Let’s do some problem solving…
Sometimes the solution to our problems are a lot simpler than we think. Quite often these solutions are right under our noses. So, I bring you 4 common problems, and the solutions to those problems:
1. Can’t focus at work.
When we’re focused and ‘tuned in’ to what we’re doing, we get a hell of a lot more done in much less time. Hours of work don’t necessarily mean the best, or even the most, work done. Things that can help you regain focus:
- Fish oils. Omega 3 fatty acids like we find in salmon enhance our brain activity. Make sure you’re getting enough in your diet through supplementation or – even better – through food. Here’s what I use: Bluestar Omega-3’s.
- Coffee and/or tea. Caffeine can give us a nice boost when we start to fade at the office. It’s not something that we should depend on by any means. But both tea and coffee are high in antioxidants and are actually quite good for us (especially tea).
- Exercise. One of the greatest benefits to my transformation was energy. The better shape we’re in, the more energy we have, the easier it is to maintain focus, and the more productive we are.
- Keep a journal. Sometimes sitting and thinking can get us nowhere. We actually have to write down our thoughts and frustrations in order to find clarity and a solution. I keep a journal. One of the greatest benefits is being able to look back and read how you solved a similar problem in the past, as well as being able to think things through more clearly. By writing out our problem, we often find our own solution.
2. Can’t build muscle.
Different body types often require different training. An ectomorph might not get the results he wants by training like a mesomorph. If you’re a naturally skinny guy, try this:
- Get your 7-8 hours of sleep, and take naps. Sleep – naps included – help us have healthier testosterone and growth hormone levels. It also ensures that we’re going to have lower levels of cortisol (a hormone that burns muscle). Being on the right track hormonally is one of the most important factors to building lean muscle.
- Take a week off every 3-4 weeks. This is something that many of us hate to do because we love training. But it can be one of the most effective ways to give our body the rest and recovery it needs to gain mass.
- Try something new. If you always lift in the 8-10 rep range, mix things up by lifting heavier for a week. We should be lifting heavy at least once a month (if you don’t already have a heavy set in every workout). Also add in some burnout sets – 1 set of 30-100 reps of an exercise that works a smaller muscle group.
- Don’t write your own programs. In writing our own programs we limit ourselves to our own knowledge base. We also rarely include things that we don’t like to do – even if they’re extremely beneficial. Buy one, have a trainer write one for you, or
- even get a friend who’s a trainer to write one. But don’t write your own program.
We all hit plateaus with fat loss that can be pretty frustrating. We combat our woes by working harder and eating less, which aren’t always the best solutions. Here are the best solutions:
- Cut carbs, don’t cut fat. Eat whole carbs only before and after your workout. That’s it. Try going low carb (not low veggies, low fat, or low protein) for the remainder of the day. Keeping the fat content high will help you maintain muscle. A sample diet can look like this:
Breakfast: 4 eggs + 3 strips of bacon + assorted vegetables
Meal 2: 2 grass-fed beef burgers + cheese + mustard + pickles + greens mix
Pre workout: French toast – 2 slices whole wheat bread + egg whites + cinnamon + natural maple syrup
Post workout: whole wheat pasta + 2 chicken breasts
Dinner: steak + yams + assorted veggies
3 brazil nuts before bed
- Lift weights. When most people think fat loss they think of cardio. But a weights program needs to be a part of your routine if you’re trying to lose fat. It will help you hormonally, it’ll give you that toned look you want, and the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism is.
- Train to build muscle. Don’t train to lose fat. It sounds contradictory, but many of the principles involved in the problem of not being able to build muscle apply to not being able to burn fat as well. Just eat fewer carbohydrates.
- Sprint don’t jog. Jogging can actually have a negative effect on our metabolism. A high metabolism is our best friend in our fight against fat. Sprinting has a positive effect on our metabolism as well as our hormones. We produce less cortisol and more testosterone by sprinting. The opposite is true with jogging.
4. In a rut. Sad and depressed.
Finding yourself in a bit of a rut? Here are a few things that’ll help you climb out of it.
- Write. Much like writing out your thoughts, desires and goals can help you focus at work, it can also help you make sense of your struggles and frustrations with life in general. Keeping a journal can help find clarity, it can also provide you with your own remedies. One of the most valuable things about a journal is having something to look back on, to find out what got you out of your last rut.
- Surround yourself with inspired people. Being around people that are motivated, happy, and fun is one of the best ways to get out of a rut. Do whatever you need to do to get these people in your life more often.
- Man up. If all of the above doesn’t work, it’s time to man up. YOU and only YOU have the ability to bring YOURSELF out of the rut you’re in. Others can give us a hand, but if we spend our whole lives waiting for help, we’re not going to get very far.
The more I read about great men in history, the more I see that greatness has a lot to do with being the last man standing. Some of the greatest men in history are the one’s who also had to go through the most pain, failure, sorrow, and tribulation.
Do you want to be great? Then be prepared to go through a ton of shit on your path to greatness.
What’s a problem or obstacle you face on a daily basis that’s in the way of you becoming Legendary?
