Superman (Man of Steel) Workout

The man of Steel (Henry Cavill) Workout regime

Superman was my childhood dream, I have read the comics, watched the animated and hollywood movies. Of course, Christopher Reeve was the ultimate superman even after his devastating polo accident which resulted in him being paralysed from the neck down. He proved himself a true superhero by embodying the spirit of the character and at some level defying general predictions about being paralysed and had written a book, carried on in movies and kept inspiring so many.

Whilst researching on Sylvester Stallone’s (Sly) bio, I learned how as a boy Sly would wear the Superman costume underneath his school uniform and would regularly visit an old junk yard to train with car-parts to make his own body into a super-sculptured one. Just like Sly there were many who were inspired by the Superman concept and spring boarded their training/career to a high level.

After Christopher Reeve passed. Brandon Routh adopted the super cape, and he managed to look quite beefy too, but not quite chiselled enough to become the man of steel (according to movie body.com). Now it was Henry Cavill’s turn to show the world another possibility to step into the big shoes Christopher Reeve had left.

Henry was quite slim in his movie The Immortals so how did he manage to pack on so much muscle within a short space of time?

No doubt Henry had  the benefit of top trainers working his every muscle group and chefs cooking his diet, how else would such a result occur in a space of nine months? He had to be on a strict schedule without any other commitments, this included eating, training, sleeping and serious dedication. If he would digress any of the above, then that would be a breach of contract and he would loose the opportunity altogether.

Now, we can use the knowledge of training and nutrition that Henry used to get ourselves there and the results become visible very quickly, trust me.

“I’m on 5000 calories a day… You’ve got to eat protein first, then a little bit of carbs…you’ve gotta keep your hunger levels going,”…”I’m training two and a half hours a day, pushing my body beyond its normal limits, putting on a lot of muscle mass and just making myself look like Superman.” Stated Henry following an interview by Total Film Magazine before filming began. He carried on, “You’ve gotta keep your hunger levels going,”…”I’m training two and a half hours a day, pushing my body beyond its normal limits, putting on a lot of muscle mass and just making myself look like Superman.”

Eating 5000 calories and still being fairly cut, gives us an idea of the level of  intensity his workouts were like. For those still wondering what I am on about, I’ll give you a hint; His workouts have to be intense enough for him to burn 5000 calories a day. Albeit this was mainly due to the short time period he had to pack on x amount of muscle.We have the luxury of time, so we can eat less and build up our intensity.

What Henry’s trainers revealed the ‘tailpipe’ (exercise to form his six-pack), because it’ll leave you ‘exhausted’. It’s a 100 rep workout that you ADD onto the end of your regular workout as an intense circuit to really burn those calories.

Train in all rep ranges if you want to build muscle quickly and efficiently

In order to properly portray Superman, Henry Cavill needed to look both big and strong. And the best way to accomplish this is by lifting in both low, mid, and high rep ranges.

When most guys train, they typically either train really really heavy or really really light. They either lift exclusively in the 3-6 rep range or in the 10-12 rep range.

While lower rep ranges (3-6 reps) are good for increasing your strength levels, they aren’t the best for muscular hypertrophy.

On the other hand, higher rep ranges (10-12 reps) are good for increasing fluid in the muscle which will quickly increase the muscle’s size but it doesn’t necessarily translate to strength gains.

To build the best overall physique, you need to incorporate all rep ranges.

How do I structure the Henry Cavill workout?
For the Henry Cavill Superman workout, your workout should be spread over 4 days.

Ideally, you should be on a 2 day on-1 day off cycle.

Monday (Upper body, strength)

• Incline dumbbell press – 4 sets x 5 reps

• Flat dumbbell press – 3 sets x 5 reps

• Weighted chin ups – 4 sets x 5 reps

• Dumbbell/Barbell row – 3 sets x 5 reps

Tuesday (Lower body, strength)

• Deadlift – 5 sets x 5 reps

• Squat – 5 sets x 5 reps

• Front lunges – 3 sets x 8 reps per leg

• Calf raise – 5 sets x 12 reps

Wednesday – Rest day

Thursday (Chest and Back, hypertrophy)

• Incline dumbbell press – 3 sets x 8-10 reps

• Cable crossover – 4 sets x 10-12 reps

• Weighted chin ups – 3 sets x 8-10 reps

• Seated cable row – 4 sets x 10-12 reps

Friday (Shoulders and Arms, hypertrophy)

• Seated dumbbell press – 3 sets x 8-10 reps

• Side lateral raise – 3 sets x 10-12 reps

• Front Lateral raises – 2 sets x 10-12 reps

• Any bicep curl variation – 6 sets x 10-12 reps

• Any tricep extension variation – 6 sets x 10-12 reps

Saturday and Sunday (Restdays)

Note: You can do some soft tissue work (with foam roller or tennis ball), some stretching, and maybe even some walking but don’t do any high intensity activities.

Another source states the following, stating Henry used Kettlebells also:

Perform these exercises in the order written. Do 25 reps of each exercise.  Use a 35pound Kettlebell or dumbell for the exercises that require you to use a weight. If you are a newbie, you might want to start a little lighter.

1. Goblet Squat
2.  Kettlebell Swing 
3.  Burpees
4.  Jumping Jacks

THE DIET

Fresh fruits, veggies, lean meats and protein will need to be strictly adhered to.

When building mass, a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is required. Aim for 1.5 grams.

Great, readily available protein sources include:

• Beef
• Chicken
• Fish
• Eggs
• Dairy (cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.)

Henry and the cast of the Immortals used as featured in MF UK (april 2012). to get in pre-superman shape.

Monday

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with dried fruit and almond milk. 1 serving of fruit.
• Snack: Natural protein bar. Sports recovery drink
• Lunch: Salad of your choice but must include chicken breast, 30g avocado and 90g low-fat cheese. Low-fat dressing.
• Snack: 60g nuts.
• Dinner: 125ml vegetable soup. 180g salmon with lemon sauce, asparagus and wild rice.
• Snack: 250ml fat-free cottage cheese. 30g nuts.

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Protein shake (blend 1 banana, 50g berries, 1 scoop protein powder, 250ml almond milk).
• Snack: Hummus with carrots
• Lunch: 250ml vegetable soup. Salad with chopped turkey.
• Snack: 1 green apple. 2tbsp almond butter.
• Dinner: 180g chicken breast with 2tbsp honey chili sauce, quinoa and snap peas.
• Snack: 20g casein protein.

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Egg white omelet. Handful of strawberries.
• Snack: 225g cottage cheese.
• Lunch: Tuna salad with greens. 250ml soup.
• Snack: 8 almonds. Carrot, apple, celery and ginger juice drink.
• Dinner: 225g swordfish with mango and ginger sauce, wild rice and 1 medium artichoke.
• Snack: Fresh pineapple with 225g cottage cheese.

Thursday

• Breakfast: Muesli with almond milk. 1tbsp protein powder. Carrot, apple, celery and ginger juice drink.
• Snack: 240ml low-sodium V8 juice. 2tbsp peanut butter.
• Lunch: Stir-fry 170g scallops with 250g Chinese vegetables, garlic, onion and ginger in 2tbsp olive oil.
• Snack: Protein shake (blend 1 banana, 250ml carrot juice, 1 scoop protein powder).
• Dinner: 225g turkey burger with coleslaw (no bun). 250ml gazpacho.
• Snack: 20g casein protein.

Friday

• Breakfast: 250g fat-free plain Greek yoghurt. 1 banana.
• Snack: 225g unsalted nuts. Carrot, apple, celery and ginger juice drink.
• Lunch: Veggie burger with sautée vegetables and salad. 125ml vegetable soup.
• Snack: 20 pistachio nuts.
• Dinner: Tuna salad with plenty of greens. 250ml chilled cucumber soup.
• Snack: 225g cottage cheese. 30g mixed nuts.

Saturday

• Breakfast: Scrambled egg white or egg white omelette with mushrooms. Handful of strawberries. 170g cottage cheese.
• Snack: 1 tomato. 50g fat-free cheese.
• Lunch: Soup and salad of your choice (include 2tsp sesame seeds).
• Snack: 50g turkey jerky. 280g almonds.
• Dinner: 280g halibut with 4tbsp pesto, wild rice and courgette.
• Snack: 20g casein protein.

Sunday

• Breakfast: Egg white omelette with spinach. Handful of strawberries.
• Snack: Fresh pineapple with 30g cottage cheese. 225g unsalted nuts.
• Lunch: 280g steak with salad of your choice (include avocado).
• Snack: 1 apple with 2tbsp almond butter.
• Dinner: Beef and broccoli stir fry. 250ml miso soup. 1tbsp protein powder.
• Snack: 225g cottage cheese. Handful of mixed nuts.

Henry’s supplements

For intensity and a speedy recovery protein intake is very important.Henry used a number of supplements for his adequate maintenance which started from waking up, pre-workoput, post-workout and ended before bed. That is some serious amount of protein, but as you can see quite affective.

When You Wake Up

WHEY PROTEIN: 20-40 grams

Whey protein is effective for muscle growth because it’s one of the fastest-digesting proteins. Especially good around workouts. 

MULTIVITAMIN: 1 serving

Micronutrients for general health and to support muscle gain

With Your Meals

FISH OIL: 2-3 grams per day              

Fish oil helps with fat loss, reducing inflammation and improving overall health. 

CLA: 1-3g

Considered both a fat burner AND mass builder support

Before Workout (pre-workout)

(for me this is one of the most important)

 NO BOOSTER: 1 serving (30 min. before)

Causes blood vessels to widen, allowing more blood into your muscles = Bigger Pump!

WHEY PROTEIN: 20 grams (30 min. before)

CREATINE: 2-5 grams (depending on brand)

Increase muscle strength, muscle power and muscle endurance

BETA-ALANINE: 1.5-3 grams

Helps to increase muscular endurance – more reps!

BCAAs: 5 grams

Promote muscle synthesis and recovery

After Workout (post-workout)

WHEY PROTEIN: 20-40 grams

CASEIN PROTEIN: 10-20 grams

A slow-digesting protein .. perfect for overnight.

CREATINE: 2-5 grams

BETA ALANINE: 1.5-3 grams

Before Bed

CASEIN PROTEIN: 20-40 grams

Do I need to take supplements?

I typically don’t recommend supplements because all you need t build a badass body like Henry Cavill in Superman is a solid workout program and good nutrition.But that’s not to say supplements are useless.

If you’re having trouble getting enough protein, then a protein powder may help. Other than whey protein, most people will benefit from taking a multivitamin and some fish oil every day as well, which helps maintain overall health and potential vitamin deficiencies.

Thanks to  FitMole, Mens Fitness, Confident, Shortlist and Moviebody for the above information.

Toddlers’ Speech Is Far More Advanced Than Previously Thought

Dr Cristina Dye, a lecturer in child language development, found that two to three- year-olds are using grammar far sooner than expected.

She studied fifty French speaking youngsters aged between 23 and 37 months, capturing tens of thousands of their utterances.

Original article from Science Daily

Dr Dye, who carried out the research while at Cornell University in the United States, found that the children were using ‘little words’ which form the skeleton of sentences such as a, an, can, is, an, far sooner than previously thought.

Dr Dye and her team used advanced recording technology including highly sensitive hidden microphones placed close to the children, to capture the precise sounds the children voiced. They spent years painstakingly analysing every minute sound made by the toddlers and the context in which it was produced.

They found a clear, yet previously undetected, pattern of sounds and puffs of air, which consistently replaced grammatical words in many of the children’s utterances.

Dr Dye said: “Many of the toddlers we studied made a small sound, a soft breath, or a pause, at exactly the place that a grammatical word would normally be uttered.”

“The fact that this sound was always produced in the correct place in the sentence leads us to believe that young children are knowledgeable of grammatical words. They are far more sophisticated in their grammatical competence than we ever understood.

“Despite the fact the toddlers we studied were acquiring French, our findings are expected to extend to other languages. I believe we should give toddlers more credit — they’re much more amazing than we realised.”

For decades the prevailing view among developmental specialists has been that children’s early word combinations are devoid of any grammatical words. On this view, Cchildren then undergo a ‘tadpole to frog’ transformation where due to an unknown mechanism; , they start to develop grammar in their speech. Dye’s results now challenge the old view.

Dr Dye said: “The research sheds light on a really important part of a child’s development. Language is one of the things that makes us human and understanding how we acquire it shows just how amazing children are.

“There are also implications for understanding language delay in children. When children don’t learn to speak normally it can lead to serious issues later in life. For example, those who have it are more likely to suffer from mental illness or be unemployed later in life. If we can understand what is ‘normal’ as early as possible then we can intervene sooner to help those children.”

Know thyself: It matters – by Deepak Chopra

Wisdom has become a musty word even though it described the highest vision of life for many centuries. In a previous post I described what the wisdom principle is. But the only real test must come in daily life. Someone who makes wise choices in life should wind up happier and more successful than someone who doesn’t. This test depends on knowing what wise choices are and what they aren’t.

One can take a very broad view of wisdom – it was taught by Jesus, Buddha, Confucius, Plato, and Muhammad, different as they were from one another. Because we classify these figures as either religious or philosophical, the application of wisdom to the hard realities of work, family, relationships, and so on has been largely ignored. That, I think, is a grave mistake. Wisdom is about skill in living, here and now.

In the earlier post I suggested that the first requirement for anyone who wants to be wise is a desire to know reality. The world’s wisdom traditions agree on this point. The desire to know reality implies many things. The first is that reality doesn’t exist right before your eyes. It is veiled by illusion, and illusion is born of the mind. Here is a list of illusory ideas that countless people live by, today, as much as they did two thousand years ago.

The illusion of inhabiting a separate body.

The illusion of having a separate mind.

The illusion that happiness comes from maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain.

The illusion that we are alone in the universe, cut off from a higher power or intelligence.

The illusion of death as a great ending.

The illusion that life isn’t fair, due to random chance and accidents.

The illusion that physical objects are the measure of what is real.

The last illusion is called materialism, and it’s not news that it holds sway in modern culture, with enormous validation from science. If you are a strict materialist, all the other illusions on the list will seem like reality instead. As Richard Dawkins and other scientific materialists are quick to argue, “of course” the universe is random, devoid of higher intelligence, and purely physical. “Of course” God is absurd; we are utterly alone, and the best life consists of having the courage to live with this aloneness until death makes its inevitable claim and you are extinguished forever.

Wisdom doesn’t consist in turning materialism on its head and saying no to Dawkins and company (although that might be a good start). Wisdom consists in taking seriously that reality might be different from the daily spectacle that greets our eyes, and then taking the time to seriously investigate the validity of each illusion. Skeptics protest that the whole “perennial philosophy” that espouses wisdom amounts to wishful thinking and empty promises. I think they have it upside down – materialism has promised far more that it can deliver, as witnessed by the epidemic of depression and anxiety in our culture, the rise of chronic stress, and the emptiness that comes from endless consumerism and the pursuit of distractions to fill the hole inside.

The motivation to find a better way existed thousands of years ago under much harsher conditions for the average person, but it hasn’t been extinguished by gaining more creature comforts. the journey to wisdom also happens to be fascinating, because it involves exploring your own consciousness, finding connections to the soul, tapping into the source of cosmic intelligence, and mastering many skills in awareness that are unknown to those who feel satisfied with life on the surface.

“Know thyself” wasn’t wise advice because it told people to learn about their likes and dislikes, to follow the impulses of ego, and to constantly look out for number one. “Know thyself” was wise for telling people to look beyond those things, to find their true selves beneath the distractions and demands of I, me, and mine. In the next post, we’ll examine the rewards of the true self and how they can be achieved.

(To be cont.)

Article by Deepak Chopra via linkedin

Apples help build your muscles, fight cancer, obesity, diabetes, lower blood pressure and can even help keep your cholesterol under control

 

Apples… They help build your muscles, fight cancer, obesity, diabetes, lower blood pressure and can even help keep your cholesterol under control. A new study reveals cardiovascular benefits…

A new one-year clinical study found that apples have even greater cardiovascular benefits than we already knew, especially for postmenopausal women.
The study comes out of Florida State University, where Prof. Bahram Arjmandi and his team discovered that eating dried apples may cut the risk of cardiovascular disease for postmenopausal women.

Arjmandi and his team followed 160 women for 12 months. They found that eating dried apples regularly can reduce your total cholesterol by 9%. They also can reduce LDL cholesterol by 16% in only three months. After six and 12 months, the results were even better. The postmenopausal women saw their overall cholesterol drop by 13% and LDL cholesterol by 24%.

“Our findings show that daily incorporation of dried apple into diets favorably improves cardiovascular health”

…in those women, said Arjmandi and his team. They also found that prunes lowered cholesterol, as well. But they didn’t drop cholesterol levels nearly as much as the dried apples. I also think apples will work just as well for men, as other studies indicate they will.

Arjmandi and his team used dried apples for convenience. But they admitted that fresh fruit would likely have even better results.

My motto; whenever possible eat fresh, although some don’t like apples or want even more protection without stuffing themselves with a massive intake on apples. Furthermore, eating too many apples can add up to a lot of sugar….. Try apple peel…

Apple peel extract has all the benefits of eating large amounts of apples without all the sugar. Problem solved 😉

5 Tips: Learn more effectively in class with Mastery Learning

What is Mastery Learning?

“The instruction is the same as in the conventional class (usually with the same teacher)…The average student under mastery learning was about one standard deviation above the average of the control class (the average mastery learning student was above 84% of the students in the control class).¹”

In traditional classrooms, students progress through the class regardless of their level of achievement.  In mastery learning classrooms, students must fully understand (demonstrate mastery of) the material before moving on to the next topic.  Mastery learning is about how students navigate through exercises and assignments.

In a seminal study by Benjamin Bloom¹, a mastery learning approach was found to improve the distribution of student scores by a full standard deviation above the control class that used the same method of instruction but didn’t require that students master the material before moving on.

 

Figure 1: Achievement distribution for students in traditional, mastery learning, and individual tutoring instruction. Mastery learning results in one standard deviation above the average of the control class (the average mastery learning student was above 84% of the students in the control class)¹.

 

What does mastery learning looks like on classes?

Many mastery learning course instructors allow students to have multiple attempts on a single quiz, allowing you to take quizzes several times until you thoroughly understand the material. Instructors have the option to use randomized quiz questions so that students see a different set of questions with each attempt. Mastery learning is characterized by both the opportunity to practice the material, as well as the benchmark for knowing when you’ve mastered the material (e.g. a high score on the quiz).

Martin Odersky (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) allowed students to take the quizzes as many times as they wanted in his Functional Programming Principles in Scala course.  Many students kept taking the quiz until they received 100%, much like playing a game.  This, of course, led to higher scores for that particular quiz.  But students who chose to improve their scores by taking the quiz multiple times did better on their first attempts future quizzes as well.  For students of similar current performance, mastery-based score improvements correlate with future performance (Figure 2).

​

 

Figure 2: Mastery-based score improvements correlate with future performance for students of similar current performance in Martin Odersky’s (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) Functional Programming Principles in Scala.
​

I’m a student. How can I use this method to improve my learning?

Keep practicing each class concept until you have mastered it, before moving on to the next concept. If there are multiple attempts allowed for the quizzes and exams in your course, think carefully through each attempt and keep trying until you do really well. Look for as many opportunities as possible to practice, like extra problem sets, background reading, and discussions on the forums. Set clear benchmarks and test yourself on key concepts before moving on to the next. Below are 5 tips to get you started!

Five tips for students to start using Mastery Learning techniques today!

1. Chose the topic/module that you want to be a master of (this will likely be found in the course syllabus).
2. Write down explicit learning objectives. If these are provided to you by the instructor, re-write them in your own words. If they’re not provided to you by the instructor, consider discussing and honing your learning objectives with your fellow students on the dicussion forums or in your study group.
3. Practice, practice, practice! Take and re-take the quizzes available to you, look for extra-practice problems, create practice problems with your study group, etc. Think carefully through each attempt so that you’re getting the most out of your practice.
4. Benchmark: figure out if you’ve mastered the material by your performance on the quiz and your ability to address each of the learning objectives. Work with your study group to test each other and give each other feedback.
5. Celebrate! Now that you’re a master of the material, you have built a solid foundation for moving on to the next topic.

Article by Pedagogy Specialist, Relly Brandman

9 Reasons why every business owner should outsource

“Stop thinking like a business manager and start thinking like a Business Owner” Mani Masuria

I first came across this concept from the book ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki, then by a mentor of mine Scott Dinsmore Since doing this type of planning and thinking I have been able to have the freedom to work on what I do best and have people working for me while I sleep. Even in today’s economy we are far better off at having our work outsourced than trying to handle everything ourselves, leaving us free to Market or Qualitise our material.

The day of the founder doing everything is not only the wrong mindset but a sure path to ruin. Its time you woke up to the fact that no one person is truly an expert salesperson, marketer, graphic designer, developer and customer service rep.

As an entrepreneur, house maker or average professional, you may do all these things, but that doesn’t mean that’s the smartest way to run your business, home, or life.

Years ago Michael Gerber coined the the term E-Myth, referring to the entrepreneurial myth of ”

people going into business to do what they love, only to realise that 80% of the business has nothing to do with their passion

” instead of building and running a company.

This often results in one of two outcomes:

(1) The founder hates his job or
(2) the business fails

Usually the former follows the latter quite closely. It shouldn’t be this way and it doesn’t have to be, this is not only the wrong way of doing things but the Employee mind-set of doing things, you are now a business owner so start thinking with a Business Owner mind-set.

I’ve help majority of my clients singlehandedly start a number of businesses in the past by changing their mind-set and the first thing to do is to outsource, once you do this then you realise how this is possible. Without freeing up your time you’d become so busy and eventually burnout or become disheartened as you’ll see yourself going nowhere. Once my clients understand this way of thinking, they truly see their potential and before long have a number of profitable ventures as well as time to think/work on the projects that make the biggest difference in each of them.

Outsourcing has become a must. As a business owner, you can’t afford not to.

Here’s why.

1. You need a prototype early. Scratching your idea on a cocktail napkin long after you should be at home is a start, but only a start. You need a prototype to sell your vision- to friends, investors, your future team and charter customers. Depending on your skill-set, you may need a designer, developer, artist or an inspirational storyteller to get you a presentation-worthy prototype fast and on the cheap. Any of this can and as much as possible should be outsourced, leaving you to follow your passion and expertise.

2. You need to stay lean. As entrepreneurs we live and die by our burn rate. While you may need help with a website or prototype early on, you cannot hire someone full-time from the start, especially before you’ve sorted out how you’ll structure pay, stock options and the other headache-creating benefits. It’s premature and expensive. You are likely still forming your crystal clear vision. You no doubt need help, but you may need very specialised help. That’s what outsourcing is made for. Hire your generalists and outsource your specialists. Only pay for what you need, no matter what stage your business is in.

3. Test your team. Regardless of how much capital you have, no one can afford to hire a time waster. Whether you outsource or not, starting out with a trial (via internship, project-based work or some old fashioned competition) is a must. You may be looking for a team in India or right down the street from you. You can screen by location (and stacks of other criteria) with the resources I mention below. Get clear on what you need and find the people who were made for the role. Let them know a full-time job is on the line. That’ll get the healthy competition cooking. Hiring and firing is an expensive and time consuming. Try before you buy, and avoid those time wasting moments.

4. Confirm your passion; what you truly know what you want and are committed to dedicating the time and effort (not forgetting the cash) before you take any action, follow your passion. Since outsourcing is project and skill set based, it forces an entrepreneur to do something most never fully do — define their vision and the actual tasks they need done to make it happen. Sure, these will change over time, but nothing is more frustrating than hiring someone (or being hired) when neither side has a clue what the target is. My first question to any consultation meeting is “What do you what to achieve” followed by “what is the timeline?” If you don’t know the skills you need then how could you ever expect to hire the right person? Founders are notorious for loving the vision but avoiding the details. Force yourself to take your medicine, learn about it for you to understand enough to manage those that do, this will ensure you are not taken for a financial ride 😉

5. Live and die by the 80/20 rule-Only do what you’re best at. Say you started a business because you know AJAX, MySQL, PHP or some other technologies above most the world’s head, and you are going to build a superb web app with it. Then how much sense does it make for you to be burying yourself in PhotoShop trying to create a logo? None! You have super human strengths (we all do) and you know what they are. Things you feel you can do better than almost or anyone in the world. That is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition/Point) or as Scott puts it ‘personal edge’. Leverage your USP as much as possible. This is your 20%. Focus all your attention on the 20% of your workday that truly moves the needle, based on your natural strengths, and outsource the rest. This might mean customer service, design, social media marketing or coding. It’s your job to assess yourself and your team. If you aren’t lights-out good at it, find someone else to do it. They’ll do it better, in less time, and surely for less money.

6. You can’t afford not to. Scott told me once, “Would you believe me if I told you I have a team in India who handles all my SEO/SEM, deep analytics, web research, graphics and coding for between $3-$5/hour? I do” I looked into it the very next day and confirmed how true and easy this was to do. Scott had a guy called ‘Ravi’ who’s been leading the team for three years. He’s loyal, trustworthy, smart and best of all, he works as hard as Scott does, (very hard). These guys have college and advanced degrees and are happy to work for rates often between $5-$20/hour for just about any technical task you could imagine. But the real clincher is how hungry they are. Not only are they qualified to do the work, they will do it in half or a fourth the time. It’s pure geo-arbitrage. The pay is great for them and the output is awesome for us. Does it get anymore win/win? 🙂

7. You are worth more than you think.This goes back to the Business Owner mind-set, if you think you could do the stuff yourself for cheaper, remember the 80/20 rule. Just because you can do it yourself does not mean it makes any sense to do so. First off realise that as a sharp entrepreneur with fire in his belly, your time is worth a lot. I’d say at least $50/hr, now think about what you were just thinking before i mentioned your own hourly pay, does this help make the decision for you? And don’t forget about the opportunity cost. Your mind and time are your most valuable assets. Spend them wisely.

8. You can outsource anything. Literally anything…Over my past four years, I’ve outsourced more business jobs than I thought possible and more personal tasks than some would consider appropriate. The only limit is your creativity. Here’s a taste of projects I’ve sent afar so I can focus on my core of writing, coaching, investing and business building:

– web research
– customer service
– accounting
– web and blog design
– blog and copy writing
– blog comment moderation
– locate best courses in your area for various subjects
– voice transcription
– SEO, SEM and Social Media Marketing
– personal or administrative tasks, travel plans
– locating the perfect gift on Valentine’s Day (who said it has to be all business?)

For more ideas check out Elance’s 100 Projects You Can Outsource.

9. It feels amazing to know someone’s working as you sleep. No joke. Not only is it unbelievably efficient, but it’s just plain fun to have all your tasks completed while your off dreaming (since some of the best outsourcers are found in India and other cheap foreign lands), leaving you ready to keep the ball rolling when you wake. And there you have it. The holy grail: You’ve found a way to work 24/7 without losing your life.

Where to outsource

The list is endless but the below will provide a good start. I’ve used many of the following to change my own mind-set from ‘managing a business’ to being a ‘business owner’:

– Elance- One stop shop for anything outsource
– V Worker (formerly Rent A Coder) More technical focus
– Fiverr- Every job for five bucks, graphic design to grocery shopping
– Ask Sunday- Large team for any task under the sun
– Virtual Assistant Board- Job board for outsourcers and providers

You’re a Founder, Now Start Thinking like a business owner!
What does a Business Owner actually do? They don’t build products, they build businesses, (both products and businesses are known as ‘Systems & Controls’). Business owners are system creators where they look to free up their own time to do what they do best and let the tedious time consuming stuff handled by their employees. They are nothing more than master outsourcers. Their expertise is having a vision and creating and motivating the right team of superb skill to make it reality. They don’t bury themselves in a manual to learn Photo Shop to design their website. They find a designer so they can keep the train moving forward. There is no pride in doing everything yourself. If you expect to really be competitive, it’s impossible. Spend your time on the work you know deep down only you can do. The work that will really change the world. Find someone else to do the rest and success starts to become a lot more realistic.

So, what do you think? Have you tried outsourcing non-critical tasks that are not your superpower? How did it go? Would you do it again? Would love to hear your experiences and lessons learned in the comments.

9 Differences Between the Male and Female Brain

 

 

 

 

 

 

Article by Medicare pharmacy

Most people are intrigued by the thought processes of the opposite sex. Despite rumors to the contrary, men and women are from the same planet.

However, there are many differences between the brains of men and women. I have listed nine of them below. There is bound to be some respectful discourse about this topic, so please feel free to comment or provide alternative points of view below.

1. Brain size: The male brain is typically about ten percent larger than the female brain. Although the extra mass does give males more processing power, this doesn’t make men more intelligent. Rather, science believes the reason for the increased brain mass is to accommodate the bigger body mass and muscle groups of the male (human).

2. Brain hemispheres: Many men are sharply left-brain dominant, while women tend to be more evenly balanced between left and right-brain processing. Women are therefore  thought to be slightly more intuitive, and sometimes better communicators. Men are often less socially adept, and are more task-oriented thinkers than females.

3. Relationships: Women are purported to have better communication skills and emotional intelligence than men. Women tend to be group-oriented, and apt to seek solutions by talking through issues. Men can have trouble picking up on emotional cues unless they’re clearly verbalized – making for tricky communications between the sexes.

4. Mathematical skills: The inferior-parietal lobule, which controls numerical brain function, is larger in males than in females. On standardized tests, men often score higher on mathematical tests than women.

5. Stress: When faced with stressful situations, men usually employ ‘fight or flight’ tactics, while women use a ‘tend or befriend’ response that is rooted in their natural instincts for caring for their children and establishing strong group bonds.

6. Language: Women often excel at language-based tasks for two reasons: two brain areas that deal with language are larger in females, and females process language in both hemispheres while males favor a single brain half.

7. Emotions: Since women tend to have a larger deep limbic system then men, they’re more in touch with their feelings and are better at expressing their emotions. This makes women better at connecting with others, but unfortunately also more prone to different types of depression.

8. Spatial abilities: The parietal region is thicker in the female brain, making it harder for them to mentally rotate objects – an important spatial skill. Women often report difficulty with spatial tasks, both on tests and in real life. Want to test this theory with a loved one? Play HAPPYneuron’s visual-spatial game Points of View and test each others ability.

9. Susceptibility to brain function disorders: Men are more likely to be dyslexic or have other language disabilities, since they’re more often left-brain dominant. Males are also more prone to autism, ADHD and Tourette’s Syndrome, while women are more susceptible to mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

 

Heartache influences your body too

Remember that old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Well this has been called into question following new research by Dr. Naomi Eisenberger (UCLA), who is finding that social rejection and physical pain are intrinsically linked in the brain, such that the former can impact the latter. However, as our brains are so malleable, we can all rewire our brains to help improve emotional well-being.

How social rejection might affect physical pain

In an experiment published in the 2006 issue of the journal Pain, Eisenberger used 75 subjects to explore perceptions of physical pain in the context of social situations.

First, researchers identified each person’s unique pain threshold by transmitting varying levels of heat to the forearm. Subjects rated the pain level of each stimulus until they reached the state that you can imagine to be “very unpleasant.” This provided a baseline for personal thresholds of physical pain in normal situations.

Subjects then took part in a ball-tossing game involving three characters on a computer screen, one representing the subject. Researchers told everyone that the other two characters were played by real people (though the computer actually controlled everything). The subject was either socially included (the ball was regularly tossed to the subject) or not included (the ball was not tossed to the subject). In the last 30 seconds of the game, a new heat stimulus was applied and subjects rated its pain level.

Unsurprisingly, the non-included group reported 67% more social distress. More surprisingly, the same people who reported great social distress due to the game also reported higher pain ratings (based on threshold) at the end of the game—showing a link between social and physical pain.

Pain processing in the brain

Many fMRI studies have confirmed that emotional and physical pain both activate the brain’s dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC)*. Still other studies note that people who suffer from physical conditions such as chronic pain are also more likely to have emotional anxiety and feel social rejection more deeply.

In other words, emotional health contributes in many ways to living a full life. Luckily, scientists have already found indications that you can train and control your emotions by training your brain.

In 2011, Berkeley professor Anett Gyurak successfully used brain training tools (such as Lumosity training among other things) to decrease anxiety and increase beneficial emotional processing in a group of test subjects. The subjects included people with depression and anxiety disorder, but they also included normal, healthy adults.

Gyurak’s research suggests that better emotional control is something everyone can strive towards, even if you’re in perfect health. Some of the cognitive processes involved in emotional well-being such as executive control, which helps us plan rationally and control impulses can also transfer to intellectual abilities that you rely on at work and in school.

*dACC – The ability to optimize behavioural performance when confronted with continuously evolving environmental demands is a key element of human cognition. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), which lies on the medial surface of the frontal lobes, is important in regulating cognitive control. Hypotheses about its function include guiding reward-based decision making, monitoring for conflict between competing responses and predicting task difficulty. Precise mechanisms of dACC function remain unknown, however, because of the limited number of human neurophysiological studies. Here we use functional imaging and human single-neuron recordings to show that the firing of individual dACC neurons encodes current and recent cognitive load. We demonstrate that the modulation of current dACC activity by previous activity produces a behavioural adaptation that accelerates reactions to cues of similar difficulty to previous ones, and retards reactions to cues of different difficulty. Furthermore, this conflict adaptation, or Gratton effect, is abolished after surgically targeted ablation of the dACC. Our results demonstrate that the dACC provides a continuously updated prediction of expected cognitive demand to optimize future behavioural responses. In situations with stable cognitive demands, this signal promotes efficiency by hastening responses, but in situations with changing demands it engenders accuracy by delaying responses.

What does advertising do?

When you don’t pay attention to ads, they affect you.

 

We live in a world of advertising. It is a world of our making, of course. We don’t like to pay the full price of things, so we allow other people to pay part of that price in exchange for letting them pass a message to us. So, we open up the pages of our favorite magazine, and there are glossy ads for clothes, shoes, cars, or beer. We turn on the television, and smiling faces on television try to sell us soup, toothpaste, candy, and politicians.

 

The reason that we accept all this advertising is that we assume that we can tune most of it out. If we don’t pay attention to the ads, then they won’t have that much of an affect on our behavior. Sure, the makers of commercials can try to jack up the volume, but at least we have the right to look away…… Right?

A paper slated to appear in the December, 2010 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research by Melanie Dempsey and Andrew Mitchell suggests that the picture might not be so rosy. These researchers did two clever studies that ought to make us think twice about how much advertising we allow ourselves to be exposed to.

We usually assume that advertising functions mostly to tell us about the properties of a product. A particular detergent might advertise that it gets stains out better than competitors, that it smells good, and that it leaves clothes feeling fresh. We believe that these properties are ones that will help us to choose the detergent we want to buy.

However, ads also do other things. One thing they do is to take a product and to put it next to lots of other things that we already feel positively about. For example, an ad for detergent may have fresh flowers, cute babies, and sunshine in it. All of these things are ones that we probably feel pretty good about already. And repeatedly showing the detergent along with other things that we feel good about can make us feel good about the detergent, too. This transfer of our feelings from one set of items to another is called affective conditioning (the word affect means feelings).

 

In these studies, Dempsey and Mitchell told people about two brands of pens. One brand had better properties than the other. So, objectively, that better brand is the one people should have picked. Before making a choice about the pens, though, some people did what they thought was an unrelated experiment in which they watched pictures on a screen that flashed quickly. Some of these pictures paired the brand name of the pen that had the worse set of properties with a lot of positive items. This procedure is known to create affective conditioning.

 

So, this experiment put two sources of information in opposition. People had a set of properties about the pens that suggested one brand was better than the other. And the group that did not go through the affective conditioning procedure picked this brand most of the time when asked to choose a pen.

The people who went through the affective conditioning procedure picked the pen that was paired with positive items 70-80% of the time. They chose this pen, even though they had information that the other pen was better. Over the two studies in this paper, the authors found that people chose the pen that was paired with positive objects even when people were given as much time as they wanted to make a choice, and even when the instructions specifically encouraged them to pick the best choice and to say why they were choosing a particular pen.

 

These results suggest that the most powerful effect of advertising is just to create a good feeling about a product by surrounding it with other things that you like. It is also important to point out that affective conditioning is most effective when you don’t realize that it is happening. That is, trying to pay less attention to the ads you see on TV and in magazines may actually make this type of advertising more effective.

 

So, why do we choose things just because we feel good about them? The world is a busy place. It is hard for us to feel confident that we have all of the objective facts about anything, whether it is products, people, or choices of things to do. The feelings we have are often a good marker of what is safe to do and what is likely to turn out well. If we have to make a choice, and one of the options just feels good to us, then we are likely to go with the one that feels good.

Most of the time, of course, that is a good idea. Often, we feel good about something because we have had positive experiences with it in the past. The problem is that we allow advertisers to have access to our mental world. They have paid for the opportunity to slip information to us about what feels good. That information ultimately affects the way we make choices, whether we know it or not.

Original article published on August 31, 2010 by Art Markman, Ph.D. in Ulterior Motives

Robert Downey Jr.’s workout routine Iron Man & Avengers Assemble

At a glance

In Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. impressed audiences with a lean, mean, fighting-machine physique. As Tony Stark, an engineering genius with a penchant for women and adventure, the 5 feet 8 inch Downey weighed in at more than 170 pounds, with sinewy arms and rock-hard muscles that came from months of grueling workouts.

After that film, however, Downey switched gears. He dropped 20 pounds to play Sherlock Holmes – a thin, reed-like character with smaller muscles.

So when Downey learned that he would once again be playing Stark in Iron Man 2, the challenge was on.

From Sherlock to Iron Man 2

As Holmes

As Tony Stark in Iron Man 2

 

“We had to do some pretty drastic stuff to get him up near the 170-plus pounds of Iron Man,” says Brad Bose, PhD, the exercise physiologist and kinesiologist who sculpted Downey for all three films.

And they had to do it quickly. Downey had only three months to prepare for Iron Man 2 – and a full 20 pounds to regain.

On top of that, Bose says Downey was exhausted from the diet and training he had done for Sherlock Holmes and was bored with traditional workouts.

“As mentally strong as he was, the body was tired,” says Bose, who owns Bose Management in Santa Monica, Calif.

“Robert said, ‘If I have to get underneath a bench press or [do] a squat, I’m going to shoot myself. I just don’t have the motivation.’  So his challenge to me was to make the workouts fun and challenging.”

Unusual Approach

Bose hit the books, researching long-forgotten and exotic training techniques. His goal: Chisel Downey’s body into one that fit Iron Man’s character – not just get him back into shape.

“The role was a much different person than the typical Marvel superhero, who tends to be an overbuilt, buff kind of guy – the guy who’s big and muscular and strapping, and who almost looks like a body builder,” Bose says. “The character of Iron Man was a playboy millionaire, a misunderstood scientist, a techno-geek. It didn’t fit him to be a big, overly muscular guy.”

The Diet

Bose designed a series of one-of-a-kind workouts that honor Bose’s mantra of “functional performance” – training that accomplishes specific physical goals and keeps the body working at peak performance.

Downey ate a high-protein diet of 2,500 to 3,200 calories a day.

 

The Workouts:

In addition to Yoga and Wing Chun Kung Fu, he worked with Bose three or four days a week for about 90 minutes each.

Here are some of the exotic exercises Downey did, which Bose describes as “Rocky IV meets modern technology.”

But first, a word of caution. You shouldn’t try these exercises at home. They were developed specifically for Downey and performed under watchful supervision. That’s a must, because without expert help, you could easily get hurt.

Indian Clubs

Bose likens these to weighted juggling pins. “Back in the early 1900s, they were quite popular,” he says. “They were the center of a lot of Strongman shows, where guys would use these five- and 10-pound big wooden clubs and swing them around at [high] speeds and do unusual movements. It’s really nice for shoulder and arm development, and actually pretty good on the joints, because it’s rotational movement.”

Meels

Bose says meels, which look like oversized Indian clubs, were used in ancient Persia to train horse riders who had to carry big, heavy swords. “I called a couple of experts and learned how to train with them. Some of it’s crazy. But it’s great for shoulder work,” Bose says.

Wheelbarrows

Bose rigged a wheelbarrow and welded it to hold up to 650 pounds. “Then I made an obstacle course with cones and had Robert wield it in figure eight formations through the cones,” Bose says. The workout targets the chest, shoulders, and back. “It requires an immense amount of strength and skill,” Bose says.

Fire Hoses

“I filled fire hoses with sand and water – one of each – and got [Downey] to whip them around. He would do almost squats while whipping the fire hoses up and down,” Bose says.

Sled

Bose filled a sprinter’s sled with 50-pound weights and tied it to the end of a heavy, 50-foot rope. “Robert would stand stationary and then pull it to him, drop it, then sprint 50 feet away again. He would pull, run, and pull again,” Bose says. The full-body exercise especially targeted the glutes, lats, rhomboids, biceps and triceps, as well as the torso, abs, and core.

Truck Tires and Sledgehammer

Bose bought giant truck tires and had Downey beat the tires with sledgehammer “like you’d beat a drum. Then we’d swing them overhead and pound the tires. That builds shoulder stability,” Bose says.

SUV Tires

Downey flipped and threw SUV tires like a discus. “Again, this is pretty advanced stuff,” Bose says. “It’s not like the average person should do this, because it puts a lot of torque on the spine… You get very powerful in your abs.”

Bamboo Bars

“We put rubber bands on bamboo bars then attached kettle bells to the rubber bands on the bar,” Bose says. “It’s like having a snake in your hands that’s trying to wiggle its way out of your hands while you’re trying to move it up, down, and around.”

Bands

Bose attached bands to a piece of stationary equipment called the Perfect Storm. Using the bands, Downey did swimming motions — like breast stroke and back stroke. “It gives the muscles a polished look,” Bose says.

Downey also used kettlebells and a War Machine, which is a portable, patented pulley training system that uses body weight as resistance (no relation to the Iron Man 2 character of the same name). “If there was one thing you could have in your brief case, it would be probably a War Machine,” Bose says.

Back to Reality

Getting bored with exercise is common, even if you’re not training for a movie.

Bose says he highly recommends functional training, to reach peak performance or simply “go to the next level.” Otherwise, he says, your body quickly adapts to your workout – even after just one or two days.

Be sure to mix things up, Bose advises. His tips:

• If you typically do a long cardiovascular session, followed by strength training, instead do 10 minutes of cardio between weight sets.
• When strength training, do different exercises in a different order each time.
• Vary your cardio routine every time you work out, and from week to week.

“One of the weak points people make in their cardio training is limiting it to one piece of equipment, like a treadmill or an elliptical that they might have at their home,” Bose says.

“They never vary their cardiovascular training. And when you do that, you limit your ability to perform. The misconception is that because I’m on my treadmill, I’m improving my conditioning… You need to challenge your heart with different levels, and you want to switch to something different.”

Then came Avengers Assemble

I’ve always loved this pic, talk about team dynamics!

In Avengers Assemble, Downey Jr. reprised the Iron Man role alongside Chris Evans (Captain America) and Chris Hemsworth (Thor). He had to get back into the gym and bulk-up.

“I’m not particularly tall, strong, fast, or aggressive,” Downey Jr. told us, “But I’m not faking it.”

Since 2003, he has trained using the Wing Chun Kung Fu, a discipline that’s become a part of his daily routine, (his dedication to perfecting the art is evident in his performances). He is also a beast in his workouts (see Downey Jr.’s plan below) but knows his limits:

“I’m not a kid, and I’m not a professional athlete.”

Time to hit the Gym

Getting in Iron Man shape for Avengers, however, forced Downey Jr. back into the gym in conjunction with his Wing Chuntraining.

“We cut way back on cardio and really increased the weight he was lifting,” says Brad Bose.

After months of hard work and consuming 5,000 calories a day (increase from his Iron Man 2 intake), Downey Jr. had packed on 25 pounds of muscle and forged a physique truly worthy of Iron Man.

In Summary:

Lower Body

Exercise	Set	Reps
Band Squat	4	8-12
Hamstring Curl	4	8-12
Leg Press1	4	8-12
Suspension Trainer Lunge*	3	15 – 20 each leg
Suspension Trainer Superman Squat*	3	15
Romanian Deadlift	3	8 -10
Sandbag Squat	3	8 -10
Ab Circuit**	3rounds

*All of Bose’s suspension trainer work was done using a War Machine suspension trainer: crosscore-usa.com **Pick 4–6 exercises; perform two minutes of reps for each exercise.

Upper Body

Exercise	Set	Reps
Weighted Pullup	3	8 – 12
Weighted Dip	3	8 – 12
Swiss Ball Bench Press	3	8 – 12
Low Row	3	8 – 12
Continuous Tension DB Shoulder Press***	3	8 – 12
Bosu Ball Pushup	3	15-20
Suspension Trainer Pushup*	3	Failure
Suspension Trainer Row*	3	Failure
Lateral/Front Shoulder Raise	3	8 – 12
Kettlebell Swing	3	40
Sand Bag Power Throw	3	12-15
Ab Circuit	3 rounds

*** Keep both hands in the up position, lowering only one hand at a time.

First article by Annabelle Robertson from WebMD Second article and plan obtained from Mens Fitness Magazine