Picture a house with absolutely filthy exterior basement windows, the kind that just barely peek out above ground level. The owner can’t see through the things, and they need a thorough washing. He could grab the bucket and a rag and squat or kneel down to commence cleaning. He could make it easy on himself, but for some bizarre reason, he doesn’t.
Instead, he spends the entire day slaving away with a shovel and a pick axe, hacking at the earth to loosen it and shoveling the loose dirt out. A deep hole appears, about eight feet in depth and wide enough to accommodate him and a ladder.  In goes the ladder, and he follows with the wash bucket and rag. Dirty, grimy, sweaty, and disheveled, he ascends the ladder to finally reach the basement windows. He manages to clean them, but his alternate self in a parallel universe – that […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

 
For decades, fitness experts around the world have been debating whether or not you should mix up your workouts. Those who are in favor of it claim that by mixing up your workouts, you’re challenging your muscles in new ways and forcing them to adapt and grow in response. Those against it say that the most important thing is consistency, and mixing up your routine ruins that consistency.

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Original post by rafael@thefitnessadviser.com (Rafi Bar-Lev)

I do not think that we will progress in our understanding of the science behind muscle growth until we begin to openly discuss the use of anabolic steroids.
As far I am concerned there is only 1 thing that has shown a clear, reproducible dose-response relationship with muscle size in humans (other than height).
It’s not protein or calories. It’s not even workout length, weight lifted or even Growth Hormone.
While all these things may (or may not) play a role, the only thing that has a clear dose response relationship is testosterone.
We know some athletes use it. We know some recreational lifters use it. We know some fitness models use it. We even know that some h0llywood celebrities use it. (I’m saying ’some’ to keep me out of trouble).
We also know that for various reasons a large percentage of these people lie about using it.
This skews all of our data.
Because people lie […]

Original post by Brad Pilon

Last week, MDA member Bobbylight posed a pretty poignant question in the forum: is the Primal Blueprint an ascetic lifestyle? As you’ll see from the actual post, he basically answered his own question (he agrees that the PB, by definition, is not asceticism, but his particular brand of the PB has gradually morphed into a kind of personal journey away from material pleasures; a “food as fuel” mode of asceticism), but the concept of asceticism gives me a jumping off point for a larger issue that needs addressing.

First, I’d like to review the differences between asceticism and eating in accordance with evolutionary biology. As it’s generally practiced across multiple disciplines and belief systems, asceticism refers to the complete and utter refutation of “worldly pleasures” to achieve spiritual and physical enrichment. Cleansing the mind along with the body. Regarding the pursuit of pleasure as somehow unnatural or impure, as if giving […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

 
You love being in shape, and you love looking good and feeling strong. The problem is that you hate hitting the gym. It’s not that you don’t enjoy fitness. You do. You just were never able to get into arbitrarily lifting heavy things and putting them back down, no matter how much you tried.
Thankfully, there’s more than one way to get strong and fit. Here are 5 activities that will help you get that rock hard body you’re after:
 

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Original post by rafael@thefitnessadviser.com (Rafi Bar-Lev)

 
Long distance running has been popular for enough time now that it’s starting to be safe to say that it’s not a fad. But just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Here are the top 10 reasons why you shouldn’t do long distance running:
10. It Wears Down Your Body. If you’ve ever read Runner’s World, you know how many of their stories focus on healing injuries, professional runners who were off their feet for years, old time runners who ran long distances despite getting sick because of it, and so on. Some people are born with the kind of genetics that they can do marathon running for years without injury, but for most people it takes a toll and they’re putting themselves at risk for injury.
9. It Takes Too Much Time. Some people enjoy the fresh air and freedom of mind that running gives them, but […]

Original post by rafael@thefitnessadviser.com (Rafi Bar-Lev)

This site looks like quite the place and for my first article, I figured I’d share a startling discovery I came across recently. This has resonated with a lot of people (specially my customers after they read it) and hopefully it kicks you in the right direction and/or helps you get started.
So, I was looking through my past emails a few days ago from customers, and it became blindly obvious why some succeeded and others just couldn’t seem to hit the mark (keep in mind all of these people received the exact same information). See It’s not that they couldn’t. It’s that they won’t! And that’s the truth.
Why? I duno… it’s beyond me. Could be because they don’t want it bad enough. Could be that they don’t want to put in the work… whatever. But after a few emails back and forth, all I heard was excuses. If they instead […]

Original post by info@flawlessfitnessbook.com (FitJerk)

Eight-year-old Aleta is already thinking like a chef. Not only did she create a frittata packed with nutrients and flavor but she also chose vegetables with a stunning array of colors. Waves of dark green kale, purple cabbage and red pepper will brighten your morning when you sit down to Aleta’s frittata. A frittata is basically an Italian take on an omelet. The main difference is you avoid all the tricky folding and flipping and just let the eggs cook into a round, flat pancake. Almost any combination of vegetables and meat can be sautéed into a frittata, although we’re especially fond of this combination.

Just because they’re made with eggs, frittatas don’t need to be relegated only to breakfast. Fold a frittata in half with layers of sliced meat in the middle for a lunchtime sandwich or serve a frittata for a quick and easy dinner.
Although she deserves it, we […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Ok so you might find the next few links interesting. These are from around the web, just random snippets that I’ve picked up in my reading, but I found some very cool information in them. You might too. Here goes…
Kettlebell Exercises – Kettlebell Overhead Presses by Jason C …
By design the kettlebell allows for some unique exercise variations. Although these kettlebell exercises are all overhead presses, they all have a much.
Are You Cycling Your Training? – Charm City Kettlebells
That is one of the main concerns I have with some of the kettlebell training logs I see out there. (Or any WODs or such stuff) It's too much. And it's a lot like competition. Workouts should be cerebral and thought out. Not willy nilly. …
Kettlebell Training Lunge Variations | Kettlebell Training …
Kettlebell training is very versatile, far beyond swings and snatches. Here are four different kettlebell lunge variations. Below the […]

Original post by dominic Paris

Ok so you might find the next few links interesting. These are from around the web, just random snippets that I’ve picked up in my reading, but I found some very cool information in them. You might too. Here goes…
Exclusive Boxing Interview: Jennifer “The Razor” Barber
This year it was decided that women's boxing will take place in the 2012 Olympics. SaddoBoxing: How is your preparation and training going for your bout …  Read More…
Boxing training is good for the body
But my girlfriend does boxing and swears that it's really improved her body plus she loves it! Am I missing out on something? Yes, you are! Boxing training …  Read More…
Chris Mannix
"I don't miss boxing. I have no intention of fighting again. I'm done with it." The prospect of a unified champion in the 168-pound division has the …  Read More…That’s all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping […]

Original post by dominic Paris