Allow me to direct your attention to the Project Swole Forums. Build muscle and lose fat by sharing your training secrets, diet strategies, progress updates, and supplement reviews; or discuss anything remotely related to health and fitness.
This will be a great way for me and all you Swole readers to talk about health and fitness topics that I just don’t have time to write individual posts about. There is also an area for posting progress pics, workout routines, or anything else you can come up with to show off your goods. My only request is this: let’s not make it a sausage fest on the pics forum… if you guys are going to post progress pics, can we please get some ladies to pose and post once a in while?
Down with the Swole Contact Form!
I want to transition from using the Swole contact form to the Swole Forums, for asking questions about health and fitness. Lord knows I get way too many e-mails on a daily basis, and I just can’t keep up with them.
The Swole contact form can still be used to ask questions about advertising, guest posts, or anything extremely private, but again I can’t guarantee a timely response.
Forum Moderators Needed
Months ago I posted about the upcoming forums and had several volunteers to help moderate. Well, now that the forums are actually up and running, I will need some moderators. So, anyone who has a couple hours a week to help answer questions and/or keep the forums clean of spam and trolls, I need YOU!
Unfortunately this is 100% volunteer work. I won’t be able to pay you for your help, but you will get a ton of kudos and I’ll help promote any projects you have going on. Leave a comment on this post to volunteer, and let me know if you have any relevant experience with moderating forums, developing websites, personal training, health topics, or nutrition advice.
That’s it! Let’s get the forums rockin’ ASAP and we’ll really have a sweet community going on at Project Swole.
I’m also going to link to the forums up on the top menu, so you don’t have to bookmark it if you don’t want. 😉
By the way, even if you registered with the blog, you’ll still have to re-register at the forums. I’m not about to try to code a bridge between phpBB and WordPress, sorry.
Today we’re going to depart a little bit from perfect health and spot-on nutrition. I’d like to take a minute to discuss beer.
Beer is good. It is a man’s drink. Arnold reportedly devoured several pints of beer and whole chickens after grueling squat workouts. I’m not saying that’s how he won any of his trophies or awards, because it’s not. I can almost guarantee you Arnold didn’t touch alcohol during his contest prep.
However if you are not competing or scheduled to compete, then I have to ask you: What is the harm in having a beer or two with dinner a couple times a week?
Everything in moderation. Here are my favorite low carb, low calorie, “diet” beers.
With so many at-home cookie-cutter workout routines out there, I figured it would be a great idea to discuss one of the best: P90X. After all, P90X is pretty cheap compared to paying a gym membership and hiring a personal trainer.
Will P90X turn you into a bodybuilder, a powerlifter, an Olympic gymnast, a marathon runner, or a sport-specific athlete? Oh, hell no!
Could P90X possibly get you in the best shape of your life with a minimal initial investment? Could P90X strengthen your body, improve your cardiovascular fitness, help heal nagging injuries, and dial in your 6-pack abs for summer? Oh, hell yes!
Dale Bramall, Altaf Rahamatulla, Kellend Brookover, Nick Baker, and Derek Wheatley all have written testimonials about their motivation for and their journey using P90X workout DVD and their full weight loss program, which is a 90 day program with an exercise DVD, training in how to portion foods, which foods to choose, and a coaching system that has worked very well for all five of these men.
With so many at-home cookie-cutter workout routines out there, I figured it would be a great idea to discuss one of the best: P90X. After all, P90X is pretty cheap compared to paying a gym membership and hiring a personal trainer.
Will P90X turn you into a bodybuilder, a powerlifter, an Olympic gymnast, a marathon runner, or a sport-specific athlete? Oh, hell no!
Could P90X possibly get you in the best shape of your life with a minimal initial investment? Could P90X strengthen your body, improve your cardiovascular fitness, help heal nagging injuries, and dial in your 6-pack abs for summer? Oh, hell yes!
PX90 suggests that a ninety-day weight loss regime jumped into with both feet will start you on your weight loss journey. The program implies that shocking yourself with the first 30 days of their system will get your metabolism going, and because of the results you see, you will be gung-ho for the rest of their ninety-day program.
The sixth copy of the new Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 DVD that I had planned on giving away to a lucky Project Swole reader had gone missing. It was recently found to have been destroyed by a dog. It is not salvageable and will never be given away.
Now the good news
The publishing company has sent me 10… count them TEN… more Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 DVDs to give away for FREE.
Therefore, for the next 10 weeks I am going to give away one copy of the DVD every Monday night, starting on 3/14/11.
You can find the original post with all the qualifying instructions here:
It is very easy to qualify… over 30 people have qualified to date. Just check out that post at the link above and follow the instructions.
I’m closing the comments on this post because I don’t want any activity here. Whatever you have to say or ask about the FREE DVD, please submit a comment at the original post.
Check out Chocolate flavored Shakeology – it is more than just an average protein shake!
Made primarily from whole-food ingredients, Chocolate Shakeology is designed to optimize your intake of vital daily nutrients, which helps your body to more efficiently burn stored fat, and decreases your appetite.
More than 20 different antioxidants and phytonutrients help to reduce the damage cause by free radicals. Damage that can lead to heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
Probiotics, prebiotics, and fiber contribute valuable digestive enzymes that help your body to efficiently eliminate toxins and improve the absorption of important nutrients.
Based on my own experience, you can mix Chocolate Shakeology with cold water for an awesome chocolate protein shake. It’s WAY better than chocolate whey protein mixed with water, which is nearly unbearable.
If you are looking for a pure whey protein powder, check out Optimum Nutrition. Optimum Nutrition protein powder comes in about 20 different flavors, and is available in 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, and 10 lb containers.
If you decide to go with Optimum Nutrition protein powder and need some alternative recipes, read about the other 107 protein shake recipes. But for now, let’s take a look at some Chocolate Shakeology recipes.
With so many at-home cookie-cutter workout routines out there, I figured it would be a great idea to discuss one of the best: P90X. After all, P90X is pretty cheap compared to paying a gym membership and hiring a personal trainer.
Will P90X turn you into a bodybuilder, a powerlifter, an Olympic gymnast, a marathon runner, or a sport-specific athlete? Oh, hell no!
Could P90X possibly get you in the best shape of your life with a minimal initial investment? Could P90X strengthen your body, improve your cardiovascular fitness, help heal nagging injuries, and dial in your 6-pack abs for summer? Oh, hell yes!
You may already of heard of P90X (other names: Power 90X, X90 Workout, and PX90) either by way of TV and radio commercials or word of mouth. And you may be intrigued by the numerous reports of success enjoyed by people who have shed unwanted pounds, and by the images of people who have used the P90X program to work their way to a toned and attractive physique.
The collection of articles I will be presenting delves into the potential of the P90X program and whatit has to offer you as an individual. I consider it my job to provide sufficient information in this series to answer any and all questions you might have about P90X. Read the rest of this entry »
Extra Workouts Part 1 – Neural Activation Training
Today I am going to unleash your next greatest training tool.
First we are going to talk about training frequency and extra workouts, then I will get into something I call Neural Activation Training, which you can use upwards of 2-3 times a day in addition to your regular workout routine. This type of training won’t induce overtraining and can help you develop speed and power like you’ve never had before, which leads to increased strength and size. Neural Activation Training also just happens to increase fat loss.
*** Do I have your attention? ***
Good! Read on.
Extra Workouts
If you want to know about adding extra workouts to your routine, you are on the right track. If you don’t know what an extra workout is, which many of you don’t judging by my recent poll, then this is the place to learn.
For some time now I have written about using extra workouts to increase training frequency, and the benefits of increased training frequency over time. When I say increased training frequency, I don’t mean increased volume in a single 60 minute workout. I mean putting varying types of stress on every muscle group as frequently as possible, such that the target muscle group can still optimally recover. Volume is increased over time, but frequency is maximized.
I referenced increased training frequency in my Werewolf Training routines and in my Fat Loss for Men & Fat Loss for Women routines. In fact, I base most of my workout routines around increased training frequency at this point because I know how effective it is.
This post was written back in 2008, but the poll didn’t get many votes and the post didn’t get any comments. Now that Project Swole has much more traffic and somewhat of a loyal community, I went and rewrote some of this piece and I’m re-posting it today so that we can get more comments and votes. I think it will be an interesting study into the training background of most Swole readers.
When and why did you first learn about exercising?
We all know how beneficial exercise is to maintaining a healthy body. Kids don’t usually know this and teenagers don’t usually care. Typically it is up to parents and schools to educate kids about exercise and nutrition, ’cause quite frankly they aren’t very likely to do it themselves.
I learned about exercising in junior high school when some of my friends started curling and bench pressing to build the “show muscles” for the girls. I even did some curling and bench pressing myself, but not more than a couple times a week, and I didn’t build any significant muscle mass. My real education in weight training came in high school… I’ll talk about that more below.
Check out Greenberry Shakeology – it’s not just your average protein shake!
Whole-food ingredients maximize your intake of daily minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients you need to curb cravings, which allows you to burn stored fat more efficiently.
Over 20 different phytonutrients and antioxidants help reduce free radical damage that can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke.
Digestive enzymes, prebiotics, and fiber help your body eliminate toxins more efficiently and promote better absorption of nutrients.
If you are looking for a pure protein powder, check out Optimum Nutrition. Optimum Nutrition protein powder comes in about 20 different flavors, and is available in 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, and 10 lb containers.
If you decide to go with Optimum Nutrition protein powder or if you decide to try Shakeology you might want some additional recipes. In that case, check out the other 107 protein shake recipes. But for now, let’s take a look at some Greenberry recipes.
If you have been told you have high blood pressure, with the top number (systolic) of 140 or above, or the bottom number (diastolic) of 90 or above, you might be worried, and for good reason. High blood pressure means you have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.
Your doctor may have talked to you about taking medication to bring your numbers down. I’m here to tell you that might not necessarily be the best solution. If your numbers are low enough, you might be able to control your blood pressure by adjusting your lifestyle. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you may avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication.
That being said, do not stop taking, or make any adjustments to your medication unless you talk to your doctor first. In fact, you should probably talk to your doctor before making drastic changes to your diet.
Here are 10 lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and keep it down:
Monitor your blood pressure at home and make regular doctor’s appointments
Get support from family and friends
You are what you eat-or so they say. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can be particularly important when it comes to controlling your blood pressure. What you choose to eat-and just as importantly, what you choose not to eat-may allow you to keep your blood pressure within safe limits.
Today you will learn about a proven diet for blood pressure control: The DASH diet.
Posted February 23, 2011 in Uncategorized 11 Comments »
With so many at-home cookie-cutter workout routines out there, I figured it would be a great idea to discuss one of the best: P90X. After all, P90X is pretty cheap compared to paying a gym membership and hiring a personal trainer. This P90X fit test will let you know if you are prepared to try the P90X workout, the Insanity workout, or any of the higher intensity Beach Body programs.
Will P90X turn you into a bodybuilder, a powerlifter, an Olympic gymnast, a marathon runner, or a sport-specific athlete? Oh, hell no!
Could P90X possibly get you in the best shape of your life with minimal initial investment? Could P90X strengthen your body, improve your cardiovascular fitness, help heal nagging injuries, and dial in your 6-pack abs for summer? Oh, hell yes!
P90X is an intense workout program. Not everyone is able to keep up. Want to make sure you can handle P90X before you commit? Simply use the free P90X Fit Test. It only takes about half an hour to do the test.
While the majority of people will pass, and you can still use P90X if you’re determined, it is recommended that if you fail you try an easier program first. Now here is a quick summary of what to do.
If you want to bypass all my ranting and raving about the NBA championships and skip directly to the free NBA jersey offer, click the image below, otherwise read on and forever hold your peace.
NBA Basketball 2010-2011
I’ll be the first one to admit that I am not the biggest basketball fan in the world. I can’t play basketball. I tried once when I was 10 or 11, and in high school people came up to me and asked if I was that chubby kid that tried to play basketball in the rec league back in fifth grade. Funny thing is, I got the most improved player award at the end of the year. Lebron James, eat your heart out.
In any case, I don’t watch much basketball, except for the occasional Boston Celtics game. Those guys have played a damned good ball game for the last 3 years now, dating back to that sick 07-08 season when they crushed everyone. Anyone remember that 131-92 win against the Lakers in game 7 of the 07-08 finals? That’s what I’m talkin’ about!
Who Will Win the 2010-2011 NBA Championship?
The Celtics are on pace to come out on top again this season, but there are some other contenders too.
The San Antonio Spurs are killing everyone.
Koby Bryant and the LA Lakers are always at the top of the standings.
Lebron, Wade, and Bosh have come together as the Miami Heat’s Big Three. (Although they can’t beat Boston.)
The Chicago Bulls are making a comeback.
In Dallas, the Mavericks are putting on a good show, but they operate in the shadow of the Spurs.
I would like to know who you think will make it to the playoffs and win the championship this year. Vote now and leave me a message in the comments to support or defend your decision.
LOSE FAT FAST with the Project Swole Three Step Full Body Weight Loss Plan. Combine the supplement plan with a full body fat loss exercise routine for record breaking fat loss results!
All of you acai berry fans keep asking me about colon cleanse supplements on a daily basis. Thanks to you I have gone out in search of more information about colon cleanse supplements.
What I have found out is this: colon cleansers really do make an effective Step #2 in a full body detox weight loss plan.
By supplementing with both an acai berry supplement and a colon cleanse supplement, your body will be fully detoxed around the clock. Give it a try if you are looking for more energy, or if your ultimate goal is to burn fat and lose weight.
The points your should take away from this post include:
The technique of using visualization in sports training has become increasingly popular in recent years. While some people may question its effectiveness, research has found visualization can be quite successful.
A study conducted by Guang Yue, a psychologist from Cleveland Clinic Foundation, found that non-professional people gained 13.5 percent muscle strength just by carrying out mental exercises. Luckily, you don’t have to earn a psychology degree to understand or practice visualization; read on to learn how you can use this technique to psych yourself up to hit the gym and set a new personal record.
How to Use Imagery and Visualization
Over the years, many professional sportsmen have made use of visualization to achieve great success. For example, world champion golfer Jack Nicklaus, states that he never fires a shot, even while in practice, until he visualizes it clearly in his head. Muhammad Ali is also known to have used varying mental exercises to help improve his performance.
By now most of you know that the Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV. A big congrats to those guys! Aaron Rodgers and Packers defense were great pretty much the whole game.
Rodgers threw 3 touchdowns and the Packer’s D forced 3 turnovers, all of which led to points. Big Ben had a streak of good play when he nearly tied the game after being down 21-3, but the Green D kept him down where he belongs.
You saw my offer the other day to get a free NFL team jersey in support of Super Bowl XLV. Well, I have a new and better offer; I found something bigger and better, and wanted to let all Swole readers know about it.
Today I want to give you a chance to get 2 free Super Bowl tickets! Click on the link below and submit your e-mail address to get more information.
Intermittent Fasting Part 3 – Training to Burn Fat
And so, faithful readers, we have arrived at the final installment of our intermittent fasting series. In part 1 I gave you a brief overview as to what intermittent fasting is and what some of the benefits are. In part 2, I laid out the guiding blueprint to help you create your own nutrition plan, but today we’re gonna talk about how to create the sexy via resistance training.
Here are the results of Roger’s recent bout with Intermittent Fasting – Nice work Rog!
Check it out all my US peeps! Click on the link, enter your e-mail address, fill out a survey, get a free NFL jersey, but only if you live in the US. With Superbowl XLV on horizon, be sure to get your favorite Pittsburgh Steelers or Green Bay Packers jersey so you can celebrate with your friends on the big day next Sunday!
I personally am rooting for the Packers since I hate the Steelers, whom the Patriots crushed in the regular season. Aaron Rodgers deserves it anyway, he’s a pretty good quarterback. (Incidentally, I hate the Jets more than the Steelers, so I’m glad the Jets got squashed in the AFC Championship game.)
OK, so you’re a fat guy (or girl) and you sit in front of a computer all day. In case you didn’t realize it, you are a fat geek. Or perhaps a fat nerd? Either way, those two terms can be used interchangeably for the purpose of this article. I have been one or the other, and perhaps both, at various points in my lifetime. Looking back, it was never any fun.
If you keep up your current lifestyle, only one result could be possible: you will get fatter and then you will die. This solution is neither fun nor ideal. To combat this, you should start an 8 week fitness boot camp.
Start slowly, learn some initial lessons over the course of the 8 weeks, and be prepared to embark on a lifetime fitness plan after the boot camp is over. You will need to learn something about these important health topics:
Lifestyle – sleeping, social interaction, work hours
Diet – what to eat, when to eat, why to eat
Exercise – which exercises to use, how to exercise, when to exercise
Motivational Wisdom
Let me tell you what you will not have if you are a fat geek:
Sexy girls trying to date you
Sexy girls even looking at you (unless they are pointing and laughing)
The strength to pick up anything over 20 pounds without straining your back
Visible abs
Comfortable seating in pretty much any public place except those airplanes that offer double wides for fat folks
Low cholesterol
The speed to out run bullies, criminals, or anything that might be trying to mug you or eat you. If a rabid skunk comes at you, you’re toast buddy.
A life expectancy higher than mid-50s, but then if I were you I probably wouldn’t be looking forward to that whole ‘staying alive’ thing anyway.
Yes indeed, being a fat geek is probably the worst thing you can do for your social life and for your general health.
This will be a great way for me and all you Swole readers to talk about health and fitness topics that I just don’t have time to write individual posts about. There is also an area for posting progress pics, workout routines, or anything else you can come up with to show off your goods. My only request is this: let’s not make it a sausage fest on the pics forum… if you guys are going to post progress pics, can we please get some ladies to pose and post once a in while?
