Your ab training routine does not have to last for 6 hours.  You can accomplish a lot in six minutes if you choose the right exercises and remember to add resistance.  Give this a try in your next program and let me know how much you hate it!

If you’ve ever lifted a weight, thrown a ball, done a push up, danced, gave a high five or been alive you’ve experienced shoulder pain.  The shoulder is a touchy joint where many ligaments, tendons and muscles meet.  It is a complicated ball and socket where a lot can go wrong.

It’s easy to get caught up in fancy exercise equipment and clothes, but they are absolutely unnecessary.  You don’t even need a gym membership or weights to change your body.  You just need to be dedicated to the art of physical improvement.  You just need the patience to stay engaged even though results occur slowly. 

I know many of you don’t know me personally.  To many of you I’m just some guy talking about fitness and discipline online, and that might not mean much to you.  I thought I should take a step back and explain why I do what I do, and why I do it the way that I do it. Hopefully then you’ll see why this means so much to me.

Testosterone declines as we age.  Yet men across all age ranges have 20% less testosterone today than they did 20 years ago.  Men's testosterone levels are lower than at any other point in history.  This is due to a variety of factors such as a garbage diet, lack of exercise and too much stress.

You cannot rely on faint praise and “likes” to build your confidence.  These are quick fixes that temporarily balloon your ego but provide no real benefit.  Your confidence should come from your accomplishments and the hard work you put in every day.   

It’s very easy and very common for people to share nearly every minute of their day.  We have Facebook to tell the world how great we are, Instagram to show the world how great we are and twitter to summarize how great we are.  This is shallow and uninspiring. Our acts of kindness or the lessons we teach do not result in such quick praise, but their effects last much longer.  Are you chasing a quick ego fix or are you putting in the work to build true confidence?

You use your phone for nearly 5 hours a day. Those 5 hours can be a waste.  Or they could be a reminder to keep you on track.  If you optimize this space you will always be reminded of your goal. 

The kettlebell is an indispensable tool for increasing strength, athleticism and burning fat.  The high pace of a kettlebell swing incinerates fat and forces your metabolism to go into overdrive.  Kettlebells should be included in everyone's fitness and training program. 

Today's post is a guest article from Joe Pepe of Supreme Fitness.  Joe is one of my best friends and an incredible personal trainer who has been published in Men's Fitness and played in the MLS.  He has an expertise in developing lower body power and endurance for athletes and non-athletes, as well as a knack for making training fun.  Sometimes at his own expense.  Most importantly he was a groomsmen in my wedding.