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With all of the ads in magazines and on the internet, its getting harder and harder to sort through the fluff and some flat out lies from the supplement industry to know what will work and what won’t work. In order to find out what will work there are a lot of us out there that become our own human guinea pigs. I think we all know someone that has tried just about every supplement known to man, trying to find out which ones work and which ones don’t. Its almost like they’re addicted to supplements, looking for the next big thing that will help them to gain 20 lbs of muscle in 2 weeks like the ad said.

If you fall into this category, you might be in danger of becoming a supplement junky. One of the big problems with this type of mentality is that you start to think that the only way you’re every going to either lose weight or gain extra muscle is through supplements. Thus your actual workouts become secondary to the supplements that you are using.

Talk about a reverse mentality! Remember, supplements are the thing that are supposed to be supplemental! That’s why they’re called supplements! If all you had to do was take a pill and lose all the weight or gain all the muscle that you wanted, wouldn’t everyone just do that? But how rewarding would that be? I personally believe that you’ll be much more satisfied with your physique if you’ve worked hard and sweated for it than if you just popped a pill to make it happen.

Yes, supplements can help. What we’re really talking about here is the false belief that supplements are the only answer. Work hard, up your intensity, keep improving in the gym. Use supplements as they were meant to be used - as a way to help you reach your goals, not to reach them for you.

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We talk a lot on this blog about setting goals and then working hard to achieve those goals. One feature of a good goal is that it needs to be measurable and something that you can track as time goes on. That’s why its not enough to just say “I want to lose some weight” or “I want to be bigger”. These are nice ideas, but they are not really goals until you know exactly what it is you are shooting for. For example, and actual goal would be something like “I will lose 10 pounds by [date].” This goal has a specific, measurable result and is also due by a certain date.

So what are some of the key things that you should be tracking to know if you’re making progress? Some of this depends on your goals, but here is a list of things you should consider measuring on a regular basis to see how you’re doing. You should also use some specifics for these measurements as the basis of your goals as well.

Important Measurements
- Neck
- Chect
- Biceps (Relaxed & Flexed)
- Forearms
- Wrists
- Waist
- Thighs
- Calves
- Shoulders
- Weight
- Body Fat Percentage

If you will just keep track of these measurements and base your goals around them, you’ll have a good foundation for setting and tracking great, measurable goals.

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Yesterday we left a post about getting outside to get some exercise when the weather is good for a great way to get some variety in your workout. Today we decided to give you a specific, creative way to get outside, have a great time, and also get some good exercise. Go paintballing!

If you want to try a new sport, you really should give paintball a try. You’ll get a great adrenaline rush as you’re running around trying not to get hit and also trying to hit as many others as you can. It really is a great sport to play.

For those of you that are new to the sport, a great place to get all of the paintball gear that you need is Ultimate Paintball. They carry all of the top brands like Tippman, Spyder, Draxxus, and more. Some of their top selling paintball guns include the Tippmann A-5, Smart Parts Ion, and the Spyder Pilot ACS. They also offer the best prices with free shipping. So if you think paintball is up your alley, you should definitely check out their site.

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I don’t know about you, but the weather where I live had been FANTASTIC the last few days. If you’re having nice weather as well, you should try getting outside and having some sort of an outdoor workout from time to time. There are a lot of things that you can do outside.

Outdoor Cardio Exercises

There are a lot of things you can do outside for cardio, and most people know about these already. Try going for a jog, biking, rollerblading, playing some outdoor sports like basketball, football, etc. Any of these activities are great ways to get a good cardio workout outside.

Other Outdoor Exercises

Next time you’re at the park with your kids, maybe head over to the jungle gym and do some pullups. You can also do some great pushup variations using different playground equipment as well. Try pushing you kid on the swing, doing a few squats in between pushes. Or squats with your kid sitting on your shoulders. Get creative a have some fun. Naturally, be careful not to injure yourself.

Getting out and doing some exercises in the sun is a great way to first get some sun, and second have a good and productive time while doing it. You’ll still get a better workout overall in the gym, but for variety do what you can to get outside and enjoy the sun from time to time.

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We haven’t done a Weekly Nutrition Tip for a while now, so here is another tip from John Berardi of Precision Nutrition about the debate between eating organic or not. This is very good practical advice about something that a lot of people seem to be concerned with.

The Organic Debate
by Dr. John Berardi

The average person should consume two pieces of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day as a minimum. Athletes probably need even more - I recommend 10-15 servings per day for each of my athletes. Expert often spend too much time arguing about organic vs. regular fruits and veggies. I agree that raw, organic fruits and vegetables are best since they have a higher micronutrient count, but any fruits and veggies are better than none! Get sufficient fruits and vegetables in your diet before worrying about whether they’re organic or not. Once you’ve done that, worry on.

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When it comes to reaching goals for health and fitness, too many people that have good intentions are way to lax in what they actually do. They give themselves too many reasons or ‘excuses’ about why they do or do not do something that would be beneficial to their health. And the result? They never seem to reach their goals. Arguably, all of us have probably done this from time to time. Or is that just another excuse for us not to do something?

So how do we overcome this problem with human nature to make excuses and get in our own way of reaching our goals? A lot of it comes from doing some mental reprogramming as to what is really important and what we can actually achieve. Thus the question for the title of this blog “How serious are you?” Have you taken the time to reprogram the way you think so that your health and fitness are actually a priority in your life rather than an after thought? If not, now is a great time to start.

One way to get yourself on track and really start to make some progress would be to treat your fitness plan (whether it be to lose weight or gain muscle) as you would your job or your business. What happens if you don’t go to work or don’t work your business on a particular day? You either get fired or you don’t make the kind of money that you would hope to. Same thing with your health. If you don’t show up for your workout on a particular day, you basically got one step towards being fired which in this case could be equated with slipping back into complacency. But who wants to be complacent with where they are? Instead, look at your life and your fitness program as a continual step forward. Keep setting goals, keep taking them seriously, and keep moving forward.

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