Strength and Fitness Blog
Saying “F You” to the Wife
Last week I was training at a local park and struck up a conversation with a man, or rather he struck up one with me.
I often get odd looks when I’m doing my work out because it’s such unusual stuff. Moving like an animal and gymnast is not your run-of-the-mill exercise.
I try to train in as secluded spot as possible so as not to be disturbed. Once in a while someone walking by will ask me what I’m doing because it’s pretty bizarre to them.
The man walking by was middle age and, how shall I put this, rather round and tubby. “Corpulent” would be a good descriptor.
He asked me “What on earth are you doing?”
I explained they were movements of animals and gymnasts, aka The Baran Brothers’ Method of Lean and Mean.
Then he asked “Why?”
“You see,” I explained “these are the best exercises for getting in shape in the fastest time and fun to do.”
“Well,” he interjected proudly, “I don’t have to exercise at all. Never again. I’m married and can look any way I want.” His voice was defiant like he had just won a battle. Over me and his wife.
“Oh, okay. So it’s cool if she gets out of shape, too?” I asked.
“She better not,” he responded. “Men can look any way we want once we’re married.”
“Really? She’s cool with you not exercising?” I asked.
“Who cares,” he laughed. “I’ll do what I want.”
Yikers. That’s nothing but a big “F you” to the wifey. She might not care how flabby he gets, but he might want to know if it bothered her especially if he expects her to be svelte, toned and lean.
Yet that seems to be the opinion of many men.
They expect their women to be perfect yet they can get as whale-ized as they want. Total double standard.
Maybe the wives really don’t care what their men look like. And that’s fine, too.
BUT spouses should care about each other’s health because that’s what exercise is really for; fitness is least of all about looks (that’s just a nice side benefit). Fitness is mostly about health, youth and vitality. And if you’re married you should want that.
I believe you should mostly work out for yourself – whatever the reason – but why not also be in shape for your partner, too? Whether it’s for vanity or health or both, show yourself (and them) some respect.
I know you are not like this man, otherwise you wouldn’t even be reading my emails. And you’d be telling me “F you.” But I’m sure you know someone like this.
Anyway, the man chatted a little bit more and I pretty much said nothing. He was set in his ways and I wasn’t about to try to convince him otherwise.
To each his own but not if it disrespects others.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
P.S. Don’t say “F you” to yourself either. Get stronger, leaner and younger today.
Idiot of the Day
A couple days ago a young dude wrote to me on my Facebook page. He asked me whether bodyweight exercises can build growth hormone and testosterone.
I answered him that they definitely could.
He wrote back that they couldn’t and only weight training could.
I wrote back and told him that doing resistance exercises in strenuous, unique and multi-joint (compound) movements are the superior way to train.
He responded by saying only weights can because he read so in a bodybuilding mag.
We went back and forth like this for a few more times until finally I realized what was happening.
He wanted to start a fight and I gladly obliged. I fell into his trap. His initial question wasn’t inquisitive but purely rhetorical. He didn’t want the truth but wanted to brawl. Looking at his pictures in his profile, he didn’t look like he exercised ever, even with weights.
So, I told him flat out “Look, I’m not going to argue anymore. Good luck with your training.” He tried fighting with me more but I just ignored him and he finally went elsewhere.
But, who really was the idiot here?
Well, I was. Definitely. He was just being obstinate, closed-minded and confrontational. But he was no idiot. I, however, was the one who continued arguing just so I could win an argument that meant nothing with someone who just wanted a fight.
If someone genuinely wants to learn, I’m more than happy to help him. If he just wants to fight, then he can do it by himself. I’m not interested. But this time I fell for it.
If people want to continue living in the dark ages and believe the world is flat, then that’s their prerogative. And I’m not going to try to change their minds.
However, if they’re after the truth then I’m more than happy to tell them that bodyweight exercises build lean, young, strong and functional muscle along with GH and testosterone.
The best way to do it is the Baran Brothers’ Method.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
P.S. This little episode reminded me of the saying “Arguing with a fool proves there are two.” (Doris Smith.) That, I was. Be a genius and get a lean, strong body here.
Embarrassed by Flabby Arms
Flabby arms are a big problem with women, especially after age 40. Even for thin women. Flabby arms are not only unsightly but also an indication of weakness, frailty and less than best health.
This letter I received from a woman demonstrates my point:
Eddie,
I am a very thin 58 year old woman with very flabby triceps. I have osteoporosis and am weak muscled. I always thought heavy women had this problem and I would like to address it. Is it possible to lift up and tighten this amount of sagging? Looking at my arms in the sun, you would think I was much older due my arms appearance. I live in South Florida where it is always warm. I would like to wear tank tops, but with my arms so loose, I don’t know what to do and I’m embarrassed.
Margaret
Margaret,
Yours is a very common problem and a great example of why it’s critical that all people build muscle, especially thin women. If you don’t exercise but maintain your weight or size, you’re only replacing your muscle from youth with flab of middle age. This is especially true of post-menopausal women. Decreased hormone levels combined with decreased activity is a recipe for fat. Thin is not “in” unless there is muscle in the thin.
To get rid of flabby arms, you need exercise because only exercise builds muscle. And bone. The exercises in my Body Sculpting program will tighten and tone your arms, and build your bones and connective tissue, helping to reduce effects of osteoporosis.
Remember, only muscle gives you muscle which gives your body shape. Muscle also burns blubber and makes you strong, healthy and young.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
Cardio and Strength All in 15 Minutes
You might be asking how can a program build strength, tone your body and give you a cardio workout all in 15 minutes?
You’ve been taught to do either doesn’t work or is too much to do:
- Weight train in the gym for an hour.
- Run or do cardio for another hour.
That’s a waste of energy and time. Weight training doesn’t give you the real strength or cardio that bodyweight exercises can give you.
Cardio or running won’t tone and strengthen your body, and it won’t give you the aerobic benefits that bodyweight exercises can.
Here’s a letter I got from a runner who’s been on my Body Sculpting program a short while but sees the beauty of it:
Eddie,
I just wanted to say that a few weeks ago I purchased your Body Sculpting Bodyweight Exercises for Women program and it’s fantastic. I’m a runner, yet I always felt flabby and out of shape in certain areas. But after only 3 weeks of doing these exercises I’m already noticing a difference in my body tone and posture.I’ve also actually enjoyed the exercises, which is very unusual for me. I like the challenge it brings me and after only 15 minutes of doing these, I feel like I’ve been for a long run!
Thanks again for a great program.
All the best,
Mila
Mila, good on you for doing the program. And you’re right on all counts: the the program is fun to do, gives you a great cardio and tones you up in a jiffy.
If you haven’t yet gotten with the program, time to do it now. Go here and see what it’s all about.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
P.S. It’s not just for women. Many men are enjoying the benefits of these exercises.
How to speak Australian
Back in these 1990′s, Foster’s beer had some clever commercials here in the States that would give the Australian translation for common things.
Of course it wasn’t really a translation, but more of an entertaining depiction of our American view of Aussies: fun, easygoing, tough, rough, rugged, resilient and resourceful.
For example, one commercial showed a man dressed in Aussie garb walk up to a closed door, then headbutt the door open completely off its hinges. The voiceover then says “Locksmith.”
Another one simply showed a great white shark with the voiceover saying “Guppy.” Nothing says tough like calling a man-eating predator a little baby fishie. That’s the Yank view of the Ozzies.
Only problem was Foster’s tagline “Foster’s, Australian for Beer” was a little off. More accurate would be “Foster’s, Australian for BAD beer.”
I mean, I don’t think any true Ocker would dare drink that swill, but their old commercials were great.
Anyway, about 6 years back I got into some hot water when I wrote an email about toning the tush that was entitled “How to Firm Your Fanny.” I got a good number of Aussies and Brits telling me what the “fanny” referred to in their countries.
Let’s just say it’s on the opposite side (down under? sorry) of what we Americans refer to as a fanny, which is a lady’s “lady” area. And what we refer to as a fanny, i.e. the rear posterior gluteal region, they call a “bum.”
Well, that confuses things a bit. So, now I’m learning how to correctly speak Australian and I’ve got real Aussies to help me. My Ozzie teachers Dave and Shaz offered the following clarifications:
Because the Aussie “fanny” is different than the Yankee one, ergo so is the fanny pack. They call that a “bum bag.” But a bum bag to us sounds like something a homeless person keeps his personals in. Now I’m confused.
And then there’s the thong. In the US, a thong is a very skimpy and revealing woman’s bathing suit or underpants. But in Oz, thongs are flip-flops.
So what about “cheeky”? Does that have something to do with the fanny, er I mean, bum or uh … ah, never mind. That’s a lesson for a later time. I’m still learning the language but you get the gist.
One thing for sure, as demonstrated in the old Foster’s beer commercials, is that Aussies are a tough breed. They’re tough people and they have the toughest animals around. Their national symbol is the kangaroo, one of my favorite animals.
Kangaroo is Australian for tough and tenacious. The ‘roo is as rough and rugged as they come. They have some of the strongest legs known, can leap like superman, and can rip you to shreds with a single kick.
You want some real Aussie kangaroo toughness and strength while having Aussie fun? Then you’ll need the one and only Animal Kingdom Conditioning program because it comes with our Kangaroo exercise.
Our Kangaroo exercise will turn the doughiest, flimsiest, feeblest of humans into a rough, rugged, ripped, mean and lean Australian animal.
This Kangaroo exercise builds strong legs, strong heart, strong back and a super strong core. It’s one of the toughest ab exercises around.
Today is Australia Day down under, so Happy Australia Day to all my Aussie mates.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
P.S. DON’T put another shrimp on the barbie. They’re called prawns in Oz. And if you want to get your head kicked off then be sure to call an Aussie woman “Sheila.” It’d be smarter to box a kangaroo.
Miss Lucifer
When I was in the 10th grade, I was failing English class. My teacher was nasty, condescending and just plain mean (but not in the good lean and mean way).
Her name was Miss Luther but we called her Miss Lucifer for obvious reasons.
One day she stood up in front of the class and bemoaned what rotten students we were. To illustrate this fact, she displayed a recently graded term paper, bloodied with red corrections all over. There was a big letter “F” circled on the paper. She displayed it as an example of the worst of the worst.
The name was visible enough for all to see whose paper this was. It was mine. I was completely, embarrassed, shamed and mortified. I felt about an inch high.
I’m all for failing students who deserve it but there’s no reason for public humiliation.
I don’t know what her motives were but all it did was make me feel like garbage and further convince me that I was stupid and couldn’t put two sentences together.
So I just stopped doing any work altogether and the F’s started to pile up. I pretty much said “F this class, F Miss Lucifer, F it all.”
However, even though her methods were horrible, in a roundabout, indirect way this episode did make me want to improve.
I decided that by quitting all I’d be doing was hurting myself. No doubt Miss Luther was a bad teacher, but that didn’t mean I shouldn’t try to do well. If I failed I’d just be proving her right. That’d be like cutting off my nose to spite my face.
I vowed to myself (not to my teacher) that I was going to learn how to write. It was in my best interest.
To do this, I had to be totally honest with myself. I realized that in spite of the teacher’s poor methods I did deserve the grade she gave me (though not the public execution). I knew I needed to improve my weak writing skills but it wasn’t going to happen overnight.
I also knew that it was possible to be good. I assessed where I was at and moved forward from there.
So, I decided to get lean and mean (in the good way) with my writing and buckle down.
Little by little I learned to write and I actually ended up getting an A in the class.
All of us have our own Miss Luther beating us up. They come in the form of other people, society, or even our own selves, telling us we’re useless, worthless and weak, or whatever.
When you hear that, just disregard the charged, emotional judgement that puts you down. Instead, honestly assess where you’re at and where you want to go.
Don’t lie to yourself and say you’re in super shape when you’re not, because then you’re only hurting yourself. I acknowledged that I wasn’t a good writer who needed to improve. That was a fact.
BUT, you do have super shape within you. You just haven’t realized it yet.
So, get rid of all people and thoughts that say you suck, because you don’t. Just acknowledge where you are and move forward.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
Demented Donna of the Dorm
When I was a freshman in college, there was a gal who lived in our dorm. Her name was Donna.
She earned the moniker “Demented Donna” by everyone because of her behavior.
Donna was angry, belligerent, irrational and melodramatic about everything. It was wise to give her a wide berth and stay out of her hair otherwise prepare to find yourself at the losing end of a psychotic episode of untold proportions.
For example, one time she went off on a rage that someone took her toothpaste and went on a rampage, accusing the entire dorm of conspiring against her dental health. Little paranoid, I’d say. Turns out she misplaced it.
But “sorry” wasn’t in her vocabulary. She got off on getting angry so refused to believe the facts. She liked her self-righteous anger.
She was very good looking so she would often attract the attention of some rather “adventurous” gentleman suitors, if you will. But they’d never last long because she pretty much ate them up alive. Doesn’t matter how good looking, exciting or great in the boudoir a woman is because crazy ain’t ever
worth it.
Was Donna mentally ill and really suffering from dementia, or was she just a little off kilter and acting out? Nobody knew.
Either way she didn’t take care of the problem and it just got worse. She eventually dropped out of school never to be heard from again. Hopefully she hit her bottom and started working her way to being healthy and normal.
The thing is, dementia is no laughing matter. It can affect any of us.
As we age our brains get out of shape, just like our bodies do. If you’re inactive your body will fall apart. And your brain falls apart, too, due to physical inactivity.
Yes, you need to keep mentally in shape by doing crosswords and other thinking exercises, but research is showing that hard physical exercise is very critical for brain health.
“But, Special Ed,” you protest, “I’m only 35. I don’t need to worry about dementia now.”
You’re right. You don’t need to worry about it now because if your body is getting a good hard, mean and lean workout from the Baran Brothers then your body and brain have a better chance of being fine. You’ll reduce the risk for dementia due to aging when you exercise hard.
Would my exercises have helped Demented Donna? To a degree but she needed a lot more help. But they will help you. Start off slowly and then go hardcore for the supreme body and brain.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
P.S. They call me Dement-Ed because I give so much in my programs. Get un-demented today.
Beatdown, McDonald’s Style
A couple months ago I saw a video of a fight in McDonald’s between two female patrons and the male cashier.
The two customers were trying to pay with a fifty dollar bill which appeared to be counterfeit to the cashier. When he refused it, they were offended that he didn’t accept their (most likely) bogus cash. And since you’re not supposed to offend anyone, they felt it was within their rights to slap the cashier. Next thing you know, the two women jump over the counter and assaulted him. He backpedaled and tried to get away, but the women continued fighting him.
So, he did what anyone should do and defended himself. He picked up a metal rod and fought back, beating them off. And beating them down to the ground.
The news media, as they always do, skewed the story and took it out of context to make it seem as though the cashier assaulted two “innocent” women out of the blue. Apparently their violence toward him was fine but his defense was wrong or excessive. And people ask me why I don’t watch the news anymore.
Let’s face it. Walk into a McDonald’s and you’re going to get hurt, one way or another. And just like these two women who started a fight, you’re fighting with your body if you patronize such fine dining establishments.
So here’s the takeaway from all this:
1. Might be best not to venture into a McD’s. Bad for your health either way. Even if you don’t assault an employee the food will assault you. McDonald’s = McDisease.
2. Fast food is fine once in a while, but the majority of the food you eat should be good food. That way the bad food won’t even make a dent. It’s like dropping a cup of dirty water into a clear, pristine lake. It’ll just vanish.
3. You can fight back against flab and poor health that’s assaulting you. Don’t be passive and let age, inactivity or bad food ride roughshod over you.
If you want to know how to stop your body from getting beaten up go here now.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
Martial Artist vs. Partial Artist
Are you a martial artist or are you a partial artist?
A partial artist is one who isn’t using his entire power capacity. They’re only using a partial amount of their physical power, whereas as martial artist can generate all of his power.
Most martial artists are partial artists because most martial artists don’t know the proper way to train their core. Sure, you’ll hear every sensei or sifu talk about the importance of training the core, and what they show is pretty good.
But it’s not nearly enough. There’s a better way.
Most of the ab exercises martial artists do (or any athlete for that matter) just don’t hold a candle to the ab exercises gymnasts do. Why?
Because in other sports you can get by with mediocre ab strength. In gymnastics, however, with merely average abs you’ll never be able to do the skill.
Or worse, you’ll break into a hundred pieces trying to do so. Supreme abs ensure the gymnast is as strong as possible to do what he needs to do without problems.
Good abs won’t cut it either. They’ve got to be great.
You need core training that utilizes ALL of your strength, not just the abs. In other ab training there’s a disconnect between your feet, legs, core, torso, arms and hands – and head!
You’re only using part of your real core strength, and an even smaller fraction of your total body strength. Gymnastic Abs builds a super strong core that ties all of your muscles together so you’re using total strength, not partial strength.
A gymnast trains his abs so it ties all of his muscles together, giving him strength in the rest of his body. You know, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Now just imagine what damage a fighter can do to the other guy if he actually trained his abs correctly. Sounds like it wouldn’t be a fair fight. Give yourself an unfair advantage over everyone else by getting Gymnastic Abs.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
P.S. It’s not only WHAT exercises you do but HOW you do them. We show you the “what” and the “how” in Gymnastic Abs.
Living in Disneyland
When I was in the 3rd grade, My brother Andy and I, along with our friend Roger, decided we were going to run away to Disneyland and live in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
We had no problems with home or anything like that, but we just thought it would be kinda cool to live at Disneyland.
So one Saturday morning we got up early and headed out. We were going to walk all the way from San Diego, California, a 100-mile jaunt north to the Magical Kingdom in Anaheim.
We had no map or plan other than to start walking. We got as far as the grocery store, about 1 mile south of home (in the wrong direction). We decided we were hungry and should just call it a day. So we headed back. Living in Disneyland would
have to wait.
Problem was (other than being 7) we didn’t have a plan or a proven method of getting to our goal. We didn’t know how we could reach our destination. We just went and did it.
Sometimes this is okay, but for the majority of cases you need some sort of roadmap. It’s important to have a goal, but if you don’t know how to get to your destination then you’re not going to get there.
Wanting it simply isn’t enough.
And this is the problem many people run into when trying to get into mean and lean. They don’t have a clue as how to do it but they go ahead and throw caution to the wind hoping something sticks. A Hail Mary pass.
Much like what happened to Roger, my brother and me, it’ll send you in the wrong direction, and ultimately back to square one. You need a proven plan to get to the Magical Kingdom.
With our Baran Brothers’ Exercises we tell you exactly what to do, what exercises to do, how much of them.
All you have to do is follow the program. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym wasting your time and energy. Just minutes a day to start with will get the trick done.
This is the roadmap you need to reach your destination of a strong, healthy and fit body.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
P.S. You might know where you want to go but don’t know how to get there. Go here and see how you can do it.
