One of my favorite places to be?

Close to nature.

In particular, I love waterfalls.

The energy and negative ions from running water are incredibly powerful for the body and health.

Most days, we're bombarded with positive ions from electromagnetic waves, radiation from our phones and wifi, and all the electronics surrounding our 'modern' life.

Being in nature and by waterfalls can counteract many of these adverse effects.

Which is why I love being there.

For context, we used to live in one of the most beautiful areas in Vancouver, WA.

The Pacific Northwest has a certain mystique surrounding its mountains, waterfalls, volcanos, and ocean.

Every day, I would have the opportunity to see breathtaking views of mountains, plus nearly every weekend, we would head out to see a new forest or waterfall.

It was a magical time.

The two drawbacks?

Most of our family is on the East Coast or East Europe.

And it rains a LOT in Washington state.

6-8 months of the year.

I like the sun.

And I like my family even more.

I left Washington with a sad heart, thinking that being near such a magical place would be difficult back on the East Coast.

I was wrong.

The Blue Ridge Mountains and national forests, paired with their waterfalls, have surpassed my expectations.

While it's not Washington, it's also a special place here.

I can't wait to keep exploring and learning more about the land here.

Lesson: Explore the world each day. Your curiosity will often lead you the right way.

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Here is your 5 Minute Friday:

3 Reasons To Workout At Gym

#1 Progressive overload will eventually fail

The only way to build muscle and get stronger is by giving your body a reason to.

Without a reason?

It won't change.

Progressive overload = lifting heavier and more intensely over time.

Why do most home gyms and outdoor workouts eventually fail?

There wasn't enough progressive overload.

As a side note - for the past three years, I've worked with 100's clients who have struggled with working out at home.

One of the biggest reasons why?

They didn't invest in significant home gym equipment, leading to slower results and a loss of motivation.

What got us back on track?

Investing into heavier equipment OR going to the gym.

Your body won't change if you don't give it a reason to.

Heavy weights are the reason your body needs to get lean and toned.

Especially at the beginning of a fitness journey, you want to maximize your motivation in the BEST way possible.

Losing motivation (which is inevitable and part of our psychological developmental process) is part of the game.

Instead, plan for dips in motivation and boost your results at the BEGINNING... that way, you're prepped for slower days when they arrive.

Train to win.

Don't workout just to workout.

Train to win.

#2 Community builds strength

We're social creatures.

We need each other.

As much as our society values the lone ranger, it's a false myth.

Everything in the universe is connected.

Everything we do is interconnected.

Our top 10% of students succeed year after year because they're consistently tapped into our community, classes, and in-person meet-ups.

The gym is no different.

It's a community of lifters.

Of humans who want to get stronger.

Tap into this.

Make friends.

Make eye contact.

Connect with others on the path.

Some of the best people I've met were guys and gals working out alongside me weekly.

Take your headphones off.

Smile at others.

Be a human.

In an increasingly more connected world, we're more disconnected than ever.

Seeing a friendly human who cares about a stranger is a rare gift.

Be that person.

Put aside your limitations and uncertainties and imagine what one kind word could do for another's day.

You never know the impact you have on another human being.

Tap into your community.

#3 It separates your training from work

One of my favorite parts about where we live now is having a separate space for my office.

I used to work in the kitchen.

In my living room.

At one point, I was even working from my bedroom.

I'm grateful and acknowledge the blessing of having a separate office to work from.

And it's the same for your workouts.

Workouts and work should be separate.

Not just for the physical space.

But for the mental real estate.

There's an energetic state behind each activity.

Working out in my office never yielded good results (for my work or workouts).

Instead, go to a dedicated place to work out and train.

Leave the workspace and home space behind.

And reset your mind for lifting and training.

If you want to look like an athlete, you must train like one.

Athletes don't work out in the corner of their office.

They step up and lead by example in their communities.

Step up your game and lead by example.

The Hidden Cause Behind Rising Obesity Levels

Food is getting worse.

Fast food is getting bigger.

Calories are increasing per bite.

By 2030, it's estimated that 50% of Americans will be overweight or obese.

50%.

1/2 of total Americans.

The world at large isn't that far behind, either.

So what's the deal?

Are we just lazy, fat people destined to die as obese humans...

Or is there something else going on behind the scenes?

Part of our problem is moving less.

There's no doubt that, as a species, we've become less active.

More sedentary. Less mobile.

But the bigger problem is our food production.

The food quality that we're eating.

The majority of food that's being pushed into the mainstream is laden with fat-heavy foods.

Calorically dense foods.

And it's directly impacting our health.

Vegan or not. Plant-based or carnivore.

Fats are getting higher and higher.

And since fats have more than 2x the amount of calories compared to protein and carbs at nine calories per 1 gram of fat, it's no wonder that we're getting fatter each year.

Add this to our lower activity levels each year, and you have a recipe for an obese nation.

You can't outwork a bad diet, as the adage goes.

You can't outrun eating crappy food.

So what should you be eating then?

• Whole foods (foods that come directly from the soil)
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Herbs/spices
• Minimally processed plant-based protein sources
• Legumes and minimally processed grains

Single food ingredients will be your ally against the onslaught of fatty and highly processed foods.

Protecting your health, your family's, and future generations comes down to what you eat today.

We have an estimated 70,000 - 100,000 meals during our lifetime (depending on how long you live).

How many of those meals nourished and healed your body?

And how many of those meals harmed and damaged your body?

While we can't change the past, we can rewrite the future.

It's up to each of us.

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One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong

Always question everything.

Especially if it's in the mainstream.

What the herd does isn't always healthy or correct.

Question and test all things yourself.

- Gabriel

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Whenever you're ready, there are two ways I can help you:

#1 Join our free high-performance fitness FB group to get access to dozens of live trainings recorded along with a tight-knit group of leaders who want to get healthy, lean, and strong.

#2 Are you a high achiever who wants to be lean, strong, and lead by example? Click here to read our complete archive of free high-performance articles at your leisure.