I love travelling. I love airplanes and the thrill of airports. The only downside is that I was away from our newborn boy, Oscar (and Amy of course) more often than I’d like.

Nonetheless, it’s always great to meet up with a bunch of my “international” friends and colleagues that I get to see less often than I would really like.

As you know, I’m all about hanging around the “right” people. So the occasional weekend trip here and there allows me to hang out with those kinds of empowering individuals. It really juices me up!

I also really enjoy travelling because there’s always so much to learn, so many new people to meet, and tons of random experiences to enjoy.

In this post, I’d like to share 8 cool things that I picked up in my recent travels.

Cool Lesson #1 – Fly direct whenever you can

I can’t stand connecting flights. Having to take an extra flight simply means that there’s a 50% greater likelihood that something can get all screwed up – like having a delayed flight, causing you to miss your connection. Not fun.

This past weekend, I was flown down to Orlando to speak at this real estate conference. I’m truly grateful that they paid for my hotel and flight – although it wasn’t direct. So, what should have been a 3-hour flight to Orlando turned into 7 hours of travel. Both ways. But I did crank out a ton of good work – so that was good.

And hey, that’s just the way it goes sometimes. You just have to roll with the punches. And, plus, I love experiencing new airports – so that’s how I look at it.

Go direct whenever possible. If not, just enjoy the journey!

Cool Lesson #2 – Talk to everyone!

If you ever sat beside me on a plane, I’d be the guy who ALWAYS starts the conversation. Upon sitting down, I’d introduce myself and get to know who you are, where you’re going, etc… But not in a stalker-like manner – just cool and friendly.

I see it like this…

You never know who the person is sitting next to you. You might be able to help them, they might be able to help you, and at the bare minimum you’ll come away having learned something new and possibly having made a new friend.

This past weekend, I started talking to an older man that was on my shuttle from the airport to the Disney resort where I was staying. We started chatting and when I told what I did he lit up and couldn’t stop talking about how much he loves to workout and eat well. I asked him how old he was. He said 63 and I nearly feel out of my seat – he looked amazing!

He then gave me some great advice on raising kids, aging gracefully, and we had some good laughs about Las Vegas.

You just never know whom you’re going to meet, so be proactive and be the first to say hello. Plus, you’ll feel happier for having made someone else’s journey a little more pleasant.

Cool Lesson #3 – Schedule your workouts

For whatever reason, most hotel gyms are pretty boring. They have little more than the latest machines and for “us” that doesn’t really do much, does it?

Nonetheless, there’s also something you can do. This past weekend I took advantage of some basic dumbbells and a cable machine to get in a real solid 30-minute workout.

Then, on Saturday morning, I woke up at 6:30am and went for a nice 20-minute run during the beautiful Florida sunrise. It was awesome and such a great way to start the day.

Although my 3 trips were pretty busy, I made it a priority to fit in some type of exercise. I think it’s really important to do so because it keeps you feeling good and on the “healthy path” even while you’re travelling.

Cool Lesson #4 – Ask and you shall receive…more than you ask for

After searching half of Disney world for some type of smoothie or juice bar to no avail, I was told that there was a restaurant in my very hotel that served fresh-pressed juices.

I was so pumped that I literally ran downstairs to find the restaurant and asked them for a glass of their “Wheatgrass Juice’ (wheat, pineapple, kiwi, and some other awesome stuff).

The hostess brought me the juice and I took it outside so I could soak up the hot and humid central Florida heat.

The juice was so good that I went back to the restaurant to get another one. I asked the same hostess for another juice and she went into the kitchen to see if they had any left (since they stopped serving it after breakfast).

Thankfully, she came back with the juice in hand. I was delighted and even more so when she told me that it was FREE! She gave it to me free because it was the last little bit they had – so better free than in the garbage. Awesome I thought.

Now, I wasn’t looking for a free juice but I’ll take that any day. But I guess I never would have gotten either the juice or the freebie had I not gone back and asked for “seconds”.

Cool Lesson #5 – It’s cool to have friends all over the world

One of my good friends, Leanne Ellington (from NotYourAverageBootCamp.com) lives in Orlando. I gave her the heads up that I was coming down and we organized to have dinner one night. It was great. She picked me up at the hotel and we had a great dinner filled with about 3 hours of great conversation.

That’s a little more enjoyable that eating alone in the hotel bar.

And that’s just another reason why I find it so important to befriend whomever you can. You never know where you’ll be some day.

Cool Lesson #6 – Prepare to eat healthy while traveling

I’ll be honest. I’m most likely not going to prepare Tupperware containers full of fresh fruit when I travel. It’s just too much of a headache to get through customs and security, not to mention carrying extra stuff.

But that shouldn’t prevent me (or you) to seek out healthy food options whenever possible. Truth be told, most airports and hotels usually don’t have many fresh smoothies or freshly plant-based meals options.

However, you can still find some golden nuggets here and there. You just need to plan and seek out the healthiest possible options available to you.

My one indulgence when I travel is a Starbucks soy latte. I actually get slightly upset if an airport terminal doesn’t have a Starbucks (ie. Terminal 3 in Toronto). I guess that’s pretty sad but that’s my little treat.

Either way, there are usually food stands and cafés that have a selection of fresh fruit to choose from. I usually grab a banana, apple, and orange (along with my coffee) and a big bottle of water once inside the terminal. At least that way I’m getting some good nutrition and hydration.

And the same thing goes for hotels. You just have to do your best with what you have at your disposal.

Surprisingly, I had one of the best pieces of salmon of my life in – of all places – a Diner called “The Fountain” that specializes in serving ice cream sundaes, milk shakes, and surprisingly really good salads.

I had the “Seared salmon salad” and it was amazing and a lot better than the massive banana split the man beside me was inhaling at 9pm.

Cool Lesson #7 – Focus on what you can control

A lot of people are anxious flyers. And why not – traveling at 30,000+ feet, separated by a few sheets of metal might not be the most reassuring mode of travel.

But let’s not forget that air travel is still far safer than driving down the street. And I have to give a MASSIVE shout out to pilots – they are amazing, absolutely amazing!

If you get nervous when you fly, there are only 2 things you can control.

1. Your decision as whether or not to board the plane, and
2. If you decide to board the plane, then you have control of your thoughts – what you focus on.

There’s no sense in focusing on the “what if’s”. We don’t usually do that when we drive a car or take the train so it’s as simple as NOT doing it when flying.

Plus, you have absolutely no control over the plane. Once you’ve boarded the plane, the only option you have is to focus your mind on happy, uplifting, or relaxing mental images.

I mean you might as well, right?

What’s the point of stressing the whole flight? Instead of playing a negative mental movie of what might happen in turbulence or landing, etc…you’ll add years to your life by going to a relaxing place in your head.

Put on some relaxing music, meditate, or keep your mind busy with work or by reading a book.

Remember, it’s not what happens to us, it’s the meaning we give to that situation that matters. Our reality is an illusion that we create in our head. 200 people on the same plane – who experience the exact same flight – will probably have very different stories to tell based on their perception of it.

Choose your thoughts wisely, they’re the only ones you have!

Cool Lesson #8 – How NOT to Tan

Ok, this really isn’t a cool lesson but it is a listen nonetheless. When applying sunscreen (which I’m still not to sure about) be sure that it’s a lotion and not a glue-stick like applicator.

Otherwise, this can happen…

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That is the question I’ll be answering today.

It’s actually a relatively simple answer but the fact still remains that you (and everyone else) needs to understand the consequences of doing the same workouts over and over.

So watch the video and discover the truth about how you SHOULD be training:

Still have questions about this workout topic?

Let me know in the comments.

-20 Celsius to be exact. And to escape the cold and get in some decent work, I’m sitting in a local cafe in Port Perry overlooking the frozen lake. Looks nice from in here but I’m scared to go back outside. Brrr….

Now onto my first update for my “20-pound challenge”.

Last week we officially moved out to Port Perry (bye bye Toronto!) and have been staying at my mom’s while our house is being renovated. Needless to say, I’ve been living out of a knapsack since last Tuesday so I didn’t have the chance to take my measurements and weigh in yesterday since all my “tools” are packed away somewhere in one of our many boxes.

But don’t worry, I’ve still got some great news to share with you.

The Diet

First. I’ve been eating like a champ!

I knew from the start that putting on 20 lbs of muscle would be challenging because it meant I would have to eat a LOT more food than I’m used to.

And not just any food either. I want to pack on this muscle eating natural whole foods – no “bodybuilding” supplements or high grain diet – both of which can greatly assist weight gain.

I’ve tracked everything I’ve eaten this week and will report back to you on roughly how many calories I’ve been consuming once my assistant compiles all the numbers for me. But at first glance, I would say I’m getting about 2500-3000 calories on average. Not bad but I still need more.

The challenge for me has been that this past weekend I spent 22 hours painting my house with 2 good friends of mine (I’ll never do that again – man is it a lot of work) and subsequently my food choices during those 2 days were not the greatest. You know the quick and easy solutions – subs, pizza, etc…

But I did ensure that I ate plenty of fruit and veggies to at least balance some of that out. I know my diet will get back to what I want it to be once we finally move into our house at the end of the month.

For now, I’ll do the best I can while staying at my mom’s. Here’s a snapshot of a typical day food intake:

Breakfast #1

- 5g glutamine in water
(NOTE: I consider glutamine a vital supplement for ANYONE to take because of it’s gut healing and muscle rebuilding properties – very powerful for those with compromised digestive tracts)

- THE SHAKE
(comprised of 1 banana, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup raspberries, 2 tbsp organic peanut butter, 2 tbsp hemp protein powder, 1 cup almond milk, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp ground flax)

Breakfast #2

- 3-4 free-run organic eggs
- 2 cups steamed spinach
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato

Lunch

- Black bean and avocado salad

Snack

- Vegan protein powder shake with almond milk (roughly 30 grams of protein and 200 calories)
- apple
- clementine

Dinner

- Salmon filet
- roasted sweet potatoes
- steamed greens (broccoli, swiss chard, spinach)

You’ll note that this is very wholesome diet. Sure it’s not 100% raw but I’ll be incorporating more raw and vegan-based recipes once our kitchen is set to go.

On that note, many people have asked about whether or not raw foods are suitable for building muscle. I believe they are, especially dehydrated raw food recipes. Here’s why…

Many dehydrated-based recipes are very calorie (and nutrient) dense since they often involve many nuts and seeds. For me that’s a good thing. For anyone looking to lose weight, not so much. But I would definitely recommend ANY raw food recipe, especially those that require dehydration for adding extra calories (and protein) to your diet.

The Workouts

Another question I’ve been asked is whether or not I’ll be following my own workouts (ie. Fitter U and Fitter U Fitness). The answer is no.

The reason is that these workouts are designed to burn fat. They are “metabolic” workouts that are specifically geared toward getting stronger and burning more fat, not building muscle.

The workouts I’ll be using during the 4 weeks of my program were largely inspired by Tim Ferriss’ Occam’s Protocol in the 4-Hour Body.

2 workouts per week.

2 exercises per workout.

1 set of 7-8 reps (to failure using a 5/5 lifting tempo) per exercise.

Most people would look at this and say there’s no way it could work. But the reality is that it ALREADY has. I can see a noticeable difference in my muscle girth and eventhough I haven’t weighed in this week or done measurements, I can tell that I’ve probably already put on 2 lbs of mass.

Right now, the main “muscle building” movements I’ve focused on include:

- squats

- bench press

- military press

- pull-downs

That’s it!

The idea with these workouts is that we’re doing the minimum that is required to produce results. Most muscle building programs promote 4-5 sets of 10-12 reps per exercise and about 2-3 exercises per body part.

Ah, no thank you. I don’t feel like spending 2 hours in the gym, 6 days per week.

So I’ll keep you posted with my “minimalist” training approach.

I should also mention that I’m spending the first 30 minutes of my workouts doing prehab exercises to strengthen some areas of weakness (ie. my left glute) and balance out many of my muscular imbalances. These exercise  include:

- turkish get-ups

- kettlebell swings

- half-kneeling chops and lifts

- 1 leg/1-arm deadlifts

And once our house is finished I’ll be adding in some morning yoga (25 minutes) about 3 times per week to further help with these goals.

So that’s where I’m at right now.

A Comment on Inertia

To be completely honest, since I stopped playing pro soccer 7 years ago, I haven’t had a training goal that has compelled me to go beyond the norm. I mean when I played soccer I could my butt off and I would always push myself to be stronger, faster, and better. I always had the vision of diving 1 inch farther or jump 2 inches higher. That motivated me like nothing else!

But now, I’ve finally found something that has gotten me back to those good ol’ days, while still understanding that MORE training is not necessarily better.

The powerful about having a compelling goal is that everything else lines up to support your goal. And this is what I refer to as INERTIA (or momentum).

In the space of just one week, I feel that I’m eating so much better and don’t even feel tempted by unhealthy foods because I’m on a mission to reach my goal. I know that if I miss a meal, I’m going to delay my progress. I know that if I fuel my body properly, I’m going to feel and see amazing results.

And that’s is so important to have momentum to help you move forward. Because here’s how it goes…

If you’re unhealthy, lazy, and would rather stay on the couch, the tendency will be for you to continue doing that because that’s the momentum that you’ve created.

On the flipside…

If you workout, remain active each day, and eat well, it will be so much easier for you to continue doing so because once again that’s the momentum you’ve got backing you.

It’s all about momentum. And that’s why change is tough – initially. Because it requires a huge amount of energy – just like a rocket ship leaving earth’s orbit – to get going.

But once you’ve set course, you’ll be laughing all the way!

Let’s make it a great week.

==> What’s your BIG goal? Is momentum working in your favour right now? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Cardio workout in 4 minutes…

Are you kidding me?

That’s probably what was just going through your mind, I know.

But as you know, I’m not a fan of uber long workouts – be them cardio or strength training. I’m all about giving you the goods (and the results) in at least HALF the time so that you can still enjoy the rest of your life too.

And to help you do this, I’ve pulled out the shovel and dug through the trenches of videos that I’ve compiled over the years to bring you…

One of my favourite cardio workouts of all time. This one dates back to February 2008 and has been viewed more than 83,000 times, and people all around the globe have taken me up on this 4-minute cardio workout challenge.

And I’d like you to do the same. So watch the workout video and then set aside 4 minutes to get it done. I know you have 4 minutes, right?!

So what did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

In fact, if we get at least 100 comments I’ll be back with at least 2 more amazing workout videos for you this week!

I can tell you I’m NOT looking forward to the winter – brrrr! I was made for the summer.

How about you?

This weekend I was in Ottawa with the men’s soccer team. We had a rematch against Carleton University – who beat us 1-0 last week – and it was time for revenge.

But things didn’t work out that way.

We played a great opening 20 minutes, in which we could have easily been up 3-0 (but we missed those key chances), and then that was about it.

The rest of the game was a write off and we ended up with a 0-0 draw.

We currently sit in 3rd place in our group and it doesn’t look like we’ll do much better than 2nd. That’s a bit disappointing since our first goal was to WIN our division.

Nonetheless, we’re hosting Nationals so we’ll be at the “big show” regardless.

But what do you do when you fall short of your goals? What do you do when things just don’t seem to be working out for you?

That’s kind of what we’re facing right now at U of T soccer and I want to give you a really helpful tip to tell help you….if you find yourself in a similar rut.

CHANGE YOUR APPROACH

The world is filled with conflicting advice. Some people tell you to keep pushing and you’ll reach your goals. Others tell you that you need to do something different if you want different results.

What are you supposed to believe?

Ultimately, I think it’s a combination of both.

I believe that if you work hard and continue moving forward to your goals you will achieve them.

However, if you’ve been doing the same thing time and time again and you’re still not seeing results, then it’s probably time to change things up.

The easiest example of this is with your workouts and nutrition habits.

If you’re doing the same workout over and over again, eventually you’ll hit a plateau and your body will have a tough time progressing.

The same thing with your diet. If you consistently eat the same foods and the same number of calories each day, your metabolism will hit a wall.

The solution?

Change up your workouts. Add new movements, heavier weights, different number of reps and sets, etc…

With respect to your diet, if your goal is to lose weight, one of the easiest things to do is vary your calories. This means that some days will have higher caloric intakes, others less, and perhaps one day a week might be a fasting day.

Making these small adjustments will keep your body guessing, keep your metabolism on its toes, and help you to move forward without hitting those frustrating plateaus.

And if you get frustrated just remember this…

If someone else has done it, you can too!

That might mean trying something totally new – something you’ve never done before.

And it may or may not work.

But at least you tried. And that’s all that matters.

Regret – feeling guilty for not having done something – is the worst emotion to hold on to.

At least if you try something new (ie. take a small risk), you’ll know the eventual outcome. You can rest assured that you tried every avenue.

But if you don’t, then you’ll always be wondering…“What if?”

So don’t be afraid to take chances and try something new.

The more risks you take, the more rewards you might reap.

You might also fail but that’s awesome as well because failing is filled with valuable lessons that will make you a better, stronger, and fitter person!

So go for it. Change things up and keep working hard.

Take the plunge today!

The powerful workout trick that I’m about to share with you is probably one of the easiest things you can start using IMMEDIATELY to make your workouts more focused, enjoyable, and productive.

Whether your goal is to burn fat, build muscle, train for a sport, or anything else, I guarantee that if you follow the advice I give you in this video, you’ll get the at least 50% more out of your workouts!

What do you think?

Let me know if you’re already using this “trick” OR if you have some other workouts tricks that you’d like to share with us.

Well, very simply, TNT stands for “today not tomorrow”. And in this day and age of being overwhelmed with stuff to do, which ultimately leads to procrastination and getting nothing done, the TNT principle couldn’t be more important for you.

In fact, if you apply the TNT principle on a consistent basis, you will get explosive results (pun intended – haha).

Now let’s apply the TNT principle to a common goal – burning fat.

(Note: the following can also be applied to any health or fitness goal).

How often have YOU fallen victim to mental dialogue that goes a little something like this…

“I’ll start eating better tomorrow.”

“I’m too tired today, but I’ll hit the gym first thing tomorrow.”

I know I have and if you’re human you probably have too.

In fact, just the last night, I got home late from our first day of pre-season training with U of T soccer. I knew that I had to get up bright and early this morning which meant that I probably wouldn’t get a chance to make my beloved green juice (because Amy, the dogs, and our neighbours would still be sleeping).

So I said that AFTER watching True Blood I would spend 30-45 minutes to make a green juice. Did it happen?

Nope.

Why?

Cuz I was too tired from 9 hours of soccer – that’s why!

The result – no green juice.

Now if my goal were to lose weight and burn fat, this would be a big no-no because it would likely that I would turn to a less healthy option for breakfast (instead of my green juice).

So let’s STOP the insanity once and for all!!!

The name of the game is DOING THINGS NOW.

Nike says “Just do it” in their campaigns and I take it one step further by saying “Just do it NOW!”

A lot of times we put things off because we feel that they are too overwhelming. We form a mental picture of some grandiose task – a mountain instead of a mole hill – and as a result we don’t take action.

Looking at Your Workouts a Little Differently

I’m not sure what goes in your mind when you “see” your upcoming workout. Maybe you envision pain from the muscle burn or the hassle of having to drive to the gym, or having to weight for equipment because the gym is so busy. Or maybe you workout at home and get seem to get focused with everything going on around you.

We all “see” our lives differently.

However, what I can suggest is that no matter which you way you mentally view your upcoming workout do your best to focus on making it a pleasurable experience that is chunked down into bite size pieces.

See only ONE element of your workout at a time. Don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed with all the little details of your workout or things you need to during the rest of your day.

As you know, I’m a huge fan of visualization – and you should be too. Because whether you realize it or not, you are projecting mental images that ultimately create your reality. So might as well choose the ones that will empower you.

Here are a 5 things that I do to keep me on track with my workouts:

• Review my goals on a daily basis (first thing in the morning and before going to bed),

• Visualize my ideal body, especially before going to bed and on my way to the gym,

• Create a VERY clear and precise workout plan – if I’m not using one of my Fitter U Fitness workouts, then I’m creating new ones, writing them down (on paper) in detail, and taking that plan with me to the gym.

• Revisit my core values to help prioritize my day – One of my top core values is health and vitality so that means that my workouts get done FIRST – before anything else. So now, most of my workouts take place 7-9 am. Then I get the rest of my day’s work done.

• Plan for days off to avoid burnout – My goal is to workout 5-6 times per week. But I also look forward to those off days where I do absolutely nothing because I know that’s when my body is getting stronger. It also allows me to recover mentally from all the hard work.

I hope you can take some valuable tips from what has helped me stay consistent with working out.

And remember, perhaps more important than anything else is your ability to do things now (not tomorrow) and to do so consistently. You need to “flex” your habit-forming muscles and the only way to do that is through repetition. Get used to doing things (big and small) that you don’t necessarily FEEL like doing (like getting up early) and get in the habit of doing them.

Pretty soon, what was once uncomfortable will now become second nature.

Now, here’s my favourite green juice of all time courtesy of Eating for Energy!

1 head of kale
1 bunch parsley
2 carrots
1 apple
6 stalks celery
1/4 cucumber
1/2 lemon
1 inch cube  fresh ginger

Throw all these ingredients through a juicer and get ready for ultimate energy. This recipe will give you about 500 ml.

=> What’s your most powerful strategy for doings things now?

What I mean by this is that he’s big into the “bodybuilder-like” split-routines (a la, biceps/triceps, legs/shoulders, etc..). Not that there’s anything wrong with that type of training but I personally can’t stand it.

Nonetheless, we had a very challenging arm workout.

Oh, I forgot to mention that he was 20 minutes for our workout so I decided to do one of my latest interval training workouts (HIT 27) from Month 14 of Fitter U Fitness. Wicked, kick-ass workout!

So, Sam shows up and I’m already drenched in sweat and not exactly in the mood to go through with our arms routine – but I did it anyway.

We finished up around 9pm and we’re then supposed to meet some friends for drinks. The last thing I wanted after that workout was a drink – at least not an alcoholic one.

Thankfully, I remembered to bring one of my favourite post-workout snacks – a banana!

As soon as I left the gym floor, and before I hit the showers, I got that banana into my body as fast as possible. This was after downing about 1.5 liters of water. I figured that’s how much sweat I lost during the workout.

Anyways, a lot of people ask me what they should be drinking or eating after their workouts. Have you ever wondered the same thing?

In fact, Sam didn’t have anything with him and didn’t end up drinking or eating anything for about 1 hour after the workout – not a great idea.

So, if you’ve ever wondered what to drink or eat after your workouts, then you’re going to want watch the video I put together which will give you everything you need to know for proper refueling after your training sessions.

And I highly recommend that you watch it because…

What you drink and eat after your workouts is probably one of the most important decisions you can make. Refuel with the wrong fluids and foods and you prolong your recovery and drain your body of further energy.

On the flipside, if you eat and drink the rights foods (which I’m about to show) then you can enjoy quicker recovery, less soreness, all the while feeling stronger and more energetic.

Sound good?

Alright, let’s get to the goods….

P.S. If you need more help with your post-workout (and overall) nutrition, I’ve got an entire chapter devoted to the subject in my ebook, Eating for Energy. Check it out here.

=> What do YOU normally eat or drink after your workouts?

Let’s get at least 50 comments and I’ll share 3 of my FAVOURITE post-workout recipes (and another great video) with you on Saturday!