Shoulders can suck.  A lot of you reading this probably have shoulders that are in constant pain, make weird noises or are actively trying to kill you.

That’s not a good thing, but you can fix it.  You need to incorporate smart strategies and lifts in the gym.  

Here are 3 stupidly easy strategies to incorporate into your workout plan.

Detox diets, juice cleanses and slim teas do not work.  They are harmful to your health and ignore biological principles.   Learn the one EASY way to trigger your body's natural cleansing mechanism.

You don’t need to “get in shape” to work with a trainer, or take a finely crafted fitness class.  A good trainer and a good instructor will enable you to maximize your current potential while constantly improving.  They’ll keep you mentally engaged while ensuring that you’re working in ranges that are healthy, sustainable and improvable.  

You'll get in shape much faster by training instead of spending 8 weeks trying to get in shape to get in shape. 

Many cranky shoulders are due to an artificial range of motion being imposed by the loaded barbell. Basically the bar is forcing your shoulder into a more provactive position than the joint is capable of. 

Shoulder pain happens when the bar is near the chest.  That position places your shoulder joint into both a high degree of extension and internal rotation.  That's not a bad thing in and of itself, but many people don't have the needed stability or mobility to handle position without a lot of compensation.  By purposely limited your range of motion you can give your shoulder some time to chill, while still training your chest hard. 

Independence is not possible without personal responsibility.  You cannot be a free, self-reliant person unless you are able to hold yourself accountable.  

Personal Responsibility is the single most important personality trait you need to develop to change your body, to get in better shape, to lose weight or to put on muscle.  Recognizing and claiming responsibility for your decisions will free you from destructive thought patterns.  It will allow you to be a stronger person mentally and physically.

The short term difficulties of claiming responsibility for your body are far outweighed by the long term benefits.  

You need to stop viewing food as an emotional subject, and labeling it as “good” or “bad”. Food is simply fuel that is made up of protein, carbs and fats. I’m going to keep repeating that until it sinks in.

It is our vehicle to change our body, not a way for us to punish ourselves.

Create your own personalized diet, and learn how to adhere with no headaches.

A lot of big-time thinkers, businessman and athletes have great morning routines.  It seems to be a common thread in history.  From Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius to Big Wave Surfer Laird Hamilton a disciplined morning routine has helped a whole bunch of impressive people do impressive things.  
While everyone’s daily life is different just like what everyone wants from life is different I think there are a few simple rules to follow in establishing an effective morning routine.  

When we wake up we all want to feel good and function well.  That refers to both our body and our mind.  No one wants to be stiff and tight all day, and no one wants to carry that 5:30 AM mental fog with them all day.

We've all set goals that we never reached.  We've all made New Years Resolutions that fizzle after 6 weeks.

It happens, but it still pisses me off.

In this video I'll outline the psychological flaws of relying on something other than yourself to achieve your goals.

You'll also learn a foolproof strategy to conquer your goals.

When it comes to re-sculpting your body in any way- getting bigger or getting smaller, the two most important dietary factors are total calories consumed and total protein consumed within those calories.  

A recent study has shown that total calories and the amount of protein within those calories are the only two contributing factors to reshaping your body.  The ratio of carbohydrates and fat contained can vary and will not affect the outcome of the diet as long as they don’t put you into a caloric surplus, or make you eat too much.

These findings make dieting rather simple, but require diligent work in tracking all your calories until you’ve developed a mental computer that can scan, measure and calculate calories on the spot.  That takes years to develop.

Most injuries are 100% preventable.

Common injuries are a product of tightness, lack of mobility and under-recovery. 

These are all things that you can easily prevent and fix by doing a tiny bit of work every day.  Remaining healthy will allow you to hit the gym more consistently, which will greatly increase your chances of reaching your goal and maintaining a high level of fitness.