So here we are with Thanksgiving about three weeks away, and Christmas about a month after that.  Whether you’re trying to make your sales quota, or trying to maintain your GPA, this point in the year seems to jam a stick in many men’s spokes.  Whatever the reason, the temptation appears this way: Why not just throw it in neutral and coast ’til the new year?

We’ve talked before about living a life of consequence so let me give you some grade A elephant chow — you cannot make your mark in life if you don’t finish strong.

Here’s my personal checklist to get and stay motivated:

Sleep — How many hours a night do I need, and how many am I getting?  It’s remarkable how much easier it is to stay motivated when you’re getting enough quality sleep.  This is one of those things where you must be present to win.  You can’t outsource it and you can’t be your best without it.  Without adequate rest, your judgment is impaired and your attention is spent trying to stay awake rather than on doing quality work.

Note that sleep researchers have determined that your brain needs that downtime to process all that great thinking you’ve been doing all day.  In a similar way, all the benefits of your exercise regimen accrue while you’re asleep. That’s right — you don’t build muscle in the gym, you build it while you’re asleep.

Depending on your age, you need between seven-and-a-half and nine hours of sleep per night for optimal health. (More than nine hours a night will shorten your life.  Seriously.)  Biologically, the sleep cycle is 90 minutes, so to be able to wake up when you mean to without feeling drugged, count back from your wake time in 90 minute blocks.  For example, since I want to get 7.5 hours of sleep and to wake up at 5:30 AM, I need to be asleep by 10:00 PM.

Naps are good — just keep them under 20 minutes.  Oh, and if you need more sleep than you’ve been getting, try turning in earlier.  Wayne Cordeiro calls that “sleeping in on the right side of the clock.”

Hydration — Am I drinking enough water?  I know coffee contains water, but your body and your brain need good old dihydrogen monoxide for you to feel like yourself.  You wouldn’t operate your car without oil in the crankcase would you?

Attitude — Am I able to see the tasks in front of me as important parts of the life and legacy I’m building?  Are they providing me with knowledge or experience I’ll be able to use later?  I have learned that I don’t always have the best vantage point to make that judgment while I’m in the middle of them.

Without a doubt there are assignments that do not seem to fit the context of your mission — and the younger you are, the less likely it is you can refuse them and live.  Strive to connect those mandatory tasks to your calling, wrap them up successfully and move on.

Anxiety —  Am I allowing fears to distract me?  When I am facing the likelihood of undesirable results or the fear of failure, I sometimes find it easier to procrastinate than to move forward.

This is the heart of it:  You and I must take authority over these fears and silence them.  Even if they seem to be the most real things in our lives, even if there is empirical evidence accompanied by 95% confidence interval statistics that predict that the thing you dread is coming true, you must run toward it to overcome it.  As Michael Hyatt says there is no failure — only learning.

Nutrition — Am I taking in enough of the right kind of foods?  You need protein and fats (yes!) to maintain muscle and brain health.  We’ll talk more about this later, but make sure you aren’t starving yourself and make sure you aren’t getting most of your calories from carbohydrates.

Exercise — Am I skipping my workouts?  Physical activity will increase your confidence, boost your mood, and bust your stress.  If you have access to a gym, make time for regular exercise.  If you don’t, do what I do — train at home.  If you outgrow a pull-up bar and a 55-lb. kettlebell, mister, I’d like to shake your hand.

Discipline — Am I considering how my actions or inaction will affect my family, my colleagues, my friends — the ones who depend on me?  Am I allocating my time,  attention, effort and money to get the outcomes I desire? I am a big believer in to-do lists as well as in Evernote for keeping track of the things I must get done.

Pro tip — For us men, testosterone is where a lot of our get up and go comes from.  Nearly everything on my checklist will affect your testosterone level for good or ill.  Look into it and stay motivated.

So how about you?  What’s weighing you down?  What are you doing to overcome it?  What did I miss on my checklist?  Add your comments below.

“…but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – Jesus (John 4:14)

Several years ago I served as a volunteer worship leader for our church. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to be part of the band from time to time, giving me the opportunity to play with some very talented cats. Playing with them always teaches me some valuable lessons, and I value the friendships that come from working together.

Taking care of yourself can be a lifesaver.
(Photo by Ian Prince)

This past weekend, I ran into one of the guitarists I’ve played with in this context. As we were catching up, I asked him where he was playing these days. He said he wasn’t playing anywhere regularly, just filling in here and there. But what he said next is why I’m telling you this: He said he was actually enjoying the opportunity just to come to church and worship as a member of the congregation, as playing for worship was in danger of becoming a chore.

This was a great insight — here’s why: Even when you love something, and you’re good at it, you will develop greater skill, greater longevity and greater impact if you build in time for rest.

Recreation is a funny word

We tend to overlook the word recreation — it calls to mind vegging in front of the TV or shooting pool — but look at the word more closely and you’ll see that a proper allowance of downtime for recreation is quite literally re-creation. As in, to be made new.

The goal is not to gaze ever deeper into your own navel, but to find restoration so you can return to your work with renewed effectiveness.

Another lesson from the gym

Most beginners to strength training have to learn not to over-train. Exercise tears down muscle fibers and the body compensates by repairing and increasing them. Athletes who over train never give their bodies enough time to rebuild.

In an earlier post I mentioned that rest — specifically sleep — is an essential part of health and fitness. If you love calisthenics or lifting weights, you should know that you don’t build muscle while you’re training. You build muscle while you sleep. (So if you’re stalled in your fitness regimen, try turning in an hour earlier.) In the larger context of your life, you’ll learn more, accomplish more, and increase your capacity in all kinds of ways if you add some white space to your calendar.

Even when death is on the line?

I’ll be doing some business travel this week, so I know I’ll hear the flight attendants’ recite the safety spiel. If you’ve flown in the last 30 years, you know that when they get to the part about “a sudden loss of cabin pressure” and the oxygen masks dropping from the overhead panels, you may recall the instruction to people traveling with small children.  They are to apply their own masks first, then help the kiddos. The idea is the same in life: Optimize your health and you can help others — said another way, you can’t give away what you don’t have.

What all lifeguards know

As a scout, I earned the lifesaving merit badge. I was surprised to learn that jumping in to save someone is actually the last resort. Throw anything that will float, throw a rope, use a pole or a hook, but only go in when its clear there’s no other way to save the drowning swimmer. And even then, there are specific techniques to avoid being dragged to the bottom by the one you’re trying to help. The goal is to save the one in trouble and live to save others.

So it isn’t… selfish?

No, it’s not selfish to take care of yourself. You’re supposed to do that as part of your stewardship. But you’re not supposed to take care of yourself just so you can look fabulous (not that there’s anything wrong with looking good). You need to take appropriate care of yourself so you’re in the best shape to fulfill your mission.

You may have noticed that life is not always easy or fair, but optimizing your health helps you to be more resilient.

About that mission

A pastor friend of mine said that ministry should always be from the overflow of what God is doing in your life. If you aren’t allowing God to fill you to overflowing, you aren’t bubbling with what Jesus calls “living water,” instead you’re like a stagnant puddle or a drainage ditch.  You collect water, but it flows away or evaporates.

The theological term for this is “working in the flesh,” which means you’re trying to accomplish heavenly tasks with human strength alone. This is a bad practice, and the way to overcome it is to balance service (output) with rest (input). Refreshment is the fuel for effective work.

Along with nutrition, hydration and exercise, I want to encourage you to make stillness and rest — in proper amounts — a part of how you take care of yourself. If you build those habits, you’ll be ready to handle whatever is in front of you.

So how about you? How do you make sure you’re taking proper care of yourself and serving others? Add your comments below.

Note: While I’m taking some time to reboot and work on some new longer-form material, I’m re-posting some of my favorites, like this one.

“I don’t care how old I live; I just want to be LIVING while I am living!” – Fitness pioneer Jack Lalanne

In previous posts, we’ve talked about the principles of fitness, the proper technique for pull-ups, and the correct macronutrients for getting strong and staying lean. Today, I’d like to tell you about some of the supplements I take. Before I do this, I want to offer the following disclaimer:

I am not a doctor, and I am not telling you what you should do — I’m only telling you what I am doing. You’re an adult so do your homework and check the facts with your own doctor. If you ignore this paragraph, you’ll want to read my upcoming post on wisdom. Still with me?

The only iron supplement a man needs.
(photo by Marcin Czaja – used with permission)

The rationale

We live in a broken world. Death, disease, and deterioration are, ultimately, unavoidable, but rather than giving in to fatalism, I have decided to do what I can with what I have to influence those aspects of my health that seem to respond to supplementation.

My criteria for adding something to my regimen are straightforward. I want to see well-documented, independent reports of the alleged benefits — not carefully masked advertisements from the ones who stand to profit from it. I will try the supplement for a month, and attempt to measure its effects. Better sleep, less joint stiffness, or improved endurance are the kinds of things I’m looking for. And I want to understand how the supplement might interact with other supplements.

The background

I have no chronic illnesses and no prescriptions, so I have less to be concerned about. Also, I do not smoke (anything) or drink alcohol. We can talk about that later, if you like.

The supplements

Acetyl L Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid – Few things in life are as terrifying as dementia. In addition to exercise, I take a daily dose of this potent antioxidant combo to help preserve my brain. I do not get Limitless-like special effects, however.

Resveratrol – This extract of red wine grapes reportedly holds some promise for extending longevity. Since it is derived from food, I do not regard taking it as a risk if the science doesn’t hold up.

Glucosamine Sulfate – As my body ages, I have to be concerned about conserving joint cartilage. The most recent research I read showed that glucosamine alone outperformed the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin. I have taken his supplement faithfully and have remained active, so I’m sticking with it.

Saw Palmetto – I have read in more than one source that almost every man can experience enlargement of the prostate gland — it’s simply a matter of when. The research is less than overwhelming, but I began taking saw palmetto before my 40th birthday to help slow the process. So far so good.

Potassium gluconate – If you increase your protein intake, your body will eliminate the excess in your urine. This diuretic effect can take potassium with it. I take a potassium supplement to help replace what get flushed out. This helps me avoid muscle cramping and keeps me from feeling lethargic.

Probiotics – I am fascinated with what we are learning about the role our microbiomes play in ensuring good health. To keep my gut flora healthy, I have eliminated artificial sweeteners from my diet and I take a supplement every day. I also have added more fermented foods to my plate.

Vitamin D3 – My doctor recommended this one to me several years ago. Given how little time most of us get outdoors, and the more frequent use of sunblock when we do, we are inhibiting our bodies’ opportunity to synthesize vitamin D from sun exposure. I take 2,000 International Units per day, and I have noticed greater capacity for work and more rapid recovery, with less tendency to get sick. If you’d like to know more about this supplement, you can read how and why college and professional athletes are using vitamin D3 here. If people who make their living outside can be vitamin D deficient, you could be, too.

Selenium – I don’t take this in a pill form. I get selenium from Brazil nuts. Unless one has a medical diagnosis I am not in favor of testosterone supplements. I am in favor of increasing my body’s own production. Zinc and selenium — along with lifting — seem to work for me.

No silver bullets

No one supplement will guarantee health or longer life. I take a systems approach to my health, as I do with most things these days. I’m seeking small (in terms of cost and energy) changes that will have outsized benefits. This way, my health rests on multiple columns of activity, nutrition, hydration, rest, prayer, and supplementation. It’s going to be very difficult to knock all of those down at once. I’ll let you know how it goes when I’m 110 years old!

So how about you? What supplements have you found most helpful in your fitness regimen? Add your comments below.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz

Recently, I wrote about how I broke through from fat to fit. In that post, I promised to share what I’ve learned over time about eating for optimum fitness. Some of this might be new to you — even contrary to what you may have been taught. I hope you’ll do your own research and try what seems best to you. Eat the meat and spit out the bones

Protein and fat — it’s what’s for dinner!

The Basics

There are only three macronutrieints: protein, fat and carbohydrates. Each contains calories, but one flaw in most nutrition strategies is the assumption that all calories are equal. Using this logic, well-meaning people cut back on their eating across the board — or worse, shift to a higher percentage of carbohydrates in their diet.While they may lose weight, they end up with a higher percentage of body fat and less muscle, thus becoming a skinny fat person — a lose-lose scenario.

At one level, you could say that an excess of calories from any source would necessarily cause you to pile on the pounds. However, it’s not as simple as that.

Of the three, you only need protein and fats to survive. Carbohydrates can have a place in your diet, but you do not require them. Protein supplies you with the amino acids you need to support lean body mass – the most metabolically active and desirable stuff for health. So whenever you sit down to eat, make sure you’re taking in adequate protein and eat your protein first.

How to calculate protein requirements

Let’s start by saying that, unless you have a history of kidney disease, we’re going to calculate the minimum daily protein. To do this, you need to know your lean body mass. There are multiple ways to calculate this. (I like the method devised by husband and wife M.D.s Michael and Mary Eades — authors of the book, Protein Power.) If you don’t have access to the tables and constants, you can use an online calculator like this one.

Once you know your lean body mass, you can determine how much protein you need per day. If you’re athletic, you should aim for 0.9 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass a day. If you weigh 175 pounds and have 15% body fat, your lean body mass is 148.75 pounds. An active man with this lean body mass should take in at least 134 grams of complete protein per day. Spread over three meals a day, that would be approximately 45 grams of protein per sitting. And for your information, one ounce of lean meat contains approximately 7 grams of protein.

Wait? Fats are good for you?

In a word, yes. Eating fat will help you to feel full, but it won’t make you fat unless you combine that fat with carbohydrates. They provide the kind of fuel you need, and interestingly, when you’re consuming fat, your body takes this as a signal that all is well and you do not attempt to store it.

At our house, we use grass fed butter, avocados, nuts, extra virgin olive oil and unrefined coconut oil as our sources of dietary fats. This, of course, is in addition to the fats present in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.

If you want to gain a better understanding of the ways dietary science has been skewed to disfavor fats, check out the book, The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz. She reports how the entire country’s eating habits — and nutritional education — rest on some shaky foundations.

But let me tell you that your brain needs fat to function. And your body needs cholesterol in order to produce testosterone. That’s right. In our area there are radio and TV spots talking about America’s plummeting testosterone levels and selling remedies. And this while we are telling men to avoid cholesterol in their diets. If you want to avoid being low-T, crack some eggs.

For the record, two-thirds of your serum cholesterol is produced by your liver. It does this, not in response to cholesterol you eat, but in response to insulin you produce — that production happens when you eat carbohydrates.

If you’re concerned that eating protein and fat will skew your health metrics, I have been eating this way for over 15 years and my cholesterol numbers are consistently within normal limits.

Kick carbs to the curb

So let’s say you’ve figured out how much protein you need per day, and you’ve decided to let fat back into your diet. Good man! You lack one thing: you must now break your addiction to carbohydrates and cut your consumption of them way back.

Let’s start with what sports trainer Mark Verstegen calls “the Devil’s carb” — high fructose corn syrup. This inexpensive sugar appears as a leading ingredient in nearly all sodas and many, many prepared foods. Become a reader of food labels and wherever possible choose whole foods, or at least options that are free of high fructose corn syrup.

You can get rid of a lot of carbohydrates easily through your choice of beverages. I drink black coffee, unsweet iced tea and water — all of which have zero calories. The only exception to this practice is the protein shakes I use to make sure I get enough protein every day. Quit drinking your calories. And if you’re serious about getting fit, that includes alcohol.

But don’t stop there. Eliminate all white carbs from your diet — sugar, bread, rice, noodles, potatoes. These spike your insulin, which is the master fat storage hormone.

Tim Ferriss says

In his book, The 4-Hour Body, Tim Ferriss decribes an eating plan we’ve followed for the past four years. The Slow-Carb diet employs a lot of the principles above, but replaces refined carbohydrates with legumes — beans. Six days a week, you eat meat (protein), non-starchy vegetables and beans, while avoiding white carbs, fruit and dairy. One day a week, you’re allowed to have a cheat day where everything is back on the menu. We have found this to be rather easy to sustain over time, but you should know there is no exit plan when one hits his ideal weight/body composition.

Ferriss says, “The decent method you follow is better than the perfect method you quit.” I think this is great guidance as you make progress toward the best possible version of yourself. Don’t be afraid to experiment and to modify any plan to enable you to improve your appearance and your health.

So how about you? What method have you used or do you plan to use to improve your fitness, your health, your life? Add your comments below.

“The waiting is the hardest part…” – Tom Petty

It doesn’t matter whether you call it being a late bloomer, a slow starter, or failure to launch. Plenty of guys these days are finding it difficult to establish themselves in life. Formal education is expensive, and the return on investment is questionable. Full-time employment is scarce (see previous point), institutions are in disrepute, and relationships are fraught. Oh, the weather outside is frightful… But if this is your situation, I want to encourage you not to despair.

In the dead of winter, it can be hard to imagine spring.

The examples of our forebears

A more recent example

This weekend, I had the privilege to hear Jack Reed speak. Jack is the founder and leader of MountainChild Ministries and he told the story of how he and a group of friends went to Nepal to have an adventure. As they were trekking in the mountains, they met a group of children accompanied by a couple of men. Jack said that something seemed off, and when he and his friends asked what the men were doing, they explained — quite openly — they were taking the children into India to sell them into prostitution.

Jack said he returned from his vacation and tried to forget what he had seen and heard, but he couldn’t three days after he got back, he resigned from his job and returned to Nepal to combat the spiritual and economic poverty that led to the exploitation of these children.

Elsewhere, I’ve encouraged you to discover your life’s purpose. I’ll stand by that advice, but I will make one slight change. Sometimes, your purpose is seeking you. Jack Reed is one more example.

Make it practical, please

Cultivate God-sized dreams

For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV)

So how about you? What are you waiting for? Add your comments below.

“See my beard
ain’t it weird?
Don’t be skeered
It’s just a beard” – George Carlin

November is the month dedicated to men’s health issues, and let’s be real — men, we’ve got issues! Between prostate cancer, testicular cancer, emotional or psychological disorders, addiction, and poor fitness, it almost seems like we’re doomed. Notice I said “almost.” And “seems” — I also said it seems like we’re doomed.

A No-shave November success dreams of a cure.
photo by Jay Mantri

Well, life is fatal…

The last time I checked, the probability of death is 1, meaning that it is certain each of us will die. That doesn’t mean that life is meaningless. I argue just the opposite — each of us owes it to himself to make the most of his one-and-only life, no matter how long or short it may be.

Take care of yourself

We’ve talked about this before. It is not selfish to take care of your health. It is good stewardship to maintain your health so you can take care of the ones you love. This means, you are to, as Bob Buford puts it, “Build on the islands of health and strength.” You invest in health and strength in yourself, so you can invest your health and strength cultivating it in others.

In other posts, we’ve talked about the benefits of exercise, and about how to eat for optimal health. If I haven’t devoted an entire post to the importance of sleep, I should do that soon. In the meantime, please note that I said quality sleep is important.

Do I have to go to the doctor?

No, you get to go to the doctor. If your budget and insurance coverage allow for it, please allot time and dollars for an annual physical examination. We live in a remarkable age, when we have treatments and even cures for so many dread diseases — especially when your doctor can catch them early. A saying common among the old folks was, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Allow me to translate: addressing a problem early saves time and money — and where your health is concerned, it could save your life.

Those who do not remember the past…

In addition to developing a professional relationship with your doctor, take the time to learn your family’s medical history. Many risk factors for diseases are genetic. Knowing whether any of your relatives had cancer or heart disease can help you reduce your risk through lifestyle changes and more careful screening. This also applies to alcoholism, by the way.

Bonus fact: Infertility is hereditary. If your parents didn’t have kids, chances are you won’t either.

What’s with Movember and No-Shave November?

I’m so glad you read the question I planted! As I have been promoting both of these to my subscribers (and if you’re not one, you know you could become one for free), both Movember and No-Shave November are worldwide campaigns to raise awareness and funds for research into men’s health issues. If you want to participate, you grow a mustache (for Movember) or a full facial crop for No-Shave November and donate what you would otherwise spend on grooming products (razors, blades, shave cream, etc.) to the cause. By participating, you make a real virtue of something that happens naturally and you can actually save a life by NOT doing something.

How big a deal is this?

It’s a pretty big deal. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in men — the second leading cause of cancer death in men (lung cancer is first) — with nearly a quarter million new cases every year and approximately 25,000 deaths. Prostate cancer is much more common after age 65, and the CDC estimates that every man has a 1 in 7 chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Although most prostate cancers are slow-growing, the treatments can be debilitating. We need to continue research to improve detection and treatment options.

Testicular cancer affects younger men, with most cases occurring between the ages of 15 and 40. It is one of the most frightening cancers to contemplate, but it is actually one of the most easily treated and cured. Stage I diagnoses have a 99% survival rate. Your lifetime risk of getting testicular cancer is about 1 in 200. At the same time, it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men ages 15-to-35, so it pays to be vigilant.

As I mentioned above, early detection is the key. And one way you can help yourself is to learn how to perform a testicular self examination (TSE). You can (ahem) handle this in the shower once a month. It takes less than a minute.

Help a brother out

You mission, should you decide to accept it, is as follows:

• Sign up for No-shave November or Movember
• Grow a big ol’ beard or a stylin’ mustache (You may even decide to keep it year ’round.)
• Please donate — you can’t pay research scientists with awareness

So how about you? How are you going to get involved in improving men’s health — yours and others’? Add your comments below.

Moths don’t recognize the danger posed by the flame

And what of the institutions that used to count on the unique contributions, participation and leadership of men?  Nearly all have concluded that they don’t need a man.  Sadly , this includes large portions of the church.  No churches place signs outside saying “No men allowed,” but rare is the church that actively values men and their created role, and that teaches forthrightly the respective and complimentary roles of men and women in the church, especially as it regards male spiritual headship in marriage.

Speaking of marriage, we must confront the sad fact that over 70% of divorces in the US are initiated by the wife.  One would think that if men and women were equally cussed, there would be  something close to an even split among those filing for divorce.  Not so.  Others have explained in greater detail that the family court system favors women in divorce actions, awarding them custody of the children, child support and alimony, even if the wife violates the marriage vows. So here in three paragraphs is a snapshot — admittedly incomplete — of the habitat of contemporary masculinity.

The temptation to fatalism is understandable, and doubtless some men are foregoing the benefits of education, the challenge of pursuing a career , the camaraderie of the church and the comforts, however fraught, of loving a woman.  The question I would pose to my sons, my nephews and you is: Is this adaptive?

What Should A Man Do?

If you’re one of these men who is considering opting out or has already checked out, I’m glad to have this opportunity to address you. I agree it’s difficult, but what do you gain, and what does the world gain by your retreat?  No man should believe of himself that he’s just here using oxygen — you were created for a purpose, and the first part of your mission is to discover it.  Then you need to be about it  “OK,” you say, “how?”

I advocate engaging the current culture but not on its terms.  This means being creative and resourceful in becoming the best possible version of yourself.  This starts with taking an inventory of your strengths and your weaknesses and building where you’re strongest and where you have the greatest opportunity for improvement. When you understand why you’re here and when your mind, your body, your spirit and your relationships are as good as they can be, your external circumstances will have less power over you.

Mind

College, and the debt required to pay for a degree, may not make economic sense.  If that’s your case, it’s completely understandable, but that is not an excuse for being uneducated.  In my county library cards are free, and there are classic works you can read online for free.  How about starting with the theoretical and philosophical foundations of western civilization?  Read Plato.  Read Aristotle.  Read the Odyssey. Read the Bible.   Perhaps your circumstances will improve and you can matriculate.  If so, you’ll be far ahead of your classmates who have not read these works, because you will have read them for the love of wisdom, rather than to get a grade.  And if not, you’ll have learned from the great minds without incurring debt.

Several young men I know are living at home and completing their freshman and sophomore years at the local community college while working to pay their way through.  The cost per credit hour is about 25% of the cost of the state U and the credits are transferable. These men also have the opportunity to take some trade courses if they want to pick up skills such as welding as a fallback.  Ten years after you graduate college, the only people who care where you went are the fundraisers from your alma mater.

Body

Most women say they aren’t into bodybuilders, but they do like muscles.  If you don’t have a habit of exercise, get one.

Men focus on facial and bodily symmetry and the waist-hip ratio first.  Women do like a man with a handsome face, but they like an interesting and confident man more.  How can you improve your looks and your confidence?  Determine what you need.  Better posture? A public speaking course? A new haircut?  Better grooming? New clothes that fit properly? (Your mom doesn’t buy your clothes, does she?)  Good shoes?  I’m not joking.  Especially about the shoes.

Spirit/Relationships

Find a group of guys who share your values and your commitment to being a man.  Encourage each other to achieve your goals and to do right, even if others seem to profit by doing wrong.  Seek God together.  Worship together.  Serve the community together.  Have fun together.  Take the time to become friends.  And if one of your guys falls, help him get back on his feet.

We’re still getting to know each other, so I’ll  wrap this up for now.  I do want to add that while it is true that the desire to attract a beautiful woman can be a powerful motivator for some men, you’re going to need to pursue excellence for its own sake even if —  especially if — there isn’t necessarily a quality woman at the end of the process.  I’ll bet there will be, but if you make her the focus, you won’t aim high enough and you’ll abandon your mission at the first indication of a woman’s attention.  More on this later.

What about you?  Where are you strongest?  Where do you need the most improvement?  For what it’s worth, I believe in focusing on improving my strengths, and addressing my weaknesses only as much as necessary.  (If you’re a quarterback, it’s better to improve at your position, than to try to become a linebacker.)  So, what would that look like for you?  And what’s preventing you from getting started?  Add your comments below

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz

Recently, I wrote about how I broke through from fat to fit. In that post, I promised to share what I’ve learned over time about eating for optimum fitness. Some of this might be new to you — even contrary to what you may have been taught. I hope you’ll do your own research and try what seems best to you. Eat the meat and spit out the bones

Protein and fat — it’s what’s for dinner!

The Basics

There are only three macronutrieints: protein, fat and carbohydrates. Each contains calories, but one flaw in most nutrition strategies is the assumption that all calories are equal. Using this logic, well-meaning people cut back on their eating across the board — or worse, shift to a higher percentage of carbohydrates in their diet.While they may lose weight, they end up with a higher percentage of body fat and less muscle, thus becoming a skinny fat person — a lose-lose scenario.

At one level, you could say that an excess of calories from any source would necessarily cause you to pile on the pounds. However, it’s not as simple as that.

Of the three, you only need protein and fats to survive. Carbohydrates can have a place in your diet, but you do not require them. Protein supplies you with the amino acids you need to support lean body mass – the most metabolically active and desirable stuff for health. So whenever you sit down to eat, make sure you’re taking in adequate protein and eat your protein first.

How to calculate protein requirements

Let’s start by saying that, unless you have a history of kidney disease, we’re going to calculate the minimum daily protein. To do this, you need to know your lean body mass. There are multiple ways to calculate this. (I like the method devised by husband and wife M.D.s Michael and Mary Eades — authors of the book, Protein Power.) If you don’t have access to the tables and constants, you can use an online calculator like this one.

Once you know your lean body mass, you can determine how much protein you need per day. If you’re athletic, you should aim for 0.9 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass a day. If you weigh 175 pounds and have 15% body fat, your lean body mass is 148.75 pounds. An active man with this lean body mass should take in at least 134 grams of complete protein per day. Spread over three meals a day, that would be approximately 45 grams of protein per sitting. And for your information, one ounce of lean meat contains approximately 7 grams of protein.

Wait? Fats are good for you?

In a word, yes. Eating fat will help you to feel full, but it won’t make you fat unless you combine that fat with carbohydrates. They provide the kind of fuel you need, and interestingly, when you’re consuming fat, your body takes this as a signal that all is well and you do not attempt to store it.

At our house, we use grass fed butter, avocados, nuts, extra virgin olive oil and unrefined coconut oil as our sources of dietary fats. This, of course, is in addition to the fats present in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.

If you want to gain a better understanding of the ways dietary science has been skewed to disfavor fats, check out the book, The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz. She reports how the entire country’s eating habits — and nutritional education — rest on some shaky foundations.

But let me tell you that your brain needs fat to function. And your body needs cholesterol in order to produce testosterone. That’s right. In our area there are radio and TV spots talking about America’s plummeting testosterone levels and selling remedies. And this while we are telling men to avoid cholesterol in their diets. If you want to avoid being low-T, crack some eggs.

For the record, two-thirds of your serum cholesterol is produced by your liver. It does this, not in response to cholesterol you eat, but in response to insulin you produce — that production happens when you eat carbohydrates.

If you’re concerned that eating protein and fat will skew your health metrics, I have been eating this way for over 15 years and my cholesterol numbers are consistently within normal limits.

Kick carbs to the curb

So let’s say you’ve figured out how much protein you need per day, and you’ve decided to let fat back into your diet. Good man! You lack one thing: you must now break your addiction to carbohydrates and cut your consumption of them way back.

Let’s start with what sports trainer Mark Verstegen calls “the Devil’s carb” — high fructose corn syrup. This inexpensive sugar appears as a leading ingredient in nearly all sodas and many, many prepared foods. Become a reader of food labels and wherever possible choose whole foods, or at least options that are free of high fructose corn syrup.

You can get rid of a lot of carbohydrates easily through your choice of beverages. I drink black coffee, unsweet iced tea and water — all of which have zero calories. The only exception to this practice is the protein shakes I use to make sure I get enough protein every day. Quit drinking your calories. And if you’re serious about getting fit, that includes alcohol.

But don’t stop there. Eliminate all white carbs from your diet — sugar, bread, rice, noodles, potatoes. These spike your insulin, which is the master fat storage hormone.

Tim Ferriss says

In his book, The 4-Hour Body, Tim Ferriss decribes an eating plan we’ve followed for the past four years. The Slow-Carb diet employs a lot of the principles above, but replaces refined carbohydrates with legumes — beans. Six days a week, you eat meat (protein), non-starchy vegetables and beans, while avoiding white carbs, fruit and dairy. One day a week, you’re allowed to have a cheat day where everything is back on the menu. We have found this to be rather easy to sustain over time, but you should know there is no exit plan when one hits his ideal weight/body composition.

Ferriss says, “The decent method you follow is better than the perfect method you quit.” I think this is great guidance as you make progress toward the best possible version of yourself. Don’t be afraid to experiment and to modify any plan to enable you to improve your appearance and your health.

So how about you? What method have you used or do you plan to use to improve your fitness, your health, your life? Add your comments below.

If you want to improve your appearance and boost your confidence, there is no substitute for building muscle.  The good news is a man can build muscle at any age, and you don’t need a gym membership or even a set of weights to do it.  If you’re healthy enough to exercise — and if you say you’re healthy enough, I believe you, but check it with your doctor — the express lane to building your upper body is the overhand grip, dead hang pull-up.

Power to the people.
This is the grip I recommend for pull-ups. Note the position of the thumb

Prospective Marine Corps officer candidates have to pass regular physical fitness tests.  To obtain a perfect score, a candidate has to run three miles in 18 minutes or less, complete 100 sit-ups within two minutes, and complete 20 pull-ups with strict form.  When my son went through the candidate selection process, he had no trouble with the run or the sit-ups, but to get him up to speed in pull-ups, the officer selection officer told him to look up the Armstrong Pull-up Program  and do it.

Although I had done wide-grip pull-ups during my college years, I had let them go by the wayside.  To help encourage my son, I decided to follow the Armstrong plan myself.  I had no idea how it would go, but I promised my son that as long as he kept at it, I would stay on the program.

Progress?

I began on a Monday, doing three, maximum-effort sets of push-ups in the morning and attempting the prescribed five maximum-rep sets that evening.  Unfortunately for me, the pull-up bar fell out of the doorway during my first set.  I fell — thought I had broken my elbow. Annoyed, I walked it off and started again.  My first official five sets on the program yielded the following repetitions: 3-2-2-1-1 for an impressive (I’m being facetious) total of 9 pull-ups.

I kept my word to my son, and over time reached the point where I could complete 20+ pull-ups in a single set.  Not bad for a man in his late 40’s.  And in the ensuing years, I have maintained a consistent commitment to pull-ups, making sure I complete 50 or more per workout two or three times a week.

Are You Bragging, Viejo?

Not at all.  I’m telling you this so that you, in your youth, will abandon your excuses and get moving.  If I was able to start with a one-set maximum of three and work to the point where I could do 20 (and sometimes more) pull-ups in a single set, you can, too.

Tips Welcome

Here’s a quick list of things I learned on the way to achieving my goal:

• A permanently installed bar is less likely to fall with you on it.  Ask me how I know.
• Let your thumbs rest on top of the bar, rather than wrapping around.  Grip with your fingers. See the photo.
• Keep your shoulders in their sockets — i.e., Shoulders Back and Down (SBD)  — especially at the bottom of every rep.
• Exhale on the exertion – that is, on the way up.
• Let your back, rather than your arms, do the work.  This is important — physically and mentally.
• Look where you want to go (up and over the bar)
• Clench your glutes.
• Don’t allow your body to swing or bounce
• Unless you’re into CrossFit, don’t lurch or kip up.  These are dead hang pull-ups.
• Use varied grip widths and types (narrow, wide, overhand, underhand) from workout to workout.
• Keep written records to gauge your progress.

Bonus tip: Enlist a buddy to keep you on track.

So how about you? What are you doing to improve your fitness and your confidence?  What help do you need to get started?  Add your comments below.