By Coach Juan Rojas
Are you constantly seeking to be the absolute best version of yourself you possibly can be? 

Many of us are striving to live out a life full of happiness and health. In every aspect. It is not just about being physically healthy but mentally healthy as well. In order to do this, it is crucial that we have a lifestyle that is constantly leading us towards this goal. Living a lifestyle where we prioritize and maximize health and fitness can oftentimes become overwhelming though.

Not only is there a huge amount of information out there and "guru's", but there is also 2 schools of thought. Those who rely purely on science and if science doesn't prove a certain thought process then it is completely useless. Then there are those on other side of the coin where they believe science has a very small role and practical application is the only thing that matters. The reality is that oftentimes the best route is the one in between. Many of the top guru's use a strong foundation of science to apply these principles and then draw conclusions due to the outcomes. 

Thanks to social media, many of these guru's are now able to share their knowledge with the masses which allows for many of us to learn about many important topics. From the importance of taking care of our gut, to learning the most effective training principles, all the way to the importance of rest and sleep to muscle growth. The amount of information from many of these educated individuals out there is golden. Many people even get ready for bodybuilding shows on their own by purely learning through these individuals social media account. Although it is not customized to exactly what you may need, you can always learn more and through trial and error find techniques that can help your progress. These are the top 5 guys to follow on Instagram and/or Youtube if you want to learn on how to transform your physique:

1. Ben Pakulski (@Bpakfitness). Ben Pakulski was a top 10 Mr. Olympia competitor at one point and is a mastermind when it comes to overcoming genetics, building muscle and burning body fat. In recent years, Ben has retired from bodybuilding and has a podcast that is absolutely brilliant called the Muscle Expert Podcast. It focuses on living out your greatest life in every possible aspect from lifestyle, to health, to fitness.

2. John Meadows (@MountainDog1). John Meadows is one of the most intelligent and hard working fitness icons on this planet. John constantly posts free content for people to learn about health and fitness in a NO BS way. John uses a scientific approach but explains it in a very simple way for the general public to understand.

3. Joe Bennet (@Hypertrophycoach). Joe is one of the best trainers on this planet. He focuses heavily on proper execution of exercises and maximizing your time in the gym. your mind will be blown when you watch just 1 minute of this man's videos. 

4. Dr. Jacob Wilson (@themusclephd). Dr. Wilson is a professor at the University of Tampa and works heavily with athlete's. Here he studies daily the science of building muscle and burning fat. Dr. Wilson is constantly posting studies and cases that show us the science of the most optimal things to do in your life and in the gym in order to see the best possible progress.

5. Dr. Brad Schoenfeld (@Bradschoenfeldphd). This gentleman is another one of the greatest minds in the world. Dr. Schoenfeld may be the most educated man on this planet on building muscle and burning fat. His social media is full of studies and tips that debunk myths about looking your best. 
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Make sure to go follow these gentlemen if your goal is to learn as much as you can about having the greatest possible physique. Although there are many more great men and women out there educating the masses, I wanted to just narrow down the top 5. As much as there is so much good information out there, there is also a lot of bad information out there. Make sure to educate yourself as much as you can in order to be the best that you possibly can!


Coach Juan

By Coach Juan Rojas
Are you somebody who is tired of being out of shape and is always looking to get "back to it"?
I encounter people like this all the time in my profession. One of the most common things I hear is "I used to be in good shape and now I want to get back there again but it is so hard. I eat well, I go to the gym and I still do not see the results." This can be a very discouraging situation, specially for those who might not know what factor is holding them back. Fitness and health can be like any other endeavor in life. 20% of the things you do account for 80% of the results. The other 80% of the things we focus on account for the remaining 20% of the results. What happens if we are focusing mostly on the 80% of the things that only give us 20% of the results? You will have submaximal progress.
These are 5 things that you may not know you are doing that I commonly see hold people back from being their absolute best.
1. Not focusing on health first; mentally and physically. If your body is not operating at the highest possible level, you will never get the fitness results you want. It would be like owning a brand new Ferrari but giving it the maintenance of a 20 year old Dodge Neon.
2. Taking a break on weekends. Listen, I wish calories took a break on the weekends and holidays as well. But unfortunately, that is not the case. Although many times we can enjoy a weekly meal of our choice and still reach our fitness goals, when I see individuals taking a full 1 or 2 days completely off their nutrition program and training protocol is when things really start being held back.
3. Not handling stress properly. We all have stress in our life, the key is how we manage it. I have seen great physiques nearly ready for a bodybuilding show be ruined through stress and nerves. It happens to me as well, if I have a very stressful day, my body shows it. When we stress about things we put our body in a state of fight or flight, if you are constantly in this state it can be damaging to your health and to results.
4.Focusing on what is working for others. The key to getting in the best possible shape, is finding out what works well for YOU. Oftentimes I see people just copy others routines, nutrition programs and exercises and go nowhere. This is why it is crucial that if you do not have the knowledge necessary to create an efficient and effective training and nutrition program for yourself, to seek help from a coach or a professional in the required field. If you require help in this field please message me and I can at least point you in the right direction.
5. Not focusing on sleep and rest. Many people think that they can see great results and stay up until 3 a.m. watching television when they have to be up at 6 a.m. for work. I understand that those with kids and other responsibilities might not be able to sleep as well as those who have less responsibilities. But you should really make the effort to get the longest, most restful, uninterrupted amount of sleep possible. This is when your body releases many hormones that are responsible for muscle gain and fat loss. It is also a time where your mind regenerates and allows you to start a new day operating at the highest possible level of consciousness.


So make sure that you are not making any of these common mistakes I see guys if your goal is to be the in the best possible shape of your lives mentally and physically!