Dear Reader,

I’m on the clock here. Got about 15 minute or so before I gotta make a quick dash to drop my daughter off to school.

Last day before the holidays, and apparently there’ll be a farewell party of sorts – – and of course, if my little girl is late, guess whose fault it is, hehe.

Anyway, last night I saw my wife packing up a bunch of goodies in my daughter’s tiny little lunch box.

Chocolates. Candy. Sugar coated biscuits. Cream biscuits – in short, all those “yummy treats” that little kids love – and that adults gorge on on a regular basis as well though they shouldn’t be.

‘Twas kind of amazing, since I thought my wife was, for the most part against stuffing kids to the gourd with junk food (as opposed to a lot of other parents out there who, again, amazingly enough seem to have little or no problem with it).

What was going on?

“Papa! It’s my junk food day tomorrow!” my  little girl piped up in the background.

“Huh? You mean at home?”

“No, not at home”, my wife responded. And she went on to explain that their school apparently has a “designated” junk food day – that being Friday – where the kids can officially gorge all they like before returning to healthier diets (in theory, at least, hehe).

And I actually agree with this concept.

In the Simple And Effective Diet, I wrote that if you do the right thing 99% of the time – your body will forgive you for the occasional indulgence.

In fact, human nature dictates its it’s nigh impossible to stay on the “straight and narrow” permanently for any length of time – and allowing yourself a day (or certain times during the week) to stuff your gourd with forbidden delicacies before “getting back on the stick” is a GOOD idea – because you aren’t depriving yourself of anything.

Regardless, there are SO many better days we could have in the week – for adults, mind you. Not kids.

How about a “0 Excuses Fitness” day – at least three times a week, preferable DAILY?

How about a “100 pushups a day” – at least FIVE times a week – done early in the morning in place of coffee and soggy, mushy (and “squishy” as my little one says) doughnuts?

How about a “sprint day” – done perhaps on Friday before your cheat days?

As adults, we need THESE days far, far more than designated junk food days anyway, my friend. Most adults stuff their gourds all week long with foods they should NOT be eating anyway – and there’s no real need for a “designated” day to do so.

Anyway, I’m off for the nonce. My daughter is crying, and the wife is agitated – and it’s all my fault, hehe.

Back again later – in the meantime – make SURE to make today YOUR 0 Excuses Fitness day as well.

NO excuses – write back and tell me how it went!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – I asked my buddy from the Marines to do me “one last favor” before I left China. Can you guess what it was? I’ll give you a hint – it’s got something to do with African silverback gorillas – – minus the chest thumping of course, hehe. See if you can guess right!

P.S. #2 – By the way, if you haven’t checked out my ADVANCED course on gripping – a course that blows the initial bestselling Gorilla Grip right out of the water – do so NOW and do so right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/gorilla-grip-advanced/. 

P.P.S # – 11:02 minutes. I’m out.

Dear Reader,

Well, well, WELL. If you’re wondering about the recent “lack of radio communication” from 0 Excuses HQ, I understand fully.

It’s been a tumultous last couple of days – – and the events that took place are as follows – – me leaving China (something I’ve written about and referenced in the last few posts) – – a place I’ve been for a LONG time, and leaving (of course) my beloved workout park behind as well, “reuniting” after a longish break of sorts with family, and much more.

Key thing to note though that when it happened, it ALL happened in the blink of an eye – so quickly that I couldn’t even say hallejulah. Everything lined up perfectly from the traffic to the final “grab” off the luggage carousel – almost as if it was pre-ordained that May 15, 2018 was the date my trip would occur.

And JUST like it happened in a dream that I experienced around November (end of Nov) if I recall correctly – I was literally GRABBED by a current of FAST moving energy – and before I knew it, I was at my destination – that being India.

Anyway, esoterism aside, it’ll be my home for now – and I should be here for the foreseeable future.

And fitness wise, you’d think that the change of diet, and travel etc would have left me in bad condition upon getting here – and by that I don’t mean physically- I mean mentally as well.

Not a chance, my friend. Although conditions here are very different from what I’m used to in China – my current conditioning levels allow me to adapt seamlessly – with far less “jet lag” or “travel sickness” or anything of that nature that a lot of folks experience.

Anyway, one of the first things I did this morning after dropping my daughter off to school was to scout out potential workout spots – and I spotted a park I’ve been to in the past right along the way.

Perfect place to workout – and do some sprints – – or even crank out some 0 Excuses Fitness stuff right there in the fresh morning air, hehe.

Stay tuned on that one – I’ll be updating you regularly as I did back when I was in China – and there should be plenty of interesting stuff to report from the “land of the spiritual” as it were!

Oh and if you think it’s been a relaxing time thus far (the last couple of days) – well – YES – and NO.

If you’re talking fitness – try keeping up with a sprightly young 4 year old hell bent on wreaking havoc all over the house, hehe.

Most adults – and I’m talking those in GOOD conditioning – could use a lesson or two in terms of stamina and conditioning from young kids – and if you don’t believe me – well – just do what I said above and try keeping up with any kid below the age of 5 or so that hasn’t been raised on a diet of Micky D’s and dumbphones. You’ll see what I mean!

Part of the key to this is the way young kids breathe – which is NATURALLY. From the abdomen as opposed to the chest. Deep inhales and deep exhales – all done WITHOUT thinking about it – and exactly as I’ve described in the System.

And of course, natural movements that kids do naturally for fun without even thinking of it as exercise.

The bear crawl (a favorite of my daughter). The duck waddle. Alligator crawls. And plenty of other good stuff that the average pot bellied adult would do good to even HOLD position in, let alone crank out reps etc for any length of time.

I’ve described plenty of such blubber roasting movements in Advanced Hill Training – and YES – you CAN – and SHOULD incorporate these into your daily routine regardless of whether you’ve got a hill in close proximity or not. I sure will, although I don’t currently have a hill near to me as I did in China!

Alright, my friend – that’s it for now. I’m off to shake my hands out and recover from the pounding they’ve been through while opening the top of the filter in the water dispenser back home. Golly now THAT was a tough ‘un to unscrew!!!

Best,

Rahul

P.S. – Stay tuned for more updates, and my “India specific” workouts as it were!

P.S #2 – If you haven’t already, grab YOUR copy of 0 Excuses Fitness right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

 

Dear Reader,

Mountains anywhere in the world, without exception, are the most awe inspiring and healthy places to visit – bar none.

Beaches and the ocean rank a distant second in my opinion – – because these, by the very nature of being “more readily accessible” to all and sundry have ended up becoming way too crowded and polluted in many regards.

Unless we’re talking Northern Darwin in Oz, of course, where it’s just you and the salties – and an occasional skeleton for company, but I rather doubt that would be the best place to set tent down and hope for a “tranquil” vacation by the sea side …

Anyway, the Indian Himalayas (which I referenced in my last post) in my opinion are by FAR the most awe inspiring out of ALL the most awe inspiring mountain ranges in the world. Not only that, those that have been there and experienced the place will know the sheer sense of tranquility and “peace” that seeps into you the minute you climb into the foothills and start either driving/walking on the meandering roads that cling (sometimes precariously so) to the mighty hills.

Note – – when I’m saying “experience”, I mean on foot – as opposed to what a lot of lunatics do which is to basically drive through the entire trip without setting foot outdoors even once for the most part (unless we’re talking restaurant – or the porcelain throne – or the couch – and YES, there ARE people who classify a “relaxing holiday in the hills” as “sitting on the couch and watching cable TV).

Ludicrous as that last bit might sound, it’s true. I mean, who in their right minds would visit the Himalayas and not even so much as take a walk around?

The fresh air – the Nature – the scenery – and the sheer PEACE of this place is unparalleled in the entire world, my friend – and the Himalayas are well worth at least ONE – – if not TWO — or more visits in YOUR lifetime as well.

Anyway, I seem to be deviating from the topic at hand. What was that …

Ah yes. One of our (my family and me) pet favorites, if not THE most favorite place to visit in the Indian Himalayas is Khajjiar – – an extremely scenic spot around 7000 or so meters about sea level if I’ve got it right – – and a spot that has been nicknamed the “Switzerland of India”.

We fell in love with this place the first time we visited in 2012 – – and sure enough, ended up  back there another five or so years later, specifically in April 2017 – – and much like the China experience I wrote about the last time, this was NOT planned.

It just happened – and of course, my daughter loved every minute of the trip/adventure.

And one of the first things she said, and kept on saying throughout the entire trip (upon encountering one hill upon another) was “Can I climb those Daddy”?

“Of course you can sweetie”.

“But they’re so high!”

“So what? You tackle it one step at a time – – and you’ll get to the top in no time!”

“But it’s so tall!”

“No problem, Barb! We’ll do it together – one step at a time … ”

And so forth. Kids have an insanely cute way of repeating the same thing many times, and my daughter clung on to her “it’s too tall” mantra until we arrived at our destination and promptly made our way up a steep hillside.

Now, mind you, this is NOT Qi Feng we’re talking about that has been well touched by “modernity” in the form of steps, easy routes, tough routes and so forth.

We were basically climbing through the brush – the light jungle, if I might say so – on foot – sometimes on all fours, and it was a sight indeed to behold my three year old (at the time) actually leading the way, “stick” in hand for support, ploughing through the country with all the determination of a charging rhinoceros bottled up in a three year old’s body.

“Well, that wasn’t too bad was it Barbara” I remarked once we made it to the top of one hill, came upon a meadow, and started upon another.

“Yay! We DID IT, Papa!” … followed by joyful cheers from my three year old who finally DID come to agree that the hill, though it looked tough, was NOT insurmountable by any means.

And how does this apply to fitness – or life in general?

Well, simple – when you’re faced with a problem that looks utterly impossible to solve – or insurmountable, if I  might say so, BREAK it down into “man sized” bits.

In other words, remember the old saying “eat a bear at a time”.

Above all that though, remember that the problem – or hill – CAN be conquered.

If you’re currently about 50-60 kgs overweight, and the idea of doing 100 – or even 10 – pushups seems ludicrous and an obstacle you CANNOT surmount, well, think again. Think several times – and think like a 3 year old would in this case.

If you’ve never done a pull-up in your life, and have been unable to do a single one as a teen or an adult – chances are you think progressing to more than 5 reps at a time – or more than 25 total reps in a workout is an utter impossibility – let alone more rarefied numbers.

But you’re wrong, my friend. You’re wrong. My book “Pull-ups – – from DUD to STUD – – within a few WEEKS” HAS indeed gotten folks from “dud” to “stud” level at pull-ups – – and that’s not even the advanced course, which contains workout that would kick even the most advanced trainees on their rump within a minute or so of doing the routines mentioned therein.

The MOST useful part of the book tho IMO is NOT the actual part where I detail how to do pull-ups correctly.

NO – it is in the sections that precede this part. Where I talk about the mental side of things. Gumption. Determination. And above all, my OWN personal experience with getting my own pull-ups from a measly 20 or so per workout to well above 100 /workout (and this when I was already in good shape, mind you).

The main thing to remember though is this – whatever your fitness related (or life) goals are – chances are they are DOABLE – if you BELIEVE they are doable – and if you get the right guidance.

I can’t magically change the belief part for you, but I CAN give you the right guidance, my friend.

And believe me – when you implement what I teach in my courses – you’ll skyrocket yourself along to your goals of super health and fitness in record time.

Start right here today.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – I’ll be doing a post on “Manki point” – – an extremely short – – but TOUGH climb in the Himalays (or so it felt to me back then) shortly. Be on the outlook for it!

 

Dear Reader,

Today’s post might appear to be off topic. Not about fitness – or anything in particular for that matter.

But it is, my friend. It is. In fact, read carefully enough – and you might find a lesson or two – or several embedded somewhere deep inside this “stream of consciousness” email I’m sending you right now.

Flash back – – Around 3:00 P.M. on a Saturday evening in 2004. ‘Twas the first time I had been introduced to this park – by a then girl friend of mine, and funnily enough that was the first time I had ever noticed it – let alone BEEN there – despite living but a stone’s throw away from the place.

‘Tis funny but true. Often times the most valuable resources – or people – are right there in front of us staring us in the eye – and we blithely ignore ’em. It’s human nature to ignore – or take for granted – until it either gets taken away or otherwise “lost”.

Anyway, that was the first time I clambered up the mighty Qi Feng hill – a climb that kicked me in the can not just for that day – but for at least two days after. I’ve written in the past that it felt like a Mack Truck ran over me that first evening – but wrecking machine would probably be a more apt descriptor, hehe.

–> 2005 –> October 11 or so I think it was, when this foreign devil was all alone in the park on a Thursday (I believe) morning.

‘Twas a blistering hot and humid day – so hot that each breath felt like I was breathing in FIRE into my lungs. Granted, part of this was that I wasn’t anywhere near in the shape I am NOW – the same climbs and sprints in the same temperatures don’t feel near as tough – but still, it was a hot, hot day – so hot that even the birds seemed to have stopped chirping in the trees and taken a siesta.

I stood at the gateway of that park and bade it goodbye as I prepared to walk away to “new lands” – – but something stopped me.

SOMETHING struck deep, deep at my heart. And I paused, taking a look back, and the words just came out.

“I’ll be back. I promise”.

Years later, this same foreign devil was back at that SAME place – and even more years later, 2013 to be exact, he was back YET again in a far “bigger” avatar if you get my drift.

We are who we are, my friend. Try as we might, we cannot outrun two things – 1) our self image and 2) our deepest desires.

I had NO inkling – or even plans of returning to China in 2005, and yet here I am, all these years later  …. through certain “twists” and turns that took place in my life WITHOUT me consciously trying to make said twists happen.

–> 2018, May 14, 2:00 P.M. or so. This same foreign devil bade goodbye to the park yet again – and yet again, the same words came out – with two additional words – or four, to be precise, I think.

“I’ll be back, I promise – but with my daughter. Thank you, Qi Feng. Thank you!”.

And being my daughter climbed her first real hill at the age of 3 – – that too in the mighty Himalayas, I doubt this one would pose any “troubles” for her. More on that in the next email tho!

You might be wondering why I “thank” this place?

Well, its HERE that the fitness bug really struck me, my friend – way, way back in 2004.

Though I swam and played tennis ever since I was young (two activities I haven’t been doing much of as of late) – – I was never really a fitness buff until I was introduced to this hill.

ALL my products have been created after super workouts either here or in my living room – – but believe it or not, I’ve done plenty of living room 0 Excuses Workouts right out there in the park as well.

There are few places in the world other than the Indian Himalayas (look for more on this in the next post) which have provided me with as much peace of mind and equanimity – – not to mention AWESOME workouts – – than this park, my friend.

And it is with a great sense of gratitude that I utter the words – thank you, Qi Feng.

Thank you for being there for me, and putting me through ball busters daily. Thank you for being ONE of the VERY few places in the world where I can relax – workout – and LET IT ALL GO.

Thank you for – well … Thank you for “materializing” into my life way back in 2004!

And this rather lengthy dispatch wouldn’t be complete without a few special mentions. Here, in no particular order they are – –

The old man in China I met here who climbs this hill on a daily basis. I’ve mentioned him before, and I’ll say it again – – he is indeed an inspiration, and I think of him many a times when putting myself through what might seem like “torturous” routines.

The guys who workout with me – even the pumpers and toners, hehe. Though my Chinese is rusty at best, and their English about at the same level, language often isn’t required. Workouts can and do often form bonds that last a lifetime WITHOUT uttering a single full sentence.

The security at the park – specifically, the one guy who does dips in a rather “interesting” manner, and one whom I’ve mentioned before on the old site as well.  And those that so kindly took the pictures for Advanced Hill Training – – a product created right in the “mayhem” of the 2018 Lunar New Year holidays as it were.

And so forth.

Today’s workout was a  great, great one – and I almost had to drag myself away from the scorching heat and humidity when it was all over. Might sound strange, but the heat didn’t even bother me today.

As I proceeded through my workouts, certain Chinese songs came on on the public announcement systems in the park, and each of them seemed to mirror my emotions at that point EXACTLY.

I cruised through my workout – – yet I did so in “super slow” motion, taking in every detail around me. Every noise. The birds singing. The kids playing behind me. The moms spraying anti mosquito repellant on said toddler’s legs. And so forth …

I didn’t see the old man today, but he’s soldiering up that hill right now, my friend – as I write this to you. ‘Tis about 2:30 P.M. , and the sun is blazing out full force, but he’s a tough dude – and lets nothing come in between him and his daily climb!

Thank you to all these people – and you, Qi Feng San (mountain) once again for making all this possible.

Thank you for being there “in spirit” for yet another most interesting, REWARDING, and yet tumultuous period in my life.

And thank you for the workout today – as I head on to what promises to be an even more rewarding phase in my life, I’ll have you in mind – and I’ll do so all my life – and so will my little girl when she visits for the first time.

I don’t know when – – but it’ll happen.

Last, but not least, a HUGE thank YOU to all of YOU reading this, my friends. My apologies again for the extra long “outburst” here, but it is what it is, and sometimes you just gotta say things for what they are (as if I don’t already, hehe).

Zai Jian (Goodbye) for now,

“Mou Hua The” a.k.a Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – I mention some of the EXACT same workouts I did on that hill – and that whopped my butt into super duper shape ultra quick at the end of the book, and you owe it to yourself to take a look at it, my friend. Truly inspiring, even if I say so myself! Here is the entire System for your perusal – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

P.S. #2 – – Be on the outlook for several new products coming out shortly. The first in line is a handstand pushup video which I SHOULD (touchwood) have done by next week and will put it online shortly thereafter. Be on the outlook for it!

Dear Reader,

Today I’ll talk a bit about a topic a LOT of readers will be interested in. In fact, I’ve received several inquiries about this not just from customers and the like, but also folks in general.

Sprints, for whatever reason lend themselves to a topic of interest to most people – – and even the “bros” and “gym rats” ‘s ears seem to perk up that little extra bit when they hear of sprints – – and why not?

Though all bodyweight exercises – – especially the advanced ones are worthy of awe and admiration – – nothing, I repeat, nothing – – quite beats the sheer spectacle of a sprinter sprinting FLAT out.

Going ALL out – be it on hills or on flat terrain!

NOTHING quite compares to the image that indelibly imprints itself in your mind – – either when you see someone doing these – – or the image of “yourself” doing it (if you’re doing them).

Anyway, my answer to the inevitable “which one is better” might surprise you.

I’ll start off by saying they’re BOTH awesome movements – – and both are advanced workouts. You do NOT want to sprint off a lengthy hiatus from exercise – – or a perch on the ole couch – – and jump straight into doing’em. No way.

And they’re BOTH excellent tools for fat loss and building muscle in the quickest amount of time possible.

That’s why sprints are included in ALL the routines in Advanced Hill Training, by the way – – a manual which is an absolute must-grab if you’re interested in losing fat in record time – and keeping said blubber off permanently.

Now, which is better?

Well, it depends upon your personal situation – – but as of late, I’ve been leaning more towards land sprints, my friend.

This might surprise you given that hill sprints are what most people (myself included) have often spoken off as being one of the toughest exercises you can do – – bar none – – and there’s good reason behind that as well.

Make no mistake – – hill sprints are hard, hard work – – and they WILL get the heart roaring and they WILL keep the blubber burning factory inside of you at work overtime as well.

But land sprints are a different beast altogether, and in a different way. And I choose land sprints these days because of this – – hills simply do NOT allow you to reach your absolute MAXIMUM speed – – and maintain that for more than a few seconds.

Neither do land sprints, of course, but the time you can maintain your max intensity is a LOT higher due to the flat land.

Does this make it EASIER though?

Not a chance, my friend. There’s a reason why Olympic sprints are done on FLAT land as opposed to hilly terrain or slopes ….

No – it does NOT make it any easier, and what’s more – land sprints work the hamstrings (that large and often ignored muscle at the back of your legs) a LOT more than hill sprints do – – provided of course you’re cranking that sprint up to max intensity.

Now, and again, don’t get me wrong. I highly recommend hill sprints in both 0 Excuses Fitness and Advanced Hill Training, and truth be told, it’s probably actually better to start off with jogging up hill than sprinting on land – – simply because the hill doesn’t let you get to a point where you can injure your ankles or hamstrings – – or worse.

But once you get GOOD at sprinting, you’ll naturally want to gravitate onto flat land and sprint more often – -and believe me now and trust me later, the fat benefits will be the same if not even better in certain regards.

Not to mention the mental effects. I just got done with 70% intensity sprints (as part of an overall workout) and everything be alllll goooood, my friend. All good in the hood – – and I seem to buzzing on ALL cylinders now and more!

So thats it for today. If you’re at a level where you can incorporate sprints into your routine – do so – and do BOTH types of sprints on a regular basis. You’ll be amazed at the sheer transformation that takes place thereafter!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – And if you’re amongst those that for whatever reason haven’t grabbed 0 Excuses Fitness as yet, what are you waiting for, my friend? Doesn’t ever do any good to “postpone the inevitable” – or procrastinate when it comes to your health and fitness. Sprint on over NOW to grab your copy – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

P.S. #1 – – And once you’re done, don’t forget to pick up Advanced Hill Training as well right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/

 

 

Dear Reader,

Over the past month or so I’ve noticed a marked change in the way my T-shirts fit.

Though they’ve always been “hugging” me – a.k.a the “bodyhugging” style of T-shirt  (something which I don’t really prefer by the way as it makes it harder for the body to “breathe” when working out), its different these days.

In fact, I wouldn’t be kidding if I told you simply tearing off the sweat soaked Tshirt off my back can sometimes be a workout “finisher” par excellence, my friend.

And the major and most surprising change is this – it’s my CHEST which has grown much larger over the past month or so, and continues to do so with every workout.

It’s this body part – strangely enough, which is the MOST trained for most people – gym goers, jocks and athletes alike, and yet I devote little or no time to “direct” chest training, and yet …

Along with this, my traps have taken on a whole new dimension altogether, though again it’s the chest and shoulders that have seen the most growth.

Now, at this point you might be saying my pushups – or pull-ups or any of the other 0 Excuses Fitness stuff I pound out regularly contributed to this, and you wouldn’t be entirely wrong.

But there’s more, my friend. There’s more.

And the real key to this growth is something I’ve always known, but I’ve really been “hammering it home” in terms of actual workouts over the past few weeks.

What is it?

Something that might surprise you – or maybe not. I don’t know.

It’s sprints, my friend – and NOT uphill sprints – but LAND sprints that have contributed to this growth.

Sprints, as I’ve talked about before are a full body workout unto themselves, but do them at the end of an already tough workout, and you take them to a whole another level, my friend.

Let me tell you, there is NO feeling in the world akin to that you get both DURING – and AFTER – a set of sprints done at max intensity – be they on land or hills or inclines or even stairs.

NONE at all, and the growth you get in your entire body with these are unparalleled – as are the fat burning effects.

As I said last night, you’ll literally burn fat for up to 48 hours after a workout if done right – – and this without any active workouts in those 48 hours!

Can’t beat that, eh?

Anyway, what I do is at an advanced level – way more than what most regular trainees would be able to handle, but HERE is the good news – you do NOT need to begin at “Bourne Sprint” levels!

What I state in (and constantly carp upon with darn good reason) in Advanced Hill Training will get you started REAL good as well – and if you currently cannot do bipedal sprints – or even running – and there is good chance the majority of those reading this can’t – well – start with the animal movements mentioned therein.

Let me tell you, the bear crawl for one is another highly effective movement for melting lard off your body – and FAST.

And as for packing muscle on to your frame? Well, this simple movement is deceptive, my friend – and amazingly enough you’ll find yourself to be getting a heck of core and lower body workout when you do these – not to mention partake of the workouts in the book itself.

And THIS will build a solid base – and lead to massive growth in your upper body if you do ’em regularly – as I do, hehe.

Most of all though, you can’t beat the sheer feeling you get after doing these, my friend. The sheer feeling of feeling on top of the world. Being able to BLAST through any and all obstacles while looking your opposition in the eye – with the EYE of the TIGER, so to speak.

Feeling like Rocky did after that lonnnnng run and sprint up the stairs – or park, in Rocky II – and THAT feeling, my friend can’t be beat. It’s just that simple.

Still think pounding the treadmill will get the trick done? Still think bodyweight stuff is “too easy” or “useless”?

Well, here’s an acid test – pound your treadmill at “moderate” intensity for half an hour while sipping your latte and watching TV (or ogling the birds). Then get down on all fours and walk – SLOWLY – in the bear crawl position for ONE minute. ONE minute. That’s all. and WALK, not sprint.

Come back and tell me how it feels, and which was harder.

I’ll bet you my Aunt Matilda (not really, hehe) it was the latter.

So get on the stick today, my friend. It’s the best thing you can do for your health and fitness by far!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Here is the link for Advanced Hill Training once again – – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/

Dear reader,

Well, well well. Got done with a ball busting, lung thumping heavy duty workout this afternoon – and after sending you an email and taking care of a couple of other things – – it was off to a good friend’s house for a bit of food and a long chin wag as well.

Now, my buddy lives in a gated apartment complex – one of those 20 storey or so buildings – and each of the storeys is actually two floor apartments, so it’s probably more like 40 or so storeys.

Anyway, got there, and found out that the elevator was out of order – – or more accurately, ONE of the two elevators was — and naturally, there was a mammoth queue outside the other one.

And after waiting about 5 minutes for it to show up, I figured I’d take the stairs. What the heck, I thought. Might as well get another workout in (this after my hikes and sprints mind you).

And funnily enough, though you’d expect me to be exhausted after that workout – – it was the exact opposite – – those 17 (or perhaps 25, I should say) flights of stairs felt like NOTHING. In fact I wouldn’t be lying to tell you that I barely had an elevated heart rate after all that – so much so that it actually felt BORING as heck climbing them at a semi-rapid pace.

THIS,  my friend is the amazing effect the sort of workouts I do can have on YOUR system as well!

When you get good at Hindu Squats – and start cranking out 100 or more reps in one set – WATCH out. All of the exercises mentioned in the 0 Excuses Fitness System – including the squats, pushups – and especially the “best darn exercise there is” not only get the blood pumping and the heart ROARING – but they also get you in super shape – and QUICK!

Your cardio system receives a solid boost and a 15 minute or less 0 Excuses workout can literally get you in better shape than long slow “drawn out” sessions on the treadmill or “pounding the pavement” can.

Anyway, we decided to have a couple of beers and a few “slices” as it were – so it was down again to the bottom floor to procure a few beers. And then – guess what.

‘Twas back to the elevator – and the queue.

“Why don’t we just take the stairs … ” and I paused after that.

“Well, on second thought, all good. We don’t necessarily have to do that. We can wait, and …” , I continued, pausing.

Now, my friend is NO slouch in the strength department – but he is overweight though, and he told me his legs felt like jelly the first time he went DOWN all of those stairs (a day when neither one of the elevators were functional).

And hence my comment.

“**** it”, was the response. “Stairs, here we come!”

And off it was to the races as it were, and the two of us clambered up the stairs again.

About a few flights through my friend started to  breathe heavily – and then rapidly – so much so that it sounded like a big ole steam locomotive was going up the stairs, and he collapsed into a chair once we finally made it.

But make it he did – and I applaud him for that. Most people would have given up and waited an eternity for the elevator – but not my buddy.

Though it was hard – though it was difficult – he did it – and I’ve got no doubt he’ll shed that fat off quickly enough if he continues doing it.

Anyway, a great time was had – and we discussed this at the end of it.

“You know, you did pretty well on them stairs”, I commented. “I  mean they’re not that easy for me either, and … ”

“Not easy for you? I could barely hear you even breathe man!” was my friend’s response. “You’re in great shape!”

And no, I’m NOT saying all this to toot my own horn. Nothing of that nature. This is just to drive another nail into the coffin of “long slow distance cardio” and “keeping your heart beating at a target heart rate for 30 minutes” or the “fat burning zone” or other garbage out there.

Fooey!

Look fellas, when you’re doing SHORT, intense bursts of exercises – such as sprints as talked about in Advanced Hill Training, you’re literally getting into fat burning ZONE ALL throughout your workout – and days after.

A 20 minute intense routine can leave your body in a state of “fat burning” for up to 48 hours AFTER the workout.

You CAN literally eat more – and weigh less. Though I don’t do it all the time, I had pizza today with a few beers, and can’t even feel it right now a few hours after all this.

In fact, I may end up snacking a bit more before I go to bed, so hungry does this kind of thing make you!

Such is life, my friend – when you train hard – and when you train the 0 Excuses way.

Life is GOOD – as it’s meant to be!

OK – I’m out for now. I’ll be back again later!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S – Does this sort of thing ENTHUSE you? Does the idea of eating a cow after your routine and not having it pile on to you belly in the form of ugly lard appeal to you?  If so – and I bet it does – jump on the 0 Excuses bandwagon right now – and right HERE!

Dear Reader,

I spoke about “puff’n’buff” workouts a few posts ago, and today I came across a laddie in the local park doing just THAT.

I was out there to complete a set of dips – 50 dips, to be precise – and that was but one part of my workout.

His puffin and buffin routine though included not one – not two – but THREE exercises, all great ones if done correctly – and his routine (or least the bulk of it) ended BEFORE my one set of 50.

What was he up to, you ask?

Pull-ups – except these were done by “kicking” up to the pull-up position in the most awful manner imaginable – going down in a  jerky sort of motion, and then “swinging” himself back. Can only marvel at the fact he’s still got a pair of working shoulders left …

Pushups – done in a bouncy fashion – going about two inches down and about one inch up – and I think about 25 or so “reps” were completed in this manner before the guy took off his black T-shirt and started to flex his (non existent) teeny weeny pecks (and yes, I misspelt that on purpose, hehe).

And the very last exercise on this list was dips – and the way in which he did ’em almost made lost control towards the end of my own set of 50 – done in proper manner, ALL the way up, and most of the way down as I teach in Shoulders like Boulders.

Not to mention the imaginary grunts, “puff’s”, and forced howls he was emitting through the workout. You’d think the guy was lifting Everest by the way he was bawling in between “reps” …

Now at this point you’re probably wondering as to why  exactly I’m so against puffin’ and buffin’.

Nothing fundamentally wrong with being buff, is there? And given what  I say about deep breathing and it’s merits, well, nothing wrong with puffing up a storm either is there?

Well – NO – but here’s the point, my friend.

Puff’n’buff routines, despite their moniker, do NEITHER of what they imply they do.

They’re so easy that you don’t even break a sweat in hot humid weather when you do ’em – and therefore there is no puffing other than artificial “forced” gasps for show.

And consequently, there is no “buff”. To get buff, you gotta PUFF – pant and PESPIRE – and work HARD!

Oh well. At least dude was on the right track in that he was at least doing bodyweight stuff as opposed to something even worse which is the “chrome plated” routines going on most of the chrome’n’fern palaces these days.

Not only are these routines utterly useless in terms of building lasting/functional strength – they’re also DANGEROUS, my friend.

Chrome plated routines are exactly what they say – plated with chrome, but with a hollow core inside. They focus on muscle size to the exclusion of just about everything else – hence all the injuries that occur when doing bench presses, heavy squats, deadlifts, and so forth.

But back to the functional part of it.

Striated shoulders, for instance might look good in the mirror when you’re all “pumped” at the end of the set # XXXXX (and probably oiled up as well), but they’ll do next to nothing for you if you’ve gotta carry Grandma up a flight of steep stairs, for instance.

I’ve seen bodybuilders with massive bloated pectoral muscles  that struggled to carry a couch – DOWN a flight of stairs – ONE flight. In fact, even picking up the darn thing was too much for those muscles – and believe me, I’ve seen this on MORE than one occasion.

Or take for instance, the pumping and puffing going on at the lat pulldown machine – another utterly useless machine that focuses on the exact opposite you should be focusing upon which is pulling UP instead of “pushing down” with your fanny parked on a soft seat.

And as far as bodyweight exercises go?

Well, while you’d think those massive shoulders would breeze through bodyweight stuff, the opposite is true. Those shoulders often collapse within a matter of SECONDS when put through the MOST basic of bodyweight routines – – let alone advanced routines.

The reverse though is not true. Take a guy that can bang out 50 plus pull-ups in the gym – and put him on the lat pulldown – and after a bit of “getting used to the thing” – he’ll be pumping out reps effortlessly – before kicking the thing in disgust and moving back to the REAL deal.

Still don’t believe me? Still think I’m wrong?

Well, take the biggest, strongest dude at your gym – that guy that cranks out lateral raises or bench presses regularly and for enormous poundages.

Ask him to do a set of 10 STRICT pull-ups in proper form and see if he can do ’em.

I’ll bet you my bottom dollar he can’t.

Last, but not least, if you’re part of the gang that (even after reading all this) still believes that puffin, buffin, pumping and toning – with the bros no less – is the way to go, well, no arguments from me, amigo.

I can but take that horse to the water – but I can NOT make it drink.

Other hand – if you’re ready to make the quantum leap into REAL fitness – and REAL strength – – well – then – I’m right HERE for you!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Some of you reading this have already invested in my initial course on pull-ups, and have written back to tell me how your pull-ups have increased. That’s GREAT, GREAT news, fellas – but the even better news is that you can improve WAY more. My advanced course on pull-ups “Pull-ups from STUD to SUPER STUD within a matter of weeks” has workouts that’ll make the average puffer and buffer RUN for the hills – and FAST – on a motorized scooter, of course, hehe. Grab it right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/pull-ups-stud-to-super-stud-within-weeks/

Dear Reader,

Those of you that read yesterday’s dispatch will no doubt be aware of the “emergencies” I referred to – and the “counter measures” I took to resolve it.

Well, after I sent you that email, it was back to work for me. Text messages. Finding solutions. Workable ones. Et al.

But though I engaged in a lot of “conscious” effort (“trying”) – the complete opposite of what I did in the morning, of course – the solution didn’t quite come to me.

And at around 7:15 P.M. or so I let it go – and figured I’d let the problem be for now. True, it was an emergency of sorts, and true, I couldn’t “let it be” forever, but ’twas time to step back, my friend – and resume “living in the moment” as it were.

And mysteriously, out of nowhere a solution to the issue occurred around 8:45 or so P.M. – in a manner that I LEAST expected it to manifest.

I’m not going to get into the details here my friend, but suffice it say that when you connect with the Universe via deep breathing and focused thought as I advocate – you do NOT “force” the Universe to “grant” you your wishes in any specific manner.

You make the wish – correctly – and you let it go – and you TRUST – in divine faith.

You TRUST that your goals will be accomplished – though in what manner that accomplishment might manifest is a different topic altogether – and one we “mere mortals” can NOT predict.

Lest you think any of this is an isolated incident, think again. While I was working out outdoors the other day a bird shat on me – something that had not happened for a while, and the old good luck semblances instantly flew into my mind.

But as my “rational” mind dismissed them – the subconscious didn’t – and sure enough, that day was one of good luck – although NOT again in the form you might expect!

So the central dispatch of today’s email is this – breathe deeply – CONNECT with the  Universe – and most importantly, learn to “live in the moment” and “let go”.

Along with that, notice also the subtle signs the Universe is sending you ALL the time – things most people don’t even notice.

For instance, I’ve had birds chirping outside my house all day long today (despite it being a dreary rainy day) and one of these creatures was right outside my kitchen window – something that hasn’t happened in ages – and was chirping SO insistently that it was trying to send me a signal – though of what I have no idea.

We’ll see, my friend. We’ll see. For now, yours truly is living in the moment and resting and recuperating from several strenous workouts and days prior – but he’ll be back at it tomorrow for sure!

Maybe I’ll go get a massage – a.k.a a “0 Excuses” style massage. Massage by the way is a great physical healer and something I highly recommend – so much so that I’ve devoted an entire Chapter to it in the System.

Last, but NOT least, lest you think fitness doesn’t fit into this anywhere – well – I’ve got this to tell you -you’re wrong.

Much of the “miracle” that occured yesterday was down to me “living int he moment” and a huge, huge part of that was deep breathing and my workout after that.

When you’re doing exercises like I mention in the System, you cannot HELP but start to be more connected to the Universe, my friend – and this truism holds even truer when you’re engaged in a focused pushup workout.

None more so than the “wrestler” (Hindu) pushups, reverse pushups, table pushups, and of course the KING of them all – the “best darn exercise there is”.

Dive into all this today, my friend – and start reaping all the wondrous benefits that are out there waiting for you!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – By the way, none of this means you don’t need to take ACTION to accomplish your goals. Thoughts without actions are like an empty vessel making noise – NOT what you want to communicate to the Universe. If you’ve got a goal of dropping X lbs from your frame quickly – – or perhaps getting better at pull-ups – – or getting the fittest you’ve EVER been – – well, then – the first step to take to accomplish these and many other goals is to invest in the System, my friend. Do so right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Dear Reader,

Was confronted by a couple of “crisis” situations this morning biz wise and on the personal front – both situations which would probably (and on the surface, rightfully so) send the average person into a state of panic and foreboding.

Funnily enough, or maybe not so – my reaction to these situations was the exact OPPOSITE of what you’d think I’d do in the aforementioned sort of situation.

No “harried” texts to confidantes. No “panicked” calls to family. No “doom and gloom” scenarios (after the initial “shock” of the situation – I simply “erased the doom and gloom off the slate” as it were by using some simple mind techniques).

So no, none of the above. In fact, and perhaps most amazingly of all I did NOTHING other than carry out a few instinctual (and correct) actions – do some deep breathing 0 Excuses style – – and I then headed out for an outdoors workout – – again — you guessed it – – 0 Excuses style.

This accomplished the following: –

One, it allowed me to get in the best workout I’ve had in recent times – despite it being a gloomy, rainy day outside.

Two, and more importantly, it allowed me to continue to do what I do normally which is to “live in the moment”. This, my friend, is key to living life as it SHOULD be lived – in a state of flow – without stress.

Yes, you heard that right – we are NOT – I repeat NOT – “bound” to live lives of stress despite external events/occurences!

Living in the moment is basically how your inbuilt creative mechanism was programmed to respond, my friend – and it is how it reacts BEST.

It can NOT react to what will, might ,or  can happen. It can only react to what is happening NOW i.e. in the moment.

Though I do not yet have the solution to the situation, a number of possible solutions are already popping up in mind as I write this to you. My creative system was freed up to do it’s thing by  living in the moment which of course is the key to activating your subconscious to search for the best solution/reaction to the situation at hand.

A friend of mine, “Uncle Bob” (I’ve mentioned him before in my emails) was once in a situation where he was dead broke, had NO credit and had lost his job a while ago with nothing new on the horizon.

A recruiter called him one day while he was reclining on the porcelain throne, and his wife asked the lady to call him back in a few.

“I don’t have time for that”, was the rather curt response the lady gave. “If he wants it bad enough, he’ll answer now!”

“Honey, this lady is calling …” called his wife out in a state of semi-panic.

And though you might think “Uncle” would rush up from the throne to answer the phone – he didn’t.

“Do I really need it that badly??”

“Is is THAT important that it can’t wait a few minutes?”

That was what he told me when he later told me about it – and THAT is an example of living in the moment and reacting to what is happening NOW.

By doing so, he convinced himself that HE was the master of his destiny – not the other way around!

That’s not to say planning for the future is not required. It is – but in order to do that, you need to reach where I reached in point #3 …

Third, it allowed me to reach the GREATEST port in the world mentally.

What is this, you might ask?

Well, the below quote says it better than I ever could: –

Psycho-Cybernetics is a term I coined which means, ‘Steering your mind to a productive, useful goal …. so you can reach the greatest port in the world … peace of mind. With it, you’re somebody. Without it, you’re nothing.'”

Dr. Maxwell Maltz, author of the renowned bestseller Psycho-Cybernetics

Truer words were never spoken, my friend – and these words hold as true today as in 1960 when Dr. Maltz first published this book.

I’ve recommended this book ad infinitum in many of my emails/posts, and I do so yet again today. If you haven’t already grabbed a copy – – do so TODAY. It literally has the potential to turn your life around in ways you never imagined possible.

Anyway, living in the moment is one of the keys to achieving peace of mind, my friend – and THAT ultimately is what leads to the best response to whatever situation you are currently in/facing.

All the plans in the world and all the reactions are of little use if the person undertaking them does not do so with a calm, focused bent of mind – a mind focused on the DESIRABLE as opposed to what the vast majority do i.e. carry out these actions with a mind focused upon the undesirable.

And so it goes, my friend – and the greatest takeaway I can offer you from today’s email it this – LIVE in the moment – and PRACTICE doing so on a daily basis. I guarantee you’ll never be disappointed.

Last, but not least, where does fitness fit into all this?

Well, the great part about the 0 Excuses Fitness System (other than the deep breathing which connects you to the Universe) is this – you are left with little or NO chance of having crisis situations in terms of not being able to workout.

All you need is you – your body – and a floor – and you’re set, my friend. Doesn’t matter if you’re traveling. Doesn’t matter if there are no chrome ‘n fern palaces around. Doesn’t matter if the dog tore up your yoga mat. Yada, nada, schnada.

The System ensures that you’re ALL good when it comes to fitness – and not only that – the deep feeling of contentment and physical “connectedness” to the Universe you feel after these routines is second to NONE – and anyone that’s done the pushups – namely, the “best” darn exercise there is – KNOWS what I’m talking about.

Give it a shot, my friend – – and experience the bliss yourself!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee