Self-Esteem: The Inner Transformation

So many Americans are awash in self-loathing, self-doubt and self-pity. The source of the problem is SELF-ESTEEM, our appraisal of our own self-worth. The TSC program can anchor your life and be the catalyst you need to Transform. TSC transformations are more than skin deep, they improve your ability to love yourself and others.

Recently I was introduced to a young women (about 26) at a dinner party. She had heard about TSC and told me that she wanted to "lose weight." I talked with her outside for a half hour and discovered that there was a lot more going on than just a desire to "lose weight."

She had struggled with school and had low self-esteem. She turned to street drugs to make herself feel better, thus developing a serious meth addiction. Then strung-out and feeling like a loser her family helped her to kick meth, but she replaced her drug problem with a drinking problem.

The drinking problem compounded her underlying self-esteem issues because she gained 60 lbs of fat through her excessive alcohol consumption and additional over eating. This of course led to more drinking and over eating as part of a vicious cycle.

I stood in the yard speaking with her, peeling back the layers of the onion and helping her understand the root cause of her problems. It was her self-image that needed fixing, not a meth addiction, drinking problem or weight problem. Her problem was SELF-ESTEEM.

Drugs, drinking and over eating are all temporary-feeling-changers. They help individuals cope with the way things are, instead of helping them CHANGE THE WAY THINGS ARE. Addicts use drugs to feel high, Alcoholics drink to forget their problems, Obese people eat to momentarily revel in the taste of the foods they lust for instead of dealing with the real issues. Everyone is susceptible to the perils of drugs, drinking and over eating, even the rich and famous! Comedians John Belushi, Chris Farley both died tragically at just 33 years old before they could transform their lives.The great thing about making a TSC Transformation is that it CHANGES THE WAY THINGS ARE. Creating a fit and healthy body develops lasting feelings of confidence, empowerment and self-worth that stay with you! A TSC Transformation changes you inside and out. It uses the enthusiasm cycle (the opposite of a viscous cycle) to spur you on to more success and ever greater achievements!

I wrote down my email address for the young women and gave her a hug. Now it's up to her. Everyone can transform and TSC can help you get there. TSC is like a lighthouse, we can guide you to safety in stormy weather or you can crash your ship on the rocks, but the choice is yours, you can steer your vessel is whichever direction you choose.
Transform now, get the TSC HEART OF A CHAMPION Training & Nutrition Program.
Best,
-Chris Krueger
Transform your body now and change your life forever. Get the TSC Heart of a Champion Program and Make it Happen! http://www.tscheartofachampionprogram.com/
My Twitter: http://twitter.com/TSuperChallenge

The TSC 300 Challenge

TSCers, we have a new Saturday workout; The TSC 300 Challenge. It’s a quantitative fitness test that allows you to measure your progress as you improve your health and fitness. The TSC 300 Challenge is a 3-part physical fitness test that was adopted from the same standards that are used to evaluate Army Rangers, Navy Seals and Force Recon Marines.

The test is made up of three basic exercises, pull-ups, push-ups and a three-mile run. Each section of the TSC 300 Challenge is worth a maximum of 100 points. To max the test a TSCer must score 100 points in all three categories. To score 300 you will have to develop balance, coordination, strength and endurance.

The goal of the TSC 300 Challenge is to motivate you to make consistent improvement and to quantify the progress that you make. By pushing yourself to improve your score on The 300 Challenge you will enjoy the simultaneous benefit of making a staggering TRANSFORMATION as you burn fat and build lean muscle.

The Events

Pull-ups: Complete as many “dead-hang” pull-ups as possible. This means fully extending your arms at the bottom of the pull-up and bringing your chin even with the top of the bar to complete one repetition.

Push-ups: Complete as many TSC Push-ups as possible. Keep your body straight and use a full range of motion. Your upper arms should be parallel to the ground at the bottom of your push-up. At the top of your push-up your elbows should be locked or very close to the locked position. You may pause briefly during your set, but you must maintain proper push-up position, this will really test your core-strength as well.

The 3-Mile Run: Run three miles as fast as you can! I recommend setting up a 1.5-mile course and performing 2 laps. Also try to run on grass if possible, this will reduce the impact on your joints.

The Scoring

For Men:
Pull-ups: Each rep is worth 5 points and the max score is 20 pull-ups for 100 points.
Push-ups: Each rep is worth 2 points and the max score is 50 push-ups for 100 pts.
The Run: 18:00 minutes or less scores 100 points. Subtract 1 point from 100 for every ten-second increment above 18 minutes.

For Women:
Pull-ups: Each rep is worth 10 points and the max score is 10 pull-ups for 100 points.
Push-ups: Each rep is worth 4 points and the max score is 25 push-ups for 100 pts.
The Run: 21:00 minutes or less scores 100 points. Subtract 1 point from 100 for every ten-second increment above 21:00 minutes.

The Purpose of The TSC 300 Challenge is to give you a benchmark for you to improve upon every week. You should strive to improve your score 5-10 points or more every week. For more information on The 300 Challenge check out this YouTube video:

SCORING EXAMPLES
John does 11 pull-ups, 29 push-ups and runs the 3-mile in 24:04, his score is 176.
Bryan does 0 pull-ups, 2 push-ups and runs the 3-mile in 32:50, his score is 15.
Jane does 7 pull-ups, 22 push-ups and runs the 3-mile in 23:09, her score is 245.

Best,
CK.
Transform your body now and change your life forever. Get the TSC Heart of a Champion Program and Make it Happen! http://www.tscheartofachampionprogram.com/

Lessons From A Life Well-Lived, Remembering Beau Jacobson

Last week Beau Jacobson died, 2 months shy of his 24th Birthday.



I played college football with Beau at a small school in the Pacific Northwest. He was a great friend, a great teammate and an incredible man.

Beau lived life to the fullest and his death is a bewildering tragedy. Beau was a man of character. He was honest, kind and caring. His good nature always brought smiles to those around him. He worked hard and expressed unwavering loyalty to his friends and teammates. He was immensely fun to be around, although he never tried to be funny, he just was fun.

Although Beau's death is a tremendous loss for everyone that had the great pleasure and blessing of knowing him, hopefully we can enrich our world by applying the lessons that Beau taught us.

One lesson I learned from Beau, was that regardless of circumstance we must always defend the less fortunate. Beau had the courage to stick up for the little guy in every situation. Beau spread unlimited kindness during his short life. He knew that we should all have character, not act like one.

Beau also showed us the power being true to oneself. Beau did what was right, without concern for what was popular. He also loved new challenges and adventures. He would spend his summers fighting forest fires and after he graduated, he moved to Fiji to live life on his terms, doing what he loved and enjoying the heck out of it.

Diligence and perseverance characterized Beau's athletic career at the University of Puget Sound. He made the most of his athletic abilities by training and improving himself every year. As a freshman he saw playing time, but did not receive any all conference honors. As a sophomore he earned an honorable mention, as junior he was name Second Team All-Conference. Finally, in Beau's senior year he as named First Team All NWC for his excellent play as a defensive tackle.

Beau had a wonderful sense of optimism and good cheer. He had the incredible ability to brighten your day with just a smile and laugh. His positive energy always lifted the spirits of everyone around him.

Beau lived life to the fullest, shortly after graduating from college he moved to Fiji where he enjoyed tropical weather, free diving and spear fishing. He was a man's man and a guy whom I was proud to call a friend. Beau really savored life. He lived more 24 years than most people do in 84 years. I will always admire him.

Beau taught us a lot by the way he lived his life. His death although tragic teaches us a powerful lesson about keeping things in perspective. The day I learned of Beau's passing I marveled at the juxtaposition of my friends facebook statuses. Almost all of my college friends had statuses that reflected the tragic loss of a cherished friend. Sandwiched directly in between two of the Remembering Beau statuses was one by a college cheerleader (she goes to school in another state and never had the great fortune of meeting Beau) her status read, "L!$@ is studying at the library. FML (FML is short for F#@* My Life).

I was stunned. I'd spent the better part of the afternoon editing a tribute video of Beau while wiping intermittent tears and here was a person that was studying at a nice, warm, quiet library, learning new things and enriching her life and deemed such an experience worthy of an FML. Unbelievable. Far to often we as Americans get so wrapped up in ourselves and our own self-indulgent pettiness that we become totally unaware of what real loss, hardship and pain are. We think of things in terms of what we have to do instead of what we get do.

I'm determined to apply the wonderful lessons that Beau's beautiful life so clearly illustrated. We should all do our part to live up to Beau's standards, now that he is gone there are some rather large shoes to fill.

BEAU WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU. THANK YOU.

The Golden Paradox

Every person is unique, important and valuable. We should all recognize this fact and do our best to treat every person with care and respect.

Think about it, Do you consider yourself to be unique? important? valuable? Do you want to be treated with care and respect? Of course!

Does is stand to reason that all other people think of themselves as unique, important and valuable? Does is stand to reason that they would want to be treated with care and respect? Of course!

Let's delve further into our uniqueness, importance and value.

Uniqueness - Each of us has a unique genetic code contained in our DNA and made different decisions and had unique life experiences that have shaped us. At this moment and every moment you are totally unique, it's impossible to be un-unique.

Importance - This is your life. This is your only chance to be the unique person that you are on this earth, forever. Make it count.

Value - You are the only person in the history of the world with your exact blend of talents and abilities. You can contribute to the world in your own special way that nobody else can. You can help, heal, comfort, love, teach, care and create in a way that is totally your own.

A few months ago, I toured the Getty Center for the first time. The Getty is basically LA's version of the Louvre. It has some of the most incredible art works ever created. My jaw dropped when I entered a room filled with paintings by the masters of impressionism and post impressionism; Masterpieces by Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, and Cezanne lined the walls. The crowning piece in the collection is Vincent van Gogh's Irises. It's a one of a kind masterpiece worth well over $100 million.The value of the artwork in the room is mind-boggling. There's easily over a Billion dollars worth of Art just hanging there, in that one room! Visitors from all over the globe crowded around the various masterpieces. Excited for the mere opportunity to glimpse them in real life.

I smiled as I stood in the room, realizing an incredible paradox. People from all over the world were standing in awe, viewing some of the greatest masterpieces of all time. But think of the value of the people! The people in the room are all one of a kind! The people are all masterpieces! The people move and breathe and think and live! The artwork in all it's glory, is refined to hanging on a wall.

If van Gogh's Irises is worth well over $100 Million than each and every person in that room with me at the Getty must be PRICELESS.

People are all masterpieces and they should be treated as such! We should treat everyone like the unique, important and valuable masterpiece that they are!

We must strive to treat others with respect! To treat all people the way we want to be treated. We are all masterpieces.

Best,
CK.
Transform your body now and change your life forever. Get the TSC Heart of a Champion Program and Make it Happen! http://www.tscheartofachampionprogram.com/

Being our Best: Potential vs Achievment

We are all imbued with our own unique potential. Each individual can contribute to the world in their own special way. It is up to each of us to maximize our gifts for a life well lived.

Certainly my genetic code limits me; I'll never be as tall as Shaquille O'Neal or jump as high as LeBron James or swim as fast as Michael Phelps or match the brain power of Stephen Hawking. I can only be my best and you can only be your best.

We should evaluate ourselves, by comparing our current reality to our full potential. The difference is the progress yet to be made. Not only should we aspire to improve our health and fitness and live up to our physical potential, but we should also strive to improve ourselves along our entire spectrum of humanity. We should push ourselves to love more, care more, be more selfless, more disciplined, more honorable, more courageous, more committed, more reliable, more patient, more humble and more helpful.

To develop a great physique it is paramount to develop strength of character. The work of building a healthy, fit and beautiful body requires fortitude. I will be the first to admit that I act foolishly and immature at times, but I'm constantly striving to improve; to be more mature and more thoughtful, to hold myself to a standard that is in alignment with my deepest values and most tightly held beliefs.

Often times we find ourselves bogged down by the need to compare ourselves to others. This is utterly pointless. I can only be my best and you can only be your best. Real victory in life is living up to your potential. Comparing myself to someone else doesn't make me any better, it only wastes time. This past season I was named "Defenceman of the Year" in my hockey league. Sure, it's wonderful to be acknowledged by my peers, but I was more satisfied knowing that I played with maximum effort every game all season.

I love competition and I firmly believe the spirit of competition can push and motivate us to be our best. Whether we win or lose on the scoreboard is irrelevant. If I were to race Michael Phelps in a pool, the smart money would be on him, but if I pushed myself and swam my best race and set a new personal record I would feel successful and victorious. We should be constantly striving to smash through our previous bests. This is what transformation is all about, being our best and constantly improving.

Also, if you really think about your true potential, the person you could be if you dedicated your life to constantly improving yourself in all aspects of your humanity, think about how amazing you could be....

Think of how loving you could be,
Think of how caring you could be,
Think of how selfless you could be,
Think of how disciplined you could be,
Think of how honorable you could be,
Think of how courageous you could be,
Think of how committed you could be,
Think of how reliable you could be,
Think of how patient you could be,
Think of how humble you could be,
Think of how helpful you could be.

Think of what your best really is.

Take action and be your best. Live your life to the fullest. Align your thoughts, words, and actions with your core beliefs. Measure your success based on the difference between your potential and your reality.

Be all that you can be, for yourself and for others. Remember, you are a unique individual, nobody else on Earth has the potential to contribute to the world in the special way that you are capable.

Best,
Chris Krueger


This morning a very spiritual TSCer in NYC sent me this quote. I believe it's entirely fitting to conclude this article, "God's gift to us is who we are when we are born. Our Gift to God is who we are when we die."

Transform your body now and change your life forever. Get the TSC Heart of a Champion Program and Make it Happen! http://www.tscheartofachampionprogram.com/

THE HEART OF A CHAMPION BONUS PROGRAM

The Bonus Program offers you the opportunity to go above and beyond the Heart of a Champion Program. It allows you to set the bar higher and achieve a more miraculous transformation.

The Bonus Program is not extra credit; TSCers have the responsibility to themselves to complete all of the Heart of a Champion workouts. The Bonus is for TSCers that want to take their transformations to the next level and smash through their goals.

Best of all, the Bonus is fun! As you advance on the POWER-10 Challenge, your body will become more healthy, fit and athletic. The Bonus is simply putting your body to good use and enjoying physical activity.

There are three levels to the Bonus Program.
a. Foundational Health and Fitness
b. Above and Beyond
c. The Champions Circle

RECOMMENDED BONUS ACTIVITIES
Baseball/Softball, Horseback Riding, Snow Shoveling
Basketball, Ice Hockey, Stair Master/Elliptical
Bowling, Ice Skating, Surfing
Build a Snowman and go Sledding, Marital Arts, Swimming
Construction, Mountain Biking, Tag/Capture the flag
Cross-fit, Paintball, Tennis
Cycling/Spinning, Rafting, Volleyball
Dancing, Roller Skating/In-line Skating, Wakeboarding
Flag/Touch Football, Skateboarding, Walking
Gymnastics, Skiing, Wii Fit
Hiking, Snowboarding, Yoga

THE HEART OF A CHAMPION BONUS PROGRAM LEVELS

Level 1: Foundational Health and Fitness: TSCers perform all the prescribed workouts in the Traning-10 program and strive to consistently improve their performance. They adhere to the principles and rules of the Nurtrition-10 program and make stunning transformations.
Level 2: Above and Beyond: TSCers meet all of the Level 1 requirements and perform Bonus activities on 3-4 different days during the week in order to make astounding Transformations.
Level 3: The Champions Circle: TSCers join The Champions Circle when they commit to meeting all of the Level 1 requirements and perform bonus activities 5 or more days during the week. Champions Circle TSCers perform bonus activities joyously and feel blessed to have the opportunity and ability to use their bodies in so many fun and dynamic ways.

**********

You should enjoy each bonus activity for 30 minutes or more. Please note that you must accomplish bonus activities on different days of the week to count towards Levels 2 and 3. For instance, if you wake up at dawn on a Saturday go surfing at Huntington Beach for a few hours and then meet some friends and play beach volleyball for two more hours and then decide to go in-line skating to Newport Beach and back, you will have enjoyed a wonderful day at the beach, but this will only count as 1 day toward Levels 2-3.
Alternatively, you could take 45-minute walks every evening Monday thru Friday and join the Champion’s Circle.
The Bonus Program is really about enjoying your body and physical activity. You should play at the beach or play in the snow or train for a black belt or go for peaceful walks in the evening. Find activities that you enjoy and do them! Join The Champions Circle.

Best,
CK.
Transform your body now and change your life forever. Get the TSC Heart of a Champion Program and Make it Happen! http://www.tscheartofachampionprogram.com/

Rise of the Machines

Many gyms today market themselves as state of the art. They possess row after row of sleek and sophisticated machines, that are neatly ordered and sometimes even color coded.

The reason for this... MARKETING! It's much easier for the salesperson to sell you a gym membership by touring you through row after row of sleek and futuristic looking machines. They'll probably even demonstrate one of these amazing novelties and ask you to give it a try for yourself.

You'll sit in their machine, and they will select a very easy weight and have you perform a few reps. Then they'll tell you how you just have to follow a simple color coding or numbering system to get in great shape and... presto, you're be back at the sales desk signing a membership contract.
The Rise of the Machines was predicated by the need for gyms to sell memberships. They changed the basic paradigm for what a gym really is. They made it into a showroom to tour clients.

A gym should really be a workshop for craftsmen (and craftswomen) to build healthy, functional and beautiful bodies. This kind of a workshop only requires a few pieces of equipment, a pull-up bar, an adjustable bench, a set of dumbbells and some other assorted free weights (barbells/squat rack). That's it. Basically, what you need is the BASICS (big surprise).

But this would be a tough sell for the Fitness Consultant (i.e. Salesperson) at your local chain gym. A sales tour that took you past a rack of dumbbells and a row of benches and squat racks would not be nearly as persuasive as a stroll through the gleaming machine showroom.

People were getting into great shape way before The Rise of the Machines, how do you think they did this? Answer: FREE WEIGHTS.

Your body and all human bodies are designed to lift and move objects against the force of gravity, they are designed to move "free weights."

The body is also hardwired for survival. We have a programed fight or flight response. Under stress our bodies trigger the sympathetic nervous system and begin pumping adrenaline into the bloodstream. From my personal experience, I find that using free weights does a much better job of activating the body's survival response and releasing endorphins that create a natural high. I simply do not see people getting that jazzed or high on life while using machines, usually the people on machines look really bored and boredom leads to the 3 most common exercises in any gym. Check out this article to find out what they are: http://transformationsuperchallenge.blogspot.com/2008/10/post-up-and-park-bench.html

I'd like to coin a new term for machine exercises, I think they should be called "Forced Weights" because machines force you to use a specific and often unnatural range of motion. They force you to fit the exercise instead of vice versa.

Free Weights allow for a natural range of motion. Using dumbbells allows you to perform exercise like the chest press and shoulder press in natural arcs, unlike machines which force you to press the weight in a straight line. Using Free Weights develops balance and coordination as you are responsible for guiding the weight through the complete range of motion. Furthermore, Free Weight exercises fit you! Since the weights move freely through your range of motion your body is able to align itself naturally with proper form and posture.

TSCers, Let FREEDOM RING! Training with Free Weights fosters balance, coordination, core strength, and creates fit, healthy and beautiful bodies. Get in the gym and make it happen.

Best,
Chris Krueger

ONE SMALL CAVEAT: Occasionally, machines makes sense, like if you are working with a physical therapist to rehabilitate an injury. However, if you are an able-bodied person use FREE WEIGHTS!

Transform your body now and change your life forever. Get the TSC Heart of a Champion Program and Make it Happen! http://www.tscheartofachampionprogram.com/