Full Strength LIFE

I Was Busted with Crib Notes During Interview [Embarassing]

It was while standing in line for our first grade photos when, for reasons I have never known, the little girl in front of me whom will call Rhonda (because that's her name) windmilled her old-fashioned steel lunch pail up, over and around, slamming it smack down between my eyes. I was caught completely off guard—blind-sided right between the eyes. 

When the bleeding stopped, the teachers cleaned me up as best they could and the photographer snapped my class photo. I can still feel the pain when I see that photo of this little blond haired boy in a blue button up, with a red bleeding bump on his forehead. 

But all these years later it's not the pain of the lunch pail but that I still feel but the embarrassment. Sure, from an adult view I can argue that logically there's nothing to be embarrassed about but at the tender age of six... well, you know how far that logic would get you.

I share that story to help you recall your own experiences with embarrassing life moments. We all have had them and we will continue to—on some level.

And the Beat Goes On... The New Faces (& Bodies) of Fitness

A couple weeks back I gave a Key-Note talk at a Global Fitness and Transformation event in Tampa hosted by former Body-for-Life Champion Joel Marion. 

Now, I don't do a lot of speaking but I more and more I am inviting the opportunity, even when I can come up with a hundred reasons not to travel.

With this particular came the opportunity to share a new presentation--one that I'd been working on and that I believed to be a true "game changer" in health & fitness (more on this later)--and the chance to meet a number of fellow fitness "guru's" that I've only known from the web.

Of course, it didn't hurt that I was to be the Key-Note speaker, which was a privilege and an honor.

Entering the 3-day event with an beginner's mind, I'd hoped to not just share but also to receive some inspiration and wisdom.

What I walked away with was more than I could have imagined. I met some amazing people, both speakers and guests, and found myself energized, elevated--more resolute inside and assured in the world as a whole.

As you might guess, a good number of the presenters were friends of mine, like one and only Jon Benson, who I'd not seen in too long--although we talk regularly--and who, BTW, looked great!

I also got to see my good friend and fellow Colorado based Transformational Leader, Tom Terwilliger speak. He was every bit the energized power-house and leader I had heard, and expected him to be.

Tom truly owned the show.

Then of course there was a host of what I'll call the "new guard," or the youth movement in Fitness Transformation.

How to Overcome the Resistance of The Lizard Brain

Yesterday Seth Godin blogged about how the "Lizard Brain," sabotages your success—why people say one thing and reliably do another.

The lizard brain, as he calls it, is very real. He just doesn’t call it by name, I will.

A small almond shaped nodule at the base of your brain, the "Lizard Brain" is the primitive emotional center of your brain called the amygdala. It’s holds emotional memory which helps you react to your environment without having to "think about" them.

When you’re at risk of being eaten by a hungry lion, it’s terrific at triggering fear and thus saving your life. The Lizard Brain is not so helpful for running your life, day to day. You’d never want to put it in charge of your diet or anything that requires planning or self-restraint.

This little saboteur, the amygdala is implicated in the inability to maintain a healthy diet as well as achieving all manners of fitness goals. When this “lower mind” takes charge of your actions you’ll do just about anything without thought of repercussion.
 
Can’t figure out how the heck you just ate that entire box of cookies? You ate one, then looked down to find an empty box. What happened?

Your amygdala, aka lizard brain happened.

With this primitive "lower mind" control center taking you over from time to time, how do you ever manage to achieve any success? How do you get focused, stay on track, gain control of your life?

Simple. Focus!

Fortunately, we human beings have a lizard brain, we aren’t one.

We have something else which is essentially the opposite of the lizard brain. We have an amazing and powerful “focus control center” that can provides us access to incredible powers of concentration and helps us to produce just about any outcome “we put our minds to.”

This “higher-mind” powerhouse of self control is called “The Prefrontal Cortex” and it’s in many ways what makes us human. It enables us to generate forethought, keep us moving toward goals, and is the master of self-control.

The PFC is the key to overcoming entropy, breaking through resistance and staying the course—it puts your Lizard Brain on ice. 

Want to achieve extraordinary success?

The real question is not, “How do we resist succumbing to the lizard brain?,” but rather “How do you super-charge, strengthen and activate your Pre-Frontal-Cortex?”

This is something you can do and must do if you want results—for when you’re focused, clear and strong you can achieve anything.

There is a way you can eat, think, move and be that will keep you free from the lizard brain trap and propel you to an entirely new level of success and satisfaction.

Tune in Monday to StartStrongMonday.com for my special
“5 Tips for a Strong, Focused Mind that Breaks Thru the Resistance of the Lizard Brain.”

Click here to Read StartStrongMonday.com

Subscribe and you'll receive the tips Monday.

Omega-3 linked to Younger Biological Age: Study

High blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids may slow cellular ageing in people with coronary heart disease, suggests a new study.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) looked at the length of telomeres, DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten as cells replicate and age.

The ageing and lifespan of normal, healthy cells are linked to the so-called telomerase shortening mechanism, which limits cells to a fixed number of divisions. During cell replication, the telomeres function by ensuring the cell's chromosomes do not fuse with each other or rearrange, which can lead to cancer. Elizabeth Blackburn, a telomere pioneer at the University of California San Francisco, likened telomeres to the ends of shoelaces, without which the lace would unravel.

[little hard to follow but makes sense if you read slowly]

With each replication the telomeres shorten, and when the telomeres are totally consumed, the cells are destroyed (apoptosis).

[main point is these buggers are indicators of the rate cells age]

Previous studies have also reported that telomeres are highly susceptible to oxidative stress. Some experts have noted that telomere length may be a marker of biological ageing.

“Among patients with stable coronary artery disease, there was an inverse relationship between baseline blood levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids and the rate of telomere shortening over 5 years,” wrote the researchers.

[Ta-da! Need I say more? That's big stuff. It means = Eat Fish!]

“These findings raise the possibility that omega-3 fatty acids may protect against cellular aging in patients with coronary heart disease,” they added.

The Tokyo Joes' FREE Food & Fitness Fast Start : LAST DAY!

ATTN: Denver Metro Area Residents

        Today is : Jan 29th << Last DAY! >>

Welcome to The 20-day Tokyo Joe's Great Food + Great Fitness FREE giveaway.

We're doubling up today!

Today it'll be FREE Book + FREE Meal at 2 locations for the first three people to ask! (locations below)

Here's The Deal 

My favorite restaurant for quick, delicious, nutritious eats; Tokyo Joes is helping me "Share the Strength."

We're giving away a limited number of autographed copies of my book, Strength for LIFE, each day for lunch.

With each FREE book you also get a FREE LUNCH!

No kidding. How awesome is that?

All you do is stop in to the right location on the right day (See today's location below), be one of the first and you win.

That's a great way to fuel your body and mind today and kick start your fitness for 2010, fast. If you only get One thing from Strength for LIFE, the 12-Day Reboot for your body and mind will get you going strong, fast!

Today's FREE Book for Lunch GiveAway Location is:

1/29  2-Locations for this LAST DAY!!!

  #1 : Highlands Ranch (Broadway & Highlands Rnch Pkwy)

   #2 : Illiff & Parker Road

                (see map here) 

Get there before noon to get your Book & Meal on Us! Follow along:

Twitter.com/Shawn_Phillips

Twitter.com/TokyoJoes

10 More Fitness & Nutrition Predictions for 2010

It's time to break out the crystal ball and get an eye on the future. What does the year ahead hold? What surprises might change the way we live?

This is my inspiration for the original Top 10 Fitness Predictions for 2010 that I released Monday. (check them out here).

I like 10 as a number--but I wasn't done at 10. That's why I'll be releasing the second 10--The Top 10 List for 2010 Part 2--on New Years Day.

Here's a sneak preview...

Prediction #15 :Gatorade Becomes the Porn of Social Media

Frightened by the recent Tiger Woods scandal, Gatorade will abandon their standard big-time, big-sport, bigger-money endorsement strategy for an exclusive social media approach. This is a catastrophic failure when marketing executives discover drinking Gatorade is less like Prada and more like Pornography—even if you do, you don’t brag about it on Social Media.

That's all for now. Be sure to check back from the full list. It'll be a good time, promise.

AM Cardio on an Emptry Stomach: True or False [FAQ]

I received a question today from one of my Inner Circle members, Steve. He asked about the rational--whether he should be doing cardio on an empty stomach in the AM or not?

Here's Steve's Question:

Is there a way to ask Shawn a brief question? I want to know if he would recommend eating a snack prior to morning workouts. In ABSolution, he recommended an empty stomach.

Is this still his philosophy?

Thanks for all your help and Happy New Year!

Steve...

My answer in audio follows:

The short version for text answer is...

Yes! I still believe it to be an advantage for fat-burning. It's admittedly over-hyped, like most similar advantages but it does help burn a greater percentage of calories from fat.

I think Tom Venuto has done a masterful job of supporting my argument here.

The one thing, as you'll hear in the audio FAQ, I suggest (and practice) eating something before a morning strength workout and going into cardio on "E"mpty.

Without the 150-200 calorie snack before a Strength workout you'll lose strength and intensity and your workout will suffer too much.

Hope this helps!

The Evolution of Fitness in the Context of Life

I used to think that fitness was it-ness, that abs were fab and that anyone who didn't “get it” was missing it.

I used to believe that working out an hour a day was a passing grade and a moderate attempt made.

I used to believe that there were only the fit strivers and the confused, suffering people who didn’t get that they were not on the “right” side of the road.

I used to think that even the busiest person, mother or father must recognize that being soft made for soft kids and sent the wrong message to them about self-care and wellness.

And then I used to be single and the son of my mother and father.

Then I became a parent.

While I am every bit as committed to sharing the message of vibrant health and fitness I now know that there's something infinitely more important than chiseled abs, more powerful that being “show room fit,” more rewarding than a 405 pound bench...

Children.

It’s absolutely true that your health matters, that being here is all important and that your attention to your health and wellness is one of the most important gifts you will ever give your child but there will be times—many—in which the most important gift you can give is the message that they are more important than 1000 kettle-bell swings or 50 miles on the bike.

Sacrifice your presence in the name of the six pack and you may lose something in your connection—for a child might not always get it. They may cognitively understand you care about your abs but the message they’re really getting, on a deeper level, is you don’t care enough about them.

Fitness matters, Life happens.

The true art of living is revealed in how you embrace and integrate your wants, desires, responsibilities and opportunities.

May you hit on the balance and intention that works out for all involved.
 

 

My Freind Joe & 30,000 Heroes

There's less than 12 hours to go until my friend Joe Williams of Boulder, CO prints out the last of thousands of letters and sends them on there way to Afghanistan. 

This instant "moral booster" now dubbed "Dear Hero 2009" was conceived last week while Joe was taking his garbage out. 

Here's the actual email I received from Joe.

Before you read it and after, know there are a few hours left for you to send a Dear Hero Letter to dearhero2009@gmail.com .

Please consider doing so. You'll make some young boys and girls very happy.

Joe's Email to me:

Dear Shawn,

Please help us grant a holiday wish! 

Today as I walked outside, my garbage man stopped at my house as he does every Wednesday morning. As I was waving hello, he walked over and said he had a favor to ask. 

He said that his son is serving in Afghanistan and when asked what he wanted for Christmas his son replied that all he wants is to walk around to his fellow soldiers and hand out morale-boosting letters on Christmas Day. So he asked me if I would write one letter.  I went back inside and told my girlfriend the story and we immediately decided that this was bigger than just one letter. 

We immediately called a few friends to ask for their support and found out that one of our best friends was driving HIS son to the airport for deployment to Afghanistan just today. We then realized that almost all of us know someone who is serving our country and everyone could use a letter of support.  

So we are asking you to help us.  Please send an email to: dearhero2009@gmail.com. 

Your letter will be printed off and folded into an envelope and delivered to his son in Afghanistan.  No postage required.  Just an email.

Regardless of your politics or how you feel about any war, this is not about that.  This is about a father trying to make his son’s Christmas wish come true.
 
We realize there are non-profit organizations that do this, and we fully support their incredible work.  However this is just simply for a humble man to support his son who is thousands of miles away. He is expecting one letter on our porch next Wednesday morning.  Let’s inundate him!  Please send your email by Tuesday evening (November 24th) so we have time to print and stuff!  And by all means, please forward this on to anyone you think might be interested in participating!
 
Thank you for your support!
 
Joe Williams & Alison Curwen

I hope you will consider supporting Joe and Alison and more so, the tens of thousands of young men and women who are in harms way, under immense stress and horribly alone in so many ways.

Yours in Strength!

Shawn

Gravity: Friend and Foe

I know a lot of people who fancy themselves powerful forces in fitness but even the influence of the great Jack LaLanne pales in comparison to the most powerful force in all of fitness: Gravity.

Think about it. It's gravity that gives force and resistance to every otherwise inert dumbbell and barbell. Even the vast majority of machine rely on this prolific, mysterious force.

Without gravity running would be as leisurely as laying on the sofa, and we'll all be "the next Lance Armstrong" on a bike. And climbing Everest would be as heroic an achievement as chewing gum and almost walking.

Yes, when it comes to getting in shape, getting leaner, fitter and stronger gravity is your best friend.

Then, just when you're certain Gravity is your bestest bud, your vital training partner keeping you strong and fit, you step on the scale! And gravity turns on you.

For it is truly the force of Gravity that a scale reads.

My advice is simple: Make friends with this powerful force, learn to work with it, even master it in all aspects of manipulation--much the way a lion training befriends the ferocious beast.

Do this and you will find that Gravity is not really so ferocious, that it's not and never has been against you. Do this and you will find gravity content to be on your side, even when you're on a scale.