Philosophy

- Creatine monohydrate
- NO (Nitric Oxide)
- BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids)
- Whey protein

[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

- Caffeine dehydrates fat cells, improves metabolism, and increases focus--but don't consume excessive dosages or become dependent. (Nutrex Lipo 6; D&E Orange Speedball; Eclipse 2000 Thermogenix; John Scott's Nitro Nitro Burn Extreme;)
- Guggulsterones stimulate thyroid action. (Nutrex Lipo 6; Universal Animal Cuts; John Scott's Nitro Nitro Burn Extreme;)
- CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid) is a naturally occurring free fatty acid found in small amounts in meat and dairy products. It's excellent for building muscle, reducing body fat, and improving cellular function.
- Sesame oil
- Yohimbine HCL (Nutrex Lipo 6; VPX Redline;
- Bitter orange (Universal Animal M-Stak; D&E Orange Speedball; )
- Green Tea (D&E Orange Speedball; Optimum Thermo Cuts; John Scott's Nitro Nitro Burn Extreme;)
- Siberian Ginseng (D&E Orange Speedball;)
- Grapefruit extract (D&E Orange Speedball;)
- Cayenne pepper (D&E Orange Speedball; Eclipse 2000 Thermogenix; John Scott's Nitro Nitro Speed;)
- Yerba Mate (D&E Orange Speedball; John Scott's Nitro Nitro Speed;)
- White Willow bark (Eclipse 2000 Thermogenix; John Scott's Nitro Nitro Burn Extreme;)
- 7-Keto DHEA (SciFit TriCuts III)

[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

If you're over 18 or you're testosterone is below normal, you may need supplements to increase your body's natural production of testosterone. First be sure to get 9+ hours of sleep, have a good monounsaturated fat intake, lower body fat with aerobics and weight training, reduce stress, avoid alcohol and other drugs (especially if you're under 21--don't be retarded), and drink lots of water (.66% of your bodyweight in ounces, or simply 8 12oz. glasses daily).

ZMA (Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate plus Magnesium Aspartate and vitamin B-6) - Don't be fooled; ZMA does not increase you're strength or testosterone 250%, it only does that compared to a placebo. Still, it is a very beneficial supplement for anyone. NCAA football players taking it for 8 weeks of spring training increased their free testosterone by 30%, their strength by 11.6%, and their IGF-1 (insulin growth factor-1) by 3.6%! ZMA improves sleep. Feel free to take it if you're under 18; it's all-natural.

Tribulus Terrestris, or puncture vine, is an herb that is supposed to increase the body's endogenous (natural) testosterone production. Tribestan and Anabolic-Matrix Rx seem like good choices. IronMagazine gives Tribulus a 3/5 in its supplement review.

Fish oil, containing Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, is very effective for burning fat while increasing muscle. It raises testosterone levels.

Yohimbine HCL (not just yohimbe) - found in such products as Nutrex Lipo 6

Methyl-D

Horny Goat Weed

Get 9+ hours of sleep.
If you like to watch late night programs, get Tivo and record those programs for viewing during the day. Avoid things that will stimulate your mind and increase adrenaline levels when you're about to go to sleep.
ZMA improves sleep, so take ZMA supplements if you can.

Have 5-8 small, nutritionally balanced meals per day.
Breakfast should be the highest in calories, while the last meal should be the lowest in calories.
Eat every 2-3 hours; if you're in school, bring snacks like energy bars.
Have protein and water with every meal.

Do 3 seasons of school sports--sports that will enhance physical fitness and mental toughness.

Some options are:

Fall
1. Cross Country
2. Football
3. Soccer
4. Volleyball
5. Golf

Winter
1. Basketball
2. Wrestling
3. Track
4. Bowling

Spring
1. Track
2. Lacrosse
3. Baseball
4. Tennis

If you're good at golf and bowling, then join those teams, but those sports by themselves provide no effective conditioning. Baseball's a sport you get decent anaerobic workouts for, but do other spring sports if fat loss is your goal.

Recommended combos are:
1-1-1 Cross Country/Basketball/Track
3-1-2 Soccer/Basketball/Lacrosse
2-2-2 Football/Wrestling/Lacrosse
2-2-1 Football/Wrestling/Track
3-3-1 Soccer/Track/Track
1-3-1 Cross Country/Track/Track
2-1-2 Football/Basketball/Lacrosse

Cardiovascular exercise before breakfast burns 300% more fat than cardio after breakfast. Stored bodyfat is burned because glucose, glycogen, and insulin levels are low after the 8-12 hour fast. You can do whatever you want as long as the intensity is high enough. You could go to cross country practice, do 20 min. of HIIT biking or running, bike for a long distance, or kayak. Don't sit around letting yourself starve after the exercise, though; consume at least some protein and maybe carbs very shortly after the workout.

HIC, high intensity cardio, was mentioned in guideline #6. Mental strength is very important for increasing fitness, improving physique, and living a good life in general; the father of an extremely aerobically and anaerobically fit runner I know says that when you think you are finished, you've only exhausted yourself 60%.

HIIT is high intensity interval training. You might go on the stationary bike or a mountain bike for 20 minutes, alternating between a minute of extreme work (going above 85% of your maximum heart rate) and a minute of low intensity cycling for recovery. These kinds of short-duration, high intensity workouts have a strong caloric afterburn effect due to the increased use of oxygen long after the exercise session is over. This is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC.

If Sunday you need to rest from several days of long-duration, moderate- to high-intensity workouts, then do 20 minutes of HIIT before breakfast.

Do low impact cardio 7x per week. Swim whenever possible, and if you live by the beach, take advantage of that fact. Bike on Sundays for a very long distance. You might do 15+ miles on trails, 20 miles on the road, or even 40+ miles on the road if you can handle it. Drink plenty of water. If you have dogs, take them for brisk walks everyday to benefit yourself and the dogs, or just walk by yourself.

Walks are ideal for obese people to start out with, but people who are in better shape than that should try running to begin with, and progressively increase speed, distance, and duration.

Do high impact, high intensity cardiovascular exercise 5-6x per week.
Do light activity on Sunday.
If you are running cross country or preparing for a 10K+ race, you must run 50+ miles a week.
Run hills 3x per week and keep rest periods brief.
During summer, run on the beach 2x per week, doing HIIT (alternating between sprints and jogging) for around 15 minutes at a time. Follow up with 20 minutes of swimming.
When school is out, run twice a day or more.
Push yourself beyond your comfort zone.
Stay hydrated.

On Monday & Thursday, work the chest, back, and rear delts.
On Tuesday & Friday, work the shoulders, arms, and abs.
On Wednesday & Saturday, work the quads, hams, calves, and thighs.
Rest on Sunday.
Limit training sessions to 40-45 minutes.
Jump rope after lifting, but not before, or your weight training will lose its intensity.
Stretch properly and use good form.

Macronutrients are dietary carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

The following are basic guidelines, and your needs will depend on body type and what type of activity you are doing, whether it's basketball, cross country, bodybuilding, football, etc...

40-50% of your calories should come from carbs. There are 4 calories in 1 gram of carbs. Shoot for higher carbs if you're doing sports like track or cross country.
30-40% protein - 4 calories per gram. 12-20%, which is recommended for the typical person, is inadequate for active people.
20% fat - Fat has 9 calories per gram. Don't go lower than 20 or your testosterone levels will drop. By going higher you may add extra calories that could be turned to additional body fat. The guidelines for Americans say 30% fat; the reason for this is that 30% is much lower than a lot of people already eat. This kind of fat intake, combined with other poor eating habits and low level of activity, makes obesity very common in this country.

Of the fat you take in, most of it should be monounsaturated (monounsaturated fats raise testosterone.)
Keep saturated fat to a bare minimum and avoid trans fat, which causes serious health problems.

Keep fiber high for optimal digestion and thermogenesis (when the body produces heat to burn calories). Keep simple sugars low; the best time to have them is soon after a workout. Starches are good for you and are necessary for endurance athletes; the less active you are, the more moderation you must use. But you need to get active, because going on low calorie diets without exercising not effective at all--this is why most diets fail and the fat weight is gained back very quickly in a yo-yo effect.

High protein is a must, but don't eat 45 chicken breasts a day like one Denver Broncos lineman did, or you will turn into a weakling. Protein is key for hypertrophy/muscle mass, all bodily functions (including immunity), and muscle recovery after intense training. Carbs, however, are the main fuel for your workouts.

If you want, have 14-15x your bodyweight in calories on Sunday.

Ex: A 170lb person would have 2400-2500 calories.

To prevent muscle loss and slow metabolism, eat 17-18x your bodyweight in calories twice a week, on Friday and Saturday.

Ex: A 170lb person would consume 2900-3000 calories.

Eat a low amount of calories for 4-5 days per week, from Sunday-Thursday or Monday-Thursday. This means that you should eat 12-13x your bodyweight in calories. Don't go below 12x; ignore advice that says to eat 10x because this can lead to lower testosterone levels, slow metabolism, and high catabolism (breaking down of muscle tissue).

Ex: A 170lb person would eat about 2100 calories daily from Sunday through Thursday.

This is my first update since June 1, 2005. I've taken a break from philosophy and have moved onto fitness. Right now I'm doing cross country and will then do winter basketball, spring track & spring basketball, and summer basketball.

I'm going to post some fitness guidelines, i.e. tips for increasing muscle mass, metabolism, strength, coordination, testosterone, confidence, and well-being, and for burning body fat. Information on nutrition, training, supplements, and other subjects will be posted.

God bless the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the survivors who are making huge sacrifices to save lives and prevent further chaos. Those who are reading on a computer under a roof must take a minute to thank the Lord for their many blessings. Bush is fucking up again, and everybody's pissed. He continues to neglect Christian and Republican values with his shitty handling of crises. I love living in America; I couldn't be happier to live in the best country in the world, and am only unhappy about the misfortune of those who don't get the care they deserve from the president.