It seems like every time life is looking up, something nasty happens. This is a pattern I have noticed over the past 20 years. Just recently I was laid off from my contract position at a global trading management software company. That’s 20-25 hours a week of revenue gone, kaput, vanished, and ceased. Now I have to balance working on client projects with finding a new job or more contract hours.
Just when I think my family situation is going well, my parents or my son’s mom does or says something stupid, people get mad and fight, and I end up right in the middle of it. Just when I think my financial situation is getting better, I get hit with several thousands of dollars worth of bills that I wasn’t anticipating.
The cycle never ends. Is everyone else’s life like this? I would venture to guess that for 98% of the people in the world, this is exactly how life transpires. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s 5am, and you are standing in the light of your fridge, with a ladle in the Nutella jar, greedily chomping down any hope that you were going to eat well that day.
“Maybe tomorrow will be the day I lock down my nutrition,” you tell yourself.
“There, there—of course tomorrow will be the day,” the not-so-helpful you replies, the ladle craning towards your mouth, brimming with that sweet, sweet hazelnut spread.
If this feels familiar (and lawd knows it does for me), you aren’t alone.
We all struggle mightily with our nutrition at one point. Or many points. Or all the fuckin’ time.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. And before you laugh and shuffle off to another one of the 7 tabs you have open, you should consider starting a food diary.
Maybe you’ve thought about writing your food before.
Then you were like, “Nah, I ain’t got time for that.”
Or you snickered at the idea of keeping a “food diary.”
Sounds kinda prissy, right?
But really, put aside giving a baker’s hoot what others may or may not think for a moment.
If you want to feel metric butt-ton better, have higher and more consistent energy levels over the course of the day, and you know, beast at a 20% harder rate*, then start putting pen to paper and unleash this certified and proven weapon for kicking names and taking ass—err—in the kitchen.
* Anecdotal approximation. See a doctor if it lasts longer than 4 hours.
Here’s how a food journal will help you open a can of whoop-ass in the gym and in life:Read the rest of this entry »
This article is exclusively on the right exercises to improve the strength of motorcyclists and make them better riders. For the record, the exercises will yield other desirable results such as improved metabolic activities, improved body detoxing, reduced unwanted fat, improved sleeping orders, improved looks etc., but these are only peripheral perks. The sole essence is to improve the riding performance of the motorcyclists.
These exercises are great for beginner riders and veteran riders alike. If you think you are not fit enough to ride your bike and you are not motivated enough to try to get into riding shape, you can always visit sellbike.com for quick valuation of your motorbike and then unsubscribe to Project Swole, because those without ambition might not bother wasting their time reading these posts.
Lower Body Conditioning
Your lower body and ‘core’ plays the most crucial role in establishing contact with your motorcycle and balancing you on it, as a rider. Therefore, these exercises will be focused on those parts of your body.
Exercising to improve those parts of your body is essential because, while riding, there’s a need to do a number of things, some of which are the need to shift the weight of your body between opposite pegs as your motorbike tilts from side to side when negotiating bends. There’s also a need to engage your legs as props and shock absorbers while doing an off road, and so on. Read the rest of this entry »
Muscle gain is not just about what you do in the gym. Although you can’t just eat your way to a dream body, your nutrition can enhance and help you on your journey to a leaner and a more muscular body. If you want to gain muscle faster, add these five foods to your shopping basket.
Meat – Beef and chicken
Protein is of course what your muscles are made of and it shouldn’t come as a surprise then that meat is good for muscle gain. Different meats are the easiest way to eat vast quantities of meat and protein isn’t the only thing going for them – meat also comes back with essential nutrients and vitamins.
The two best meats to opt for include beef and chicken. Lean beef is full of iron and zinc, which are essential for a healthy body. Furthermore, lean beef has a high level of amino acid, which will work together with insulin to promote and boost muscle growth.
You should also opt for chicken (if you’re also trying to cut, get rid of the skin) when looking for high quality protein. Chicken can help with bone health, which is a crucial part of muscle growth. Chicken can easily be spiced with different mixtures to make it taste delicious and ensure you’re not eating the same tasting food every day. Read the rest of this entry »
Whether you want to lose weight, become more fit, feel better, or even add on some weight and muscle, nutrition is key!
Exercise is important and should not be forgotten, but in order to lose and maintain your weight, up to 75% of that will come from proper nutrition, while the other 25% will come from exercise. This is frustrating, confusing, and sometimes infuriating to many because nutrition is a discipline filled with complicated and conflicting information.
Fortunately, nutrition and your “diet”, over time can become an easy and natural way of living, which is why a couple of my friends created the Fairburn it Off Nutrition & Fitness Plan. When you have a goal, a plan, and some motivation, progress falls right into place.
What is Fairburn it Off?
The Fairburn it Off Nutrition & Fitness Plan was created by husband and wife team David and Elyse Fairburn. Despite David being a certified nutritionist and Elyse being an instructor in the fitness world, they initially struggled themselves with trying to calculate the perfect amounts of food and succumbing to strict diets and several supplements. After finally taking a step back and using what they know and have experienced, they created a sustainable lifestyle nutrition plan to help people lose weight, maintain that weight loss, and not fall prey to some of the very pitfalls that the Fairburns experienced themselves.
The key to the plan is sustainability– the belief that when you simplify healthy living by making your lifestyle healthier and easier to maintain, that you will experience consistent and positive results. To accomplish this, the Fairburns plans were designed to help you better understand proper nutrition through eating clean, nutrient-packed, whole foods, while still maintaining fitness through both cardio and resistance training. Through sustainability and this balance between nutrition and fitness, you can see positive progress and build new and healthy habits. Read the rest of this entry »
Creatine is a substance that is naturally manufactured by the body. It is a nitrogenous organic acid that is considered to be the energy source for muscles. Identified in 1832, creatine is now one of the most commonly used supplements by those who practice sports, especially bodybuilding.
Creatine supplements are especially appreciated for their positive effects in increasing performance for intensive training sports, maximizing workouts in general and offering an advantage in anaerobic athletic contests. At Project Swole our personal experience using creatine is increased strength for max effort training and increased stamina for short duration anaerobic activity (sprinting, higher rep training, Olympic lifting). Read the rest of this entry »
Night owls are in for a treat as many gyms are embracing the 24-hour policy. Fitness centers around the world have realized that the demand is high due to the fact that so many people are working hectic schedules and are unable to exercise with any regularity due to other commitments. By offering around-the-clock service hours, not only can a gym goer can work out whenever he or she likes but it also means that everyone who had used lack of free time as their major excuse not to work out will now be able to work out irrespective of their schedule.
No matter if one is a gym rat or first-timer, 24 hour gyms are now open across the globe to help anyone reach their fitness goals, notwithstanding their schedules and lack of consistent free time. We are well aware that exercise is a crucial part in our daily lives and now people have a much greater chance at reaping the benefits.Read the rest of this entry »
A cup of coffee daily will help you in more ways than you suspect. For example, the daily dose of caffeine can keep Alzheimer’s illness in check, can help reduce cholesterol, protects against dementia, and reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have also determined positive effects on performance when consuming caffeine before exercise. Caffeine addiction is real, but is it really that big a deal when compared to all the positive effects?
Coffee Fights Cholesterol
A daily dose of caffeine blocks the disruptive consequences of high cholesterol that scientists link with Alzheimer’s illness. Caffeine equivalent of merely a daily cup of Joe from could protect the blood-brain barrier ( BBB ) from damage that happens with a fat heavy diet, according to a study.
The BBB protects the central nervous system ( CNS ) from the remainder of the body’s circulation, providing the brain with its own controlled micro-environment. Prior research has demonstrated that raised levels of cholesterol break down the BBB that may then no longer protect the CNS from the damage due to blood borne contamination.
Nicotine is not good for you and it is just another expense to empty out your wallet. No one here at Project Swole smokes, but we sure do know an awful lot of folks who do. For those who are not ready to quit but are at least looking for a healthier alternative to smoking, and even for those who are ready to take that first step towards quitting, vaping might be for you.
As an added benefit, people who work out, specifically with resistance training, have a higher chance of kicking the habit than people who don’t exercise. Might as well make the most of both worlds and take that first step today.
Exploring The Benefits Of Vaping As Opposed To Tobacco
You could spend thousands of hours educating yourself about the dangers of smoking cigarettes. One single cigarette contains over hundreds of thousands of chemicals and with each puff you introduce all those toxins in your body. However, what you probably do not know is that there is a new safer alternative to smoking that is taking the market by storm. This new alternative is known as e-cigarettes and it offers a myriad of health benefits as opposed to smoking.Read the rest of this entry »
Does a small streak of gray hair worry you? Are you afraid to smile because the wrinkle would show up on your face? If you’re worried about aging, then you aren’t alone. It’s one of the greatest fears that trouble most adults. Aging is a natural occurrence, but you can exercise control over it by following the right diet.
Here’s a list of food habits to help you have a healthy mind and body.
Reduce your wrinkles with argan oil
Argan oil is one of the most effective anti-aging essential oils. This “miracle oil” is obtained from the fruity pulp of the Moroccan Argan tree. It’s composed of 80% unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, antioxidants, carotenes, and phenols that helps in keeping your skin healthy and youthful.
Using argan oil as a face mask can reduce the early signs of aging. Take a few drops of argon oil and massage your face in an upward motion, starting from your chin. The depth and severity of wrinkles in your face will eventually reduce. You can also see your age spots fade away with the regular use of argan oil.Read the rest of this entry »
Being fit and achieving your goals is no easy feat, even if the basic idea is simple. Eat the right foods and push yourself. It doesn’t take a lot of time to figure these things out, especially with experts to guide you. It’s the execution where most people fail.
It’s hard to get fit, and it’s easy to skip that morning workout. It’s too cold, you need to go decompress after work, and the gym will be too crowded anyway… We make up a lot of excuses to get out of pushing ourselves. But the truth is, barring some serious circumstances, there isn’t an excuse.
While heavy gains require sticking to a fitness routine, if you really can’t make it to the gym, you can still maintain your fitness and be productive around the house. Homeowner projects provide plenty opportunities to maintain fitness, you just need to recognize that opportunity. Read the rest of this entry »
Introducing 4 Superfoods You May Have Never Heard About
When you pass through the produce aisles, you’ll pick up all the usual items — tomatoes, lettuce, apples, bananas, and other common fruits and vegetables. And then you might grab a bag of almonds or walnuts, too. We all know that these foods provide us with the range of nutrients our bodies crave.
Now if this sounds like you, I want to start off by saying, great job — the more fresh, whole foods you consume, the better. With that being said, if you want to take your health to the next level, you may need to step a little outside of your usual comfort zone.
Say hello to these superfoods, a fantastic way to boost your health throughout the new year!Read the rest of this entry »
Looking back in my archives, I found this post from 2008; roughly 2 home relocations ago. About 8 years have passed, the ‘kids’ are teenagers now, the beach is in the backyard now instead of across the street, I still have those Powerblocks, and still love sprinting.
Today however it’s about 30°F out, 3 days before Christmas, and it’s snowing. Sprints will be much more difficult, biking is nearly impossible, and the unheated garage is freeeeeezing! I’ve been working diligently as a personal garage gym builder though, and now I also have a doorway pull up bar, push up equipment, an ab roller, springs, and big ole rubber tubes that work great for dynamic resistance training.
If you’ve no idea what I’m talking about, read the follow piece that details my thoughts on active recovery in 2008 and what I accomplished on a warm sunny day in June. I still feel the same way about active recovery, and if you’re not using it on the occasional rest day you’re missing out on fun activities that can help engage your friends and family, burn extra calories, and improve the recovery process from your strenuous gym workouts.
Even medical journals documenting active recovery research have found that, “active recovery can be prescribed and still retain performance benefits over passive recoveries”. Don’t you miss out!
Athletes drink. A survey that followed 6,000 teens into their mid-twenties found that while young athletes use fewer drugs than non-athletes, they drink far more alcohol.
Fitness buffs, why is this so dumb?
In addition to the obvious short-term health risks — like drunk driving — alcohol impairs muscle growth and prevents muscle recovery. In fact, according to research conducted by Matt Barnes of New Zealand’s Massey University, muscle performance loss was doubled in participants who drank alcohol.
That wouldn’t be a huge deal for a non-exerciser, but it could be a game-ender for an athlete whose future relies on physical fitness.Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s one for the ladies of Team Swole – a guest post by Emily of Body Shape 101
One of the biggest problems that women face is inner thigh fat. Flabby inner thighs that rub together while walking are not only a sore but irritating as well. Most people can relate as this quickly jogs their mind to painful friction burns especially when wearing a dress or skirt.
Besides this painful fact, inner thigh fat interferes with your figure and self-confidence as well. However, you’d be pleased to know that inner thigh flab is not chronic and that you can easily get rid of it through simple exercises. There are leg exercises and equipment purposely meant to curve and tone your legs, such as recumbent bikes, but you may need to indulge in some cardio exercises as well. 1. Cossack Squats This is a highly effective workout that targets your lower body. It will shape the glutes and thighs on all angles by burning the excess fat and in this case, inner thighs. Read the rest of this entry »
Yesterday I went for a serious bike ride and it was good. I jumped on my mountain bike with my buddy Kevin and we hit the trails. After all, bike riding is a great cardio and I am in constant need of exercise. Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the best mountain bike in the world – it’s a $200 Walmart special – but it works for me!
The Great Ride
Now, I am not a hardcore mountain biker by any means. In fact, I haven’t been riding at all lately and quite frankly I am out of shape when it comes to my bike. One might say I’m a novice bike rider but sometimes I just like to get out there and act like a warrior.
I sort of knew what I was in store for but refused to admit it, gazing at my bike with a somewhat incredulous stare. The bike held my stare, as it so often does, with its cold, hard, metallic callousness.
In cold weather climates, many runners log a large number of kilometers on the treadmill, and most of them complain that treadmill workout is rather boring. If you have the same problem and want to beat boredom while running on a treadmill, try the following tips. They will certainly make your treadmill running more fun.
Run with friends
If you have a friend who also trains on the treadmill in the same gym, you need to get her/him next to you. This way you will likely motivate each other as well as provide distraction in order to make your workout more efficient and faster. You do not have to run at the same pace with your friend(s).
Everybody Should Know About the Advantages of Playing Sports
The average person today does not participate in even 10% of the physical activities that his grandparents were “obligated” to perform. Chopping wood, building and tending a garden, walking to destinations, even washing clothes by hand, where daily habits for folks in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Nowadays, modern men and women spend far too much of their time sitting in the office, in their vehicle or in front of the TV. The gestures of everyday life are limited to pressing buttons to generate heat or cool the air, to wash clothes, to go up or down the floors, to cook food. Long live progress and innovation! Read the rest of this entry »
The results of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor workout are clear for all to see in the media. As the film and the actor remain subject to a great deal of interest, many news and entertainment outlets continue sharing the best traits of Thor. But how did the Australian achieve his impressive physique in time for his work on the fantasy-action film?
It was ex-Navy SEAL Duffy Gaver who trained Hemsworth, and pushed the actor to gain 20lb for the role. Gaver devised an eight week exercise plan, which he split into two.
During the first four weeks, there was a careful focus on helping Hemsworth gain the level of strength appropriate for the God of Sky and Thunder. The second four weeks were dedicated to fat loss…
I get plenty of questions in various comments throughout the website, but I also get comments and questions via the contact form.
Generally, I address those questions through e-mail, but often I do not have the time to reply to each and every question personally.
From now on I want to take a more proactive approach to answer your questions by posting them separately in the blog. This way we can be sure that everyone benefits from the Q & A.
Russel wrote:
“I’m 19 and am just starting to try to build some muscle. I was wondering what happens when you consume too much protein and your liver or kidneys can’t handle it, what are the side effects?”
Response:
First of all, there really are no side effects to using protein powder, as long as you use it intelligently. There’s no reason to eat more than 40 grams of protein in a meal. There’s also no reason to live on protein supplements.
Real food will help keep you healthy.
Protein powder is just a ‘supplement’ to your normal whole food diet. Muscle Milk is definitely the best product to choose to ‘supplement’ your diet with extra protein, but you don’t want to base your entire nutrition plan around it.
That said, I want to examine this question from the following three angles:
regarding the digestion of lactose
regarding the digestion of excess protein and developing kidney stones
It’s happened. 
