We all need a little kick in the ass to get ourselves back into gear.

When it comes to losing weight, getting a six pack, building muscle, eating healthier, or achieving whatever other goal you have, you may lose motivation every once in awhile.

You feel discouraged because you aren’t seeing the results you want, obstacles such as life come in your way, or you think to yourself, “This is frickin’ hard” because you are out of your comfort zone.

When you leave your comfort zone, great things are bound to happen.  Brian Tracy said, “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”  This doesn’t only go for fitness and health, this goes for all aspects of life.

I learned there are 3 Stumbling Blocks when it comes to motivation by Lou Schuler, a fitness writer and editor:

1)  Lack of social support

2)  Lack of self-management skills

3)  Cannot deal with the discomfort

So, how can you make sure that you constantly keep motivated? You must find your Triggers.

1. Write in  Journal - Adam is an athlete I train and every day he has his notebook with him.  It’s his exercise journal where he logs all of this workouts.  He’s able to look back and see all the progress he’s made, and it’s no wonder he is one of the more motivated athletes I train.  But it doesn’t have to be an exercise log, it can be a daily log. I’ve came across old journals and was surprised at the things I’ve written, but then I look at where I am today and feel pretty damn good about myself.

2. Your Crew - The lack of social support can cripple a person especially when you need an extra push.  If you have a goal and people around you are negative, push them to the side.  You don’t need their bullshit.  As hard as it might be, it’s the best thing for you to do.

3.  Feel the Music - I love music.  I grew up with music always playing in the house.  So at times when I need a little “oomph” to get me going, I look towards music. Whether it be for a workout, writing a new blog post, cleaning my apartment, or just waking up early in the morning, music can re-kindle that fire.

4.  The Higher Purpose - What made you want to achieve this goal in the first place? What would happen if you didn’t achieve this goal? When it comes to health and fitness, I think of my family history of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.  It’s not only about looking good, it goes beyond that.  When it comes to my career, I think about helping out my family financially and getting rid of the stress of finances.  You must have a higher purpose

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These are just a few Triggers that I think will help you find motivation.  Maybe you have others.  If so, I would love to hear about them in the comments below.

As a writer, I come across many other sites where I draw inspiration from.  One of them is ImpossibleHQ.com ran by Joel Runyon.  When I first found his site, I was drawn to the name and downloaded his Manifesto to find out what exactly this guy was all about.

Simply put – he’s a pretty frickin awesome guy.

He made a list called “The Impossible List” and has crossed off all of the things he completed which he though was impossible.  It will give you a great idea on how much he has accomplished and overcame.

And then I came across this video by Joel, which made everything he has done make sense to me.  It goes in-line with what I’m trying to accomplish here with The Aipa Project.  Check it out:

Recently, I resigned from my job as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Redlands.  It was a very difficult decision, probably one of the hardest ones I ever had to make.  It is truly bittersweet.

I will be moving back to Hawaii where presently job-wise is unknown.  Worried? I’ll remind you that my word for the year is – POSSIBILITIES. I think this is the time to embody it.

Mahalo. Aloha. A hui hou.

Everyone loves dessert.

If you don’t, then you have no soul.

Since it’s been getting hotter I’ve been wanting desserts more often.  But let’s be honest, we all know that your usual dessert isn’t good for you although they are pretty orgasmic.  They are packed with large amounts of things you shouldn’t be consuming: sugar, fats, more sugar, and more transfat.  Not good, especially for the waistline and arteries.

I still enjoy the normal dessert every once in awhile, and it’s not bad if you do as well.  It’s when you enjoy it a bit too much and a bit too often.  But lately I’ve been wanting ice cream and cake, probably the best dessert combination ever known to man. To get my fill of dessert, I, of course, have to get a bit creative with taming my sweet tooth the best I can.

I’ve experimented a lot trying to make brownies, pudding, and different flavored smoothies with some successes but many failures.  Successes were like angels singing above.  During failures, I had to be like Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods and think happy thoughts while eating it.  My brother, Isaiah, can attest to that when he tried one of my protein brownie recipes.  It wasn’t quite there yet. Sorry bro.

But the ultimate, most addictive, ono-licious (that’s slang in Hawaii for delicious), angel singing protein dessert I made was Ice Cream.

PROTEIN ICE CREAM – AIPA STYLE

This video pretty much says it all about how I feel about Ice Cream.

•  1 scoop chocolate protein powder (lately I’ve been using Muscle Milk, it makes it thicker)
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
• 1 or 2 packet Splenda or Truvia (optional)
• 1/2 Tbsp of cinnamon (makes it taste better and has many health benefits)
• Mix it all up and place in freezer for up to 20 minutes or until preferred consistency.

There are many possibilities with this recipe.  Every so often I’ll add blueberries, top it with crushed almonds,  and if I really feel like indulging, I will add one crushed oreo.  Oh yea.  OREO!

Let me know what you think of this if you give it a try.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with this recipe.  There are many ways to create a health friendlier dessert.  You may come across some failures but that’s ok.  It’s all about being creative.

Aloha. Mahalo. A hui hou.

ALOHA TO YOU is my first self-published book recently released.  It has always been a dream of mine to publish a book that could inspire and help others. I’m a big believer that you have a purpose in life.  But in order to find your purpose and true passion, you must discover who you are first. For more information visit:
http://theaipaproject.com/aloha-to-you/

I’m not trying to sound superficial or anything, but abs are awesome.

To me, they are a sign of health, fitness, and sexiness. It’s true.  My wife won’t admit it, but she does find me a bit more attractive with abs. But on a deeper level, exactly how awesome is it to have visible shredded abs? I’ll show you how awesome.

1. Insulin Sensitivity

This is when you want to be sensitive.  You want to avoid insulin resistance.  Think of the times you ate a whole Little Ceaser’s pizza (I’m guilty) or some ‘broke da mouth’ carb-coma meal, how did you feel after? Felt like laying right on the floor for a nap, right? During these times your insulin is spiking followed by a crash and takes place every single day which becomes a huge problem.

When your insulin stays high, it makes your body more prone to fat storage.  According the the USDA, it recommends 200 to 300 grams of carbohydrates per day.  That’s like enjoying oatmeal and raisins for breakfast, a turkey sub for lunch, rice for dinner, and fruits here and there.  Doesn’t sound all so bad, but it is.  When you eat like this every day, the insulin spikes will become more pronounced which will lead to you needing to take in less for to achieve them.

That’s bad.

This is why carbs get such a bad name.  If you consistently eat too much carbs, every carb you eat will have a negative effect on your body.  Aside from fat storage, being insulin resistant increases your chances of obesity and diabetes.

This guy is sensitive

2. Confidence

I’m not going to lie, when I first experienced actually having visible abs my confidence had a huge boost.  Like I mentioned before, abs are a great sign of health, fitness, and sexiness which is a pretty lethal combination.  I’ve had athletes and clients come to me asking what they need to do to get visible abs.  They were already in great shape but they weren’t satisfied until they achieved that six pack.

I used to be that guy who thought having a six pack was overrated and doesn’t mean anything.  Until I got them and saw them in a different light.  If you want to get abs, that’s your damn choice but you have to be prepared to work for them.  Haters are going to hate, saying that having abs serves no function.  Besides fighting against obesity, diabetes, or looking better naked, if you want abs then that’s enough of a reason to get them.

3. Optimizing Hormones

Now when I speak of abs, I am not speaking of those skin and bone guys who by default have abs and never exercise.  I’m talking about the person who exercises, wants to build a Ku body, and overall wants to be healthy and fit. If you have a pudgy mid-section, there is a good chance your testosterone levels are low and you have a high level of cortisol.

For guys, that’s never good news.  Testosterone is what makes us men.  Testosterone is what makes you an Alpha.  Testosterone is what gives us sex drive.  Ladies, I’m sure you’d rather have a guy with a balanced level of testosterone rather than with someone who’s estrogen levels closer to yours. Am I right?

Come Get Your Six Pack

I’m not talking about this six pack, although it is pretty tasty.

I’ve been helping people achieve their athletic performance and teaching others how to build the physique they want.  One of the most interesting observations I’ve made in my 7 years in the industry, is when my clients and athletes accomplish their goals physically – their success spreads to all aspects of their lives.

By no way am I saying that getting a six pack is the only want to build a Ku body or what makes you healthy and fit.  Some of us, like me, just want them and they do have many health benefits that follow.

Let me know if you have any questions on how to start your journey towards a six pack.  It’s possible for everyone, it all depends on if you are ready or not.  

Mahalo. Aloha. A hui hou.

ALOHA TO YOU is my first self-published book recently released.  It has always been a dream of mine to publish a book that could inspire and help others. I’m a big believer that you have a purpose in life.  But in order to find your purpose and true passion, you must discover who you are first. For more information visit:
http://theaipaproject.com/aloha-to-you/

I enjoy traveling but haven’t had as much of a chance to do so.  That is something I would like to change soon.  I am comfortable with the idea of traveling alone, being that I usually do, so I have a few tips I would like to share with you.

When it comes to airports, planes, trains, taxis, and dealing with people, many look at their itinerary and instantly get stressed out.  Most of my travels entail flying from Los Angeles to Honolulu.  But it’s a little more complicated than that.  Here’s what my usual travel day looks like.

1. Catch a ride to San Bernadino Metolink Station
2. Jump on the train for an hour and a half trip to LA Union Station
3. Transfer onto a FlyAway bus at LA Union Station for a 30-40 minute ride to LAX
4. Go through LAX check-in and security gate to prepare for a 5 hour flight.

Needless to say, it’s basically a 24 hour day of traveling, but I love it.

Why? Because I follow these 6 tips that I follow every time I travel.  From growing up on an island and rarely stepping my foot on the plan to being somewhat of an aspiring traveler, I’ve learned these 6 lessons for heading out on the road.

E hele kakou! (Let’s go!)

Traveling Tips from Aipa

Lesson 1:  No Rushing

I never enjoyed being rushed or being late.  So when I began to travel more, arriving early was the first lesson I learned quick.  The traveling day for most people is considered hectic and stressful.  Well it wouldn’t be that way if you arrived early.

I’ve had times where I traveled with others and they hated being in the airport so they decided to get there as close as possible to the time we were supposed to be there.  Needless to say, that was one of the most stressful experiences because everyone was freaking out for running late which in turn freaked me out.

I make a point to arrive at the airport atleast 2-3 hours before my flight.  So if my flight is at 4 pm, I make sure to be there by 1pm.  Why am I so adamant about showing up early to the airport? Because I get a bunch of other things done during that time.  I read a book, check emails if I need to, and usually post up somewhere with my laptop and write.  Most importantly, I’m stress free.

If you want a quick and easy fix to your stressful traveling, Lesson 1 will make a world of a difference.

Lesson 2:  Travel Light

I always feel bad when I watch people traveling alone with a bunch of bags, especially when their carry-on bags are stuffed to the max and they have a hard time just rolling it around or carrying it.

My go-to bags for travel is a backpack and small duffel bag.  I’m lucky to have my brother Moses working at Incase. If I use any other bag he would kick my ass. But I’m not being bias, they are frickin awesome bags.  This is the actual backpack I use for work and travel.I like to keep my gadgets separate from the rest. So usually my laptop, chords, and cameras go into this bag. My clothes and the rest go into the duffel.

When I first began traveling more often than usual, I would pack way too much. I didn’t need 3 pairs of shoes, or 3 pairs of jeans, and bunch of t-shirts.  I would never use all of it.  I learned that you can deal with 1 pair of jeans, 2 pairs of shoes, and several basic t-shirts.

My wife is the worst packer along with the rest of the women I know.  You do not need 2 options of clothing for every day and you do not need to bring your whole shoe collection with you.

Lesson 3: Cheat Day

We all know food options are limited during travel.  When I was prepping for my bodybuilding competition and had to travel, I prepared all my food the day before and lugged around a cooler full of food.  It was a pain in the ass.

There isn’t much health food options at the airport so rather than freaking out on what to eat, use this day to eat whatever it is you want.  You want a burger? Have a burger.  Feel like having a couple slices of pizza? Go for it.

Just make sure you go back to your normal healthy eating habits.  A new protocol I’m experimenting with is the idea of fasting. I won’t go too much into it just yet but it’s also another option which I will be sharing with you once I learn more about it.

Lesson 4: Workout on the Road

Just because you are traveling and going away from your gym, doesn’t mean you should just not exercise at all. If you can’t get your butt into a gym or the hotel you are staying in isn’t remotely close to being a fitness center. I shared a workout that I give many of my athletes and clients to do when there is limited equipment available.

Keep active.  Usually when traveling, you find yourself eating out more than you are used to and maybe enjoying a few late nights with friends and family.  With that in mind, it’s important to find time to exercise and be get a good sweat going.  It’s all apart of building a Ku body, my friend.

Lesson 5:  Check Your Gadgets

Yes, I do consider myself to live a basic and minimalist life, but I love the gadgets I do have.  But what’s most important is that you check to make sure you have the essentials.  Especially your chargers.  How crappy is it when you have your iPhone but you find out you left your charger at home, your battery is running low from playing too much Mini Golf, and you have to buy a charger from one of the shops in the airport that overcharges you? I’ll tell you, it’s crappy.

In my backpack, I always make sure I have my headphones, iPod, GoPro, Camcorder, laptop, and most importantly my charger.  Those are my essentials when it comes to gadgets.

Lesson 6: Be Nalu

During traveling, sometimes things just go wrong.  Like being delayed for 8 hours.  There is no sense of getting annoyed or irritated with the flight people.  They can’t do anything, you can’t do anything, no one can do anything, so just chill and relax.

We are not in control of situations that pop up, only the meaning we give it.  When my flight was delayed for 8 hours, I decided to look at is as a time to work on my blog, write, brainstorm ideas, and read a book.  I found myself actually getting a lot of things done and coming up with great ideas.

It’s all about what you do with the time you are given.

What other traveling tips do you want to share? Or what about any bad experiences with traveling? Everyone has a story or tip they can give. What’s yours?

Mahalo. Aloha. A hui hou.