Dear reader,

Was having a discussion this morning with one of my good buddies here about the classic “lion vs tiger” match up i.e. who would win a fight between these two magnificent beasts.

My buddy, as many people like to believe,  is firmly of the opinion that the lion is indeed the “king of the jungle”, and reigns supreme over all other big cats (although he doesn’t say that the other big cats are by any means less admirable).

I beg to differ, and as usual have a different opinion from what the vast majority of folks have, hehe.

To me, and based upon the research I’ve done – and based upon what I’ve SEEN – the TRUE king of the jungle should be the tiger – namely, the Bengal tiger. All other things being equal there is no other big cat that matches the tiger in terms of ferocity, flexibility, speed  – not to mention even more of an inbuilt instinct of “going for the jugular” more so than other big cats have.

There have been documented fights (unfortunately) between tigers and lions, and the tigers came out tops the vast majority of the time.

The “mane” is what gives the lion that imposing look – but in reality, it slows the lion down and … ah, but I don’t want this to be a documentary on “cat vs cat”, so I’ll end it here – but the point of me saying all this?

Well, first off, to say that big cats are some of the amazing creatures we have on this planet, my friend. Take a look at the tiger for one – or, the jaguar – another one of my favorite big cats after the tiger.

The jaguar is known as the “reluctant” warrior. Jaguars tend to avoid conflict – but hem in that jaguar – push him into a corner, and you’ll never seen a more ferocious and bloody “to the death” fightback. Whew!

I’ve seen videos of tigers and leopards killing full grown salt water crocs and – get this – carrying them up in their JAWS up trees!

I’ve also seen videos of tigers routinely hunt “gaur” (the largest species of cattle in the world) – and haul ’em off across long swathes of forest with impunity, dragging the carcass along as they go like it weighed nothing. Talk about neck and jaw strength, eh?

Anyway, what do these cats do all day in terms of movement?

They certainly don’t “run at a slow pace” or “pound the forest” all day long. They don’t do 50 x 500 x 3.5 tiger crawls all day long. In fact, the vast majority of the big cats spend most of their time RESTING – either on terra firm, or on trees, etc.

But when it’s time to get the job done – BAM – can they move – and can they move EXPLOSIVELY!

I’ve seen a video where an angry tigress attacks a woman on an elephant – leaps over the elephant (full grown elephant) – and takes two of it’s fingers off in the same leap and – all in one breath – bounds back into the jungle. Took less than 2 seconds perhaps.

Now that’s SPEED, don’t you think?

You too, my friend, can benefit from following this sort of exercise routine, and I state that unabashedly, unreservedly, and “unapologetically”, hehe on the 0 Excuses Fitness System page.

Big cats stretch forwards – and backwards several times a day – akin to the stretch you get from the Hindu (wrestler) pushups mentioned in the 0 Excuses Fitness System. These alone will give you explosive upper body strength and shoulder muscles like you’ve never experienced before – and the kind of deep, “barrel” chest you cannot get from other sorts of exercises.

The deep breathing techniques in the System will give you energy – that lasts during the day – and that doesn’t quit on ya when you need it the most.

Big cats rest for the most of the day – but when it’s time to get the job done, what do they do?

They don’t move in “slo mo”. No – it’s a full fledged SPRINT – an all out sprint – and the closest human equivalent to that would be the “Bourne sprints” I do on a regular basis, hehe.

A big cat doesn’t exercise all day long. In fact, less than a few minutes of intense activity is probably all it gets in during the day – but the benefits reaped from those few minutes – is – to put it in one way – immeasurable.

So if you’re looking to be the KING of the workout jungle – develop insane “cat like” flexibility – real world strength that doesn’t quit – and LASTS – as well as boundless levels of energy and stamina that don’t let you down when you need it the most – well – start exercising the way of the animal, my friend. Start doing so right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Well, my friend, that’s it for now. My buddy’s back at it with another “counter” as to why a lion is indeed the king of the jungle, and I can’t let that one go past without a swipe or two, hehe.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – If you know about sprints, but are not sure how to work them into your system – well – not to worry. My “Advanced Hill Training” course has plenty of workouts that covers all bases – and the best thing? These workouts can just as easily be ported over to flat land as on hills. Grab yourself a copy right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/

Dear reader,

I believe I mentioned in an earlier post about teaching “Miss Mao’s” students English last summer, eh?

Well, I believe I also wrote that I’m NOT a huge fan of how the ESL (English as a second language) industry conducts itself in China and teaching, therefore, is NOT something I enjoy doing here – unless it’s for good people and folks that I know well enough to do it for.

Anyway, one of the most amazing things about this industry in China (I don’t know about other countries, so I’ll stick to ESL in China here) is the sheer brazenness and “pomp” with which the (ostensibly) students try and “educate” the instructors.

I cannot even begin to count the number of times I’ve received utterly useless advice from students or local English teachers – a lot of it perhaps well intentioned, but ignorant nonetheless – and advice that does NOT push the students along to achieving what it was that they set out to do – and paid money for  – i.e. learning English.

Often times, it’ll be students (usually adult females) that’ll be instructing me “how to teach” when they can barely pronounce the words I’ve mentioned above. ‘Tis hilarious if you look at it in a certain way – kind of like shooting oneself in the foot – and gladly at that.

While there are many reasons behind this, one of the reasons is that ESL in China could hardly be considered teaching for the most part. An inside joke (or perhaps not) is that it’s basically a dancing bear gig – and the “fairer” the bear, the better, if you get my drift, hehe.

There are other reasons, but that’s one main reason. Might not sound nice and certainly doesn’t sound politically correct, but find me anyone with half a brain that analyzes the reality of what I said above and doesn’t agree, and I’ll be a monkey’s uncle and pig’s nephew.

Anyway, how does any of that relate to fitness, you might ask?

Well, simple.

Way too many people (NOT just in China, by the way) are too quick to “question” what the “instructor” tells them to do without actually either doing them – or doing them and THEN thinking about them.

Too many people are way too quick to jump on Internet forums and look for “advice” other than what they paid for – and then proceed to “try” to “dissect” that advice.

100 squats? Oh, that can’t possibly build my thighs and knees! Rahul, how can you tell me do 100 squats daily? The bubbas at the gym claim it’s bad for the knees, and I believe there have been studies done proving they are! (no there haven’t).

Pushups! Pah! How they could they ever build any sort of muscle? The muscle mags tell me to pound 10 kgs of creatine daily, gulp down energy bars from Mars, eat about 50 raw eggs with every meal, and pound heavy weights for at least three hours a day while posing and preening in the mirror. Oh, those pushups – they can’t possibly …

All of this, my friend, is an ultimately USELESS endeavor and doesn’t get you to any closer to your goals.

Sure, it’s one thing to think and make a decision – but it’s quite another to “dissect” that decision and waste time debating on useless topics when you’d be best served by DOING the thing – and finding out for YOURSELF.

When we learn how to swim – or ride a bike – we don’t question the instructor – do we?

No – not unless we want a gulpful of water – or fall flat on our arses.

The same thing, my friend, applies to fitness.

Question less – do more.

Don’t argue about “so and so told me the squats are bad”. Do the doggone squats and find out for yourself.

Don’t waste time worrying about “Bodybuilder XXX told me pull-ups should not be done at full extension”. Do ’em – feel the stretch in your BACK and spinal erectors – and THEN come back and tell me.

And so on and so forth.

Do – rather than question endlessly – and you’ll see yourself beginning to reap the results quicker than you ever thought possible.

Best,

Rahul

P.S. – Don’t question the next statement, my friend. If you’ve got fitness goals that you’re looking to achieve, the VERY FIRST THING to do – WITHOUT question is to grab the world famous 0 Excuses Fitness System right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Dear reader,

It’s amazing how many people take life – and things/occurrences in life – for GRANTED, not doing much to change it even when these occurrences are somewhat, or quite unpalatable.

I met up with my friend a couple of weeks ago for a few “brewskies”, something I don’t generally do, but something that was way overdue in that case.

Being he hadn’t eaten all day and had a rough day to boot, we ordered a pizza, and I suggested a newly opened pizza joint nearby that I had gone to earlier on in the month with another close friend.

I messaged the guy, and asked him if he could deliver the pizza.

“OK, no problem!” was the response, and I then thanked him and asked him to hold on for a while until I figured out when my friend would get here – so I didn’t end up ordering a “stone cold” pizza if you get my drift, hehe.

He nodded (remember, we’re messaging back and forth) and then asked me to send my address over to his wife who apparently handles deliveries. I said I would, and then asked him about a few additional toppings as well as garlic butter sauce “to go” with it.

Nothing doing on the garlic sauce. Apparently it “solidifies” on the way, which in itself was somewhat strange given it’s a pizza delivery service, but whatever. No problemo, amigo!

I asked him about a few additional toppings, and asked him to wait for my final confirmation before he did anything.

A few minutes later, I receive a text from his wife asking for my address.

“Hang on”, I said. “Let me figure out when my friend gets here”.

And then on an impulse, I texted my address over. I had made my request pretty clear – – or so I thought …

My friend shows up around 15 minutes later, and after a bit of discussion, we figured out the toppings we want on the pizza, which I then texted over to the lady and her husband.

No problem, you’d think, right?

Wrong.

She texts me back saying “Sorry, the pizza is already on it’s way”.

“Huh?? But we asked you to wait a while …”

No real acknowledgement ensued. Ah well.

“Well, I’m assuming it’ll be here with the toppings we asked for, at any rate”, I said cheerfully enough.

Wrong. These guys ended up giving us a topping of THEIR choice – despite being explicitly told what WE wanted – and more so, expected us to “smile and accept what was being given”.

This did NOT go down well with me at all, as you might imagine, but when I told my friend about this, he shrugged it off.

“Thats how it is, Rahul. There’s nothing we can do! He makes the best pizza here!”

“Oh YES, there is buddy”, I retorted. “We take our biz elsewhere! Granted, the guy’s pizza is good – but … ”

“Nah, it won’t change anything. That’s just how it is”.

Anyway, I forgot about this – until later at night when I texted the guy to say thanks anyway. Forget and forgive, I thought.

He texted back with … what? Well, amazingly enough – or not – no apologies for messing up the order – but a “sales pitch” to sell sunglasses (which apparently is also something the guy’s involved in).

I then asked him an unrelated question, expecting an answer (after all, I’d been there twice already) – and guess what. No response at all.

The whole episode left a bad taste in my mouth, but why do I bring it up here?

Well, amazingly enough although there are other options for said food in this “here neck of the woods”, my buddy is happy enough doing biz with this guy – and even more amazingly enough, after being ripped off on the price the next time he ordered from him!

I spoke about this with another friend. “It is what is it”, is the response I got.

And that (finally) brings me to the central tent of today’s email – or diatribe – or scroll, hehe.

It’s NOT. That’s NOT how it is!

It’s amazing how in this day and age a start up company (that is struggling by the way – no wonder why huh??) can not only flat out IGNORE customer requests – but “hustle” them into accepting orders NOT to their liking or taste, and be brazen about it as well!

Other hand, given the number of people that seem content to accept the status quo, it’s a wonder these companies struggle at all. Hmmmm….

Anyway, in terms of fitness, one of the most commonly heard excuses we hear is “I have no time to get fit” , despite the fact that there is ALWAYS time to get fit.

I had a busy, busy day last Thursday. Woke up – took care of biz – got a workout in – then got some roadwork – then it was off to the Kong (plenty of walking, and climbing subway stairs) – and a long, long walk back home – and yet – none of that meant I didn’t “find time” to hit it hard the next day.

Yet another excuses we hear often is this “I’ll never be able to do this”, or “Oh! Those are too simple! Too boring! They won’t work!”.

And in ALL the above cases, said person then slumps back into his/her routine – or the ole couch, as it were, and the status quo of being – and remaining – perennially unfit continues.

‘Tis a shame, especially when you can RISE – above that, my friend. There is ALWAYS a way to CHALLENGE what might seem like a “status quo” to you, and in most cases it’s NOT.

“I can’t get fit without gyms. Expensive equipment. But I don’t have time to to go the gym”. Burp.

And so forth.

If you can identify with the last part of this – well – you’re NOT alone, my friend. The vast majority of the populace today seems happy enough making excuses and then of course accepting the status quo that ensues.

If you’re content to be one of those people, then of course – no problemo, amigo. Hehe.

But if you’re one that wants to RISE up – GRAB life – and your fitness goals – by the THROAT – and CHANGE the status quo, well, I’m right here for you, my friend. And I’ve got just the fitness program that’ll do it – in the most unconventional way you’d imagine possible, but BOY – does it work?!!

Of course it does. And it’ll work for YOU too. Grab a copy right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Last, but not least, remember too that accepting the status quo is often times the “easy” thing to do. Never easy when most or all your friends look at you like you’re fit for the looney tune bin upon challenging said status quo.

But is it the more fulfilling thing to do? Is it what really helps you GROW?

Not a chance, my friend. Not a chance!

Well, my brothers and sisters, I’m out for now. Got a few tasks to take care of … but I’ll be back again later!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – I’ve always been a rabble rouser el supermo as you can tell – NEVER willing to accept the status quo – and neither should YOU. Throw all the ideas about gyms and equipment required to get fit, my friend. It’s all a bunch of hocus pocus with the sole target of making your wallet slimmer rather than YOU. Instead, get your paws on the best fitness program there is on the planet – a ONE time investment that will reap dividends forever – with NO equipment required – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Dear Reader,

I  headed out to the local park this morning to pound out some dips, pull-ups and handstand pushups.

The park is normally pretty deserted at the time of the morning (or sometimes afternoon) when I train, which is a GOOD thing, hehe – I’m not much of a fan of having selfies taken when I train or gabbing nineteen to the dozen and generally being aimless in terms of actually getting a good workout in.

But there were more people there today than there usually are. All good though – perhaps because of the weekend? Not very sure, but either way – a crowd gathered around pretty quickly to watch the foreign devil train, none more so than when he was doing his dips.

As I progressed on to the third set of 15 reps, a voice piped up in the background – a vaguely familiar voice I felt, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“You train here, huh?”

“Uh huh”, I responded politely, not really in the mood for chit-chat, but in a GOOD mood nonetheless. I smiled at the guy, and turned around, but something was amiss …

BAM! It hit me – as those flashes often do and I whirled around.

“I’ve seen you somewhere. Yes … I have … Oh! You’re Money!”

“Ha Ha, indeed I am!”

Now, strange as it might sound, his name – or his English name at any rate, is indeed “Money”. His real (Chinese name) is “Qian” (which is Mandarin Chinese for money) – hence the English name.

Funny part is, the first thing he said when I met him last year at one of the numerous language centers “rife” in mainland China was “But I have no money….”.

Such as it goes, but anyway, I did some work for them – NOT fitness related though – last summer. When I say “them”, I mean “Miss Mao” (his wife) and him. They run an English learning center somewhere around “yonder”, and were in need of an English teacher last summer to teach some of the neighborhood kids – and though I do NOT teach English in China as a general rule of thumb – I made an exception for these guys.

Tried my best to convince the kids to call the lady “Mrs Mao” instead of “Miss Mao”, but nothing doing. A few giggles and glances were all I got in that regard – apparently foreign devils can only be given so much latitude, hehe. Ah well. Can’t win ’em all!

Anyway, as I did my dips, I noticed a couple of little girls milling around “Money” and a lady that had accompanied him.

“Oh, Money. I thought you had one daughter – but seems like two now?”

“No, that’s not my daughter”, he said, pointing to the tinier one. “This is my sister in law”, he said, pointing at the lady next to him.

“Okey doke”

And back it was to doing dips. But as I did ’em, I saw the older girl (probably around 3 years of age) do something that really caught my attention so much so that I stopped my workout for a while just to observe her.

This girl is just 3, mind you, so she can barely reach the dipping bars with arms outstretched over her head. But, boy, did she TRY!

She jumped up and down – over and over again – over and over again to do pull-ups like the “wai guo ren” (foreigner – yours truly) was doing before he did the dips.

Jump. Fail. Jump. Fail. Jump. Fall down on to the sandy area. Back up. Repeat.

Her aunt finally picked her up and lifted her on to the bars where she did her best to do pull-ups. She tugged. Pulled with all her “mite”. And so forth.

This girl, my friend, didn’t know the meaning of QUIT. She quite literally kept falling down and getting back to accomplish what for her is seemingly impossible due to size etc – but just didn’t give up – so much so that she had to be finally physically coaxed away by Daddy for lunch or something.

Compare that with two other cases.

A couple of fat Brazilian ladies were walking by while I was “monkeying” around on the monkey bars and attempted to “ape” me.

Great thing to do btw – getting good at the monkey bars is one of the VERY BEST things you can do in general for your upper body, and yet these ladies tried – failed – and gave up after the first try giggling in a self conscious manner.

Then there was this older Chinese lady who was doing her version of stretching nearby – but ended up banging her head on something the first time she attempted it.

Ok, no problemo, I thought – and I smiled at her to encourage her, but yet – she smiled back in a self conscious manner as if to say “I don’t want to look silly”, and bailed shortly thereafter.

And that brings me to the moral of this story – or the point of me telling you all this for that matter.

WE as adults have a LOT to learn from Miss Mao’s daughter – and kids in general.

My daughter was already doing assisted headstand “flip overs” on the bed by the age of 1.5. In fact, the first thing she’d do after a shower was clamber on to the bed and place her tiny little cute head on the mattress, getting in position just waiting for me to flip her over – which I did – and back in position she was again.

Kids don’t know the meaning of giving up, my friend. Kids don’t know what it means to QUIT – until they reach a certain age. Kids know none of that – and look at what they accomplish.

In terms of fitness, compare that with the average adult who starts out on a fitness program with good intentions.

The first time he tries some of the exercises he might fall flat on his/her duff – and others might “stare” at him for doing something out of the ordinary.

He / She blushes, and retreats back to the safety and privacy of his own home where he does these again.

He tries to make progress – quickly – and though he’s MAKING progress daily just by trying hard – he doesn’t realize it. Before long, he gets frustrated.

“I’ll never reach a 100 reps”. “I’ll never get to 250 squats in a row”. And so forth.

Pretty soon he/she throws in the towel – and its back to square one.

When I first started doing handstand pushups – I could barely get into the handstand position, let alone hold the position for time.

And reps?? Forgeddddd about it….

And now – well …

Key here, my friend, to remember that life is not a sprint – it’s a marathon – and its never over until it’s over!

You try – try – try HARDER – and eventually you WILL get there. Trust me. There’s no other way.

To encapsulate then here are the key takeaways from today’s rather long note –

a) You have to start SOMEPLACE – remember that. Don’t be shy about taking that first step. Stop worrying about what the “gym bros” will think of you for having adoped a bodyweight regimen. Just take that first step – and do so right HERE – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

b) Train – and do so daily – and REMEMBER that it’s NEVER over until it’s over. You may not get to 10 handstand pushups in a set in a week – or month – or even two – but you WILL get there provided you keep hammering them out daily. Ditto for everything else I teach.

Train the way of the kid, my friend – and adopt a similar “never say die” – or “it’s never over until it’s over” attitude – NOT just in terms of training, but in terms of life as well.

Watch yourself SOAR to giddy heights you previously thought unimaginable.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Another course that’s a must grab is my course on pull-ups. Let’s face it, we all want to be the guy that knocks out 75-100 pull-ups per workout, don’t we? And if you can’t do a single pull-up at this stage, or can barely hold on to the bar – not to worry. I’ve got you covered right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/pull-ups-from-dud-to-stud-within-a-matter-of-weeks/

Dear reader,

I often talk training with one of my buddies – an avid, avid weightlifter – albeit NOT the style of weightlifting I’d recommend (if at all – I’d recommend bodyweight training to ALL regardless).

He loves the gym – – makes fairly regular and frequent visits to it, and loves training on the machines as well.

Loves using straps as well to help his grip – – which is a weak point (this despite my advice to him on many occasions to NOT use straps for the grip).

All good though. To each his own – I can but point ya in the right direction, my friend. The same direction old time strongmen went in – and the same direction in which elite athletes, swimmers, special forces around the world – and anyone whose REALLY fit (functionally fit and STRONG to boot) goes in.

And handstand pushups have always been a topic of debate for us.

He’s of the firm opinion that handstand pushups are an unnatural movement, and that “machines” are far better.

Now, being he’s my friend I didn’t do much other than give him a gentle “counter opinion”, but I shake my head internally every time I say that.

My buddy’s overweight – big time. Not only that, he’s got a grip that’s way, way out of proportion to the humungous arms he’s built in the gym – – with straps, mind you though so he can hoick and hoist max poundages.

He’s got lower back and knee problems. And of course, a LOAD of fat all over the back, and so forth … and so, is it any wonder that handstand pushups are currently an impossibility for him?

We tend to vilify that which we cannot do or are not willing to “be open enough to do” (despite there being NO concrete evidence in terms of said exercise being “harmful”).

Anyway, with all this in mind, let’s take a look at an email from Charles, a regular reader of this newsletter.

Is there any truth to what this guy is saying?  I just bought your boulders for shoulders book.  Now I’m a little nervous. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvZ4oA4UxOQ

(Note – I included the Youtube link so you can click through yourself and view the “booby builder” in all his natural (not) glory, hehe).

My response beneath: –

Hi Charles

Dang, it’s been a BUSY day thus far. Just got the chance to sit down and view the video – – and – – long story SHORT – – there is ABSOLUTELY NO reason to be nervous in terms of “if you made the right choice or not”. You did!

First off, the guy claims he’s a natural bodybuilder – – but that doesn’t appear to be the case upon first glance. His muscles have that unnatural look to them and are certainly NOT the sort of muscles you develop from hard, functional REAL bodyweight training. Not to mention he’s got a bit of a case of the “Belly of Budda” growing, hehe.

Take a look at this picture right here on the Shoulders like Boulders page – – http://0excusesfitness.com/shoulders-like-boulders/. You’ll see Doug Hepburn somewhere down there – – old time and world famous Canadian strongman that was reputed to have done these all day long on the beach (while working as a lifeguard) as part of his regimen. Doesn’t seem like he suffered from any shoulder problems – – not to mention he’s got the “real strength” look that this guy does NOT.

Ditto for other old time strongmen. The handstand pushup has ALWAYS been a staple of old time strongman training – – and anyone who claims they are dangerous is either too overweight to do ‘em – – or too lazy to attempt ‘em  – – or (and this is the case with a lot of the “boobybuilders”) don’t have the ligament/joint strength to support the movement (make no mistake; it IS an advanced movement).

I have not heard of anyone with shoulder problems after doing handstand pushups the right way – – if anything, the exercise HELPS the shoulders. Sure, if you do’em in improper form then they can harm ya, but that’s the case with any exercise, doncha think, hehe. What DOES harm the shoulders – – and I’ve got PLENTY of people that have told me that (read the part about what a bodybuilder told me on the sales page here http://0excusesfitness.com/shoulders-like-boulders/) as well – – is the “almighty” (NOT) bench press.

Key thing to remember is that you need to work up to these. I’m not sure if you’ve already gotten fairly good at what is mentioned in the 0 Excuses Fitness System, but if not, that would be a good start to build your ligaments, tendons and MUSCLES up to the point where you can do these. A few of those exercises are mentioned in the “supplementary exercises” section of the book, but you’d be weel advised to start off with the 0 Excuses Fitness System already- – if you haven’t thus far, that is!

So – again, and long story short – – I wouldn’t pay much heed to what the dude is saying. Sounds to me like he’s trying to sell the gym to his viewers – – but I wouldn’t let it bother me to be honest.

Best, and I appreciate you being on my list – – as well as for being part of the “0 Excuses Fitness” crew!

Rahul

P.S.  I’ll cover this in one of my future blog posts as well. Stay tuned – – I’ll also cover not ONE, but TWO additional tips in that email that I have NOT covered in prior posts.

Hmm. I think that about covers it, eh?

Oh wait – the two additional tips, huh?

Well, the first tip is this – when you do handstand pushups extend your arms ALL the way up! Do NOT stop short of full extension as most “schmexperts” advocate – – this, if anything is poor form and WILL end up a) impeding your progress in this great, great exercise and b) giving you shoulder problems down the road as you’re not strengthening the ligament fully.

Second, get comfortable with handstand HOLDS at first. I mention this in the book as well – but it’s important to mention here as well. In other words, don’t sprint before you can run – or even jog.

Third, pay attention to form (again), and the right way to breathe. You breathe IN going down and OUT going up – – much the same as I’ve mentioned repeatedly in the 0 Excuses Fitness System. It’s NOT the same as weightlifting, my friend – not even close.

Last, but not least, pay special attention to the “supplementary exercises” section in the manual as well. These can – and SHOULD – be practiced along with handstand pushups (or your workout in general) for max benefit.

Well, my friend, that’s it for now.

Whew! Just typing all that has pumped me up so much that I think I’ll go do some handstand pushups now. Join me if you can!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – After you’re done watching the boobybuilder YouTube video, do NOT forget to read a REAL – and BLOW by BLOW – account of what a former bodybuilder gave me while I was out on a swim one fine morning. Two heart attacks, and more … NOT the kind of results I’d want, me thinks?? Here is where you can get the full scoop – – http://0excusesfitness.com/shoulders-like-boulders/

 

Dear reader,

As I was pounding out pull-ups the other day in the park a thought suddenly flashed through  my mind during rep #10 of my fifth set of pull-ups.

I didn’t think much of it at the time – but today – after I wrote that last email to you, I figured I WOULD after all get in some roadwork, and being that part of that was a brisk jaunt up a hill – the same thought flashed through  my mind when I heard some huffing, puffing, panting, wheezing going on behind me.

‘Twas a Chinese gentleman – NOT fat – not outwardly out of shape – wheezing up the hill like an old geezer on his last legs – and panting much like a parched dog would in the hot humid summer.

Whew! And BAM – that thought struck me again and I’ll share it with you now.

Many moons ago, it would have been an absolutely preposterous notion if I were to have told myself “Hey Rahul, a 100 pull-ups in one workout is not only EASY – but no problem whatsoever”.

I’d laughed at myself and said I was nuts. If I had told myself the ball buster which is the climb up the hill I referred to would one day be so easy I would barely feel it, I’d look at you and ask you what you were on.

The same thing for a lot of the pushups I teach, including “Hindu” (wrestler) pushups, reverse pushups, and of course handstand pushups. Banging out handstand pushups for reps in a set wasn’t even something that seemed possible to me back in the day – let alone doable.

And yet, here I am today, doing all the above with NO PROBLEM whatsoever, my friend. None at all and getting better each and every time I do ’em!

The same thing applies to life as well. In my book “The 10 Commandments of Successful Sales“, I give you a REAL life example of how I quite literally joined a startup company (at the time) and sales started to BOOM – and then ROAR – within the space of a few days – and this with no staff at all except two others.

Curiously enough, this same guy – yours truly – didn’t do so well at the last Company where his job was the same. And he did even worse in the NEXT company – so much so that the owner of that company cocked his head quizzically at “him” and asked “him” “Whatever happened to the guy that took <insert name> company from Zero to HERO?”

Good question – and that is covered in Zero to Hero in depth, but for now, suffice it to say that the key to making things happen the way you want (well, one of them, but a most important one) is to “let go out of the outcome”.

Give it your best shot – do so daily – but don’t “worry” or “fret” or otherwise get frustrated over the outcome. It’ll happen. The Universe will make sure it does, provided you’re giving it your all with an open heart and HONEST intentions.

What does this “got to do with fitness”, you may ask.

Good question.

When you’re first starting out on your fitness journey, or even if you’re at the stage where you haven’t worked out in years – doing a 100 pushups in one workout – or even 50 – might sound like a daunting task – let alone breeze through 250 like I show you in the workout video.

Does that mean 250 isn’t a great goal to have?

No.

But what the vast majority of people do is this – they make that goal – then the next morning sign and utter thoughts along the lines of “I’ll never be able to get there”. Or, “It’s too difficult for me. I can’t even do one!”.

And they sink back into the couch – or their old routines – back to square zero. Mission accomplished? NOT.

Some folks DO try – but get frustrated. For instance, I once had a friend of mine get frustrated that his dips weren’t shooting through the roof quick enough.

Despite loads of advice, this guy got frustrated – and despite having made a start (the most important thing) – he ended up giving up and is – like the above group of folks – back at square ZERO rather than HERO.

The key thing to remember here, folks is this – you give it your best shot – and you do so daily without fail – but you LET GO of the “outcome”.

A 100 pushups in one set? A 1000 squats in  a workout? Great goals – and they’ll come in due time – if you LET ’em.

And lest you think yours truly does not fall prey to “trying to force outcomes” once in a while, think again. I’m human like the rest of y’all and need a kick up the ole rumpus once in a while as well.

This was amply evidenced by a biz deal I was engaged in a short while ago – where I WAS literally trying to “push” the eventual result closer and guess what. It never happened.

Sure, part of that was down to the other guy not being entirely professional enough, but still – upon a through analysis of the situation I came to the conclusion that I too, was guilty of trying to perhaps “quicken the process” just that bit more.

So that’s today’s tip, my friend. In short – “Don’t worreeeeeeee …. Be happeeeeeeeee” (as the old saying – or is it a song?? hehe – goes).

Give it your all – and then don’t worry. Relax. Stay in the flow and let things happen.

Implement this philosophy into your life today. Watch wondrous things start to happen.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – “Relaxing” and “letting go” does NOT equate to procrastination, my friend. There are few greater sins than procrastination. As they say – do NOT put off until tomorrow what you CAN and SHOULD be doing today. And if you haven’t already gotten off your duff and made the sprint to starting the fitness journey of your LIFE – do so right now – and right HERE – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Dear reader,

Woke up this morning with a sense of bonhomie and “joie de viore” (however that’s spelt, hehe) – and bounced straight outta bed, ready to begin my day – and it’ll be a BUSY day – thats for sure!

First order of the day will be tending to emails etc – then my workout – then a day long jaunt to the “Kong” (which as and of itself is a workout of sorts, hehe) – and then some more stuff to do after I return.

Fri isn’t shaping up to be any less busy either by the looks of it.

Anyway, I started my day with some simple things that I do – that take me but a minute or so of my time – but set me up for the rest of the day.

What are these?

Well, you already know ONE of them. Visualization – and seeing myself accomplish what I want to accomplish during the day is of course one.

Something I often do upon waking up in the morning is feed the fishes in the pond we have in our apartment complex. I’ll often go for a short walk also and feed the pigeons and other birds “brave” enough to fly into this concrete jungle that I live in right now in Southern China, hehe.

Small things – but again – they infuse me with this GOOD feeling – this feeling of having done something for other forms of life … and I don’t know why, but all of this combined imparts me with a double dose of enthusiasm and “vitality” – way more so than any strong espresso coffee would (not that I drink coffee anyway).

Best part – they’re all free, my friend.

And the same thing holds true for fitness and life in general.

We’ve been sold a bill of goods when it comes to fitness – and now it’s time to TAKE that bill BACK.

We’ve been told we need to buy weights – weight racks – squat stands – trap bars – and the like to develop our muscles and build strength, and yet, truth be told, while those are all options, the best muscle building tool you have is FREE – and right there with you right now – your OWN BODY.

We’ve been told we need to pound the pavement or hit the treadmill (cappucino in hand, Tee Veeeee in front, go figure, ugh)  to shed flab, but it’s NOT required. The best ways to lose flab are workouts of the sort I recommend in the 0 Excuses Fitness System – – as well as the Advanced Hill Training System (which can just as easily be ported over to land) – – and NO equipment is required.

Not only cash – but the time as well, my friend. Think about the amount of time the average person spends stuck in traffic after returning home from work – and then the time required to jump back in the car, head on to the gym, change clothes, wait for the machines to be available, yak a bit with the “bros” at the gym, and then the entire process in reverse again.

Fooeeeeyyyy. I’d rather do 15-30 minute intense workouts in my  living room – and then complement all that with some pull-ups or some roadwork if I have the time or so desire.

Makes me feel like a trillion bucks – which is what I’m feeling like right now!

So that’s today’s tip, my friend. The best things in life are free – or come at a very minimal cost indeed. Ponder that as you sip your morning coffee, afternoon latte, or “cold one” (depending upon which time zone you’re in!).

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Something else that is completely FREEEEE – and that will make you buzzz like never before if done right is deep breathing, my friend. I extoll the virtues of deep breathing in almost every post, and very deservedly so. Find out the right way to do this in the System right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Dear reader,

Something I forgot to mention in yesterday’s email – or I believe I did mention it was the “they said so” part followed by a sheepish downward glance.

Well, while I’m NOT going to get into what I already covered yesterday, what I DO want to cover today is something that will likely be of interest to most, if not all, readers, so listen up.

This guy was referring to “the experts” when he said “they”.

The experts. Those that spend hours on online forums debating the why’s and wherefore’s of something but never actually doing it.

The experts. Those that mindlessly regurgitate “facts” (or twisted facts) from medical dictionaries or encyclopedias without bothering to even listen to what the other person is saying.

And so forth.

First thing you know, my friend, it’s rare that anyone ever achieves “expert” status in anything anyone does. There are ALWAYS areas to improve upon – and the minute you sit back on your duff to “rest on your laurels” is the minute you start going downhill.

I state very categorically in the 0 Excuses Fitness System that few people will ever master the pushup – or even one of it’s variants in their lifetime – let alone the plethora of different styles covered, and it’s no exaggeration.

I’ve no doubts that Jack La Lanne, he who mastered the “extended arms” pushup I teach in the System would say the exact same thing, despite having performed feats of strength that the average man cannot even begin to conceive – let alone imagine – or DO.

Ditto for the Gama. The Mighty Atom, and so forth.

And there’s more,my friend. There is MORE.  And more here is this – listening to the so called experts – or “schmexperts” as I like to call ’em is NOT always the most prudent or practical of actions to take.

Let’s take, for example, the medical “experts” that rail against bridges as being harmful (as well as reverse pushups). Apparently these activities “compress” the spine and are not “natural” movements.

Huh?? Ever walk into a chiropractor’s office? If so, take a look at the skeleton and the natural curvature of the spine – and then compare the dynamics of the movement to what occurs in the exercises I just described – and then tell me.

Bridging if anything is one of the most natural – and beneficial things you can do for your spine,  my friend. Sure, your chiro may make less money due to less trips made to his office – but I’d hardly be spilling any tears over that if I had chronic back pain I wanted to get rid of (and a lot of folks do).

Ditto for Hindu squats, which the “experts” say are bad for the knees. Absolute tosh – and believe it or not, there has NEVER – EVER – been any sort of study concluded that says this sort of repetitive squatting is bad for the knees. So much for “modern” science.

Or those that claim that handstand pushups are bad for the shoulders and extoll the virtues (not) of one of the worst exercises out there for the shoulders – the “mighty” (NOT) bench press. Uggggggh.

But why just stop at exercise. Let’s look at diet.

Would you, for instance, believe me if I told you the vast majority of my diet is currently made up for RICE – which is seemingly one of the main thing the “experts” rail against in terms of not being able to lose weight?

Or, that I have a few beers every now and then without gaining a lick of extra poundage?

Or, and perhaps most amazingly, my first meal of the day is sometimes late in the evening – and the second late at night?

Key thing to remember here, my friend – is this – not ALL advice given out is wrong or silly, but a lot of it out there IS. In fact, a lot of folks who rail against the effectiveness of bodyweight exercises are likely those who’ve never really gotten down to brass tacks and actually DONE what they are discussing about – let alone experience it.

Moral of the story – do what works for YOU within reasonable limits. More importantly, keep an open mind and be willing to try new things. You’ll be surprised at the progress you make – in ALL areas of your life, my friend.

Last, but not least, you do NOT need to get to expert status at any of the exercises I do and promote. No. You can glean all the benefits and then some by joining the ranks of the “experienced” – and the first step to doing that lies right HERE, my friend – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Keep an open mind – DO – and do so with HEART – and you’ll be amazed at the progress you make.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – I had an “expert” in the park recently tell me that pull-ups done with full extension are “bad for the shoulders” and apparently “kipping” (one of the worst things you can do for yourself by the way) is the way to go to achieve higher reps. I wanted to take him by the “scruff” of his neck and pull him around a few times around the chinning bars to see if that would spin any sense into him but whats the point eh? No point leading those who prefer remaining intentionally blind …

P.S. #2 – Yes, I cover pull-ups as well in my courses right HERE – –

1. Pull-ups – from DUD – to STUD within a few weeks 
2. Pull-ups – from STUD – to SUPER STUD within weeks

Dear Reader,

Heads up, all. What I’m about to say and the way I’m going to say ain’t gonna sound nice at all, but it has to be said.

This email might come across as somewhat offensive to certain people – it is even more direct and unadulterated “pure” Rahul Mookerjee than what you get normally, so if that’s your cup of tea, mug of beer, or tub of Java, well – strap in – buckle in – and lets get straight to it.

Modern day man (or woman), my friend has turned into a sorry, pathetic, sniveling excuse of what Mother Nature intended him/her to be – and none more so than when it comes to the fitness and staying in shape.

By this I’m not just referring to the slothfulness and couch potato tendencies of the vast majority of folks out there – but more the practice of making – and perfecting the process of doing so – EXCUSES galore.

In the 0 Excuses System book I’ve written that the main problem plaguing modern day man in terms of fitness is not so much lack of knowledge and equipment – but the tendency to make EXCUSES.

Not only that – modern day man seems to “mournfully” delight in finding 1000 ways of questioning “why” something won’t work as opposed to considering the fact that hey – it just might work.

Case in point being a conversation I had with a friend of mine a few moons ago.

This guy never gets back to me when I message or text him – and when he does it’s usually with an emoticon or some such “shortcut” that completely either ignores or bypasses what I asked / said in the first place.

Now, don’t get me wrong. He’s a great guy, and a good friend of mine – but what has to be said has to be said and I’m saying it.

He’s apparently “too busy” to get back. Yeah. Ok. Right ….

Anyhow, we got to talking about fitness when we last met.

“Oh, I wish I could do that now but I’m too busy to train!”

“No you’re not buddy. Get real. We ALL have time to train”.

*glower* “I really don’t Rahul. Believe me”

“Well, how much time can you spare in a day?”

“No more than half an hour, my friend. No more than that”.

“Well, what if I told you you could get supremely fit in 15 minutes or less with the routines I just described to you in my book” (he’s got a copy of my book).

“Uhhhhhhh…”

“?”

“I haven’t found the time to read it as yet, and (looking at me in a self conscious manner) …”

“But it’s been months since I gave you the book …”

Anyway, that was the general gist of the conversation. This gentleman then went on to explain to me (or tell me) that he couldn’t do squats (apparently a bad knee) – couldn’t do bridges or reverse movements (lower back issues) – and didn’t have time to train.

I told him that those exercises were the very thing he needed, but he shook his head mournfully, and indicated that they wouldn’t work – apparently because “they said it wouldn’t work”.

Whose they, I asked.

“Well, uh … people say”.

And so forth, and after some time we switched the topic of conversation – and thankfully so as I was gettting as agitated as  a cat on hot bricks after listening to this litany of excuses.

This same person who “has no time” amazingly enough finds time to watch videos on his smartphone – chat away nineteen to the dozen – and update his facebook stream with all the latest going ons in his “busy life” (which usually extend to no more than selfies of himself and his dog, and what he ate for lunch/dinner).

He also finds time to keep himself updated on the shennanigans going on in the White House, the latest sitcom, Bart Simpson, why the neighbor’s dog ran off with the cat, and so forth.

And yet, he can’t find the 15 minutes or less required to exercise?

Case in point my friend – that being of the modern day man having turned into the exact opposite of what Nature intended him to be.

And just so I keep it gender neutral, women are just as guilty of the above as men are. I’ve spoken to women that say the exact same thing and yet have enough time to yak away nineteen to the dozen on their phones while getting coffiuered (sp?), manicured, pedicured, and lathered in all sorts of nasty “skin care” thingies.

True, there ARE cases where people can’t do squats.

Ok, fine. How about rope jumping? Walking a mile a day? Swimming? Pushups? Bear crawls?

OK, so perhaps you’ve really got a lower back issue that makes it impossible to do bridges – although I WILL say this – bridges CURE lower back pain and problems as opposed to the modern day “wisdom” (blah) of “adding to it”.

What utter bunk. I’ve trained people with lower back pain, and have literally seen their back pain VANISH within a week or so of bridging, pull-ups and certain other exercises I had ’em do.

As for time – sure, we’re all busy – but if you’ve got time aplenty to update your Face book moments, or to inform the world in general about what you ate for lunch – or to post a picture of your cat – well, then you’ve got time to train, my friend. ‘Tis as simple as that.

My sprint workout that I wrote about yesterday probably took less than 15 minutes in all, and that was including rest periods, hard as that may sound to believe.

Closer to home, you can do a 100 Hindu squats in 4 minutes or less – a tremendous workout as and of in itself. Or, as I’ve done before – 8 minute 250 squat workouts followed by 5 minutes of pushups.

So drop the excuses TODAY, my friend. There’s never a better time to invest in yourself than NOW – and you can do so right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Crack open the System – devour the book – grab an eyeful of the videos – and then get STARTED TODAY my friend – with smartphone at your side if you so choose.

I look forward to hearing of your progress – and ZERO excuses being made as you do so.

Upward!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – If you’re part of the “silent minority” that have borne with me thus far and are nodding your head in agreement – I stand up and SALUTE you for being part of the few that keep it real even in this gentrified molly coddled sugar coated world we live in.

P.S. #2  – Last, but not least, remember that form is paramount on all of this. You do need to know how to perform these exercises correctly before you go out and do ’em – or you run the risk of injury or not getting what you could from your workouts. So be sure and take a gander at the videos before you dive right into the workout – – http://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

Dear reader,

I’ve been watching a lot of National Geographic as of late, and one of my favorite shows that I watch quite often is a documentary on grizzly bears.

“Grizzly bear documentary” as the YouTube title states (and yes, I generally never watch the boob tube as most of what is on there is utter trash – but I DO make an exception for National Geographic and History channels – and on occasion sports channels as well).

That’s a tip right there for productivity by the way – READ more – and watch LESS – or no – tee -vee. And certainly minimize the amount of time you spend on your smartphones – you’ll not only get a hell of a lot more ACCOMPLISHED, but your brain will thank you for doing what you can to prevent it turning into a giant tub of mush.

Anyway, as I was watching these amazing animals, a part of the footage that stuck out in mind and that I replayed over and over again was an adult male grizzly (must have clocked in at at least 500 kgs if not more) sprinting full bore after a tiny  little rabbit – and that too DOWNHILL through brush, shrubbery and what not in Yellowstone National Park.

It was ambling one second – and the next second – BAM – off it went like a tracer bullet, massive bulk and all, and so did the hare, of course, a mere speck compared to the massive bear after it.

Now you’d imagine that the hare would naturally speed off and win the race (of life, here) by a) sprinting off faster than the bear and b) diving into it’s cubby hole?

I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that – and yet – not a chance, my friend.

Not a chance.

That darn bear literally raced after the hare – downhill – “swooped down” upon it as if it were an eagle and made short work of it’s prey.

Now, THAT, my friends – is speed – and proof that “big” does NOT necessarily equate to “slow”.

Just take a look at human sprinters if you don’t believe me. Their massive upper bodies might (at first glance) appear to be slower than the average shrivelled up emaciated “pavement pounder”, but are they? Not a chance, my friend.

Now, what does racing like a bear – or hare have to do with YOU, you might ask?

Well, that’s a good question and one I’ll answer now.

Sprints, as I’ve been telling you for a long, long time now – done FAST and at the right cadence are one of the ultimate tools in your arsenal for burning blubber off your ENTIRE body – and FAST, at that.

You can literally EAT more and weigh less – and look better – if you incorporate sprints into your regular routine.

OK – you say. I already know that. What’s new?

Well – what’s new is this – a fair number of people have written it to tell me that they are NOT in the condition to do sprints.

Wonky knees. Shin splints. Way too overweight to even jog – let alone run or sprint. Haven’t gotten off the couch in years. Weekend warriors that pulled a hamstring when … ah, but you get the point, eh?

In an earlier email I wrote about a few things you can do if you’re currently unable to do sprints.

But what if you’re skinny and STILL NOT in the sort of “cardio” shape you need to be in in order to perform high intensity sprints?

Believe me, it’s more common than you think. That rail skinny guy with his collarbones “hanging out” and a “12 pack” might “look” quick, but ask him to do more than one all out sprint,, and chances are he’ll flop miserably.

What you CAN do though is start out slow – and in the quadruped position instead of biped.

And the bear crawl is one of the BEST exercises in this regard. Believe me now, and trust me later – you actually end up huffing and puffing MORE when you do the bear crawl and go ultra slow than if you were to sprint in that position, though the sprints are certainly no slouch either.

And EVERYONE can get on all fours, can’t they? (and NO, it’s NOT the position you’re thinking right about now, hehe).

Hell yeah they can – and this position not only takes the stress off the lower body, lower back and knees – but also gets you super fit in a minimal amount of time.

The bear crawl is JUST ONE of the variations I mention in my latest book on this “Advanced Hill Training” – and if the idea of dropping blubber from your frame quicker than you can say “voila” (with little or no change in diet) appeals to you – well – grab the course right here, my friends – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/

Well, my friend, that’s it for now. I just finished up with some “Bourne Sprints” and almost barged headfirst into a couple of ruffians that saw me coming and yet pretended to be so deeply buried in their smartphone that they couldn’t move  a cm or so to let me through.

Meh. What’s the world coming to, eh?!

OK – I’ll be back again tomorrow! If you train today – make it a superb one, my friend.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – I wrote about how I ended up drinking beer and eating what I normally don’t a couple of months ago during the Chinese New Year holidays – and expecting to pile on at least a kg or so from the gluttony – but guess what. I ended up weighing LESS the next day!

True story, my friend, and ’tis what inspired me to put out Advanced Hill Training. Grab your copy right here – – http://0excusesfitness.com/advanced-hill-training/