Whats Your Story?

“Get action; do things; be sane; don't fritter away your time; create; act; take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action." -Theodore Roosevelt. In this podcast I describe the whys and hows of taking action. In times when we are pent up, it can be easy to be sucked in by mindless, surface level activities like watching shows or scrolling our phones. If you want to feel fulfilled you must prioritize action whether it be the deep activities like meditating or journaling that we need in our lives or just 5 minutes of exercise! At the end catch a good way to know how to tell if you are truly taking action. My blog "Thirst" that I mentioned: https://www.jake-parker.com/post/thirst --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

My friend Mike Gibbs joined the show again, mainly to discuss the role of hormones in fat loss. Mike talks about circumstances in which calories in vs. calories out isn't the whole story. Mike doesn't recommend keto for reasons he mentioned, but he did acknowledge how diets like the Atkins Diet can be helpful to someone looking to lose weight without counting calories.  Also addressed: steroids, Mike's approach to putting on muscle, cheating on ketogenic diets, macronutrients, post-workout nutrition, training fasted, saturated fat. We ended with a nice meta discussion about life in general as it relates to goal setting, sacrifice, priorities, and opportunity cost. Sometimes it's as simple as Scott Adam's quote: "If you want success, figure out the price, then pay it." But can be more convoluted with different situations like if you have kids, as in the example Mike gives. Related: As mentioned, Mike talked about the Atkins diet. I was curious to learn more and read some of "Dr. Atkin's Diet Revolution" w

In this podcast I discussed protein, how much you need, 3 of its major benefits, and sources. I also talked about if you should trust foods labeled "high protein." Here's a useful graphic that relates to the discussion. I plan on posting a related one on my Instagram this week! https://www.instagram.com/p/B8aR54ZD-cd/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

I really enjoyed this conversation with Jeremiah where we discussed a wide range of topics including: Our similar mindset, interests, & outlook. Who we like to follow in the evidence based fitness space and the relatively modest following size they have. Calorie counting & getting lean. Jeremiah's P3 fat loss method. Metabolic adaption and hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin. My goal of getting below 10% body fat. What we're currently reading. The importance of putting yourself in uncomfortable situations (we talked about Jeremiah's experience with improv and my experience with stand up comedy). How fitness changes every aspect of your life but won't bring you the ultimate happiness you may be seeking ("I'll be so happy when I finally have that six-pack!") Themes/concepts discussed at length: "People aren’t an equation." My podcast on knowledge vs. application that I referenced- Episode 80: 5 Minute Fit Tip- Knowledge vs. Application Great evidence based people/groups to fol

Seneca said "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity." When I first heard Mike Matthews say to "keep spinning the wheel" on his podcast, it really resonated with me. I feel like continuing to work daily on things that are important to you is the only way to live a fulfilled life focused on goals. In this podcast I talked about what this phrase means to me and why its important to work towards goals intelligently. Mentioned: Episode 76: 5 Minute Fit Tip- Sweep the Floor --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

Many are concerned about these four common substances and whether they should limit them, add more, or even indulge in them in the first place. I broke down each one and explained what it is, why it's used, and how much you should be having. Quickly: creatine is underutilized, is natural, and increases not only muscle & strength but cognition, sodium/salt is a crucial mineral and is demonized rather unjustly (I talked correlation/causation), caffeine is a wonderful servant but terrible master, and carbs are needed by most to a certain extent (I talk about glycogen, the thermogenic effect of food, and keto & low carb dieting here). My podcast on sleep that I mentioned: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-fit/id1456684420?i=1000462436088 References: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/creatine https://legionathletics.com/creatine-monohydrate/ https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/blog/are-any-supplements-worth-the-cost https://legionathletics.com/how-much-sodium-per-day/ https://legionathlet

The fitness industry is confusing because those in the best shape do not necessarily have the most useful knowledge and vice versa. Most PHDs in exercise science/physiology won't be posting shirtless pics on Instagram, and superior genetics/steroids make it difficult to decipher if someone got in great shape from calculated effort or more by way of bro science. In this 5 Minute Fit Tip I discuss knowledge vs application and why we need to pay attention to anecdotes as well as Xs and Os. “Knowing is not enough, we must apply, willing is not enough, we must do.” -Bruce Lee --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

I've wanted to be big and strong for as long as I can remember, but it took me years to take my fitness to a level I'm happy with. Here I share many of the lessons I've learned along the way. A few main lessons: the shift happens more in mindset than body, its SIMPLE but not EASY, you have to make it into/a part of lifestyle (consistency is key). Let me save you the struggle of internal battles and ineffective strategies!  4 of the main point I run through: You don’t need to associate effectiveness with difficulty. It doesn’t have to suck! (ex. Good tasting food and healthy food are not mutually exclusive) Consistency over perfection. (Perfectionism is an excuse) Don’t miss the forest for the trees. Calories count even if you don’t count them. Bonus: two biggest components of effective training- compound weightlifting and progressive overload. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -Albert Einstein Link to my Instagram post where you can see the pi

In this podcast I discuss how this common notion in our culture, is advice grounded solid reasoning and good intent, but not necessarily truth. It is in my opinion, a myth! Find out why this is & more by tuning in. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

My friend Max Nottonson just finished his ebook "Never Diet Again." We talked about what went into the book and broke it down, I even got to talk to Max about the creative process and the discipline it took to complete the book! Beyond this Max and I got into a talk centered around habits and positive behavior change as well as diet culture and the restrict-binge dynamic. 1:40 Max introduces his nutrition e-book “Never Diet Again.” 8:17 Prioritizing the long term over the short term. 12:14 Meditation in action, meditation tips. 13:57 Behavior change. 23:09 The book writing process, distraction, and “flow.” 27:19 The importance of being true to yourself. ("Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become." -Steve Jobs) 34:03 Highlights from Max’s book. Follow Max on Instagram, his most used platform: https://www.instagram.com/maxnottfit/?hl=en Get a copy of the book: https://www.maxnottfit.com/never-diet-again --- Support this podcast: https:

“My friend the philosopher and martial artist Daniele Bolelli once gave me a helpful metaphor. He explained that training was like sweeping the floor. Just because we’ve done it once, doesn’t mean the floor is clean forever. Every day the dust comes back. Every day we must sweep.” -Ryan Holiday, The Ego is The Enemy Ryan Holiday first introduced the concept of sweeping the floor to me in his book "The Ego is the Enemy" this phrase: "Sweep the Floor" has become one of my main mantras and a phrase I have written down so that I see it everyday. Sweeping the floor can apply to your diet and exercise routine (you can't get fit from one healthy meal/good workout and you can't get out of shape from one unhealthy meal/skipped workout) to relationships with your significant other, friends, or family. Sweeping the floor is about creating healthy habits. “The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” -Warren Buffett “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, bu

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” -Einstein “Being busy is a form of laziness- lazy thinking and indiscriminate action. Being busy is most often used as a guise for avoiding the few critically important but uncomfortable actions.” -Tim Ferriss Today my friend Alex and I discussed personalities and how they relate to productivity. According to Alex, "getting the work done that you want to get done is what makes life worth living." Specifically, Alex and I took some time to talk about the TriMetrix personality assessment he shared with me. In addition we talked about paralysis by analysis, the perfectionism paradox, and other aspects of self-awareness, and other aspects of "knowing thyself" as Socrates stated. For reference: The DISC model discussed stands for: dominance, influence, steadiness, and compliance. The personality trait I mentioned but couldn't remember the name for is “high self monitor” meani

Today I talked about meditation. Meditation has been a huge catalyst for positive change in my life and has many benefits including reducing stress, increasing focus and attention span, and improving your relationship with yourself. I highly recommend using an app for meditation, my three favorites in no order are: https://wakingup.com https://www.tenpercent.com https://www.headspace.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

Recently my friend Shane has been posting calorie deficit tips. I've had Shane on the podcast a couple times and he always brings the knowledge and a willingness to help my listeners! In addition to talking calorie deficits (the only way to lose fat) we discussed: eating enough protein (why protein supplements are useful here), the relative ease with which you can maintain a healthy body once you invest in your own education, the 80/20 principle as it relates to health, and some tips on easily upping calories (this is important at times too- find out why)! We even got to discussing comfort zones as it relates to your nutrition and trying new things with your fitness. Diet pop and Doritos even made it into the discussion, we covered a lot in a short time! Shane's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Te3FuWfmtACxAvZWsA1tA Shane's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanehubbardfit/ Shane's Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/shanehubbardfit --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/suppo

On this episode I discussed a strategy I use when deciding whether or not to treat myself to foods outside of my normal diet (For me things like desserts & beer). I ask myself "is it worth it?" to see if the thing will truly enhance my experience or not. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

This podcast encompassed a lot. These three concepts have been at the top of mind for me recently and I wanted to clarify and get my thoughts out on them. It is my hope that you will find value in the things I have to say here as far as opinions, explanations, and advice. Major topics covered were the difference between an abundance mentality and a zero sum mentality, loving everyone with no strings attached and how selfishness plays into this paradoxically, and how to be spiritually healthy in important yet overlooked ways like focusing on what is under your control or doing what you say. Mentioned: Naval Ravikant on Joe Rogan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qHkcs3kG44&t=46s https://app-v3.wakingup.com/ https://jamesaltucher.com/ Ryan Holiday's The Daily Stoic https://dailystoic.com/what-is-stoicism-a-definition-3-stoic-exercises-to-get-you-started/ https://www.meetup.com/ "This is Water" commencement speech from David Foster Wallace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI&t=448s Quo

Today I talked about 3 ways where eating "healthy" doesn't work including overeating, binging, and not knowing what constitutes a healthy food. My podcast with Matt McLeod where we had a good discussion about macros: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-fit/id1456684420?i=1000463172754 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

Jay Vincent is a fitness model, and gym owner. He specializes in High Intensity Training (HIT) which is a very unique topic I've been interested in lately. In relation to talking about HIT we talked about recovery time, genetics, frequency of workouts (Jay actually only works out once a week), and many other topics!  Heres the breakdown: 1:23 How Jay came into HIT. 6:39 Steroids and genetics. 15:49 Body part emphasis in training. 33:12 Correlation/causation (why bodybuilders really spend so much time in the gym). 35:16 Exercise and your mental health. 38:16 More correlation/causation. 40:05 Proper diet and proper exercise. 47:10 Sleep. 53:00 Machines, barbells, and dumbbells, oh my! 1:01:25 Doing hard shit. 1:05:49 Who Jay looks up to. 1:08:47 Tempo Mentioned: Lawrence Neal (https://highintensitybusiness.com/) Drew Bay (http://baye.com/) Dorian Yates (https://www.instagram.com/thedorianyates/?hl=en) Mike Menzer (https://www.mikementzer.com/index.html) Arthur Jones 

Unfortunately, you won't always feel motivated to go to the gym and exercise, work on improving yourself, or get work done. This is why we need to remember James Clear's quote: “We do not rise to the level of our goals we fall to the level of our systems.” Motivation can be a helpful tool just like a supplement, but when it comes down to it, what is going to make the difference is consistent, hard work and not something as fleeting as feeling motivated. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jakeparker/support

"When your vision is powerful enough, everything else falls into place: how you live your life, your workouts, what friends you choose to hang out with, how you eat, what you do for fun." -Arnold Schwarzenegger Today on the podcast my guest was Matt McLeod who is a former professional natural bodybuilder, Registered Dietician, and a very open-minded and intellectual thinker like myself! We found ourselves talking about a lot of meta life philosophy that led me to reflect on the above quote. Matt and I share a vision of wanting to help others live a better life while being the best version of ourselves we can. Among the many things we talked about was why the podcast format is unique, how your outlook on life determines your course, how to "escape competition through authenticity" and a good discussion to wrap up about the benefit of tracking macros even if for a short period of time! :47 Why the "More Than Fitness" Podcast? 13:04 Long term implications of online media. 16:23 Matt's experience bodybuildin