'Secrets of a Trainer' Fitness E-newsletter - Oct. 27th, 2006

- Here is your copy of this week's live issue of the world famous 'Secrets of a Trainer' Fitness E-newsletter - feel free to pass it on...
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NOTE - for all Jacksonville subscribers and clients: I am sheduled to appear as a guest on The Morning Show - WJXT - Ch. 4 on Sunday, Nov. 5th. - stay tuned...
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1) The Cinnaflapple Recipe -- (very EZ, fast and extremely healthy)

- This is a response to the huge # of requests for nutrition tips and recipes.


As will be evident in the full length book - I am a big advocate of natural, organic & whole foods - Now don't get me wrong, we are not total maniacs about what we eat - we are slowly making a wise transition to a diet that is as 'clean' as realistically possible.

Which means we eat foods that are not organic, but are making changes over time - that bring the percentage of natural & organic foods in our diet higher and the non organic lower. The why's to all of this will be explained in the book. That being said, you can still make alot of progress in the right direction even if going organic is not on your list of priorities right now.

Back to the recipe....

Start with your favorite apple:
We like - Jonagolds (these are awesome), Braeburns and Galas.

Cut it into wedges about 1/2 inch thick on the outer edge (the skin).

Lay them flat on a plate & sprinkle with cinnamon to your taste level.

Now here is the big health booster:

Sprinkle with a table spoon of flax seed - ground or whole.

There you have 'The Cinnaflapple' - its very likely the kids (if you have any) will enjoy this too.

Why the flax seeds?
-great amounts of natural fiber.
-great source of lignans - powerful antioxidant
-great source of omega 3s

I will expand on a lot of this info in the book - enjoy the recipe & email me to let me know how you like it.
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2) Joey is happily overwhelmed.

I mentioned this a few weeks back and wrote that I would revisit the subject.

Although I get a large amount of email questions from subscribers and clients - I've been getting an increasing amount of requests over the past 6 months. Please forgive me if I haven't been able to respond directly to your request - I only have 10 fingers - and I can only use 2 of them to type ;-))

The requests are for more Joey Atlas products and services:


More fitness DVD programs such as:

- Outdoor workouts (I am working on Ultimate Playground Fitness - so be patient)
- Full Body Dumbbell workouts (this is in the works - outline is being drafted)
- Alternative Condtioning Workouts - using big rubber bands, med balls and other home gym friendly pieces of equipment.

- An actual printed & mailed newsletter

- A low cost private membership website with member support forum, audio interviews, monthly aricles from Joey and other top fitness & health pros, fitness tools, recipes and much more.

- A fitness e-book

- An inspiration/motivation audio CD set that addresses the mindset success factors of lifelong fitness and wise nutrition.

Services such as:

Group Fitness/nutrition coaching - (this is under construction & will be based on the 'Before and After' concept but with more interaction and accountability via phone & email with other tools.)

One-on-one long distance mentoring/coaching.

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This is just a sampling of the requests that have come in over the last 6 months & as you can see I am working on creating the solutions to most of the requests. If I get enough requests for something specific - then I will be sure to plan for it - as I want to deliver the solutions that are going to help you succeed.

Feel free to respond to this email to add your input. Did you see something mentioned above that would help you? Is there something not mentioned that you want?

Or even if you just want to tell me about the one or two things that are the most challenging to you. What are the biggest obstacles you face that are keeping you from where you want to be?

I look forward to hearing form you.

Don't Be Like Everybody Else... Be Fit !

Joey Atlas - The Fitness Shaman
http://www.TheFitnessShaman.com

Please excuse any typos.

Secrets of a Trainer - Oct. 20, 2006

Ok - for this weeks issue of 'Secrets' I promised I would share some criticism about the Blow-Torch Diet - & explain some misunderstandings about it.

Wait a minute - what am I doing ? All of this info is in the Blow-Torch 7 day Quickburn version - you just have to read ALL 18 PAGES OF IT ! If you dont have it you can get it at no cost at JoeyAtlas.com

Keep in mind - the full book (30 day plan) (due out in 2007) will give even more insight & guidance on how to customize the plan to fit your needs.

Anyway here is the 'critique' I received - my comments are in caps.
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Joey,
Sorry, but I think you need to rethink this diet. I ALREADY DID

To me, it is more of a starvation diet than anything else. YOU MAY BE ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES WHO CAN EAT MORE CALORIES
It might be fantastic for bodybuilders getting into contest shape, but for the average person it is a non-starter. HOW MANY AVERAGE PEOPLE ARE ACHEVING FITNESS SUCCESS RELATIVE TO THE NUMBER THAT ARE JUST TRYING?

It contains many foods that I, for one, will not eat. MAKE MODIFICATIONS

For example, it contains soy products. The Kashi GoLean Cereal contains soy grits and soy protein. Soy causes men to have increased levels of female hormones--not a good thing. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE JOKE - I EAT ALOT OF SOY COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE PERSON, I AM A MALE AND MY 'FEMALE' HORMONES HAVE NOT INCREASED - IN FACT I HAVE MORE LEAN MUSCLE SINCE I STARTED EATING ORGANIC SOY PRODUCTS - (TO SEE THE NONFEMININE MUSCLES GO TO THE JOEY ATLAS BLOG)

So what high-protein food would you substitute for breakfast? It contains peanut products. I am not allergic to peanuts, but they don't digest well and they cause me to retain water. CHEW THEM WELL OR GO WITH NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER - LIGHTLY OR NON-SALTED

Many of the lunches and even dinners have only vegetables--and only low carb ones! I would be hungry no more than 1/2 and hour after that meal. YOU ARE GIFTED WITH A HIGH METABOLISM

Several meals use eggs. I can't have eggs because I have tested as intolerant of egg protein. FIND A SUBSTITUTE

So for me the diet would have to be entirely recomposed. But there is the larger, more important issue of the effects severely calorie-restricted diets on people's metabolism. THIS IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO SEVERE

A diet like this would cause the metabolism to revert to starvation mode. THIS IS ANOTHER JOKE OF A MYTH - SO WHY DONT HUNGER STRIKERS LOOK OVERWEIGHT WHEN WE SEE THEM IN THE NEWS? I LAUGH WHENEVER I HEAR THIS - THE TRUTH IS 'STARVATION MODE' IS ANOTHER DIET & FITNESS INDUSTRY GIMMICK BUZZZWORD - AND I ONLY SAY THIS FROM 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.

And some people get stuck in that mode even after the diet ends, ITS NOT A DIET - ITS A MODEL OF A WAY OF EATING THAT MANY PEOPLE NEED HELP WITH - BECAUSE WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS NOT ONLY NOT WORKING BUT THEY ARE GOING BACKWARDS - PART OF THIS IS BECASUE OF ALL THE RIDICULOUS MAINSTREAM INFO OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC...

causing them to be in worse shape than before dieting. NO - MOST OF THESE PEOPLE FALL OFF OF THEIR FITNESS LIFESTYLE - WHAT YOU ARE REFERRRING TO IS ANOTHER SOCIETAL EXCUSE TO KEEP PEOPLE DAZED & CONFUSED - AND VICTIMS OF THE FITNESS FAILURE EPIDEMIC

This has happened to many people. SEE ABOVE

I have experience with that, and it can have long-term health consequences, such has hypothyroidism. Hate to rain on your parade, but unfortunately I have to speak up when I feel strongly about things. I APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK - BUT YOU MUST KEEP IN MIND THE BT PLAN IS NOT A SET IN STONE PLAN - FOR SOME IT IS - BUT OTHERS MUST MODIFY TO FIT THEIR NEEDS --- AS A FREEEBEE - I CANT CUSTOMIZE IT FOR EVERYONE - & THATS WHY I WRITE IN THE FRONT OF IT TO CONSULT WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN IF YOU ARE UNCERTAIN ABOUT IT...

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Stay tuned for next weeks email - lots of good things to talk about:
Main Topic - 'Joey Is Overwhelmed - And Happy About It'
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Don't Be Like Everybody Else... Be Fit !
http://www.JoeyAtlas.com

'Secrets of a Trainer' - Oct. 12th, 2006

Here is this week's live issue of 'Secrets of a Trainer'.
Published by Joey Atlas - The Fitness Shaman
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Special Note - I received an email yesterday from someone claiming that I need to rethink 'The Blow-Torch Diet', "I hate to rain on your parade." "Here are all the reasons why its not good.", "Here is why it doesn't work for me.", etc, etc...
- Next week I will share the email via this newsletter & illustrate all the examples of how myths & misperceptions can really screw up alot of people (which is why so many people are still out of shape in this world) - Stay Tuned.
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==>> Joey's Painful Experience as a Cult Member

As I've mentioned in previous issues of this newsletter - I competed in a series of bodybuilding competitions from my late teens into my early twenties. I did what evey body else did - worked out alot (too much) and planned my days (& my life) around working out and bodybuilding.

If you've ever been exposed to this 'crowd' or have been a part of it (some of you reading this may be in that crowd right now) - you know how much of your life it can consume. I define it as a Cult. The bodybuilding industry (and all of its followers) is a subculture - it is a 'cult'.

In my younger years, I never gave any forethought (not sure if that is a word - but I know there are a handful of you who read my newsletters specifically looking for my errors to send back to me - THANSK!) about how I'd be able to spend 2 and a half hours in the gym 6 days a week (there are people that do alot more than this!).

Also, I accepted the aches and pains that came with my workouts as part of the territory - and sometimes they were BAD and unrelenting. But I wouldn't dare miss a workout out of fear of losing one ounce of muscle mass (stupid).

I also spent too much (way too much) money on 'muscle builders' - such as powders, pills and other 'proprietary' formulas (very stupid).

I ate too much, too often. The bodybuilding subculture has been 'trained' to consume high calorie diets to 'enhace musscle growth & prevent musscle breakdown - this gives the supplement marketers reason to market meal replacement formulas, bars and shakes, etc - - see the connection : workout out alot more & eat alot more to build more muscle - sounds logical but its not.

What it means is this: Workout alot more (much more than you need to) so that when you are taking in all the extra calories that we are selling you in the form of magic musscle builders you don't get too fatt (some of these mispellings are intentional so your newsletter doesn't get stopped by the email filters.)

Anyway - without getting too far of base here...

As I got on with my life - starting my training business, getting married, having kids - the challenge of devoting so much time to my workouts began to take its toll on my emotions. I just couldnt stick to 'my routine' - and never gave thought to how I should adjust it to blend with my new life - I just didnt think another way would work for me. The cult I had been a part of for so long was really hurting me now.

I went thru ups and downs - but I didn't give up. After all, fitness was (and still is) my specialty. The biggest obstacles and problems I had to overcome were the ones in my head. Not scheduling conflicts, not time demands of business, not family resonsiblities and obligations - none of these superficial elements prevented me from maintaining a healthy level of personal fitness success.

It was the myths and misperceptions created by the Cult - the bodybuilding subculture, that molded my mindset which prevented me from being able to even comprehend the possibility of 'a better way for me' (and for so many others).

I get emails on a regular basis from people who are trying to make the same 'transition' - but they face alot of conflict from different life areas. This will be a subject addressed in more detail in the near future. For fitness pros - this type of info is extremely helpful when working with your fitness clients.

I've run out of space and time (for now, anyway) - & this issue probably evokes alot of questions and thoughts - which is the whole point of this in the first place because without thought comes no action.

Last note - I am seriously contemplating integrating The Blow-Torch Diet book into a well rounded fitness book titled 'The Fitness Code' - it will be much more than just the 30 BT Diet plan (which can be followed for life). The book will be a symbol of the Joey Atlas methods and fitnes philosophy, etc.

Please feel free to post your comments right here on the Official Joey Atlas Blog.


Don't Be Like Everybody Else... Be Fit !
Joey Atlas - The Fitness Shaman
http://www.TheFitnessShaman.com

Secrets of a Trainer

Here is this week's live issue of 'Secrets of a Trainer'
Published by Joey Atlas - The Fitness Shaman
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Coming In Next Week's Issue -
- Joey's Experience as a Cult Member
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This issue applies to all fitness levels (doesn't it always?) - from the sedentary fitness beginner about to take the first step, to the veteran fitness professional.

(As I'm typing this an order for DVDs just came in from Albania - its amazing what power lies within each of us that goes unused...)

Stats to know for this issue:
Countries in the World = 194 - give or take one or two
Est. World population = 6,548,694,123 (thats a lot of people)

Back in early 2005 when I decided to help people around the world with my fitness expertise I didn't even have a DVD fitness program, let alone a way to get it out to the world. But I did have a pretty good vision of both of these components.

I put together the first DVD set - The Leg, Butt, Hip and Thigh Makeover - and got it out to the public in August of 2005 via the internet. This can be thought of as that first step that a fitness beginner would take on their new journey toward fitness.

I figured the program would sell in the US, Canada and maybe Australia & the UK - I really didn't give much thought to more countries than these - only because I was making an uneducated subconcious assumption.

When I received an email notification (New Order Notice) that I had made my first DVD sale - it was almost surreal - I had a hard time believing that someone actually purchased my program - it was just something that was hard to grasp. However, it was very exciting an energizing - similar to when someone makes their first significant step in fitness progress.

Fast forward to today -
Six DVD programs (I am working on several more - based on numerous requests)
Clients (DVD purchasers) in over 55 countries (possibly more, I lost official count)
E-newsletter subscribers in over 160 countries

How do I see this? I am helping A LOT of people - and based on the emails I am getting back - I am helping in some big ways. When beginners send emails of gratitude and success - its an unbelievable feeling. But when fitness professionals and personal trainers send the same type of emails its an awesomely inspiring feeling because for each trainer that incorporates my methods into their programs the number of people who benefit grows exponentially. Great stuff !

I share with you my latest stats for this reason...

It all started with one step, just one. Each day I took another step - and kept this gong until today - and I'm not stopping. Tomorrow I will take another step, and so on.

I have realized that potential is limitless - no matter what the goal is. Limits are only self imposed - sometimes quite innocently. And that is why we should all be open to continuous learning - we only move forward by learning.

Have you taken your first step or are you still waiting? If you are still waiting, what are you waiting for?

If you are well into your journey - are you planning your next steps or are you leaving it to chance?

If you are a trainer to others - are you working on your own 'life plan' as diligently as you are working on the plans of people you are guiding?

Don't Be Like Everybody Else... Be Fit !

Joey Atlas - The Fitness Shaman
http://www.TheFitnessShaman.com
PS - please feel free to pass this on to your circle of influence