Wellcultured - Well Cultured is a men’s online magazine with advice and reviews on fashion, dating, finances, health, music, movies and many other topics, as well as a robust message board and the Well Cultured Guide, a freely editable community wiki.

A lot of my friends tell me to eat lots of oatmeal, and that its healthy and helps you weight lift. Is oatmeal good for health? How should I cook it?

Is oatmeal good for a fitness training plan? Absolutely positively yes. But it isn’t some sort of magic potion, and its effects are over-exaggerated in the fitness world nowadays.

Oatmeal is not some sort of magical get-bigger-quicker sort of substance- it’s just oatmeal. The reason most people who do weight lifting and other fitness programs like it is because it’s a phenomenal filler food that’s remarkably healthy. Oatmeal contains only scant amounts of protein and iron, so it’s not entirely a “health food” per se, but it’s the type of thing you can eat and get full on without breaking the bank nutritionally. On top of that, many (including myself) find it makes a great pre-workout snack- it’s stable and thick enough to not interfere with exercising, yet it will still giveyou a nice energy boost. Ultimately, if you weight lift a lot and get hungry a lot, there’s nothing quite as good as oatmeal to fill you up quickly, pending you aren’t specifically looking for the protein.

As for how to cook/eat it, fix it however you like. Don’t listen to the obsessive types who demand you eat raw steel-cut oats without anything in them- that’s both unrealistic and not very tasty. So long as you don’t load it full of sugar or syrup or something, oatmeal is pretty much universally good and filling, and there is no problem with putting a little bit of white or brown sugar in it for flavor. I personally like to put in Splenda artificial sweetener. Though fake sweetener still spikes your insulin and has some of the same effects as sugar, it’s certainly better than the real thing.

In any case, if you’re hungry, feel free to eat oatmeal. You could do MUCH worse.

Seemingly regardless of where you go, most magazine stands carry some variant of the standard articles about getting a 6-pack- from “Easy Six Packs!” to “Exercises to Carve your Midsection”, there are many journalists who erroneously promote schemes to get a quick six-pack- oftentimes lying to you in the process.

I’m quite tired of that. There are so many misconceptions about abdominal muscles nowadays (particularly in the realm of how to get them) that it seems no-one has it right. So, to fix that, I’m going to list out 6 simple rules about getting a six-pack- some you’ve probably never heard of before or that go against things you’ve heard before, but valuable lessons about yourself, your diet, and your training.

Rule 1: Body Fat is Everything.

The key to having a six-pack is body fat- and very little else. Despite a LOT of literature promising an easy six-pack via arcane exercises or odd machines, the main factor in having a carved stomach is actually losing body fat percentage, not necessarily having strong core muscles (though that helps, see below). This actually explains why a lot of rail-thin guys tend to have faint outlines of a six-pack, despite little to no exercise or effort: men typically store body fat quickly in the stomach, and having little of it exposes muscles that are usually rarely (if ever) shown.

Rule 1 is Rule 1 because it is the most important to getting a nice carved stomach: if you want one, lose weight, but maintain muscle. Hit the gym lots. Move lots. Weight lift. Eat better and eat well. Optimize your body to lose body fat while maintaining muscle mass and the like. Remember: it’s not about body weight, it’s about body fat- the former you need not care about as much as the latter (you can easily be 110lbs and be fat, or be 200lbs and be carved).

Rule 2: Ab Exercises are best done rarely.

Ab Exercises, like curls or certain tricep exercises, are often wastes of time with results better achieved through compound movements. This does not mean that they are entirely useless: however, ab exercises are best placed at a very low priority on any good weight lifting regimen, regardless of how badly you want a six-pack. Excessive crunches with 20% body fat will do nothing for you aesthetically whatsoever.

The real advantage of ab exercises (and core exercises in general), especially very isolated exercises like crunches, are to help build up rudimentary strength that can be used to assist stabilizing things like squats. To really work your abs and your core, find exercises that utilize them in a compound way- things like squats (especially front squats) and deadlifts are actually phenomenal ways to do this. They also, at least from my experience, seem to be 300x more efficient and utterly manlier than spending 30 minutes upside-down on a sit-up bench trying desperately to have a nice stomach.

Rule 3: Machines don’t do a thing.

If it is on TV and it promises something about abs, it is lying. If it is some sort of complex wannabe situp machine, it is useless. The only exception that I have personally found are expensive weighted oblique machines that go over ~100lbs, which are hard to find and can easily be replaced with other exercises. There is nothing more to say on this topic.

Rule 4: More Muscle, More Difficulty, Better Abs.

Let me go ahead and say something somewhat offensive: incredibly skinny people have an easy time getting fairly unimpressive abs. Impressive abs come from people who weight train hard and put on real muscle, not those who simply slim down enough to get tiny cuts to make them feel strong.

Many weight lifters feel really depressed when, even after years of exercising, they don’t get the six-pack they want- be it because  they eat a lot to continue building muscle or simply the lack of focus to lose the weight. However, this is okay- at higher weights, it can often become incredibly difficult to, without a focused diet and exercises, carve away fat and get a nice stomach. Still, it’s utterly more impressive: once you get those nice abs at over ~180lbs, the skinny kids who don’t touch the gym at 130lbs who manage to have a six-pack don’t compare.

Rule 5: Abs do not mean Strength.

Right along the lines of #4, having abs does not mean you have any sort of strength, as it is more of an aesthetic thing related to body fat than anything else. It is very easy to be slightly carved at lower body weights, especially if you manage to get rid of the body fat you carry on your body normally. This does not indicate any sort of power. Many incredibly strong power lifters have nothing even remotely close to a six-pack.

Rule 6: Never exercise for a 6-Pack.

If your goal in exercising is to merely get a six-pack, you’re really on the wrong track.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to look good and exercising to get there- however, the “get a six-pack” culture many magazines have created has utterly destroyed good exercise plans through half-baked plans with attractive fashion models attached to them. Focusing exclusively on a six-pack is ridiculous- and often, those who do it end up looking unbalanced and ridiculous.

In reality, no matter how tempting it may seem to focus on your six pack exclusively, such goals never really do much- rather, focusing on general fitness and whole-body workouts will not only give you the aesthetic perks you desire, but also realistic strength.

When I’m weight lifting and doing other exercises, I get really tired. I yawn a lot, and I also get sleepy quickly, and it makes me wanna quit. Advice?

Your nutrition is hurting you, and you may also have issues with sleep and energy in general.

First off, focus on nutrition. If you are eating too many carb-heavy meals (that is, lots of bread and the like), you may be causing yourself to feel “heavy” and tired. To fix this, try to focus on eating light meals with plenty of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Focus less on pastas and breads and more on vegetables, lean meats, and fruits. You may also want to try to eat more meals comprised of less food- big meals only three times a day will slow you down and also give you the desire to “fill up”, which will mean you eat too much in one sitting.

As for sleep and energy, try to work towards something a bit healthier. Cut back on the caffeine and sleep more to adjust for the lack. Run on the treadmill or use a similar cardio machine 15-30 times a day- try to make your body work. Don’t sit around on the computer all day- make your body know it needs to develop more energy.

If you follow these concepts, you’ll probably find a boost in energy. If you have serious energy issues, however, see a doctor- in some very specialized cases, something may be wrong.

I weight lift and exercise a lot. Still, my gains and my weight loss have stopped, and it doesn’t seem worth it. It really sucks. How do I fix it?

What you’re describing is essentially what many call an exercise plateau, which happens for a variety of reasons- too little calorie intake (which results in a lowered metabolic rate), too much weight training on the same muscles (resulting in exhausted muscles that don’t have time to grow) and general routine problems.

First off, most people experience exercise plateaus after they begin what amount to “crash diets” because they screw up their metabolic rate- that is, they eat too little, their metabolic rate lowers in response, and they end up maintaining their fat despite exercise and diet. The best way to fix this, of course, is to maintain a healthy diet that isn’t unreasonable. If you’re trying to maintain a ridiculously low calorie diet while still exercising, then stop- it hurts rather than helps. Eat plenty and eat healthily.

On the weight training side of this affair, two things could be happening- you can both be over training muscles and also getting into a bad routine. Doing too much weight lifting too often can easily destroy muscles where you seek to build them- without giving your muscles a time to grow, rest, and recover, they do not properly grow and often can be strained by efforts in the gym. Of course, everyone seems to have different recovery times, but in general, doing weight lifting every day is a bad idea- try to do it every other day (a schedule like MWF is wonderful), and avoid exercising the same muscles twice in any three day period. Similarly, in this process, you could easily have fallen into a dangerous routine- that is, you’ve gotten “comfortable” to the point of sticking with a certain exercise at a certain weight at a certain number of reps. This is a process that results in no body improvement- it’s a routine for maintenance, not growth. Ensure that you always push yourself forward in a reasonable way- increase the weight, change the exercises, or change the number of reps you perform.

Still, the key job here is to merely push through your plateau- you aren’t going to improve if you give up or shrink away from it. If anything, just keep going. It will go away eventually.

How do I get those great “V” shaped cuts in my lower stomach near my crotch? My girlfriend says she likes them a lot. I work out a lot, but I don’t have them.

Getting that nice “V” cut is really a two step process: Weight loss and lower abdominal work.

First off, weight loss. Like virtually any other muscle in your body, nice definition comes from exposure, as in removing the layers of fat that cover the muscle in your body. Though fat doesn’t accumulate THAT strongly over the lower abdominal muscles (well, not as much as a little bit above the crotch area), it still does. Lose weight and expose muscle.

Second off, you actually need to work out those muscles. As silly and stereotypical as it sounds, the best way to do this is a good squat routine featuring both normal and front squats below parallel. While I can’t explain the entire mechanics of this in a short post (get your hands on Starting Strength), the basic idea is that a full range of motion squat with good form in two ways (which can often balance out weaknesses you may have one specific move) will build muscle and burn fat like a damn furnace.

It’s really that simple- just optimize your workout and you’ll please your girlfriend in no time.

I want to weight lift and look muscular, but not massive and nasty. Think Ryan Reynolds, not those guys in those weightlifting magazines. How do I do it?

The anwer is simple: the same way the weightlifting magazine guys do, sans the roids and the overeating.

There’s a silly presumption (especially among women) that weightlifting in any fashion will make you some sort of roided out freak- which simply is not true. Realistially, if you maintain a normal lfiestyle and avoid doing any sort of crash diets or taking any sort of drugs, your body will naturally maintain a very nice size- that is to say, unless you have some massive bearmode genes, you aren’t going to become some sort of massive roided out freak in two seconds.

The way those guys in the magazines becoem big is 100% drugs and/or other forms of supplements, often aided by good genes. In all honesty, it is very unlikely you will EVER become like that without injecting heavy amounts of drugs into yourself: it isn’t sustainable or easy. A scant percentage of the population can indeed get this big, but it’s very likely not you.

That being said, embrace powerlifting and the legitimate weight lifting- don’t do silly little “lean muscle” exerises because you’re afraid of becoming Ronnie Coleman or something. Stick to the basics, and build muscle naturally. Obviously, don’t take steroids, and avoid overeating. You’ll turn out fine.

A lot of books have been written on the topic of dieting. In America specifically, but in any larger developed country, the idea of “maintaining your weight” or “losing your weight” seems to be as popular as breathing- and that being said, it’s incredibly difficult to know what to do.

Of course, being guys, this complicates things slightly. Though it’s largely considered “unmanly” to diet, it’s something of a secret requirement: to be the thin, muscular, “six pack abs” sort of guy you want to be, dieting is an absolute necessity. So, how does one do it without seeming feminine?

Easy: With the Simplest Diet Ever- which can be summed up in one simple sentence:

Eat less, eat better, move more.

Quick disclaimer: As always, I am not your dietitian or your god. This is meant to be a general rubric for your own practice, not a bible. Use proper judgment.

Eat Less

This is arguably the easiest to understand, but the hardest to implement. Regardless of branding or nomenclature, eating food is eating food- if you eat more, you will gain weight, and naturally, if you eat less, you will lose weight. It does not matter if the food is titled “diet”, “sugar-free”, “calorie smart” or even “calorie free”- food is food, and semantics generally take a back seat to a plain old simple rule: eat less.

Of course, I’m not just pulling this out of the air. Plenty of studies have questioned the concept of “diet” foods or other tricks to be able to eat everything you want and remain thin. There are many legitimate theories out there that even question “zero calorie” foods- for example, one predominant theory states that eating sweet things (regardless of calories!) makes you hungrier and crave more food.

Eat less. Cut down on your meals. Choose smaller portion sizes. Your stomach will shrink from its distended size and you will feel full on less. Don’t starve yourself- just eat less.

Eat Well

This is a bit more complex than the above, but still generally simple: eat well. Going to a fast food joint is not eating well. Eating nothing but meat and cheese is not eating well. There is no simplistic rule here- you can be eating poorly even if you’re a vegan who eats nothing but raw veggies that were made in organic farms by Buddha himself.

Build your meals by balancing them. Try to work in some basic carbs (rice, bread, etc), some proteins (meat, dairy, etc), some veggies, fruits, and very rarely some sweets. This doesn’t have to be an exact science, but try to get it pretty well balanced- never overdo one or the other, as all generally contain different vitamins and minerals essential to your health. Count your calories, but don’t obsess over them- 100 calories can be burned easily if you exercise enough. If you can, avoid packaged meals and the like- spend more time to cook for yourself, it’s not only tastier, but also (generally) healthier.

One thing I will note specific to us Western kiddies: avoid focusing on the “meat” as the center of the meal. It’s incredibly tempting to do, but a bad idea- not only is it expensive, but it often is far too much than is healthy. Focus on building the bulk of the meal on healthier options (veggies, carbs, that sort of thing) and then add the meat in. After a while, you’ll not only afford better meat and enjoy what you have more, but you’ll avoid eating far more than you should.

Move More

There is no way you can lose weight without burning calories. There is no way you can burn calories without some form of activity. Sitting at your computer, watching TV, or dong half-hearted exercises will not burn anything. This is why those housewives that buy TV diets generally remain as fat as they were initially.

Move as much as you can. Walk places. Bike places. Exercise daily. Run around like a madman. Join sports teams. Weight lift. Do cardio. Do everything you can possibly do to strain your body and make it work for you. If it seems easy, make it harder. If it gets boring, try a new routine. Try new exercises, try new places, try new gyms.

Wait, is it that easy?

Well, it’s not easy at all, actually. Actually doing what I said above to the fullest extent- being a man and eating less, eating well, and moving more- is incredibly difficult. However, the rubric is that simple. Calorie counting, crash diets, and ridiculously complex charts can be left to neurotic yuppies.

If you want to learn more, read about actual real scientific nutrition. Do not read diet books: read introductory nutrition textbooks and other guides. Learn about what you eat yourself, not what some self-important doctor thinks you need to eat and what it might do for you.

It’s that simple.

Following up on my “7 Reasons your Workout Sucks” article, it occurred to me that, through both e-mails and talking with friends, the issue of gym stupidity has not been properly covered on this website. Indeed, we’ve begun to cover what’s important for your own training- but we’ve conspicuously forgotten to cover anything related to gym etiquette. With that being said, after some deliberation (and going to the gym enough to be properly irate), here are the Ten Commandments of going to the Gym.

10. Thou shalt not intimidate.

This happens more than it seems it may. Just because you know your way around the gym does not give you the right to, intentionally or not, intimidate other people. Do not try to one-up those around you. Do not intentionally show off the speed you run, the amount of weight you lift, nor the size of your muscles: everything, no matter how much you may think otherwise, is relative to your body shape, size, and many other factors. Some of the best lifters I’ve ever known were the most courteous because they understood this very fact- it’s amazing to see a guy deadlifting 500lbs in the corner of the room to not bother anyone where guidos try to spread out to show off their “curling technique” to anyone who will glance at them.

9. Thou shalt spot and save when necessary.

Sometimes, muscles and machines fail. It happens to everyone, and it’s entirely normal- you can easily be pumping away with a bench press when the weight slams down on you because of a bad grip, or you can accidentally get yourself caught up on a cardio machine. No matter what, if you’re around and anything like that happens, help out. If you can’t lift the weight or manage the stuff, get someone else to help you. No, the person isn’t an “idiot”, nor are they bad lifters/runners/whatever- again, it happens to everyone- and you might need their help another day if you get yourself in a similar jam. It goes without saying that, if someone asks you to spot or help them out, within reason, you should help.

8. Thou shalt use good form.

Under no circumstances should you swing your weights maniacally, drop dumbbells, throw equipment, or any other manner of dangerous techniques. For some reason, many lifters (no doubt seeing videos of power lifter competitions) think they should throw their weights down after they are done, either to immediately release the strain from their muscles or for some kind of “manly” effect- either way, it is dangerous. At minimum, you could easily damage the equipment (see below), at worse, you could break a foot.

7. Thou shalt not preen, flex, or pose.

You are not Mr. Olympia (Dexter Jackson is, at least since last year). The gym is not a place to look good and show off, no matter how many times (other) dating websites may encourage you to pick up people: gyms are for exercise, and that’s just about it. That being said, looking at yourself in a mirror for a reason other than checking form is incredibly vain, especially if you do things like flex at yourself. I, and many of those whom I hit the gym with, have actually seen people lift up their shirts and try to show off their abs to themselves- trust me, it’s far from attractive. If you must be a budding Narcissus, do it at home.

6. Thou shalt not hog, nor shall thou hover.

Invariably, unless you are at some sort of mega-gym, there will be a scant amount of resources so far as machines go. Machines (or any kind of finite equipment- squat racks, olympic barbells, treadmills, etc etc) are incredibly expensive, which means that your average gym will have a scant few- so don’t hog them. In between sets, allow others to use the machine. Do not sit on the machine for extended periods of time. Do not tinker with the machine for hours on end. When you are done with the machine, remove the plates, clean up yourself, and then let someone else use it. However, the opposite applies as well- if someone is hogging a machine, no matter how irritating they may be, don’t hover and harass them. Feel free to ask them once, but beyond that, do not bug them. Be polite.

5. Thou shalt not damage equipment.

This is a no-brainer: use the equipment as it was meant to be used. Treat even the heaviest duty machines with care- no matter how much of a gym rat you may be, check the instructions and follow them. Especially for cord machines and other complex MC Escher-sort of equipment, you can often break a machine through improper use incredibly easily. Do not jostle a machine, try to “alter” it in any way, or otherwise attempt to do anything than what the little instruction sticker/guide/poster says.

4. Thou shalt keep to yourself.

The gym is not a place for mass socialization. It’s entirely fine to talk to someone in the lobby or even exchange a few words, but it is not a party locale, nor is it a place for you to do business, meet people, or the like. Feel free to be social- but remember, the gym is not a party, it is a location to work yourself to exhaustion and leave. If you do want to talk (or hit on someone), keep it somewhere relatively off the beaten path, and always defer to those actually exercising. Needless to say, you have no need to have a cell phone in the gym: do your business elsewhere. If you can easily talk and exercise at the same time, you are probably not exercising hard enough.

3. Thou shalt exercise.

No, seriously. See the above. Not only should you not be socializing in a gym, but you should also be actually exercising- not sleeping, resting, watching movies on your iPod, tinkering with your cell phone, or otherwise making an annoyance of yourself. Though it probably does not apply to you, the gym is not a miniature daycare: do not sit your child on a machine and make them wait for you later. Ideally, your time spent at the gym should be spent doing exactly what you are there to do, and nothing more.

2. Thou shalt not place yourself or others in danger.

This is one of the biggest rules you can follow, and it easily challenges the #1 spot: DO NOT PUT OTHERS OR YOURSELF IN DANGER. Do not, under any circumstances, do anything that could possibly endanger another lifter. Do not do situps under a moving weight. Do not stretch around someone squatting/deadlifting. Do not manhandle machines, tip things over, or swing your weights precariously. Do not mess around others using a treadmill, elliptical, or a machine with moving parts. Similarly, you should protect yourself: do not do an exercise you cannot do to completion. Do not do any kind of movement that could injure yourself. Despite how much of a perfectionist you may be, if you feel unsafe doing free weights, stick to plate machines or other much safer machines. If you feel woozy when running, stop running. No matter what, your safety takes precedence over your exercise.

1. Thou shalt clean up after yourself.

This is certainly the biggest rule: Clean up. If you are using plates, put the plates away when you are done- and put them in the right location. Clean up after yourself if you use chalk. Return machines to their default (or safest) position. Clean up any liquid spills or sweat, no matter how insignificant. Throw away used paper towels, place washable towels in the appropriate bin/box, and generally try to reduce any impact you make on the gym. If you can, actually, clean up where you can- even if you’re cleaning up after someone else. Gym managers have it harder than you think.

It isn’t hard to see the benefits of hitting the gym- exercising makes you healthier, better looking, and it can even help your mental state. The problem is, as I’ve noticed in many recent e-mails to me, many people don’t know how to exercise- and invariably, they end up having lots of trouble getting the results they go after. With that being said, I’ve observed 10 key flaws that most guys have in hitting the gym that hurt more than help, and it’s time to list them out- and tell you how to fix them.

7. Poor Form/Methodology

In weight lifting and even cardio, form is a lot of the exercise. Performing an exercise to completion as quickly/easily as possible is not the ultimate goal of doing the exercise itself- it is doing the exercise correctly that generates results.

This is a common flaw in weight lifting. Yes, you can probably do a lot of heavy bench presses by lowering the bar halfway down and pushing it back up- but that does very little other than barely develop your triceps. Similarly, doing an exercise as quickly as possible does very little other than tire you out quickly. Proper weight lifting is generally based on your ability to do a full exercise to completion slowly, methodically, and very deliberately, with the full range of motion possible- don’t cheat!

Examples:

• The aforementioned “halfway” bench. Don’t do it. The bar should go slowly down to your chest and back up again in a smooth, defined motion. So long as it is safe, try to touch the bar to your chest with each repetition.
• Squatting, deadlifting, and any other form of complex exercise is especially prone to form degradation, even for pro weight lifters- be careful.

6. Poor Weekly Routines

Your weekly routine, for weight lifting and cardio, should be based around your ability to balance your energy with your exercise, as well as to hit as many different muscles as possible. Doing the same thing every day (for example, doing nothing but bench presses and curls every day of the week) will not only tire you out quickly, but it will not give you the opportunity to recover. Cardio is not subject to this rule as much, but similarly, balance out your exercising- you run the risk of tiring yourself out and not being able to recover.

Examples:

• Doing the same weight lifting routine every time you hit the gym. This is an easy trap to fall into, but avoid doing the same stuff over and over- be varied and find different ways to exercise your entire body. Avoid the folly of doing a muscle-a-day or only exercising some muscles only once a week- try to come up with a happy balance, and utilize compound exercises to hit multiple muscle groups at once.
• Running the same amount every day. This is okay for training, but it can also wear you out. Prepare times in which you can relax and allow your body to recover. Similarly, vary the type of cardio you do- your body can get overly used to a single exercise, which will lose the effect you usually get from it.

5. Not Eating Right

This is a major flaw most people avoid. Exercising does not give you carte blanche to eat anything you like- actually, it restricts your diet even more. No matter how hard you hit the gym, going home and eating doughnuts and drinking beer will not make you a healthier person- in fact, it can make you even unhealthier, as your body will weaken as it desperately searches for decent nutrition.

4. Cardio to the detriment of Weight Lifting or vice versa

Do not focus on one type of exercise to the detriment of the other. Sure, doing nothing but cardio will (ideally) make you a super thin endurance machine, and sure, doing lots of weight lifting will make you massive and strong, but a happy balance is much preferable. No matter how intense your weight lifting routine, try to throw in a little bit of cardio each week to help keep your endurance and general health up. Similarly, no matter how cardio-intensive your workout, hit the gym and build muscle- having extra strength helps in a lot of ways, and unlike what most may predict, it will not “slow you down”.

Examples:

• Muscleheads who are too arrogant to hit the cardio machines. These guys are easily identified as having virtually no endurance and being unable to run further than a few steps. Though it is important to avoid running 300 miles when trying to build muscle, these guys could really benefit from some good, sweat-breaking cardio. Many cardio machines also have great settings to firm leg muscles (especially the glutes), which is a great way to augment a lifting routine.
• Runners who refuse to hit the weights. Weight lifting helps build strength and often will help with speed, and lifting does not hurt your endurance whatsoever.

3. Too Much Isolation

Yes, you could do a single exercise for every single muscle in your body, but should you? No, of course not.

Ideally, if you are hitting the weights, the best thing you can do is hit multiple muscles at once, a technique called using compound exercises. Doing this not only allows you to be more efficient, but it also allows your body to train in a more realistic way. As you can probably imagine, big bodybuilders do not spend all day working on each specific muscle (called isolation) like it’s a tiny little baby- they find compound exercises (most notably squats, deadlifts, and bench presses) and use them like madmen. Why work on one muscle when you can work on a ton at once?

Of course, all of these in combination play to create one hell of an exercise routine. One of the best phrases I’ve ever heard on this topic is simple: “Squats and Deadlifts are like two incredibly hot women. You’re smart to do one, but you’d be a dumbass not to do both”. ’nuff said.

Examples:

• Nothing but machine work. Machines with plates and other forms of resistance are nice, but they oftentimes isolate muscles to your detriment. Free weights often allow for the use of stabilizer muscles, including your core muscles, obviously making you more muscular overall.
• Nothing but isolation free weight exercises. Look up the exercises you do. Are they hitting multiple muscles? If not, are they absolutely necessary? If the answer to those two questions is “no”, stop doign them and find a routine that uses many muscles at once.

2. Not Pushing Yourself

This one is simple: if you are not ramping up the work on yourself, you will plateau and not improve at all. This applies to nearly any kind of exercise. If you are weightlifting, gradually increasing the weight is the only way to make your body respond by building muscle. If you are running or doing other forms of cardio, you must run harder, faster, or just generally put more stress upon your body to acclimate to the level of work. No matter what you do, push yourself harder every day- it will pay off.

Examples:

• Getting acquainted with doing certain amounts of weight in certain exercises- for example, only doing 50lb bench presses- and never increasing the weight or the reps
• Running the same amount of time/the same distance every day

1. Being a Bro

“Being a Bro” is somewhat of a vague term. Allow me to explain.

A “bro” is someone who walks into a gym doing nothing but “manly” exercises, flashing his attempt at abs in the mirror, and generally making a jerk of himself. Unless he gets his hands on steroids, he’ll never get any bigger, stronger, or gain any endurance. Why? “Bros”, in my somewhat loose definition, are guys who only do the “hot” exercises- bench presses, curls, and leg lifts. They don’t try to learn more about exercising, they don’t work harder, and they presume they have mastered exercising entirely. Oftentimes, they will do a little bit of cardio (to “burn fat instantly” or something like that), but they will do it in a halfway, lazy sort of manner.

I know I’m being cruel here, but the point is, you will not improve unless you are willing to learn and change and improve. Sure, your exercise routine may be good now, but you may have to change it after a while, and you may learn better ways to approach things. Read books about exercising, learn the science behind what you do, and improve your work accordingly. Learning about nutirion, in a similar way, will allow you to truly diet in an efficient and healthy way, instead of a “this diet book told me to do this” sort of way. As cliche as it may sound, be openminded.

Bros never learn. Bros are the kinds of people who always do the same old crap, and bite the heads off anyone who do anything different. They may somehow gain a little bit of muscle, but they never really achieve anything truly substantial, all due to arrogance. Do not be these kinds of people, ever.

2009 is going to be a different year. For most of us in the West, the economy has gone to hell in a handbasket- leaving many of us without jobs or fighting for those we have. Socially, the world is changing- especially in the US, where the entire government has been handed over to the opposite party and subcultures are growing and growing. This year, seemingly moreso than 2009, is going to be a year about recovery and optimization- making ourselves more better than we were before to weather any kind of economic or social situation.

Frankly, there is very little room for error in the West anymore. Where a few years ago one may be able to survive (to some degree) without a job and with a lot of room for error schooling-wise, we are no longer going to have such freedom. Many college graduates are very quickly learning that there simply aren’t that many jobs anymore- and many budding entrepreneurs are learning there isn’t the money to hire anyone anyway.

In a world like this, the strongest and the most savvy will survive- and when it comes to this sort of competition, being a well cultured individual will save you every time. Knowing how to look professional, dress well, handle yourself in a pleasant way and how to excel at your job is crucial- and here are ten new years resolutions you should follow to do just that.

10- Clean your life “history” now.

Few people really realize how much information can be found out via the Internet, especially by employers. Personally, a variety of information can be found out about me- from my school to even some of my political affiliations, people I’ve worked for, old friends, and embarrassing overweight pictures of myself. The worst thing is, a savvy individual can find some horrible stuff on me- namely, some posts about me from an old stalker, and an accusation of me being a mentally deranged homosexual. These constitute what I call a life “history” online- and just like your internet browser history, they can be fairly normal or very embarrassing, depending on what you do and how much you make public.

If you can, “optimize” your history. Get rid of old forum accounts. Delete old blogs. Remove (or untag yourself from) old photos on Facebook. Make sure no-one is talking about you, if you can help it. There’s nothing wrong with having accounts on websites, just realize that if they connect with your real name, they can harm you- which is why people often joke your name on the internet is a “Power Word”.

Worst case scenario, there are “cleanup” companies that specialize in fixing issues like unsatisfactory posts and the like. Employ them if you must.

9- Build connections everywhere.

Connections are how most people become rich, not by pure savvy. Sure, having intelligence is important- but knowing the right people who can help you (and who you can help in return) is incredibly important.

One of the easiest ways you can build a connection is to make yourself an address book- be it online, written out, or even on your cell phone. Websites like Linkedin and Facebook help, but not everyone in the world is on there- find a somewhat neutral way of cateloging who you know, from where, and their contact info. Store business cards, if you have to.

Remember, though, you have to reciprocate the help you get. Be willing to help out friends- use your skills for their benefit. Really good business connections are made on mutual need, not necessarily on your ability to exploit the other person into getting you what you need.

8- Date more.

I’m very serious. This will help you.

Dating is marketing yourself, no matter what others may say- just, instead of asking the other person to hire you and give you money, you are asking the other person to like you. Dating lets you refine the skill of marketing yourself- both in the sense of getting to know others conversationally (understanding how to be social with near-strangers), but also understanding yourself a bit better- and how to explain yourself to others. You’ll also find yourself less nervous about interviews and other kinds of meetings- if you know how to woo women correctly, you shouldn’t be too worried about being causally friends with men.

As well, the bonus is you could always find an awesome girl- there’s nothing wrong with finding a girlfriend for 2009.

7- Optimize your computer to get things done.

This is the fun geeky part of the resolutions.

Optimize your computer for work. Sure, we all absolutely love to optimize our computers for play- cleaning up our harddrives and buying new parts for faster gaming- but there’s also a benefit to optimization to get things done.

First off, provide yourself simplified ways to manage your e-mail and calendar. Google provides a lot of these tools for free and in high quality- both Gmail and Google Calendar are excellent tools for management. Google Calendar, my personal favorite, allows you to not only make your own calendar, but share them with other users- synchronizing youself with everything from school schedules to football games.

As well, organize and back up your work. For both schoolwork and literal work, make an organization system that will allow you to store  your files safely and in a way where you will know where they are. I personally find that my best method is to have a separate hard drive in my PC devoted entirely to bulk storage- allowing me to reformat and play around on my main hard drive without worrying about where my other files are. This also often saves my rear when I destroy Windows in some way or other.

Oh yes, and if you do decide to optimize your computer, as one geek to another, keep or rollback to Windows XP if at all humanly possible. Despite recent advertisements, Vista is not a productivity system whatsoever. Worst case scenario, if you cannot find XP drivers for your system, consider some flavor of Linux.

6- Go to school- or get certificates for what you already know.

Unless you have already gone, if you are not currently in a form of College/University, you need to apply pronto. As I have often mentioned, High School educations simply do not cut it anymore for jobs- you need to specialize and be smarter. Some people can certainly find jobs after highschool because of their skill- but for the average joe, that sort of luck rarely comes. Get a degree in something- and study your ass off for a good GPA. There are many companies now that do not even briefly consider potential hires unless they have the minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.

Some people are surprised at the ridiculous amounts of accrediation you can get for very little work. Many certifications- computer certifications such as the A+ Certification, various personal trainer certifications, and other similar certificates can be had for relatively cheap. These boost a resume for virtually any job, and always provide an extremely good way to make extra cash on the side.

5- Make more money- put your skills to work.

As I mentioned above, easy skills can be a great cash crop. Personally, I have found that basic tech support and design work provide me a steady stream of extra money for clothes, dates, and other kinds of frivolities- as well as a great way to augment rent if I need to.

Your “skill” doesn’t even have to be something incredibly complex- there are many party planning companies and restaurants that sometimes need extra hosts. If you have the looks for it (or the lack of self-respect to do horrible fetish photography), modeling is a very reasonable way to make cash.

What I will say, though, is to be careful. From the work I’ve done, as well as hearing stories from friends, there are many scams that exist for temps- not paying the right amount, expecting more than they listed, and that sort of thing. Always have something in writing- even an e-mail or two confirming the job and the pay- to back yourself up.

4- Eat healthier- no more junk food, period.

There have been countless articles posted online and published in newspapers/magazines about junk food and it’s bad effects, yet it still is purchased by the proverbial truckload by the average family. This is ridiculous. While sweets and chips are fine in moderation, you may not really realize how many calories, grams of fat and grams of sugar you are ingesting every day from a casual snack- and how much effect it has on your system.

Eating poorly makes you sluggish, irritable, sleepy (but often makes it harder to actually fall asleep), sexually weak, and it can give you horrible skin. Worst of all, it makes you fat. Why eat it?

Eat junk food in moderation. There’s nothing wrong with having a bag of chips or a soda every now and then- just don’t go overboard. If you eat a lot of junk food (say, during a Christmas party), exercise it off- don’t consider it a lost cause. Sometimes, the best way to ensure you don’t eat it is to simply not buy it- and, in the long run, it will save you money, too.

3- Dress better- buy clothes that are eternally stylish.

Of course, this being a fashion website, we always love talking about new fashions and how to wear them- it’s our “thing”. The problem is, with the economy going to hell, it’s hard to buy good fashions that are actually affordable.

The answer to this is twofold. First off, go for sales. With the economy as bad as it is, many clotheirs are cutting back their prices and holding sales like crazy- take advantage of them. I’ve seen $300 jackets go for $50 this Christmas- a bad thing for retailers but a good thing for you.

The second part of the answer is that you should buy long-lasting, not transient, fashions. Well-made suits, leather shoes, high quality jeans, and nice coats are all the kinds of clothing that will last you years- so buy them well and in fashions that are established, not extremely cutting-edge. Modernize your wardrobe with a few small pieces, but largely keep yourself traditional in fit and style- doing so will allow the clothing to truly last years, rather than look outdated in one or two.

2- Start a weekly exercise routine- preferably three times a week.

The reverse of junk food- exercising makes you look good and feel good. Beyond just being fit, exercising will make you look better (both in clothing and naked), it will give you more energy, allow you to focus more, and in general will make you a better person overall.

Of course, don’t get into a “rut” by focusing exclusively on weight lifting or running- branch out and make your routine encompass a little bit of everything. Fundamentally, you should try working on a little bit of the “big three”- strength, stamina, and flexibility- by finding activities and exercises to promote all three, rather than one or two. If you exclusively weight lift, try to build in some cardio as well- you’ll find it beneficial both to your weight lifting stamina and to help slim fat off your body- and if you do nothing but cardio, try weight lifting to blast away pudginess and show lean muscle off.

1- Manage your money.

Obviously, I’ve been mentioning money a lot this post, and number one is all about money.

No matter how old you are or what financial situation you are in, it is imperitive that you begin to manage your money closely. Know where your money is coming from and where it is going- and keep it from blasting away on ridiculous expenditures.

One very important thing all people over 18 should work on is building credit. Even if you do not need one, having a credit card (and using it for a small expenditure monthly) is a great way to build up a credit score and prove you can handle small term loans. This will help immensely in the future with larger loans- such as car loans or home loans- which often require you have a demonstrated history of, in colloquial terms, “trustability”.

Arguably the easiest way to manage your finances is to buy cheap and only when you must. Other than things you absolutely must have (groceries, a roof over your head, etc), there are many things you simply do not need to spend so much money on. If you can manage it, avoid paying monthly fees for video games, upper-tier cable channels, personal trainers, and other amenities, especially if you do not use them.

I’ve listed a ridiculous amount of pointers today, but my point is incredibly simple: manage yourself tightly this year. 2009 is going to be a year of tight funds and even tighter employers- so you will have to bend to avoid breaking, if you pardon the metaphor. I can guarantee that even if you pick up one of these resolutions, 2009 will be just a little bit simpler- and hopefully, we’ll all survive just a bit better than the next guy.