Siim Land

If you've read David Hawkin's Power vs Force, then you should know that kinesiology uncovers the energy of consiousness. A field of objective truth and collective knowledge inaccessible by the rational mind and accessible only by the body. True and false statements about yourself will definitely get a correct measurement.

The secret for sustainable fitness is finding a workout routine you like. You can maintain a decent level of fitness with almost any activity - yoga, swimming, football, bodybuilding, crossfit etc. If you're trying to achieve a specific outcome i.e. get stronger or build muscle, then you have to do resistance training. If you want to increase cardiovascular fitness, then you have to do respectful activities. When it comes to motivating yourself or to have more fun while training, then you simply have to start loving the process. For me, working out is one of my favourite activities. It's almost therapeutic. You're in a state, where your body is exhausted but your mind is completely alert. I've experienced this unity of body and mind that's achieved by yoga in any other sport as well. Doing handstand push ups or heavy barbel squats is as zen-like as holding an asana.

Know that decision making is fatiguing. The paradox of having too many options to choose from will lead to us being paralyzed. It's better to avoid falling into this trap of thinking that there might be something better out there. Most of the time, there isn't. Practice speed of implementation. When making small trivial decision, don't waste your time or spend your willpower. Instead, make the first decision that feels right in your gut. Don't look back. Also start a minimalistic lifestyle. Reduce the amount of decisions you have to make on a daily basis. Get rid of useless clutter in your house, clothes etc. Dedicate to fewer activities but completely dominate them. Aim for quality over quantity in relationships, the food you eat, books you read etc. Thanks, hopefully it helps.

My own quote - The two things that truly belong to ourselves are our thoughts and actions.

Building muscle for vanity shouldn't be your main purpose, nor is it the best benefit. Having more muscle is definitely better for us. It promotes longevity, insulin sensitivity, increases metabolism, protects your bones, shields the organs, prevents aches and pains etc. It's the biggest organ we have because of fascia being connected with each other. The pursuit of building muscle is also an amazing journey. You have to learn about proper nutrition, discipline, willpower, patience, persistence etc. It's an Odyssey of body and mind.

I already try to expand my consciousness onto the entire planet while meditating. He's already included but might as well bring some more focus onto my fellow self-actualizers.

Integrating living things... are animals more alive than plants? Anyway, the macro- and micronutrient ratios of coconut are pretty amazing. I've also considered it one of the foods you could eat for the rest of your life. We don't need carbs. Just moderate protein and mainly fat. The saturated fat of coconut is super healthy and amazing. The medium-chain triglyceride content is great for ketone production and gives quick energy.

I haven't had any tickling in my scalp, but I definitely feel my pineal gland expanding during meditation. Or something along those lines. I guess it might have to do with becoming more mindful as a person. The biggest thing I notice is how I experience the sensation of my muscles more. Blood flow, breathing etc. Especially during workouts.

@popi Fun. Intensity is always subjective. I can't deadlift 500 pounds but prolly ppl like Mark Bell can.

@popi aerobic is around 60-70% or your maximum heart rate, anaerobic is above that. One is low intensity (think yoga, cardio, easy calisthenics), the other very intense (think weightlifting, sprinting HIIT cardio etc)

@Sleepwalker The 4 variables necessary for muscle growth listed above are independent of carbs. Of course, you can't expect to perform at your best during the adaptation phase. Ketosis will work only if you do it long term. At first I also experienced fatigue but after having done it for 1 year, I don't feel tired at all. The longer you stay in ketosis the better you get at utilizing fat for fuel. Your performance may get slightly worse. But only initially. Your endurance will definitely increase, but after adapting your anaerobic performance will get back to its baseline. Building muscle in ketosis is yes slower than with carbs. However, the muscle you'll be putting on will be PURE lean body mass and basically no body fat whatsoever. The other aspects of longevity and mitochondrial density of ketosis make it all worth it. The main driver of muscle growth on keto is the training stimulus. You don't need carbs to get stronger. To train hard enough you simply have to have enough will power and muscle glycogen. Muscle glycogen doesn't need carbs. Glycerol, which is the backbone of triglycerides can be converted into glycogen by the liver. It might just take slightly longer. To be honest, you actually need to train like a professional athlete to NEED carbs. I don't think you have Crossfit WODs every day. You can also read my blog post about how to build muscle on keto. I go into more detail about the science and physiology aspect of it. As well as my personal experience. http://siimland.com/how-to-build-muscle-on-keto/

Just watched the movie. Can you compare it with the book?

I want to increase my knowledge about Yoga as a discipline not as a workout program. What are the best fundamental Yoga books out there? The ones that focus on the philosophy and history aspect of it. Also, I'm interested in warrior type Yoga. Something that they would have taught ancient warriors like Arjuna. What are your best recommendations?

The biggest mistake people make with bulking is that they eat whatever. If you're not tracking your macros it's very easy to consume too big of a surplus with junk food. What's wrong with consuming too many surplus calories? Well, muscle is built very slowly and you're not really helping building lean body mass after a certain point. After you've hit a point of diminishing returns you'll be using those surplus calories solely for fat gain. Also, you can't lose fat cells. They will only shrink or increase according to your body fat percentage. Dirty bulking may cause some metabolic damage and may leave you fatter than you would normally be. To build as much muscle and as little fat as possible you have to eat only a small surplus, about 500 calories would be sufficient. The longer you do this the better your gains are going to be. Also, you don't have to kill yourself with cardio later when cutting as well. Keep it controlled. As far as calorie quality is concerned, then it doesn't matter for body composition. However, IIFYM isn't optimal for long term health. The 80/20 principle still works and isn't that bad. For muscle building you actually need: adequate stimulation (train hard enough) protein synthesis (eat enough protein) energy (calories to build new tissue) the necessary hormones (mainly mTor and HGH, including others) I've managed to actually build muscle and strength on a ketogenic diet by following these guidelines. Hopefully, it helps you in your decision making.

Totally agree with you. Lipton's work is groundbreaking to say the least. Monumental breakthroughs in science getting synthesized with spirituality. His Spontaneous Evolution is as good! Check it out.

The reason why you're losing weight is that you're in a caloric deficit. Burning more than you consume. You're not losing weight out of thin air. This is an easy problem to solve. Start eating more nutrient dense foods. It might be that you're too sensitive to carbs. Try eating more fat and protein. Eggs, meat, nuts, fish are great sources to begin with. Also, start adding extra fats and oils to your meals. Butter, olive oil have very high nutrient density. Start slowly adding thém and see what effect you'll have.

Chia seeds

I've been following a ketogenic diet for over a year now. To be honest, I feel like my IQ has increased by a lot. High amounts of healthy fats, foods that promote neurogenesis, eggs, oily fish, red meat full of creatine, dark leafy green vegetables... By reducing inflammation and consuming a lot of DHA/EPA/omega-3 rich foods you're making your brain run better on fat. Having a healthy gut flora is probably the greatest determining factor of overall health and bodily inflammation. If you're body is spending too much energy fighting cancer and tumor cells, then you're going to get brain fog. I've researched modafinil as well. ATM there are no significant evidence for it exceeding a person's normal cognitive capabilities. It's just like coffee on power mode. You can teach yourself to focus and enter flow without it as well. For me, a keto diet is the best natural way of empowering your cognition and brain. It probably won't do it directly. You'll just be able to satisfy your brain for longer and can therefore concentrate on your work.

I've heard that using cold teabags or cucumber slices can work. Might be just folk medicine. I would first get some sleep and eat more nutrient dense foods. Caloric restriction or excessive fasting may cause this as well. On top of that, get some sunshine.

Coffee's great for health, if taken in moderation. I use caffeine only on workout days to give me the extra kick. At other times I stick to decaf. Tastes as great. I'm also a fast oxidizer and will crash too fast or build a resistance to it. This cycling has been working great. You can't even tell the difference. However, this recent Ben Greenfield podcast talked about how Voltaire, the famous French philosopher drank like 60 cups a day. That's crazy. The guest on the show also talked about how we can actually benefit a lot more from drinking more coffee. A great episode, I recommend listening to it.

Blueberries, Chaga mushroom powder and raw cacao nibs daily. Great stuff.

That depends on your age, health condition and fitness. Also, training more won't necessarily guarantee health. A lot of professional athletes are diabetic and suffer from adrenal fatigue. More importantly, you can't outexercise a bad diet. A solid whole foods nutritional plan is a lot more important and sustainable. When it comes to exercise, then doing too much cardio isn't good for you. There is this dangerous "black hole" - not aerobic but not over 80% intensity either. I would imagine that's where you're being in for the most time. You're getting tired but aren't pushing yourself completely to the end. This is not a good place to be in. I would structure a cardiovascular fitness running as such: 80% of your training should be aerobic and at quite low intensity. A good rule of thumb is to look at your breathing. If you can breathe through your nose, then it's just enough 20% should be anaerobic, like high intensity interval training. Either 5-10 minutes of Tabata intervals with 30 seconds of sprinting and 30 seconds walking or jogging. HIIT training shouldn't exceed 20-30 minutes. It's a lot more time-efficient way of burning fat and also yields more benefit than black hole running. However, because of the intensity, you should do HIIT only 2-3 times a week. But when you do, max out completely. At other times focus on building up your aerobic base. Hopefully, it helps. You can Google some HIIT training examples and look more into Mark Sisson's Primal Endurance.

In my opinion, it has to do with consciousness and self-mastery. If you've decided to change yourself as a person, pick up certain habits and self-actualize. Then by definition you're operating from the perspective of your true self. The choice comes from you conscious self. Getting distracted, sticking to bad habits and procrastinating is the EGO intervening with the process on a subconscious level. Once you break that cycle and manage to become conscious again, you'll be able to stick to your goals and stay focused enough on what you're trying to accomplish? How to achieve such self-mastery? Well, it's difficult and simply the result of habit. The more mindful you become as a person, the more often you'll be able to see yourself from an outside perspective and step in. Hopefully, it will help. Meditate and practice intervening your habitual activities.