There are supplement formulas that have a blend of quality proteins, carbohydrates and fats that deliver an optimal amount of caloric balance for a lean, toned physique. One of the first companies to create such products is Beverly International. Their newest lean mass gainer is called Mass Maker Ultra which is a second generation blend of their timeless product called Mass Maker.

Mass Maker is widely known as one of the better tasting mixes on the market and Mass Maker Ultra didn’t disappoint. We tried the Vanilla flavor and the consistency was smooth, very creamy and came without the bad after-taste which is common with many other blends. Mass Maker Ultra’s taste was amazing but many of us at PhysicalThread are still partial to the taste of regular Mass Maker Vanilla.

However, the actual nutritional blend of Mass Maker Ultra has been kicked up a notch, which is ultimately more important.

Either way you look at it, this product is great for pre and post-workout nutrition, full meal replacement and for in-between meal nutrition.

With the industry taking a shift toward cross-training and sports minded workouts that are not your typical bodybuilder or weekend warrior workouts, a product like this really comes in handy.

Being able to consume a supplement that will allow you to both prepare for and recover from intense, consistent training formats is a definite advantage. We give it an A- which means it was awesome!

If that suits your needs fine but more often than not, following the crowd rarely ends up with anything other than moderate results at best!

Participating in activities with friends and family is a good thing but if those things don’t light that fire of passion that is needed to stay consistent and truly enjoy every moment, break away on your own personal journey to a healthy lifestyle.

Whether it be a single activity or numerous ones, get out there and carve out a path that most people are afraid to even attempt.

Life is too short to waste time following others, there is a big world out there with amazing sights, sounds, activities and experiences to explore.

Well, for all of you that have said those words…it is time to put words into action because Monday is here and the time for talk is over.

This is the perfect scenario for taking the necessary steps to a healthy lifestyle.

It is Monday, the first day of the month and spring is in the air. If you can’t make it happen with a setup like this, you never will!

You don’t need to make a big production of it, you don’t need to post it on Facebook or tell everyone at work, just start doing it and everything else will fall into place. Simply proclaiming that “today is the day” never gets you anywhere but ending the talk and putting one foot in front of the other will start the process of making great things happen.

If it has been a long time since you have exercised or if you have never done so at all, a simple walk around the neighborhood or local park for 20-30 minutes per session, 3-4 days per week will build a great foundation to start from. After 2-3 weeks, you will have a simple baseline level of conditioning and you can then move on to more intensity, longer sessions and other forms of activity.

A successful physical activity program is not magic, nor are the people who start and maintain them. Success starts with action and is then supported by consistency. Simply put, you only start improving if you start moving, so start out slow, build your foundation and then slowly progress from there. You can do this!

Not to burst the societal bubble but that whole circus is simply a load of you know what, so don’t be fooled. While being fit and trim is definitely a great foundation for a healthy lifestyle, there are other factors to consider. Form vs Function people!

Having huge or well-defined muscles may look great but that doesn’t always equate to function, ability, skill or coordination. Many of the best athletes in the world would walk by you and by their looks, you would have absolutely no idea of the amazing feats of strength, endurance or skill that they perform. Yes, there are those freaks of nature who possess the whole package but more often than not, someones body type or shape does not equate to what they can do with regard to ability or talent.

• A great example is watching a UFC mixed martial arts fight. On one end of the ring you have a slender, pasty skinned fighter with no muscle tone and love handles. On the other side of the ring stands a tanned, chisled fighter with shredded abs and veins protruding from massive arms. The most obvious conclusion would lead you to believe that the pasty fighter is about to endure an epic beatdown. However, one minute into the fight the pasty skinned fighter pummels the “american dream” fighter and it is lights out! This happens all the time. A real life example is Anderson Silva. He is quite arguably the best mixed martial arts fighter in the world, destroys his challengers yet he looks moderately athletic at best. Don’t let that fool you, he is literally a lethal weapon! 

Moral of the story you ask? Well, it is quite simple. First, looks are just looks. While it is great to have a good looking physique, there is far more to achieve than looks alone. In addition to the workouts and mindset that create good looks, be sure to work on the things that develop and maintain skill, coordination, endurance, balance, body control and function because those are the things that you will truly rely on year after year!

A truly successful fitness lifestyle involves more than just looking the part, you have to play the part.

Rather than sitting around researching which physical activity approach to take, try taking a brisk walk or jog while doing so and you will at least be building a foundation of conditioning that will support whatever plan of action you decide to take. The process of getting active is not rocket science, you have to start somewhere, so keep things simple, start out slow and then work toward specific goals.

Actively pursue your goals, don’t use the “I need to figure out which form of exercise is best for me” excuse because time will pass you by.

Taking a walk around the neighborhood or jog around a local athletic field doesn’t cost you a dime and doesn’t have to take a long time either. A brisk session as short as 20 minutes, 3 or 4 days per week is a great way to get in the game. If it is cold, wear warm clothes. If it hot, wear cool ones and bring a water bottle. If it is raining, wear the appropriate rain gear and carry on!

If you flip the switch and decide to “act”  rather than wait, you will be that much closer to the active lifestyle that you deserve. Waiting leads to more waiting which ultimately gets you nothing.

Use time, seize time, embrace time…don’t be a victim of it. You can do this!

If you didn’t see the first two workouts, here they are:

Sprint Workout #1: http://bit.ly/XBJQcF

Sprint Workout #2: http://bit.ly/XJwYRN

Here is the format:

Find a local track, football, soccer or open field and measure out your sprint distance for 100 yards or meters, depending on your surroundings. Look in your area and I am sure you can find something like that near you. If not, hit a wide open field and you’re good to go!

For a warm-up, jog for 10 minutes around the field or track, stretch all of your major muscle groups then perform these pre-sprint drills:

All of these drills are to be performed for 10 yards then back to where you started, for a total of two times each movement.

• 10 yard high-knee drill (Slowly covering the 10 yards while bringing your knees as high as you can)
• 10 yard butt-kickers (Running at a slow pace yet trying to hit your rear-end with your heels)
• 10 yard back-pedals (A slow run backwards, really reaching back to get full range of motion in your backward stride)
• 10 yard shuffle (Shuffling your feet side to side with controlled form and technique)

The Workout:

Workout 1 had you Performing 6-12, 100 yard sprints at half speed, working on fluid motion and getting “the feel” for going faster than your normal jog.

Workout 2 still had you performing 6-12, 100 yard sprints but you did them“suicide style!” Instead of sprinting the full 100 yards, you ran 50 yards, turned around, touched the ground and then sprinted back to where you started. 

Workout number 3 takes things to another level by shortening the distance even more to 25 yard suicide sprints. However….you will now sprint the equivalent of (6) 100 yd sprints but with 25 yard suicides! This means that you have to run a total of (4) 25 yd suicide sprints to equal a total of 100 yds! You following us? This means you will perform 24 total sprints of 25 yds in order to finish the workout.

With one hand on the starting line, begin your sprint in a controlled fashion at about 3/4 speed and then at 25 yards you will turn around, touch your hand on the ground then build back up to 3/4 speed and hold that speed until the finish. It is NOT about going as fast as you can, we will get to that in the future!

Start by working up to a decent speed and maintaining it with body control and technique. When you initially get to the turn around point and begin to go back to the start line, stay low, pump your arms and maintain form all the way to the finish!

Rest no longer than 30 seconds between sprints and repeat!  

After you have performed your total of 600 yds, finish off the workout with a 10 minute  cool-down jog, stretch out again and you’re done. Boom!

Protein shakes are great as a nutrient rich in-between meal option or a full meal replacement and they offer countless yet simple variations of flavor and ingredients. Here is a blend that we highly recommend:

• 6-10 oz. of Unsweetened, Vanilla Almond Milk (We recommend Blue Diamond brand Almond Milk)
• 1-2 servings of a high quality, low/no sugar, Vanilla Protein Powder (A quality yet inexpensive option is Optimum Nutrition’s Performance Whey 100% Isolate: Vanilla flavor)
• 1 handful or 1/4 cup of Raw Almonds…great flavor and source of healthy fats!
• 2 Tbs of Sugar-Free/Fat-Free, Vanilla flavored Jell-O Instant Pudding Mix. This gives the shake a thick, smooth consistency and perfect flavor match to the Almonds!
• 1-2 Ice Cubes
• Blend to desired consistency and enjoy!

Note: For a balanced meal replacement, you can add  1/2 to 1 cup of Raw Oats or 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Natural Oat Bran

If you didn’t see the first workout, here it is: http://bit.ly/XBJQcF

The new workout is very similar to workout #1 because you will still be sprinting the same distance but with a twist! We threw in what are called “Suicides.” This is where you take off from the start line, run to a certain point, turn around, touch your hand to the ground then sprint back to the start line. This is a very intense format that will get you lean and mean in a short amount of time!

Here is the format:

Find a local track, football, soccer or open field and measure out your sprint distance for 100 yards or meters, depending on your surroundings. Look in your area and I am sure you can find something like that near you. If not, hit a wide open field and you’re good to go!

For a warm-up, jog for 10 minutes around the field or track, stretch all of your major muscle groups then perform these pre-sprint drills:

All of these drills are to be performed for 10 yards then back to where you started, for a total of two times each movement.

• 10 yard high-knee drill (Slowly covering the 10 yards while bringing your knees as high as you can)
• 10 yard butt-kickers (Running at a slow pace yet trying to hit your rear-end with your heels)
• 10 yard back-pedals (A slow run backwards, really reaching back to get full range of motion in your backward stride)
• 10 yard shuffle (Shuffling your feet side to side with controlled form and technique)

The Workout:

The first workout had you Performing 6-12, 100 yard sprints at half speed, working on fluid motion and getting “the feel” for going faster than your normal jog. With this workout, you will still perform 6-12, 100 yard sprints but you’re going to perform them “suicide style!” Instead of sprinting the full 100 yards, you will run to 50 yards, turn around, touch the ground and then sprint back to where you started. It is a great way to condition your body to adapt to performing different speeds and intensities all at once without stopping!

With one hand on the starting line, begin your sprint in a controlled fashion at about 3/4 speed and then at about 50 yards you will turn around, touch your hand on the ground then build back up to 3/4 speed and hold that speed until the finish. It is NOT about going as fast as you can, we will get to that in the future!

Start by working up to a decent speed and maintaining it with body control and technique. When you initially get to the turn around point and begin to go back to the start line, stay low, pump your arms and maintain form all the way to the finish!

Rest no longer than 30 seconds between sprints and repeat!

After you have performed your 6-12 Suicide Sprints, finish off the workout with another 10 minute jog, stretch out again and you’re done. Boom!

While the situations, surroundings and areas of interest may differ, there are common traits, habits and levels of discipline that connect very successful people.

If you are very financially responsible, it is a safe bet that you are focused, very disciplined and consistent with all aspects of your finances. If you love video games, you are going to be very proficient because you spend the necessary time and effort to perfect your skills and strategies for each game while mastering the countless twists, turns and details. If you are a successful lawyer, you obviously possess the passion and drive to succeed that allowed you to grind through law school and then to rise above the rest because you are willing to work your tail off to achieve the goals you have set for yourself.

Nothing is more important than your health. Financial responsibility, video game expertise or a successful law career will not achieve good health for you, you have to make it happen.

However, all of those paths for success share a common thread and if you utilize many of the same formats for success that you enjoy in other areas of your life, the distance between you and a healthy lifestyle will be much shorter than you could have ever imagined.

Cutting out sugary drinks will go a long way in helping you reduce the amount of empty calories you put in your body. Soft drinks are the main culprit and people guzzle them down like there is no tomorrow. Newsflash, there is a tomorrow and it comes with extra bodyfat and weight if you are drinking full-sugar soda on a consistent basis.

Diet soda is a much better option but even though it is sugar-free, it is loaded with artificial sweeteners and ingredients.

An even better option is sparkling mineral water because it is simply carbonated water which will satisfy your need for bubbles yet comes without all the artificial ingredients and sodium that is packed in both regular and diet sodas.

You can’t go wrong with either of these brands.

When you think about it, the best part of soda is the carbonation, so cut out the middlemen (i.e. sugar, artificial ingredients etc.) and go for the bubbles, it is a much healthier option.

Sparkling mineral water has no calories, no sugar, no sodium, no nothing. Just carbonated water and a small amount of minerals. Clean, crisp, simple and it is a great way to make a small change that will yield a large dividend…better health!