christutela

Lessons from WrestleMania 32

I don’t watch wrestling anymore like I used to. Not like the times when Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock were in their prime and every Monday Night Raw and Pay per view was better than the last. Those were the days… However, I do still watch WrestleMania every year. Last night, like every year, The WWE put on an incredible show for Mania.

I think it goes without saying, that Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker stole the show. If you watched it, I’m pretty sure you’re agreeing with me. Now for all you non-wrestling fans out there, before you guys delete this email I want to assure you that this post isn’t just about wrestling and my love for The WWE. This is about the fact that Shane McMahon who is the son of the owner of the company, who also owns a portion of the WWE, who’s a billionaire, decided to come back to wrestle a match only to drop an elbow off the top of a 30 foot cage, through a table!

This guy had nothing to prove. He isn’t a full time wrestler trying to make it. He isn’t living in a van and hurting for cash and decided to do a crazy stunt for a pay day. He isn’t trying to show off to prove himself (if you know about the matches Shane McMahon wrestled you know he’s already done that on more than one occasion). He simply went out there and performed that stunt for the good of the business and to give the fans what they wanted to see. Now, where the hell am I getting at you ask? Well, hear me out. There comes a point in our lives that we become comfortable. We get complacent and stop striving for greatness. We may not love our jobs, we may be unhappy with our physiques, we might not even love our relationships. However, we choose to just continue with things the way they are, never taking any risks. We get caught up in the day to and accept mediocrity because it seems like the "safe" choice. Well if you look at any successful person, in this case Shane McMahon, you’ll see that they didn’t get to that level of success without taking some risks and putting it all on the line. Shane could have just taken the match and did a few "average" stunts and gone home, still rich, still ultra successful. 

But he knows what it takes to help the business. He knows what it takes to truly lead from the front.

You want people to respect you? You better be fucking willing to get in the trenches yourself like Shane McMahon has done over and over again. Leaders, true leaders, will always take risks in their lives because they know it’s necessary to have the life and the success that they want. They live life on their terms because they were willing to take those chances. So, maybe you’re comfortable right now. Maybe you want more out of your life but you have to take a chance to get where you want, so you just decide to just ease up and settle. I say it’s time to man the fuck up. It’s time to go and get whatever it is that you want. Because anything is possible if you take all the right steps to accomplish it. But it starts with the balls to make a decision and then own it. The world needs more leaders like you, but if you don’t take the chances that are necessary to become the greatest version of yourself, you will never attain that greatness. I’m not saying that I am great, I’m just saying that I am sure as hell willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

Just like Shane McMahon did last night. I hope all of you are willing to do the same. Let’s take chances. Let’s become great.


The Dad Bod? Are you F*&$ing Kidding Me?!?!

I hate to even utter the words.

The Dad Bod.

A term that somehow, someway has become acceptable to most middle-aged men in The United States.

The fact that “The Dad Bod” is a term that’s even tolerated is a direct reflection of the current state of weakness amongst our society.

So before you become comfortable putting yourself in “The Dad Bod” category, let’s talk about what this even means.

You’re Lazy

Your physique is a direct reflection of who you are as a human being. Let’s be honest, if you have excessive body fat you’re probably not working as hard as you should be. The excuse that you don’t have time to train is bullshit. You know it and I know it. There are 24 hours in the day. Make the time and do the work. We are talking about 3-7 hours per week of work. Are you really telling me that you don’t have 3-7 hours out of 168? Of course you do, make the fu$%ing time.

You’re Weak

People that suffer from Dad Bod disorder are weak and out of shape. Being weak is unacceptable. You’re more prone to injury, have lower testosterone, more susceptible to depression and you’re unhealthy. Plus, since you’re a dad you have people in your life that need you to protect them. If you’re weak you can barely protect yourself. Being weak sucks and we don’t want that for you. Don’t accept weakness.

You Lack Muscle

A lack of muscle mass goes hand and hand with being weak and lazy. You lie to yourself about not having time to train so you don’t, which is the reason you’re weak, which is the reason you lack muscle mass. A lack of muscle mass equals a lack of confidence in yourself and a lessened desire to want to take your shirt off around other people. Which definitely sucks at the beach, pool party and certainly when you’re “smashing cheeks” ;-)! Don’t be “ok” with having no muscle. Come on, we all want to look and feel better, get to work.

You’re too fat

To top off lazy, weak and skinny you’re fat as well. That’s a deadly combination. The icing on the cake for “The Dad Bod” is a gigantic gut, right above your love muscle. I mean, seriously, is that a good look? Hell no. It’s horrific, you have to get rid of that shit. We know excessive body fat leads to a lot of messed up diseases like diabetes and cancer. You don’t want that and we don’t want that for you.

When I hear people say “I totally have a dad bod” and laugh about it means they are the sum of the four categories above, and are totally ok with it!

But maybe this post will help those people realize that the “Dad Bod” sucks and no one should live their life accepting that. Get off of your ass and do something about it! You’re not just doomed and stuck with that “Dad Bod” for life. You can change it. Just stop making sorry excuses for yourself and put in the work.

Saying you have a “Dad Bod” is another way of saying that you’re ok with mediocrity.  

Are you really ok with not striving to be the best version of you?

Are you really going to tell me that you don’t want to achieve greatness in your life?

Are you really telling me that you accept being weak, fat, skinny and lazy and plan to do

nothing about it?

Well if so then don’t waste your time reading this post.

This post was created for the go-getters.

The winners.

The ones that are willing to make sacrifices. To earn their stripes.

The ones that are willing to work harder than anyone on the fucking planet, at whatever they do. So they can achieve a life of greatness and happiness.

The ones that look adversity right in the eye and take it head on.

Because these are the people that can achieve great things, and we want to help you get there.

Remember, it doesn’t matter where you start. If you’re currently rocking “The Dad Bod” that’s ok. If you’re willing to do something about it. Don’t just accept that shit and put yourself in that category. Go shock the world and be the first guy to throw your shirt off at the beach this summer and enjoy every second of it.

Don’t continue your contribution to the occurring epidemic of “The Dad Bod” in this country. Let’s get rid of this term all together and to do that, first we have to get rid of “The Dad Bod” being the norm.

So here is my contribution to putting a stop to this epidemic once and for all.

Here’s a few tips that you can start implementing right now to start taking action and wage war against “The Dad Bod”!

1. Eat earth grown nutrients: Chicken breast, grass fed beef, wild caught fish, beans, potatoes, rice, vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts and cage free eggs are great sources of food. Base at least 90-95% of your diet on only foods like these for the next 8-12 weeks.

2. Eliminate everything with refined sugar, flour and artificial sweeteners: Sugar and flour are two substances that are both highly addictive, inflammatory and linked to a lot of diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Artificial sweeteners are also linked to many diseases and are loaded with chemicals. An easy way to avoid all of this crap is by sticking to rule number 1.

3. Lift heavy weights: I say this with caution considering some of you may have injuries or are at the beginner level. If you don’t know what you’re doing hire a good coach that can teach you. If you’re on your own, train to get stronger within rep ranges of 6-12 at first. Press, pull and squat with flawless technique. Hit the weights 2-4 times per week and watch your physique transform.

4. Sprint: A fundamental human movement that we are designed to do. Warm-up properly and start off with hill sprints and stadium stairs before progressing to the flat ground. It’s much safer to start that way if you haven’t sprinted in a while. Start off with 1-2 sprint sessions per week and that will do a number on that “Dad Bod”.

5. Enhance your natural testosterone production: Tips 1-4 will help you start producing more anabolic hormones naturally, but they alone will not be enough. Here’s a few ways to speed up that process.

A. Sleep 7-9 hours per night: When you get quality sleep your body produces more of these hormones and has many other benefits beyond the scope of this post.

B. Stop stressing over bullshit: When you stress over every little thing your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol. Chronic and excessive cortisol production is detrimental to muscular tissue and stores body fat like a son of a bitch. That’s obviously not something you want.

C. Meditate: Meditation has incredible benefits and will help combat cortisol even more. Reduce stress and watch the quality of your life improve.

D. Have sex more often: Do I really have to justify this one? Get in there! It will help increase your test levels!

Start applying all of these tips today and I guarantee you will starting seeing noticeable changes in the way you look and feel in the next 4-6 weeks. But remember you should be in this for the long haul. Don’t look for any quick fixes. You’re better than that! But in order to make these tips life habits, first you need to start. So get moving!

I hope by now you guys are all with me on waging war against “The Dad Bod”. If you didn’t already know, you now know what you are subjecting yourself to by putting yourself in that category.

We can all achieve anything we want in this life, but we are the ones that dictate the outcome. Are you going to do something about it? Or just sit back and continue to do nothing?

I trust you’ll make the right choice.

Stand with me brothers and sisters, let’s change some lives!


Final Four of our TTS Transformation Challenge

What’s up everyone?! I hope you all had a great Easter Weekend and didn’t get too crazy with food and booze considering summer is now right around the corner. If you did, make sure to hit some extra sprints today following your strength session! I wanted to take the time to share with you guys the stories of the final four in our Transformation Challenge so you can witness the incredible work they’ve done.

Meet Mike.

Mike is a firefighter that, after three kids put on some baby weight himself. He was weak, overweight, out of shape and his health was becoming an issue. Before he knew it, he was rockin the “bad bad”. He needed to make a change fast!

So he joined our 10 week Transformation Challenge that we held at our facility in Clark, NJ and these were his results!

3o lbs. of fat lost, about 10 lbs. of lean muscle gained and significant increases in strength all around.

Mike is now stronger and healthier than ever and continues to progress.

Now meet Lauren.

Lauren is a mother of two and just had her second child less than 10 months ago.

Sleepless nights, stressful eating and work had Lauren putting on too much body fat during and after her pregnancy.

A change is what she needed and she killed it!

Down 3o plus lbs. of fat, lost 8.5 inches on her waist, and has now adopted a much healthier and happier lifestyle. Awesome Job, Lauren!

Next up is Eric aka E-Money!

This guy has been active his whole life. Former college basketball player turned coach had never touched a weight before walking into TTS.

He was frail, weak and completely unhealthy.

Eric showed up every day ready to work! He busted his ass and packed on about 10 lbs. of lean muscle mass while losing about 7 lbs. of body fat in the process. His numbers on his lifts increased dramatically including about a 60 lb. increase on his deadlift 1RM.

His transformation was drastic as you can see.

Last but not least is Chris.

Chris, another firefighter who was completely out of shape turned his life around.

This guy smoked, drank and ate way too much. He was headed down the path to disaster with his health.

He joined our program and melted nearly 50 lbs. of body fat off of his frame while bringing up his bench, squat and deadlift.

He still continues to improve every day.

These are just 4 of our 18 competitors. All 18 have done a tremendous job and should be extremely proud of themselves and each other.

I am also extremely proud of all of these guys and know that they will continue to work towards becoming the best version of themselves!

This was certainly not an easy road for any of these competitors, however results like these are in your reach if you want it bad enough.

You just have to be willing to put in the work!

If you guys need some direction and are looking to transform your physique and your life, shoot us an email at info@tutelatraining.com and schedule your free trial.

Take it from these guys, you’ll be happy you did!


Sleep Better to Maximize your Life

Sleep.

Something so simple that will help build muscle, burn fat, improve your mood, productivity, mental clarity, physical and mental performance and combat disease.

Something so simple, yet not many people have good or even decent sleeping habits.

This is usually do to stress, social activity, poor habits, work and lack of physical exercise.

Now, I don’t claim to be a sleep “expert” but I do know a thing or two about enhancing your quality of sleep so you can maximize your life.

If you are someone that has poor sleep habits, I want you to try the tips listed in this post. I would bet money that these things will improve your sleep quality and lead to a healthier, stronger, and more productive you!

So my friends, check out these tips and change your lives for the better!

Unplug at least one hour before bed

We live in a world where we are constantly at the mercy of our phones. When we stare at our phones right up until bedtime a few things happen. One, your mind stays active when you’re trying to get in a relaxed state. Emotions like joy, sadness, aggravation and even jealousy can occur when looking at social media. Do yourself a favor and don’t subject yourself to that. Trust me, you can find out in the morning how many likes your photo got.

Your mind needs to relax in order for you to get the best sleep possible. It can’t do that if you’re checking emails, answering calls, texting or worrying about what you have to do tomorrow.

Shut your phone off or keep it on silent. You don’t need to be woken up by your drunk friend at 3-am so he can tell you about his “successful” tinder date.

Kill the phone an hour before bed.

Sleep in a pitch dark room

Keeping the t.v. on at night will ruin your quality of sleep. When you sleep in a pitch dark room you help produce the hormone melatonin. Melatonin a very powerful hormone that combats cancer and other diseases. Any source of light, like a t.v, can inhibit your melatonin production.

Why would you want to limit the production of a hormone that combats cancer?

That same hormone is then limited when you are woken up throughout the night. Thus the importance of killing the cell phone so you don’t get woken up by text or a phone call.

The bedroom should be used for sleep and smashing cheeks.

Keep the t.v. in the living room!

Meditate

Most of society is totally overstressed. I don’t want to turn this into a post on the importance of reducing stress. But I do want you to know a great way to do it.

And that’s meditation.

Now, most people think of meditation as weird. They picture sitting on a floor with legs crossed making strange noises. It doesn’t have to be like that.

Meditating can be as simple as sitting on your couch with your eyes closed for just 10-15 minutes. Doing nothing but focusing on your breathing and relaxing your mind. It doesn’t have to be weird. Think of it as another way to relax.

Meditation is great at any point of the day, but try 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night to start. Try it with dimmed lights and within 30 minutes of going to sleep.

This will help you reduce the stress from the day, and give you some YOU-time that we all so desperately need. Especially these days.

Exercise

If you’re reading this blog, I shouldn’t even have to mention this one.

 But I will anyway.

Exercise improves your quality of life all around, including your sleep habits.

If you exercise vigorously you will exert more energy throughout the day, which will make you more tired come bed time.

Do some type of activity every day, aside from your weight training.

Get to bed “on time”

Studies have shown that human beings have the highest secretion in hormones between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. This is due to the fact that as humans we are designed to sleep when it’s dark and wake when it’s light.

It’s easy to get caught up in the “Netflix and chill” mode but do your body a favor and get to bed instead.

This is the prime time for the body to rejuvenate and produce more of the hormones that will combat disease and keep you healthy!

I hope that you guys start to apply this to your lives immediately. I guarantee that you will quickly see the benefits on the playing field, work, relationships, mood, energy levels and life in general!

I am definitely a believer in work hard, play hard so have your fun! But don’t neglect your sleep when it counts the most.

So get to bed MoFo’s and let’s start the movement of getting better every day!

Catch you guys next time.


Nobody Can Judge Effort, Because Effort is Between You and You

The alarm goes off, its 5am and still dark outside. You put your feet on the floor and head to the bathroom. After going about your business, you get your breakfast in, drink some water, toss back some fish oil and vitamins, and then head to the gym.

You foam roll, warm-up, and then start to load up the bar. It’s now 6:30am and you’re getting ready for some heavy ass squats. Rep after rep you work your fucking ass off. As sweat pours off your face and drenches the floor you’re standing on, you head over to the dumbbell rack to hit some lunges.

After a few sets it’s getting hard to breath, let alone walk. But you continue, you now begin some Romanian Deadlifts and beat the shit out of your hamstrings. Like the squats didn’t nearly kill you.

To finish up you grab some heavy ass dumbbells and start your farmer’s carries. At this point your body is shaking, you’re holding on for dear life and gasping for air. Your body is shaking and all you want to do is put those dumbbells down. But you don’t, you keep going. When you finish you are almost at the point of exhaustion.

 It’s now light out at 7:30-am. Most of the world is just beginning to wake up and you just accomplished what 99% of those people say they don’t have time for. When you hear them say shit like that you know it’s all bullshit. Just excuses that people use to justify their laziness. You head home, eat again, shower and head to work.

Your day has now begun.

If you’re new to the iron game, or having second thoughts because of the doubt that sometimes creeps up on us.

You may question why you do what you do at times.

That’s because we are all human. What separates us is that we are willing to do the work that needs to be done, even when we don’t feel like it.

The rest just make excuses.

Don’t let the judgement of others slow you down from achieving your goals.

They will call you “crazy”, say “it’s too much”, and make excuses to why they don’t do what you do.

But it’s all bullshit. Deep down they only wish they had the drive that you do.

Just remember that preparation and consistency are key. No matter what your goal.

Consistent planning, preparation and hard work = success.

So don’t fucking slow down.

Commit to your plan and shut out the noise, because it will always be there. But it’s up to you whether you listen or not.

One thing they can’t judge is your effort.

Because, like Ray Lewis said, “Nobody can judge effort, because effort is between you and you”.

Remember that when you are striving for a goal. Because the work you put in speaks for itself, and nobody can judge that.

So stay hungry my friends, keep working your ass off and accomplish great things.

We only live one life, so work hard, play hard and accomplish what others are afraid to.

Until next time…


Start Small and Get Big, Faster!

Isee it all the time. Younger athletes and brand new lifters, trying to mimic the Youtube and InstaGram videos of their favorite athletes and lifters.

Cleans, squats, deadlifts and all of the other great exercises out there  that are essential for building a bigger, stronger, faster, more powerful you.

However, some of these lifters aren’t quite ready for these movements.

I’m not talking about all beginners, I’m talking about the guys and girls that are extremely tight, weak, lack stability or have suffered some type of injury that limits their mobility or training capabilities.

For instance, if you cannot pick up a 135 lb. deadlift with a perfectly neutral spine, well then you shouldn’t be deadlifting, yet. But in many cases, not only are they performing deadlifts but they are attempting Olympic lifts like Cleans and Snatches.

The sad part is, most of the time these exercises are recommended to them by coaches or their gym’s meathead.  You know the guy, usually rocking the headphones, cutoff, has the worst technique of all time but is always giving people advice on their form.

Don’t listen to that guy. Please.

Instead, if you’re a young athlete or a beginner who isn’t sure how to move properly you are better off building a foundation of balance, strength and mobility first. Then progress to the big complex lifts.

At that point you will have built the foundation needed to perform the exercises properly and really benefit from them.

And don’t worry, if you’re new to the iron game you will absolutely pack on muscle during this foundational phase. In fact, this period is an absolute necessity if you want to maximize your gains.

If you can’t move or balance properly, you ain’t getting stronger, which means you ain’t gettin bigger either. It’s more of a waste of time to try the bigger lifts without doing them right.

Now that you’re with me, lets talk about some basic movement patterns you should be practicing if you want to get jacked!

Squat

First, learn to squat with body weight. Place your hands behind your head and set your feet just outside of shoulder width apart, toes slightly pointed out. Initiate the movement by driving your hips back as far as you can, keeping your chest up the entire time, begin to sit on your heals all the way down to parallel (make a straight line from your knee to your hip), once you get down to parallel begin driving back up through your heals. On the way up push your knees out away from each other. Be sure to exhale hard once you get about ¼ of the way up.

Perform 20 of these in your warm-up every day to help beat this movement pattern into your brain.

Now, work some squat variation into your training program. I recommend the goblet squat which is the same movement I just mentioned, only you are now holding a dumbbell against your chest. The dumbbell should be held vertically with your palms underneath the top head of the dumbbell and your fingers grasping over the top of the same head.

These are great for building a base of strength and stability and are much safer for beginners to learn than a traditional back squat.

Push-ups

Push-ups are an exercise that, when done correctly, are incredible for building size, strength and stability.

Start in the top position with your elbows fully extended, lower yourself to the ground keeping your elbows against your sides as if you were squeezing your rib cage with your elbows. Keep your abs tight like you were going to take a punch to the stomach the entire set to ensure that your hips do not drop. Once your chest touches the ground, exhale and forcefully push back up to the starting position. Keep in mind that your feet should be touching each other for the entire set.

Romanian Deadlift

Learning a proper hip hinge is also essential. Like the squat, it is a fundamental human movement pattern. Start with just a barbell to teach yourself the movement. Grab the bar with an even, shoulder width grip and start in the standing position. While keeping your chest up for the entirety of the exercise, engage your hips by pushing your butt back as far as you can. Eyes on the floor about one foot in front of you. As you begin the hip hinge the bar will start moving down, be sure to keep the barbell against your legs at all times. In the bottom position your chest should be parallel to the floor and ideally the bar will be at about mid-shin. The knees will bend slightly but do not confuse this with a squat. Keep in mind that you don’t want to reach for the floor with your shoulders. A good way to feel this is to keep your shoulders back and the lats flexed at all times. On the way back up you are driving the hips forward so you finish in the standing position. Be sure to not shrug the weight on the way up.

Rows

In most public gyms, rows might be the number one exercise that people destroy the most. Let’s keep it simple and use a bent over supinated barbell row as an example since there are many variations. Supinated is just referring to your grip. Grab the bar with your palms facing away from you and your pinky finger on the line between the smooth and rough part of the bar (about shoulder width). Now get set the same way as if you were doing a Romanian Deadlift (RDL). Only this time you are going to begin pulling the barbell towards your bellybutton by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Keep the low back arched at all times and be sure to pull from your upper back, not your biceps or forearms. Keep the wrists straight and bring the bar all the way up to touch your bellybutton. Then, begin bringing the bar back to the starting position by reaching the shoulders towards the floor. Again, start with just the bar, then begin adding weight. On any row, if you can’t pause in the top range of the exercise, the weight is too heavy.

Your program can be as simple as those four exercises for the first 3-6 weeks of training. If you just get good at those four first and foremost, the other stuff you add in will make much more sense. Remember, training is for the long haul and you have to crawl before you walk. You will get to the bigger exercises in a couple of months.

Start small and get big, faster!

I hope this helps guys, if you have any questions please feel free to shoot me an email at info@tutelatraining.com.

If you found this post helpful please hook a brotha up and click the share button.

I would really appreciate it!

Catch you guys next time!


The Truth about Supplements

Everyone asks the question. What supplements should I be taking? What do you think of fat burners? Do you take a pre-workout?

And my answer is simple.

They suck.

Since I usually keep my answer short and sweet, I wanted to get a little more in depth on the topic in this blog post, with the intention to educate you guys (especially the younger readers) on not wasting your hard earned cash on a product that is detrimental to your health.

Now, before I go any further, I want to state that there are some natural supplements I recommend. Vitamins, herbs, minerals and essential fats. But let’s hold off on those for a moment and get into the more popular, glorified supplements out there first!

Pre-workout

So what is a pre-workout supplement? A pre-workout supplement is taken prior to your training session, usually in a powder form and mixed into a liquid. Typically they are the fruity, colorful drinks that you see guys chugging like it’s nobody’s business. The intention of a pre-workout drink is to give you energy and an incredible “pump” from your training session. And that in fact, it does. You will certainly gain energy and get a good pump. But what is causing this “rush” feeling and extreme blood flow to the muscles?

Well, first off the energy is coming from the massive amounts of caffeine that are in these powders. Let’s compare the caffeine in a popular pre-workout to the amount of caffeine in one 8 oz. cup of coffee. The cup of coffee contains about 91 mg of caffeine. Some popular pre-workouts range from 100-419 mg of caffeine per scoop! Which some guys are definitely using more than one scoop. That is fucking nuts! Imagine the impact that has on your heart over time. Caffeine consumption this high will also burn out your adrenal glands in no time, leaving you dependent on caffeine which makes kicking the supplements harder and harder.

Next on the list is the artificial sweeteners, dyes and coloring. As most of you already know, artificial ingredients are very detrimental to your health. They are linked to things like cancer, birth defects, reduced functioning of sexual organs and memory loss. Let’s keep in mind that artificial sweeteners are not just found in pre-workout supplements. They are everywhere including diet sodas and juices, any fake foods that say “sugar free’ or “reduced sugar”, and in packets at every diner, quick stop or coffee shops, protein powders and many other things. Always read labels and know what you are ingesting.

The pump that comes from pre-workout is mainly from the amino acids found in the supplement. L-arginine is an amino acid that can dilate blood vessels causing an increased rate of blood flow. This however does not last forever, rather just about an hour. Is $60-$100 a bottle really worth it to damage your kidneys, liver, heart, fry your adrenal glands and increase the risk of cancer for a good pump for an hour?

The bottom line is that these supplements are loaded with chemicals that are extremely harmful for you and definitely do not turn you into The Incredible Hulk like they promise they will. Save your cash and if you need a pre-workout, a cup of coffee will do just fine.

Fat Burners

Fat burners actually used to be pretty effective when ephedrine was still legal. Since it has become banned these supplements are now loaded with a ton of caffeine to replace the feeling you got from ephedrine in the old days. Well, I just explained the harmful effects of excessive caffeine and although they are thermogenic, they really do nothing for fat loss. Trust me, you don’t need a fat burner. They don’t work. You know what does? Training hard and not eating like shit.

Testosterone Boosters

Most supplement companies will tell you that their test enhancers will make you look like Arnold in just 4 weeks! Guess what, they’re lying. There may be some studies that show a slight increase in test levels when using a product. But believe me you can increase your own testosterone production naturally, without ever touching that crap. Plus the chemicals added to most of these supps will do more harm than good. The effects of these products are minimal AT BEST. Save your cash!

Now believe me, at one point in my life I was just as naïve as you. Getting sucked into all this crap because I didn’t know any better. You name it, I’ve used it. Pre-workouts, amino acids, fat burners, test boosters, everything I just mentioned above I have taken. And guess what they did for my physique? Nothing. Some shit did work, but then it was immediately taken off the market. Plus all of the potential side effects are just not worth the risk. These products can be dangerous and serve no purpose. Do not waste your time or money!

Now on the other hand, there are definitely some supplements you should be taking to enhance your health and performance. I will always advise to consult your healthcare professional before taking any supplement, so if you are considering them please make sure you do so.

Here is my list of supplements I typically recommend.

MultivitaminsVitamin CVitamin D3ProbioticsOmega-3 PURIFIED fish oilsHigh quality NATURAL protein powders (no artificial sweeteners, fillers, or sugar)

There are a few others I will recommend to some people. They typically consist of herbs and minerals. But first, let’s start simple and grab the few supplements I suggested above.

Those are all beneficial and can help with any deficiencies as well as gut, brain, heart and joint health.

Remember that when you are healthy and have nutrient balance and mineralization your hormonal production will be higher, you will get better sleep, have more energy and feel stronger. Which will lead to more muscle mass and strength since you will be able to train hard more consistently.

So please, take it from me and save your cash on these harmful products. Invest in the stuff that will keep you healthy because that is how you will make the most gains in the gym and on the playing field.

So stay strong, stay healthy and train hard!

Until next time guys,

Let’s make some gainz!


5 Tips to Jack Up The Pecs

Everyone wants to know how to grow their chest. That’s pretty apparent from the amount of guys you’ll see on the bench press at every public gym in America.

But if you really want those pecs to grow there’s a lot more to it than a bench press and half-assed sets of dumbbell presses.

Here are 5 tips on how to get that chest JACKED faster than you thought possible!

Use full range of motion

 Most guys are more concerned with their ego than the actual progress they make. That leads to dudes with a weight that’s way too heavy and ¼ reps with a bunch of silly screaming involved. “Take it easy psycho” as Adam Sandler would say and back the weight down. Do the exercise properly. For example if you’re performing a dumbbell press lower the dumbbells down to touch the chest and press up to full extension. I bet those 120’s will quickly go down to 80’s, but that is ok! Now you are actually performing the exercise and that will elicit a much greater growth response.

Utilize different push-up variations

Push-ups are tremendous for packing on size when done correctly. Again be sure to use full range of motion and do them for max reps or weighted for a specific rep range. You can add weight by using a weighted vest or have a partner hold plates on your back. You can also increase difficulty by getting your hands and gymnast rings or TRX straps. Hang them from a chin-up bar and perform suspended push-ups. You’ll quickly see how much more stability is needed to do these. These are one of my favorites and I usually like to do them for 1-3 sets of 1 less than max reps.

Use eccentric reps

If you are a beginner and getting your chest to the ground on a push-up is a challenge in itself, eccentric reps are a great way for you to build the foundation needed. Start in the top range of a push-up and lower yourself down for 3-5 seconds until your chest touches. Takea quick pause in the bottom, put your knee down and reset back to the top position. You can also use eccentrics for barbell and dumbbell press variations, even if you are an advanced trainee. Focusing on the eccentric phase of the rep is a great stimulus and you will sure as hell feel them the next day!

Stretch those mo’fos

 If the pecs are tight they can be a stubborn SOB to get to grow. After an upper body session take 10 minutes to stretch the pecs. If you’re not sure how try grabbing a light set of dumbbells, (for some guys that means 20’s and some that means 10’s, be conservative for your first set) lay back on an incline bench and perform a chest fly only in the bottom position pause for about 30 seconds. You should feel it in the belly of the muscle, not the shoulder so play around with it until you feel it where you’re supposed to. Repeat for 3 sets.

Progressions, progressions, progressions!

Remember, you’re not strength training if you ain’t getting strong. Progress in either weight or reps each week. A good hypertrophy rep range is 8-12. Get yourself strong in that rep range and I will guarantee those pecs will grow. Again focus on clean technique and start off with a conservative weight so you can make progress over the course of your training program.

Hopefully you guys start taking your training to the next level by adding these tips to your program immediately.

I guarantee you’ll notice a difference in those pecs in a few weeks.

Give it a shot and please give me your feedback by leaving a comment below or email me at chris@tutelatraining.com!

I would love to hear your thoughts.

If you dug this post please show me some love and click the share button below. It will truly mean the world to me.

Until next week,

Stay focused on your goals and train your asses off!


“Cowards Die Many Times Before Their Deaths, The Valiant Never Taste of Death But Once”

So many people die with regrets. So many people go through their lives letting their dreams die inside of them.

They let their dreams die because they are afraid.

Afraid of what others may think. Afraid of failure. Afraid to take a chance.

There are so many people that when lying on their death beds say that they wish they could have done things differently. That they had the courage to do more.

And that’s sad.

Because those people will never get to take the chances they wish they had. They will never get another shot to let the magic out that’s inside of them. They can never take that trip they wish they had. Or start the business they always wanted to. Or compete in that fitness competition, earn a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, compete in that boxing tournament etc.

These are a few of the things that die inside of great people that could have been shown to the world. But they never took that one chance.

So many people are unhappy with their relationships, jobs, financial situations but never do anything about it but complain. And all that leads to is depression, unhappiness and an unsatisfying life.

But here’s the good news. You are in the driver’s seat. You have the power within you to change it all.

You hate where you live? Move. You’re not happy in your relationship? Move on. You hate your job? Quit.

It’s all up to you. And if any of this applies to you, then ask yourself why aren’t you doing anything about it? Why aren’t you taking chances? What are you afraid of? What will make you happy?

If you don’t take the time to think about these things you will go through life like a zombie like most people. Not striving for greatness. Not striving to be the best version of you.

And that fucking sucks.

Because greatness lies within all of us. But only a rare few are willing to take the necessary risks that will take us to where we want to be.

I titled this post after a quote I read by a famous philosopher.

“Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once.”

Find the courage inside of you to really go after what you want in life, don’t let those dreams die inside of you.

If you want to be happy, truly happy, then you can’t let fear dictate your life. Don’t let other people’s opinions control your thoughts.

This is your life, and you got one shot at it. So why not live it the way YOU want?

Only you can answer that question.

Only you should dictate your life.

So get out there and fucking LIVE!