This month, I’m doing 100 body weight squats a day. While this physical fitness challenge has been tough, there have been a lot of benefits which have come from it as well. In this post, I’m going to share with you how you can do 100 body weight squats a day for a month to become more fit and get in shape.

Are you looking for a body weight physical fitness challenge? Would you work out every day for a whole month?

This month, I’ve been doing 100 body weight squats a day.

Each day, no matter what, I’ve done a few sets of 100 body weight squats.

While there have been some days where I’ve been sore or tired, I still got my squats in.

Now, my lower body is feeling strong and I’ve also noticed that I’ve lost some body fat across the rest of my body.

In this post, I’m going to share with you how to do this body weight exercise challenge, talk about why squats are good for you, and give you motivation to crush this challenge!

How to Do 100 Body Weight Squats a Day for a Month

Doing 100 body weight squats every day for a month is a big task to take on.

When starting out, doing squats is tough and can be a struggle.

The first few days, you will be sore, but after about a week, the soreness goes away and you will see the progress and gains.

For your 100 daily bodyweight squats, you can do them anyway you want.

You can do wide stance squats, narrow stance squats, or vary the technique in any way you want. As long as you are getting down and have a good range of motion (getting your legs to 90 degrees is a great goal), you will be making the most of this workout.

Right now, I doing 5 sets of 20, or 4 sets of 25 (depending on the day). These 4 or 5 sets take me between 10-15 minutes to do, but if you can’t do as many squats in a row as me, then you can break it up into more sets with less reps.

Doing 10 sets of 10 is the same amount of reps as 2 sets of 50.

In addition, doing 10 sets of 10 could be spread out through the day to reduce the energy spent in any one session.

If you still think 100 in a day is too much, you could start off slower.

During the first week, you could do 30 squats a day. Then, in the second week you can do 60 squats a day.

Finally, during the third and fourth weeks of the month, you can get to 100 squats a day.

By the third week, your body will start to get used to the increased number of squats and will be able to handle this increased volume.

Why are Body Weight Squats Good for You?

There are many benefits of body weight squats. Squats are a compound movement which hit many of the major muscles groups: quads, hamstrings, glutes and core, and helps with balance.

While doing 100 bodyweight squats every day might not be the best thing to do for your goals and routine, bodyweight squats are a fantastic exercise.

Adding bodyweight squats to your routine will improve your physical fitness and will help tone the muscles of your lower body and mid-section. In addition, you don’t need for any other piece of workout equipment!

A few other benefits of bodyweight squats which I’ve noticed are:

• Improved flexibility in my legs and back
• Reduced knee aches and pains
• Improved posture
• Toned legs and butt

Whether you’re looking to lose some weight pounds, maintain mobility, or walk, jog or run faster, the bodyweight squat is for you!

Don’t You Need to Take Some Rest Days to Recover?

Make no mistake, doing bodyweight squats every day is tough.

One thing about the human body is that it is incredibly resilient and is able to adapt to tough situations.

From experience, the first few days of this body weight exercise challenge is tough.

You are sore, you struggle to walk, and you aren’t loving life.

But, after about a week, if you are sleeping enough, eating a healthy diet with a lot of protein, and not pushing too hard else where, you will start feeling more confident and better about your progress.

In general though, if you really need a break, then you should take a break. If you are on the verge of injury, then taking a day off instead of pushing through would be best.

However, I don’t think general soreness is necessarily an injury.

With bodyweight exercises, the amount of work and stress you are putting on your body is not an intense amount, so you can do it more often.

At the same time, as I mentioned, you need to listen to your body to make sure you are doing what’s right for your current level of health and physical fitness.

At the end of the day, incorporating body weight exercises and body weight squats can be very beneficial for you and support your current routine.

Would You Do 100 Body Weight Squats a Day?

Now that you have finished reading this post, I hope you are inspired and motivated to get out there and try this challenge.

While I don’t think I’d recommend it if you are doing heavy weighted barbell squats (there your body definitely does need to recover), I would recommend this if you want a change in your exercise schedule and routine.

Getting stronger legs and becoming fit is all about consistency. By doing a little bit each and every day, you can reach your goals of becoming fit, healthy and strong.

Readers: what exercise challenges do you like doing? Would you do 100 body weight squats every day for a month?

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” – Benjamin Franklin

Ever heard the phrase “life is like a box o’ chocolates”? How about “Luke, I am your father”? Or most importantly “At least he has his health.”?

Health is one of the most important aspects of our every day life.

We need to ask ourselves each morning: are we energized, ready to jump out of bed and seize the day? Or are we just waking up and just looking for the coffee?

It is safe to say, we all would prefer the former… but what’s the recipe for this Carpe Diem attitude?

Doing what matters to you in life comes down to your mindset; mindset is everything.

For me, I wanted to become physically fit and strong. I recently completed the Mindpump MAPS program and want to share with you my thoughts in this post.

“Your level of success will rarely surpass your level of personal development, because success is what you attract by the person you become.”

Mind Pump MAPS Helped Me Become as Strong as Ever

Over the last 3 months, I went through the Mind Pump MAPS program. The two specific programs I tried were the MAPS Anabolic program, and the MAPS Prime program.

I was a little skeptical at first, but after getting into the early AM workouts, I was crushing personal records week after week.

Priming Your Work Out with MAPS Prime

Warm-ups and cool downs have always been part of an athlete’s main stay.  What do you do to get ready for a big game? Do you have pasta parties the night before a big competition (carb loading)?

Do you visual yourself crushing the competition, visualizing each detail as it happens real-time, and executing the strategy you have been practicing for months?

Many athletes have pre-game rituals: did you know Michael Jordan wore his UNC shorts under all his professional shorts while he was winning his 6 championships for the Bulls?

One of my favorite pre-game rituals is “The Haka” performed by the All Blacks New Zealand Rugby team… talk about intimidating before the match!!!

We all have our own rituals, superstitions, and pump up songs! I personally love “Nothing is Stopping you” by Big Sean and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” while getting ready for my workouts.

Are you preparing for a work presentation, wedding speech, first date?  There are plenty of reasons to get yourself in the zone. Am not going to get into mentally psyching yourself up here, but keeping your body physically prepared is key as well.

MAPS Prime

Mind Pump has recently introduced a program on “priming” your body before workouts.

Your body is supposed to move a certain way and there is a reason why form is everything when lifting, shooting a basketball. It’s just like in life, being balanced is extremely important!

MAPS Prime is specifically designed to encourage superior muscle recruitment, proper joint mobility, and priming the central nervous system to maximize the muscle building signals sent throughout your body.

The key to MAPS Prime is in it’s ability to re-align your body.  This means getting rid of muscle imbalances.

The exercises in MAPS prime specifically work to help correct these weaknesses through a combination of lifting, yoga, and physical therapy.

MAPS Prime has had a profound effect on my physical ability and I highly recommend trying MAPS prime out.

The MAPS Prime Workouts

There are three main tests to judge your muscle imbalances and functionality. They help you customize what is right for your priming.

1. Zone 1 – The “Wall Test” consists of the entire upper body starting at the thoracic spine.
2. Zone 2 – The “Windmill Test” identifies spinal and core rotational mobility and over trunk connectivity.
3. Zone 3 – The “Squat Test” consists of the low back, hips, and the rest of your lower body.

After these tests you are given a wide range of movements to help target your  weakness areas before and after your workouts.

Growing with MAPS Anabolic

After going through the MAPS Prime workouts, I continued my workouts with the MAPS RBC bundle. Next up was the MAPS Anabolic workouts.

On workout days, I woke up at 5:10 AM and am one of only people at the gym.

Going EARLY is amazing if you want full use of the squat racks, cages, bench presses, free weights, and most of the other exercise equipment!

After running 1 mile to the gym, each workout was a sequence and combination of the following. All workout days hit every body part, and I felt massive from the pump I was experiencing!

1. Barbell Squats
2. Barbell Deadlifts
3. Walking Lungs 
4. Bench Press
5. Dumbbell Rows
6. Rear Laterals 
7. Shoulder Shrugs
8. Shoulder Press 
9. Barbell Curls
10. Triceps Press-down
11. Planks 
12. Random Yoga
13. Jump Squats 

After running home, I’ll be home at 6:35 AM and make a shake, some bacon and have some fruit.

I LOVE THIS WORKOUT and it is a GREAT start to the DAY!

I believe routine is everything: prefect preparation prevents poor performance.

Give Mind Pump a Try, It worked for me

I want to shout out to Adam, Justin, and Sal over at Mind Pump. They have put together a great program and I’m excited each and every time I go to the gym.

If you listen to podcasts, I recommend listening to the Mind Pump Podcast! The Mind Pump guys have a blend of talents, passions, and experiences in personal training, bodybuilding, and personal transformation, which are interesting to me and other people looking to grow physically.

I listen to it most days; they talk about various myths of the workout industry. Also, they discuss different mental and physical exercises for becoming a complete person.

I definitely recommend the Mind Pump MAPS program. After increasing my squats by over 100 pounds (admittedly, I started low) and other lifting by nearly double, I’m excited to see how the next 3 months go!

Performing a 48 hour fast can be a scary thought, but with the right tips and plan, you can successfully make it through your fast. With this article, you will learn how you can make it to 48 hours without breaking your fast, and learn about the benefits of fasting.

Over the past 4-5 years, one of my constant experiments has been with my diet and eating habits. I’ve tried fasting, but never had done long fasts before.

Back in college, I was lifting 5+ times a week and doing other exercises to get in great shape. At the same time, I was trying to hit certain nutrient and calorie levels to sustain my growth, and started down the rabbit hole of “exercise science” (the same thing as bro-science?).

At some point along this path, I came across intermittent fasting and was intrigued. Not eating for more than 12 hours?? Would I die? I can’t skip breakfast! Who are these mad people who don’t eat!

Getting outside of my comfort zone has shown to bring growth, and I decided I would skip breakfast the next day. A few months later, I did a 24 hour fast and after a while, fell into a eating pattern where I don’t eat breakfast anymore.

Fast forward to last month, and I challenged myself with a 48 hour fast.

I successfully completed this 48 hour fast, and in this post, I’ll be sharing with you my experience, as well as talk in general about intermittent fasting and my eating habits over the last few years.

First, a disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Everyone’s body responds to things differently and just because I’ve had a good experience doesn’t mean you will. Please consult a real doctor if you have concerns or interest about this subject.

What is Intermittent Fasting and What is Fasting?

Let’s start with what is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is all about restricting the amount of time you spend in an eating state, and increasing the amount of time you spend in a fasted state.

All of us fast while we sleep, but if we extend that fast out a few more hours, that’s where some magic starts to happen.

By fasting, you are able to cleanse your body and cells. This cleansing process is what makes fasting so great.

“But I could never skip breakfast!!! I wake up sooo hungry!”

As I mentioned in the introduction, I don’t eat breakfast anymore and now will have my first food around 11 AM.

Intermittent fasting is actually not that hard to do. While it’s a challenge at the beginning due to the mental barrier of not eating, you get used to it and there are benefits to this as well.

One other thing is while fasting, you are allowed to drink water, tea and coffee – these are 0 calorie drinks which are very helpful in keeping you “full” and your mind off of food.

Why is fasting good for you and what are the benefits of fasting?

Here’s a slightly snarky, but legit question for you to ponder: what kind of eating habits did our hunter-gather ancestors have? Were they able to go down to the local grocery store and pick up whatever they wanted?

Humans have been fasting for many years – for a variety of reasons – and don’t need 3 meals a day. I don’t know if it’s some marketing ploy or what, but our bodies naturally can handle large periods of non-eating without loss of strength or energy.

What happens to our bodies in a 48 hour fast?

When our bodies go into a fasted state, a number of things happen. Our bodies are very good at cleaning themselves out, but when you keep putting crap in, then the there’s no time for our bodies to get the crap out!

By restricting the time we are eating, our bodies are able to focus in on cleaning out our cells which will lead to detoxification.

If you aren’t eating for 16 hours, then for that 16 hours, you body is going to work making sure you are cleansed. Ratchet that time up to 24, 48 or more, and you (theoretically) should be removed of many of the toxins you’ve accumulated.

A number of other great things happen as well though are outside the topic of this post (Read more about these health benefits here).

Why I Decided to Fast and My Eating Habits Over The Years

As I mentioned in the introduction, I’ve been challenging my own eating habits the last few years.

In the spring of 2015, I started experimenting with intermittent fasting.

Growing up as a child, my parents always told me I needed to eat breakfast. I was influenced as well by the marketing of always having to eat cereal or other carb-loaded and sugary things in the morning, or else I would DIE of hunger and not grow up to a strong adult.

Throughout college, I had the full meal plan and continued to always eat breakfast until 2015. I challenged myself at some point that I would skip breakfast and not eat until lunch.

It was certainly tough that first morning. 9 AM rolled around and all I could think about was food. I was drinking green tea and a lot of water, but I was still “hungry”. Later in the morning, I had a meeting and focused in on some work. All of a sudden, it was noon and time for lunch. I made it! I was still alive!

At this point, I thought this was pretty cool and started to do it every morning.

After a short while, I wanted to keep testing. What about a 24 hour fast? Could I do it?

I ended up doing a few 20+ hour fasts and realized that hunger is largely psychological. It’s 11:32 AM as I write this now and I haven’t ate yet today. I’ve had 4 big glasses of water, but am not hungry.

I don’t eat breakfast anymore, but my health and diet habits have become a little bit less of a focus recently.

This brings us to August and my 48 hour fast. I needed a change and wanted to push myself to the next level.

The Big Challenge: a 48 Hour Fast

I was feeling a little bit chubby and tired in the middle of August. Even with my usual 14-16 hours of fasting, I wasn’t getting the exercise required to stay in shape.

To shock my system, so to say, I decided I would do a 48 hour fast.

“48 hours without eating, Erik?? What are you thinking?”

Part of life is about pushing your boundaries and getting outside your comfort zone.

At 5:22 PM on a Sunday night in August, I finished up my dinner and started my 48 hour fast.

After waking up the first day, I was fine and had my usual energy levels. Around 11 AM, I started getting hungry and this wasn’t helped by a few people around me at work heating up their lunches and eating at their desks.

I went on a walk around noon and that afternoon, and during this time, was drinking lots of water and had 2 cups of coffee. I was feeling good and not too hungry.

That night, while my girlfriend ate dinner, I avoided the kitchen and got down to work. Lots to do and no distractions for me!

Around 9:30, I decided it was time for bed. I hadn’t ate all day but was still feeling energized. When I laid down in bed, thoughts ran through my mind… “what would I feel like when I woke up? what if I woke up and was starving? should I be nervous here?”

I fell asleep and had a great night of sleep…

36 Hours in with a TON of energy

The next morning, I woke up at 5:05 AM. I sat up in a little bit of a stupor and thought to myself, “Whoa, I feel amazing.”

I had so much energy, I decided I would record that week’s podcast episode. It was 5:30 AM, and I was so excited talking about my fast during the fast. I talk about it the first 15 minutes of the podcast episode.

My energy levels were unbelievable and I didn’t even need coffee.

That being said, I wasn’t doing a strict water fast, and did opt for coffee throughout the 48 hour fasting period.

When I was recording the episode, I was drinking water and a cup of coffee, and after finishing my recording, I got ready for work and headed off on the bus.

Things were looking good. 8 hours to go.

Hitting a Wall but Pushing Through

Again, around 11 AM, I started getting really hungry and I started suffering a little. Getting up at 5 the last two days wasn’t helping, nor was the stupid work I had to do.

That second afternoon, I was feeling down, a little weak and a little bit tired.

I finished my 48 hour fast with an apple, banana and some tacos at 5:30 on Tuesday – 48 hours after I started.

Reflecting on the 2 day fast, I was worn down but hanging in there.

After eating at 5:30 PM, I felt a little better but was still feeling tired and a little down (probably since I woke up at 5 AM both Monday and Tuesday though let’s be honest).

Going to bed the first night with an empty stomach was interesting, but I’d been drinking a ton of water all day – so really, it wasn’t an empty stomach. I woke up the next morning with a TON of energy.

I was very hungry both days around 11 AM. This was 6 hours into my day on both days. In both cases, I drank more water and went on a walk through the Downtown Minneapolis skyways. By 12:30 PM, I was able to focus in again. With this combination of focus and energy, I was able to get a ton of work done and was loving it.

Overall, I’d say it was a good choice to do this 48 hour fast. It was an amazing experience and was very happy about this endeavor.

6 Steps and Tips for Completing Your First 48 Hour Fast

If you’ve decided to give a 48 hour fast a chance, here are some tips for getting the 48 hour fast done:

1. Start with a 24 hour fast a week or two before the 48 hour fast
2. Eat a big meal around 4-5 PM before starting your 48 hour fast
3. Use sleep to your advantage
4. Drink plenty of liquids to keep you full over the two day span
5. Stay positive, listen to your body, and be strong
6. Make your first meal back simple and healthy

Whether you are going for a 12 hour fast, a 24 hour fast, a 36 hour fast, a 40 hour fast, or a 48 hour fast, these tips for getting through your fast will be beneficial for your fasting goal.

Let’s dive into each of these tips for completing your first 48 hour fast in more detail.

1. Start with a 24 Hour Fast to Prepare for Your 48 Hour Fast

First, if you’ve never done a longer fast before, you should start with a shorter 24 hour fast. This way, by doing a shorter fast, you can get an understanding of how your body might respond to fasting.

There are a number of interesting feelings I experienced when I fasted for the first time, and the first time I did it, it definitely was stressful and nerve wracking.

But after doing it a few times, I now know how to cope with those thoughts and feelings.

If you can successfully complete a 24 hour fast, but you still aren’t comfortable with trying for a 48 hour fast, maybe it makes sense to try doing a 36 hour or 40 hour fast.

2. Eat a Bigger Meal at 4-5 PM Before Starting

Once you are confident you can do a 48 hour fast, then I’d recommend eating dinner a little bit earlier and if you are nervous about the fast, make it a big meal!

I suggest an earlier dinner because the second afternoon can be very difficult, and having a 5 PM cut off versus a 7 PM cutoff can make a world of difference mentally.

3. Use Sleep to Your Advantage

Something which is overlooked when fasting is it’s a lot easier to kill time if you are sleeping.

While I had a ton of energy that second morning, it may have been better for me to sleep a little more to help pass the time.

4. Drink Plenty of Liquids When Fasting

Next, make sure you are drinking a lot of water during your fast. First, this will help with flushing your system, but also, by drinking a lot of water and other liquids, you can feel more full.

Drinking water is very important for general health, but even more important when you aren’t eating and trying to stay sane.

5. Listen to Your Body When Doing Your 48 Hour Fast

Finally, there will be moments when you want to eat and don’t want to push through. Staying positive, drinking water, and resting could be best here – but also, if you become shaky or actually NEED food, then it is totally okay to end your fast.

Being self-aware is incredibly important for success in this world, and being healthy rather than fainting or becoming sick because you tried to push through is a better scenario.

6. What to Eat After Breaking Your 48 Hour Fast

After reaching 48 hours, ease into eating with some fruit or vegetables, and then once you know your body is ready, you can eat a bigger meal.

After your 48 hour fast,  you don’t want to go too fast into eating a big meal (even if you are super hungry at this point)!

Your body was getting used to not having a lot, and it might reject your meal if you eat too fast or too much.

I found I was fine after eating a banana, but I’ve read about other people who after 72-96 hour fasts who come back to fast and having to throw up their first meal because they over did it.

Let’s not do that and take it slow to start after breaking our 48 hour fasts 🙂

Takeaways from This 48 Hour Fast

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article about the story of my 48 hour fast!

I have a few takeaways for you about fasting in general and my experience of this 48 hour fast.

First, eating in general is largely psychological. When you wake up, you aren’t hungry – you are thirsty. Drink some water and see if you are still “hungry” and “can’t go without breakfast”. I used to not drink water or coffee in the morning until after my meal, and now I drink it when I wake up and feel great!

Second, again, think back to our ancestors (hunter gatherers). They didn’t have a grocery store and they certainly didn’t have the luxury of eating 3 meals a day. Why is this narrative pushed? Is it a marketing ploy to sell bacon and cereal (I do love breakfast foods though…)

Human biology is undeniable…

I’m definitely going to be doing another 48 hour fast in the near future, and plan on pushing the limits to a 3 or 5 day fast as well! The experience I had at the 36 hour mark was unbelievable, and literally felt like I had tapped and unlocked my full potential. It was sooo powerful.

I’m glad I’ve started fasting, and if it makes sense for you, I’d say give it a try! Even skipping breakfast once in a while could lead to some great health benefits.

Readers: have you ever tried fasting? What are your takeaways from reading about this? Do you think you’ll try something like this?

Performing a 24 hour fast can be a scary thought, but with the right tips and plan, you can successfully make it through your fast. With this article, you will learn how you can make it to 24 hours without breaking your fast, and learn about the benefits of fasting.

Ever since graduating college, I’ve been looking to experiment and explore new ways to live my life to the fullest. Eating habits is one area I’ve focused on over the number of years, and in particular, experimenting with intermittent fasting has lead to some interesting results.

Typically, I’ve stuck to a pretty relaxed 16 hour fasting window and 8 hour feeding window since starting intermittent fasting, but every once in a while, I do a 24 hour fast (and once I did a 48 hour fast!)

If you have never fasted before, approaching a 24 hour fast might seem like a huge task to take on.

When I started, I barely could make it past 9 AM before I “needed” to eat. Now, after a few years of practice, I rarely eat before 9 AM.

Maybe you are curious about fasting and want to explore your relationship with food. It’s possible you are looking to lose weight and want to see if fasting is worth giving a shot.

Whatever your reason, I hope this post gives the information you want and need regarding fasting.

In this post, I will talk about the benefits of fasting, and also share with you a number of tips for you to apply if you are interested in a one day fast.

What are the Benefits of Fasting for 24 Hours?

First, a disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Everyone’s body responds to things differently and just because I’ve had a good experience doesn’t mean you will. Please consult a real doctor if you have concerns or interest about this subject.

When you think about fasting, you probably think about people who are starving and are suffering on purpose for no reason.

With the ability to go and buy whatever you want at the supermarket or grocery store, why would you ever want or need to fast?

Believe it or not, fasting has a lot of great benefits.

Being in a fasted state can bring a lot of good, and by increasing the amount of time you spend in a fasted state, the benefits can bring some great results.

Two of the big benefits of fasting are that fasting could help you lose weight, and fasting can help with detoxification.

If you are always eating, your body does not have the ability to perform some of it’s natural functions – namely, cleaning itself and getting rid of the junk.

By fasting, you give your body space and time to heal itself.

Fasting for 24 hours is a way to tap into these benefits without having to do too much outside of your daily routine.

The benefits of fasting start happening after 12 hours, by getting 24 hours of no eating in, you can help reset your body.

Now, if you are interested in doing a 24 hour fast, the next section will go over some tips on completing your first 24 hour fast.

7 Steps and Tips for Completing Your First 24 Hour Fast

If you’ve decided to give a 24 hour fast a chance, there are a number of things to consider and think about when going through your first 24 hour fast.

Below, I’ve listed 7 tips for you to apply during your fast so you can successfully complete your fast.

1. Start with a 16 hour fast a week or two before the 24 hour fast
2. Eat a big meal around 4-5 PM before starting your 24 hour fast
3. Use sleep to your advantage
4. Drink plenty of liquids to keep you full over the two day span
5. Stay busy during your one day fast
6. Stay positive, listen to your body, and be strong
7. Make your first meal back simple and healthy

Let’s dive into each of these tips for completing your first 24 hour fast in more detail.

1. Start with a 16 Hour Fast to Prepare for Your 24 Hour Fast

First, if you’ve never done a longer fast before, you should start with a shorter 16 hour fast. This way, you can get an understanding of how your body might respond to fasting.

There are a number of interesting feelings I experienced when I fasted for the first time, and the first time I did it, it definitely was stressful and nerve wracking.

But after doing it a few times, I now know how to cope with those thoughts and feelings.

Starting slow with a 16 hour fast will allow you to experience some of the feelings involved with fasting and will help when you give the full 24 hours a go.

2. Eat a Bigger Meal at 4-5 PM Before Starting

Once you are confident you can do a 24 hour fast, then I’d recommend eating dinner a little bit earlier and if you are nervous about the fast, make it a big meal!

I suggest an earlier dinner because the second afternoon can be very difficult, and having a 5 PM cut off versus a 7 PM cutoff can make a world of difference mentally.

Typically, I get off work at 5 PM. If I can go home and eat right away, this is a lot easier than if I have to wait until 7 or 8 PM.

3. Use Sleep to Your Advantage

Something which is overlooked when fasting is it’s a lot easier to kill time if you are sleeping.

If you eat at 5 PM the night before, go to bed at 11 PM, and wake up at 7 AM, you only have 10 hours of fasting left before hitting the 24 hour mark.

If you can, adding in a 30 minute to 1 hour nap will cut another hour off the clock.

Eating earlier and going to bed earlier can make this even easier – finishing dinner at 4 PM, and going to bed at 10 AM can lead to a short fast during the second day!

4. Drink Plenty of Liquids When Fasting

Next, make sure you are drinking a lot of water during your fast.

First, this will help with flushing your system, but also, by drinking a lot of water and other liquids, you can feel more full.

Drinking water is very important for general health, but even more important when you aren’t eating and trying to stay sane.

Other liquids you can have are black coffee and unsweetened tea.

Coffee contains proteins which suppress your appetite, and this can help with hunger pains. One thing to note though is coffee leads to elevated cortisol levels, which makes it harder to burn fat.

Green tea is another drink that you can utilize when fasting. Green tea has some caffeine, helps suppress your appetite, and in addition, drinking green tea does elevate cortisol levels.

In general, whatever you decide to drink, just make sure it doesn’t have any calories, and also that you are staying hydrated throughout the day.

5. Stay Busy During Your One Day Fast

Have you ever heard the expression, “time flies when you are having fun?”

Time does fly when you are busy and occupied with work or play. If you decide to do a 24 hour fast, it will be a lot easier if you can stay busy and occupied throughout your day.

One of my worst fasts ever came when I had nothing going on during the afternoon at work.

From hours 18 to 23, I sat at my desk and, more or less, just thought about how hungry I was and calculated how much time I had left until it was time to eat.

On the other hand, you can go a long time with not thinking about food if you are busy and actively engaging your mind and body.

Also, a lot of times I’ll eat just because I’m bored or anxious. By staying busy, you won’t get bored and feel tempted to eat.

Staying busy will help you get through your fast much easier.

6. Listen to Your Body When Doing Your 24 Hour Fast

Finally, there will be moments when you want to eat and don’t want to push through.

Staying positive, drinking water, and resting could be best here – but also, if you become shaky or actually NEED food, then it is totally okay to end your fast.

If you are someone who is sensitive to not eating and have troubles with blood sugar levels, fasting might not be for you.

For people who check with their doctors and know the potential dangers of fasting, listening to your body will be very important for completing your fast successfully.

If you get a headache (which is very common and a sign your body is flushing out toxins), drinking more water will be critical for your success.

Being self-aware is incredibly important for success in this world, and being healthy rather than fainting or becoming sick because you tried to push through is a better scenario.

7. What to Eat After Breaking Your 24 Hour Fast

After reaching 24 hours, ease into eating with some fruit or vegetables, and then once you know your body is ready, you can eat a bigger meal.

You don’t want to go too fast into eating a big meal (even if you are super hungry at this point)!

Your body was getting used to not having a lot, and it might reject your meal if you eat too fast or too much.

Best of Luck During Your 24 Hour Fast!

For the past 4-5 years, fasting has been a piece of my life and becoming a little bit healthier each and every year.

After fasting, I feel more focused and ready to tackle the next tasks in my life.

Sometimes it’s good to get out of your comfort zone and try something new.

Whether to experiment with fasting, learn more about your relationship with food, or to help you finally complete a 24 hour fast, hopefully this article has been valuable to you.

If you want to lose weight, fasting might be beneficial for you. Since fasting reduces the number of calories you take in for that day, you will be in a caloric deficit. However, there are other factors you need to consider before truly knowing if a 24 hour fast will help keep the weight off!

I hope you have a great 24 hour fast!

Living a healthy life is so important. Your health is your true wealth, and it’s important to be healthy mentally, physically, and emotionally. In this post, you’ll learn 5 steps you can take to be healthy and live happy.

This is probably obvious to you, but when you are healthy, you are able to do so much more with your time, energy and life, than when you are unhealthy.

However, you might think you are healthy, but in reality, are lacking in one area of life to fully experience life.

Understanding that health is a combination of focusing on the physical, social, emotional and mental parts of life will make leading a healthy lifestyle and living happy much easier.

In this post, I’m going to share with you 5 steps you can take to live healthy and be happy, and why each of these steps is important to focus on for a balanced life.

5 Simple Steps to Be Healthy and Live Happy

First, as I mentioned briefly above, health is a combination of the following factors:

• physical
• social
• emotional
• mental

With each of these factors, doing different things will allow us to stay balanced and sane during times of trouble, but also to be balanced during the good times as well.

Before getting into the things to focus on for being healthy, I want to ask you two questions:

What’s your purpose? Why do you live life? 

With a purpose in mind, you’ll be able to attack these steps in a much easier way.

If you want to be healthy to be able to spend more time with your kids, that is a great purpose. Maybe you want to be able to travel with your friends, and not have to worry about getting tired. It’s also possible you just want to feel better about yourself and improve your self-esteem.

Whatever reason you have, you will be able to accomplish your goals since you have a purpose and motivation to do so.

Below are the 5 things to focus on for living a healthy life:

1. Do Physical Exercise
2. Be Socially Active
3. Keep in Mind Your Mental State
4. Practice Good Hygiene
5. Eat a Balanced Diet

Let’s go deeper into each of these below.

Do Physical Exercise

One of the first things that people think about when thinking about health is physical exercise.

It’s very common think that the healthiest people are the ones who are the runners, bikers, lifters and athletes of the world.

This is true, but only one piece of the health puzzle.

Doing physical exercise contributes to relaxation, sleeping well and also improves self-esteem.

However, for your health and wellness, you don’t need to play a sport professionally. You can walk, run, go to the park to exercise, bike, swim, climb, whatever you want! All of these ways can contribute to your physical fitness and keeping your body active and fit.

Be Socially Active

Next on the list is being socially active.

As a human, you are a social creature. Whether you are an introvert, extrovert, or a mix of the two, you need some level of social interaction to be healthy and sane.

Depending on your interests, don’t forget to have social activities, getting together with friends, and enjoying time with the family.

Being social active helps our mental and emotional state. Being alone all the time can cause depression, nothing like a warm sharing with the people you love.

Keep in Mind Your Mental State

In sports and competitive games, having a strong mental game is just as important as having the skill and knowledge of the game.

Having a sane and strong mental state in life is equally as important.The main thing to maintain a healthy life is to have a positive attitude. This must go hand in hand with optimism and enthusiasm.

That being said, sometimes it’s hard to always be positive and to keep a optimist outlook on the world.

Keeping in mind your mental state refers to keeping in mind your emotional and psychological state.

To do this, you need to take time for yourself and understand how you are feeling and what you are thinking. You should reduce noise and distractions, and enjoy a state of tranquility to reduce stress and fatigue.

Spending time in nature and getting fresh air sometimes helps me relax. For you, find an area of serenity to calm down and relax, and focus on yourself.

Practice Good Hygiene

Next, practicing good hygiene is important for being healthy.

Maintaining cleanliness and order both at home and personally, so you will avoid suffering from diseases and infections.

Washing your hands before eating, showering, brushing, washing your clothes are just some of the things you should always do.

Taking a shower after a long hard day is always such a nice feeling, and by staying clean, this will play into other areas of your healthy life.

Eat a Balanced Diet

Finally, the last (but certainly not least) step to health is eating a balanced diet.

Having a balanced diet does not mean that we stop eating what we like – however, we must eat what’s healthy for our bodies, and within reason. You can still have your favorite ice cream, but maybe not every day.

Eating a balanced diet will allow your body to be healthy.

For example, if you eat a lot of sweets you can damage your teeth. Replacing them with fruits and vegetables can be far more beneficial to provide you with energy, but also with vitamins and nutrients.

Likewise, getting enough protein is very important for active people.

Eating a balanced diet of natural foods while also enjoying your favorite treats (within reason) is very possible to attain in practice.

The key here is to STOP BUYING JUNK! If the junk food isn’t in the house, you can’t eat it!

By making a plan, buying the right food, and having self-control, you can change your eating habits and diet for the better.

With these tips, I hope you can get on to a healthier life and live happy.

Practice These 5 Steps, Be Healthy and Live Happy!

I hope this list of simple steps to healthy living has been beneficial for you, and you can take this advice and start making changes for the better in your life.

Living a life with purpose, a life of intention, and a life of health will allow you the opportunity to perform better at work, have more friends, and have more energy to do daily tasks.

Right now, I’m trying to focus in on eating a balanced diet, as what you put in your body is very important – trash in, trash out!

Readers: what area are you going to work on first to become more healthy?

This month, I’m doing 100 push-ups everyday. While this physical fitness challenge has been tough, there have been a lot of benefits which have come from it as well. In this post, I’m going to share with you how you can do 100 push-ups a day for a month to become more fit and get in shape.

Are you looking for a body weight physical fitness challenge? Do you think you could out every day for a whole month?

This month, I’ve been doing 100 push-ups a day.

Each day, no matter what, I’ve done a few sets of 20, 25, and 30 push-ups, to get pp to 100 push-ups.

While there have been some days where my chest has been sore or tired, I still got my push-ups in.

Now, my chest is feeling strong and I’ve also noticed that I’ve lost some body fat across the rest of my body.

In this post, I’m going to share with you how to do this body weight exercise challenge, talk about why push-ups are good for you, and give you motivation to crush this challenge!

How to Do 100 Push-Ups a Day for a Month

Doing 100 push-ups every day for a month is a big task to take on.

When starting out, doing push-ups are tough and can be a struggle, especially if you’ve never done them before.

The first few days, you will be sore, but after about a week, the soreness goes away and you will see the progress and gains.

For your 100 daily push-ups, you can do them anyway you want.

You can do incline push-ups, decline push-ups, regular push-ups, or vary the technique in any way you want. As long as you are getting down and have a good range of motion (getting your elbows to 90 degrees is the correct way to do a push-up), you will be making the most of this workout.

Right now, I’, doing 5 sets of 20, or 4 sets of 25 (depending on the day). These 4 or 5 sets take me between 10-15 minutes to do, but if you can’t do as many push-ups in a row as me, then you can break it up into more sets with less reps.

Doing 10 sets of 10 is the same amount of reps as 2 sets of 50.

In addition, doing 10 sets of 10 could be spread out through the day to reduce the energy spent in any one session.

If you still think 100 in a day is too much, you could start off slower.

During the first week, you could do 30 push-ups a day. Then, in the second week you can do 60 push-ups a day.

Finally, during the third and fourth weeks of the month, you can get to 100 push-ups a day.

By the third week, your body will start to get used to the increased number of push-ups and will be able to handle this increased volume.

Why are Push-Ups Good for You?

There are a number of reasons why push-ups are good for you.

Obviously, any exercise is better than no exercise, but there are a number of tangible benefits to doing push-ups.

One of the bigger benefits of push-ups is how it activates nearly every body part. When you do a push-up, you are using your chest, your shoulders, your core, your arms, and your back.

By activating all of these different body parts, you will increase the amount of muscle fibers recruited and can strengthen more than just 1 muscle group at a time.

Another benefit is how you will be stretching various muscles in your back and arms as you perform the push-up.

One more benefit is that your posture will improve through doing push-ups. The muscles that are responsible for your posture are the same ones activated when you do push-ups properly.

Finally, you can do push-ups where ever you are! I can get a great chest workout without leaving my apartment, an if you are someone who doesn’t have a lot of money, then you can save money and get in shape at home with push-ups.

Don’t You Need to Take Some Rest Days to Recover?

Make no mistake, doing push-ups every day is tough.

One thing about the human body is that it is incredibly resilient and is able to adapt to tough situations.

From experience, the first few days of this body weight exercise challenge is tough.

You are sore, and you aren’t loving life.

But, after about a week, if you are sleeping enough, eating a healthy diet with a lot of protein, and not pushing too hard else where, you will start feeling more confident and better about your progress.

In general though, if you really need a break, then you should take a break. If you are on the verge of injury, then taking a day off instead of pushing through would be best.

However, I don’t think general soreness is necessarily an injury.

With body weight exercises, the amount of work and stress you are putting on your body is not an intense amount, so you can do it more often.

At the same time, as I mentioned, you need to listen to your body to make sure you are doing what’s right for your current level of health and physical fitness.

At the end of the day, incorporating body weight exercises and push-ups can be very beneficial for you and support your current routine.

Would You Do 100 Push-Ups a Day?

Now that you have finished reading this post, I hope you are inspired and motivated to get out there and try this challenge.

While I don’t think I’d recommend it if you are doing heavy bench press (there your body definitely does need to recover), I would recommend this if you want a change in your exercise schedule and routine.

Getting stronger and becoming fit is all about consistency. By doing a little bit each and every day, you can reach your goals of becoming fit, healthy and strong.

Readers: what exercise challenges do you like doing? Would you do 100 push-ups every day for a month?

Thanks for reading!

Erik

Is a salary of $51,000 good for a single person? The answer to this seemingly simple question is complicated because it depends on many factors. These factors include: where you live, what’s your lifestyle, how much debt you have, your line of work, your level of education and experience, and what goals you have.

For example, where you live will significantly affect your cost of living, so your dollar might not go as far in a higher-cost-of-living area than a lower-cost-of-living area.

In this article, we will take a look at whether a salary of $51,000 is good for a single person and which factors play into this.

How a Salary of $51,000 Compares to Other Individuals In The United States

According to data from the US Census Bureau for 2022, the median income for Nonfamily households in the United States was approximately $45,440 – which means that half of all individuals earned more than this amount, and half earned less.

So, if you have a salary of $51,000, you have a salary that is in the top 50 percent of all earners in the United States.

With a salary of over $50,000, you are doing well and near the middle of average earners in the United States.

Let’s look at some other factors to help you answer the question if a salary of $51,000 is good.

Determining if a Salary of $51,000 is Good Relative to Where You Live

Where you live will greatly affect how much money you make. For example, in higher-cost-of-living areas, such as California and New York, wages are typically higher. In lower-cost-of-living areas, such as Mississippi and Oklahoma, wages are typically lower.

According to FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data), here is the data for the Annual Per Capita Personal Income by State for 2022. We have summarized this data below.

So at a salary of $51,000, you are making less than almost every state’s Per Capita Personal Income as seen above.

Something else to consider is whether you live in a city or rural area. Again, in cities, typically you can make more for your work.

Therefore, it’s essential to look at where you live and see how you compare to other earners in your area.

Is $51,000 a Good Salary for My Age?

First, let’s take a look at some data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on income and age. We have created the following table based on data from 2022 to find the approximate median earnings for full-time workers by age.

So if you compare your salary and age to this chart, at $51,000 you are doing better than the median salary for your age group if you are 24 or younger, and worse if you are older than 24 years old.

But remember, whether a $51,000 salary is considered good for your age also depends on various factors, including your location, field of work, level of experience, and personal financial goals. Age alone is not the sole determinant of what constitutes a good salary.

In some regions with a lower cost of living, a $51,000 salary can provide a comfortable lifestyle and the ability to save for the future, making it a good income for your age. However, in high-cost-of-living areas, this salary might require careful budgeting to maintain the same standard of living.

Ultimately, it’s important to focus on your own financial objectives and how your salary aligns with them. Assess your expenses, savings goals, and lifestyle choices to determine whether your salary enables you to meet your needs and work towards your financial aspirations, regardless of your age.

Is a Salary of $51,000 Good for Your Level of Education and Experience?

Another question you can ask yourself is if your salary is good for the level of education and experience you have in your field.

For example, if you just started working and only have limited education, then you most likely will not be getting paid as much as others who have been in the field for a long time.

At the same time, if you have been working in the same job or area for many years, then your level of experience should show in your salary.

Once again we looked into 2022 data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on weekly income based on education. We put together another table showing the annual median income earned by education level.

So at a salary of $51,000, you are doing better than the median for others with some college or an associate degree, but making less than others with a Bachelor’s degree and higher.

Something else to consider is which field you work in. For example, typically, jobs in medicine, technology, finance, or law will pay more than jobs in the service industry or other industries.

For example, if you are making more than $51,000 and are working in a service industry, then you are probably doing quite well relative to others in your industry.

Likewise, if you are working in a higher-paid industry, there may be more room to grow in your job.

How to Budget a $51,000 Salary

Budgeting is an important financial planning tool that helps you manage your income and expenses effectively. Here’s a sample budget for a $51,000 annual salary. Remember that individual financial situations vary, so you may need to adjust this budget to suit your specific needs and goals.

Will a Salary of $51,000 Help Me Become Rich?

A salary of $51,000 can certainly help you build wealth and achieve financial success, but whether it will make you “rich” depends on various factors, including your financial goals, lifestyle choices, expenses, and savings/investment strategies. Here are some considerations:

1. Financial Goals: The definition of “rich” varies from person to person. For some, it means achieving financial security and having enough to comfortably cover living expenses and retirement. For others, it means accumulating significant wealth. Your specific financial goals will determine what “rich” means to you.
2. Lifestyle Choices: Your spending habits and lifestyle choices play a significant role in your ability to accumulate wealth. Even with a high salary, if you spend excessively or accumulate debt, it can hinder your path to becoming rich. Budgeting, practicing mindful spending, and living below your means are essential.
3. Savings and Investments: Building wealth often involves saving a significant portion of your income and making smart investments. A high salary provides the opportunity to save and invest more, which can accelerate your wealth-building journey. Consider contributing to retirement accounts, investing in stocks or real estate, and diversifying your investments.
4. Debt Management: Reducing and managing debt, such as student loans, credit card debt, and mortgages, is crucial for building wealth. High-interest debt can erode your financial progress, so it’s important to prioritize paying it off.
5. Cost of Living: The cost of living in your area can significantly impact your ability to save and invest. In high-cost-of-living areas, it may be more challenging to build wealth, even with a high salary.
6. Investment Strategy: Your investment strategy, including asset allocation, risk tolerance, and long-term planning, can greatly influence your wealth accumulation. Consulting with a financial advisor can help you make informed investment decisions.
7. Time Horizon: Building substantial wealth often takes time and consistent effort. The longer your time horizon, the more potential you have to accumulate wealth through the power of compounding returns.

In summary, a $51,000 salary provides a foundation for building wealth, but it’s not the salary alone that determines your financial success. Becoming “rich” is a subjective goal, so it’s essential to define what it means for you and create a financial plan to pursue it.

Hopefully this article has been useful for you to answer the question: Is $51,000 a Good Salary for a Single Person?

Eggs are an easy to make and inexpensive food to eat to get a lot of protein and nutrients. Eggs are a superfood, and might make sense to include in your diet. In this article, I’m going to share with you why I eat more than 30 eggs a week. 

I eat a lot of eggs every week.

Usually, I’ll go through 30 eggs a week, and it seems I’m always buying a new container at the store.

For me, throwing some butter, or olive oil, in a pan, cracking 5 eggs and scrambling them up is a great way to get my protein for a meal.

Eating eggs is very good for you and can help you reach your fitness and health goals.

Now, you don’t need to eat as many eggs as me, but if you don’t eat eggs at all, then hopefully this article will inspire you to give them a try!

In this article, I’m going to share with you why I eat over 30 eggs a week, and some reasons why eating lots of eggs can help you reach your goals.

Why I Eat Lots of Eggs Every Week

Let me tell you about myself: I like to keep things simple.

When it comes to my eating habits, I especially like to keep things simple.

For me, I wouldn’t quite say I’m a bodybuilder, but the thought behind my diet is inspired by bodybuilders.

In my diet, I look to:

• have around 100 grams of protein a day
• eat a high amount of healthy fats (nuts for example)
• and have a low to moderate amount of carbohydrates

Since I work out a number of days a week, I’m not too concerned with my calories. Also, if I overdo one day, then I clean it up the next day.

With this diet plan, I’m able to eat basically anything in moderation, but typically, I’ll have two or three high protein meals a day, and snack on nuts, fruits and vegetables between those bigger meals.

As someone who is also interested in being financially successful, I also look to eat inexpensively.

What is an inexpensive food which is high in protein and is packed with a ton of nutrients? Eggs.

I love eggs and have been eating lots of eggs for a number of years now.

Eggs are fast and easy to make, are relatively inexpensive, are high in protein, and are relatively lower in calories.

With all of these benefits, these fit right into my simple diet plan.

I eat 5 or 6 eggs a day (either for lunch or dinner because I practice intermittent fasting and don’t eat breakfast), and eat over 30 eggs a week.

But these are just some of the reasons why eggs are amazing, and in the next section, I’m going to dive into the 3 reasons why I believe eggs should be included in your diet.

3 Reasons Why I Eat Lots of Eggs

Eggs are a superfood and can be a great addition to any diet plan. Eggs have many benefits.

3 main reasons why I eat lots of eggs are:

1. Eggs have many health benefits and nutrients
2. Eggs are high in protein 
3. The cost of eggs is relatively inexpensive

Let’s dive into these benefits of eggs in more detail now in the following sections.

1. Eggs Have Many Health Benefits and Nutrients

It’s a fact that eggs have many health benefits and nutrients.

Eggs are incredibly nutritious, because, as you may know, a whole egg has everything needed to produce a baby chicken!

Eggs are a superfood, and with vitamins A, B, D, E, K and other minerals, they have a little bit of almost every nutrient you need to be healthy!

Also, eggs can have many weight loss benefits.

In a study in overweight adults, calorie-restricted diets that included either eggs or a bagel for breakfast were compared; the people who consumed eggs for breakfast lowered their body mass index by 61 percent, lost 65 percent more weight, and reported feeling more energetic than those who ate a bagel for breakfast.

That study has some incredible results, and this is just more evidence for the benefits of eggs.

2. Eggs are High in Protein

One of the main reasons I love eggs is how they are high in protein.

Depending on the size, a single egg will have between 5 and 7 grams of protein.

This protein is high quality and contains all the essential amino acids necessarily for muscle growth.

In addition to being high in protein, eggs have a few grams of healthy fat, and no carbs.

Eggs are usually around 75 calories, and with this, you have a high protein, high fat and low calorie food which is filling and nutrients – again a perfect food to include in your diet!

For me, if I have 6 eggs, this will mean I’ll have a dish with:

• around 450 calories
• 35 grams of protein
• 30 grams of fat
• and little to no carbs.

For my physical fitness and health goals, this dish is fantastic for pre- or post-workout.

I’m looking to get to my dream body, and eggs are a great help towards this goal.

3. Eggs are Relatively Inexpensive

As someone on the path to financial freedom, I’m conscious of what I’m spending my money on, and how much I save every month.

One last reason why I love eggs is how cheap they are. For me, when I shop at my local target, I’m able to get 18 eggs for less than $2.

When I make eggs, I typically scramble 5-6 eggs. From a cost perspective, 6 eggs is less than $0.75.

For roughly 30 grams of protein, this is the start of a pretty cheap and high protein meal!

During the week, I eat over 30 eggs, and since I’m able to buy these eggs at such a good price, my weekly expense for my egg purchases is usually around $5 a week.

If I was to go out, I’d spend a lot more money on food. With making eggs, I’m able to save a lot of money by eating in.

Eat More Eggs Today to Save Money and Improve Your Health!

I love eggs and I hope this article has inspired you to start including eggs in your diet.

Whether you are looking to get stronger, lose weight, or feel healthier, I believe eggs have a place in your diet.

You don’t need to have eggs every day, but having a few eggs a few times a week could make a big difference in your health.

Hope you enjoyed this article, and thank you for reading!

Rock climbing is a great way to increasing your strength, flexibility and get in shape. I love rock climbing and want to share with you my thoughts after 6 months of rock climbing.

4 months ago, I started rock climbing consistently. Starting off, I was going to a local indoor rock climbing gym two times a week, and now have gotten a year long membership and go three times a week.

Now, I can confidently say I have never felt as strong as I am now, even though back in college I was lifting 4-5 times a week.

Starting off, rock climbing became something I did to supplement my other body weight exercises.

However, because it is so much fun, it seems I’ve started to use my body weight exercises to supplement my rock climbing!

Rock climbing has become a big part of my life and I’m excited to share with you some of my thoughts on my new hobby.

In this post, I’m going to share with you:

• why I’m loving rock climbing
• my fitness level after rock climbing for 4 months, and
• some thoughts on why I probably won’t ever get a membership at a regular gym again

Let’s get into the post!

What is Rock Climbing and How Do I Rock Climb?

First, let’s talk about what I mean when I’m rock climbing.

I go to a indoor climbing gym called Vertical Endeavors in the Twin Cities, and at this gym, there are areas for top rope and bouldering.

Top rope climbing is where you tie into a rope, and then climb up a wall. At the gym I go to, these walls are between 30 and 60 feet high.

Bouldering is where you don’t have any gear, and you climb different routes up to 15 feet.

On the walls, there are different colored routes, and each route is a different difficulty. While you can “rainbow” and climb on whatever color you want, over time, you want to stick to one color per route.

As climbing has become more popular, there are a bunch of gyms in every major suburban area.

Also, you can go outdoor rock climbing. There are thousands of routes all around the world which have been mapped out on the side of mountains, at different boulders, and hills.

I have yet to do this, but plan on going to a bouldering area in a nearby state park soon.

Now that you know what I mean when I say rock climbing, now I’m going to share with you my experience and why I love rock climbing.

Why I Love Rock Climbing

First, I’ve always loved being active, fit and strong. I love sports and am very competitive.

Once I got to college, since I wasn’t playing sports anymore, I started hitting the gym fairly consistently.

The thing about weights though is it is very much the same thing over and over and over again.

Lift this barbell in a certain way, and if you can do it for 10 reps, then maybe consider adding weight.

With lifting weights, it’s very much a straightforward process without much room for creativity and exploration.

While yes, you can get creative with your workout program, it’s still just a matter of up-down with different movements.

However, with rock climbing, there is a huge problem solving aspect to getting up a wall. This is why I love rock climbing, and think it’s so much fun.

I love rock climbing because:

• there’s a lot of problem solving that goes into being successfully
• it’s an awesome feeling to be able to get to the top of a wall successfully
• getting into and out of different body positions makes me feel very strong

Body positioning is such a huge part of becoming better at rock climbing.

When approaching a wall, you have to look and plan out your route. You can’t just try and climb everything like a ladder, and with this, there is a lot of thinking that must happen to put yourself in the best position to succeed.

Also, it’s so awesome to be able to get to the top of a wall and be way up in the air. Even though I’m slightly scared of heights, I still think it’s an incredible feeling.

Becoming Strong, Fit and Feeling Better than When Doing Weights

As I’m typing this right now, I can confidently say I feel better and feel stronger now than I did when I was throwing around a ton of iron and weight at the gym.

I might not be stronger, in terms of the weight I can throw around, but I feel stronger.

First, I believe it’s very important to be self-aware and listen to your body when you are getting in shape.

For this reason, as I’ve gotten back into shape this year and am at a great level of fitness now, I’m confident in my comments about how I feel better than I did before rock climbing.

I think there are a few reasons for why I’m feeling so strong:

• My grip strength is stupid.
  • From rock climbing, I can now hang on a bar from 1 arm for 5-10 seconds.
  • Also,when doing pull-ups, I rarely will stop because of grip, but instead because I can’t pull-up anymore.
• I don’t feel many aches and pains from my joints.
  • Since rock climbing is all body weight, I don’t have any joint pain (at least right now), that I used to experience with my knees and shoulders from squatting and bench pressing.
• Being able to hold my body in different positions requires a strong core
  • When I’m doing an overhanging boulder problem or need to make a slow move, I need to keep my core very tight or I will fall off the wall.

Overall though, it just feels awesome to be able to move my body in different ways with my own strength.

While these points have been made on how I’m feeling, I actually found out I am as strong I once was back in college.

Why I Don’t Think I’ll Get a Regular Gym Membership Again

This past summer, I was the manager of an intern at work. This intern was a total gym rat and power lifter.

About half way into the internship, he was completing a lifting program, and after each lifting program, he re-tests his maximum lifts.

He asked if I wanted to come lift with him and max with him.

At this point, I had been doing my body weight exercises (push-ups, planks, body weight squats, and pull-ups) and rock climbing for a handful of months, but hadn’t been in a regular gym in 15 months.

What the heck I thought, I’ll max with him.

Back in college, my maximum lifts were a 265 pound bench press, 340 pound back squat and 300 pound dead lift.

These max lifts were all hit when I was lifting 4-5 times a week.

Again, I hadn’t done a bench press, back squat or dead lift in 15 months, and I had no expectations when I went to the gym with my intern.

I was blown away by my results.

From doing intense push-up exercises only, I had built enough strength to perform a 225 pound bench press. From rock climbing, my grip and back was strong enough for a 295 pound dead lift.

What was crazy on the dead lift was it wasn’t my grip which was the problem, it was my legs and back which couldn’t push hard enough when I tried 315 pounds.

With these results, I realized I can be strong without lifting weights!

I can be strong by doing intense body weight exercises consistently, eating a healthy diet, and supplementing my diet with different workout supplements.

This is certainly a challenge to the mainstream thought of “you need to go to the gym to be strong”.

I’m definitely happy I’ve been able to figure out what makes sense for me and my body.

Over the next year, I want to keep improving and progressing as a rock climber, and hope to climb a 5.11+ route by next summer!

How Much Does Rock Climbing Cost?

On this blog, I like to talk a lot about money and finances.

The rock climbing membership I got is $55 a month. This is definitely more than the $35 a month I was paying at LA Fitness when I went there, but $55 a month is similar to a middle tier regular gym.

One cool thing about the rock climbing gyms that I go to is there are regular workout equipment for you to use if you want to do this.

With this regular workout equipment, I can use these weights if I want to (I don’t because I like body weight exercises so much).

With these options, I think it justifies the slightly higher price.

Also, I’m not afraid to spend money on my health and wellness, and so if it’s an extra $20 a month for better results and more fun, I definitely am happy to spend the money.

Does Rock Climbing Interest You?

I’ve loved getting into rock climbing and definitely recommend you try it out if you haven’t before.

If you have tried it out, maybe it makes sense to start supplementing you current exercises with it to get a better variety of exercises.

Becoming a well rounded individual and the master of your life should involve trying new things and seeing what makes sense for you.

What I love about rock climbing is it really does help you become a well rounded athlete – I’m strong, flexible and conditioned.

Last year, I tried yoga for a few months, and while I enjoyed it, it wasn’t quite my favorite thing to do.

Now that I’m rock climbing, I’m loving it, and I’m seeing how it’s benefiting my other activities, such as hiking, golfing, and basketball.

What do you think? Would you give rock climbing a try?

Readers: does rock climbing interest you? What are you doing to become strong and fit? Do you go to a regular gym, do yoga, or do other exercises?

Thanks for reading!

Intermittent fasting is a great way to mix up your eating habits and reduce the amount of time you spend eating. Intermittent fasting is not a diet, but a way to let your body maximize it’s healing potential.

In this article, you’ll learn about what is intermittent fasting, how intermittent fasting works, and the benefits of intermittent fasting.

Over the past few years, I’ve been experimenting with my eating habits and have been intermittent fasting for the past four years.

I typically don’t eat breakfast, and look to restrict my eating window to an 8 hour period throughout each day.

Growing up, I had to always eat breakfast – it’s what everyone said! But now, I truly believe “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is just a marketing scheme to get people to buy sugary cereals.

After experimenting and listening to my body, I made the switch in 2015 and have never felt better.

By skipping breakfast, I’m able to save time getting ready in the morning, have a clear mind going into work, and I allow my body to continue to clean itself.

At this point, you probably think I’m crazy, but hear me out. Intermittent fasting is very popular among health enthusiasts and there are numerous studies backing up the benefits of fasting.

While intermittent fasting may not be for you, there are other strategies and thoughts which may be worthwhile to take away from this article.

In this post, I’m going to look to answer the following questions:

• What is Intermittent Fasting?
• Why is Fasting Beneficial?
• How I Found Intermittent Fasting
• Why I Don’t Eat Breakfast Anymore (and what I do instead)
• What are the Different Methods of Intermittent Fasting?

Let’s begin with what is intermittent fasting.

First, a disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Everyone’s body responds to things differently and just because I’ve had a good experience doesn’t mean you will. Please consult a real doctor if you have concerns or interest about this subject.

What is Intermittent Fasting and Why Fasting is Beneficial

Intermittent fasting is a method where you restrict your eating window to limit the amount of time you spend in a fed state, and increase the amount of time you spend in a fasted state.

Being in a fasted state unlocks a number of benefits, and by increasing the amount of time in this state, you can tap into these benefits.

Our bodies naturally have evolved over time where we don’t need food, and the time spent not eating can be beneficial.

If you are always eating, your body does not have the ability to perform some of it’s natural functions – namely, cleaning itself and getting rid of the junk.

By fasting, you give your body space and time to heal itself.

In addition, when you are in a fasted state, your body is able to burn more fat because your insulin levels are low.

This is where the strategy of intermittent fasting comes in – you are still able to eat the same food you usually do, just in a restricted time frame to unlock these benefits.

To clarify, intermittent fasting is not a diet. Since you aren’t changing what you are eating, this is a benefit of intermittent fasting – it’s easy to implement!

Intermittent fasting is a strategy which changes when you eat, not what you eat.

Of course, when combined with a healthy diet and supplementation, it can result in even better results.

How does intermittent fasting work? Let’s dive into the details a little more.

How Intermittent Fasting Works

As discussed in the last section, intermittent fasting gets your body into a fasted state, and in this fasted state, you are able to unlock and tap into a number of great benefits.

During and after eating a meal, your body will enter into a fed state. It is not until roughly twelve hours later where your body will enter into a fasted state.

When your body is in a fed state, your body is not able to multi-task and get rid of the junk, burn fat, and also digest food all at the same time.

Also, after eating, your insulin levels will increase, which makes it hard to burn fat.

Once you reach twelve hours and later though, this is when the benefits of intermittent fasting kick in.

From twelve hours on, your body is able to clean itself out and burn fat.

This is the power of intermittent fasting.

The Different Methods of Intermittent Fasting

Now that you’ve learned what intermittent fasting is, and how intermittent fasting works, now let’s talk about the different method of intermittent fasting.

There are a few different methods of intermittent fasting:

• 16/8 Method of Intermittent Fasting
• The Warrior’s Diet
• The 5/2 Method of Intermittent Fasting
• Weekly 24 Hour Fasts

The 16/8 method of intermittent fasting is where you have an eating window of 8 hours a day, and a fasting window of 16 hours a day.

The 16/8 method is one of the most common intermittent fasting methods (and one which I personally have tried and like). Usually, this is where people will skip breakfast and eat between 12 PM and 8 PM. Then outside that time period, there is no eating.

The Warrior’s Diet is another way to perform intermittent fasting. With the Warrior’s Diet, you fast for 20 hours and eat during a 4 hour window.

Other intermittent fasting methods include the 5/2 method of intermittent fasting, and weekly 24 hour fasts.

These two methods include doing 24 hour fasts either 1 or 2 times a week, and then not restricting your eating window at all the other days of the week.

I like throwing in a 24 hour fast once in a while, but for me the 16/8 method seems to be best if you are a creature of habit and like routine.

Now, I want to share with you what I do and how I apply intermittent fasting in my life.

How I Found Intermittent Fasting

Part of trying to become the master of your life and working on getting to your dream life is experimenting and trying new things.

Growing up, I was taught from a young age (as many American kids are instructed) that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

“If you don’t get breakfast, then you won’t have energy to learn at school!”

I followed this advice, and truly thought this was the case until I was 22 years old.

Throughout this entire time period, I thought that if I didn’t have something for breakfast, then I would have no energy and would die.

When I started diving down the rabbit hole of nutrition, health and eating when I was 22, I found intermittent fasting.

At first, I was skeptical and couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to purposely starve themselves – regardless of the benefits.

Starting out, it was very tough and the first time I skipped breakfast, I ended up “needing” to eat at 8:45 AM.

The next few days, I was able to extend my fasts out to lunch time, and eventually, I was able to comfortably give up breakfast all together.

What I realized is when I woke up, I wasn’t actually hungry, but instead, I was thirsty.

By drinking water, coffee or tea, I could overcome my hunger pains and get on to focusing on what mattered to me most.

Drinking water and getting enough liquids is definitely the key to successfully completing fasts.

Over time, I’ve experimented with 24 hours and 48 hour fasts, but have found I feel best when I have an eating window of 8 to 10 hours, and a fasting window of 14 to 16 hours.

Why I Don’t Eat Breakfast and My Morning Eating Routine

Since I don’t eat breakfast anymore because I do intermittent fasting, you might be wondering what I actually do in the morning

When I wake up each morning, instead of eating breakfast, I drink 2 full glasses of water.

For me, after realizing the benefits of drinking a lot of water throughout the day, and also realizing that my body is thirsty when I wake up, 2 full glasses of water clears my mind and jump starts my body for the day.

Also, 2 full glasses of water will fill up my stomach, and will typically keep any “hunger” thoughts away for 1-2 hours.

After drinking my water, I will typically follow this up with a cup of black coffee or some green tea.

Tea and coffee without any additives do not take you out of a fasted state, and the caffeine might elevate your heart rate to get a little bit more fat burning out of the fast.

Usually around 10-11 AM I’ll have my first food. For me, I typically will have a banana, an apple, and a protein bar at this time.

I then will have lunch around 12-1 PM, and have dinner between 6 and 7 PM.

With this eating schedule, my eating window is typically between 10 and 8 PM (a 10 hour window) and my fasting window is roughly 14 hours a day.

While I could certainly expand this fasting window to 16-20 hours, I’m comfortable where I’m at. and now that I’ve been doing intermittent fasting for the last 4 years, I’ve found what works for me.

What do you think? Could intermittent fasting be for you?

Could Intermittent Fasting Be Right for You?

Everyone is different and unique – you are different than me and I’m different than you.

We have different goals, different responses to food and diets, and different thoughts towards eating.

With this, intermittent fasting may not be for you, and if you have any health complications, seeing a doctor might be best.

At the same time, looking to lead a life where you are reaching for your fullest potential means trying new things and seeing if you can improve your life through these new experiences.

Becoming a mastermind involves challenging the status quo and figuring out life for yourself.

Intermittent fasting has been beneficial for my life, and I hope this post has inspired some new thoughts for you to think about and potentially try going forward.

Thanks for reading!