AJAC RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS IN 2024

I tried a lot of stuff from the bowtied community and fitness community this year

To note, I always use ANY product for anywhere from 1-6 months before recommending it 1. NOBs Toothpaste, from @BowTiedGatorDDS

This is our family toothpaste, everyone uses it, myself, wife, kids

https://x.com/AJA_Cortes/status/1752399339731734977

3 Supplements I use almost Daily:

These are not essential, but they are useful. They are also nothing ground breaking. I go with whats tried and proven

1) Whey protein powder

Whey is a FOOD, and a Super Food at that. There are thousands of studies on it. Muscle building, immune boosting, recovery, it does it all. If you need to be convinced its good for you, LOL

2 scoops post workout, or in the morning for a fast breakfast. You can mix with water or milk 2. Creatine

Another supplement thats been proven 1000 times over. increased muscle mass, recovery, strength endurance, power

I take 10 grams daily. 5 grams is suggested, but some people need more to notice an effect

10 ALMOST LAWS OF TRAINING

1. Fasted Cardio is a great habit that almost guarantees you will be lean

Sure, you could do cardio at any time of day, but doing it first thing in the morning is a foundational habit that sets up everything else you do

and it does seem like it gets people leaner at a marginally faster rate when its done consistently

I know the "Science" doesnt support this, but Bros have done it for years.

30-60 minutes in the morning, 2. Dont deadlift more than once a week

As a beginner you can do more frequency when youre weak

But as you get stronger, deadlifts take longer to recover from

Once a week maximum (this goes for conventional and RDLS, and racks pull as well)

The exception would be DB deadlifts, but that gets programming specific

Why Sleep Deprivation is making you fat

1. Appetite increase: Sleep deprivation leads to increased appetite and cravings, particularly for high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich foods that boost glucose. Calorie intake tends to increase as sleep decreases 2. Hunger Hormones get wrecked:

Sleep deprivation increases levels of ghrelin (which stimulates appetite) and decreases levels of leptin (which signals fullness), leading to increased hunger and subsequent overeating

12 Training Suggestions if you are 40+

1. The better hydrated you are, the better your workouts

Your tissues get stiffer as you age. Hydration is always important, but older bodies feel the effects more

1 liter of water + 1000mg salt 30-60 minutes before training will make a big difference 2. If you are physically beat up, start isolated to integrated

Reverse the common recommendation of big movements first, do big movements LAST, sequence your lifts from easiest to hardest

You want every muscle pumped with blood and all your joints lubricated

10 Commandments of Health

A girl I trained years ago would always share bible verses with me that she thought paralleled my recommendations (she was Christian)

I always though it was sweet, so I saved them. She was one of my favorite clients I ever worked it On Alcohol

“Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper” (Proverbs 23:31,32)

10 Commandments of Health

A girl I trained years ago would always share bible verses with me that she thought paralleled my recommendations (she was Christian)

I always though it was sweet, so I saved them. She was one of my favorite clients I ever worked it On Alcohol

“Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper” (Proverbs 23:31,32)

10 Commandments of Health

A girl I trained years ago would always share bible verses with me that she thought paralleled my recommendations (she was Christian)

I always though it was sweet, so I saved them. She was one of my favorite clients I ever worked it On Alcohol

“Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper” (Proverbs 23:31,32)

A History of Ozempic

Ive been asked about Ozempic (and Wegovy) constantly the past year

They are argued about on the timeline almost daily, ofte with histrionics

I believe in knowing the history of a drug gives you better understanding of it, so lets get educated 1. History of Fat Loss Peptides

Ozempic and Wegovy are the brand name version of a fat loss peptide called Semaglutide.

Semaglutide is a GLP-1

That stands for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists

GLP-1 is actually a NATURALLY occurring hormone in the human body that is secreted the small intestine (hormones are just chains of amino acids strung together)

GLP-1 was discovered back in the 1980s, when scientists were researching how insulin was released, and it was learned the the stomach releases hormones

These are called incretin hormones

The 5 Biomarkers for Longevity

Health is a hot topic right now, as is longevity

Recently its become very popular to measure biomarkers, do lots and lots of tests, and get very granular in "optimizing" health

My professional opinion is that most of this is excessive and unnecessary

I prefer to start people with minimal measurements, take a broad view, and then get detailed IF necessary

Which measurements are power measurements that capture the broadest picture of overall health?

There are FIVE

They are as follows... 1. Bodyweight and BMI
2. Bodycomposition
3. Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
4. VO2 Max
5. HDL/Triglyceride Ratio

For a clear picture of health, you would need to know ALL of these, not just one of them

These five measurements backed by years of medical science data, research, and practice.

I will explain why each of them matter (and the limitations of using them in isolation).

How to Get Healthy Immediately

1. Health is Wealth.

You have to start with the mindset that your health is the most valuable resource you have. A lack of health is worse than a lack of money. Your energy, your vitality, your drive to get things done, that all comes from your body.

You should LOVE to be healthy, and want to be as rich as possible in your fitness. A new way of life wont come from your previous mindset. 2. Start Waking up at Dawn

Circadian Rhythm is real. Entire textbooks could be written about circadian rhythm, but the most practical strategy and daily action is to rise with the sun, and coordinate your schedule during daylight hours. This is the master mechanism that ensures good sleep, and good sleep energy, and energy means you can attack your priorities, and priorities mean you follow a schedule, and so on and so forth.

Dont argue with it, just do it. Wake up with the son, go to sleep with the night. You have at least 12 hours of daylight minimum to get done what you need to get done

Top 5 Most Effective Compound Exercises for every Muscle

These are my favorites based off training clients since 2010

Not listed in hierarchal order

Chest:
Decline DB Press
Flat DB Press
Machine Chest Press
Dips Back:
Pullups/Chinups
Neutral grip Pulldown
Wide grip Pulldown
Chest Supported T-bar Row
Seated Row, wide and neutral grip

GET BUFF:

Gaining muscle isn't just about lifting weights mindlessly
Exercise selection counts.

Good workouts start with productive exercises

Here are the top 3 exercises for each muscle group. Deltoids (Shoulders)

Overhead Press (Barbell or Dumbbell or Machine)
Lateral Raise
Posterior Raises

---

Pectorals (Chest)

Horizontal Chest Press (barbell, dumbbells, or machine)
Push-Ups
Dips

MIKE MENTZER THREAD:

I see he has become popular on the timeline, so lets talk about it

In this thread I cover his origin story and how he developed his “Heavy Duty” philosophy on training, sets, reps, workouts, volume, and frequency Mike was born in 1951, he was of german extraction and grew up in Germantown, Philadelphia PA

He got into bodybuilding in his teens, and won several contests in his late teens and early 20s

At this this time (early 1970s), it was the Arnold Era, and high volume was the norm

More of you need to take the Bill Pearl Pill and and expand your minds

"Work harder and work smarter, which is different from work heavier. The weight is just a tool. Superset, rest less, focus on contraction over weight, slow your reps down. Train muscles, not movements" When I was training in the ’60s and making my best gains, most of my sets were eight reps.

Eight reps is the sweep spot. It’s low enough that you can use heavy weights but high enough that you can really work the muscle and not just move the weight"

Dumb mistakes men still make in the gym

1. Avoiding pullups and chinups.
2. Not training legs
3. Still following your high school or college training split
4. Not training back with any serious intent or intensity
5. Avoiding cardio
6. Neglecting mobility 1. Avoiding pullups and chinups.

You are fat. And weak. That is why they are hard.

I dont know why anyone struggles at figuring this out. There is nothing mysterious about this.

Roommate I had in college was autistic (legitimately, not self diagnosed)

Had bizarre food habits, study habits, was socially fucktarded and couldn’t pick up on obvious cues

Was always in irrationally good mood though

Had a girlfriend, redhead with huge jugs

She loved… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… I watched this guy play Warcraft for entire weekends, she cooked for him the entire time and read books while he played

It’s impossible to be “good with girls” when your whole personality seethes with negativity towards everything, most of all yourself

This is the root problem for young men today, it goes beyond the incel label, they are cynical & blackpilled

It’s low energy, and its repellant You can analyze the issues with young men myriad ways

But they all trace back to a low energy, scornful view of life

There is no courage or fun to be had with hopeless men

If you train like a 20 year old when you are 40, you'll soon find out that you are 40 years old
(h/t @GuruAnaerobic)

As you age, you need to be creative and smart with your training

Get my LONGEVITY Program and get stronger each year

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I find the current social media culture to have a feminizing effect on the male psyche

The constant need to demonstrate ones success, the peacocking, the belief that fame is necessitous to make money

It creates a dynamic of a man demanding constant attention... There is nothing masculine about it.

The belief that a mans achievements should speak for themselves, this is a valid idea

Your competency and reputation precede you, you are talked about, but this is downstream effect, not a goal of and in itself