The inspirational perspective they bring can lift me out of my funk and motivate me to keep moving in the right direction.

My main goal for this post is to build a collection of everybody's favorite motivational quotes that inspire success, fitness, energy, weight loss, goal achievement, nutrition, health…anything positive that comes to mind!  Please share as many as you would like…

Let's make this a contest!  I will give the person who I think gives the best quote that inspires success and I haven't heard a bunch of times will win a complimentary copy of my not yet released DVD, Secrets of the Foam Roller.  This baby hasn't been released yet and has a value of at least $27.

Here are some examples of my favorite quotes:

"Do or do not.  There is no try." – Yoda

"It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe." – Muhammad Ali

"Your attitude determines you altitude." – Zig Ziglar

“If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you are probably right.” – Henry Ford

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." – Michael Jordan

"A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time – pills or stairs." - Joan Welsh

"Money is the most envied, but the least enjoyed. Health is the most enjoyed, but the least envied." – Charles Caleb Colton

"Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food." – Hippocrates

"Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness." – Earl of Derby

"Processed foods not only extend the shelf life, but they extend the waistline as well." – Karen Sessions

"If the doctors of today do not become the nutritionists of tomorrow, then the nutritionists of today will become the doctors of tomorrow." – Unknown

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” - Thomas Edison

"If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney

"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things. " - Leonardo da Vinci

"Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too. " - Will Smith

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1. My Top 5 Favorite Athletic Fat Loss Exercises

The real secret is going to be the use of casein protein instead of just the traditional whey protein shake.  And a great and readily accessible source of casein protein is cottage cheese and today I'm going to show you how to make a killer shake out of it.

Whey protein isolate is simply the best because it's so quickly absorbed by your body and that is ideal after a great workout when you muscles are starving and they're glycogen depleted.

But since we're going to be asleep for hopefully 8 hours or so, we're going to want to go with casein protein which won't be quickly absorbed by the body, and instead is time-released.

What actually happens with casein protein is that it becomes a gel like clot inside your stomach allowing it to be digested slower and therefore supply a steady stream of amino acids (breakdowns of protein) into your blood.

This is an ideal situation because you won't have access to any protein/amino acids while you're asleep and in rapid eye movement.

This Sleep Skinny Protein Shake is kick ass for keeping your body lean and toned while you sleep after a hard day or work and training.  Now I wouldn't slam this baby right after working out but if you're about to be out like trout, then I would give this sleep shake a try.

The Sleep Skinny Protein Shake Recipe:

• 8-10oz. of water or skim milk (preferably RAW)
• 1 and 1/2 cups of fat free cottage cheese
• 1-2 scoops of your favorite whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup of fat free yogurt
• 1 cup of ice cubes
• Raw honey or Stevia for flavor
• Mix it up in a blender and drink before going to sleep

This shake is a great alternative for when you're body is starving at night but you don't want to eat a big meal because the calories will just hang out in your stomach and turn to fat.  Use this Sleep Skinny Protein Shake to build up your toned lean muscle while keeping the fat off.

Let me know how the drink tastes or what modifications you made to make it taste a little better…

Create Greatness,

Josh

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1. How to Lose Fat While You Sleep
2. The Best Super Shake In The World
3. Post-Workout Nutrition Tip: Chocolate Milk

They look pretty darn funny.  When I first saw the Vibram Five Fingers shoes I too thought they looked weird and wondered who the heck would wear a shoe like this.

But after the pain in my back and joints became too much I decided to do something about it.

I've heard a lot of great things from people in the fitness industry swearing by these shoes and that they did wonders for your lower back and joints.  I was skeptical at first but after using them a few times I was hooked.

“The human foot is a work of art and a masterpiece of engineering.”
—Leonardo Da Vinci

When we think back to the history of man kind and how long we walked around barefoot, it's no wonder our evolution got the foot right in the first place but then we had to come along and try to reinvent the wheel with shoes.

I'm not saying shoes are a bad thing, but we're so used to wearing shoes, some good and some bad, that are feet are no longer in the shape that they're naturally supposed to be.

This has caused problems literally from the ground up and things get out of alignment and the constant pounding our bodies take has caused a lot of joint and lower back pain in a lot of people.

If you see a basketball player you'll usually see them wearing a pair of high top sneakers and this in theory is supposed to protect the ankle joint, and they'll also usually have their ankles taped too.  But once we take away that mobility by wearing sturdy high top sneakers and tape all the force goes straight up to the knee.

This is why many basketball players have more knee and ankle problems…lack of ankle mobility.

After watching soccer players, they're sprinting and diving all over the field and their shoe's are very flexible and allow a lot of joint range of motion…the result?  Very few ankle and knee problems are ever seen on the soccer field!

Feet are much more pliable then we ever thought, and as we wear shoes our feet will adapt to them.  I'm not saying to walk around the mall in your bare feet.  But if you're home be barefoot and if you're training or walking then wear the Vibram Five Fingers shoes.

I'm currently reading the book, Born to Run and in the book the author goes in search of the Tarahumara Indians in the Copper Canyons of Mexico.  They've been known as the running people as they can run more than 100 miles at a time in nothing more than a simple sandal made out of flexible rubber.  And you don't see any of them having joint problems like we do in America.

What's the best version of the Vibram Five Fingers?

To be honest I've only tried the Classic version, and I absolutely loved it.  It has a very good price, about $75 and it's great for practically everything.  They also have other versions that are more practical for specific adventures, but for me the Classic is my favorite.

Be sure to wash them!

The one downfall I've found with the Vibram Five Fingers is that they can get super stinky in a short amount of time.  The good part is that you can just pop them in the washing machine and let them air dry.  I also just heard a great tip for getting the smell out by placing the shoes in a bucket filled with water and throw in some Efferdent tablets.

Make sure you get the correct size…

Since they are designed to fit comfortably on your feet I would recommend accurately measuring your feet so you get the proper size.  They have all the instructions on how to do this on their site, so just be careful, even if you're off by 1/2" it can make a significant difference.

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I'm doing this video post a little bit differently as I'm behind the computer this time.  I thought this would be the most effective way to bring you the information.

But today we're talking about the dirty little troll that 's secretly making many of you fat.  It's called stressed.

We're a lot more stressed than you think and if you're not taking care of your stress then you could be setting yourself up for a lot of bad problems as you go down the road.

Now I'm not going to blame all the weight gain and belly fat purely on being stressed, adrenal fatigue and high cortisol levels but this stuff sure as heck isn't helping.

And if we're not practicing meditation, relaxation, recovery, attitudes, etc. then our lives aren't going to be very happy as we're chronically tired and our bodies are gaining weight but we just don't know why.

Be sure to watch the video below and please don't hesitate to give comments on ways you use to reduce stress…

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After getting inspired by watching some of the Olympics going on in Vancouver I decided to create a fit and fun workout that will burn fat but will also be motivated by the current winter games.

The good part about this Olympics workout is that it can be done by just about everyone and is terrific for kids because it's a fun themed workout.

In fact, I used this workout with a few young kids that I train and they loved it.

We have everything from Apolo Ohno Skater Plyos to Bosu Snowboard 180 Jumps…but this isn't no kiddy workout, give it a try yourself and you'll see how hard this Vancouver Olympics workout really is…

I've found the Olympics to be really inspiring not only for pride in your country but also for physical fitness.  If you see some of the bodies on these athletes you'll see how much their hard work and dedication has paid off.

Here are the exercises…

1.  Alpine Skier Wall Squats

2.  Bosu Snowboard 180 Jumps

3.  Bosu Luge Holds

4.  Apolo Ohno Skater Plyos

5.  Curling Lunges

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1. Athletic Aesthetics: Bosu Core & Cardio Workout
2. Tabata Ninja High Intensity Interval Training Workout
3. Six Pack Lower Ab Exercises Workout – Chub Blaster 3000

This 3 exercise ab circuit is a little more difficult than the ones that I've previously posted but I think it's time we stepped up our game and took things to the next level.

If I were you I would also watch my other Chub Blaster workouts which you can find the 3000 version here and the 4000 version here.

The whole point of these fast ab workouts is that we hit the stomach muscles hard and quick so they don't have any time to recover, and therefore your results are going to be that much better.

Now just doing this workout alone will not work miracles and in fact probably won't have the great results your looking for if your diet sucks and you're sitting on your butt the rest of the day.  It takes consistent hard work to get 6 pack abs or a flat stomach and doing this workout once a month won't be the answer.

That's it for me guys, be sure to watch this video and follow along, there are a couple exercises that require other equipment such as the Bosu ball which most gyms have but if you don't then you can get by clicking here.

A1: Bosu Opposite Elbow to Knee Crunch (3×12/side)

A2: Ball Knee Tuck to Jacknife (3×10)

A3: Bosu Figure-8 Russian Twists with Medicine Ball (3×10)

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First off, a detox is nothing to do half-ass, you have to go all in and don't hold anything back because any little misstep will damage the cleansing outcome that you're looking for.

Ok now that we got that out of the way, I want to give you a quick breakdown of what you're going to be going through during the next 21 days after you start my detox program.

We all know that the detox isn't going to be easy but I can guarantee you'll be feeling 10x better at the end because you'll be ridding your body of toxins and all the other crap that is making you feel weak and sluggish and at the same time holding you back from losing that fat.

Here are the rules for my 21 day body cleansing detox diet…

1.  Absolutely no sugar allowed, this means refined or even evaporated cane juice.  Sugar is the root of all evils as far as I'm concerned and is practically the devil in disguise.  So no sugar can be eaten at all during the 21 days.

2.  No dairy intake is allowed.  This means no milk, no cheese, no nothing that has to do with dairy.  More things then you think have dairy in them so be sure to make a list of what you eat every day and find substitutes for them.  A great substitute for cow milk is almond milk (sugar free of course!).

3.  No white flour.  This means no more pizza or those blueberry muffins.  Aim to have only sprouted grains such as rye and stay away from other white flour breads sugar as sourdough and such.

4.  No processed foods.  This means you can't eat TV dinners or anything else that has been manufactured and processed.

5.  No artificial sweeteners.  This means no Splenda, Equal or any other fake sweeteners which are worse than plain old sugar.  Instead have only agave nectar or raw honey and fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth.

6.  Use a detox supplement. I personally use and recommend HealthForce Healing Cleanser which is what I've found through trial and error to have the best bang for you buck.

In fact if you buy the HealthForce Healing Cleanse Level 2 through the link below I'll send you MP3s of my personal meditation CDs that are designed for Daily Neural Reconditioning that will imprint a vision of success onto your subconscious brain.  Click here or the picture below to get it now.

7.  Have two 24-hour fasts from Sunday 6pm to Monday at 6pm and follow it up with a healthy protein shake or super shake.  Fasting a couple times a month will help you sleep better, feel leaner, slim down and become more productive with clarity.

8.  If you have a juicer (if you don't have one I highly recommend getting one) and have a daily detox drink of cucumbers, celery, asparagus and lemon.

9.  Eat whole foods only.  This is one of the most important steps right here and eating only foods that are closest to their original form possible will be nature's way of feeding your body the proper nutrients it needs to build healthy muscle and get rid of the chunky monkey fat.

10.  Drink lots and lots of water.  Water is nature's natural detox and for a very good reason, in fact I remember in my high school chemistry class that water is the universal solvent.  Water is natures way of cleansing the body from toxins and other junk you don't want in your body.  Want to lose fat? Drink water…want your back pain to go away? Drink water.

Well that's it guys and if you got the fortitude to accomplish this detox from start to finish then you will definitely earn my respect.  It's not easy but it's a great way to set yourself on the fast track to success and if you can accomplish this then you can do just about anything to direct your life into a healthy direction.

After these 21 days are up in this detox diet you'll hopefully have some of these numbers engrained into your brains and they'll become healthy habits to replace the bad ones that have been building up in your body for years.  Let's get the ball rolling on this!

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2. The Sleep Skinny Protein Shake
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You're heart rate is going to sky rocket during this Spartacus workout and you'll likely burn so many calories that you won't know what to do with, but if you're in for the workout of a lifetime then this baby will get you going.

I've done this Spartacus Workout personally and I've also done it with my fellow boot campers and they can all agree that it's an extremely difficult workout especially if you're a beginner.  So if you're still new to training then take it easy on this guy because you'll lose your lunch quicker than you think!

The Spartacus Workout involves high intensity interval training by which you're doing an exercise for 50 seconds and followed by only 10 seconds of rest.  After you complete all 10 exercises in a row then you have a 2 minutes rest before doing the whole thing all over again two more times.

So three full cycles through this 10 exercise circuit will be all you need to annihilate your body and bring your workouts to the next level.  This Spartacus workout is great to use every once in a while in if you're stuck in a rut and are looking to shake things up in your training.

Good luck and remember, if you can't take the heat then stay out of the kitchen!

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1.   Cardio Strength Training & Power Training by Robert Dos Remedios – Awesome books by Coach Dos, after reading these two books it'll will completely revolutionize the way you train, not just for guys but for everybody looking to transform their bodies.

2.  How to Eat, Move & Be Healthy! by Paul Chek – If you've ever heard of Paul Chek then you'll know how passionate this guy is, he speaks the truth and if you're looking to live a healthier life with more energy and less fat then this is the book for you.

3.  Maximum Strength by Eric Cressey – Great book for the guys who are looking to be their strongest.  Cressey has some great points in this book as he discusses the huge difference between training to just get big or training to get strong and big.

4.  Core Performance by Mark Verstegen - Practically my bible when I first got started training, he has a lot of brilliant ideas that are not talked about in the mainstream fitness circles.

5.  The Female Body Breakthrough by Rachel Cosgrove – Fantastic book for the ladies who are looking for their best body possible, covers the whole schabang from nutrition to training to lifestyle.

6. The Power of 4: Your Ultimate Guide Guaranteed to Change Your Body and Transform Your Life by Paula Owens – Hands down the best book I've read about nutrition.  I wish everybody would read this book and adapt at least HALF the recommendations that Paula makes, this book is incredible!

7.  The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle – The best book when it comes to achieving a positive mindset and getting out your negative funk.  I read this book a couple years ago when I was going through a rough time and it completely changed my life.  You'll look at life through a new perspective after reading this book and incorporating its principles.

And that's it folks, I can practically guarantee if you read any of these books in the next couple months and apply everything they suggest than you'll find yourself looking better with more energy and you'll be happier than ever before.

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You can eat healthy as a horse, work out like a maniac but if you've got a sweet tooth than you won't achieve the results you want and you'll also be unhealthy and more susceptible for health problems.

But I know cutting out sugar can be one of the hardest things that may come with training especially when it comes time to have a cheat meal and all you can think about is slamming the most sugary thing in front of you.

If you can gradually start getting rid of the sugar intake than you'll lose fat. PERIOD.

You'll also find yourself with more energy and feeling better than you ever have before.

Try taking a 21 day sugar detox where you'll take in absolutely no sugar during that time and see how you feel and see how you look after those 21 days are up. I guarantee you'll be feeling 10x's better and looking way sexier.

I'm a big fan of Dr. Mercola and what he has to say on nutrition and I wanted to share a little video he has that will change the way you look at sugar. And if it doesn't change the way you look at it the first time than keep watching it until it does!

WATCH THIS VIDEO UNTIL IT GET INGRAINED IN YOUR BRAIN.

Pretty gross right?

Well that's the way you really have to look at it. When we think of sugar we think it's this magical unicorn that tastes sweet and makes us feel good.

But with the amount of sugar we're taking in today we're doing more damage than good.

When people say that I make them feel bad about eating sugar than I tell them I don't feel bad at all. To me it's like somebody lighting up a cigarette right in front of me.

Here's a more scientific video that gives us details on why sugar is make us fat…

Try to watch all the videos in the series as it will change the way you eat and take care of your body.

Another thing I want to get off my chest is the amount of sugar that is in everyday products that we take in half-hazardly.

Vitamin water & Gatorade both have a ton of sugar in them & I personally don't recommend them to anybody. In fact, we should only be drinking beverages that have ZERO calories in them (water, green tea, etc.)

The average American consumes 156 pounds of sugar every year and this is one of the biggest reasons why American's are so overweight and unhealthy. Please take care of yourself and if you really want to look your best than cut out the sugar.

Please share any of your stories or experiences with sugar or what you've gotten out of this blog post…

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1. Best 3 Natural Sugar Substitutes
2. The Trainer Josh 21 Day Body Cleansing Detox Diet
3. Exactly What To Eat Before & After Working Out