My top 5's and why

Rather than go through some advice that I often do with these posts, I wanted to go through some of my top 5's and why I chose them.

My top 5 exercises: 
1.  Barbell Back Squat.  This exercise, when done heavy enough and for enough reps, hits pretty much everything.
2.  Pull-ups.  Kind of the upper body's version of the squat.  When done well, hit's everything.
3.  Dead-lift.  The "king" of lifts.  Between the break off of the floor and the amount of muscle it hits, can't forget this one.
4.  Pull-over.  I used to like the bench press and whatnot, but now my shoulder pretty much hates those.  These hit much of my upper body, especially in the front.
5.  Barbell Lunges.  Kind of like the back squat, these can get everything.  Plus you have the added bonus of maintaining your balance throughout.

Top 5 proteins: 
1.  Chicken breast.  You really can't go wrong here, versatile and can be made to taste like everything.
2.  Turkey breast.  This honestly tastes better than chicken, but with less versatility.
3.  Tuna.  This is cheap, easy, and honestly you can't go wrong for the amount of protein for the price.
4.  Protein shakes.  I use Arbonne Essentials,  they taste good and you feel full for awhile afterwards.
5.  Steak.  The killer here is the price.  Most of the time it's more expensive than what I had listed above, but it's still amazing.

Top 5 Extras:
1.  Coffee.  Without it, everyone suffers.
2.  Silence.  Surprisingly misunderstood and unappreciated.
3.  Trucks.  My favorite vehicle.
4.  Muay Thai.  What I do when I don't lift.
5.  Podcasts.  How to learn without anything crazy, like spending money.


Finally, my top 1....the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings.  This is how I want to live my life, and I want to give my life to Him.

Those are some of my top 5's and why I thought them.  I hope you gain something out of it that's useful and valuable.

Stress Relief

My last few posts had to do with personal inspiration and music.  Today I want to discuss stress relief and what we need to do to combat stress.

Honestly, I'm not usually stressed. This may come as a surprise considering I work with the public and more specifically, people who are trying to make themselves better.  If you've ever been in the same situation, you know the stress that ensues when you wear the stress of
others on your shoulders.  I honestly have a lot that I should stress about, and sometimes I do, but I found the perfect partner to share my life and my experiences with (I'm talking about you wife ;) ).

Not only do I have a wife whom I can share my stress with, I have an occupation that allows for me to reduce my stress.  Honestly sometimes life's easier at work, other times it's not.  I can go in, basically hang out with my friends all day, make people sweat and then go home.  Each day is unique, because each person is unique.  I love the challenge of it all, and if you know me even a little you know I struggle to sit still and literally do nothing (I'm sitting here right now writing this and even then I'm doing that).

Stress is not something that you live without.  How you manage this stress is more important than anything.  My stress relief comes from lifting & fighting, writing some of these posts, and honestly just wrapping my head around what's going on in the world.  I don't stress about things that I cannot control, or at least at the moment.  I watch and listen to people stress about things, or should I say complain, and yet do nothing to intervene (mostly politics).

Outline what stresses you out and what helps for you to relax.  If you have a greater list of stressors than things that reduce it, you need to consult some coaching to release some of that stress.  If it's the other way, keep doing what you're doing.  Stress is there, but it doesn't have to overwhelm you.

You're the inspiration!

As I was riding in the car last week, I got to thinking that I should share those people who have or continue to inspire me.  I can honestly say that this list will not consist of celebrities (mostly), largely because if they act in film or whatever, it's not tremendously inspiring.  There are only a small handful of people that I f
eel have brought me to where I am right now, but it's still important that I note them.  Also important to note, not all of these people are currently alive.

1.  Jesus Christ = This should be easy, but I feel like you should know/realize that he is super importan
t in my life.  Without him, we are nothing and with him, everything.

2.  Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller = The Marine's Marine.  He exeplefies confidence and heroism by only doing his job.  He changed lives for the better (unless you were Chinese or a Korean, the Northern kind) and his legacy still lives on.

3.  My parents = They get a team effort here, largely because they set the stage for me to become who I am today. 

4.  James "Chaos" (not Mad-dog) Mattis = Another Marine's Marine.  He keeps it straight and is always ready to throw-down on behalf of his Marines (and now the whole military). 

5.  Walt Disney = He created, he followed his dream, and he created an empire. 

6.  Arnold Schwarzenegger = His work influenced me, in-part, to the career that I'm in. 

7.  Everyone whom I've ever come into contact with.  While this is extremely general, I try to take 1 ounce of wisdom from each and every person that I come across.  Each life is different and each have something to offer, and thus I become better through them. 

I believe that every person has something to offer, either good or bad.  Nevertheless, it's important to recognize that each of us have different experiences and different backgrounds.  When we be kind and nice to others, they will (eventually) project that knowledge to you and you gain from that.  Be a douche and it's unlikely that it will ever happen. 

This is a list of my inspiration, think about yours and why they are your inspiration.  This helps to figure out who you are and what you stand for.