Newest Diabetes Drug Can Increase Your Risk of Cancer

Diabetes has increased more than 700 percent in the last 50 years. More than one in four Americans are either pre-diabetic or have full-blown diabetes.

Henry Cavill Man of Steel Workout 2: Legs & Abs

If you have not read the first article on Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel workout, do so here before reading this one: Henry Cavill Man of Steel Workout: Chest & Back

I explained how the sets, reps and weight works in the last article, so be sure to read that one first, before going over this one.

Superset 1:  Squats/Leg Raise
Superset 2:  Lunges/Crunch
Superset 3:  Dead Lift/Side Bends
Superset 4:  Toe Raise/Ab Roll out
Back Extension

After you have finished the weight lifting portion of this workout, end with 20 minutes of moderate cardio of your choice.

General Mills Spent Over $1.1 Million to Defeat GMO Labeling Initiative

• General Mills, which donated more than $1.1 million to the ‘No on Prop. 37′ campaign to defeat the GE (genetically engineered) labeling law, recently got a taste of the backlash from their subversive tactics.

• Just one day after General Mills’ Cheerios brand released a Facebook app allowing “fans” to “show what Cheerios mean to them,” the app was abruptly pulled due to thousands of angry consumers using it to create anti-GMO statements and lashing out against the company’s treachery.

• Two of the first three ingredients in Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios are corn starch and sugar—two ingredients that might be genetically engineered (a majority of corn-based ingredients and sugar from sugar beets on the US market is now GE).

• The fact that General Mills would rather pay millions to hide that their products contain GE ingredients rather than give you the choice to buy something else, or reformulate their product without GE ingredients is quite telling. And fortunately, people are now starting to see through these shady tactics where actions do not match the words.

• Washington state and Vermont are now working on people’s initiatives to get GE labeling laws passed in 2013.

For more information: General Mills Gets a Taste of the Backlash After it Spent Over $1.1 Million to Defeat GMO Labeling Initiative

Henry Cavill Man of Steel Workout: Chest & Back

Looking to get into Henry Cavill (the new Superman) shape?  Try this Man of Steel workout!  Henry Cavill’s Superman workout heavily consisted of supersets (doing 2 exercises back to back) and working opposing muscle groups together (chest/back, biceps/triceps, etc.).  You move fast during this workout, only taking a 1 – 2 minute break between each superset.  You also do not move on to the next series of exercises until you finished every set of the one you are on.  There are 3 basic workouts in this program and you will want to workout 4 days a week (simply starting the program over once finished with the third workout).

There is room to play around with your exercises in this workout.  For instance, if you don’t have the ability to do the bench press, you can substitute in push ups instead.  If you do substitute in an exercise, just make sure it works the same muscle group as the exercise you are exchanging out.  You are looking to lift heavy here so find a weight you can only do 6 – 10 reps with.  If you can do more than 10, lift heavier.  Henry Cavill also went on a high calorie diet (5,000 calories a day) made up of healthy foods and consisting of a high protein intake.  The following is a basic Chest & Back workout (but again, you can put in any exercises you like, just push yourself):

Superset 1:  Bench Press/Barbell Row
Superset 2:  Incline Bench Press/Pull Ups
Superset 3:  Dumbbell Chest Press/One Arm Back Row
Superset 4:  Dumbbell Fly/Rear Delt Raise

Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie

Try this healthy and delicious smoothie for breakfast or a quick pick me up during the day!

Ingredients

10 ounces of Milk
1 Tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter
1 Banana
6 Ice Cubes

Blend in a Blender until smooth and enjoy!

Banana-Berry Smoothie

1 1/4 cups orange juice
1 ripe banana
1 cup frozen blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
2 ice cubes
1 tablespoon Stevia (optional)

Just blend all of the ingredients up and enjoy an antioxidant rich, great tasting smoothie!

Dr. Oz Energy-Boosting Smoothie

Ingredients
Makes 2 servings
2 tbsp 100% pure cocoa powder
2 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter
1 medium ripe banana
8 oz non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
4-6 ice cubes
Dash of cinnamon

Directions
Pour peanut butter, cocoa powder, Greek yogurt and ice cubes into blender and mix at high speed.

Slice banana, add into mixture, and re-blend.

Pour smoothie into two cups and serve. Sprinkle dash of cinnamon on top for extra flavor.

Nutrition Facts
245 calories per serving
16 g protein

Rudolph’s Spritzer (loaded with fruit juice!)

Looking for a delicious drink this Christmas that is also good for you?  Try this recipe for Rudolph’s spritzer.  Loaded with fruit juices and great taste!

5 Cups of Orange Juice
2 Cups of chilled Lemon-Lime soft drink (Sprite, Sierra Mist)
1/2 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice
1/4 Cup fresh Lemon Juice
Feel free to garnish with Lemon Slices and Maraschino Cherries

If you like this drink, make sure to check out my recipe for Vitamin C Packed Brunch Punch

Vitamin C Packed Brunch Punch

Looking for a healthy drink loaded with fruit and antioxidants?  Try this delicious brunch punch recipe.  Great for Christmas parties and your health!

1/4 Cup of Lime Juice
2 Cups Cranberry Juice
3 Cups Orange Juice
1 Large Can of Pineapple Juice
Feel free to garnish with citrus wedges and slices, maraschino cherries

Even if You Have the Flu, Ignore This Much-Heralded Flu Remedy

Since 2009, Roche, the maker of Tamiflu, has refused to release data from eight of 10 clinical trials on the drug. To address the dangers inherent with withholding of clinical trial data, the Cochrane Collaboration group in collaboration with the British Medical Journal has created the BMJ Open Data Campaign

There is currently no scientific basis for the worldwide recommendation to use Tamiflu for the prevention or treatment of influenza. It is believed, however, that the missing trial data may reveal potential harms, and/or verify the drug’s ineffectiveness

Researchers are calling for an end to the “culture of haphazard publication and incomplete data disclosure,” the implementation of more robust regulation, and full access to the raw trial data to ensure transparency

For more information: Science Behind Tamiflu Recommendations “Missing in Action”

How To Get Six Pack Abs (Part 2)

If you have not read the first part to this article, do so here:  How To Get Six Pack Abs

Okay, after having everything in place that I mentioned from the last article, it’s time to build up your abs so you can see that shield of muscle you have built up.  There are lots of different abs exercises one can do, but you mainly just need to make sure you are working every section of your abs.  When you break it down, you basically have the top (the part people think of with a sixpack), the sides (obliques) and the lower abdominal area.  You want to work all three of these sections.

To work your upper abs, there is nothing better than the classic crunch.  You just need to be careful and not pull your own neck when performing these.  Your abs themselves should be handling moving your body.  You can see how to perform a proper crunch here:  How to do a perfect crunch  When you are a little more advanced, you can perform a crunch on a swiss ball or use weighted resistance as well (by holding a weight plate behind your head).

To work your obliques, you can do what is called a Side Bend.  For your lower abs, perform a Leg Raise  When you are more advanced with these you can switch to a hanging leg raise (same movement, you are simply hanging vertical from a pull up bar).

Follow what I gave you in the last article, along with these exercises and you will be on your way to a six pack in no time!

Mario Sperry Vale Tudo DVD I: Takedowns

Today I am going to review the first video in a series of six from Mario Sperry’s original Vale Tudo (MMA) series.  Though this series is pretty old at this point, it is one of the first places I learned some grappling technique and strategy from.  Mario Sperry is a legend from the grappling world and had a pretty solid MMA career as well (even though he was older).  He trained several MMA legends, including the Nogueira Brothers and Ricardo Arona.

This first video is actually the weakest in the series, not because it’s full of terrible information, it’s just dated at this point.  It’s focus is on securing the takedown.  While some of the strategies used in this video would never be used in today’s MMA world, it still has some good pointers and offers a few worthwhile techniques.  Again, this first video is the only one that doesn’t hold up that well over time, the rest of the series is better.

While some of it is dated, Mario Sperry does offer some great advice that will help anyone secure some takedowns.  Tips like putting your opponents back into a wall, cage, car, etc., so he can’t sprawl back, and using punches to set up your takedowns are still very worthwhile.  This video also ends with a segment on escaping from a standing guillotine (still one of my favorite escapes).

I wouldn’t recommend buying this video by itself, but as part of the series of six videos in the the Vale Tudo series, it’s okay to have.  I’d give this video 2 out of 5 stars.

Prepare for Emergencies!

Be prepared for emergencies!  1 out of 3 Americans can’t even cover a $5,000 emergency (this is even worse now because this stat came before the economic collapse).  Money management is a skill like any other and unfortunately most people in the U.S. have not been taught to develop that skill.  Everyone knows they are supposed to save money, but almost no one actually does it!

Just like our Government, most people are spending more money than they are actually bringing in.  Unlike our Government, you can’t take your neighbors money by force to keep paying for all of your wasteful spending.  You need to take control of your own situation and stop spending money you don’t have.  Stop piling on tons of credit card debt for things you don’t even really need.

Your basic plan is going to be a simple one, but one that will require you to start living a disciplined life.  You either do this now or you are going to end up old and broke in debt for the rest of your life.  Your intermediate goals are going to consist of:
1. Having an emergency fund
2.  Paying off your debt
3.  Saving for your future

I’m a big fan of the Dave Ramsey approach so I see no reason to change anything here.  Your first and only goal after reading this article is to save up $1,000 for an emergency fund.  This money is to never be touched, it is what it’s called, for emergencies only.  If something breaks in your house, your car breaks down, etc.  Start it in a different bank account if necessary, but never touch this money for any other reason.

Now, you might be thinking, how am I supposed to save up $1,000?!  Glad you asked, it’s easier than you think.  You can save up $1,000 by having a yard sale, getting a part time job, don’t eat out for the next month, whatever it takes!  This should only take you about a month to do.  This first step is an important one.  It will start you on your path to discipline and you can build from there.

Get this step finished quickly because next time we are going to start tackling debt.

New Goal – Financial Fitness

Physical fitness is a good thing to have on your side.  It will help you through your entire life and makes tackling the struggles of each day easier.  Just as important is your financial fitness.  If your finances are not in order your entire life will be thrown off because of it.  Divorce, stress, you name it, can all come from a lack of financial fitness.

Money management has been a hobby of mine for a number of years.  I’ve helped numerous people get their finances in order and just like with working out, it’s not as hard as one might think.  It does require putting in the effort though.  After a while you come to a point where you love it and couldn’t imagine your life without it.  Also, as with working out, you start modestly and work your way up over time.

On top of the free workout routines, health tips and product reviews you have come to expect I am also going to start writing articles on how to get your finances in order.  So I hope to see you soon and if you have any questions feel free to send them to me, I’d be happy to help you.  Happy Thanksgiving!

How To Get Six Pack Abs

Virtually everyone wants a six pack.  Six pack abs are probably the most common thing people will think of when they think of what it means to be in shape.  Before I get into any specific exercises one needs to do in order to get a six pack, I need to clear up some misunderstandings most people have.

1.  There is no such thing as spot reduction.  You can’t get rid of fat in a certain area by doing exercises for that area.  Most people still believe if you want to get rid of fat on your stomach, you have to do exercises for your stomach.  This is completely untrue.  Any exercise you do will remove fat from your entire body, but your body has certain areas where it stores the fat the most.  Simply doing crunches won’t target fat from that area.

2.  In order to lose weight to become lean enough to see your abdominal muscles you need to take in less calories.  You can do all the exercises in the world, but if you are taking in more calories than you need, you still won’t see your six pack because it will be covered in a layer of fat.  You have to reduce the amount of calories you are taking in everyday so you become more lean.  I don’t recommend drinking any at all, but just by cutting out 1 Pepsi a day, you can lose about 15lbs in a year.

3.  Working big muscle groups builds the most muscle, which in turn burns the most calories.  If you had to choose between doing squats or crunches to become lean, squats would win without question.  Doing compound exercises (squats, deadlift, bench press, pull ups, etc) will work multiple muscle groups at the same time and build the most muscle.  Muscle is a fat burning material, the more you have, the more fat you burn all day, even when you aren’t even exercising.

4.  Change your cardio.  Instead of doing low intensity exercise like walking on a treadmill for hours, switch to The Tabata Method.  This type of exercise will not only get you into better shape in much less time, but it’s not as boring and has other benefits like increasing your growth hormone production.

Next time I will get into specific exercises one can use to build up the muscles in the abdominal area.

Dr. Mercola’s Top 3 Recommended Supplements

Dr. Mercola Discusses Super Slow Workout

Also read my article on slow weightlifting: Slow Weight Lifting for Fast Results

Toxicology Expert Explains Why Aspartame is so Dangerous to Your Health

• Aspartame is the most dangerous food additive on the market today, accounting for over 75 percent of adverse reactions reported to the FDA, including seizures and death

• Even though aspartame is touted as natural it has a synthetic methyl group on one of the amino acids that rapidly breaks down to methanol (wood alcohol). The sweetness associated with aspartame is largely the result of methyl alcohol bonded to the amino acid phenylalanine

• Methyl alcohol is metabolized differently in the human body compared to other animals, and is FAR more toxic in humans which is why studies have trouble nailing down the hazards related to aspartame, because most rely on animal not human studies

• Methyl alcohol, after it is taken up by the body as a “Trojan Horse” into susceptible tissues like the brain, converts rapidly into formaldehyde,. This causes severe damage to proteins and DNA that can contribute to many serious and chronic diseases, such as cancer, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis

• Fresh fruits and vegetables contain minute amounts of methanol, but there’s a natural mechanism that makes it harmless. Pectin firmly binds to methanol, allowing it to simply pass through your body and be excreted, because the human body does not have the enzymes to break that bond

For more information, check out this link: Toxicology Expert Explains Why Aspartame is so Dangerous to Your Health

Farmageddon – The truth about the food and dairy industry

This is a much watch if you care about your health.  Please repost to get the truth out:

Where to Find Real Milk

For those of you who are tired of drinking milk that has been loaded with hormones, antibiotics and pesticides, I have some good news.  On the following website you can find local farmers who have products the way they are supposed to be.  It doesn’t take much study to find out how bad for you store bought (non-organic) milk is, you are better off not to drink it honestly.

If you saw the condition most of the cows are in from being pumped full of female hormones, so they will produce milk more quickly, you wouldn’t want to drink it.  These cows typically die from tumors after a few years (being pumped full of artificial hormones can give you cancer – something you ladies on the pill should think about) but they HAVE to use loads of antibiotics just to keep them alive as long as possible.  It’s bad all the way around.

Where can I find real milk?  http://www.realmilk.com/where.html

Hospital Errors Kill Well Over 180,000 Americans Annually

“Infections, surgical mistakes, and other medical harm contributes to the deaths of 180,000 hospital patients a year, according to projections based on a 2010 report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Another 1.4 million are seriously hurt by their hospital care. And those figures apply only to Medicare patients. What happens to other people is less clear because most hospital errors go unreported and hospitals report on only a fraction of things that can go wrong.

‘There is an epidemic of health-care harm,’ says Rosemary Gibson, a patient-safety advocate and author. More than 2.25 million Americans will probably die from medical harm in this decade, she says. ‘That’s like wiping out the entire populations of North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It’s a man-made disaster.’

… ‘Hospitals haven’t given safety the attention it deserves,’ says Peter Pronovost, M.D., senior vice president for patient safety and quality at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. Nor has the government, he says. ‘Medical harm is probably one of the three leading causes of death in the U.S., but the government doesn’t adequately track it as it does deaths from automobiles, plane crashes, and cancer. It’s appalling.’”-Consumer Reports

I do find it interesting that the same Doctors who will tell you that one can overdose on vitamins are the same ones who will tell you take all kinds of medications loaded with very harmful side effects. Of course they take money/gifts from the pharmaceutical companies, not companies making vitamins. The U.S. spends more money on health care than any other, yet we are barely in the top 50 when it comes to being healthy.

People need to start thinking for themselves and not just do whatever some person they hardly know tells them. The facts speak for themselves, so does history. The medical community has historically been wrong about many, many issues and they tend to mock those who disagree with them (even though it’s the medical community who is wrong over and over again). Just do your research and look into the side effects of all of these medications Doctors are trying to put you on.

Natural Cures for Dry Skin

If you suffer from dry skin, don’t worry, there are things you can do.  First of all you need to make sure it’s not your soap or other products you are using that is causing your dry skin.  If you suspect it could be, simply stop using it for a little while and see if there is any improvement.  You can also do a search on that product online to see if other people complain about it causing dry skin.

Most of the natural cures for dry skin are things you need to be doing anyway for your general health, so if you are interested in turning your life around and getting healthy, you can kill two birds with one stone.  Start taking an Omega 3 fatty acid supplement (or even better, eat foods rich in Omega 3).  Fruits and veggies (which you need to eat anyway) rich in vitamin A & B should be eaten daily.  Fruits and veggies are full of antioxidants which will help you in many other ways as well.

Avoid alcohol!  Alcohol is a poison to the body, especially in the high amounts people drink it in these days.  In the past wine was watered down so much it wouldn’t have even been considered an alcoholic drink today because the content was so low.  Regular exercise helps promote blood flow which provides nourishment to the skin.  Again, this also provides many other benefits, so do it!  Aloe Vera gel is a great remedy as well.  Aloe has been used for thousands of years for all sorts of problems.

Implement these changes into your daily routine and you will not only help your dry skin, but your general health as well.  Who doesn’t want to look younger, have more energy and feel better?  Try it out.  If all of this seems like a huge lifestyle change for you, simply pick one of the above suggestions and start adding (or subtracting) one of these a week until you have changed it all.

Fedor: Undisputed King of MMA Review (Part 2)

If you have not read Part 1 of my book review, you may do so here: Fedor: Undisputed King of MMA Review (Part 1)

Picking up where we left off from the clinch, we now move to takedowns and throws.  These are different than wrestling based takedowns most wrestlers are used too.  Fedor is a master of Judo and Sambo.  He shows lots of throws in his book but he also mentions how to set them up with other throws or strikes.  When you combo some of these together it makes them that much harder to stop.  Another good thing about most of these takedowns is that you are left in an advantageous position.  You don’t have to follow someone down to the ground where you can be submitted.  These takedowns usually leave you standing over you opponent, free to reign down strikes.

Next we come to the ground game.  Fedor covers most of the main positions and how to escape them.  Like with the throws, he strings moves together, so if one fails you can immediately move to the next.  This method greatly increases your chance of success.  This is not a grappling only section, he will show you how to pass a guard using strikes to set up a guard pass.

I’ve read a lot of material on MMA, Jiu-jitsu and so on, and these moves are pretty simple yet very effective.  If someone would take the time to drill and perfect all of these techniques and never learned anything else, they would still be a very dangerous and well rounded fighter.  Something else interesting about many of these techniques are that they come from Sambo/Judo instead of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or wrestling, so many people may not be used to these particular variations.  You might be able to take people at your martial art gym by surprise with some of these.

I highly recommend this book.  You will learn all sorts of interesting variations of moves you have probably never seen, get some philosophy behind why he does things a certain way, and will learn how to string techniques together.  The only real thing missing from this book is some coverage of how Fedor actually trains.  There is no mention of how much he runs, lifts weights, spars, etc.  A conditioning section would have been nice but perhaps we will see some of that in the future.

Prop 37: Your Right to Know

The message is simple, just like Prop 37. A few words on a label to inform consumers if products contain genetically engineered ingredients. Let’s allow consumers to decide, and not the chemical companies or junk food industry.  Click on the pic to zoom in, you can see how many companies have given money to stop people from having the right to know if their products contain genetically engineered ingredients or not.

On the right side you can also see what companies supported a person’s right to know about genetically engineered ingredients.  You can bet if a company wants people to know what is in their product, they have nothing to hide.  I would recommend buying from those types of companies as often as possible to support them, after all, they support you.

Soy Myths Exposed: The Dangers of Soy

Should You Sign Gym Contracts?

Contracts

At some point in time most people have thought about taking control of their lives, eating healthy and getting into shape…problem is most people never do it, at least not for more than a few months.  Part of the business model for a gym is that they want you to sign contracts and get locked into fees for a year or more.  They know the vast majority of people who sign up will not come to the gym after a short period of time, in fact, they are counting on you not showing up.  If everyone who has a gym membership regularly went to the gym, it would be so crowded you couldn’t even get in.

Another problem with contracts are people get injuries, change jobs requiring them to move or have other unforeseen situations pop up.  If you become injured, requiring several months of rehabilitation, you still have to pay your gym fees even if you aren’t using it.  In cases like these it would be like taking $30 and flushing it down the toilet each month.  I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t do that.  I’m all for paying for a product I use, but not for one I am not able to use.  If someone loses their job (which happens all the time in our economy), you don’t want to be stuck having to be responsible for these membership fees either, as you will need all the money you can get.

Price

Most gym membership fees aren’t that high per month, so people don’t think anything about throwing away $30-50.  This is part of the problem.  People don’t think anything of it so they just keep paying the fees when they aren’t even going to the gym.  Not to mention, if you think long term, even at $30 a month, that’s $360 per year (not including the gas money spent driving there and back and the time wasted).  Even if you are consistently using the gym, multiply that $360 by multiple years and it become very clear that it’s much cheaper (and saves a lot of time) to simply purchase equipment for your home (after researching what equipment is best – which I do for you).

Comfort

Having to drive to a gym and workout on equipment many other people are using isn’t really that appealing to me.  Some people don’t clean the equipment off after they are finished, or simply wipe it down with a sweat filled towel (think about all of the random people you see everyday, do you really want to roll around in their sweat?).  Most people don’t even clean their homes very well, I highly doubt they care about random equipment at the gym.  In the privacy of your own home, you never have to wait to use your equipment and you know exactly who has used it and if it’s clean.

Motivation

This is the one I commonly hear from people.  They say things like “I need to go to the gym to be motivated”.  If that is your thought process, you are never going to make it anyway.  These people want to show off in front of others, or spend their time socializing.  Your motivation for working out should be to become healthy and improve your quality of life.  It’s okay to have other short term goals (like losing 30lbs) but those goals simply lead to your larger one.

If your motivation is to get healthy, you will never quit working out because it’s a goal you always have to work towards.  People who only set goals of losing 30lbs (or whatever it may be) will quit working out once they reach their goal.  I can’t count the number of people I have seen who are constantly jumping between being out of shape and getting back into shape.  They will repeat this process for years because they have the wrong mindset.  They meet the short-term goals they set for themselves, then quit and get fat again.

Final Thoughts

Gym contracts are a scam most people don’t even know they are falling for.  They don’t think about the future and are simply under what’s called a buyer’s high.  They have a short moment where they feel motivated and nothing can stop them, so they purchase something then never use it again or regret having purchased it.  There is a lot of home gym equipment out there, and for the reasons above, I would recommend buying some of it and getting started.  You don’t even need any equipment starting out, just do some push ups, squats and crunches and see if you are going to stick with it, if so, simply get yourself some dumbbells and add to your home gym as you go.

About the only good thing about a gym is that they will likely have some personal trainers on hand.  If you don’t know anything about how to exercise properly it is a good idea to hire one and learn the basics.  A couple of things to keep in mind are that some organizations hand out personal training licenses without any training, all they have to do is pass a test.  You should find out what license your local personal trainer has and research what is required to earn that license.  You also don’t need a personal trainer for a long period of time.  After 3-6 months you should know enough to be able to do things on your own.  You can always rehire him/her down the line if you need new programs or ideas.

Fedor: Undisputed King of MMA Review (Part 1)

Today I am going to review the book from the great Fedor Emelianenko.  I have to say, this book is fantastic.  For starters, it’s very well rounded.  From it you will learn a series of striking combinations, clinch techniques and ground fighting techniques.  Not only did Fedor dominate the hardest weight class in all of combat sports for a decade, but he remained humble while doing it.  That is why he is my favorite fighter of all time.

The techniques in this book aren’t overly complicated or fancy, but they work.  The book is broken down into three basic sections: Striking, Clinch, Ground Fighting.  Also, unlike with a lot of other fighter’s books, these are techniques Fedor actually uses.  Learning these techniques will actually allow you to fight with a style similar to how Fedor actually fights.

Striking:  The striking section has some very interesting and unorthodox techniques.  For instance, since most people are trained to lead with a Jab/Cross combo (and everyone is used to defending against it) Fedor uses a Cross/Left Hook intro many times to take his opponents off guard. He also uses hand traps (which are hardly ever used in MMA) to set up his opponents.  You can see this in action in several of his fights, including his extremely dominate performance against Tim Sylvia.  By clearing your opponents lead hand out of the way, it not only takes him off guard and misdirects his attention, but it opens him up for a strike.

The book starts out by showing single punches/kicks and all of their variations (there are multiple variations of even the jab for instance).  After learning the basic mechanics of each punch/kick, Fedor shows how to string them together into combinations.  Each punch sets up your opponent for another strike.  There is a lot of great material here.

After learning to strike from a distance we see how to strike from the clinch.  By being in close and controlling your opponents head and body, you can lead him into your punches, elbows and knees.  Fedor has been very successful in the clinch position during his fights, so learning a few of these combos would be beneficial for any martial artist.

In Part 2 we will cover Throws from the Clinch and Ground Work.

Bodylastics Resistance Bands System

The Good:  Bodylastics exercise bands are a great way to get into shape and offers a wide variety of exercises (over 140).  Even if you just prefer weight lifting for whatever reason, these are still light and easy to carry around (in a bag about the size of a big purse), making them perfect for taking on vacation.  The cost is very low for the quality you are receiving.  These bands are the best I have seen.  The hooks on the end of them (for changing out handles) are far superior to most and the bands themselves have anti-snap technology making them safe even after lots of use.  You really can’t go wrong with these.

The Bad:  I don’t really have much to say here.  My only real complaint is leg exercises are a little more set up and may be a bit clumsy.  There are still plenty of leg exercises, but for someone wanting to do heavy squats these are not for you.

Final Thoughts:  These are great for men or women, because you can adjust how much weight you use, one set of these bands can be used by the whole family.  The cost is less than $100 and for the variety of exercises you can do, you just can’t go wrong here.  The quality is beyond compare and these hold up to massive use.  These take up almost no space (unlike weight machines) and are much safer than heavyweights because you can’t drop them on yourself or lose control of it.  I highly recommend bodylastics exercise bands.

Lance Armstrong stripped of all 7 Tour de France titles – banned for life

I don’t follow Cycling, but everyone knows who Lance Armstrong is.  He recently was busted for PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs), which are a major problem in all sports these days it seems.  In MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), fighters are being busted all of the time for steroids, human growth hormone and other such performance enhancers.  Athletic commissions in many states even allow the use of TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) with a doctor’s note.  Their levels of testosterone in some states are allowed to be 4 – 6 times that of a normal man’s.  It’s really just sickening to any true sportsmen.

Sports are supposed to be about pushing the human body to the limits, not cheating your way to the top using harmful drugs.  Destroying your body through deadly chemicals in order to get an edge over fellow competitors.  Many of the people (I won’t call a cheater an athlete) in these sports have a completely wrong mindset.  It’s sad when something as pure and noble as a sporting competition gets perverted and abused to this point.  I hope someday every sporting event has athletes who want to train hard and be the best, by their own merits, not through drug abuse.

Dr. Mercola Interviews Dr. Cannell: Benefits of Vitamin D

New High Protein Pancake Recipe

If you have not tried my last Protein Pancake Recipe, you may find it here: Protein Pancakes

This is the second recipe I have created for protein pancakes.  Virtually every protein pancake recipe I have found online leaves out actual pancake mix.  They tend to only use protein powder.  If you have ever tried to cook with protein powder, you know that it has a really rubbery consistency, it’s not very appetizing.  I don’t want to create recipes no one will want to eat or that you have to suffer through to get it down!  What’s the point?

These protein pancakes have even more protein in them than the last batch I made.  A whopping 76 grams for the entire batch!  They also taste great.  Here is the recipe:

You will need something to measure out 2 Cups with.  Fill the 1st Cup up with Muscle Milk Vanilla Protein Powder, then finish filling that Cup up with pancake mix.  Fill the 2nd Cup up with nothing but pancake mix.  Mix in 2.5 cups of organic milk and 1 whole egg.  Just mix in a bowl and cook them up like you would a normal pancake.

These taste great and are easy to make.  It’s a good way to add some vitamins, minerals and protein to your diet.

Dr. Mercola and Dr. Rowen Discuss Oxidative Therapies

For more information: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/14/dr-rowen-oxidative-medicine.aspx?e_cid=20121014_SNL_Art_1

Sample Tabata Round #3

If you missed my last sample Tabata workout, check it out here: Sample Tabata Round #2

Here is a sample round you may want to try.  It’s not nearly as easy as it sounds, your heart will be pumping if you push yourself.  Each number represents a 20 second round (with 10 seconds of rest after each round).  The only equipment needed is a Kettlebell (you will probably need different weights for different exercises).

1.  Squat & Press (Squat then Shoulder press Kettlebell with both arms)
2.  Kettlebell Swing
3.  Alternating Jump Lunges
4.  Back Row (Right Side)
5.  Back Row (Left Side)
6.  Squat & Press
7.  Kettlebell Swing
8.  Alternating Jump Lunges

Those Jumping Lunges are killer!  I recommend adding them into any of your circuits.

Sample Tabata Round #2

If you missed my last sample Tabata workout, check it out here: Sample Tabata Round #1

Here is a sample round you may want to try.  It’s not nearly as easy as it sounds, your heart will be pumping if you push yourself.  Each number represents a 20 second round (with 10 seconds of rest after each round).  The only equipment needed was a Kettlebell and a Heavybag laying flat on the floor.

1.  Two Arm Kettlebell Clean & Press
2.  Swings
3.  Side Control Ground & Pound (Right Hand – Hammerfists, Straight Punches, etc)
4.  Side Control Ground & Pound (Left Hand)
5.  Two Arm Kettlebell Clean & Press
6.  Swings
7.  Ground & Pound from The Mount Position (Elbows, Straight Punches, Hooks)
8.  Ground & Pound from The Mount Position

Pure Protein Chewy Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

Today I am going to be reviewing Pure Protein’s Chewy Chocolate Chip High Protein Bar.

Taste:

While it doesn’t taste exactly like a chocolate chip cookie, it is pretty good.  It’s also a unique flavor for a protein bar.  With most every bar being based on peanut butter in some way, it’s nice to have something to mix things up.

Protein & Nutrition:

Loaded with 20 grams of protein, it’s hard to go wrong here.  The vitamins and minerals are just an added bonus.  For a bar of this size, it packs a lot of punch so I highly recommend it as a meal replacement or just a way to work some more protein into your diet.

Servings:

These come in a box or individually wrapped.  Regardless of if one uses these as a meal replacement or a snack (depending on your goals), these are an inexpensive and healthy addition to your day.

Sample Tabata Round #1

If you are not familiar with the Tabata Method, you may read about it here: Tabata Method

Here is a sample round you may want to try (I did this one on Saturday).  Each number represents a 20 second round.  I used a Kettlebell for each exercise.  Click the exercise for a demonstration of what it is if you don’t already know.

1.  Kettlebell Swing
2. Kettlebell Clean & Press
3. One Arm Row (Right Side)
4.  One Arm Row (Left Side)
5.  Kettlebell Swing
6.  Kettlebell Clean & Press
7.  Halo (Right Side)
8.  Halo (Left Side)

High Protein Buffalo Chicken Dip

If you love hot stuff and are looking for a really high protein snack or meal replacement, this Buffalo Chicken Dip is for you.  It is quick and simple to make as well.  Mix all of the following ingredients into a bowl and microwave until the cheese is melted.  Depending on the specific ingredients you use, this entire batch will have over 110 grams of protein in it.  If you are worried about fat (there is no need to be), simply use light versions of the ingredients I list.

1 12 oz can of Chicken (break the chicken up more in the can so it’s small enough to use as dip)
1/2 Cup of Ranch Dressing
1 8oz Block of Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

This goes great with tortilla chips, pretzels or anything you like.  Thanks to Holli Gabbard for the recipe.

Influenza Deaths: The Hype vs. the Evidence

Story at-a-glance:

State health department officials are increasingly joining with medical trade association lobbyists in many states to severely restrict or eliminate medical, religious and conscientious belief vaccine exemptions for all children. In Connecticut and New Jersey, mandates are already in place that force parents to give their six-month-old babies flu vaccine or be banned from daycare.

The CDC has been telling the public for nearly a decade that an estimated 36,000 people die from influenza in the U.S. every year. This number is grossly inaccurate as it includes not just influenza death cases, but also other respiratory, circulatory, cardiac and pulmonary deaths that potentially might have been associated with influenza.

A review of Vital Statistics data shows that since 1940, the highest number of influenza deaths recorded in a single year was 21,047 deaths in 1941. In fact, the mortality rate from influenza was not rising in the late 20th century – as the CDC has alleged. It was dropping. There were only between 600 and 750 influenza deaths recorded annually between 1995 and 1997. The most influenza deaths recorded in a single year since 1979 was about 2,900 deaths and that was in 2009, the H1N1 swine flu pandemic year! Yet CDC policymakers, along with drug company and medical trade association lobbyists have continuously been using inflated influenza hospitalization and mortality estimates to justify expanding the influenza vaccine market.

CDC does not require states to report individual seasonal flu cases or deaths of people older than 18 years of age. The CDC is not collecting the information they need to accurately assess influenza morbidity and mortality in the U.S.

Link: Influenza Deaths: The Hype vs. the Evidence

Kettlebell Swing

If you are starting a strength training program, Caveman Training or a Tabata Workout, the Kettlebell Swing is one of the best overall exercises to add into your program. This exercise hits just about every body-part. The more muscles you recruit during an exercise, the more calories you will burn.

Running Rounds!

For those of you who love running and are looking for something to mix things up, try running rounds!

What you will do is get on a treadmill and set it for a speed you can handle for 5 minutes.  When the first round is over you have a 1 minute break.  During this 1 minute break you will drop the speed to a walking pace and raise the incline to one that is challenging for you.  Walk this for 5 minutes (Round 2).  During your next 1 minute break, drop the treadmill back down to a 0 incline and repeat Round 1 again.  Do up to 5 rounds (alternating each round).

The good thing about the treadmill is you can keep track of your progress very easily.  Record your speeds and incline settings and try to increase these each time you do the program.  You can alternate this into your regular workouts or you can do it 3-5 times a week depending on your fitness level and goals.  Since you are mixing things up it goes by quickly and will get your heart pounding!

Example:
Round 1:
Run at 7 mph for 5 minutes
Round 2:
Incline of 7.5, walk at 3.5 mph
Round 3:
Run at 7 mph for 5 minutes

Mercola.com’s Death by Medicine

Everyone should watch this. Just because a Doctor tells you something doesn’t mean it’s true, they have a terrible track record. Even Doctors (like Dr. Mercola) are starting to speak out about how bad it is. Many just want to put people on pills (which have tons of side effects) instead of trying to fix the actual problem. Not all Doctors are bad, but many of them are.

Dr. Oz’s Brain-Boosting Smoothie

If you do not eat healthy enough and want to add plenty of healthy fruit to your diet in one convenient drink, try this smoothie.  Here is what Dr. Oz had to say about it:

“Bananas are high in antioxidants, dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine boosts memory and attention while serotonin elevates mood and helps control appetite, memory and learning. Blueberries contain pigments called anthocyanins that give the fruit its dark color and also boost brain function. They also help protect the brain from stress and may reduce dementia. Hemp nuts are rich in Omega-3′s which are essential for the health of your brain and nervous system. Additionally, the compounds found in hemp seeds have been shown to promote memory, learning and immune function. Apple juice prevents the loss of an important neurotransmitter called acetylcholine which is critical for memory and brain health. Rhodiola rosea extract improves mood, alleviates depression and can also improve sexual functioning and libido. It’s available for purchase in natural food stores.”

Recipe

1 banana
1/4 cup blueberries
A handful of hemp nuts
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tsp rhodiola rosea


Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.  He says to add ice but if you do so as you blend it you will have a more milk shake consistency.

Reasons To Eat Your Vegetables

Remember that for a balanced diet you need to eat several servings of vegetables everyday.  The health benefits (and taste) of organically grown vegetables are out of this world.  If you are not a big fan of eating them straight you can always blend some up into a juice or buy some V8 juice.  Regardless of how you get them, just make sure you do.  You will feel more energized during the day and be healthier for it.  (Just click the picture to expand it)

Protein Pancakes

Looking to add a little extra protein to your day?  I tried this out yesterday for breakfast and these taste great!  Just like regular pancakes, I couldn’t tell the difference.  They are simple to make as well.

For a normal pancake recipe you will use 2 cups of pancake mix, what you want to do is replace some of the mix with a scoop of protein powder.  I used 1 scoop of Muscle Milk Vanilla flavor because it tastes like cake batter and works nicely with pancake mix.  So you still only use 2 cups total, you just put your scoop of protein powder in your measuring cup, then fill the rest up with pancake mix.

After that, all you need is 1.5 cups of organic milk and 2 eggs.  Mix it all up well and get to cooking.  This batter has over 50 grams of protein and makes 10-15 pancakes.  If you want even more protein in it you can even use 2 scoops of protein powder and throw in another egg.

Dr. Oz Metabolism Boosting Smoothie Recipe

According to Dr. Oz, this smoothie will help you relax, sleep better and speed up your metabolism.  So if you are stressed or can’t sleep well at night, give it a try and let me know if it helps you or not.

5 Ice Cubes
1/4 teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup of Soy Milk
1/2 of a Banana
1 Cup of Tart Cherry Juice

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe

This recipe is going to mix things up a little bit.  You may not think all of these ingredients go together but it actually works well when blended up.

1/2 cup of milk
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 scoop of protein powder
1 free range egg
1 packet of unflavored oatmeal
3 packets of truvia/stevia
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 cup of ice

Just blend it all up and enjoy.  If it isn’t sweet enough for you, you may add more packets of stevia if you desire.  Because of the protein powder, the peanut butter, egg and oatmeal, this smoothie is packed with protein.  Depending on the protein powder you are using, you are looking at around 45 grams of protein in this one.

Blackberry Protein & Antioxidant Smoothie

Smoothie week continues with the Blackberry Protein Smoothie.  I grow my own blackberries in the backyard so I have to come up with different ways to use them.  Blackberries are loaded with fiber and antioxidants so it’s hard to go wrong with them.

2 handfuls of blackberries
1 scoop of protein powder (use any flavor you like, I used vanilla)
1/2 cup of Greek Yogurt
2 packets of stevia/truvia (if your blackberries are sour and you like a sweeter drink)
1/2 to 2/3 cup of milk (depending on how thick you want it)
1 cup of ice

Just blend all of that up and enjoy your cold, creamy smoothie after a nice hard workout!  This one is easy to make and you don’t need that many ingredients.  Depending on the protein powder and type of yogurt you use, you are looking at a little over 30 grams of protein with this one.

Healthy (and Tasty) Chocolate Banana Smoothie Recipe

If you are looking to add more protein to your diet but hate the taste of most protein shakes, this recipe is for you.  It tastes great, is loaded with protein and other healthy ingredients, is quick to make and will give you energy after a hard workout.

All you need is:
1/2 cup of milk (I used organic whole milk)
1 scoop of protein powder (I used Optimum Nutrition’s Vanilla)
2 tablespoons of Honey (you will need to microwave it for 15 seconds so it will mix well)
1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder (not needed if you used chocolate protein powder)
1 banana
1 free range egg (optional)
1 cup of ice

Just blend all of that up and in a few seconds you will have a cold creamy shake filled with protein and healthy ingredients that tastes great and will give you energy!  Depending on your protein powder and if you used the egg or not, you are looking at nearly 40 grams of protein in this.

Lyoto Machida officially removed from #1 contender spot

Leave a comment

“When I make a fight, I don’t say a word until everything is signed. I did exactly what I never do. That big media call was the next day and Machida couldn’t be reached and his manager thought he’d take the fight,” “Before this happened he was terrorizing me for a title shot, and then he said four weeks wasn’t enough. But then things start going in another direction. It happened to Rashad Evans. He was out of a fight for a year and a half. Machida is not next in line now. He will need to go fight somebody else first.” -Dana White

In what should come as a surprise to no one, Dana White has gone back on his word once again and has taken away Lyoto Machida’s title shot.  Originally the title shot was promised to the winner of Shogun Rua vs  Brandon Vera, but that didn’t last long.  Dana changed it to whoever performs the best out of Shogun Rua vs Brandon Vera and Lyoto Machida vs Ryan Bader.  Well that winner was Lyoto Machida.

What is amazing about all of this is that Lyoto Machida is being punished for something that wasn’t even his fault.  UFC 151 being canceled has been blamed on everyone except the people really at fault, Dana White and his Zuffa crew.  These guys have been watering down the PPV cards for years and UFC 151 was so bad, that without Jon Jones and Dan Henderson carrying the card by themselves, there wasn’t even one fight on it anyone wanted to see.

If the UFC had been selling lots of tickets they wouldn’t have canceled, with or without Jones, but reports are that they had barely sold any tickets and the event was going to be a huge flop.  So as Dana does, he went on a smear campaign, against Jon Jones, Dan Henderson, Lyoto Machida and anyone else he could try and pass the blame on besides himself.  It is not the fighters fault that Zuffa tried to pass off a garbage card onto the viewers and it back fired on them.  Bashing all of the top guys at Light Heavy Weight isn’t going to help the situation.  I really wish these fighters would start standing up for themselves and realize that they are the ones with all of the power, but they give it to Zuffa all the time.

One good thing out of this is that we might be able to see Lyoto Machida vs Dan Henderson if Henderson heals from his injury in the next few months.  I think that would be a great fight.  I would rather Jon Jones just move up to heavyweight if he beats Vitor Belfort.  Jones is huge and walks around as big as most heavyweights and he has a longer reach.  It would give him a challenge and open up all kinds of new and exciting fights.

Zone Perfect Strawberry Yogurt Nutrition Bar

Today I am going to be reviewing Zone Perfect’s Strawberry Yogurt Nutrition Bar

Taste:
I really like the taste of this Strawberry Yogurt bar.  It’s not just the standard flavors put into every protein/nutrition bar (chocolate, peanut butter, etc).  It’s nice to have some variety and this bar certainly offers that.

Protein & Nutrition:
This nutrition bar contains 14 grams of protein and 18 vitamins and minerals.  It is also all-natural.  It’s hard to go wrong with any of that.  One of the biggest problems with most protein shakes and bars is that they have artificial sweeteners in them, so it’s nice to find a product free of those types of things.

Servings:
These come in a box or individually wrapped.  Regardless of if one uses these as a meal replacement or a snack (depending on your goals), these are an inexpensive and healthy addition to your day.

Caveman Training

I recently started a new workout program and in that program I have mentioned that my cardio largely consists of something called Caveman training. I briefly described how it works but I wanted to post some videos just to give you guys a better understanding of it.

Video #1:

Caveman training can basically consist of anything you want, but it is generally sport specific and includes explosive moments. Generally you will do 5 minute rounds. I started with 3 rounds but will eventually work my way up to 5. You can mix up the exercises you do in each round or complete the same ones over again, it's all up to you and what you want to do. This built in variety helps keep things from becoming boring.


Video #2:

New Workout Program: Day 4

If you haven’t read Day 3 yet, you can find it here:  http://ironfitnessonline.com/?p=166

Resistance Training:

Triceps, Shoulders & Abs


Dips (using the total gym, you can also use a chair)

5 sets, Reps 21/27/19/19/27

Shoulder Press – 3 sets, 8 reps

Crunches

5 sets, reps 24/32/23/23/32

Cardio

My cadio was shadow boxing outside.  Similar to when I was hitting my heavy bag during a previous workout, I also was able to train some techniques and strategies at the same time.  It’s also a nice change of pace.  Down the road I will move up to 5 rounds instead of 3 (5 minutes each round).  I will also start wearing my weighted vest to make it harder.

New Workout Program: Day 3

If you haven’t read Day 2 yet, you can find it here:  http://ironfitnessonline.com/?p=147

Resistance Training:

Legs & Neck

Squats (using a Kettlebell for added resistance)

Reps 22/29/20/21/29

Dead Lift – 3 sets, 12 reps

Neck Bridge – 3 sets, 10 reps (this exercise is for grappling, you can replace it with something else, like lunges or toe raise)

Cardio

My cardio was another day of caveman training.  I did mostly different exercises than the last time but still used a mixture of Kettlebells, running, ground & pound on a heavy bag, punching a standing heavy bag and body weight exercises.  You can do pretty much anything you want to, but you need to keep working for the entire 5 minute round, before taking a 1 minute break and repeating for up to 3 rounds.

Strawberry Muscle Milk Product Review

Today I will be reviewing the Srawberry flavor of Muscle Milk by CytoSport.

Taste:
This product tastes pretty good.  It’s maybe a little sweet but I would put it somewhere in between the Vanilla and Chocolate flavors from Muscle Milk.  This is 1 of the top 2 protein shakes I have ever had as far as taste goes.  Taste is pretty important to me because if something tastes so bad I can’t drink it, I’m not going to stick with it no matter how healthy it is.  It does have a very slight artificial sweetener taste, it’s almost unnoticeable most of the time.  This product gets a 9.5 out of 10 on taste.

Protein (and vitamins & minerals):
This is why most people are drinking these shakes in the first place so it’s an important category.  Muscle Milk has 16 grams of protein per serving and is also loaded with about 15-20% of 20 vitamins & minerals.  This isn’t the most protein I have ever seen in a shake (most have about 24 grams) but it does have the vitamins and minerals many other shakes do not have.  I drink mine mixed with 1 cup of milk so I take in 24 grams of protein.  You could also mix this with other ingredients if you wish, like a banana or peanut butter, whatever you like.  It isn’t necessary though, because as I said before, it tastes great.  The serving size is 35 grams, only 16 grams of that is protein, meaning the rest is made up of other ingredients (carbs and fat -2 grams of fiber which is a carb, etc).  This product gets a 8 out of 10 on protein.

Servings:
1 container has 25 servings.   This breaks down to less than $1 per serving.  I eat 5 times a day so having 1 of my meals cost less than $1 (plus the cost of 1 cup of milk) is pretty nice.  Usually with protein shakes, buying in bulk lowers the cost per serving but I bought a smaller container (1.93lbs) just to try it out and see if I liked it.  It’s also nice when a container has about a months supply, so even if you buy the smaller container you only have to buy it once a month.  8.5 out of 10

Artificial ingredients:
In our culture, unless you grow all of your own food, it’s impossible to avoid artificial sweeteners and the like 100%.  That said, I try to avoid them as much as possible.  This product does have a few of them in it, namely acesulfame potassium and sucralose (splenda) but they are among the last ingredients listed, meaning they are the least out of everything in it.  Unfortunately, 95% of protein shakes have at least some of these ingredients in them.  7 out of 10

So overall I like this product and I can actually drink it because it tastes wonderful.  Mixing it with milk I get 24 grams of protein (you don’t want to take in to much at a time anyway since you can only digest so much at once).  For the price it’s good.  I would buy this product again but because I want to avoid artificial sweeteners I will rotate this in with other drinks from time to time instead of just always drinking it.

Overall Score: 8.4 out of 10

Andrei Arlovski vs Tim Sylvia 4 Breakdown

Andrei Arlovski (17-9) vs Tim Sylvia (31-7) is an interesting match up to anyone who has been following MMA for more than the last three or four years.  They are two of the top heavyweights the UFC has ever had, and even though they are not at their peaks anymore, they can still be dangerous to anyone.  I really like what ONE FC is doing in Asia.

These fighters have met three times in the past.  The first match easily went to Arlovski when he floored Sylvia and finished him with a leglock.  The second fight looked exactly like the first one, except after dropping Sylvia, Arlovski rushed in to finish with strikes and got caught while being sloppy.  Both of those fights were over very quickly.  The third match went to a decision in a fight that was pretty boring from what I remember.  Neither guy wanted to lose the rubber match and fought very safe.  Sylvia ended up winning the decision (but I remember thinking Arlovski should have won).

This forth fight finds them both in a very different place.  Arlovski has put together a couple of wins, after losing four in a row (all to top heavyweights) and Sylvia has won his last three.  It’s a little hard to tell where they are at right now because their competition hasn’t been the best lately.  Sylvia got KO’d by a couple of guys he should have easily beat and Arlovski has been lacking aggression in his last few fights.

Regardless of Sylvia being 2-1 against Arlovski, I feel Arlovski is the superior fighter.  Arlovski has better stand up and submissions.  His biggest problem is that he doesn’t always defend himself well and his chin is average in a division of hard hitters.  This could be another quick fight if they both come out to make a statement, or a slow fight if they come out not to lose like in the third fight.

I am hoping for an exciting match up and I think that if Arlovski comes out and fights smart he wins this fairly convincingly.  If Arlovski still hasn’t fixed his defense and gets sloppy Sylvia could catch him or if Arlovski comes out and isn’t aggressive at all like in his last couple of fights, Sylvia could use his range to win a decision.  The other thing to take into account is ONE FC uses rules very similar to Pride rules.  If One of these guys drops the other one, I believe they are allowed to use knees or kicks to a grounded opponent.

Dana White Wanting to Sign Fedor vs Brock Lesnar?

Dana White recently asked for fans to make a thread about if they want to see Fedor vs Brock Lesnar. Do you think he was just bored and trolling or is he willing to try and make this happen since ratings haven’t been so hot lately? Both Fedor and Lesnar have retired from MMA but it would be a huge fight and a huge payday for both men.

Anderson Silva: I’ll Be Rooting for Vitor Belfort Against Jon Jones at UFC 152

Quotes from Anderson Silva on Jones vs Belfort:

“It’s difficult, because Jon Jones has a larger-than-normal wingspan and he’s still very young, He’s still in the phase where he’s playing during the fight, really, but he doesn’t have the responsibility of a champion.  He fights with delight, jokingly, striking like I did back in 1930, when I started, Vitor has a great chance to defeat him. The biggest factor for Vitor is to use his explosiveness and his jiu-jitsu, where he is very good. But I think when one of them makes a mistake, the other will end up striking.”

“As a Brazilian, I’ll be rooting for the Brazilian, even though I have a very good friendship with Jon Jones, Whenever I’m with him, I ask him to conduct his career in a different way, because he is very young and is always asking me something. But I’ll be rooting for Brazil, yes. May the best man win, but I’m rooting for Brazil.”

“We’re in different weight classes and there are teammates from Team Nogueira who may face him, we have a code of conduct in our team, and I respect that a lot.”

I wonder if any of this will be enough to make Jon Jones want to fight Anderson now?  Or if Machida loses to Jones again if Anderson would fight him?  It’s a fight people want to see and there is nothing for Anderson at 185lbs anyway.

Gracie Breakdown: Breaking the Lock Down 101

I love all of the videos from these guys!

100 Push Up Challenge Part 5: Week 5

If you have not read Part 4 yet, you can find it here:  http://ironfitnessonline.com/?p=95

If you completed 31-35 Push ups, follow Rank 1 below.

If you completed 36-40 Push ups, follow Rank 2 below.

If you completed more than 40 Push ups, follow Rank 3 below.

If you completed less than 30 Push ups, repeat week 4.

Rank 1  (31 – 35 push ups)
Day 1:  17/19/15/15/20  (last set to failure, do at least 20)
Day 2:  10/10/13/13/10/10/9/25  (last set to failure, do at least 25)
Day 3:  13/13/15/15/12/12/10/30 (last set to failure, do at least 30)

Rank 2 (36 – 40 push ups)
Day 1:  28/35/25/22/35 (last set to failure, do at least 35)
Day 2: 18/18/20/20/14/14/16/40 (last set to failure, do at least 40)
Day 3:  18/18/20/20/17/17/20/45 (last set to failure, do at least 45)

Rank 3 (Over 40 push ups)
Day 1:  36/40/30/24/40 (last set to failure, do at least 40)
Day 2:  19/19/22/22/18/18/22/45  (last set to failure, do at least 45)
Day 3:  20/20/24/24/20/20/22/50 (last set to failure, do at least 50)

Rulon Gardner Admits He Turned Down Big Bucks to Fight Fedor

It would have been cool to see Fedor fight Rulon Gardner, both are such respectful honorable guys. Fedor has already beat several Olympic medal winners, it would have been interesting. People think the purses from the UFC are big, the UFC is small time, even now. Pride offered Rulon Gardner 1 million to fight Fedor almost a decade ago.

Tim Sylvia on Arlovski and 3 Fight Deal with One FC

I’m not sure why Tim Sylvia is so obsessed with getting back in the UFC.  If these fighters would realize that they are what’s important, not the organization.  Just go out, fight and win and constantly improve.  In boxing you don’t go to see Don King promotions, you go to see Mike Tyson or Roy Jones Jr.  MMA are just so brainwashed these days they go to see a promotion half the time.

If Frank Mir hadn’t of worked out for Daniel Cormier, at least Sylvia would have been a name guy for him to fight, even if he is past his prime.

New Workout Program: Day 2

If you haven’t read Day 1 yet, you can find it here:  http://ironfitnessonline.com/?p=139

Resistance Training:

Back & Traps

Pull ups (these are done on the total gym, so I am only using about 50% of my body weight, meaning I can do way more than normal).

Reps  12/15/10/10/15/10

Back Row -3 sets, reps 25,20,20 (I will be increasing the weight next time)

Shoulder Shrugs 3 sets, reps 20 (I will be increasing the reps on this exercise as well and will be aiming for the 8-12 range)

Cardio

This cardio routine I will be alternating in with my caveman training.  I did 3 rounds of 5 minutes each, working various combinations and strategies on my heavy bag.  I love this training because it not only gets you into shape, but it’s very sport specific and develops punching power and technique.  This almost doesn’t even feel like exercise as it goes by so quickly.  My goal will be to work up to 5 rounds.

I also had a 10 minute stretching session in between my resistance training and cardio.

ELO MMA Heavyweight Rankings

Top 10 (The number beside their names is how many points they currently have)


1. Fedor Emelianenko  2149

2. Junior dos Santos  2143

3. Alistair Overeem  2097

4. Josh Barnett  2076

5. Fabricio Werdum  2074

6. Daniel Cormier  2067

7. Cain Velasquez  2046

8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira  2001

9. Frank Mir  1982

10. Antonio Silva  1971

Why use ELO MMA Rankings? http://cinemakingdom.com/?p=256

New Workout Program: Day 1

I just got back from vacation yesterday.  After taking a week off and resting up, I am ready to get back to it but I am pretty burnt out on my previous program so I changed everything up today.  I’ll be posting my new workouts each day I do them for anyone who also wants to try it.

My slow weightlifting cycle is over.  Now I am going back to regular speed and cutting my exercises way down.  I just don’t feel much like lifting weights right now so I am sticking with a short, simple program.  But just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy.  Each week I will increase my reps or weight.  This is merely the beginning.  Today my resistance training looked like this:

Chest & Triceps

Push Ups -5 sets (I used push up handles for an increased range of motion, which makes push ups much harder).

Reps 16/21/15/15/21 (max out)

Bicep Curls -3 sets, 20 reps each (I am going to increase my weight a lot next time, this first workout was just experimenting to see how much I could do)

Hammer Curls -3 sets, 10 reps

That’s it!  It may not sound hard but all of those push ups were pretty rough!  I set a timer to make sure I finished everything in 25 minutes or less.

I enjoyed it.  After lifting weight slowly for the last few months it was nice to move at normal speed again.  I did way more reps this way and it definitely helped cure my boredom.  Not doing as much resistance training helped as well since I was becoming tired of it.

Cardio

I started my new cardio program today as well.  I am doing what is called caveman training.  I am starting with 3 rounds of 5 minutes each (with the goal of doing 5 rounds of 5 minutes each eventually).  You just move from exercise to exercise for the whole 5 minute round without stopping (or doing the best you can to not stop, it’s rough!).

I barely made it through my 3 rounds.  I did a mix of kettlebells, hitting my punching bag, MMA drills, and Ground & Pound on a Heavy Bag for each round.  For an example of what a caveman program can look like just check out this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcznQd5cu0g

I feel great and it was a nice change of pace.  I also worked in 10 minutes of stretching.  The workout ran for a total of 50 minutes (and once I add two more rounds of caveman training down the road it will take an hour).  Looking forward to the next one!  Let me know how your workouts are going!

UFC 151 Canceled

UFC 151 has been canceled. Pretty crazy news considering the UFC has never canceled a show before and then just completely skipped that numbered event altogether.  Zuffa has said this will be a "lost show" and they will move on to UFC 152 next time (probably because they would have to change all the commercials and posters for several events).  They tried to save the event by giving Jon Jones a fight against Chael Sonnen but Jones turned it down.  He later accepted a fight against Vitor Belfort on a different card.

Dana White blamed the cancellation on Jones and Jones' coach, Greg Jackson, who advised him that accepting the fight with Sonnen would be the "biggest mistake of [his] entire career."  The biggest problem with the canceled event, and one Sonnen called Jones out on, was that now all of the other fighters on that card trained for nothing.  All of their fights will have to be rescheduled and they will miss out on their paycheck the lower level guys need to survive.  I think Jones should have stepped up and fought Sonnen to save the card.