For the men who’ve lost their boyish charm.

For the dudes who’ve had it tough.

And for the guys who’ve had enough.

What exactly constitutes as being a man? The answer to this question used to be brain dead simple a long time ago… in fact it could just be based on where or not you had a pair between your legs. Yet in today’s world where we have homosexuality, sex changes and cosmetic surgery… it’s a lot harder to answer. I ain’t saying there’s anything wrong with being gay or getting a sex change, that’s personal choice. But the true definition of a real man has been wildly distorted. There are too many variables, and therefore too many opinions. A single mom who raised her boy up to be a provider and the perfect gentleman might answer the question differently than a grandpa who was a war veteran.

So here, today, I will give you my thoughts on what it means to be a real man… along with some pointers on how to change your ways in case you’ve been turned into a walking, talking vagina.

(Ladies, you should have a quick read-through as well)

Stop Blaming Others & Quit Your Whining

Let me be blunt – when you fail at something, there is no one you should blame but yourself. A real man is a born leader and a leader takes responsibility when shit hits the fan. There should be no finger pointing, explaining or covering up. You shut up, own up and fix the situation if possible. If not, you just try your best.

Whining about your problems to your buddies is unacceptable (asking for advice is different).

If you were beaten, lose like a man. If you achieved victory, win like a man. Accept the reality of the situation and move along with your life… it’s not a big freakin deal.

I get plenty of emails from guys explaining the hell-hole they’re in. Or in other words, why they’re fat and miserable… and surprise, surprise, it’s almost never their fault. Someone else is always to blame. If you’ve let yourself go and now resemble a ball of lard, don’t bitch and whine and go sue Mcdonald’s because of the fat content in their burgers. It’s your own fucking fault… and the sooner you own up to it, the sooner you’ll get to where you want to be.

Oh and don’t try and find a way out of this either, because even in the most extreme and sensitive situations, it’s still your fault for letting yourself go. Let’s say, god forbid, a close friend or relative passes away. This would surely be a tough situation for anyone to be in, but let me ask you something… Would you stop brushing your teeth every morning? No. Would you stop taking showers? No. So then why the hell would you stop taking actions that benefit your health? It should be just as important.

Instability Is Not Manly

Too many guys are an emotional wreck these days and it pisses me off when I see a grown man act like a little bratty bitch on PMS. In fact, that’s an insult to bratty bitches everywhere… I doubt that even they are this emotionally unstable. I mean really, guys these days lash out, get angry and throw a sissy tantrum when they experience the slightest upset in their reality.

A girl blew off the date? I guess it’s time to throw your cell phone across the room. Grrr.

Didn’t get the job? Time to cry like a baby.

Your girlfriend won’t fuck you tonight? Time to feel sad and assume you’re not loved…

Give me a god damn break. As the species which has a higher level of testosterone, having rage and anger spikes is natural for men… but as a real man of today’s society, acting on these urges means you’re no better than an ape. Men are supposed to be the foundation of leadership others can lean on. The grass roots that others can rely and build on. And most of all, they are supposed to be the cushion when their woman losses it, and needs someone to fall on.

If I were to give you an imagery of what it means to be a stable man, think of a massive rock in the middle of the ocean. The water surrounding the rock is the female energy. When a storm hits and massive waves thrash against the rock, it’s not phased one bit. It’s solid, stable and can out last the rough waters till the storm dies away and the sunshine hits. That rock should be you.

Stand Up For What You Believe In

I don’t care what your beliefs are in this world… whether you’re a Sunday, Church-going Christian and a devoted family man or an Atheist that follows the life philosophy of sex, drugs and rock and roll (guess which one I am). Stand up for your beliefs without worrying about what others think of you. Too many men resemble a dirty, stank ass doormat – they let people walk all over them and aren’t solid enough to stand up for themselves when challenged. It’s kind of like watching a pinball, constantly being smacked around all over the place, only the points resemble the level of your dignity and instead of gaining them, you are losing them rapidly. Ding-Ding-Ding! We have a loser!

Now, if you don’t have any beliefs in this world, you are even worse off than the pinball man. Put your stupid life on hold, shut your pie hole, grab a piece of paper and write down the following “I believe…” and then underneath that, in bullet point form, write down everything you believe in and everything that is dear to you.

Do you believe in kindness? Cool, write that shit down.

Do you believe in an eye-for-an-eye? Good, make sure that’s on the paper too.

Once you have that list, repeat it to yourself day after day and be sure to practice what you preach. If you believe in kindness and see an old lady struggling with her groceries and you just decide to walk away, then you’re a pussy. Worse, you’re a fraud. So don’t write down anything you won’t act on.

Stop It With The Gentleman Bullshit

I might be a jerk, but I’m not an asshole. People disagree with me, but I still stand up for my opinions. So if you throw bullshit my way, don’t think I’ll suck it up politely like a gentle-man. Because what am I? I’m a man. Period.

A gentleman walks a woman down the street, asks her where they should eat, opens the door to the restaurant, seats her down, tells her that her dress is looking “lovely”, asks for what she’s having and then orders what he thinks might be socially acceptable and considered “normal”. When he drops her home that night, he’ll be sweating his balls off wondering if it’s OK to go in for a kiss because of course, no gentleman can handle being rejected. Best case scenario – a peck on the cheek.

Lame city.

A man on the other hand, grabs a woman’s hand spontaneously, says “let’s go over there, it looks awesome”, walks her down street, making sure he’s directly facing the direction of traffic should they get hit, opens the door for her, seats her down, leans into her ear and whispers “you’re looking so damn hot in that dress”, asks her what she’s having, and then orders a giant steak and a beer because that’s what he felt like eating. He then continues to play a fun game of footsies and teases her to no end by telling her she’s got a lil something on her face… which of course she doesn’t. When he drops her home that night, he’s spinning her around and go or no-go, he’s going in for the kiss. He’ll put his balls on the line and be completely transparent and open about his desires as a man.

Can you spot the difference? Because it’s a big one.

In the Pussyfication of America, R.M.Lavengood states:

“To all the Pussy-boys clinging to their wives apron strings (purely an expression cause today’s women don’t need an apron to make a frozen microwave dinner) waiting for the wife to give them permission to speak because mom packed their balls in a jar and put them on the shelf next to his dad’s, never to be seen again……Shut the fuck up”

… and I couldn’t agree more. Women have lately been wondering where all the real men went… and the answer is that they didn’t go anywhere, they’ve transformed into wussies. And this is my attempt to bring them the hell back. Why? Because the last thing I need during a guy’s night out is an overgrown cry baby who’s had a pedicure, his eyebrows perfectly shaped and doesn’t have the balls to have some real fun.

Later, chumps

- FitJerk

Originally Written By FitJerk for www.fitjerk.com – © 2010 All Rights Reserved – This post is NOT to be republished without author consent. Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face.

With summer and beachwear starting to taking over across the country, many people have decided that it is time to get in shape [FJ: For those that are still doing this, please stop waiting till summer to get in shape… that’s retarded. Get started in winter so that when summer hits, you’re sexier than ever]. The first thing you need to do is come up with an intelligent fitness plan. This can be done on your own or with a bit of help. Then the question arises: should you try to reach your goals alone or should you find a group to get fit with? While there are some exceptions, most people thrive and tend to be more successful with group support by their side.

If you are thinking about beginning an exercise regime, it is time for you to consider whether you want to go at it alone or pair up with others.  First, honestly evaluate your personality traits and think about what you would expect from an exercise buddy or a group of them. If you have a very strong personality, are self-disciplined, and tend to be independent in other areas of your life, you should apply this to your workouts as well.  However, working out alongside a friend is extremely beneficial for the vast majority of people for multiple reasons.

First, joining up with a group for exercise involves a commitment.  When you make a fitness plan with someone else, it becomes much more difficult to break your commitments because that entails letting down the other person as well as yourself [FJ: This is a very valid point. The last thing I wanan do is let my workout partner down because I’m feeling lazy]. If, on the other hand, no one is paying attention to your attendance at an exercise class or taking note if you finish your morning jog, it is much easier to reduce your activity as no one questions you about your decision.  When this happens frequently, people who are working alone towards fitness goals tend to quit early in the game.

When evaluating potential exercise pals, be sure to be open and honest about your expectations.  Avoid pairing up with individuals who have tendencies to shirk last-minute on commitments.  When you are trying hard to make a gym visit a regular part of your routine, it can be very discouraging to get a call from your friend, letting you know that they will not be joining you.  Therefore, choose with success in mind.

Secondly, social ties are essential for overall good health.  Even if you just exchange a few words during your daily exercise regime, regular contact with other people helps you build relationships.  You can also use it as a great way to stay in touch with friends, especially if part of your routine involves activities where talking is possible.  Chatting about the latest events in your lives makes the time fly by.  Furthermore, it keeps your mind off the physical work and lets you get greater enjoyment out of the time spent exercising. That’s if you can catch your breath for long enough to string a sentence together!

In addition to providing company and helping you make a better commitment to a regular exercise regime, setting goals with a friend can also affect your eating habits.  Consuming food is by nature a very social event.  Making small changes in your diet is much easier if it is done alongside household members or close friends.  You can experiment with new recipes, and make a greater effort to cook at home.  This will reduce your intake of highly-processed, unhealthy foods so that you can both reach your goals to get in shape.

FJ’s Additions: While Robert makes some great points, there are a few more I wanted to add. First thing you need to know is that competition is a beautiful thing, so don’t fucking hamper it! If you’re working out with a partner, make sure you guys challenge each other and push each other every time. If you are in a group, try and be the best… do the extra 5 pushups or run that extra mile. It will only benefit YOU in the long run.

“But FJ, I’m not competitive by nature!”

Then get competitive until it becomes natural! It’s not so damn hard, just try and do more than the other guy or gal. You don’t have to be a jackass about it, but being competitive while being humble will bring a good vibe in the gym. A good example of this is the recent explosion of CultFit, I mean… CrossFit. While I don’t agree with all their methods, I do like how they group together and push each other. You can just see it, the energy in the room is high… and who doesn’t want to be a part of something like that?

Now let’s talk about reliance. While working out in a group or with a buddy is all awesome and shit, don’t you dare become reliant upon them. If they can’t train with you on a particular day for some reason, you should still have the motivation to go and take care of business! While I love working out with my partner, I don’t need him. I’m just as competent and contempt on my own. If you don’t think you can do this by yourself, then train yourself to. Take one week out of every month where you do shit on your own. Developing this type of independence in the gym will go a long, long way.

- FitJerk

Content Originally Written For www.fitjerk.com – © 2010 All Rights Reserved – This post is NOT to be republished without author consent. If you are reading this on any other site besides www.fitjerk.com , then it has been stolen!

From a trainer’s end, this is invaluable marketing ammo. Lethal, in fact. Not only can I promise significant weight loss, I can promise significant improvements in the general “look” of your body… and who wouldn’t want this? Fuck, I know I would. But here is the real secret. You ready for it?

When it comes to confidence, your mind and body are completely independent of each other. The way you look, dress and act have nothing to do with confidence. And if they do, then it’s based purely on external circumstances. What happens if those externals are taken away? In short, you’re fucked. See, I joke around with my words all the time and people think I’m confident because of the body I’ve achieved.

HELLLL NO.

Every time I get an email saying “FJ, if only I looked like you…” I tell the person that it does not matter. I’d still be me if I was a slob… I just wouldn’t be giving fitness advice. This little revelation is the kind of stuff most trainers don’t have the balls to say (in the fear of losing business) or they’ve simply never bothered to study psychology. I guess this is why I exist.

So if true confidence doesn’t come from external circumstances, where does it come from? In short, it comes from not giving a fuck. And the way to not give a fuck is to separate yourself from self awareness. To achieve freedom from self awareness though… takes a boat load of practice, and here’s why:

From the time you were like 2-3 years old till now, society has put all of this bullshit pressure and expectations on you. You’ve been socialized in a way that is just not beneficial in my opinion. Especially not when it comes to confidence… not even close. So you need to reverse this trend and break down all these layers of nonsense that have been attached to your ass over the years, because underneath, everyone knows and has experienced what it is to not have self awareness.

And here’s how I know – because we were all babies once. Think about it, when a baby is crawling around, it has awareness (the surrounding, senses etc.) but it doesn’t have self-awareness. If a baby bumps into a wall, its aware that it hurts and that you can’t walk through it, but it doesn’t give a shit as to what you think of it. It just gets up, shakes it off and tries something else. Can you imagine what would happen if babies had self-awareness from birth? We’d all be crawling on our asses and undergo massive rug burns. I’m pretty sure Huggies would also be ruling the world.

Self-awareness is the true kryptonite to confidence and we need to get rid of it ASAP. It’s time to be a baby again. It’s time to try new things, take some chances, experience the unknown without caring what effect it has on everyone else… to a certain degree.

Let it be known that getting rid of self awareness does not mean you need to get rid of common sense. Walking down the street, randomly punching someone in the face and pretending not to have self-awareness will land you in jail. But walking down the street in a funny hat because you think it’s cool or going to the gym because you want to stay mean and lean is completely acceptable. In fact, I encourage it.

The rapper T.I summarized this concept perfectly in one of his songs when he says “Unhappy with the riches cuz you’re piss-poor morally”. And it’s the same with fitness. If you wanan lose weight because you think you’ll feel more confident, you’re in for a helluva shock. The instant your weight fluctuates, your confidence will shatter like a dropped wine glass. Confidence is completely independent of your physical state, so get rid of self-awareness. You don’t need it. It’s useless. Be free!

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for me to hit up the gym so I can stay lean and sexy… you know, because “I” want to.

- FitJerk

Originally Written By FitJerk for www.fitjerk.com – © 2010 All Rights Reserved – Content not to be republished without author consent.

So values, what the fuck are they? They are basically a set of rules that you live by, a code if you will. In my opinion, every god damn action you take should always be in alignment with your values. If it’s not, then you’re either completely aimless or you don’t know what you want to accomplish in life. Before you freak out, just remember that you can create your own set of values to suit your needs and you can always change shit around when needed.

Now, let’s address the next issue – why exactly do you need values? The simple answer is that without values, you will have no purpose. Your life will resemble a mindless, wandering zombie that is pushed around every time a slight breeze passes by. Without values you have no foundation or base to work from… which means you have nothing to stand up for. Not only is this highly unattractive, it’s also pretty fucking pathetic. I don’t care what you believe in, but stand up for something… anything! It will help you get to where you want to go. Guaranteed.

Because of the importance of values, it should be of no surprise then that coming up with your own will take a bit of time and serious thought. You can’t just sit around for 10 minutes, scribble together a list and say “There. Those are my values!”. They gotta represent shit that you believe in a 100 percent. And if you come up with values that you don’t believe in yet but want to for the future… then list them. We will talk about how to internalize them in just a second.

Beware Of The Value Paradox

When I talk about living in alignment with your values or internal code, the first thing most people say is: “yeah but I don’t want to live by a set of rules because that is very limiting and will cripple me. Im a free thinker yo!”

The actual fact is that 1) They don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about 2) They are not rules and 3) Living in alignment with your values actually has the OPPOSITE effect… it’s freeing. This is a paradox you need to hold in your mind and be ok with. To be honest, it does sound a bit whack when you hear: “Always live life in alignment with your internal code so you can be free”.

So to ease the paradoxical pain, let me give you a practical example: One of my core values is to not put up with bullshit from others. It doesn’t matter who it is, I simply do-no put up with stupid nonsense from another human being. Point Blank Period.

Since this is my core value, it sets a frame when I’m communicating and allows me to deal with douche bags on a level that you wouldn’t believe. I have consistency when I interact with people and 99% of the population show the appropriate respect, to whom I show the appropriate respect right back. But the 1% that try and fuck with me get their ass tooled. Why? Because it’s my core value to not put up with their shit, therefore I put my foot down and defend what I believe in. Either that or I ignore them completely as if they don’t even exist.

Have you ever wonder why some people let themselves get treated like a mud infested door mat… and then do jack all about it? It’s because they are lacking this core value. I don’t feel sorry for these people, I feel… disgusted. No, disappointed? Yeah, somewhere between disgusted and disappointed. Make no mistake about it, these people aren’t unfortunate, they let this happen to themselves. Unfortunate is being born in Ethopia where you have little to no access to food.

I’ve found that life is just so much better when you can have a genuine and fun interaction with others while skipping the bullshit and drama, and having a core set of values will allow this to happen. Now it’s time to apply all this mumbo jumbo practically. To help you, I’ve come up with…

The Value Building Plan

The first thing you need to do is create a list of personal values that you truly believe in… make sure the list is not too long (10 values max). An example would be:

1. I treat animals with more respect than humans

2. I do not put up with bullshit from others (except maybe my wife)

3. My stupid job comes before family and friends

4. The next time someone talks about Justin Bieber, I will punch them in the face

5. I always go after my goals until the bitter end

6. I respect and take care of my body so hot bitches will swarm my ass from left and right

Those are a few just to get you started… you might share these values or you might just be outrageously inspired by them. I’m just helping you get your brain juices flowing and shit. Just remember that your values should not be too specific nor should they be too broad. They have to apply to most situations in your life, which is why I had said that you will need to put some thought into this.

Once you have your list, you need to now memorize it till you can regurgitate that shit at will, and I mean at any point in time and in any state. If you truly want to be in-line with your values, then it’d be pretty stupid to forget them. Once you can remember them perfectly, start putting them into practice one at a time.

I cannot emphasise that enough… don’t go out into the world and try to live by all of your values all at once because you will end up with a fucking mental breakdown. This is a process that takes time and patience. Apply each value individually for one whole week… this means that you need to go on a 10 week mission. Sounds like a lot of work but believe me when I tell you, it’s one of the top 5 most beneficial things you can do in your lifetime. Bar none. It is THAT important.

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It’s time to do what your momma always told you to do, so let’s hear your values… you do have some don’t you? Even if you don’t have 10, I’m interested in knowing what your current internal code is made up of. So don’t feel shy, start working them fingers and list a few. Who knows? Some of them might just be awesome enough for me to adopt. By the way, here are a few of my actual values:

1. I do what I want, when I want.

2. I take care of my body and keep it in peak condition

3. I only help those that want to be helped

4. I go after what I want until I get it. Failure isn’t an option.

Cheers

- FitJerk

Originally Written By FitJerk for www.fitjerk.com – © 2010 All Rights Reserved – Content not to be republished without author consent.

They over-charge and under deliver, and to top it off have nothing special about what they offer. The times of just delivering results is over. Delivering results is like getting a CD player when you buy a car… standard equipment. You gotta go above and beyond that. I’ll be revealing how I do things and maybe, just maybe, a few of you will be able to increase your bottom line and stop the insanity that is client loss.

1. Unique Skill-Set

Sure, just like everyone else I could have chosen the traditional personal training course in college… but I’m not like everyone else. Instead I did something that a) love and b) that which separated me from the competition. I studied sport physiology with a specialization in gymnastics. So now I have a level 2 nationally recognized certification which also includes an extra side certification for trampoline… and I attended all the same courses as the personal training students. It’s just that my “labs” took place inside a gymnastics gym with elite athletes and not a weight room.

What does this mean? This means I don’t train clients in a traditional gym (I’ll get to how I manage that in a second). I train them in a gymnastics gym where I’m the director of my own program. I charge what I want, when I want and pay the gym a minor fee. To top it off, my “stick ratio” is through the roof because not many people have had their abs blasted on an Olympic size trampoline for 15 minutes straight. It’s an experience no trainer in the traditional gym next-door can deliver. Oh, and you can bet your ass they’d be pissed if they knew I could suck clients from them this easily. If you’re angry right now then you should be. It’s a competitive world… if you don’t feel like competing then this is the wrong career for you. Go vegetate yourself inside a cubicle and get outta my way.

And it doesn’t stop there. Not only am I certified to coach this shit but I was a competitive power tumbler myself. This means I can put on a 1 min demo for the client to show what they can actually accomplish. Want to learn how to do a backflip after you lose those 5lbs? No problem, here’s what it looks like and here’s how were gona do it.

Then I have my Black Belt in Karate, which means I can now compile a kick ass (literally) cardio routine together instead of throwing them on a treadmill and making them run on the same spot like a lil hamster. There are so many options… even I haven’t exploited them all.

Now think about this for a second: after going through this crazy-fun experience, do you think that this particular client will return for seconds? You bet your ass they will!

2. I Embrace Technology

Let me be straight… if you aren’t using social media to expand your business, make connections and find great partners then you’re a complete fool. Quit now because you’ve already lost. Let me give you an example, I run my own blog which you can see here: http://www.fitjerk.com

This blog has allowed me to tap a market that I couldn’t previously. You see, I can’t train you in a traditional weight lifting gym in-person because I don’t have that piece of paper. It would be legally “wrong”. Now you might be thinking… “FJ, why don’t you just go get it?”. Well I could, but right now I have so much shit going on that I don’t need to. While I can’t technically train you, I CAN consult you… because the body I have is a result of proper resistance training. And to top it off, you can’t be a gymnastics coach with a seriously in-depth knowledge of body weighted training and conditioning. Go look at the body of an elite level gymnast… us coaches, we know what the fuck were doing, thank you very much.

So getting back to my point, how do I deal with clients who want to lift weights? Simple, I E-Train them. Here is my simple E-Training web page: http://flawlessfitnessbook.com/e-training-sales.html

I have plenty of clients that pay me monthly to come up with a workout, meal and supplement plan for them… and all of them see results. Through technology (video, audio, text) I am able to correct their technique, recommend proper training guidelines and have constant contact with my clients. If they ever have a question, I’m just an email away. If they aren’t doing what they are supposed to, then THEY’RE only an email away. Failure isn’t an option… if you’re paying me to deliver then I’ll be on your ass to get it done. It’s a 2 way street, and it works.

Now a lot of people say “but E-Training can’t substitute real training because you aren’t THERE with them so it cant work!”.

First of all… it CAN and DOES work because I have results to prove it, but the problem is that most people would most likely be too greedy to SCREEN potential clients. I don’t just let anyone E-Train with me. Just because they have some disposable income doesn’t mean I’ll train them. They need to meet certain requirements. For example: I won’t take on complete newbies or people with serious medical and/or health conditions because they really DO need the personal one-on-one attention.

But those intermediate souls who just can’t seem to get to the next level? They can train with me and see seriously effective results for a price that just cannot be beat. The value I offer for the price I ask is almost ridiculous… but there is a method to my madness. The bottom line is that you need to embrace technology. There is no reason why it can’t be one of your alternate revenue streams.

3. Value For Money

This one is simple… I offer value through the roof. I educate, motivate, yell and shove people into results. Whatever it takes, I do that plus more. It’s a simple philosophy – offer more than you are actually charging and oddly enough… you can increase your rate as time passes. I’m ALWAYS trying to find ways to add value into my programs, and when I feel that I’ve added a lot, I’ll up the price and the process will start all over again.

This way the client never feels cheated (its all justified) and you aren’t living on scraps.

4. Social Proof

Another simple concept. My friend circle knows what I’m about and what the hell it is I do. If they have fitness questions, they come to me. If they need advice, they come to me. And if someone else needs advice, they send them to me. Do WHATEVER it takes to build up your reputation. If it means giving away free sessions, do it. If it means bending over once or twice, do it… it’s an investment, not a sacrifice. The benefits of a solid reputation far outweighs the initial price you have to pay. Get that shit done, no excuses.

P.S – On a side note, do WHATEVER it takes to protect your reputation once it’s built. There are sore-losers out there that will try and throw rocks at the castle you poured a massive amount of sweat into building… don’t let these jerk-offs chip away at your accomplishment. Be bold and defend what’s rightfully yours.

5. I Stay Up To Date

I am constantly educating myself on new methods and techniques. Hell, I’m even trying to innovate every now and then just to see what type of results I’ll get. I plan on taking further courses such as PICP and Biosignature Modulation created by the ledged Charles Poliquin. I plan on taking courses from this crazy dude named Paul Chek who believes that if you’re a personal trainer, you should be in great shape and be able to coach in your undies. Truth be told, I actually agree with this. I’ve read so many fitness books from so many killer authors that your eyes would bleed… and I plan on reading hundreds more.

And you know why? Because it’s all worth it.

A Clarification: Now when I say “I stay upto date” I don’t mean I put every one of my clients on stupid bosu balls, recommend the newest diet pill and have them spewing out the latest diet jargon. Screw that shit. I’m talking about quality info. Forget “fads”. They are called “fads” because they come and pass… and while you can make some extra cash if you spice up your normal routines with them, I wouldn’t recommend making them your bread and butter system which real people rely on to deliver results for a healthier lifestyle. Know what I’m sayin? Good.

So there you have it… 5 ways I differentiate myself from the huge crowd of personal trainers. I’m not out to make a million and one FJ’s here, so don’t do exactly what I do. Chances are you’ll fail miserably. But DO take inspiration and start becoming creative. Recession doesn’t mean the world is getting poor… get real. It means money is shifting, you just need to be awesome enough to shift the tide in your favor.

Cheers.

- FitJerk

Originally Written By FitJerk for www.fitjerk.com – © 2010 All Rights Reserved – Content not to be republished without author consent.

This article was re-published on PTFitnessMarketing with permission: HERE

First of all, what the fuck is fear? And why do we feel it?

To me, fear is the body’s hard-wired mechanism designed to keep you ALIVE. That’s it, just alive. Our ancestors that looked over a cliff, didn’t feel any fear and jumped… well they guess what”? They aren’t actually party of our ancestry are they? They’re dead. It’s those people who had a healthy fear about real situations are the ones that lived long enough to procreate and pass on this crazy ass emotion we all feel today. We should rightfully thank them for that.

In today’s world though, more than half of the fears we feel just aren’t useful to our survival. I mean, we used to feel fear of unknown places (such as in the forest)… and this had inherit value back in the day because you didn’t know what crazy animal would come out of the bushes trying to chomp your face in. Nom nom nom.

But if you were to visit a new city today… I’m guessing there is a very high chance that you’ll do just fine. And yet, you still feel fear because the streets and prime locations are unknown to you. So what you need to do is feel the fear, accept that shit and go forward with what you need to do. We can’t eliminate fear. It’s not a computer program we can uninstall with a click of a button… but what we CAN do is learn how to control it and not let it get in our way.

And this concept applies to you in the gym as well.

Let me smack you with an example: Just a few days ago I figured it was time to up the weight on my bench for low reps. Pound-for-pound, my goal is to lift the max amount of weight and this is why I keep myself between 135-140 lbs. Being at 135lbs right now (summer time baby) a bench press of 205lbs works out to just over 1.5x body weight. Not bad… half way there to my goal of 3x (405lbs). Whatever, I’ll take it.

Needless to say, once the bar was loaded and I was under it… I could feel my heart beat faster. My hands started to get slightly sweaty and a shot of adrenaline rushed through my body. I knew this was fear… I could feel it. But that rush, that excitement that fear of the unknown is exactly why I keep coming back to the iron.

I was like “I live for this shit!” took a deep breath in and banged out a grand total of 2 reps. Next set, 3 reps and then back to 2 and finally ended off with 1.

I’m never gona get rid of fear. It’s there when I lift heavy. It’s there when I’m throwing double twisting somersaults and it’s there when I’m at the top of a massive cliff, about to jump into the lake. But guess what? I shut up, strap up and go for it anyway.

So should you.

- FitJerk

Originally Written By FitJerk for www.fitjerk.com – © 2010 All Rights Reserved – Content not to be republished without author consent.

Charles De Gaulle, former president of France, once said, “I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.” And what I’m saying is this—exercising is way too important a matter to be left to the gym jerks [FJ: Heh, I’ll take that as a compliment]. If you’re having a hard time motivating yourself to go to the gym, then you were probably much like me a few years ago. You’re probably lazy.

But don’t get me wrong; I’m not judging. As an inherently lazy person myself, I know where you’re coming from. There’s so much to exercising that makes it an unappealing process for those of us with naturally-inclined couch-potato tendencies.  It takes discipline – whereas my discipline before exercising consisted solely in making sure I kept up with my television schedule. It takes focus—a word I only understood in the context of a camera lens. And most of all, it takes self-awareness. And I was the least self-aware person in the world before I regularly went to the gym.

So why, you may ask, as one of the laziest people in existence, did I begin exercising regularly in the first place? And why should you?

Here’s my story:  Before becoming a gym enthusiast, I lead a lifestyle that was, needless to say, extremely relaxed, but extremely unhealthy. I smoked roughly two packs every single day, my diet consisted largely of kids’ cereal, pizza, beer, and coffee, and the only sports I would engage in were bowling, golf occasionally, and every once in a while, billiards and poker. But, for all this disgustingly sedate lifestyle, I was still thin. I had absolutely no muscle mass to speak of, but I could wear a bikini and not feel embarrassed. And so I thought that exercise didn’t matter. But looking back now, I wasn’t thin, I was frail. I was weak.

I know what you’re probably expecting. You’re probably thinking that I made a turn around because my doctor told me I had to, or else I would die in a year, or something like that. But it wasn’t anything like that. It started while I was lying on my couch, and oddly enough, watching TV. I was watching the Discovery Channel, one of those wildlife adventure shows. I was completely engrossed. I thought to myself, wouldn’t that be fun? To just hike in the wilderness looking for crazy animals? Or white water rafting down the rapids of a pristine river? What I was entranced by was not so much in the details of the show, but I was looking at something that had become completely alien to me—physical action.

And then, it hit me like a brick. In the current state I was in at the time, I thought, I could never be like them. I could never go on adventures, scale mountains, bike across exotic terrain. And it was not that I had a huge, serious interest in doing so anyway. But what most affected me in that one moment was this—there was a whole set of activities and experiences that were completely shut off to me. And the only reason for that was completely self-inflicted. I couldn’t participate in any sort of significant physical activity because of MY lifestyle choices.

And I don’t know about you, but I hate being told I can’t do something. So, I started with a plan. Not a strict plan—those kinds of plans are reserved for all those non-lazy people out there. It was a simple plan. I started with jogging, just around my apartment complex. I did that for a few days. Then I increased my jogging radius to include a few blocks beyond my humble abode. I didn’t have a schedule to meet—no wedding dress to fit in to, no number of pounds to shed. I just ran. After those first few weeks of my small-scale attempts at physical activity, my life changed.

You’ll probably think I’m being overly dramatic when I say my life changed. But it did; no joke. I had heard all this talk about the endorphins that are released when you exercise, the chemicals that make you feel like you’re on top of the world. I had tried for awhile producing the same chemical effect with alcohol and cigarettes, but those methods were a Catch-22. Sure, I’d feel good at the time, but then the after-effects would soon come creeping in, and before you know it, you’ve got aches—chest, head, whatever—all of the time, and you’re constantly fatigued. And the real zinger is you don’t even notice your unhealthy exhaustion. Until you start exercising. Trust me.

So once you’ve started on the path to becoming an active human being, you’ll soon discover that your body can withstand more and more. As of now, I go to the gym every day, except for weekends. With the help of a trainer, I do both cardio and weight training. And I play sports, like actual sports, including soccer, basketball, tennis, and swimming. Just for fun. I quit smoking almost automatically; after being more active, I had no desire to smoke. It even made me feel sick when I tried. And you know what? It isn’t just a significant increase in physical energy that has changed in my life. It’s everything. I feel more confident, more able to get things done, more effective at work, and I’m closer to my family. Heck, it even improved my sex life [FJ: Fuck yeah! Err… no pun intended]. Because in the end, the things I talked about earlier—discipline, focus, and self-awareness—people aren’t always born with those things. Exercising and working out builds these qualities; it actually creates them.

So if you think you’re a hopeless couch potato, then think again. I was one, too, back in the day, and I turned things around, not because I had to, not because I desired a “hot bod,” but because I realized that being active is part of what it means to be human [FJ: Wanting a hot bod is not a bad reason either tho ]. So go out there and become a human, too. You’ll never look back.

Author Bio: This guest post is contributed by Donna Moore, who writes on the topics of massage therapy training.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: donnamoore20@gmail.com

Help – It’s something everyone needs from time to time. A helping hand, friendly assistance, mentor guidance and so on. And today there is absolutely no shortage of help available. You can literally get help in any niche from the people who’ve “been there and done that”. Some say this type of advice is invaluable… and at times it is.

But at other times, it’s a problem. Because it makes everyone lazy as hell. A unlimited resource of help means fewer people are blazing their own trails. Just because something has worked once, everyone jumps on this bandwagon and tries to replicate and duplicate instead of innovate. It’s bullshit and it will only get you as far as it got the original person. No wait, it wont get you as far because it’s already been done!

Look at the “money making blogs” out there. The trail blazers are the 6 figure bloggers that are earning the cash and doing it right, taking chances etc. Then look at all the “followers”. They’re doing the exact same shit. Yes I know it works for the big boys, but if you want to compete, you CANNOT do what they’re doing.  You need to go above and beyond. Take your own path and do you own thing from time to time.

Do you know why Google is ON TOP of their shit? Because while they make their engineers focus on the main task at hand (search and ads), they also give them X amount of hours where they let them run free and wild. This allows the engineers to come up with some incredible products and technology and showcase it to the world (known as Google Labs). This move is absolutely brilliant. Google was the first to come up with an incredible search engine, an incredible text-ad program and in my opinion, one of the best open source platforms for the cell phone in the current times (sorry Symbian fans… you were one of the first but your innovation stopped a long time ago).

It’s the same story when it comes to fitness. Yes I spend time reading the studies, successful training programs and diet advice… and you should too. But this is NEVER absolute. I’m still figuring out new ways to achieve goals every time I hit the gym. Sometimes I go against convention for the hell of it… just to see what happens and I end up with some incredible new techniques and training methods… at other times I end up with pretty much nothing. But at least now I know what works and what doesn’t – FIRST HAND. And this experience is invaluable.

So it’s about time you started doing your own thing. Don’t be such a mindless sheep… beat to the sound of your own drum every now and then and you’ll end up with a skill set that is all your own.

Remember – as a species we are all similar, but as individuals we are quite unique.

- FitJerk

Ahh, negativity… it has served us well by keeping our species alive for a long, long time. I mean think about it, when our ancestors were roaming around the forest and found a delicious berry bush, they indulged… only to run for their god damn lives when ambushed by a wild tiger or something equally ferocious. Then, when they finally reached the safety of their caves, which experience are they prone to remember… being eaten to death or finding a new source of food? If you picked food, please slap  yourself silly.

Another example – Let’s say they were out searching for new sources of food again and came across a type of fruit that looked bright and delicious. The likes of which they’ve never seen… only to see a few of their family and friends drop dead because they didn’t realize the poison contained within. Which experience are they most likely to remember? The fun times they spent together or the time where their family members plopped to their deaths? Hmm…

So clearly, negativity is beneficial and has its uses. So what’s with the whole “positivity” movement that people have been preaching ad nauseam over the past few decades? If your brain is unconsciously wired to focus on negative experiences which help keep you alive, why should we change this type of survival programming?

Because the sheer number of dangers that are present in today’s world are practically insignificant to the number of dangers that were present a hundred thousand years ago. There is simply no need to focus on the negative situations any more… instead of keeping us alive, they now hinder our efforts.

But putting this advice into practice isn’t so easy. Remember, you are unconsciously wired to remember negative emotions and circumstances. So you need to completely re-wire your brain, if you don’t, you’ll fall right back into the negativity pit of lameness. If you don’t believe me, try this… at the end of an exhaustive and productive day, reflect back on what you remember most vividly. It’s probably shit that’s negative in some aspect.

“Oh my boss yelled at me today…”
”The fucking dog peed all over the carpet again!”
”My car broke down…”

And on and on. No one recalls the little positive things that happens during the day such as:

Finishing projects
Having the time to catch up and hang out with friends
Being able to have a delicious lunch
NOT being killed
Finding out that your regular grocery items are on sale!

The ONLY time we remember positive situations is if they completely out-weigh their negative counter parts. You know… things like getting a huge promotion, winning the lottery and a bunch of other shit that occurs, oh so commonly. Not.

So for the next 2 weeks, do the following: Before going to bed, take a pen and paper (no laptops or smart phones… PEN!) and write down 5 positive things that occurred during your day. If you had a particularly shitty day… I don’t give a damn. FIND something positive to focus on. Maybe the fact that you’re alive and have a roof over your head is all you’ve got… and if so, write that down.

After 2 weeks, you’ll realize that you view the world in a whole new way. You won’t place so much importance on negative situations. Your boss yelled at you? Who gives a flying fuck? Their negativity just passes through you like a ghost.

Your car broke down? Oh well, call CAA… get that thing towed and go meet a friend for coffee. It’s not worth focusing on the negatives anymore… things have changed. It’s time your ass did too.

- FitJerk

If you’ve read my stuff in the past… then you know how I feel about “information” and “knowledge”. There is plenty of it out there, but no one is doing anything with it. Knowledge isn’t power, applied knowledge is where the power truly resides… and it shocks me at how many people don’t know this. I guess this is why so many “know” but can’t get shit done.

Well today I’m going to take things in a different direction… reduce the amount of “information” that you are exposed to. That’s right, put up your middle fingers in the face of knowledge and tell it to go do naughty things to itself. Why?

Because you know enough. Trust me, you know enough… you just need some room to breathe, some room to DO and some room to GROW. You also need some room to experiment and fail because then you can deduce your own information out of the experience – and oddly enough, you’ll learn the most from these experiences.

So for the next 30 days, go on an information diet. Pick one source of information (such as a book)… or even one piece of information (such as a workout plan) and go apply it for a month and don’t look back. Drop the fucking Muscle & Fatness magazine… screw Oprah’s diet tips (which don’t seem to be working *cough*) and kick the silly Weight Watchers plans out the window. You don’t need all that shit.

Less is more. Were looking for potency here… not a mass amount of diluted mumbo jumbo (even if that mumbo jumbo happens to be good stuff).

For someone who writes about fitness and someone who has a responsibility to his clients… I myself can get overwhelmed sometimes. I mean, one of the reasons I like training people is because everyone has different goals and problems and each time it’s a challenge. So seeking out new information and “facts” is part of the game. But it easily be all-consuming. When it does, you lose sight of what’s really important. That’s when you need to drop the bullshit and scale back, way back, and just create some room to breathe and relax.

Do this for the prescribed 30 days and I guarantee the results will shock you. You will also be able to RETAIN any new information you learn in the future a whole lot better. Sounds messed up and counter productive… but then again, sometimes it’s the counter-productive things that work the best. More is not always better.

- FitJerk

Discuss: What’s the one piece of information you’re sticking to?