Eddie Baran's Body Sculpting Blog

I usually steer clear of the evening news. It's all about fear
and how bad the world is. Rarely is there any good news.
The TV stations say that they're only responding to what
people want to see, as that's the market. Maybe it is, but
either way I avoid news like the plague.

But yesterday was a bit of good news. Up here in Northern California,
where I've been spending the past months, the biggest story lately has
been about two whales who have made their way from the
Pacific Ocean all the way inland 50 miles to the Sacramento River.

The two whales, a mother and daughter, had spent the last
two weeks in the river. Every expert from Marine biologists
to the Coast Guard, as well as the entire community, spent
countless hours trying to guide Delta and Dawn back to the
ocean. All sorts of different tactics were tried but to no avail,
and things were beginning to look bleak for the pair: rapid
weight loss, injuries, skin problems.

But just as things were looking the worst, the two started
making their way back to the Pacific and are now back home
where they belong.

The lesson here is persistence. While many were writing off
the whales, others continued to try to find ways to help them.
No one ever gave up. There was no other option than to save
the lives of these whales.

It's easy to give up and throw in the towel. In the short run,
that is. In the long run, things will just get worse if you quit.
But if you stick to your guns and continue going after what
you have to, then you are sure to make it. And, like the two
whales who made it back home, you will have a happy ending.

Wishing you the best,

Eddie Baran

P.S. A happy body is possible for anyone who wants one. Go
here to get yours http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

Posted by Eddie Baran at 03:50 AM | Permalink

A few years back, a woman came to see me for fitness training. She
was a good 250 lbs. She had spent her life taking care of her family,
her kids, her husband. By doting on others she neglected herself.

Now it was her time, she told me. She was finally going to take care
of herself, get fit, get healthy.

She was empowered when she told me this. Although she had made
the decision months prior, she had to build up the emotional fortitude
to do it. She got no support from her family or friends. So repeating
the words back to me made her stand even stronger.

And she needed to pump herself up as much as possible to counteract
all the negativity her "loved ones" were spewing at her.

"You're selfish," they told her.

"Think of someone besides yourself for once," was a common one.

I was impressed that she waded through all that garbage to get to me.

Unfortunately she lasted only a few sessions. I think because she was
feeling so good right off the bat, so energized and alive (my body
sculpting exercises http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

do that), that she got a little spooked. My guess is that she felt
guilty
about doing something so wonderful; she rationalized in her head
that if she were doing something so good for herself then she MUST be
doing something bad for her family.

She wasn't strong enough yet to handle the nonsense spinning in her
head. Although she resented being the family doormat, she let the guilt
they were heaping on her overpower her.

Look, you've got to take care of yourself. You've got to look after
yourself first and foremost. If not you, then who will. It's not
selfish,
it's the most considerate thing you can do. It's kind of like when
you're
on an airplane and they tell you to put your own oxygen mask on before
you put on your child's. If you're not healthy then you're not much use
to others.

Are you going to hold your breath so you don't deprive others of air.
It's the same thing. Look after yourself and the looking after others
will
come easier.

Wishing you the best,

Eddie Baran

P.S. Start taking care of yourself by getting your best body ever. Get
the body sculpting bodyweight program now
http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

Posted by Eddie Baran at 07:49 AM | Permalink

A while back I was at my friend Garin Bader's house. His wife
Vanessa and I had just completed taking pictures for my
body sculpting book so we were sitting around talking about
strength and fitness.

At that point Garin told me that he could instantly increase my
strength and speed. I laughed to myself, as I was more than
skeptical and heard this kind of stuff before. I politely halfway
listened to him but didn't think much of what he was saying.
He could tell I wasn't really convinced.

To prove that he could teach me his method of increasing
strength in a matter of minutes, he had me do a simple
experiment:

First, I exhausted my muscles by doing a number of different
exercises. To test my strength level I then did some handstand
pushups. Since I was physically wasted, I really couldn't do
much at all; I felt very heavy and very weak.

Next, Garin showed me just one simple concept that took
only a couple minutes. To make sure my muscles didn't recover,
he had me do some more exercises before I retested on the
handstand pushups; he wanted to make sure I was even more
exhausted than before.

When it was time to test my strength on the handstand
pushups, I cranked them out like it was nothing. I couldn't
believe how easy they were to do, how strong I was, and how
light I felt. I was blown away at the transformation.

And I was surprised that it was so simple and quick to learn.

But this isn't some parlor trick. The effects are real and lasting.
I use these concepts Garin showed when I'm training now and
have seen excellent long-term results.

Garin has created a program which details his method of
instant strength improvement. He calls it CoreForce Energy
http://www.eddiebaran.com/coreforce_energy.html and it's
phenomenal. It's the next best thing to having Garin coach
you personally. I went through just a five-minute exercise in
the program, tested my strength and noticed an immediate
improvement.

This is your way to really unleash your true power that you
have within you.

Wishing you the best,

Eddie Baran

P.S. CoreForce Energy is a must-have for anyone serious
about getting stronger and faster in any activity. Go here now
and read more about this
http://www.eddiebaran.com/coreforce_energy.html

Posted by Eddie Baran at 07:44 AM | Permalink

My brother, Andy, used to teach high school and would
often work out afterwards in the gym doing bodyweight
exercises. He was in the middle of a workout when one of
the other teachers walked by and observed him for a while.

Now this teacher was an ex-jock who played football and
basketball in his day but had succumbed to the age-old
myth of middle age that "it's all downhill from here." You
know the type.

Anyway, after watching my brother do his bodyweight
workout for a while, he asked him point blank

"WHAT in the hell are you doing?"

My brother went on to explain bodyweight excercises, why
they were so effective and beneficial. To this the teacher so
brilliantly responded bluntly

"WHY in the hell would you do that?"

To which my brother replied, "Well, to get stronger, younger,
healthier. Also makes me look better. You oughta give it a try."
http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

The teacher didn't get it, saying "Look, I'm 49 years old, I
already have a wife and two kids. Why on earth would I do this."

My brother was speechless. Didn't this guy just give the
perfect reasons to exercise: He had a wife already, so didn't
he want to be healthy for her and look good for her. Is the
only reason to exercise to look good to get a woman (or a man)?
How about keeping one.

The teacher had two kids so why wouldn't he want to be
youthful for them, to be able to play with them and have
the energy to keep up. And he was 49 years old, so isn't
that the perfect age to get back into shape. Didn't he want
to be young and healthy for his family and himself for a
long, long time?

After running all this through his head, my brother decided
to just smile at his colleague and not argue. If this guy had
any clue he'd be right there with my brother working out.

This teacher flunked bad. Worst of all he had no interest
in bettering himself. Some people just aren't ready, and
maybe never will be.

Hearing this just further convinced me that the more you
have in your life, i.e. spouse, kids, years, then the more
important it is, the more critical it is that you exercise and
take the best care of yourself that you possibly can.

Your body, like any kind of growth, be it spiritual, financial,
mental, is a process. You can't just neglect it or the process
stops, and so do you.

Wishing you the best,

Eddie Baran

P.S. No matter where you're at in life or in your physical
growth process, you might as well use the best tools out
there. like Body Sculpting Bodyweight Exercises
http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

Posted by Eddie Baran at 07:41 AM | Permalink

I've been preaching against being skinny-fat for a while.
Skinny-fat is the condition where you're skinny but have
no muscle. Just skin and bones and fat. This is not healthy
on a number of levels.

And now there's a study out of the UK which supports my
position. Researchers call these skinny-fat people "Thin
outside, fat inside" (TOFIs) because they have excessive
levels of internal fat. They think this might lead to heart
disease and diabetes.

These TOFIs eat all the bad and crappy food that obese
people eat but just not in the same quantities. So these
folks are maintaining their weight by portion control and
not exercise. This, the researchers said, leads to a greater
likelihood of internal fat.

What's the solution? The researchers said improving your
diet and good exercise can burn off internal fat. Exercise
has to be an important part of your life.

Wishing you the best.

Eddie Baran

P.S. Exercise is the necessary component to fighting internal
and external fat, and bodyweight exercises are the best in
the world. Go here now to read more
http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

Posted by Eddie Baran at 07:38 AM | Permalink

Do bodyweight exercises help to increase bone density and
prevent bone loss? And are they better for this than weights are?

The answer is absolutely YES.

Bodyweight exercises are weight bearing. Handling your
own bodyweight is much more weight bearing than weight lifting.

Why is this.

Most women lift only light weights which, though providing
some resistance, in no way provide as much resistance as
bodyweight exercises. Think about it. Which is more weight
bearing: doing a curl with a 10-lb dumbell or a pushup. A
pushup is, of course.

Here are some other reasons why bodyweight exercises are
superior for increasing bone density and increasing your youth:

1. Bodyweight exercises involve moving your entire body in
a multipe-joint motion. This increases your growth hormone
levels. Very few weight lifting movements do this. Plus, the
more of your body you are engaging the more muscle and
bone you are improving.

2. Jumping increases bone density as shown in an Oregon State
University study. I made sure to include many different types
of jumping exercises in my program Body Sculpting Bodyweight
Exercises for Women http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

I call these the Youth Builder Exercises.

3. Bodyweight exercises improve balance and body awareness.

4. Bodyweight execises improve posture and body alignment

I can go on and on and on and on. The bottom line is this:

Bodyweight exercises as shown in my program will not only help
you prevent further bone damage but will actually increase bone
density. And they are much more beneficial than weights anyway
so it's a win-win for you. I don't like weight training either so you
don't have to do anything you don't want to do just because you
think it's beneficial.

Osteoporosis is an issue at any age. You can never start too
early in preventing and beating it. If you're under 40 then you
might as well get a good jump on it. If you're over 40, then
start rebuilding your body and bones. A nice side effect is
that you will get a very fine looking body in the process.

Wishing you the best,

Eddie Baran

P.S. It's true: Jumping increases bone density. Not only that,
it also improves balance, cardiovascular endurance, muscle
strength and sculpts some pretty nice looking abs, butt and legs.
Follow along with the jumping workout on the bodysculpting
DVD's here http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

Posted by Eddie Baran at 10:16 AM | Permalink

If you're overweight, out of shape and weak, can you do anything
about it. In other words, can you be too out of shape to even get
in shape? Can you use the exercises in my program if you haven't
any strength at all.

Read the following letter from a reader and my answer:

---

Eddie,
I am a very out of shape and overweight woman who is 48. I
have no strength at all. In fact I get red faced doing housework.
Will your program get me healthy. I'm 5' 4'' probably 165 lbs.
How strong do I have to be to start?
Jan

Jan,
Your situation is common but it's not a problem. You don't have to
be strong to start the exercises in my program nor do you have to
be a world class athlete either. The program is for all levels and
shapes
http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

All you need is willingness and a good mental mindset. You might
not be strong when you start the program but you will be in short time.

For a person in your condition, here is what I recommend you do:

Start by assessing your fitness with the Fab Five exercises in the
beginning section of the book. If you cannot do any of these, follow
the suggested alternate substitution exercises. If you find that you
cannot do any of these, then simply hold the positions. In other
words, don't do any repetitions just hold the positions for a little
bit of time.

After that, start to slowly move your body through the ranges of
motion of the exercises. Do just a partial movement, even if it's
1/8 of a repetition and if all you can do is that. That is where you
start. Rest, recover, and try it again.

Do whatever you're comfortable with. This might mean doing 30
seconds of exercise a day at first. Eventually you will build up to 40
seconds, then a minute, then 15 minutes.

Get the idea?

It's critical to realize that as a beginner to exercise you must NOT
push yourself hard yet. That comes later. For now you are at the
stage where you are acclimating yourself to movement so you need
to go slowly and make friends with exercise, and with your body.

Don't beat yourself up, physically or mentally. Just slowly and
leisurely
get used to the exercises as I've described.

Countless women in worse shape than you have followed this method
for getting in shape. You can do it to. Just remember to go slowly at
first and get used to the positions. Don't push it. Also, start
walking.
Walk as much as you can without straining or overdoing it. It's a great
method for introducing yourself to fitness.

---

So you see, anyone can get fit. They just need to go about it in
the right way, with the right exercises and with the right attitude.
You can do it and you will.

Wishing you the best,

Eddie Baran

P.S. If you're new to fitness, the exercises in my body sculpting
program are perfect for you. Just do a little each day and build
up from there. Go here now
http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

Posted by Eddie Baran at 08:04 AM | Permalink

Have you ever just wished for good luck. If you just had luck
your life would be all better, you reason. You leave it up to fate
or chance, cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Truth is that your success in anything, especially in sculpting your
dream body, has nothing to do with luck and all to do with you
and what you do. If you do the things to get what you want, you
will get what you want. If you don't, you won't.

I got this great explanation from a customer on how the Japanese
see luck:

---

There is an expression in Japanese: Gambatte kudasai. It is used
in the same situations we would use "Good Luck." But the literal
translation is "please persevere." I am just starting out with your
Body Sculpting program http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

and trying to lose some of my mommy body flab, and along with
focusing on the positive, I think it works to keep a "gambarimasu"
state of mind. I am positive, and I am persevering.
Gambatte, ne.

Sarah D.

---

So, the Japanese know that you create luck by persevering. And
like Sarah said, it's a state of mind. No perseverance, no luck.

Gambatte kudasai,

Eddie Baran

P.S. Please persevere in your fitness goals. Go here now
http://www.eddiebaran.com/body_sculpting_women.html

Posted by Eddie Baran at 05:31 PM | Permalink