Whats Your Story?

For my May book review, I choose to read The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz.  This book both confirmed my way of thinking and added to it some useful tools! A quote from Tim Ferriss (who recommends this book) that I was reminded of a few times while reading: "It's lonely at the top. Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre." --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

David Allen is one of the world's foremost thinkers on productivity, having devoted almost 40 years professionally to the topic as well as a lifetime of refining Getting Things Done in his personal life. I'm so grateful to David for sharing some time with me on the show! Our conversation was wide ranging (a reflection of the person David is). We talked about how to handle small things on your mind like David’s favorite example “I need dog food”, the paradox of needing more organization the more creative you are, flow, and we pointed to the fact that the Getting Things Done methodology is closely in line with how our mind naturally works. My favorite quotes from David during the show: “Control is the greatest human addiction.” "Your mind is just a crappy office.” "Most people are living in an 'I’m not caught up' mode.” Timestamps: 2:36- Structure creates freedom (the driving example). 5:13- God, Truth, and The Universe. 6:34- How being and doing are tied together. 18:07- There’s no compartmental

I know this topic sounds a little dull or click-baity, but I think it's super important and it's something I've been focused on lately! Here I talk about networking mostly in the context of my own life and goals but I think you will find the advice valuable however you decide to apply it. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

Cody "Boom Boom" McBroom is a fitness coach and someone I've gotten to know from interacting on Instagram. You may know his of his Tailored Performance Coaching! (https://tailoredcoachingmethod.com/) On this podcast we discussed many different variables around workout volume including: what it is, how it's applied, relevant variables like adherence/sustainability, trash volume, and more! 2:29 What "tailored" coaching means to Cody. 6:18 What exactly is volume and how is it applied? 18:28 Trash volume/junk volume. 20:30 Tracking body part volume. 27:20 How to measure variables relevant to volume. 32:47 Deloads. 36:02 How do rep numbers factor into volume? 45:35 Factoring in recovery from other activity with your weightlifting recovery. You'll also learn about: intensity vs. effort, workout frequency, stress factors, and the "two shelves" of recovery. Cody's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cody.boomboom/ Cody's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-boom-boom-performance-podcast

Here I talk about two common mistakes one may make with diet, that, interestingly are often seen as acceptable or even positive for health. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

Recently I decided to go through a fat loss period. As I've talked about before, I still go through phases of cutting and bulking on a semi regular basis. I was especially focused on what lessons I could glean from this period beyond the normal fat loss tips like step goals, voluminous foods, limiting liquid calories, and things like that. (All very useful tips by the way!) Here I share 10 fat loss tips that are uncommon and I delve deeply into each one. Check out my Instagram this week for some pictures of my progress, I definitely feel like this has been my most successful cut ever and that my physique is more aesthetic than it's ever been! What is Leptin?: https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/glands-and-hormones-a-to-z/hormones/leptin --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

Here I talk about my weekly review which takes the form of a check list. The important part of this to me is that it helps me to see that my day to day life is on course with my higher priorities and values. This review also allows a set time for monotonous, yet important, tasks that need to be done weekly. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

I'm always talking about routines & habits in some form. They truly make us who we are and what we want to become! Habits are what keep us healthy mentally, physically, emotionally, and in healthy relationships. Today I shared my own habits, covering: why and how I do what I do, cultivating stillness & clarity, avoiding the business trap, building confidence, manifesting positivity, and much more! Mentioned: wakingup.com meetup.com https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/all/products/the-five-minute-journal Episode 65: Sleep Optimization and Essentials, Macro Adjusting (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-fit/id1456684420?i=1000465696492) Episode 74: 5 Minute Fit Tip- Meditation (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-fit/id1456684420?i=1000462436088) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

Here are my top 5 takeaways from Naval Ravikant's How to Get Rich (Without Getting Lucky) Tweet Storm turned podcast (and blog). Naval is a former tech entrepreneur and founder of https://angel.co/ (Angel List). He now spends his time focused on what I might describe as lifestyle optimization, philosophy, and happiness. Check out my most recent Instagram post for more! (@JakeParker.Fit) The Original Tweet Storm: https://mobile.twitter.com/naval/status/1002103360646823936 Blog/Podcast Long Form: https://nav.al/rich My favorite compound interest example: $100 earns 7% in year 1, then $107 earns 7% in year 2 netting $114.49 and so on to larger and larger extent. (Whereas simple interest earns exactly $7 each year. (think about how this applies to all areas of your life- relationships, knowledge, etc.) I talked about this and included a helpful picture in my "Mentor Monday" post on Warren Buffett: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_gU9pwjYRE/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

Steven Pressfield may be best known for his book "The War of Art" in which he discusses how a force called the Resistance can keep us from our goals and how to overcome it. It would be extremely limiting, however, to only mention this project in Steve's career as he has authored over 20 books as well as working as a screen writer. An interesting element is his story is that it took him many years to reach his potential and start professionally writing, he battled Resistance for a long time. In this podcast Steven recounts some of his past and offers advice and insight to realizing your true self and conquering your self-limiting beliefs. 2:48 How fitness parallels writing and the role it plays in Steven’s life. 6:32 The secret of success! 10:22 Steven’s inquiry into my ambitions. 17:20 Life is a never ending practice. 22:00 The hero’s journey and the artist’s journey. 28:40 We are two people. 32:15 Intuition & dissonance in life. 39:16 Distraction, advice on quitting your day job, &

I fell off the wagon with these book reviews lately, but with new systems in place I plan to get back to doing these once a month! Getting Things Done by David Allen is much more than a productivity book, it is all about helping us become our best selves by way of defining and realizing our goals. Included topics from the book I discuss- having a "mind like water", how David defines "work" and "projects", the importance of closing the open loops in your mind no matter how seemingly small or trivial, and the power of single-tasking over multi-tasking. As someone who considers himself a creative, I was a little skeptical of this book. David makes the case that, almost paradoxically, the more creative we are the more organization we need so that we have the freedom to come up with and act on new ideas and create a "mind like water." Join me on the quest to enter the positive cycle of less stress attributing to more productivity and vise versa and let's Get Things Done! Why Procrastinators Procrastinate Ted Talk:

Like many of us, Alan has been able to train less frequently lately, this started when he and his wife had a baby. Congrats Alan! This led to Alan getting lean and facing the fact that his numbers on the barbell can no longer be as high. Alan's YouTube, Instagram, and Website: https://www.youtube.com/alanthrall https://www.instagram.com/untamedstrength/ http://www.trainuntamed.com/ Timestamps: 1:24 Why I love recording podcasts & why communication/interaction in person is also important. 2:55 Alan on getting lean and training while caring for a new baby. 12:11 Beyond the (squat bench & deadlift) numbers. 15:51 Programming for shorter, less frequent workouts. 25:47 Rpe & mental discipline/consistency when stuck at home. 40:58 Fitness is for life! And introducing other to working out. Mentioned: https://www.benpakulski.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

As you may have seen if you follow me on social media, this week I recorded a podcast with one of my idols and role models, Steven Pressfield. Steven has written over 20 books, one of his most famous, and my favorite of his, is The War of Art in which Steven talks about the battle against Resistance. As Steven is a writer, much of the way he communicates is through the lens of a creative but his strategies for fighting against resistance can be used in so many ways like exercise, forming better relationships, learning something new, partaking in personal development, dating, and on and on. Steven says that Resistance rears its head whenever we are attempting to ascend to a new level in our lives. Listen in to this podcast to hear me highlight two ways we can overcome resistance based on my conversation with Steven, and look for our podcast which is coming out next Monday! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

On today's episode I was fortunate to be joined by professional natural bodybuilder, adjunct professor at the University of Tampa, and coach Chris Barakat! This conversation was a blast, Chris and I hit it off right away! We talked about the nuts and bolts of training and nutrition, the staples of and pitfalls of macro tracking/meal planning, and ended with some thoughts about habits specifically in the context of our current situation. "Everyone's always struggling with something, but now we're struggling with the same one thing as a community." Chris's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopher.barakat/ Chris's Website https://schoolofgainz.com/resources/articles/ (Including his free home workout guide and ebook with Jeff Nippard- both mentioned on the podcast!) Timestamps: 2:29- Chris's educational path. 4:21- Where anecdotal evidence meets science and gray areas. 8:08- How we're all like bodybuilders. 14:20- Pros and cons of IIFYM. 21:44- Misconceptions and mistakes of the average gym goer

One thing I've learned in taking my health and physique to the next level is that it isn't about "working hard" but rather working SMART. You can beat yourself into the ground with diet and exercise but if there's no thought behind it, it won't be effective. Similarly, if you don't enjoy your exercise and diet you will have a hard time sustaining it. These days more and more we are hit with the hustle culture notion, but here I will explain to you why that can be counter-intuitive. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

My friend Nick Krantz joined me for this episode. It's his third time on the show, grateful for you Nick! Nick is a big, strong guy but recently a recurring concussion sidelined him from training, and largely from life! Find out how he made the best out of a bad situation (something we're all trying to do right now!) We spoke about positive habits, making good choices, and how/why to think deeply in a largely shallow world. Nick and I have both benefitted from the outlook of action > contemplation, as well as reframing of emotions, we shared positive experiences with counselors in this episode as well! Timestamps: 1:28- How Nick has dealt with his concussion, being unable to train, and figuring out his identity. 24:23- Advice on having time for introspection and self-care. 27:33- How to manage getting back to working out after a lay off. Mentioned: Nick's website where you can find the M3 (Mindset, Movement, Morale) Manual! https://nickkrantzfitness.com/ Nick's Instagram https://www.instagram.co

We all know people in our lives who have benefitted from certain diets. I myself am often asked what diet I'm on or follow. In this episode I explain why diets work (2 main components) and the rationale behind dieting. I also make the case for why you shouldn't diet but rather find a lifestyle of eating that is sustainable for you! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

My friend Mason Woodruff joined Beyond Fit for a second time recently. In this episode we spent the first half talking about "motivation porn" and how a focused period in your life of self-improvement and lifestyle optimization can impact you. We also discussed Mason's reading habits now vs. in the past and taking action on all the information you're acquiring from podcasts, books, etc, and caught up with Mason's personal life a bit. In the second half- Mason dropped some great cooking knowledge! I even shared a few of my guiding principles in the kitchen as well. Timestamps: 12:23- Focusing on outcomes vs enjoying the journey and being true to yourself. 15:50- Rejuvenating activities. 21:07- Mason's move to Austin 26:42- Cooking talk & tips! Mason's Website & Instagram: https://masonfit.com/ https://www.instagram.com/mason_woodruff/ Mentioned: https://mattmcleod.org/ https://tim.blog/2020/02/02/reasons-to-not-become-famous/ https://ryanholiday.net/ https://www.aubreymarcus.com/

Many of you may be familiar with the 80/20 principle (80% of the results are achieved by 20% of the effort). I go over it in this episode and discuss how it applies to health and fitness. I can get into some pretty complex/esoteric topics on this podcast, it's what I really enjoy! But sometimes we just need a reminder that doing a few simple things right is all it takes to achieve extraordinary health and the body you desire! We tend to overcomplicate this area of our life, limit this tendency by following the 80/20 of health and fitness. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

For Johnny's third time on the show, I thought it would be fun to talk about interests and hobbies that keep us occupied during all of our down time these days. Our conversation was wide ranging and addressed: individuality, chasing success, values, antifragility, pivoting away from perfectionism, how and why to overcome society's focus on apathy, and much more! We both agree that now is a great time to learn and grow, and share the viewpoint that incremental improvement can carry you a vast distance. Enjoy! I posted the Man in the Arena quote we talked about on my Instagram a while back: https://www.instagram.com/p/B0TOrHJD-9j/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support