Time is Limited. Take Action.

The day we were born is the day we started dying. It’s kind of weird to think of it like that. But it puts things into perspective. It puts time into perspective. Today we have a guest article. I rarely approve guest articles on the site – if you haven’t noticed – but Keith was both persistent and helpful in the process.

Enjoy this article by Keith Lai. 

So I hear you want six pack abs. I hear you want ripped arms and a massive chest. I hear you want to build a body that puts a Ryan Reynolds/Chris Evans hybrid to shame.

Well that’s great, man. That’s really, really great. I want an Aston Martin, a private island, and a fully functional Iron Man suit.

Where we both succeed is in reading about what we want and how to get it. Where we lack is in taking action.Both goals are possible. Definitely. But more than anything, both goals require a shit ton of work. We need to be willing to sacrifice something else we want to achieve this ultimate goal.

Read the rest of this entry »

Six Pack Abs Are For Actors & Athletes. Not Us.

“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” Zig Ziglar

The pain was excruciating… And I was only in my second of who knows how many sets. That’s the thing with the calisthenics at the end of boxing practice. No one know when they’re going to finish.

Each round of abs is a 3-minute round on the timer. A timer without a visible countdown clock. Controlled by a trainer with visions of his fighters puking brings a sinister smile to his face. He gets off on this shit, I think to myself as I roll over, unable to stand up. My abs are burning. As are my shoulders, legs, and lungs.

It isn’t fun. But I learned more about myself and how much pain I can take from that training than anything else I had ever done in my life. In a weird way that pain was freedom. The discipline to show up everyday knowing what I was going to go through prepared me for today like nothing else before it.

Today’s pain still comes from the gym. But I love the gym. I love training. My “calisthenics” today are the hours of work I have to do at the end of a long day that I’d rather dismiss. Disregard. Ignore. “Do tomorrow”.

Without the discipline learned in the boxing ring, I wouldn’t be able to start my own business. There’s no way I’d be able to be my own boss without the valuable lessons learned in those last few excruciating seconds before the bell would ring, signifying an end. Albeit a brief 30 second end. But an end to the suffering nonetheless. Read the rest of this entry »

How To Develop Strength. Courage. And Look Good Naked.

Vulnerability. That annoying little thing that women want from us. They want us to expose our feelings. Share what’s inside.

“Tell me what you’re feeling… inside.”
“Express your feelings!”
“Communicate!”

So many arguments between men and women begin and end with our inability to express our feelings, and their abundant need to do so. It’s a painful and never-ending cycle with both sides lacking empathy for the other. Both sides at odds and unable to understand the frustrations of the other.

It’s true that when we’re at our most vulnerable, we’re exposed. We’re exposed for the world to see. Who we are underneath the multiple layers and defenses that have built up over the years. The hardened facade that we’d like people to think is the real us.

What’s this article really about? Read the rest of this entry »

A Real Man Won’t Let Time Run His Life

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t
own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep
it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it
you can never get it back.” ~ Harvey Mackay

Are you going to let time beat you?

September 9, 1985 was my first day at war with time. That’s the day my clock began ticking. The very day I began living was the day I began dying.

Obviously, I had no knowledge of my enemy or what effect it would have on my life. But it was at battle nonetheless, with an enemy who had no face, no armour, but one mighty weapon: the second-hand on the clock, like a sword slashing time. Counting down. One day reaching an end.

Tick Tock. Tick Tock…

The battle cry of time so close to that of a blacksmith hammering away, forging the metal that is to become a sword. It’s piercing. Deafenning.

As I grow older, my battle begins to take form. As a youth, time tears me from my toys. It places me in a 4-walled cage. My Mom calls it nap time in my crib. But I know it’s prison.

As I enter the world of organized education, time places me into a new form of prison: school. It even teases me with recess and lunch. But just as they begin to get exciting. They end. That bastard did it to me again.

Time is torturing me. Toying with me. Read the rest of this entry »

Why We’re Fat: The Missing Link

The hunt.

Spear, firmly gripped in my hands. The beast stands proud, ears erect, unaware that he will soon provide my family with a much needed meal.

The ground is dry. If I’m not careful, the twigs and branches beneath my feet can alert the animal at any moment. I lie waiting for the right opportunity… it’s here.

I stand, stepping on one of those little bastards as I throw my spear. Aimed for its neck, the animal gets a head start because of my sloppy footwork. So instead of hitting his neck, it lands flush on the meaty part of his thigh. The huge beast darts away as best he is able. And I chase.

I grab my knife and sprint towards the beast. Hot on his trail, I’m gaining as he begins to slow down… I’m on him. Struggling to contain him, I manage to plunge my dagger into his throat. His death is quick.

That’s what a man used to have to go through to get a meal.

Today, you could say it’s a little different… Read the rest of this entry »

The 10 Best Supplements for Men

I remember walking into a weight room and seeing the jacked guys having their protein shakes – and who knows what else – and thinking that’s what I’m missing. That’s what they’re doing that I’m not, that’ll get me jacked.

So I started taking supplements, all kinds of supplements. But nothing changed. Why? Because our ideal physique doesn’t exist in a pill, powder, or potion. There is no magic supplement that’ll get us our ideal physique. It doesn’t exist.

So why should we take supplements?

We should take supplements to SUPPLEMENT an already healthy diet. Without an already healthy and well-rounded diet filled with lots of proteins, good fats, and vitamins, supplements are literally rendered useless.

However, it’s pretty damn hard these days to get all the nutrients we need, simply from eating whole foods. And so, we use supplements to fill these gaps. As men, filling these gaps can help us maintain a healthy body, recover faster, boost brain function, speed up our metabolism, perform better in our workouts, and naturally raise testosterone levels.

So what should we take?

There’s a ton of confusion out there as to what works, and what we actually need. This list will give you 10 supplements that are great for improving performance and maintaining a healthy body for men. You can read the benefits, and identify if each is something you need or want in your diet.

The following are the 10 Best Supplements for Men Read the rest of this entry »