Monthly Archives: May 2011

It’s Time To Go and Do Something (Part 4)

 

Everybody in your life might believe your bullshit, but deep down you don’t.

Talking is a waste of time.

Walk. The. Walk.


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Curing Back Pain by Sleeping on a Hard Mattress



My first night in China I arrived after 30 hours travel to a mattress as hard as a rock and the worlds worst pillow. Well, I bought a new pillow first thing but I still sleep on my concrete mattress. I gotta say, I will never go back to a soft mattress. Back in the States my mattress was as soft as a feather and I woke up every morning with lower back pain. It was just a nightmare getting out of bed in the morning. It wasn’t until almost right before I left that I figured out my mattress was probably the culprit - and I was about to start sleeping on the floor. My first week in China I noticed a huge decrease in lower back pain every morning.


Now when I wake up I usually do have some back pain (soreness would be a much, much better word) but that is because I lift like an Animal and do a ton of heavy back work at the gym. To be sure, the bed is uncomfortable as can be but the absence of back pain makes it more than worth it.


Most of the Chinese sleep on a hard mattress and I rarely see a Chinese person with bad posture. I was at the shop with a friend and she asked the shopkeeper where she could find a soft mattress and the shopkeeper laughed at her and said a soft mattress is bad for your back. Clearly they know something about sleeping on a firm surface that we have forgotten.


If you have lower back pain you should get off of your weak mattress and sleep on a firm surface. The human body was most definitely not designed to sleep on a bed of feathers. Try sleeping on the floor for a few days and see if you notice a difference. You probably will. Then you can trade in your fancy pants mattress for a firm one. Sleep on the ground like a man and look like one. Sleep on feathers like a princess and look like one.


Which one is you?

 


Sleeping on a soft mattress makes you soft. Sleeping on a hard mattress makes you hard. Give it a try and see if you notice a difference.




Spartan Cooking



The only reason to eat at a restaurant is to enjoy time with friends and family. The poor nutrition offered at most American restaurants is dismal. Next time you are at TGI Fridays take a look at all the fat people and ask yourself if you want to look like them. The solution is cooking for yourself. But not just any cooking, Spartan Cooking. Spartan Cooking means making easy (but still delicious meals) that take no more than 5 or 10 minutes of your time to prepare. Because we have better things to do than cook a fancy meal that is going to look exactly like shit in 24 hours. The good news is that all healthy meals on the face of the earth are easy and quick to cook. It takes me about 30 seconds to cook a steak. It takes about one minute to cook eggs. It doesn’t require any time to throw a potato in the microwave. It doesn’t require any of your time to throw some chicken wings in the oven. It doesn’t require any time to throw some food in a crockpot, go about your day, and then come home and eat your dinner.

The other benefits to Spartan Cooking are:



1) It is cheaper than restaurant food. You will be saving money.


2) It is healthier than restaurant food. Who even knows what kind of shit ingredients are used in restaurants. When you put in all the ingredients you know exactly what you are eating. It is near impossible to be unhealthy when you eat a steady diet of real, whole, fresh, nutritious food.


3) Cooking for yourself saves time. No more waiting to take your drink order, then waiting to take your meal order, then waiting for your drink, then waiting for your appetizer, then waiting for your meal, then waiting for a refill, then waiting for your check, then tipping the waiter for making you wait so long. Cook it, eat it, clean the dishes, be done with it.


4) Cooking is easy. Forget about all the detailed, extensive recipes you read online. All any man ever needs to cook is salt, pepper, and butter. If it isn’t delicious in salt, pepper, and butter it doesn’t deserve to be eaten.

Recipes and How to’s:



How to cook Steak: Steak is the easiest thing in the world to cook. Heat up a pan or skillet very hot. Melt some butter on the pan. Put the steak on the pan. Add a dash of salt and some pepper. Flip the steak over and add some pepper. Remove from heat. Eat and enjoy. Note: I enjoy steak almost completely rare, I only cook the outside to kill any germs that may be on it. If you enjoy well done meat simply leave it on the pan longer.


How to Cook Scrambled Eggs: Heat up a pan on high heat. Melt some butter in the pan. Crack your Eggs into the pan. Add some salt and pepper. Scramble the eggs with a spatula. Keep scrambling until the eggs are done. Note: I enjoy my scrambled eggs a little runny, they taste better than completely cooked. Cook to whichever done-ness your prefer. Remember that undercooked eggs will not harm you - I routinely drink raw, warm eggs after a workout.


How to Cook Eggs Sunny Side Up: Heat up a pan on high heat. Melt some butter in the pan. Crack a few eggs over the pan. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for roughly 30 seconds. Flip eggs over (like pancakes) with a spatula. Let cook for roughly 30 seconds. Remove and eat. The yolks should be runny and the whites completely cooked.


How to Cook Baked Sweet Potato’s: Wrap a sweet potato in plastic cling wrap. Put it in the microwave for 7-8 minutes. Go do something else and come back to the microwave in about 12 minutes (you will want to let the sweet potato keep cooking inside of the plastic wrap for about 5 minutes), remove from plastic, slice the potato down the center with a knife, add some butter and cinnamon. Eat and enjoy. Cook a regular baked potato the same way but don’t add cinnamon. Add butter, salt, and pepper. If you have sour cream you can add it, if you have some cheddar cheese you can add it too.


How to Cook Rice: Get a microwave safe bowl. Add rice and water. Always add twice as much water as you add rice. For example one cup rice equals two cups water. Cover bowl and microwave for 20 minutes. Go do something else and come back in about 25-30 minutes (letting the rice cool), eat and enjoy.


How to Cook Chicken Wings: Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Place Chicken Wings on a cooking sheet. Season with salt and pepper (they’re good with cayenne pepper). Place in heated oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and flip each wing over. Place back in oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Eat and enjoy.


How to Cook any Other Meat: Fry in butter, salt, and pepper.


How to Cook Vegetables: Slice them any way you want. Fry them in butter, salt, and pepper. Throw some onions, green peppers, or mushrooms in with your eggs. Throw some green peppers on the pan to eat with your steak.


If you have a Steamer or Rice-Cooker: Throw some Salmon fillets (seasoned with salt and pepper) in with some asparagus or green beans. Let steam for about 10 minutes. Eat and enjoy.


How to Cook Roast in a Crockpot: Add a packet of dry onion soup mix to the bottom of the crock pot. Add about a cup of water. Toss in a Roast. Add some salt, pepper and butter. Toss is some small potato’s (or regular sized, doesn’t matter). The water should cover about 2/3 of the Roast, add some if you need to. Cook on higt for 2 hours. Switch to low and cook on low for 4 hours. Turn off heat and let it sit for 10-30 minutes. Eat and enjoy. Add some Cottage Cheese for an extra delicious punch.


No needlessly complex recipes or fruity ingredients and arrangements. Just some badass food for a badass lifestyle.

Simplify your life. It makes things so much easier.






Using the Right Attitude

There are two attitudes that matter:

Time to Kill

&

Time to Play

Anything in between is filler.

Have you ever noticed the people who make fun of cliches like “Go hard or go home!” and “Lead, follow or get out of the way!” are the pudgy or skinny (doesn’t matter) people who never accomplish anything. The kind of people who work in offices or call centers and go home to eat pizza and wonder why their girlfriends are so distant lately. Middle of the road kind of people. People afraid to take a hard stand one way or the other.

Have you ever noticed that the Men who live by these cliches are usually in top notch physical condition with a thirst for adventure and success. It is not their willingness to embrace these cliches that drive them to the top. It is their willingness to go the extreme that propels them. Extremity is for winners. When it’s time to kill a winner will kill with all his heart. When it’s time to play a winner will play like the world is ending tomorrow.

Going out on a Friday night for some beers: time to play

Hitting the gym first thing Monday morning: time to kill

Taking your wife out on a date: time to play

Running your business and making money: time to kill

Enjoying a BBQ with friends and family: time to play

Tirelessly pursuing your goals: time to kill

Keeping and utilizing the right attitude at the right time is the ultimate mark of a winner. A winner will never go to the gym and say to himself “Oh, I’ll just sit on a few machines and do whatever”. That’s what an average person will do. To a winner there is nothing worse in the entire world than being average. I would rather be dead than average. Make your choice.

Born to kill.


Form is Not Everything



All the biggest, strongest guys use loose form, half reps, body english, and sloppy style to lift the most weight. A guy who never uses loose form to push more weight is a guy who has been lifting the exact same weight for a long time.


If your form is always flawless it means you are not pushing yourself. It is impossible to maintain impeccable form and hit regular PR’s (personal records).

Here’s a recipe for ass kicking - Use good form most of the time but regularly use looser form to lift more weight than you ever could with strict form. Handling bigger weights will make you stronger, even with loose form. Just holding heavier weights will strengthen the tendons and ligaments and prepare your body for lifting that heavier weight next time and the time after. Load up the weight and strengthen yourself.


“But I’m scared of hurting myself”- Then go home and bake muffins. The gym is a place to push your limits, not a place to cry. The irony here is that the weaker a person is the higher probability he will get hurt. The stronger he is the less likely he will get hurt yet people refuse to make themselves stronger so they WON’T get hurt! Doesn’t make sense.

“You will never get big if you don’t use perfect form!!!!”

Tell that to Arnold.




Train Like an Animal

Train like an animal because if you don’t you are just wasting your time.

You are the Lion of the gym. Act like it. The Sheep and Cows can sit on a machine and watch TV but you’re there for a purpose. You’re there to strengthen your body and mind. The only way to do that is to push yourself past any limits you think might exist. The other weaklings in the gym have accepted limits. That’s why they look the way they do. That’s why they act the way they do. That’s why they are frightened.

But not you. Not anymore. Not ever again. Lift that monster weight. And do it again and again. That weight doesn’t want to be lifted. That weight thinks you can’t lift it. That weight is mocking you. What that weight doesn’t know is that you do not accept limits. You will lift that weight. And if you fail you WILL try again and again until you succeed.

So do it. Go all out. Leave everything in the gym. If you leave the gym and you still have more in the tank you have failed. Leave everything in the gym.

Take it to the limit. Past the point of no return.

If you aren’t willing to sweat for it you don’t deserve it. If you’re willing to die for it it’s yours for the taking.

Over-reliance on Science : The Value of Instinct

Authors note: BOLDANDDETERMINED.com will never link to a science study to verify and validate our opinion. The below article will clearly explain our views on traditional science. Each opinion stated herein can undoubtedly be simultaneously verified and debunked by science. We don’t care. We value our own judgement and we trust you to do the same.


Science is Man’s law. Man is not infallible. Man is never impartial. Man always has an agenda or is paid by someone who does have an agenda. Science is not 100% because it is biased in favor of the researcher. Even if science was 100% correct the interpretation of that science is up to the writer who will have an agenda of his own. Science cannot be trusted. The only thing that can be trusted is your own instinct. Not your moms instinct, not your friends instinct, not a writers instinct but your own.


A Lion follows his instinct and eats the same foods over and over again. A Lion understands that everything it needs is in these same foods. It does not need a researcher to tell it what vitamins and minerals it needs and what “super-foods” to obtain them from. A Lion does not need variety or moderation in it’s food choices. What will mainstream science tell us? It will tell us we need a huge variety of foods to obtain all the necessary vitamins and minerals. At the same time science will tell us to only eat foods (especially foods high in saturated fat) in moderation. This goes against all of mans natural instincts. Instinct tells Man to eat animal foods high in saturated fat. When these foods are unavailable (again, usually the same animals over and over) instinct will tell us to eat vegetables to stave off starvation until fatty meat can be had again. All men notoriously love red meat, bacon, butter and other fatty foods. Because these are foods that men need. In the history of the world there has never been an emasculated man who ate red meat, bacon, and butter daily. The emasculated man eats soy, tofu, vegetables, grains and light fish - all of which science says are great. All children notoriously hate vegetables. What does most science say? Don’t eat a lot of meat or fat, eat a lot of vegetables and fruits and whole grains. This very obviously goes against our nature. Science will tell us that cholesterol is bad and will kill us. This goes against what our instinct is driving us to eat. Not to mention that even science has debunked the stupid cholesterol myth.


Science will say that jogging and eating low fat is a great way to get and stay in shape. Not so. All it takes is a pair of eyes and a willingness to look beyond the standard dogma to see that people who run to stay in shape and eat low-fat always have terrible bodies and even look sickly a lot of the time. Take a look at the Men who are in excellent shape, especially older men who have been in terrific shape for a number of years, and you sill see two things in common: they rarely, if ever, do any cardio and they do not limit their fat intake. They lift weights and eat steaks. You may be saying to yourself “well bodybuilders have excellent bodies and they barely eat any fat!”. And you would be right. What you aren’t taking into consideration is their use of synthetic testosterone. You see, fat and cholesterol are essential for testosterone production. Testosterone is essential for muscle building. These bodybuilders take mega-doses of synthetic testosterone eliminating the need to actually eat any fat or cholesterol. Therefore, to cut down on calories they cut out the unnecessary fat. What you may not know is that bodybuilders get grossly overweight when they stop competing (stop using steroids) but continue to eat the same way - high carb, high protein, low fat. What you also may not know is that the very vast majority of them get incredibly fat in the off-season or what is known as a “bulking” stage. They use heavy doses of synthetic steroids to help shed the fat in a mere 12-16 weeks. If you don’t take steroids, you can’t eat like a bodybuilder and expect to look like a bodybuilder.


I have read a ton of scientific studies on so-called “super-foods”. These studies never mention eggs, red meat, or any other real food. They inevitably have blueberries at the top of the list. I’ll make a bold claim right now: BLUEBERRIES ARE NOT FOOD! Blueberries are a tasty treat to snack on when you want something sweet. They are not a food and they sure as hell are not a super-food. The next time someone asks you what you are having for dinner tell them blueberries and watch the bewildered look on their face. They are going to think you are an idiot because deep down everyone knows blueberries aren’t food. You couldn’t make it one week eating just blueberries. You would be weaker than a newborn kitten and you would be ravenously hungry. Now, tell the person you are eating steak and eggs for dinner. They will not questions whether or not that if a filling meal because they know it is, though they will likely ask “aren’t you scared of cholesterol”. Red meat is the ultimate super-food. Red meat could be eaten everyday for a year with little or nothing else and at the end of the year not only would you be in excellent health but you would be strong as an ox.


Science will say that moderate exercise 3 times per week for an hour is optimal for health and fitness. I don’t need to read an article stating otherwise to know that that is BS. All I need are my own 2 eyes to see that people who exercise only 3 times per week always look like shit. Especially the ones who use “moderate” weight. Never work out too hard or your muscles will fall off and you will die of overtraining! Go to the gym and see the guys in the best shape. Those are the guys that are in the gym MIMIMUM 6 days per week and they are always lifting the same: hard, heavy, and with little rest. Hardly using moderate weight, moderate rep ranges, or moderate anything. Moderation is for losers, quitters, and whiners. Extremity is for winners. A science article proving this daily observation is completely unnecessary.


Science says don’t eat raw meat or raw eggs or you will die. Instinct tells me that raw meat is delicious and much more nutritious than cooked, especially overcooked, beef. When I look at a piece of raw steak at the grocery I think it looks beautiful and delicious. Cooked meat does not have the same level of appeal. Instinct tells me to eat steak raw or undercooked for maximum benefits. This instinct is validated when I have incredible energy and stamina after consuming a meal like this. After eating like this (currently I fry both sides of a steak for about 10 seconds to kill all the germs on the outside, the inside is raw) I can tell a huge difference between eating undercooked beef and overcooked beef. Frankly, overcooked beef is horrible, terrible tasting and I can’t finish it when I try to eat it. Instinct tells me there is no value in eating it that way, all the excellent benefits of eating beef are nuked when the beef is overcooked. Science will say eating vegetarian is healthy. Instinct, and my own eyes, will tell me that vegetarians are chronically skinny, malnourished, effeminate, pathetically weak and have a giant guilt complex. No thanks, science.


Science will say eggs need to be refrigerated or they will kill you. Even I never questioned this scientific “fact” until I moved to China. Eggs in the grocery store are never refrigerated and are always kept with the vegetables. One hour ago, when I came home from the gym, I drank 6 raw eggs (natures protein shakes) that have been sitting on my countertop since I bought them warm from the store two days ago. Clearly eggs do not need to be refrigerated. Any article stating otherwise is either written by a stupid person who is unable to experiment or is a bold-faced lie.


Science says breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Instinct tells me breakfast is unnecessary. Instinct is validated when I do eat breakfast and am sluggish, full and sloppy. When breakfast is not consumed I feel bright and alert and light on my feet. If I were to listen to science over my own instinct I would feel like shit everyday. Science says 4-6 small meals a day are the best way to burn fat and avoid feeling hungry. Instinct tells me that is just plain stupid. Eat MORE to LOSE fat? Eat SMALL meals to feel full? Sounds too stupid to believe. Instinct, validated by experimentation, has told me 2-3 large meals a day, with plenty of fat, are excellent for keeping hunger at bay and feeling satiated but not sluggish during the day. Instinct also tells me hunger is a good thing. What kind of nonsense is that that you should never feel hungry? Instinct tells me to eat when I get hungry and to not eat when I am full. Pretty simple really.


The other day a fat associate of mine told me “I don’t understand how you stay so fit. You eat all this meat and butter and you never run on a treadmill.” I told her, for about the 19th time, that is precisely why I am fit and she is fat. She is a person who will only listen to mainstream advice and science and will pay a hefty (ha!) price for it. Don’t be like her. Carve your own path. You know more than you think you do.


Forget science.


Trust yourself.


Don’t listen to anyone else.


You will be better off.


Trust me!



What Would You Do if You Knew You Were Going to Die in Two Years?

You have just been given the news. You will die in two years. It is unavoidable. You now have to choose what you will do with your remaining time on Earth.

What will you do……..

Will you finish your degree and put yourself into massive debt?

Will you continue working your job as a wage slave and keep paying off your debt?

Will you live for the weekends only?

Will you go home every night, order a pizza and a 2 liter of coke, turn on the boob tube and drown out your sorrows?

Will you go shopping for the latest gadgets that “make your life easier”?

Will you sell everything you own and take a trip around the world?

Will you go sky-diving?

Will you visit the Great Wall of China?

Will you go hike in the mountains at sunrise every morning?

Will you go to starbucks and order a non-fat vanilla chocolate mocha frappuccino every morning on your way to work?

Will you be scared to approach all the beautiful women you see every day?

Will you keep playing world of warcraft 19 hours a day?

Will you update your facebook first thing?

Will you ever even turn on your computer again?

Will you buy a golf-cart to use as your daily driver?

Will you go to Australia and motorcycle across the continent?

Will you walk through the Sahara desert?

Will you live on a beach in the Philippines?

Will you take out a 2nd mortgage on your house and lease a new car to keep up with the Jones’s?

What if you knew you were going to die in 20 years? 40 years? Would you do what you are doing right now?

It’s all a blink of an eye. Make that blink count for something.

How to Be a Winner in One Easy Step

No one at your office is as innovative as you and they won’t listen to you?
Who gives a fuck!

Your co-workers are all obese and don’t respect your dietary lifestyle?
Who gives a fuck!

Can’t get Suzy in accounting to go out with you?
Who gives a fuck!

Can’t find a job with your degree?
Who gives a fuck!

Can’t go out tonight because you have to open up the store tomorrow?
Who gives a fuck!

The big promotion went to that asshole Brad instead of you?
Who gives a fuck!

Got laid off so the company could save a few bucks?
Who gives a fuck!

Facebook is blocked on your company server?
Who gives a fuck!

Wouldn’t you rather make the rules instead of obey them?
You had better do something about it yourself because we certainly don’t give a fuck.

Until you see that everything is your responsibility nothing will ever change. Accept it or do something about it but never whine about it. Winners act. Losers complain. Which one are you?

It is only when you start to win that anybody starts to give a fuck. Keep your mouth shut and change the game while all the losers are complaining.

4 Unusual Ways to Break Out of the Usual Routine

Unless you have the same disease as Benjamin Button you are not getting any younger. All the adventures you daydream about will never happen UNLESS you take action, get off your ass, and go do them! Which do you think you will regret more when you die: not working enough or never doing the adventures you dreamt of? I have never died before but I’m certain that while on my death bed I will not regret deciding to be a free man and not a wage slave and I will always be happy that I took chances and had adventures. Can you say the same?

For the less creative readers here are 4 unusual ways to break out of the usual routine, have a great time, and have some eye opening experiences.

1) Move to a Foreign Country and Teach English as a 2nd Language

What is a greater adventure than moving to a 2nd or 3rd world country? Nothing! The benefits to doing this are many..

1) It’s an adventure living in a whole other world from what we are used to.

2) You are usually provided free housing and enough money to live very well, better than most locals.

3) It is an eye opening experience to see how people live in a way that is quite different from life in America.

4) It is a way to get a visa. In some countries it is quite hard to stay for an extended period of time, teaching English will provide you with 6 months to a year and can be renewed every year.

5) You don’t have to be a genius to teach. Just about the only qualification is being a native English speaker, though some countries will require a College degree or a TEFL certificate.

6) You usually work 10-20 hours per week, leaving plenty of free time for exploration and adventure.

2) Take a Cross Country Camping Trip

Just pack some clothes, a cooler, a tent, get in your car and drive into the great unknown. Much cheaper than taking a cross country trip and staying in hotels or hostels and you get to see more of America than by staying in some drab hotel room ordering room service and watching $10 movies. Grill some steaks every night for dinner, sit underneath the stars, explore the woods, live like man was intended. If you think you’ll feel lonely, don’t! You will meet many, many interesting people along the way. Or you can bring a friend or a dog along.

3) Take a Plane, Train, or Bus Somewhere You Have Never Been

There is somewhere you have always wanted to go. Take a few days (or more) off from everything, book a ticket and go! Go experience it. Who knows, maybe you will hate it or maybe you will love it so much you never come back. One thing is for certain, it will be an experience you won’t forget.

4) Get in Your Car and Start Driving

There is no way I am the only one who has ever wanted to just get in my car and start driving. Well, I never got the chance to. I sold my car and moved abroad, but that just means that if someone else does it they have more courage than I. Next time you’re sitting in rush hour traffic, dreading work at the soul-stealing hell-hole you think you have to endure, what if you just turn the car in the other direction and start driving? What’s the worst thing that can possibly happen? You’re gone for a few days and you lose your job. Easy fix, you just get a job at the next hell-hole. But what is the best thing that can happen? You learn what it’s like to live free.

Change your life today. Tomorrow might be too late.

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