Intro to Financial Fitness

Building your best self is about more than just physical fitness. It must take into consideration all aspects of your life. We believe that that physical fitness is just the beginning - the building block that everything else can be stacked on. When you start down the path of building your fitness, it allows you to gain the motivation and confidence to build other aspects of your life. You can start to see the limitless potential all around you. The next step, in our opinion, is to build yourself mentally and financially.

The Financial Fitness section of the blog is designed to help you on the financial side of the path. To be clear, many of the authors will not be financial advisors (although some of them will be). However, all of the articles and resources shared will be backed by evidence, both from researchable sources and personal experience. The topics will range broadly from retirement planning to real estate investing, and even to Bitcoin and digital currency. Our goal is not to tell you how to spend your money, handle your investments or how to become rich. Our goal is to get you to think about your finances and the world around you in a different, more thorough way that allows you to have the potential to gain an advantage in the financial realm. We want you to be financially secure, stress less about money, and live your life on your terms.

The financial world is a complex subject and only gets more convoluted as time goes on. We hope to break it down into digestible pieces and leave you wanting to do your own research into different topics so that you can master as much of the information as possible. This is a long process that no one could hope to master quickly. As with physical fitness, think of it as a marathon- not a sprint. True knowledge and mastery takes time. We urge you to start the process as early as possible and take it just as seriously as you would your health.

As noted, the subjects discussed will sometimes delve into some very complex topics. If you have any questions about any of the content or would like references to other material that we recommend, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We do not charge for these discussions and welcome them at all times. We are happy to schedule a call or meeting to discuss any and all questions you may have. While many of the authors are not financial advisors, open discussion with like-minded individuals with a deep interest in the topics is one of the best ways to learn about and understand different concepts. We look forward to going down the financial fitness path with you!

The Basics, containing chaos, and personal responsibility

 Some thoughts to consider this week:

Start with the Basics

“Sometimes the best way forward is the most basic path.”

People who find an interest in fitness will almost always be inundated with new ideas and routines that seem to get more complex as time goes on. This can be confusing and overwhelming. If you ever find yourself overwhelmed, get back to the basics. It doesn’t have to be complicated - it just has to work. Some of the most fit people on the planet have the most basic exercise routines.

Containing Chaos

“Before you start blaming your problems on the world around you, make sure your own house is in order.”

Everyone has their own share of problems that could easily be attributed to something outside themselves. Those who find their way past obstacles faced have a lot in common with how they did it. One of those things is that they always make sure their own house is in order first. Eat right, exercise regularly, learn daily, keep your house and workspace clean, etc. By getting your own house in order, the chaos that surrounds you will begin to calm down and allow you to look for opportunities. This is a hard but worthwhile process.

Personal Responsibility

An ancient Greek saying that captures the power of personal responsibility:

"If your doorstep is clean, then your city will be clean.”
Source: unknown

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

If you like the ideas here, consider joining our newsletter where we regularly send out tips for in the gym and in life. Our goal is to help people live better lives and we hope you gain value from the blog and our newsletter.

Top 3 Supplements to Consider

In the fitness industry, supplements are a common topic. With what seems to be 1000s of option and different products, it can be overwhelming to know what is worth taking and what is a waste. It is of critical importance that you understand this fact: No supplement meant for improving physical fitness is worth taking if your diet or exercise plan isn’t effective. Only when used in combination with a good exercise routine and a diet plan that is structured correctly, can supplements be beneficial. It should also be noted that the vast majority of supplements are either untested or unproven. It is likely that many of the supplements on the market today provide no actual benefit. For today, we would like to highlight the 3 products that we recommend the most to beginners and advanced lifters alike.

1.) The Staple - Whey and Casein Protein Powder

Protein is an essential part of a diet geared towards muscle growth. However, most people don’t consume nearly enough protein each day. Protein powders make hitting your protein goals each day much simpler. Most powders have between 20 and 25 grams per scoop so that with just a few shakes per day, you are much closer to your goal. The typical recommended daily goal is 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. A 200-pound person would be aiming for 200 grams of protein on a daily basis. It is possible to consume all of it from other sources, but a protein powder will make it much easier and reduce the amount of meat eaten daily. We recommend whey protein for post workout shakes and casein protein for a pre-bed snack or as a meal replacement.

2.) The King - Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate is the king of supplements. Its effects have been studied longer than almost every other supplement on the market for assisting with strength and fitness goals. It is also relatively cheap making it affordable for most of the population. Without going into too much detail- its effects are proven, it is completely safe, and is one of the most cost-effective options on the market. There is no need to try the different forms of creatine that always hit the market. Just get creatine monohydrate and enjoy the benefits.

3.) The “When in Need” - Pre-Workout

Pre workout is by no means essential, but it is effective. The ingredients in them have proven to increase strength and endurance compared to placebos in clinical trials and the caffeine in them is a great way to get a boost for your workouts. With that being said, our recommendation is to use them sparingly if they are caffeinated versions which tend to work best. We advise this because caffeine does cause addiction. Not the same level of addiction as drugs and alcohol but it is addicting, nonetheless. By consuming them too often, you run the risk of becoming reliant to the point that you can only have good workouts when you drink a pre-workout beforehand, and your workouts are much worse when you don’t. By limiting usage to only when you need a boost, you can ensure that you get the benefits when needed as well as not becoming reliant on them as a stimulant. Also, good to remember is that more is not always better. Find one that is dosed correctly for your tolerance level. If you have a low tolerance to caffeine, something with 100 mg may be plenty. While most people have a high tolerance and can handle 300mg or more, it should not be forgotten that too much caffeine can lead to heart issues and even death. If taking 300mg of caffeine doesn’t give you the boost you need, it is probably time to stop taking it for a few months to let your body return to normal.

While there are other supplements on the market that we recommend, this is a great place to start for most people. If you have a great exercise routine and diet, you will get great results. If you have those and add these in, you will get better results. By that point you will be advanced enough to understand the dynamics of supplements and how they interact with diet and exercise which will help you make more informed decisions on whether to take anything else.

*As always, speak with your doctor before starting any exercise, diet, or supplement routine. Although all of the supplements listed here are safe for the majority of people, each case is unique and should be looked at on a case-by-case basis. We are not dieticians or doctors and are only providing information based on our experience in the industry.

Gordon the Guided Missile

Gordon the guided missile sets off in pursuit of its target. It immediately sends out signals to discover if it is on the right course to hit that target. Signals come back: “No, you are not on course. So, change it up a bit and slightly to the left.”

And Gordon changes course as instructed and then, rational little fellow that he is, sends out another signal. “Am I on course now?” Back comes the answer, “No, but if you adjust your present course a bit further up and a bit further to the left, then you will be.” He adjusts his course again and sends out another request for information. Back comes the answer, “No, Gordon, you’ve still got it wrong. Now you must come down a bit and a foot to the right.”

And the guided missile goes on and on making mistakes, and on and on listening to feedback and on and on correcting its behavior until it blows up the nasty enemy thing. And we applaud the missile for its skill.

If, however some critic says, “Well, it certainly made a lot of mistakes on the way”, we reply, “Yes, but that didn’t matter, did it? It got there in the end.” All its mistakes were little ones, in the sense that they could be immediately corrected. And as a result of making many hundreds of mistakes, eventually the missile succeeded in avoiding the one mistake which really would have mattered: missing the target.

The story of Gordon the Guided missile is a great analogy to many of the endeavors we will pursue in life. If we are unwilling to make mistakes and adjust course, we are less likely to achieve what we set out to do. The key is to get started and allow the little mistakes you make along the way inform you of what changes you need to make to ensure a better future. Too many people are too afraid to get started in the first place for fear of making mistakes. Another group is willing to get started but then unwilling to make course corrections when necessary due to stubbornness or ego. You can find tremendous success if you are willing to be in the third group. The group that is willing to get started no matter how scared they are. The group that is willing to make adjustments to make sure they stay on track and aren’t too stubborn to change. This is the group that hits the eventual target.

Barbell Basics

All barbells are the same right? Wrong. At least if you want to get the most out of the equipment available to you. In the world of barbells, there are many different factors that influence the type of barbell best suited to your use and these differences, believe it or not, can impact the progress you make. I’m not saying you can’t make progress using the “wrong” bar, I am saying that the fitness game is one of small percentages and that every percentage that goes in your favor is one you should take seriously. After all, even if your barbell choice only improves your results by one percent- that is one percent better than you would have had otherwise. There is no set number as far as how much a barbell can improve your results, but that improvement does exist, nonetheless.

In this article, I will be covering the basic elements of barbell construction and purpose to provide a base level of knowledge for you to use. By no means will it be a comprehensive guide because that would be unnecessarily lengthy. For our purposes, a top-level view of the basics will be enough.

Some important vocabulary before we get started:

• Shaft - The part of the bar that you hold.

• Sleeve - The ends of the barbell where weight is loaded.

• Knurl - a small projecting knob or ridge, especially in a series around the edge of something. This is what gives barbells their grip.

• Knurl Marks - These are rings on the barbell shaft where there is no knurl. They are meant to provide a guide as to where to place your hands.

• Bearings/Bushings - What gives barbell sleeves the ability to spin around the shaft.

There are hundreds of ways to build a barbell using different variations of the above options. Over time, various standards have come into play due to some options being superior to others for specific reasons as well as organizations placing limits as to what can be used in their competitions. Currently, there are three standard barbell types that are the most common, but even these have many variations within each category. Once you understand the purpose of each barbell type, personal preference can play a much bigger role in choosing the right bar for you.

1.) The Power Bar

The Power Bar is the most common of the three standard variants. This is due to how well they perform in a commercial setting as well as their use in the most common lifts: The squat, bench, and deadlift. For all three lifts you want something that won’t bend too much under load, won’t allow the weight to spin too much, and that gives a lot of grip. For these purposes, the power bar is ideal. Standard features include:

• 28.5- or 29-mm diameter shaft. This is slightly thicker than the other types which provides more rigidity of the steel to prevent bending while not being so thick to affect the grip for deadlifts. There are thicker options, but that usually means the steel is not as high quality and thus requires the extra thickness to not bend. These bars will work fine for squat and bench press but will underperform on deadlifts.

• More aggressive knurl and single knurl marks. An aggressive knurl pattern will give you better grip on the barbell. Many people will call this style of knurl “sharp” due to the way it digs into your hands. While this may be uncomfortable at first, most people will get used to it over time and end up preferring increasingly aggressive patterns. It is not essential to use the most aggressive patterns available, but it is essential to use one that provides enough grip. On these bars, there will be single knurl marks on the shaft for a reference point on where to place your hands.

• Bushings instead of bearings. Power bars typically use bushings inside the sleeves. This provides the sleeves the ability to spin just enough to be useful. Bearings tend to provide a much better spin; however, it is unnecessary and can even be dangerous if the sleeves spin too much. Bushings also tend to be sturdier with less risk of breaking under load. While bearings aren’t “frail”, they are more prone to damage than their counterparts.

• Higher strength steel. Power bars tend to use higher strength steel to prevent bending under heavy loads. When squatting a lot of weight, the last thing you want is the end of the bars to be bouncing up and down because the steel is too weak to handle it. Steel strength is measured in tensile strength and expressed as pounds per square inch or psi. The standard range for bars in this class is 190,000 psi - 250,000 psi.

• Always has center knurl. Power bars will always have a small knurl section on the center of the bar. This is especially important for squats because that section helps keep the barbell on your back and not slide down as easily.

2.) The Olympic Bar

The Olympic Bar used to be the second most common barbell used but is now probable the least common of the three due to the rise of CrossFit (The last bar on our list is the main barbell used in the CrossFit world). This style bar is the most likely one to be misused and broken or deformed in some way due to its specific purpose and its construction. Some gyms have even taken to placing locks on them in order to prevent their misuse. While that may seem extreme, it may seem less so when you take into account that they typically cost $500-$1000. The precision and components that go into their construction result in much higher prices than other bars. It is also the most specialized bar of the group and is designed for only two lifts: the squat and the clean and jerk.

• 25mm shaft for women or 28mm for men. Due to the necessity to hook grip when doing the Olympic lifts, the bar shaft is the thinnest of the three bars. The Womens’ variant especially so to account for the difference in hand size between men and women. While a millimeter or two doesn’t seem like a big difference, it is definitely noticeable when you grab them.

• Knurl aggressiveness depends on usage. A unique aspect of these bars is that they are classified as “training” bars or “competition” bars. The training bars have less aggressive knurl patterns to allow for higher rep training protocols to be followed without risking damage to the hands. Due to the nature of the lifts done, high rep work done with aggressive knurl would result in tears in the skin of the palms and hinder training. Competition variants, on the other hand, keep the aggressive knurl to provide as much grip as possible for a single rep since these bars are not meant for training and only for a single rep done in a competition.

• Typically has “passive” center knurl. Olympic bars typically have “passive” center knurl opposed to the aggressive center knurl found on power bars. Passive just means that it is there but that it is much lighter and less abrasive than what it found on the grip portion of the bar. This helps to provide some grip in the front rack position of the clean without damaging the collar bone area too much. Some training bars opt to have no center knurl at all for the same reason they have a less aggressive outer knurl - prevent skin damage as much as possible.

• Bearings instead of bushings. Bushings may be less prone to breaking, but bearings provide a far superior spin. In lifts that require taking the barbell from the floor to overhead, the more spin the better. Bearings spin so much better that you can almost always tell by simply spinning the weight on the bar while its racked. If it spins a couple times and stops then it is probably bushings and if it spins forever, then it is probable bearings. Due to the way they are constructed, barbells made with bearings should never be stored vertically. Horizontal storage will help ensure the bearings stay in good condition and will lessen the chances of breakage.

• High quality steel but less tensile strength. With power bars you don’t want them to bend at all. Olympic bars, on the other hand, you do. This is typically referred to as “whip” and can actually be beneficial in lifting more weight when doing Olympic lifts. In order to create this “whip” manufacturers use extremely high-quality steel but keep the tensile strength lower to allow it to bend more freely. This is ok because these bars are not typically put under the same types of stress as power bars. However, if they are misused (or abused as some would say) they are much more likely to bend permanently. For example, if someone performed rack pulls with one, the chance of it bending permanently is almost certain whereas a good quality power bar would be likely to escape unscathed.

• Single knurl marks. Like power bars, Olympic bars will only have one set of knurl marks. They will be placed slightly further out on the bar to account for the fact that the grip widths done are significantly wider than with the power lifts.

3.) The Multi-Use Bar

The multi-use bar has become a very popular option with the rise of CrossFit but its usefulness isn’t constrained to just CrossFit. It has become more popular over the years because it takes aspects of the previous two bars and blends them into a bar that is decent for all of the lifts. While the other two bars are very good for what they are intended, the multi-use bars are the “jack of all trades, master of none”. They are good at everything but great at nothing.

• 28.5mm diameter shaft. Most power bars are 29mm and Olympic lifting bars are 28mm, so these have settled exactly in the middle. For the most part, 28.5 mm is a good diameter for grip strength and steel strength, so it is a good compromise.

• Knurl tends to be more passive. Due to the nature of the bar and that it is designed to do all lifts well, the knurling has to be made more passive for the same reason the training variants of Olympic bars are- to prevent your skin being ripped up. This is great for anyone who is doing both the Olympic and Power lifts, but it isn’t great for anyone who focuses on the main three power lifts. Passive knurl won’t provide the same level of grip and thus make grip strength a potential weak point.

• No center knurl. Again, this is a must have feature in order to make it useful for as many lifts as possible. However, the center knurl is such a nice aspect to have for squats that anyone who squats a lot will take issue with it.

• Dual ring marks. These bars will have dual knurl marks for both Olympic and Power lifts. This isn’t incredibly important and won’t sway too many people one way or another. I find single knurl marks more aesthetically pleasing personally, but function-wise it doesn’t really matter.

• Lower strength steel. In general, the steel strength found in these bars will be lower. This makes sense because you won’t find many generalists using as much weight in single lifts as you will when someone specializes in just a few lifts. Therefore, including really strong steel would result in higher prices that wouldn’t be necessary for the vast majority of people using them. This isn’t to say the steel is “weak” only to say that it won’t serve you as well if your focus is on the squat, bench, and deadlift. Not only will it be more prone to bending permanently, but it will have more “whip” than you will want.

• Bushings or bushing/bearing combination. Most multi-use bars will use bushings for their spin because they work well and hold up to high use environments. Some use a combo of bushings and bearings to provide the reliability of bushings and the spin of bearings. I prefer bushing only setups for these for two reasons. One, bearings are more expensive which adds to the cost unnecessarily. Two, you get more spin that may or may not help you at all, but you add in parts that are more unreliable - more risk of breaking without any guaranteed benefit. It is always best to try out both to see which you prefer, but if you don’t, I recommend sticking with bushing only setups.

Conclusion

The best barbell choice will come down purely to what you will be doing with that barbell. It pays to know the differences so that you can make the best decision possible and have the right tool to use in your training. In an ideal world, you will have access to a variety of bars that serve each purpose. This will allow you to explore new training styles as well as provide you with the right tools as your training evolves. It is not uncommon for people to start training in one area and move to others as they progress. For example, starting with Powerlifting and switching to Olympic lifting later. Training in a gym that has a good barbell selection solves that problem easily. If you are buying a personal barbell, I would recommend buying the bar that suits your training now.

No Olympic Lifting = Power Bar

Mostly Olympic Lifting = Olympic Bar

Some of Both = Multi-Use Bar or One of Each

Home Gym Must-Haves

Although we are firm believers in training in a gym setting that allows you to have access to a much broader range of equipment as well as a like-minded community of people, there will be times when having a home gym becomes a great option. Two specific examples would be when you can’t find a gym that provides the necessary atmosphere, and when the home gym is available as a backup plan due to weather or a hectic schedule. The most important part of a training program is the ability to follow through with it and home gyms can sometimes become beneficial in that pursuit. In this article I will show you some of the best pieces of equipment to have and how to prioritize their importance. As noted earlier, a home gym is almost always a downgrade from a commercial gym in both available equipment and the atmosphere to make the most progress. Our recommendation is to prioritize finding a good gym first and only resort to a home gym as a last resort.

1.) The Squat Rack

Without question, the squat rack is the most important aspect of a gym including home gyms and commercial gyms alike. Their utility is unmatched and the movements they allow you to perform are the foundation of any good exercise routine. Having a gym without a good squat rack is like having a bakery without an oven. There are a ton of options out there to choose from and we highly recommend not skimping on this one due to it being the main piece of your gym. A good quality squat rack from a good brand will last forever and retain its value over time. Brands such as Rogue Fitness and Rep Fitness will have better resale value down the road so that if the day comes when you need to sell, you will have a better chance of recouping more of the original investment. As the saying goes, buy nice so you don’t have to buy twice.

2.) Barbell

Having a good quality barbell in addition to the squat rack is essential. Squats, deadlifts, lunges, etc. can all be done with these two pieces of equipment and are foundational movements to most training routines. Buying the correct barbell is almost as important as the quality of the bar. If you will be using it for mostly squat, bench, deadlift type movements, a good power bar is the way to go. Key features of power bars include:

• More aggressive knurling

• Center knurl

• Slightly larger diameter and stronger steel to hold more weight without bending

• Bushings instead of bearings in the sleeves so they don’t spin as much

If you believe you would like to do or may dabble in Olympic lifts in addition to the power lifts, then a multi-use bar may be a better fit. They will have features such as:

• Slightly thinner diameter for better grip

• Knurling won’t be as aggressive

• Dual ring marks for power and Olympic lifts

• Either bushings or a combination of bushings and bearings for a slightly better spin

• No center knurl

Finally, if know you will mainly focus on the Olympic lifts, then a good Olympic lifting bar will be the best fit. These will have:

• Either no center knurl or a passive center knurl

• Bearings in the sleeves for great spin

• Slightly thinner diameter for better grip and easier hook grip

• Single knurl marks for the Olympic lifts

There is no wrong answer here, it truly depends on the style of training you want to do. The difference between the bars may seem negligible but when in use, the differences are very noticeable. In an ideal world, you would have a barbell for each discipline but that can be rather costly as most of these bars will be between $200 and $400 for a good quality barbell. As with squat racks, spending the extra money for quality is definitely worth it and you will notice the difference. Most of the higher end bars also come with a lifetime warranty against bending and breakage unless they are abused so you could potentially have the same bar forever. In our experience, power bars are the most popular and most people will want to pick up that style. Our recommendation is the Rogue Ohio Power Bar.

A more thorough discussion on barbells can be found here.

3.) Bench

Another must have is a high-quality bench. There are literally hundreds of options at this point so you will have plenty to choose from. If you have the space, we recommend having a dedicated flat bench and an adjustable bench. If space is an issue, then a good adjustable bench is the way to go. The best, most cost-effective benches in our opinion are from Rep Fitness and Titan Fitness where you can pick up really awesome benches that will last forever for less than $500. If cost is no object, then Rogue Fitness, Prime Fitness, Legend Fitness, and Arsenal Strength (among others) become viable options. However, those will run anywhere from $500 to $2000, and few people will find they are worth the upgrade for a home gym since they are built for commercial gyms with much higher usage rates.

4.) Weight Plates

While not as glamorous as the others, the plates are what bring everything else together. About 300lbs is a good place to start for most people since you can add as you get stronger. Once again, our recommendation is to buy high quality plates. Not only do they hold their value better than cheaper plates, but they also have more strict tolerances. What this means is that a 45lb plate is more likely to weigh exactly 45lbs. We have seen plates weigh anywhere from 40 to 50 pounds in cheaper sets which can cause some serious issues as more weight is added. Imagine doing a squat that has two plates weighing 50 pounds on one side and two plates weighing 42 pounds on the other side. Not good. To be fair, the weight differences are rarely that extreme and can be remedied by weighing the plates before using them, but it adds a lot of effort for something that shouldn’t be complicated. Spend the extra on the good plates and thank yourself later. Another thing to look for is the plate diameter of the 45lb plates. 17.7” is considered standard. We would avoid anything more or less than that as it will change the height of the bar when pulling from the ground. If you won’t be doing deadlifts of any kind, this won’t affect you as much but still something to consider for if you ever need to resell them down the road. There are too many good plates available on the market to name them all, but Rep Fitness, Rogue Fitness, and Giant Lifting all have very good offerings at decent prices.

That is it!

Seriously, that is basically everything you need to have a home gym worthy of using when needed. Of course, it doesn’t have everything you could ever want or need, but a lot of progress could be made in that small footprint. Replacing everything that a commercial gym can provide won’t be economically viable most of the time due to the amount of money it would take or the amount of space. It can be surprising how much space some equipment will take up and people are usually shocked with how little they can fit into the space they picked out.

Runners Up

If you have the extra space, there are a few options that can add a lot to your home gym experience. They are by no means essential, but a nice luxury to have either way.

1.) Dumbbells

Full dumbbell sets take up quite a bit of space and cost a lot but are amazing to have. They will allow to do almost everything that you can do with a bar, just in a different way and provide a unique training stimulus and more variety. They even have adjustable dumbbells now that go above 100 pounds and take up very little space. We don’t like using them as much as standard commercial dumbbell sets but having a full set of dumbbells in just a few square feet is awesome. Just make sure not to ditch your barbell movements.

2.) Cable Crossover

There are cable crossover units that are available in more space friendly setups for home gyms. They still take up a lot of space but can be a viable option. The higher end ones can get fairly close to commercial gym quality and open your home gym to hundreds of new exercises that would be impossible to replicate without a cable machine. Keep in mind though that these machines will typically cost $2000+ minimum if you want it to be as close as possible to the ones you find at commercial gyms.

3.) Cardio

Doing cardio is incredibly important for overall health but we left off any cardio equipment because most of it takes up a lot of room and can be done outside. Would it be nice to have a treadmill, elliptical, bike, stair stepper, rower, etc. at home? Absolutely. Is it essential? No. If you have the space and the money, then absolutely add cardio pieces to make it more convenient in your routine. If not, take it outside or find other creative ways to get moving and sweating. You can still get cardio in without a treadmill, but you won’t be able to do heavy enough squats and bench presses without a squat rack.

The Obstacle is The Way

When is the last time you did something truly challenging? Something that made you uncomfortable and stretched your abilities as a human? How happy are you currently? Are you living the life of your dreams? If you are like most of the population, your answers are probably along the lines of “A long time ago” (if not “never”) and that you are “trying to find happiness but not there yet”.

If you were able to answer differently, then that is amazing, and I am truly happy for you! Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for a huge percentage of the people you share the planet with. Depression rates are at an all-time high and most people are running from one thing to the next- certain that the “next thing” is what will bring them happiness. The problem is that more people than ever are also searching for a life of pure comfort. They want to live in the big house, with the fancy car and they want it right now. They want to be lean and muscular without having to exercise and eat right. When that doesn’t happen, they resign themselves to a life of being overweight and being unhappy with how they look and feel because working hard to achieve what they want is too much work.

Too many people have decided that happiness lies in the comforts in life. While the comforts are nice to have, it should be known that if you can’t find happiness in what you have now, you won’t find happiness in material things or comfort either. I blame a lot of these issues on social media (although there are plenty of other sources). Social media has created a false online world in which it seems like the grass is always greener somewhere else, doing what someone else is doing, living someone else’s life. Overnight success stories are all too common as well as posts from people who will show you how they made their millions overnight doing almost no work. Of course, they want to charge you for this knowledge and people that fall for the trap pay gladly. Little do they know that these people are actually making their millions preying on desperate people who believe the road to happiness and riches is ever an easy one that can be bought for $99 and distilled into an hour-long seminar. The chance of gaining riches that quickly and easily is almost nonexistent unless you have a hefty trust fund. Gaining happiness is even more elusive because even a trust fund alone won’t provide that without the proper mentality to accompany it. The good news is that material success and happiness can be found at the end of the same road. A difficult road, but a fulfilling one.

That road is the one paved with obstacles. Challenges that build skills. Situations that are so uncomfortable that you have no choice but to grow and adapt. It is scientifically proven that your brain releases more sustained happiness chemicals while pursuing an end goal and that the achievement of that pursuit results in a much shorter spike of happiness that leaves just as fast as it came. You can probably think of examples in your own life when you achieved something you set out to do and the happiness you felt was short lived after you reached it. You may have even thought to yourself “Wow, I thought I would be happier at this point”. Some of your best and happiest memories are most likely from the time leading up to the achievement. We get so caught up in the accomplishment that we don’t always truly appreciate the fun we had overcoming the obstacles along the way.

I’m still figuring this all out and I am by no means an expert. But I have learned a lot in my 34 years. And one of the most important things that I have learned is that the way to happiness can be found through the obstacles that we face, whether we choose them or not. Intermittent success is important to maintain the motivation to keep pushing forward, but each success needs to be followed by another obstacle to work through and overcome. Don’t ever settle for simple comfort. Don’t ever settle for complacency. It is easy to get caught up in it and forget what it is like to be challenged, face adversity, and come out on the other side a stronger and more confident person.

The best news is a lot of us live a life that allows us to choose our obstacles. Not everyone has that luxury. Some have obstacles forced upon them. If you are not in that boat, and it has been a long time since you truly challenged yourself, now is the time to start. Struggle with exercising regularly? Challenge yourself to set goals that will require dedication and persistence. Struggle with sticking to a diet? Challenge yourself to maintain a diet for “x” number of days without breaking it to test your willpower and prove to yourself you can do anything you set your mind to. Want to be more financially free? Challenge yourself to save more than you think possible or start that business that you have always dreamed about. These are challenging things. They will test you and make you questions yourself. But in the end, you will thank yourself. You will have found something that many people will go their whole lives never understanding. You will have found purpose and a path to happiness as well as material success if you choose to set your sights on that.

Everything you want is out there, you just have to be willing to do what others won’t to get it. You have to be willing to do what is hard while others choose what is easy. You have to learn and truly believe that the obstacle is the way.

“I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.” ― Vince Lombardi

*Looking for a good challenge and don’t know where to start? Look into the 75 Hard Program. Your first thought will most likely be “Hell no, I can’t do that”. That response is an even more sure sign you should do it. My wife Kendall and I completed it a couple of years ago and thought it was a great experience that resulted in a lot of self-confidence and pride in knowing we did it. A lot of people have even started doing it once every year.

**Obviously consult your doctor to get clearance before starting any challenging routines. Don’t use it an excuse to do nothing if you have health issues that limit you but use it as a way to find something that is challenging FOR YOU. It isn’t a competition with anyone else. This is about you and what you are capable of.

Warning: Absolutely No Brown M&Ms

There is a very important lesson to be learned from Van Halen; one of the most well-known rock bands in the last 50 years. Despite their fame, there is something about their shows that is less well known and the source of the lesson. One of the requirements to have them perform at a venue was that, along with their other requests, there needed to be a bowl of M&Ms backstage for them but there couldn’t be any brown ones. Their contracts were decently long so this one line could be easy to miss. The problem with the venue’s show coordinators missing this line? Van Halen would refuse to perform if they showed up and found brown M&Ms in that bowl. A hefty price to pay over something so trivial. Or is it a more important issue than it seems?

Most who heard about the infamous brown M&M rule attributed it to the ego of the band, assuming they had developed a self-important attitude that caused them to overreact to minor slights. The real cause was divulged later by David Lee Roth, the bands lead singer. It turns out, the brown M&M clause was a test to ensure that the event coordinators had a high level of attention to detail.

At the time, the band traveled with 9 semi-trucks full of gear and stage equipment. The weight of the equipment combined with the precision required to ensure it was all staged correctly was unfamiliar territory for many venues. Van Halen was also one of the only bands traveling with such an extensive setup. The band needed to know that the people leading the engineering of the stage had the attention to detail to do it correctly with zero mistakes. If they showed up and they saw brown M&Ms in the bowl it was clear that those in charge had not thoroughly read the band’s requirements and thus were likely to have serious issues with the setup of the equipment. For them, it could have been a matter of life and death. If any of the heavy equipment wasn’t secured properly, all or part of it could come crashing down during the show resulting in potential injury or death to the band, crew or audience. If the coordinators couldn’t get something as simple as not having brown M&Ms in the bowl, how could they have had the attention to detail necessary to set the stage correctly. There was no way of knowing, so instead of taking the risk the band would cancel gigs at the last minute.

The lesson here is that details, big or small, always matter. Those who pay attention and get them right all the time have an immediate advantage over those around them because so few people will do the same. Here at The Factory, we harp on the details A LOT. We care about getting them right A LOT. If we pay to have something printed and later find a typo, no matter how small or unnoticeable, we will immediately throw them away and order new ones. * We want it to be a part of who we are. It is so important that it is even one of our 10 Factory Directives for every person who works here. Never let yourself miss small details and think it doesn’t matter. It will come back to hurt you over the long run. Start being more present. Start being more observant. Start setting your own standards so high that you won’t allow yourself to settle for less than excellence. It will change your life. It will give you the best chance of becoming legendary, just like Van Halen.

*When we started the Factory Library, we ordered bookmarks to be used with the books. They were awesome. They looked slick and we paid good money to make sure they made an impact whenever anyone used them. We pulled the trigger on ordering them after multiple proofs with multiple people. It wasn’t until we received them that we noticed it… a typo. So small that at least 5 people had read them multiple times without noticing it. It didn’t matter that most people would never notice, it was there, and we couldn’t unsee it. They never went into circulation, and we paid to have new ones made with the typo fixed. We ended up keeping them as a keepsake instead of throwing them away. Now they are just a reminder of how much we care about the details.

Why Baseball Players Shouldn't Barbell Bench

The Bench Press is a staple exercise in the vast majority of programs including those of athletes. For good reason. It is one of the most effective upper body exercises for developing strength. Obviously, this is something that most people will want to do and should be doing. Like always, there is an exception to this rule that isn’t all that well-known. The fact that it isn’t well known is a problem that needs to be corrected as far too many athletes are not living up to their potential and having their careers cut short because of it. The exception to the rule is baseball players, or more specifically, throwing athletes.

Risk vs. Reward

If the Bench Press is such an important exercise, why is it bad for throwing athletes? Glad you asked. It has to do with risk vs. reward calculations. You do this all the time in everyday scenarios. The risk of driving your car is worth it for the reward of getting essential food that you need to survive. The same calculations must be performed during exercise selection. The question of whether an exercise will provide enough benefit to warrant the risk involved must come back with a resounding yes. It is much more typical for an exercise to be worth doing than not due to risk because most exercises when done correctly are perfectly safe. That is why weight room injuries are very rare compared to injuries sustained in every other area of life. The Bench Press risk/reward calculation provides so much reward for the majority of the population that it should be a staple in most programs due to the hefty benefit involved. The same isn’t true when you add the throwing dynamic to the mix.

The Throwing Movement

Overhand throwing is already an unnatural movement to begin with. The shoulder joint is not designed to move well the way it is used when throwing overhand. It is much more natural to throw underhand, which is why softball pitchers can throw significantly more pitches and pitch on consecutive days while pitchers in baseball are very limited on how many pitches they throw consecutively and how often they can throw without enough rest. Every time a throw is made, and the more wear the shoulder joint receives, the more likely something is going to go wrong.

The Bench Press

Although safe, for the most part, the Barbell Bench Press is also quite hard on the shoulder joints. Anyone who has benched long enough or heavy enough can attest to the wear and tear their shoulders receive. Can it be done long-term without injury? Yes. However, it takes a lot of time and experience to develop perfect form, recovery techniques and a whole host of other adaptations to achieve, and even then, only a lucky few will make it without some form of problem with their shoulders. The difference between them and throwing athletes is that they don’t also have the wear and tear from another movement wreaking havoc on the joint already.

Putting it All Together

Throwing is hard on the shoulder joint. Barbell Bench Pressing is hard on the shoulder joint. Putting them together? Not a good idea. It is only asking for problems. Now to the most important part of all of this and why you should never bench press if you throw overhand in your sport: Not only is there a too high risk of injury, but the reward side of the equation is almost empty. There is basically no reward for bench pressing if you are an athlete that relies on throwing. It won’t make you throw harder; it won’t make you hit farther (for baseball and softball players); it won’t make you faster or more athletic. It may be cool to bench a lot, but it has no translation to the throwing sports in any way that would make it worth it. There are about 100 other exercises that will provide huge levels of benefit with significantly lower risk. If you play any other sport, especially football (unless you are a quarterback), then the reward for benching is high enough to be worth doing. So, if you don’t rely on throwing an object then have at it and reap the rewards! If you rely on throwing, on the other hand, it is best to put your focus on exercises that will actually help you with your sport.

Final Thoughts

• Just because you shouldn’t bench, doesn’t mean you should abandon all chest training. It is still important to develop the entire body. Just stick with weighted push-ups and dumbbell variant pressing. Using dumbbells is much easier on the shoulder joint, is great for gaining strength, and will also help develop joint stability.

• If a throwing athlete plays for a coach that insists on having them bench as part of their team training program, then we have our athletes bench press with a barbell as sparingly as possible. Just enough to perfect their form so that way they can do it with their team with as little risk as possible. Not our favorite situation but some coaches refuse to let some exercises go even though it would be better for the players and for their winning percentage.

• Focus on rotational movements. Bench press has very limited benefit for throwing because throwing is rotational, and bench is not. Spend that extra time developing explosiveness and rotational strength. There are so many movements to choose from that will have an immediate impact on your ability to throw harder and run faster.

• Theoretically, barbell benching could be done at younger ages (13-15ish) to help develop upper body strength while their shoulder isn’t under as much stress from the sports side. We have a hard time doing a blanket recommendation for this though as it will be specific to each player. Some need the additional development while others don’t. If you do add it during these building years, we just recommend slowly phasing it out as they get older and stronger and as the demands of the game increase. The benefit of the exercise will be fairly apparent at the beginning but will slowly fade away as they get older. The goal should be to get them using dumbbells for pressing movements as soon as possible.

The Best Post Workout Food: Gummy Bears?

Sugar has become a topic of many debates for as long as I can remember. Most of them end up coming to the same conclusion: sugar is almost always something that you want to avoid in your diet. A change as simple as removing sugar and calorie dense soda from your day can make a huge impact on your weight loss, mood, and health. Establishing that sugar, in general, is poor for your health is a simple argument to make because there is ample scientific literature to back up those claims. It is also becoming mainstream knowledge so very few people would dare argue in support of sugar. There is another topic that is just as well proven but not nearly as accepted or even known by the public: Some types of gummy bears are a great post workout snack.

Here’s why.

Your muscles store glycogen for energy and consume that glycogen during exercise. When those stores have been depleted, your body will then work to restore them during the recovery process. What is the easiest way to restore glycogen stores? By consuming dextrose, which is essentially the same chemical breakdown. What has dextrose as a main ingredient? You guessed it. Some brands of gummy bears! By consuming dextrose post workout, you are essentially jump starting the recovery process. The greatest part of this process is that, because your body is still using energy, the sugar is used immediately instead of being stored as fat. Talk about a good excuse for a fun snack!

A few considerations for implementation:

• Only some brands of gummy bears use actual dextrose. Make sure to check out the ingredients to be sure that dextrose is the sweetener used and nothing else.

• This is not an excuse to gorge yourself on gummy bears. The portion has to be in moderation, or you risk over-eating and causing the excess to be stored as fat.

• There are many different options to use other than gummy bears. Gummy bears are the most fun, but dextrose can also be found in powdered Gatorade (pre-bottled uses a different sweetener), and some post workout supplements. My favorite is Ignition by 1st Phorm. It is flavorless so it can be mixed with your post workout protein. This is great for two reasons. One, it makes all protein shakes taste better. Trust me. Two, if you take creatine, you can mix it all together and the dextrose will also help your body absorb the creatine more effectively.

Sugar is, for the most part, bad for your health and should be avoided in most scenarios. However, using dextrose as a post workout recovery snack/drink will not only not harm you, but will actually help you recover. So, grab some Ignition or gummy bears and enjoy a post-workout snack/drink within 60 minutes of training and enjoy the benefits of dextrose and a quicker recovery!

Healthy Island Breeze Smoothie

Ingredients

1. 1 cup frozen pineapple

2. 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

3. 1 scoop Level-1 Vanilla Ice Cream Protein

Directions

1. Layer all ingredients in a blender from liquid to solid, then blend until smooth and think

*You can sub any similar protein for the Level-1 and we carry several other options that would work; however, we believe Level-1 is the best for this recipe for both flavor and consistency.

Healthy Berry Refresher

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen mixed organic blueberries

• 1 cup frozen wild blueberries

• 1 scoop Mixed Berries Micro-Factor

• 2 cups water

• 1 tsp honey

Directions

1. Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Healthy Homemade Energy Drink

Ingredients:

• 8oz of water or sugar-free lemonade

• 1 scoop of Megawatt (Pink Lemonade)

• Sparkling water

• 1 cup of ice

Directions

1. Mix your Megawatt with your water or sugar-free lemonade.

2. Pour over ice and top with your choice of sparkling water. Add a lemon if you would like.

Healthy Triple Chocolate Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk

• 1 cup ice

• 1 tsp cocoa powder

• 1 tbsp chocolate syrup

• 1 scoop Level-1 Milk Chocolate Protein
  

Directions:

1. Layer all ingredients in a blender from liquid to solid, then blend until smooth and thick.

2. Add whipped cream and/or sprinkles.

*Level-1 Protein is available at The Factory! You can sub other protein powders, but we believe Level-1 is the best to use. Try it, we promise you won’t regret it!

Jesse's Top 5 Books

I love to read. After not reading much for a few years after college, I discovered that my reason for not reading was because I rarely enjoyed what I read. When I discovered that I do enjoy the right books, I dove in and now read between 30-50 books each year. Most of the books I read are non-fiction and business related so that I can grow and develop as a business owner, manager and leader. It was hard enough to narrow down to my favorite five so I will be listing them in no particular order. I believe everyone should read these books. They will provide value to everyone, not just entrepreneurs and business owners. The concepts are wide ranging and will be useful no matter what your profession is.

1. Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink

   In a world where everyone has an excuse for everything, choose to take ownership of your outcomes, both good and bad. People are constantly blaming everything on pretty much anything they can outside of their control. The weather, their boss, the economy, politicians, their kids, their upbringing, etc. The list goes on and on. Dare to be different. Dare to take ownership and responsibility for everything. Your life will improve when you start doing. Reading Extreme Ownership is a great way to get in the proper mindset to start. The book won’t change you overnight. It will take time and effort, but it will be time and effort well spent.

2. Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell

   This is by far the longest book of the bunch which makes sense when covering a topic as broad and complex as economics. Despite the complexity of the subject, Sowell does an incredible job of explaining how markets function with different policies in place. The biggest takeaway from this book, in my opinion, is that you must look at the incentives that market conditions and government policies create, not the intentions. Intent rarely matters on an economic level and plenty of well-intentioned ideas have had disastrous consequences. This is a topic that can’t be looked at emotionally and Sowell does a fantastic job of providing plenty of examples and context to explain his points. This should be mandatory reading for all high school and college students.

3. Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

   The second of a three book “series”, Ego is the Enemy was my favorite of the three (I recommend all three but if you can only pick one - this is what I would choose). The line between confidence and arrogance is becoming slimmer by the day with the rise of social media. There are more people than ever acting like they are the greatest thing on the planet without doing anything of actual worth in the world. The idea that you are such a small speck in the cosmos and that the world doesn’t revolve around you is a difficult concept for some people to accept; however, it could be key to building a legacy worth leaving. Do good for the world and have confidence while doing it but keep your ego in check at the same time.

4. Automatic Millionaire by David Bach

   Simply put, everyone should be required to read this book in high school. Financial literacy is sorely lacking in society today and, with how fast the world is evolving, it is more important than ever. Learning to make your money work for you so that you can live a comfortable life or even retire at a young age can bring a level of comfort that few other things can. I am a big advocate that working for a worthwhile cause is important for mental health and happiness, so I am not saying the goal of this book is to make enough money to not work. Making enough money that you are comfortable no matter what happens is the goal. For most of the population, this is achievable. Does it take some sacrifice and planning? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Automatic Millionaire will give some great ideas for how to think about money. Even if you don’t apply every concept, there is a good chance that you will think about money differently after reading it. If you do choose to apply the concepts, you will be giving yourself a great chance to become financially free at a younger age than you would have otherwise.

5. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

   Another financial literacy book that is just great. The author uses parables set about 4000 years ago in ancient Babylon to portray the concepts. The stories are short and easy to understand which makes them easier to remember. It essentially lays out the 7 rules to gain wealth as well as why those rules apply. I also love that one of the points is to enjoy life while you are alive. Many financial books talk like you aren’t allowed to spend money on anything other than investments that are meant to garner you more wealth. I hate that mindset because it makes it sound like we are only here to accumulate wealth and die and that is not how I want to live. There can be a balance when done right. Save and invest to build wealth but also set some aside to enjoy your life in the meantime. Every person can work hard for a worthwhile cause, enjoy life, do good, and become wealthy at the same time. If that sounds like a good life to you, you should read this book.

There you have it, my top 5 books! Like I said, it was incredibly hard to pick just five so I may change this list on occasion. I will most likely post any changes as future posts to make sure these great ones are not lost. All five of these can be found in The Factory Library so if you are looking for your next book, this list is a good starting point. I know that they have all been incredibly valuable to me on my journey in my life, both on the personal and business side.

Burn The Ships

In 334 BC Alexander the Great and his army reached the Persian shores with the intention of increasing the size of their already vast empire. The result of the upcoming battles would be set to change the course of history as their victory would unseat the Persians as the greatest power in the world at the time. He sailed with approximately 50,000 troops, while it is estimated that King Darius III of Persia was in command of a total of 2.5 million soldiers spread across his empire. Knowing they were severely undermanned and faced a daunting opponent, Alexander the Great ordered his troops to burn the ships they used to reach shore. When questioned about the order, he simply stated they would return in Persian ships or not at all.

This is just one story of many over the centuries that illustrate an important concept. When faced with overwhelming odds or difficult tasks, it is easy to find excuses for following another path or to abandon the road ahead completely. On the other hand, if you burn the ships and have no other option, no plan b, the only option is success. Had Alexander not ordered their ships to be burned, his troops would have entered battle knowing they had an escape plan in case their attack failed. Burning the ships ensured that all of his men fought to the best of his ability and would persevere despite the unfavorable odds. Ultimately, this succeed or die mentality resulted in their success against a much larger army and allowed them to secure victory.

We may not be living in 334 BC, but the same principle can be applied to everything we do. Get rid of the excuses, don’t rely on backup plans that will save you from the hard work or difficult decisions. Have the courage to do everything necessary to achieve what you set out to do. Make success the only option. Burn the Ships.

When All Else Fails

“I can’t see a way through”, said the boy.
”Can you see your next step?”
”Yes”.
”Just take that”, said the horse.

-The boy, the mole, the Fox, and the Horse

Sometimes it feels like everything is going wrong or there is no clear path forward. In our lives, in our communities, and in our society, it is easy to get caught up in the negatives and the obstacles. What can you do when it feels like nothing is going right and you need some positive momentum to snap out of a slump? You can regain focus on what you can control.

You can’t control the price of gas. You can’t control the constant flow of negative stories on the news. You can’t control whether more people are choosing to buy from your small business. You can’t control how your boss treats you. You can’t control the people around you at all. However, you can control:

• Being conscious of your budget and sticking to it.

• Turning off the news and putting more positive content in front of you.

• Putting out good content and consistent marketing to ensure as many as people as possible see the product or service your small business offers.

• Doing your job to the best of your ability.

• Getting consistent exercise to put yourself in a better state of mind.

• Eating well to give your body the nutrients it needs to feel your best.

• Getting in bed in time to get plenty of sleep.

The list goes on and on. When you focus on yourself and what you can control, the extraneous falls away and you can double your efforts on the things that will provide real value in your life. You will no longer spend time fretting over the doom and gloom that seems to be a constant and, instead, you will spend your time improving your life as the doom and gloom slowly disappears into the background. You will no longer stress about whether people will come support your small business because you will be so busy providing value and content to the people around you that it will be obvious to you how much progress you are making. Your boss may never treat you differently but the pride from crushing your job is of much more importance because it will allow you to master skills that will make finding a new job easier, if necessary. The sense of accomplishment will be everything you need to keep going.

Now, I’m not saying that any of this will be easy. Far from it. With the rise of social media, comparison and negativity are at an all-time high. It seems like everyone is doing better, living more fulfilling lives. It seems like there is so much negativity in the world that it can be tough to find the positives. You need to understand that most of that is a facade. At best, social media is a highlight reel of the best parts of people’s lives. At worst, it is a flat out lie. Everyone is struggling just like you. Almost everyone is fighting similar battles. It is time to stop comparing the everyday aspects of your life to the highlight reels of everyone else’s. It is time to realize that negativity sells and that is the only reason the news is shoving it down your throat. The positive side is always left behind because it doesn’t sell as well - that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. You just have to be willing to look for it.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL. Stay off the news, stay off social media as much as possible. Go outside and get fresh air. Read as much as you can. Exercise and eat well. Most of all, make yourself proud by doing what needs to be done. Success is out there. Progress is out there. It comes to those who are willing to focus and execute every single day- even on days that they don’t want to and think it might not make a difference. IT DOES. You just have to live it long enough for it to work. Courage is putting one foot in front of the other when you can’t see the future. Be courageous. Take the next step.

Are 2-A-Days Worth It?

A lot of the time, when people start something new, or start to enjoy something they have been doing, they begin to think that more is always better. The same is true with fitness and working out. It is tempting to think that if you can make good progress working out once each day, that perhaps working out two times every day will provide even more benefit. So, is this true?

TLDR: Lifting weights twice per day is almost always a bad idea unless you are an advanced lifter who also happens to be using performance enhancing drugs. *Using steroids does help with recovery, but it is not something we advocate or endorse.
Adding in extra conditioning session on some days can be great, but only when recovery is monitored closely, and performance is tracked to ensure you recover properly and overtraining doesn’t start hindering progress.

The main point to remember is that you don’t grow while lifting weights, you grow from the recovery process after lifting weights. While you need to provide the stimulus for growth, you also have to provide ample time for your body to recover. By opting to add extra sessions, whether that be per day or per week, you have to ensure you have the ability to also recover from those sessions or you will start doing more harm than good. This is almost always easy enough to do when you limit your sessions to 3-6 days per week, but it will become nearly impossible when you start adding multiple sessions per day.

The question becomes a bit more complicated when it comes to adding extra cardio sessions because they can vary significantly in intensity. As a general rule of thumb, adding in extra conditioning is a great idea even when it means doing multiple workouts on the same day. Bodyweight conditioning workouts are great for heart health and are easier to recover from than lifting weights. As always, it is always best to track your workouts and progress to ensure you are recovering properly. If you are making steady progress and are feeling good, then you are most likely on the right track.

We recommend lifting weights for an hour 3-5 days per week and adding at least three days per week of conditioning. For most of the population, these numbers will be plenty to ensure growth while also not risking overtraining. The conditioning can be done on different days than the lifting sessions or on the same days, whichever works best for you and your schedule. Adding multiple lifting sessions on the same day is almost always something we recommend against and will most likely hurt you progress more than help it.

Basic Macro Guide

Coming up with a diet plan can be a daunting task when you are just getting started. The good news is that it isn’t overly complicated once you understand the basics. The hardest part of any diet plan is consistency. We will go over the basics of coming up with a macro plan to give you an idea of where to start.

This article is not written by a registered dietitian and isn’t intended to be used as a meal plan. It is meant to serve as the very basics of where to get started. Every individual is different and will have different needs. We recommend speaking with a dietician and/or medical professional prior to starting a new diet plan.

MACRONUTRIENTS:
There are 3 macronutrients you will need to pay attention to. These are fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Protein and carbohydrates are equal to 4 calories per gram while fat is equal to 9 calories per gram. All this means is that if you eat 100g of protein you would have eaten 400 calories. If you eat 100g of fat you would have eaten 900 calories. This is important to keep in mind because diets that are high in fat also tend to be high calorie which may not be ideal when attempting to lose weight.

1g Protein = 4 Calories
1g Carbs = 4 Calories
1g Fat = 9 Calories

Goal with Diet:

Next, you need to decide what you goal with your diet is. There are three options:

Gain weight for those looking to put on muscle
Lose weight for those looking to lose body fat
Maintain for those who are looking to maintain their current weight.

Each goal will have different dietary requirements. We will do a sample calculation showing how to calculate calories and macros for each goal.

Estimating Daily Calories Needed:

I must reiterate that this is a very basic level of calculation. We have used it successfully with thousands of clients over the years, but it is not always the best for every individual.

A general rule of thumb is to multiply your current bodyweight by 12, 15, or 18 depending on your goal. 12 for losing weight, 15 for maintaining, and 18 for gaining. To illustrate using a 200-pound person for reference:

200lbs x 12 =2400 Calories per day to lose weight
200lbs x 15 = 3000 Calories per day to maintain weight
200lbs x 18 = 3600 Calories per day to gain weight

Calculating Macronutrients:

We typically recommend the following breakdown as a starting point for most of our clients. These calculations will be based on a 200lb person who is looking to lose weight.

Protein = 1g per pound of bodyweight
Fat = .5g per pound of bodyweight
Carbs = Whatever is left

The math would be as follows:

Protein = 1g x 200 = 200g of protein
200g of protein x 4 = 800 Calories. Remember, each gram of protein is equal to 4 calories.

Fat = .5g x 200 = 100g of fat
100g of fat x 9 = 900 Calories. Each gram of fat is equal to 9 calories

Carbohydrates = (Total calories needs - Calories from protein and fat) / 4
Carbs = (2400 - 1700) / 4
*the number 1700 comes from adding the calories from fat and protein calculated above
Carbs = 700 / 4
Carbs = 175 grams.

So, the macronutrient goal of a 200- pound person trying to lose weight would breakdown to:

2400 calories
200g of Protein
175g of Carbs
100g of Fat

• The same calculations can be used for individuals of any size with any goal. High levels of protein are important for gaining and retaining lean muscle mass whether the goal is to gain or lose weight.

• Carbs are typically just enough for energy throughout the day. We recommend trying to time most of your carbs around your workout routine (within 2 hours of your workouts if possible). This will help provide extra energy needed to maximize your workouts.

• The amount of fat may seem like too much to a lot of people, but it is important to remember that fat is not the enemy and is, in fat, an important part of your diet. Fat is needed to regulate hormones in your body so ensuring that you get enough is paramount.

Conclusion:

Hopefully this will give you a good idea of how to start your diet journey in a healthy way. The numbers can be modified easily for any goal and will work for the majority of people. The hardest part of any diet plan is consistency. No matter how well planned it is, it won’t do any good if you are unable to follow it day in and day out. So, pick foods that fit your macros but also pick foods that will allow you to enjoy what you eat every day. Good luck!

*Reminder that this guide is just the basics of diet planning and was not written by a registered dietician. We recommend speaking with a medical professional or dietician before starting a new diet plan as not all people have the same dietary needs.

To Creatine or Not?

One of the most common questions we get from our members, clients, and the community is whether or not creatine should be taken as a dietary supplement. This is a great question, and we will attempt to provide you with enough evidence as to why most people definitely SHOULD take creatine as a dietary supplement.

TLDR: Yes, take creatine. Take 5g per day, every day and reap the benefits. (It is important to note that while creatine is safe for the majority of the population, it is always recommended to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new dietary supplement.)

Benefits of Creatine

Creatine is a popular dietary supplement used by athletes and bodybuilders to improve their performance and build muscle mass. Some of the benefits of creatine include:

1. Increased muscle mass: Creatine helps to increase muscle mass by promoting the production of new muscle fibers and increasing the size of existing muscle fibers.

2. Improved strength and power: Creatine supplementation has been shown to improve strength and power output during high-intensity exercise.

3. Enhanced recovery: Creatine can help to reduce muscle damage and inflammation, leading to faster recovery after exercise.

4. Increased endurance: Creatine has been shown to improve endurance performance by increasing the availability of energy to the muscles.

5. Neuroprotective properties: Creatine has been shown to have neuroprotective properties, which may help to protect against neurological diseases and injuries such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It has also been shown to improve cognition and increase brain health.

Cons of taking Creatine

1. Rare but possible upset stomach

2. Possible Dehydration

As you can see, the benefits of taking creatine far outweigh the negatives. Stomach upset side effects are very rare and most people will never experience it. Dehydration is also easily avoidable by consuming enough water daily. (This is something you should already be committed to doing whether or not you are taking creatine. We recommend somewhere around 1 gallon per day for most people.)

Extra considerations:

1. Creatine is one of the most widely studied supplements available. It is relatively inexpensive and is the most bang for your buck of all legal supplements in terms of cost vs. benefits.

2. Pure creatine monohydrate is the best form to take. There are various other types and every year companies seem to come out with new variants. Don’t fall for the marketing traps. Monohydrate is king.

3. No loading phase is necessary. While it is true that it is a saturation supplement (this essentially means that it only works if it is consumed daily - I.E., taking it every other day won’t work.) The initial loading phase will cause saturation faster, but it will not work better than just taking a standard dose every day like you would normally after the loading phase. Our recommendation is to take 5g per day every day.

4. There is no need to cycle on and off. There is no research that shows any correlation between long term creatine use and negative effects.

5. More is not better. Any excess creatine will be excreted in urine so taking double or triple servings will do nothing but cost you money.

6. Creatine is found in red meat but in fairly low quantities. The chance of consuming enough from diet alone is very unlikely so supplementation is the only way to hit the right levels.

There you have it! Get some creatine monohydrate, take 5g every day, enjoy the gains!