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BREAK FREE of the COMFORT ZONE By: John M. Di Fazio II There’s an old saying, “Comfort wants you dead.” I know it sounds extreme, but it’s true when you really think about it. Comfort dulls the senses. It makes one complacent. It may not kill you suddenly or swiftly, but it eats away at one’s strength one day at a time. I’m not saying that we must eliminate all comfort in our lives. I’m simply suggesting that it is often beneficial to experience hardships and discomfort. When we are uncomfortable, it agitates us. It drives us to better our situation. In this process of bettering ourselves we grow. At different times in our lives we might be challenged to grow physically, spiritually, intellectually, mentally, and emotionally. Think about how often you procrastinate and put off until tomorrow what can be done today. There are countless examples of this in […]

DISCIPLINE THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS By: John M. Di Fazio II “There is only one type of discipline, perfect discipline.” ~ General George S. Patton Jr., United States Army If you want to stay in shape through the Holidays, you have to have the discipline and self-control to not over-indulge.  One must set parameters to eating to prevent the overconsumption of unhealthy treats and rich foods that circulate the many parties throughout the season. There are constant temptations for tasty foods that are prevalent around this time of year. People often ask me how I stay in shape amid the bombardment of parties and events at this time of year. I set the necessary boundaries and rules with myself. I simply tell myself that I am only allowed to indulge one day per week. If there are two parties, indulge at one, and make healthy choices at the other. If you […]

PECTORAL DUMBBELL ISOLATION By: John M. Di Fazio II An excellent way to develop the pectoral muscle group is through proper isolation. While power movements like the traditional bench press are foundationally important, dumbbell exercises performed with isolation are equally beneficial in the development of the pectoral muscles. Dumbbells provide the opportunity to approach different angles that affect the pectorals from origin to insertion in a way that places precise stress on the muscles.  It is also a way to engage the pecs while working around shoulder injuries because of the flexibility of the positioning of the dumbbells grips.   Dumbbell Presses mimic the overall motion of a traditional bench press while allowing hand variations that that alter the contraction of the muscle as the pressing motion is executed. Dumbbell Flies give the pecs a deep stretch, pulling the muscle’s attachments from the sternum, creating the micro tears that provide […]

CONSISTENCY and SELF-DISCIPLINE By: John M. Di Fazio II A client recently pointed out that she has found that many people who formerly had good, healthy eating and exercise habits have seem to have fallen into a complete rut.  They are not making the effort to break free of the bad habits that they’ve created over the last year and a half. I understand that many people have had a difficult time with the circumstances in which we are living, but it’s time to put that behind us, and get moving again. And, that goes for more than just a healthy diet and exercise. It’s time to get motivated again, and recreate the good habits that you once had. It is time to write down your plan, make the time in your schedule for improvement, and execute the plan so that it becomes second nature for you once more. You […]

AMAZING BICEPS DEVELOPMENT By: John M. Di Fazio II From the dawn of weight training, the most sought after muscle group has been the Biceps. There is nothing like the peak of a Biceps muscle towering over the body like a mountain peak. It is admired as such. Perhaps it is because our arms are the most exposed of all the muscle groups that they should be the most desired to build. They are actually the smallest in comparison to the other muscle groups of the body. The Biceps consist of two heads, the long head and the short head. Both heads are generally engaged in Biceps exercises as well as several Back exercises such as chin-ups. The long head is developed to bear the weight load of heavier Biceps exercises, while the short head is that much desired peak that is built as the muscle fibers tear each time […]

MIGHTY TRICEPS By: John M. Di Fazio II Over the years, I’ve seen people neglect certain muscle groups while focusing only on their favorites in regards to weight training and calisthenics. While the winner of the neglected body parts in most gyms is “Legs,” another muscle group that is often overlooked is the Triceps Brachii. Biceps are great, and they’re definitely a focal point of a well developed arm, but the Triceps are technically a larger muscle group that when trained properly can become one of your best features. The Triceps consist of 3 separate heads of the muscle group: the Lateral Head, the Medial Head, and the Long Head. I have a specific approach to my training method, so I will discuss how I apply it to my Triceps workouts. My monthly workout regimens progress from a Thirties Week, (30 repetitions on all exercises,) to a Super-set Week, to a […]

GETTING ENOUGH GREENS? By: John M. Di Fazio II Part of creating Individualized Nutrition Plans for clients is supplying them with the proper amount of nutrients. A large percentage of clients select a good number of green vegetables from the lists that I provide on my questionnaire, such as spinach, asparagus, broccoli, kale, string beans, Romaine lettuce, and other nutrient dense vegetables. Though most enjoy a wide variety of green vegetables on a regular basis, I will often receive a questionnaire in which the client likes few vegetables.  Once in while, I’ll receive a questionnaire from a client who does not like any vegetables at all. There are ways to disguise vegetables such as omelettes, homemade meatloaf, and blended shakes. These are good ways to provide the nutrients that are important for digestion, cellular health, and a natural vitamin and mineral intake. Spinach or broccoli can be easily disguised in […]

SUPERB V-SHAPE LATS By: John M. Di Fazio II One of the most sought after looks in the bodybuilding and fitness world is a developed V-shape latissimus dorsi. The back is a large muscle group consisting of different muscles layered upon each other. While it is important to train the entire back and all of its different areas, I would like to zero in on the lats and the best exercises for superb development. Throughout my career, people have always inquired as to how I developed my back, and specifically may lats. While I attribute much of my back development to performing Deadlifts, my lat development can be specifically attributed to basic movements such as pull-ups, chin-ups, and wide-grip angled pull-ups. When I was 11 years old, I had an early morning routine at the park in which I incorporated pull-ups and chin-ups. These two movements helped me to create […]

CONCUSSIONS: A VITAMIN-MINERAL HEALING APPROACH By: John M. Di Fazio II When you have a competitive spirit, it is difficult to avoid putting it all on the line within the realm of sports and hobbies. Most sports have a level of contact which at times can impact the body to the point of injury or damage. But often, the brain is an area that is overlooked in regards to sports impacts and the effects of extreme sports. I’ve had my fair share of concussions, and they have all had a prolonged effect on concentration, focus, and the handling of daily stress. I fought competitively for several years and have had many jarring head and body impacts. My wife received a concussion in a horseback riding accident. Our younger daughter had a terrible head collision in a soccer game. All took months to years for recovery. Symptoms can vary from headaches, […]

BUILDING A STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM By: John M. Di Fazio II   Our bodies are created with a beautiful defense called the Immune System. It fights off foreign antigens and pathogens and protects and defends healthy cells. Immunity, or a healthy immune response activates via processing through receptors that identify a foreign antigen. B cells and T cells must first recognize that a foreign antigen is present for an immune response to occur. B cells are able to bind to antigens and produce antibodies to create an Antibody-Mediated Immunity. T cells recognize antigenic proteins and attack and eliminate the intruders, creating a Cell-Mediated Immunity. Different T cells have different responses and functions related to the type of antigen that is intruding. There are Killer T cells, Suppressor T cells, Memory T cells, among others that mediate a class of allergic response. All have their specific function, along with B cells […]

FREQUENCY: The Future of Healing By: John M. Di Fazio II “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.” ~ Nikola Tesla I’m going to suggest to you, the reader, that this article that I am writing is entirely theoretical in nature, as I am only providing my own knowledge of science, health, and biology, as well as my personal research into the fields of frequency and vibration, and second hand knowledge of projects that are not publicly disclosed. This theoretical hypothesis is based upon the application of frequency and vibration as it relates to human biology.  Many years ago, Nikola Tesla uncovered magnificent secrets about frequency and the effects of frequency and vibration on energy, and more importantly, human biology. Frequency and vibration used in harmonic ways create a reliably consistent pattern. Imagine a healthy human cell. A healthy […]

Forward Looking, Looking Forward, ALL IN Sunday, Looking toward. Numbers equal Seventeen, in LOOKING GLASS already SEEN. HISTORIC! Day of [21] LIGHT of Day like Thousand Suns. BIG BIG BIG HAPPENINGS, so GODSPEED, I Pray For You, and we plant the SEED. LOOK into the LOOKING GLASS, “YOU’LL SEE!” The Coming STORM, The Garden Tree. Caught within a HISTORIC! sQuall, Where We Go 1 We Go All.   2 + 2 + 8 + 2 + 0 + 2 + 1 =   The Good News: “No, I would rather see them repent and live.” ~ EZEKIEL 18: 21-28 “But You forgive us, so that we should stand in awe of You. I wait eagerly for the Lord’s help, and in His Word I trust. I wait for the Lord more eagerly than sentries wait for the dawn– than sentries wait for the dawn.” ~ PSALMS 130 “…leave your gift […]