet in moments new friends that it would have taken a lifetime to run across otherwise. Scott is no different. Easily one of the earliest and loyal followers of a certain fitness hero’s site, Scott is a fitness fanatic in his own right. When it comes to “Do or Do Not do…“, Scott is definitely on the “Do” side.  That’s enough from me…I see someone getting ready to take a bad preworkout. They must be stopped. I leave you with Scott. Take it away! 

3…2…1… LAUNCH!

As my “Fitness Journey” continues, I quickly became aware that I need to start supplementing my efforts in the gym and decided to start taking a pre-workout…. but which one to take?? That is the $64,000 question. There are so many pre-workout supplements out there, all with their own mix of ingredients and “proprietary blends” and rarely list out the amounts of each ingredient.

Choosing one was going to be harder than I thought! So I started to do a little research. Of course I new the names like Optimum Nutrition, Nutrex, BodyTech, etc… but what are the side effects how would they affect me? After reading pretty much every pre-workout review on “The Orange Mask” and talking with a couple of supplement reps that are in a FaceBook group that I belong to, I decided upon SAN Launch Full Impact 4350. The SAN website lists Launch Full Imapct 4350 as follows:

DELIVER A WRATH OF 220 MPH INTENSITY!

DOMINATE THE STEEL – UNLEASH YOUR FURY

BURN A HOLE THROUGH STEEL!

LAUNCH was specifically formulated to strengthen workout intensity, increase mind-body connection and generate explosive drive! It amplifies the muscle building, fat destroying effects of your workouts. LAUNCH was created for the truly driven muscle-hungry athlete. LAUNCH was designed with ZERO counter-productive, physique killing fillers or high-glycemic index sweeteners found in so many pre-workout formulas. Pick up your supply of LAUNCH now. Nothing will remain standing in your path. LAUNCH will drive you to pack on new muscle. Get your supply of LAUNCH right now! Get the job done… all the way done. Get LAUNCH and get vicious. Do it now.

Why not… I decided to go with the “Delicious Watermelon” flavor. I was surprised and the size of the scoop.

Being so used to the size of the protein scoop I didn’t see how something this small had the capability to be as “explosive” at the website says it is.  The label also states to only take 1 scoop within a 24 hour period.

It mixes very well.. no floaties or pond scum. Also, no residue left after drinking.

The taste wasn’t that bad…. But “delicious” it is not.  I have tasted worse things… like GNC’s Ravage Ready to Drink Fruit Punch.

After drinking it I drove to the gym about a 15 minute drive and another 15 minutes of getting inside and getting all mof my things ready to go.  I was waiting to feel a rush of energy or a surge of some kind, but it never came.  I wasn’t wired or jittery… but I did notice that I was very focused on the exercise in front of me.  It was like no one else was in the gym.  I was dialed into the music pumping into my ears and the weight at my fingertips.  Against the labels warnings, I decided to try 2 scoops looking for that energy rush, but again no real rush, just extreme focus.

Another thing that was lacking was any real sign of a pump.  There may have been a little, but nothing like my muscles were about to explode.  Also, I did not experience any sort of crash coming off of this stuff.  I workout at night and didn’t have any issues going to sleep when I got home.  This may be partly me, because I have rarely had issues falling asleep when I needed to…. Call me lucky! Even after the 2 scoop test, I was able to fall asleep, so maybe SAN is onto something with this product. Who knows…

At $25 for 45 servings it seems like a decent product.  I lift 4 nights a week and that equates to 11 weeks on one tub.  Not too Shabby! I have had several friends use this and love it because they like the focus it gives and they do not experience a crash either.

All in all I would (and I have) recommend this product.  With that said, I will leave this parting shot – This product does not list the amounts of the different ingredients in its “proprietary blend”.  This is not uncommon for pre-workout supps but there are some out there that do.  I just like to know how much of something I am taking in.

If you have tried SAN Launch 4350, let me know your thoughts, and if you have not, give it a shot!

Filed Under: Fitness, Side Kick Series · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
May 13, 2012

A letter to Carolyn

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It’s been 9 long years since the greatest woman I’ve ever known was taken from labor to glory.

On Mother’s Day, I always reflect on my loss, and how that loss has defined my life. It’s hard to believe it…almost a decade without seeing your smile, hearing your laughter, receiving one of your stern talking to’s and feeling one of your great big bear hugs. You dedicated your entire life to your children and making sure we all did well. You pushed success, hard work and education. You pushed us to go to church and constantly pray and remember our Creator. You touched us with your wisdom, moved us with your compassion and you showed us both how to love…and how to accept love. That second part is something a lot of us don’t really know how to do.

Though not here in body, in spirit I feel your presence in my life. Whenever I make the 2 hour journey home, I always stop by your gravesite first. Always. I always sit with you. Pray for you. And remember you. Then I go about my business.

When I think about it deeply, I find myself angry sometimes. Angry that Cancer took you away. Angry that you felt such pain near the end. Angry I could nothing about it. Angry I couldn’t take your place.

But then I feel peace. Peace that I ever even knew you. You know how blessed a guy has to be to say you were his mother? Talk about highly favored.

In the years that you’ve been gone, things have changed for all of us. Especially me. I’ve grown and changed. I’m smarter now. Wiser. More compassionate. Less foolish. I’ve had great failures. I’ve had mighty successes.

I’ve been in love. I’ve loved hard.

I’ve lost that same love. I’ve seen it melt away with only unfulfilled dreams left in its place.

I’ve tried to help people where I may, and where I couldn’t I tried to point them where to go. I’ve tried to brighten the day of everyone I come in contact with. I try to leave others better than when they found me (or I them).

In short… I’ve tried to be like you. And no one can ever accomplish that. People think I’m nice, kind, wise, patient, etc? I try. But really, I’m just the decaf version of you. Lightly seasoned. You taught me everything about companionship, compassion, peace, spirituality, and commitment.  You taught me everything about self-love.

In short, I could never be as much a man as I am today, had God not given me the mother He did. And I’ll always think you left too soon. But I’ve seen you in my dreams…and I know now, you are happy and safe. No more pain. No more tears. More laughter. And happiness on a level we can’t even comprehend here.

I just wanted to take this time and this space to say that now more than ever, I feel the void that is left behind with your passing…and it inspires me and reminds me how much I love you. And how much love I have to give others. Thank you for never leaving. Never abandoning me and even at my worst, inspiring me to be my best. Thank you for the most valuable lesson that all of us need to learn. You taught it to me for me.

Thank you for teaching me compassion. Thank you for teaching me how to love. And thank you for teaching me, I deserve to be loved.

I love you, Mama

My sister (left) and mother (right) out for lunch at a Mexican restaurant (Circa 2003)

Me back in my thug days (note the braids!) Walking my mom and assisting her. She STILL had a bright smile on her face.

Best date I’ve ever been on!  We were celebrating my undergrad graduation

Filed Under: Thoughts at Midnight · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
May 12, 2012

Supplement Review: Nutrex Lipo 6 Black

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I wanted to review this and get this out there soon as possible. For the longest time, Fat Burners have been on the market. With the promise of shredded abs in a bottle, you take a few pills and eventually you should look cut. That’s the promise anyway. These pills usually all work on the same basic premise: Loads of stimulants usually including caffeine of some sort. Other ingredients are used designed to raise your body temperature. Still other ingredients are added in an attempt to curb your appetite. Attacking from all these angles, and adding lower carbs and increased exercise, 2 months down the road you should look trimmer.

It is with this thought process that I sought to review Nutrex’ Lipo 6  Black. Nutrex is a hardcore brand. They are the Urban underground of the supplement industry. Their products are so hardcore that you have to literally have a certain level of testosterone in your body before you can even try them. They are freaking hardcore.

I won’t go into all the ingredients. To see that, merely watch the following video:

Instead, I’ll just show you pics of the product and talk about how it made me feel. Is this marketing filler?

So here it is…Hardcore in a bottle.

I took these pills. I’m not really a pill popper, but why not. I want to look cut for the summer.

Note: I want to reiterate that while taking these, I was not using a pre-workout at all. I personally think you should never ever use Fat Burners and Pre-Workouts at the same time. Way too much caffeine. Way too much stress on your Heart, Endocrine and Excretory Systems. 

Keeping in mind that these have 1,3 DMAA in them, Either I’ve built up one hell of a tolerance or the product is somehow under-dosed. That is hard to believe, coming from Nutrex. I have no hard core facts for this, but the representatives at Vitamin Shoppe state that it’s their 3rd Biggest Fat Burner seller, after GAT Jetfuel and of course USP Labs Oxy Elite Pro.

So I took these for immediately upon arriving to work, approximately at 8:30 a.m. These little capsules, chock full of energy.

By 10:30 a.m., I am in my seat almost dozing off. I felt no increase in focus. I felt no increase in body temperature. And these things are supposed to curb your hunger— can you believe an hour after taking this, I am FAMISHED.

No weight loss, either. None. Not 1 pound.

Fat pills by those in the know get a bum rap as being useless. The reason is, you can’t sit and do nothing but pop pills and lose weight. You’ll just lose money.

These pills (or at least the non underground version of them) won best weight loss supplement for 4 years straight. There’s absolutely no reason why you would believe me over the awards. None.

But I can say, I didn’t respond to these at all, and my body is extremely sensitive to stimulants. If something is going to react in me, especially something this powerful, it would happen. With these it didn’t.

So the promise of explosiveness, energy, fat loss, etc. in a bottle? I found these claims to be totally bogus.

If you lose weight on this stuff, it’s due to expectancy. You just spent $40 on a bottle of pills that’s supposed to make you cut within a month. So you are obviously obsessed with your weight, and eating habits. You may, either consciously or unconsciously be taking in less calories. You may also be working out harder and watching what you eat. You WANT to see change— you need to. You just paid $40! You lost the weight because you worked out harder and had lower calories.

It took years to get the fat on you. It won’t be gone in a month.

I don’t recommend this product. I don’t recommend fat burners in general, though there are a few that I’m willing to try, because the company is absolutely wonderful. By and large though save your $$$. Instead invest in some gym wear, and then— start lifting. Leave the pipe dreams of “fatloss in a bottle” alone.

Or at the very least, do not get this product.

Filed Under: Fitness · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,
May 7, 2012

Rekindling with MuscleTech

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I posed a serious question on Twitter the other day.

Muscle Tech wasted NO time in putting out the call to action.

The Answers I received were… unanimous.

That last one was actually my favorite.

Currently, a good tweep of mine is having the “NeuroCore” experience.

So where am I going with all this? I’ve only ever tried 2 Muscle Tech products, way back when. I tried the old school HydroxCut formula when it first came out. Back in those days, before I learned the joys of running and bodybuilding, and I was dieting the wrong way. So I wouldn’t eat food, and for breakfast, I’d pop a Hydroxycut pill, another for lunch and another for dinner with a meal. Then I’d wonder why I wasn’t dropping any weight. But then I’d be wondering why does my heart feel like it’s going to jump right out of my chest. Hey, if you knew better, you’d do better, right? I also tried the Cell Tech as a sample and didn’t care too much for the taste then.

For as long as I can remember, Muscle Tech has been the #1 Supplement company in the business. They are Michael Jordan while everyone else even at their best will only ever be Kobe. I wrote them off years ago though. I thought they were a brand that charged too much money for products that only kinda worked, but were heavily endorsed (read pushed) by the Bodybuilding superstars. But not only were the products not that good… They were DANGEROUS.

The goal of this site has been to determine which products are most effective, efficacious, cost efficient, safe and above and honest with their labels.

The Muscle Tech of old, seems to be gone and they have changed a lot just in the last 3 years. Unlike many companies, they back up their claims by showing their ingredients and not using a proprietory blend.  The products seem safer and they seem to have learned that their success lies not only in great advertising (and they have some of the best ads out there) but also in providing safer products backed by tons of peer reviewed research.

So the longer I read up on them and tweet with them and read people’s reactions to their products, their previous hard times and bad reputation seem to be dwindling in my mind. Maybe they really have changed for the better?

I am cautiously optimistic about this “New” Muscle Tech. I can’t wait to hear people’s further reactions to their products. But if and when I ever try a Muscle Tech product again, I’m worried.

I’m worried, I’ll have to eat my words. It’s happened quite a few times that I had high expectations for a product and it under delivered. It’s happened more than once. At least twice. Maybe even 3 or more. But could it be that I could try a product and the reverse happen? I go in with no expectation and it surpass them all?

Hard to say, kinda deep.

I’ll continue to research MT products and reactions to them. It’ll probably be a while before one appears on this site where I tried it, though that Neurocore does look really sexy with all it’s Yellow and Black in all the right places. I can honestly say when that day arrives, it will be one of the most excited days since starting bodybuilding when I finally put the new Muscle Tech to the test.

Until then, I’ll just continue to follow their Twitter.

(Note: I still Muscle Tech has to be better than BSN though. Those guys suck.)

Filed Under: Thoughts at Midnight · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
May 4, 2012

Supplement Review: Dymatize Xpand Xtreme Pump

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Time for another Supplement review. I’m almost caught up on these!

This week’s entry? Dymatize Xpand Xtreme Pump. I’ve been wanting to try Dymatize products for a very long time and the time never had been right— until NOW. I’m really excited to see how this product works.

Fruit Punch. Yay.

Boo.

Moving along, from the website: “The mind-blowing pumps, maximum creatine uptake, and ultimate muscle recovery that XPAND® is known for have been fused with the Explosive Energy and Mental Focus Matrix for the most insane workout of your life! With a massive 5 grams of creatine in our exclusive Strength and Endurance Matrix and 3.5 grams Vaso-Volumizing Arginine, XPAND® XTREME PUMP ensures you are getting the most out of each and every workout.”

The Pour

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you. What I did not expect is that this comes with 2 scoops, literally. I guess in case you lose one, or hurriedly need to use that much product.

In my belly…get?

Now, this product didn’t mix all that great. There was a lot of it left in the bottom of the shaker. It looked like Red Sand. The taste was very bland. Water may have more of a flavor, actually.

This is one of those hype machine products where it tells you, “Only start out with half a scoop…cause this is INTENSE!!!!”

Yawn.

Either my tolerance is through the roof now, or that was a fail. A half scoop and I was useless in the gym. I used this on Back and Triceps day. It was a pretty @#$%ty workout. I had no motivation, and this is the first product with Beta-Alanine where I didn’t feel it at all. I actually was surprised it had any in it. I was yawning through the workout. Also, I took it with 8 oz water. I found myself having to go to the bathroom to urinate about 3 different times.

So then I tried the full scoop. That was just double the same effect really. I almost hate posting this because I know some people are die hard Dymatize fans. This product can’t have clinical doses of the ingredients you need. I literally could have taken a nap after having a full scoop.

The label says there are 40 servings. BUT again, if you need to take 2 scoops to feel anything, well…that’s $41 for a 20 day supply. Thankfully, for some reason this was on clearance and I only paid $10 for it (I had no intention of paying $41, but $10? Why not. Afterall, I’m “bodybuilding on a budget”.)

I felt absolutely no pump, no focus, no increase in strength, there was no taste and it didn’t mix well.

It’s quite a let down of a product to be honest. I’m very disappointed.

What’s weird is that even though, I never felt “up”, the next day, I experienced a horrible crash off this stuff. I had a throbbing headache and I felt my chest filled with flutters. Overall, I spent the next two days just feeling horrible.

And of course, I’m a glutton for punishment– so I did it all again.

Yep, it was definitely this stuff.

This product sucks.

Now the good news…

It seems that Dymatize is ready to release a Xpand Xtreme Pump 2.0 in ultra concentrated form over the summer. This may be why you can get these big huge jugs for so little $$$ now. I’d be interested to try that formula. The new Pre-Workout is being build as an advanced hybrid formula, so I’m interested to see how they improved since this one was so horrible.

So, in total,  I would say hold off on spending your cash on this product. Wait until Summer, when the new Dymatize Xpand 2.0 comes out, and try that instead.

Filed Under: Fitness · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
May 2, 2012

Emotionality 2: Dealing with Anxiety

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I brought this up a few days ago and want to touch on it again. Some days you wake up and you can be just so unsure of life. Things that were certain yesterday seem in flux today. Or new things happen and you’re not sure how you’ll survive. Don’t worry— there’s a blog post for that.

I’ve spoken before on the importance of taking time out to regulate your emotions and take care of your stress levels. Life is constantly changing. Sometimes, especially in the late of the night (most likely when this post goes live), I find myself pondering certain mysteries in my life: How will I enjoy grad school? How busy will I be? Will I really be THAT broke? Will I make my Father proud? Will my sister still think I’m a hero? How will I handle such a busy life? Will I ever get a break? Are these the last days that I will find sleep?

ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!

It makes you want to scream. At the end of the day, all these little anxieties are concerns and worries about things that either 1) have no basis for concern in the first place 2) are out of my control 3) I’m already prepared for but for some reason have forgotten this.

And that is what pointless anxiety is— worrying about things that if you were being logical in that moment, should really cause you no worries at all. Our anxieties point to us seeking to do that which we can not— predict the future. You already have the gifts to deal with any eventuality that occurs in your life. And if not, you have a team of folks called “Friends” and “Family” who are there to help you. Because they love you.

What I’ve realized, especially in these last 2 weeks is that there’s no need to worry fruitlessly about life. Your family (and that doesn’t have to be biological… “friends” are often closer than family) can be a blessing to you, to build you up and keep you. Don’t hold all your worries in, otherwise they snowball and what can feel like the weight of the world will be upon you.

You’re made to experience life happy. When you’re not, take a step back, reassess and know that you can beat and survive anything.

Cause you are powerful.

Work that stress off on the machines. And cut back on the Caffeine, too!

Filed Under: Thoughts at Midnight, Wednesday "Win"spiration · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
May 1, 2012

@Team_Optimum #Giveaway Winners Announced!

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Congratulations to the winners of our 2nd Team_Optimum Giveaway!!!

Winner of the 65 Serving of Grape: Scott Crawford!!!!

Scott Says: “As I mentioned in the last giveaway, I am new to supplements and have relied on your website a great deal for pre-workout supps to avoid and potential ones to try. I have not had the fortunate pleasure of trying any Optimum Nutrition brand supplements yet, but would love to try the grape amino energy! I have just started looking at amino’s an BCAA’s and this would be a great kickstart for implementation into my routine. Thanks for the opportunity and keep up the good work!“

Winner of the 75 Count AmiN.O. Chewables: Greg Grindle!!!!

Greg states: “Optimum Nutrition is simply the Best Supplement Company out there right now! Affordable prices and Absolutely great products! I have has Awesome results with, GoldStandard 100% Natural Whey, HydroWhey, HydroBUILDER, and AmiNO Energy!! If I were to win the contest I would want the Fruit Punch Chews, because I have not tried the Chews yet!!
Thanks so much for the opportunity to try a New @Team_Optimum Product!!
Have a great day!!
#OptimumNutritionForLife #TrueStrength
#LiveToLift_LiftToLive
#GoHard“

Please DM me your address on Twitter, or Email me your address and I will get those right out to you.

Thanks everyone for playing!

More exciting stuff is coming up, stay tuned!

Filed Under: Fitness, Super Heroics · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Apr 28, 2012

Emotionality

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Fitness serves a purpose that surpasses just looking good for the beach or trying to attract the opposite sex. Fitness can also help you with your mental and emotional health.

Too many times in life, we’re left to deal with the after effects of traumatic events. A divorce. A death of a loved one. Declining health of a child. Even getting a speeding ticket. We try to thrive in these situations but too often we give in to the need to “dull the pain” and wind up drinking too much alcohol and waking up in places we’d rather not. In short, to deal with the pain of life, we try to numb that pain in whatever way we think will help us. We don’t think about the consequences or the price to pay later… later is far too “abstract” when stuff is falling down around us now.

This is post that has nothing to do with anything other than it’s late and I need to write to clear my mind. But there’s more ways to deal with hurt than alcohol, sex and even medication by itself. We forget that our bodies follow our minds— that is to say, if we feel down and depressed, your body will follow suite and also feel down and depressed. This expresses itself in different ways— could be that you eat too much. Emotional eating might help you to grasp a hold of the situation and feel comfort. It could be that you are like me, and wind up not eating at all (before my orange mask days, years ago, I went through a situation so bad that I forgot to eat for a WEEK. I lost 10 pounds. No joke. NOT healthy).  Whatever the case, you need to remember something.

Even if @#$% is hitting the fan, GO TO THE GYM. It doesn’t matter if you do light weights, or just jog or just walk. Don’t end training because of life. You don’t have to be ready to pull off an upset Mr. Olympia win. But you need to still workout. Get those endorphins going. Otherwise, food becomes your idol and in addition to that, you’ll find that you’re either sleeping too much or not enough. You may not be able to change that situation. But you can retain control over your body and your health.

Too many times we let depression over a situation dictate our lives. That situation is horrible…temporarily. But you can fight for your right to feel good by continuing to practice healthy habits. And learning that loving yourself isn’t just deciding to shower (although that helps). It’s also taking time away from the situation and spending an hour or more in the gym banging the weights and in doing so banging out a solution. Love yourself enough to keep healthy during life’s trials. You can’t erase problems during the day, but you can learn to respond to them in healthy ways.

The benefits of working out include maintaining a healthy appetite, sleeping on a correct cycle, and derived pleasure. It might just be you and the treadmill. But that’s fine. You’ll find that continuing your workouts will help you to feel better later.

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