M3:D9 Questions

In my post yesterday (M38 Stabilized) I asked why nobody ever seems to respond to the Question of the Day feature on this blog. I got numerous responses that I found interesting. Some mentioned being in a hurry and others mentioned not knowing what to answer or being embarrassed. I did enjoy the responses and it brought to mind the idea for this blog posting.

You see, the Question of the Day is specifically aimed at starting a dialog. In some cases I'm thinking about something and want to get feedback which might result in a future post. Whatever the case, I am simply trying to get you all to think. As I get further and further into this journey I have realized so many things. I have alot that I want to share and alot I want to “put out there” and so I ask these questions. What I truly appreciate is the honest of those who post comments here. I love the honesty of those in the Shreddersphere and those in the Shredder Council mission. That's the kind of honesty I want to see in response to the Question of the Day.

I honestly do not think you should be embarrassed by anything you have to say. I am a fairly agressive person who has gotten to where I am in life by thinking before I speak, but saying what's on my mind. I don't believe in political correctness. I believe in laying it out there. At the same time, I try as best I can to avoid hurting anyone's feelings. That's the only thing I censor myself for–someone else's feelings.

My questions arise because of things I read on the internet. There are so many scammers in the fitness industry and it bothers me that they are able to take advantage of others. This is why I feel like I need to continue to push forward with my plans for a fitness website and several eBooks. The industry needs more people like Adam Waters (Adam: RTP Blog 2), Tom Venuto (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle) and Marc David (No Bull Bodybuilding). These are people who actually care about the people they are influencing. They are not out simply to make a buck.

Just yesterday I got an email from Vince Del Monte (No Nonsense Muscle Building) and he expresses frustration with how some people have responded to his website:

“Something cool happened today after I sent that email last night inviting everyone to join my Vince DelMonte “fan group” on Facebook.

For some reason, I had more than double the downloads of my book today and was trying to figure out why…

…as I was doing my second workout tonight it hit me. There are still a lot of people who think my website is a scam.

You should see the emails I get each day from skeptics asking if I'm a real person, why my website is so long, how I sleep at night with all the “made up” testimonials and lots of other interesting comments.

Having a website on the Net for almost two years has taught me that it does not matter how many whales I save, how much I donate to third world countries or if I go to church six times a day, people on the net will always think “scam” when they see my “style” of website. “

You see, just the day prior to this email Vince had announced that he was going to be competing in a fitness competition just 25 days from now. Apparently this got people's attention because, as his email states, the downloads of his book doubled after that email went out.

Vince went on to explain the reaction:

“I think this email helped me prove that my I'm not a scam nor

is my website. A recent email I got from a fellow who's

been reading my newsletter for ONE YEAR and said confirmed

my thoughts,

“Hey Vince, I went for it and bought your program… it only

took me a year of reading your amazing newsletters…lol. I

know I could have been one year closer to my goal but, oh well,

it's time to build some muscle like you.” “

This shows you what people think of genuine “fitness gurus” like Vince. They see it as a scam and why not? People need to be careful because there are alot of scammers in the fitness industry. Certain people get a following of “worshippers” that believe everything they say without question. This is a dangerous thing. You need to question. You need to do this because it makes you think. Thinking saves you money because you begin to realize while looking at the latest fitness website that you already have a program that is exactly like the one you are about to drop $60 on. Close that website down because you don't need what they are selling. What you need is effort and hard work.

There is a funny story about Arnold that exemplifies why it is important to lift heavy weights relative to where you are now:

“A wannabe fan strolled up to Arnold and complained that he couldn't get his calves to grow. “I don't use heavy weights because I want to get a really high intensity burn,” said the fan. “Listen,” Arnold replied back, straight faced, “if I got a match and lit it under your ass, you'd get a fantastic burn, but it wouldn't help your muscle size. You have to use heavy weights!” Not too subtle, but the point was made.“

The point of the Question of the Day is to get you to think and to have your thoughts make other people think. Please, if you have the time, give a quick answer to the Question of the Day. Don't worry about your answer. Don't overthink it…just answer. You will find that the more you answer the questions that are asked the more you will think about your own fitness situation. This will lead you to a new action plan. Take action now because each day you wait is another day you could have gotten closer to achieving your goals.

Accountability Log:

Week Begins 5/18/2008
	Sun	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat
Cycle spot	HC	LC	LC	LC	HC	LC	LC
M1 *	5:30 a.m.	3:30 a.m.	3:30 a.m.	3:30 a.m.	3:30 a.m.	3:30 a.m.	5:30 a.m.
M2 *	8:30 a.m.	6:30 a.m.	6:30 a.m.	6:30 a.m.	6:30 a.m.	6:30 a.m.	8:30 a.m.
M3 *	11:30 a.m.	9:30 a.m.	9:30 a.m.	9:30 a.m.	9:30 a.m.	9:30 a.m.	11:30 a.m.
M4 *	2:30 p.m.	12:30 p.m.	12:30 p.m.	12:30 p.m.	12:30 p.m.	12:30 p.m.	2:30 p.m.
M5 *	5:30 p.m.	3:30 p.m.	3:30 p.m.	3:30 p.m.	3:30 p.m.	3:30 p.m.	5:30 p.m.
M6 *	7:30 p.m.	6:30 p.m.	6:30 p.m.	6:30 p.m.	6:30 p.m.	6:30 p.m.	7:30 p.m.
Weights *	N/A	Lift	Lift	N/A	Lift	N/A	LIFT
Cardio *	AM	N/A	N/A	AM	N/A	AM	AM
Abs *	N/A	FYA	FYA	N/A	FYA	FYA	N/A
Water *	264 oz	240 oz	240 oz	240 oz
Post-workout nutrition *	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pre-sleep nutrition *	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Vitamins/Supplements *	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Accountability *	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cals within 5% (+/-) *	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Target Cals	3400	3400	3000	2400	2700	3400	3800
Cals	3255	3319	2971	2410
Ratios (C/P/F)	30/50/20	30/50/20	20/60/20	10/70/20
Target Ratios (C/P/F)	30/50/20	30/50/20	20/60/20	10/70/20	20/60/20	40/40/20	40/40/20
Total Completed	15	15	15	15
Total Possible	15	15	15	15
Mission 2 Total Complete	15	30	45	60
Mission 2 Total Possible	15	30	45	60
* = Counts towards total
Success!
Failed
Not Counted!

Workout Log:

Today was a cardio only day and I didn't feel like going to the gym. It was just too nice outside when I got up, so at 4:30 a.m. I hit the streets for a nice run. I ran for 4 miles at a pace of a 9 minute mile. It felt great to feel the air hitting my face as I ran through the neighborhood where I live. Tomorrow is upper body day and I'm looking forward to it.