Sunday, March 25, 2012

Transform Yourself: A Guide to Self-Improvement

| Contents | Preface | Start | Spirit | Body | Mind | Social | Money | Skills |

This post is currently incomplete. Check back in a few days to a week for updates.

Welcome to the guide to self-improvement. I believe that most people possess enormous and latent potential for truly great and inspirational things; and it is my hope that by posting this information I will inspire some of these giants to awaken from their slumber.

This entire blog-site is dedicated to this guide so the contents page will always be on the first page, so all you need link is 'arcitea.blogspot.com', unless of course you want someone to read a particular section. I don't pretend to be an expert on everything within this guide, and I will regularly update the guide with new sections, info, and corrections with the help of this complimentary thread here: [not yet created]. Share this site with your friends by clicking above to share on facebook or twitter. There is a ton of information that will grow every day.

Tip: clicking on the arrows that are beside each sub-section in the guide will return you to the contents.

Contents 

0,0. Preface
0,1. On Rigidity and Malleability
0,2. The Purpose and Vision of this Guide

1,0. Getting Started
1,1. Goal Setting
1,2. Finding Life Goals
1,3. Journaling, Calendering & Deadlines
1,4. Three Important Things to Keep in Mind
1,5. Beginning Now

2,0 The Spirit
2,1. Perspective is Reality
2,2. Inspiration & Motivation
2,3. Goal Gambling with Reps

2,4. Meditation 2,5. Relaxation
2,6. Happiness
2,7. Dealing with Stress
2,8. Mental/Spiritual Health Support

3,0 The Body
3,1. General Health & Nutrition

  1. Vitamins & Minerals
  2. What You Need to Know about Multivitamins
  3. Bisphenol-A, Xenoestrogens, and other Toxins
  4. Water Purity & Sufficiency
  5. Sleeping Cycles & Circadian Rhythms
  6. Cardiovascular Exercise
  7. Yoga, Stretching, Breathing, & Balance
3,2. Losing Fat
  1. Keeping it Simple
  2. Negative Energy Balance
  3. Keto
  4. Intermittent Fasting
  5. Cardio: hiit and liss
  6. Supplementation
3,3. Gaining Muscle-Mass
  1. Keeping it Simple
  2. Positive Energy and Nitrogen Balance
  3. Resistance Training
  4. Recuperation
  5. Supplementation
3,4. Acne, Scars, and Stretch Marks
3,5. Guide to Posture
3,6. Laser Eye Surgery
3,7. Gynecomastia
3,8. Teeth Whitening
3,9. Increasing Height
3,10. On Thinning Hair

4,0. The Mind
4,1. Reading

  1. List of Recommended Fiction
  2. List of Recommended Non-Fiction
  3. Guide to Speed Reading
4,2. Lectures and Documentaries
4,3. Guide to a Vast Memory
4,4. Education 4,5. Knowledge & Academics
  1. English and Grammar
  2. Foreign Language
  3. Philosophy
  4. History
  5. Mathematics
  6. Physics
  7. Chemistry
  8. Biology
  9. Astronomy
  10. Geology
  11. Engineering
  12. Business & Economics
4,6. List of Members to PM for Material/Homework Help

5,0. The Social Being
5,1. Basic Guide to Fashion and Appearance

5,2. Confidence & Social Anxiety
5,3. Women and Relationships
5,4. Exercising Vocal Projection and Speech Therapy
5,5. Understanding Body Language

5,6. A Primer on Beers, Liquors, and Wines

5,7. Bars & Clubs

6,0. Work, Finance, & Money
6,1. Getting the Job

  1. Guide to Resumes
  2. Guide to Interviews
6,2. Trading and Investing
6,3. Finances and Couponing
6,4. Retirement Accounts
6,5. Credit, Loans, and Debt
6,6. Entrepreneurship & Business
6,7. Taxes
6,8. Making Money Online
  1. Website Creation and Affiliate Marketing
  2. Bitcoin Mining
  3. eBay Buying and Flipping
  4. Online Company Promotion
  5. Youtube Partners
  6. Google Associates & Search Engine Agents
  7. Other/Random

7,0. General and Useful Skills
7,1. Making Jerky
7,2. Changing a Flat Tire
7,3. Changing Motor Oil
7,4. Playing the Guitar
7,5. Playing the Piano
7,6. Sewing
7,7. Finding North in the Wilderness
7,8. How to Grill
7,9. Cooking a Good Steak
7,10. Carving a Turkey
7,11. How to Fix a Leaky Faucet
7,12. How to Pick Locks
7,13. How to Tie Knots
7,14. Guide to Lucid Dreaming

 0,0. Preface

When animals and plants are alive, they are flexible and soft; when they are dead, they become fragile and dried, because rigidity and hardness are death.
- Chinese Proverb

0,1. On Rigidity and Malleability ↑

The manifestation of your material form is in perpetual exchange with the external environment. The fabric that once composed your body - the very fabric that you once defined as yourself - has now been replaced entirely with a foreign thread. The neuronal and electrical aggregation that interpreted and reacted to the symbols contained in the previous sentence has since shifted in geometry, and it no longer is what it just was. The molecular patterns contained in chains of nucleic acids which serve as the film for the projectors of your physical body will soon mutate in replication, and the projection of those mutated patterns will change accordingly.

The individuality and solidity of your physical being is an illusion. The momentary combination of biological material which collectively forms your body does not actually hold any particular static identity that is separate from the universe at large. You are the universe, and the universe flows into and out of you, constantly reshaping and redefining what you are. Whatever you physically are at any moment, therefore, is fleeting and fickle. What you are is fluid and flexible. What you are cannot be defined absolutely.

There is an idea of a person that surrounds you like a sheath. This idea molds, shapes, restricts and confines your liquid being into a familiar and rigid identity. This identity is an illusory mental product that has developed naturally over time from the random experiences and indoctrinations that have comprised your life. Society has defined you, and you in return have been unconsciously manipulating your elastic physical form and surroundings in order for them to coincide with that definition.

Who you are is a concept that has no grounding in the physical reality. Your identity is imaginary, and thus can exist either eternally or momentarily. The preservation, destruction, creation, and manipulation of your identity and thus your fluid physical form and environment are exclusively under your direct power.

Though the scale of the universe renders your physical presence practically void, the significance of your existence could not be more staggering. It is thru you that the cosmos has become aware of itself; it is from your being that nature has gained the capacity to supersede the initial fate wrung from the physics of cosmogenesis; it is because of your living that the universe is now elastic and malleable.

You are a malleable creature.

0,2. The Purpose and Vision of this Guide ↑

 1,0. Getting Started

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their minds, awake in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it reality.
- T. E. Lawrence

1,1. Goal Setting ↑

You are a player playing a game on a field that has no goals. You run up and down the field playing the game for many years, but never scoring, never winning, and never losing. You are simply there. You just exist. You can do nothing more than run up and down the field struggling in vain without the slightest hope of catharsis.

Think about how incoherent it would be if two soccer teams played a game without any marked goals on the field. Their movements and actions would have no meaning. The game would be pointless.

Imagine yourself now waking up in the center of some infinitely large object. You don't know what it is that contains you or how you got there, but you are trapped in a small cave within the object. You look around and realize that there are no holes or openings that you can see so you sit down and wait. After some time the cave you are sitting in begins to shrink. It shrinks and shrinks, faster and faster, pushing you towards the wall, and just when you think you are about to be crushed the wall dissappears and a path is revealed. Relieved you travel down the long and dark corridor until you find yourself in another cave. You sit in this cave and wait until the walls begin to close in on you again. Soon the cave is no more and another path is revealed.

A goal is a willful creation of a pathway. Instead of letting the object dictate where you shall next go, you set a goal which opens up a different path before the cave begins to shrink and forces your future. Without goals you will be lost in the object and you will end up nowhere in particular. You must choose your fate before fate is thrust upon you.

1,2. Finding Life Goals ↑

Hopefully the significance of setting goals has been established. So what should you do now? The first step is to think of large and specific life-long goals.

Sometimes people don't know what their dreams, ambitions, or desires are. They don't know what to do with their life. If this is you then maybe one of these three techniques will help:

1. Ask yourself: What's the one thing I'd do every day if money were not an issue?

2. Imagine: In the frighteningly near future you will find yourself with only a few moments of life left; in these fleeting moments, you will reflect wistfully on things that you wish you had done, and things that you wish you still would have time to do. Close your eyes, relax, and put yourself in this very real and upcoming event. What are you thinking of?

3. Imagine: There is an idea of a person in your mind. This person has been in your mind for as long as you can remember. He is perfect in every way. He possesses all of the physical and mental characteristics and attributes that you wish for yourself. Write down clearly all of the characteristics that you imagine of him and work every moment to become this person. Becoming this person and acheiving these attributes is your goal. In this perspective, it does not matter what you are doing, but rather who you are being, and if you do this, then what you're doing will work itself out exactly as it should.

Use these techniques to find out precisely what you want out of life, and what you expect of yourself. Don't be afraid to go after dreams that some might call unrealistic because that is indeed the only way you will ever reach them.

Only as high as I reach can I grow only as far as I seek can I go only as deep as I look can I see only as much as I dream can I be - Karen Ravn

1,3. Journaling & Calendering ↑

Once you know what your life goals are, the next step is to think of the immediate prerequisites to your life goals. Whatever they may be, these are your long-term goals. Now think of the immediate prerequisites to your long-term goals. Keep going in this backwards fashion until you come up with say 5 year goals, 1 year goals, monthly goals, and finally daily goals.

You should have in your mind a progression of goals - daily goals, monthly goals, yearly goals, long-term goals - all leading up to your large life goals. What you have to do now is get a pencil and paper and write them all down.

You should start a journal. On the first page of your journal you should write down all of your goals - each of them defined clearly and connected to other goals like a family tree with your life goal being at the top. And then on each subsequent page you track your progress honestly and coherently by writing in the journal daily.

The next thing you should do is to get a planner or a calender and write down your goals on specific dates. It's important to actually set dates for the completion of your goals so some sort of calender is vital. If you don't have deadlines for things then you'll become lazy and unorganized.

1,4. Three Important Things to Keep in Mind ↑

  1. You must be consistent and patient.
    • We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
      - Aristotle
    • When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.
      - Jacob Riis
  2. You must be humble. How can you grow in strength and knowledge if you do not acknowledge your weaknesses and ignorance? If you take on the disposition of a know-it-all then you probably aren't in a good position to accept the knowledge and wisdom of others. Being arrogant is to put yourself in a stalemate.
  3. You will fail and you will want to give up many times.

1,5. Beginning Now ↑

Procrastination is perhaps the biggest cause of failure. The key to your success is to begin now. Not later or tomorrow. As soon as you say to yourself that you will begin "tomorrow" or "later" then you have already failed because you are starting with the mindset of a procrastinator. It's vital to begin this very moment. Start thinking about your goals right now and write them down.

 2,0. The Spirit

None of us will accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

2,1. Perspective is Reality ↑

When we look at things in the world we are not looking outward directly at them - we are looking inward into our minds; the brain blindly receives sensory data and from this paints a picture of what reality must be, and it is this painting that we gaze at. A painting is not always perfectly representative of reality as our beliefs, expectations, moods, attitudes, relative positions, and sometimes mental illnesses skew our perceptions and experiences of reality. Some of these things we have control over, and in controlling our perceptions we control our reality.

If you are ever distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. - Marcus Aurelius

If you change the way you look at things, then the things you look at change. - Wayne Dyer

2,2. Inspiration & Motivation ↑

2,3. Goal Gambling with Reps ↑

-

2,3,A. List of Members who will Rep or Neg ↑

  • Current Rep Pool: 11k
  • Current Neg Pool: 5.5k

  • List of participating members:

    -

    2,4. Meditation ↑

    How many of you, as soon as you wake up, immediately turn on the computer or television or radio and flood your system with information and noise? Does the noise ever stop at all throughout the day until you fall asleep?

    You need to find a time in your schedule to just stop - quiet all external noise, quiet all internal noise (worries, thoughts) - and just sit and bask in the silence. Do this every day and eventually use this time to actively meditate.

    There are many forms of meditation. A good starting routine is to sit in silence in a comfortable position and concentrate on one particular thing for a prolonged period of time. Do not let your thoughts wander. Keep them trained and focused on one thing. It is very difficult but with practice you will get better. Some like to focus on their breathing, or chanting. Personally I like to light some candles and focus on the flicker of the flame.

    Chaser wrote:

    As a group dedicated to enlightenment, personal empowerment, and growth, I think many of us could benefit from the positive aspects of meditation. It is an extremely powerful tool to train the mind, promote healthy and balanced energy, and go within yourself to discover truths you may not be aware of. It's something that everyone can, and in my opinion, should do, especially if you want to learn self-awareness. You can also have some pretty profound experiences through meditation, some of which rival those attained through the use of psychedelics (I've had a couple of these myself).

    I plan on adding more to this over time, but for now I just want to explain how to meditate for beginners (as explained to me). Many of you may find you already know this, or have your own basic methods of meditation. However, a lot of people are confused on how to meditate and this is what I've found works for me.

    Getting Ready to Meditate

    Start by sitting in a comfortable pose. If your back is strong, you can do these anywhere. Most people find they get back pains quickly, so you can also do these up against a wall or using cushions for support. I would recommend any of the following as long as they are relatively easy for you to do. Meditating can be difficult enough, no need to complicate it by trying to contort yourself into full lotus pose. Here are some good ones to try:

    Half Lotus
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    Burmese
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    Cross-Legged
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    Kneeling
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    Sitting in a Chair
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    As far as where your hands are placed, don't worry too much about it. Different hand positions can be used for different purposes, but in the beginning do whatever feels right to you. Adopt a stable posture where you aren't hunched over, but aren't totally rigid either. The main thing is finding a comfortable, stable position where you feel grounded. You can move around throughout the meditation to be more comfortable if you want. The purpose is not to be in conflict with your body. Relax your shoulders and close your eyes, or lower them to where they are barely open.

    Beginning Meditation

    Once you have found your comfortable position, begin by establishing a stable breath. Your breath will be your anchor and is, quite literally, your lifeline. Simply focus on your breath and the way it feels to you. As you breathe, notice the sensations of your body. Recognize any areas of obvious discomfort. Try to allow your breathing to relax the tension in these areas, but don't force anything. Sometimes your body just needs to open up on its own terms.

    Once you have addressed the obvious feelings within your body, bring yourself back to your breath. Simply focus on the steady, rhythmic feeling, almost as if your breathing is like waves in the ocean. Always present, always flowing. Open and soften your mind while you do this. Notice what thoughts and feelings arise. Don't judge or analyze these feelings; simply observe them. I like to pretend that my mind is a stream of consciousness in the truest sense. I watch my thoughts pass by as though they are a stream and I am sitting on the bank as a casual observer. Remember, keep your mind soft and open to whatever may come, but try not to actively think about anything.

    If you guys are like me, this can be incredibly difficult, as my mind seems to be going 24/7. However, when you notice yourself paying too much attention to a given thought, simply let it go and return to your breath. Focusing on your breathing is the best way to ground yourself and feel your life force within you. Become aware of the way your breath feels. The cool, tingling sensation as it hits the back of your throat. The rise and fall of your chest or belly. The warmth and relaxation it spreads throughout your being. Spending time just focusing on your breath grounds your mind, body, and spirit in the present moment. Allow yourself to relax into the moment. It's common for your thoughts to creep back in frequently. Simply acknowledge them. Don't judge or evaluate them. Be gentle with yourself and let them pass like a peaceful stream while you return to your breath.

    If you can, try to do this exercise every day. I think you guys will find that even doing this basic meditation for only 10 minutes a day will have a huge impact. If you have trouble sleeping at night, this might be a good one to do right before bed. I have a bunch of other meditation exercises I want to share, but this I've found this to be the most basic and most helpful.

    Look here for many great indepth articles on meditation. Osho's Book of Secrets is a great book on the subject as well. Meditation is something that will help you enormously in every facet of your life.

    2,4,A. Binaural Beats ↑

    "Binaural Beats or binaural tones are auditory processing artifacts, or apparent sounds, the perception of which arises in the brain from specific physical stimuli. This effect was discovered in 1839 by Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, and earned greater public awareness in the late 20th century based on claims that binaural beats could help induce relaxation, meditation, creativity and other desirable mental states. The effect on the brainwaves depends on the difference in frequencies of each tone, for example, if 300 Hz was played in one ear and 310 in the other, then the Binaural beat would have a frequency of 10 Hz."

    You can use them to induce relaxation, meditation, and even fear and anxiety. Here is a torrent of some binaural beats. Note that you must be wearing headphones for it to work.

    2,5. Relaxation ↑

    I don't have much to say here since we all relax in our different ways but I thought it was important to include this section since it is, well, important. Reserve a small amount of time each day for some relaxation or else you will burn yourself out.

    2,6. Happiness ↑

    Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling.
    - Margaret Lee Runbeck

    2,7. Dealing with Stress ↑

    2,8. Mental/Spiritual Health Support ↑

    2,8,A. List of Members to PM about Mental/Spiritual Issues ↑

     3,0. The Body

    What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.
    - Socrates

    3,1. General Health & Nutrition ↑

    3,1,A. Vitamins and Minerals ↑

    • Vitamin A (Retinol): Retinol (named after the retina of the eye) is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for vision, skin and mucous membranes, cell growth, reproduction, and normal immunity. The best sources of retinol are liver and fish liver oils. Beta-carotine - which is 1 of 500 some carotenoids and is a metabolic precurser of retinol (if ingested it is turned into retinol with a relatively poor yield) - is found in carrots and dark green leafy vegetables.
    • Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): Thiamin is a water-soluble vitamin and so the body requires a daily supply of it in order to function optimally. Thiamin is connected in energy metabolism - particularly carbohydrate metabolism. Good sources are whole grains and fortified cereals.
    • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin and so requires daily intake. Riboflavin is involved in energy metabolism. It can be found in meats, poultry, fish, and dairy products.
    • Vitamin B3 (Niacin, Niacinamide): Niacin is a water-soluble vitamin. It functions as part of two enzymes, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), and with an additional phosphate, (NADP). They work in the glycogen energy cycle, the oxidation of fatty acids for energy, and in the tissue respiration. Best sources of niacin (and the precursor to niacin - tryptophan) are found in meats and fish. Athletes require more niacin than a sedentary person.
    • Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): Another water-soluble vitamin, pantothenic acid forms part of conenzyme A, and part of one of the carrier proteins for the enzyme fatty acid synthetase. It is necessary for making glucose and fatty acids, and is also essential for making steroid hormones and brain neurotransmitters. Athletes require an excess of this vitamin compared to non-athletes.
    • Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Pyridoxine conenzymes function at all levels of protein and amino acid metabolism, and in making of hemoglobin and all new proteins. It is also essential for the enzyme glycogen phosphorylase that breaks down muscle glycogen for fuel. So the right amounts of this vitamin are important for athletes. Best sources are wheat germ, chicken, fish, and eggs.
    • Folate: Folate forms part of vital transport coenzymes that control amino acid metabolism. Sources of folate are dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, and egg yolk.
    • Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin): Cobalaminforms part of coenzymes essential for all cells particularly rapid-turnover cells, including red blood cells, the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, and bon marrow cells. Sources for this vitamin are meat products.
    • Biotin: Biotin forms two important enzymes necessary for gluconeogenesis and fatty acid synthesis. Sources are liver, sardines, and egg yolk. This is the last of the water-soluble b complex vitamins (all those mentioned thus far).
    • Vitamin C (Ascorbate): Ascorbate is a water-soluble vitamin that has a role in forming collagen and acts as an antioxidant. Fruits are a source.
    • Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol): This is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is essential for bone growth and mineral balance. It can be synthesized in the skin with the aid of sunlight. It is also present in fortified milk.
    • Vitamin E (D-alpha-tocopherol): Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant. It can be found in vegetable oils, peanut butter, and some seeds.
    • Vitamin K (Phylloquionone): It is essential for formation of prothrombin which is one of the compounds that enables your blood to clot. Green leafy vegetables are a good source.
    • Choline: Choline is not technically a vitamin but it is important in energy metabolism and forms part of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is involved in anabolism and memory. Phosphatidyl choline is often mega-dosed in order to improve memory (more info specifically on this is in "the mind" section of this guide). Sources of choline are eggs, soybeans, and vegetables.
    • Conenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone): Essential for energy metabolism. A good source is in polyunsaturated vegetable oils.
    • Calcium: Ending the vitamins and leading off for the minerals calcium is a component of bones, but is also an ion used for the conduction of nerve impulses and muscle contractions, and if not enough is consumed then bone will be stripped of calcium to make up the deficit. Good sources are dairy products and leafy green vegetables.
    • Magnesium: Magnesium forms part of over 300 enzymes in the body so it is hugely important with many roles to play. Good sources are legumes and whole grains.
    • Phosphorus: Another hugely important mineral involved in ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and creatine phosphate, it plays a huge role in the energy cycle. Good sources are meats, milk, fish, and whole grains.
    • Sodium: Sodium, potassium, and chloride are the three main electrolytes in the body. Sodium is the main cation outside the cells. Sodium is an extremely important mineral.
    • Potassium: Potassium is the main cation inside cells. It interacts with sodium and chloride in conduction of nerve impulses and a host of other essential functions. Mainkind evolved on a high potassium/low sodium diet - which reflects the ratios present in natural and fresh (non-processed) foods like fishes and milk. Processing reverses the ratio in favor of sodium and so it is important to avoid processed foods for this reason.
    • Chloride: Chloride is the main anion outside of cells. Chloride is often taken in accordance with sodium in table salt (sodium chloride).
    • Iron: Irons forms part of hemoglobin and some enzymes. Sources of iron are meats, vegetables, and eggs.
    • Zinc: Zinc forms part of many important enzymes - everything from cell growth to testosterone production. Even momentary deficiency halts muscle-growth. Good sources are meat, eggs, and seafood.
    • Copper: Copper is involved in many enzymes such as noradrenalin. Good sources are organ meats and seafoods.
    • Manganese: It is important for proper formation of bones and cartilage, normal glucose metabolism, and acts as an antioxidant. Good sources are whole grains and black tea.
    • Chromium: Essential for glucose metabolism, insulin metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and muscle growth. It can be found is meat, poultry, and seafood.
    • Selenium: It works as an antioxidant by taking part in an free-radical attacking enzyme. Good sources are meats and seafood.
    • Iodine: Iodine is necessary in the production of thyroid hormones. Good sources are iodized salt, sea salt, seafood, and even breathing in sea air will allow iodine incorporation.
    • Molybdenum: Forms a part of several enzymes. It can be found in whole grains and legumes.

    What I think is a great way to get in all of your daily nutrients is to blend vegetables and fruits in a high-powered blender. I advise against juicing as it discards the cellulose and some potential phytochemicals. By blending you receive exactly what we are meant to accept.

    I personally like the Vitamix blender. If you're going to spring for one you should definitely go for a quality and long-lasting blender. It's a worthwhile investment in my opinion.

    On the "Joe Rogan" drink:

    Suit wrote:

    1 whole leaf of kale
    2-3 celery sticks
    half of an apple or peach or pear. (gotta be sweet not tart or bitter)
    1/3 of a cucumber
    decent size chunk of ginger

    and that is enough for one serving.

    Here are some of my favorite extra nutritious "super" foods. I tried just listing those foods that members here might not be familiar with...

    1. Hemp Seed - Possesses all essential amino acids and all essential omega fatty acids. High in protein, vitamins, and fiber.
    2. Rapini - High in protein and fiber. Possesses all amino acids. Possesses almost every vitamin and mineral.
    3. Quinoa - High in protein and carbohydrate. Possesses all amino acids. Rich in vitamins/minerals.
    4. Edamame - Great source of protein and fiber. Micronutrient dense.

    It's best to get all nutrients from whole foods themselves but if you still want to supplement with a multivitamin then you should be aware of the following information.

    3,1,B. What you need to know about Multivitamins ↑

    Multivitamins/minerals must only show chemically that their label is accurate - that is, through high performance liquid chromatography they verify the presence of the ingredients on the label. This does not take into account bioavailability and it probably is the case that you are not receiving the good effects you paid for simply because you were unaware that the company opted to be cheap in the ingredients and assembly of the pill.

    deniall wrote:


    The FIRST ingredient you need to look at is the vitamin B12. The reason this is the most important is because 1) it's the most expensive component in the multi and 2) it needs to be in high enough doses to be effective. B12 powers your nerves and liver function and you need a lot more than the government recommended amount (6mcg).

    The cheap, inexpensive form of B12 is called cyanocobalamin. This is an inert form of B12 meaning that the cobalamin molecule has been stabilized with a cyanide molecule. This is bad because when your body has to metabolize it, it breaks it down, strips away the front end molecule (which is cyanide) and then you have to detoxify that cyanide.

    So why is this bad? Because first you have to detoxify the cyanide and then it robs energy from your cells just to make it useful which is difficult if you are tired, stressed etc. Not ideal when cutting.

    What you want to look for is a co-enzyme form of B12. Methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. The methylcobalamin is exactly what your liver uses as methylation reactions which power a lot of your natural biochemistry. Adenosylcobalamin is used to assemble proteins in your body and is a key marker of aging. If you don't have enough adenosylcobalamin your body can't make proteins and ages much faster.

    So why is this better? Well if you have a form of a vitamin that is exactly what your body uses then it goes right into your metabolism and does its job.

    So what if it's a blend of methyl and cyano etc? Well, this is simply the company being deceptive. Methylcobalamin costs literally 10 times the amount as cyanocobalamin so the company wants to use as much as the cheap stuff as possible but still have the word methylcobalamin on their label so you think it's good quality.

    Food based nutrients (greens supplements).

    Lets look at chlorella first. What does it do? It absorbs toxins, metals and lead etc. Perfect if you eat a lot of tuna because it will help absorb/break down the mercury in the tuna. Quality all depends on where it's sourced. Does it come from the centre of a lake or does it come from irrigation channels dug around the lake? Is it grown hydroponically? This is important because you don't want your chlorella to be laced with mercury and other crap when that's the reason you're taking it in the first place.

    Minerals.

    Lettuce be reality, all minerals are natural so that's not something to be worried about. What you want to look for is how the mineral is structured. So when a plant absorbs minerals and builds them into its structure we get organic minerals which are biologically bound in a way which is more compatible to how we, as humans, have evolved. Iron is a perfect example of this. If you're getting iron through your water for instance, that's going to be a highly reactive compound, potentially toxic and destructive to health. However, if you get iron from something like spinach, it's been structured with proteins and is in a form that your body knows what to do with it. So you want a form connected to proteins or a form biologically bound to something your body uses in its metabolism.

    Magnesium.

    Magnesium is in short supply in our food and is a critical mineral to your health for your heart, muscles etc.

    Magnesium oxide is the cheap form of magnesium. The oxide itself is oxygen generating compound so when your body has to use it, it strips the oxide from the magnesium before it can use it and now you have oxides in your system. So how do you get rid of oxides? You use antioxidants (vitamin c, vitamin e, beta carotene etc). Why on earth would you want to waste your antioxidants on something you just took for your health? Makes no sense at all. Inert forms of magnesium such as magnesium gluconate, which is a sugar containing molecule of magnesium, is about 10% magnesium and 90% glucose. Not at all what your body needs.

    So what are the higher quality forms of magnesium? Magnesium bis-glycinate which is magnesium double bonded to the amino acid glycine. This is the most expensive form of magnesium you can buy. So what does it do? Well, it's absorbed as a food, it doesn't even need to bind to mineral receptors. This is good because if your body isn't working quite right or you have competition for mineral absorption it doesn't matter. Next, because it's bonded to glycine it goes to your liver to help detoxification and to your nervous system to help it relax. So the magnesium goes straight in with it. This is critically important in people who are fatigued because cells all over your body have to pump magnesium inside themselves. However, the pump needs magnesium to work in the first place so if you're deficient in magnesium and your pump doesn't work you can take magnesium oxide until you're blue in the face and none of it will make it to your cells because you can't get it there. So the best way to make magnesium is to chelate it with things that go into cells. We also have magnesium malate (malic acid). Malic acid is the best compound on earth for muscle fatigue. Perfect for athletes. It will delay the onset of lactic acid so great for cutting and doing cardio.

    What to look out for.

    Amino acid chelate. This sounds great and it does absorb better but what is it? Well usually it's hydrolysed soy protein and you still don't know what form of magnesium was bound to that soy protein. Some companies use calcium formate which is a chemical used to accelerate concrete hardening. Not good.

    Forms of multivitamins.

    Capsules vs tablets? Capsules break down easier and it's easier to absorb the nutrients in them. Vege caps are the best hands down because the vegetable fibre they are made of comes from a nice vegetarian source. Gelatin is fine too but there have been a few scares that they may contain mad cow disease (gelatin comes from beef). Overall though, not something to worry about. Tablets generally use a glue like substance to hold it all together. Usually this is dicalcium phosphate which sounds nice but it's essentially just a glue. Then you have to coat the tablet and companies generally use a coloured coating which is intended to mask the smell. After that you need to glaze the tablet and companies use what's called pharmaceutical glaze (shellac) which comes from a bug. Tablets also tend to just run right through people due to the fact they are basically like a tiny piece of cement all glued together.

    Zanderini wrote:


    Best forms of Vitamins:
    -Vitamin A:Full spectrum mixed carotene sources,retinyl palmitate
    -Vitamin C: Ascorbic acid,Rose hips, Magnesium ascorbate
    -Vitamin D:Cholecalciferol
    -Vitamin E: mixed sources of Tocerpherols and Tocotrienols
    -vitamin K: Menatetrenone
    -B1: Benfotiamine
    -B2: Riboflavin 5' Phosphate
    -Vitamin B3(niacin): inositol Hexanicotinate
    -B5: Pantethine
    -Vitamin B6:Pyrodoxil-5-phosphate
    -Vitamin B12: methylcobalin
    -Folic Acid: 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate

    Good list above but I beg to differ on the vitamin b6. Pyridoxine hydrochloride is fine as well.

    And to add some more to the list: - Magnesium: magnesium aspartate - Calcium: calcium hydroxyapatite "MCHC" - Iron: ferrous fumarate, iron picolinate - Selenium: L-selenomethionine - Zinc: zinc picolinate

    If I were to recommend a good multivitamin/mineral then I'd have to go with orange triad. It's not perfectly ideal but it's definitely a quality product.

    3,1,C. Bisphenol-A, Xenoestrogens, and other Toxins ↑

    Bisphenol A is a monomer used in the manufacturing of most polycarbonate plastics. It is known to leak from plastic food and drink containers spilling into foods and drinks and it may have highly negative impacts on human health as it "is an endocrine disruptor, which can mimic the body's own hormones and may lead to negative health effects," particularly sexual reproductive malformities and diseases since it can "function as a xenoestrogen by binding strongly to estrogen-related receptor γ (ERR-γ)."

    fitnessbyjay wrote:

    A copy pasta from a post I made on another forum:

    I don't think he's talking about the poptarts or cereal directly, but some additives in plastics, called plasticizers. I'm gonna copy some stuff from a class I took last year if anyone's interested. I also attached a pic that demonstrates Bisphenol-A leaching from plastic bottles.

    Pthalates

    • Anti-androgen mimicking
    • Shorter time of pregnancy
    • Earlier puberty among girls

    Bisphenol-A

    • Estrogen mimicking
    • Unusual organ growth
    • Obesity

    • Plasticizers for plastics are additives, such as phtalates, that give hard plastics like polyvinylchlorid (PVC) the desired flexibility and durability.
    • Phtalate-based plasticizers are used in situations where good resistance to water and oils is required (> 20 different compounds)
    • Bisphenol-A is a difunctional building block of several important plastics and plastic additives. With an annual production of 2–3 million mertic tonnes, it is an important monomer in the production of polycarbonate (PC)

    Some studies to look up on Phtalates:

    • Decrease in anogenital distance among male infants with prenatal Phtalate exposure - Swan et al.
    • Prenatal phtalate exposure and reduced masculine play in boys - Swan et al.
    • Effects on perinatal exposure to PCBs and Dioxins on play behaviour in Dutch children at school age - Vreugdenhil et al.
    Some studies to look up on Bisphenol-A:
    • Association of urinary Bisphenol-A concentration with medical disorders and laboratory abnormalities in adults - Lang et al.

    "In general, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 are very unlikely to contain BPA. Some, but not all, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA."

    kwvdk.png

    BPA free water bottles:

    3,1,D. Water Purity & Sufficiency ↑

    Adequate water intake is immensely important. Look at this water calculator to see how much water you need.

    Some water may be contaminated with toxins and heavy metals such as xenoestrogens, estrogen, BPA, and other contaminants. It's probably a good idea to filter the water that you drink. The best filtration method that will remove most of the aforementioned contaminants is reverse osmosis filtration.

    Other methods are carbon filtration and nanofiltration.

    I recommend this reverse osmosis water filtration system. You may need the help of a plumber to install it and it is fairly expensive ($420 currently) but I think well worth the money. A cheaper and smaller counter-top reverse osmosis filtration system can be found here.

    3,1,E. Sleeping Cycles & Circadian Rhythms ↑

    Have you ever wondered why you feel horrible waking up even though you had slept for over eight hours? This is because the length of sleep matters little compared to when you awaken in your sleeping cycle. When you sleep your brain-waves change in timed stages. There are 4 stages of sleep:

    1. Light Sleep - This is the type of sleeping that occurs in calculus class. Alpha and theta waves abound.
    2. Stage 2 Sleep - For about 20 minutes the brain produces wave bursts or sleep spindles. Body temperature drops.
    3. Slow-Wave or Deep Sleep - Long delta brain-waves occur during this sleep. Waking up now will be unpleasant.
    4. REM Sleep - Muscle atonia or paralysis occurs, blood pressure rises, optical muscles twitch, vivid dreaming takes place.

    An entire sleep cycle lasts for about 90-110 minutes depending on the person, and it typically goes through the stages like so: 1 - 2 - 3 - 2 - REM. Waking up at the end of a cycle or immediately after REM sleep will fill you with energy and optimism. So it's best to sleep in multiples of around 90. If you're going to bed at 12 for example then set your alarm clock for 1:30, 3:00, 4:30, 6:00, 7:30. In the links below in this section there are some bed time calculators that will do this for you automatically.

    Circadian rhythms are physiological responses to the times of day. As you near sleep for example the pineal gland will secrete an excess of melatonin. These rhythms can be controlled and pushed backwards and forwards by sleeping and waking at the same times repeatedly. Having a regular bedtime and waketime is a good idea. You don't necessarily have to go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake up at 6 a.m. but having a consistency to your sleeping pattern is important. http://stereopsis.com/flux is a cool program that adjusts your computer screen brightness and color to reflect the sun and moon or the time of day.

    3,1,F. Cardiovascular Exercise ↑

    Cardiovascular exercise is extremely important to good health. When you undergo regular aerobic exercise several physiological changes occur:

    1. The heart becomes bigger and stronger. Your heart is a muscle after-all and can be trained the same as skeletal muscle. The volume of blood it can pump per unit time increases and so less beats are necessary for equivalent amounts of blood to circulate through your body.
    2. Lung potential and efficiency increases, which means per breath more oxygen will accepted into the bloodstream by sacs of alveoli. As well, muscles involved in breathing like the diaphragm will become stronger.
    3. Mitochondrial density increases which means energy efficiency increases.

    Cardio exercise is stuff like jogging, swimming, biking, jumping rope. In order to get the benefits of it though it must be sustained for a minimum amount of time and intensity. The time should generally be at least 30 minutes. The intensity should be monitored by your heart-rate: subtract your age from the number 220 and then multiply by 0.7 for your minimum target beats per minute ... you can figure out your heart-rate quickly by counting the beats per 6 seconds and then adding a zero.

    3,1,G. Yoga, Stretching, Breathing, & Balance ↑

    You might see the word yoga and think of middle-aged westernized women congregated in a large sweaty room in a YMCA, and then immediately discredit the practice. Yoga actually originates in ancient Indian Hinduism, and it was and is used for physical, mental, and spiritual growth and development. If done properly it should be a meditative practice which works to improve balance, flexibility, posture, breathing control, and general well-being.

    There are two main aspects of yoga. The most important are the yoga poses which are called 'asanas'. There are around 90 of them and each has a specific physical and mental benefit. The next aspect of yoga is the practice of controlled breathing which is dubbed the full yogic breath.

    Info on Non-Yogic Stretching:

    3,2. Losing Fat ↑

    The business of fat-loss has been infiltrated with so much ridiculous, vapid, nonsensical bullshit that it might lead one to believe that losing fat is difficult or complicated at all. It's not. Losing fat is perhaps the single easiest task in the world, because all you have to do is literally nothing at all and you will lose fat. (Of course starving yourself is equally stupid since it will most likely lead to muscular atrophy and you will probably end up being around the same body-fat percentage but just at a lower weight). Okay time to throw out all the maple syrup and cabbage diets, all of the "eat rice and chicken in ten small meals" diets, all of the "just salad" diets - let's get back to the fundamentals.

    3,2,A. Keeping it Simple ↑

    All effective fat-loss diets operate on the exact same underlying principle of energy balance. An energy deficit is the driver of fat-loss in every diet. There is nothing else besides this.

    So what do you need to do simply in order to lose fat effectively? (in other words retain muscle).

    Eat at a ~20% deficit from your maintenance energy (which is your b.m.r. multiplied by an activity factor) and ingest about 1 g protein per pound of LBM (the protein is for muscle retention). That's really all you need to do in order to lose fat effectively. The type of foods you eat do not matter in regards to fat-loss - only the amount of energy you intake matters. Also cardio is completely unnecessary. You don't need extra time in order to lose fat; in fact, losing fat will give you extra time since you will spend less time eating. The only supplement to this procedure might be the addition of some resistance training, though this does not impact fat-loss but instead muscle-retention and so it is also unnecessary in regards to simply losing fat.

    If any of the above confused you I'll go into more detail below with some links.

    3,2,B. Negative Energy Balance ↑

    All that is necessary for fat-loss is that you take in less energy than you expend. The energy you will expend per day whilst comatose (or without doing anything at all) is your basal metabolic rate (bmr). The energy you will actually expend each day will probably be a bit more than your bmr since you will move around, so you have to account for this with an activity multiplier applied to the bmr figure. The final number you get is your maintenance energy in kilocalories.

    Calculate your maintenance energy here.

    Now you know your maintenance energy which is the energy you are likely to expend per day. Take this number and multiply it by 0.8 and you will have your daily Caloric intake goal. You cannot exceed this goal.

    Now divide the energy between the three major macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrate.

    - At least 1 gram of protein per 1 lb LBM is a good rule of thumb. - At least 0.5 grams of fat per 1 lb body-weight. - Fill the rest of your goal Calories with your choice of the three macronutrients (all carbohydrates, all fats, or a mixture of two or all three are all perfectly fine). The sources of the foods matter very little in regards to body composition. - See here for further clarification on the above.

    If you want to know your daily maintenance energy more accurately you can check out the BodyMedia Fit which is a device that measures how many calories you have burned throughout the day and night while you sleep, how much energy you intake, and uploads it all to a website for you to keep track. It is highly accurate (+- 10%) by monitoring body heat, sweat dissipation, galvanic responses, and more. A slightly cheaper alternative is the fitbit found here. These devices are absolutely unnecessary but they are pretty neat gadgets.

    And that's pretty much it in a nutshell. Now all you have to implement is patience and persistence. Losing fat takes time. Also a great source of articles and information can be found at bodyrecomposition.com

    Win money by losing weight here: healthywage.com. They wager that you cannot lose a certain amount of weight in a certain amount of time. You put money down and if in the given time you have succeeded then you get more money back plus more. Of course if you fail then they keep your money. It's a legit site.

    3,2,C. Keto ↑

    Keto is a diet that deliberately induces a metabolic state known as ketosis by removing dietary carbohydrates and liver-glycogen. It is great for fat-loss because among other things such a diet markedly reduces appetite and is highly satiating. Keto is basically a fat-loss diet on auto-pilot - because of the qualities outlined above you can just eat until you're full basically and keep losing fat without ever feeling hunger. Keto combined with intermittent fasting (the next section) is the holy grail of easy and quick fat-loss in my opinion.

    Ketosis is a subject that I'm fairly familiar with so feel free to ask me anything about it in the complementary thread (linked at the very top of the page). And check my huge Guide to Ketosis for more indepth info on the subject.

    3,2,D. Intermittent Fasting ↑

    In its simplest IF is the breaking of each 24 hours into a fasting phase and a fed phase. I personally like the 'warrior diet' which is a variant of IF in which you only eat 1 large meal every day before you go to bed. It's nice to go to bed on a full stomach, and since you've eaten so much you're really zonked out and you fall asleep quickly. But this may not be for everybody. There are many variants of IF and you could even create one yourself. Again, this is not necessary for fat-loss; it's merely based on preference and ease.

    3,2,E. Cardio: hiit and liss ↑

    Again exercise is entirely unnecessary for fat-loss, but it can be helpful if you really want to put in the time and energy, especially as you near lower body-fat percentages.

    hiit is an acronym for 'high intensity interval training', and it is exactly what it sounds like - periods of maximum intensity, heart-pumping exercise followed by an abrupt switch to low intensity exercise. An example would be to sprint and walk in periods for about 20 minutes.

    liss means 'low intensity steady state', and an example is simply walking. Walking is great for fat-loss, but it just takes more time than say hiit.

    So the great debate: hiit vs liss. Well first of all if you're doing keto then I'd recommend avoiding hiit because at 70+% Vo2 max muscle-glycogen is mostly metabolized and since under prolonged ketosis muscle-glycogen stores are depleted then this will force gluconeogenesis; of course if you're cycling carbohydrates then you'll be fine but if you are then shouldn't you preserve the glycogen for weight-training specifically? That's the whole point of it after-all. Besides that though hiit and liss pretty much have the same results. liss just takes longer.

    3,2,F. Supplementation ↑

    1. The EC stack is an awesome, safe, and cheap supplementation to fat-loss. Check this guide here for more information.
    2. Apple cider vinegar with the mother is another great supplement for fat-loss. Bragg's apple cider vinegar is the best brand in my opinion. Info here and a link for a gallon of bragg's apple cider vinegar here (you run out of the stuff quickly so it's best to buy in bulk).
    3. Fish oil pills are also great for fat-loss assuming you wouldn't get sufficient omega fatty acids otherwise.

    3,3. Gaining Muscle-Mass ↑

    This section summarizes the basics of muscle-building and weight-lifting. Too often people complicate simple things needlessly for marketing purposes, and especially in the realm of bodybuilding and athletics. There are people who will go to the gym every single day and put in their dues, yet after 12 months (or 12 years) they will look exactly as they did when they began. They do exactly the same thing week in and week out without any clue of vital concepts such as progressive overloading or the ultimate importance of diet.

    3,3,A. Keeping it Simple ↑

    Train with intensity, eat in excess with sufficient protein, rest or sleep, and repeat. That's all there is to it. To train with intensity is to unconsciously implement a progressive overload system which is necessary for muscular growth.

    3,3,B. Positive Energy and Nitrogen Balance ↑

    If you do not eat in excess then you will not gain muscle-mass. When a positive energy balance is in place the pineal gland will set in motion hormonal cascades which are conducive to mass-building, and unless you're injecting external hormones you probably will be spinning your wheels unless you simply start eating more.

    Maintenance energy plus 10 to 20% is sufficient for mass-building. So calculate your maintenance energy here and simply multiply by 1.1 or 1.2 to get your goal Caloric intake.

    As usual protein intake should be about 1 g per pound of LBM. This will be plenty.

    3,3,C. Resistance Training ↑

    Finally the fun part. Lifting weights or some type of resistance training is definitely helpful in regards to muscle-building. Look here for some good resources on weight-lifting exercises:

    Compound exercises are generally superior to isolation exercises especially if you're just beginning. The five big exercises that will transform your body are (in my opinion of course):

    1. Dead-lift and variants of the dead-lift (SLDL)
    2. Weighted Dips
    3. Squats
    4. Weighted Pull-ups
    5. Incline DB press

    3,3,C,1. Myofibrillar & Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy ↑

    Muscles are bundles of long tubular strands of muscle-fibers. Muscle-fibers themselves are bundles of long tubular strands of myofibrils. Myofibrils are composed of repeating units of proteins called sarcomeres.

    Within the muscle-fibers and surrounding the myofibrils is the sarcoplasm. Sarcoplasm is a fluid consisting of water, glycogen (stored glucose), myoglobin (interestingly this protein accounts for the red fluid or "blood" in steaks), ATP-producing mitochondria, and other various proteins and minerals.

    Weight-training at 80-90% of maximum lifting potential for 2-6 repetitions will cause predominately myofibrillar hypertrophy - that is, the myofibrils will have proteins added to them until they split in two (though the muscle-fiber itself will never duplicate) so that eventually it will be as if the muscle-fibers are bulging due to the increased content of the myofibrils. This will cause an increase in strength but may not increase noticable size. This type of training will also serve to markedly increase neuromuscular conditioning which is a big part of strength.

    Weight-training with more volume in a repetition range of 8-12 will elicit sarcoplasmic hypertrophy which will increase the muscle-cell's capacity for glycogen, myoglobin, and mitochondria - all of which will allow for a more sustainable production of energy. This type of training also has the effect of visibly enlarging the muscles.

    For beginners it might be helpful to first begin with a strength (myofibrillar hypertrophic) program so that once you begin training for size (if that is indeed your goal) you are in a good position to employ progressive overloading (which if you do not then you will be spinning your wheels for years). "PHAT" (power hypertrophy adaptive training) is an excellent training program designed by Layne Norton which allows for both strength and volume training.

    3,3,C. Recuperation ↑

    Weight-training is all about shocking or tearing the body temporarily so that it can come back stronger the next time, so obviously recuperation is an integral part of this. Just sleep dawg. It is primarily during sleep when the hypothalamus secretes HGH so get those snoozes in.

    3,3,D. Supplementation ↑

    *removed*

    3,4. Acne, Scars, and Stretch Marks ↑

    • Cetaphil for all skin types is the best facial cleanser in my opinion (use this in place of soap on your face). It can be found here.
    • Apple cider vinegar with the mother is excellent for removing acne. Info and here is a link for a gallon of bragg's apple cider vinegar here (you run out of the stuff quickly so it's best to buy in bulk).
    • Benzoyl peroxide cream is great for acne. You can find a 10% tube here.
    • Exfoliating gloves are useful. You can find some here.
    • I personally find that food/drink items that are highly glycemic tend to cause breakouts.
    • Supplement with vitamin D pills or get tons of sun-light. There's tons of research that suggests high bioavailability of vitamin D taken in pill form.
    • Supplement with vitamin A pills or foods rich in vitamin A. Accutane is essentially vitamin A, the main difference being the enormous dosage.
    • Get the right amount of sleep at the correct times. 6-8 hours is plenty, and your sleep should align with your circadian rhythms.
    • Regularly wash and switch your bed sheets, pillow cases, and blankets.
    • 2 words: cold showers.
    • Drink enough water.

    quarterpound wrote:

    PRODUCTS TO PURCHASE
    Benzoyl Peroxide Cream (I use benzac ac 10% but start of at like 5% concentration)
    An Oil free, fragrance free and non comodegenic moisturiser.
    Zinc Tablets 25mg
    Fish oil tablets 1000mg
    Emu oil.
    Benzac ac facewash
    Water
    Lemon juice

    REGIME
    Wash your face twice a day with the benzac ac facewash, pat it dry with a clean towel, when its dry apply the benzac ac cream, rub it in be gentle though, the cream only at night and go to sleep with it on, in the morning wash you face with the facewash, pat it dry, if its itchy red or dry use the moisturiser, keep it on all day, during the day carry on you a 1 litre bottle of water and keep filling it up when you finish it, i drink at least 7 litres per day, this flushes out any toxins in your body, also it good when you get home from work/school squeeze a few lemons and drink it, now for the tablets, take 2 zincs in the morning, 2 fish oils in the morning, and the same at night for both, the fish oil contains omega 3 and some other shit which is really good for acne, also go look at your fingernails most of you with acne will have white marks under the nail, this is a zinc deficieny which also causes acne, get right on dem zincs. Your nails should clear up and also your acne, now the emu oil, this is good for the weekends, when your at home, if you suffer from hyperpigmentation which is red marks after the acne is gone, the emu oil heals the skin, it has better results on some then others and although it is a very oily oil it wont clog pores or make you break out, its cleared some of my marks, but some people say it cleared their red marks in a week so give it try.

    An Added Part
    For strong acne scars and red marks, you can buy salylic acid peels and glycolic acid peels which clear up marks very quickly although it makes your skin peel heavily. You will have a week downtime if you use it.

    Above all stick to the regime, cut that fringe off it you have forehand acne, drink dat water, dont skip on the tablets, dont buy that nuetrogena shit it doesnt work, also dont get on pro activ it makes your acne come back 1000 times worse when you stop, any queries just post in this thread ill get back to everyone.

    3,5. Guide to Posture ↑

    Gzus wrote:

    Common Postural Deficiencies
    Desk Jockey: What Sitting All Day is Doing to Your Body
    In Defense of Overhead Lifting - Tests for Shoulder Girdle Health
    Dysfunction Tests

    Total body corrective routines:
    Neanderthal No More Part I
    Neanderthal No More Part II
    Neanderthal No More Part III
    Neanderthal No More Part IV
    Neanderthal No More Part V
    How to Improve Muscle Balance and Stability for Increased Performance Part 1
    How to Improve Muscle Balance and Stability for Increased Performance Part 2: Faulty Alignment of the Head, Neck, Shoulder Complex
    How to Improve Muscle Balance and Stability for Increased Performance Part 3: Faulty Alignment of the Pelvis
    (De)-Constructing Computer Guy
    (De)-Constructing Computer Guy - the other 23 hrs

    Upper body corrective routines:
    Push-Ups, Face Pulls, and Shrugs... upper back posture/mobility+scap mobility, restoration and maintenance of shoulder/scap muscular balance
    The Voyer Shrug...for shoulder anteriority
    Heal that Hunchback....Kyphosis correction
    How to Improve Your Thoracic Mobility
    The Weakest Link....work into your current chest/back routine but address severe anterior pelvic tilt prior to implementing The Right Way to Stretch the Pecs

    Lower body corrective routines:
    Hips Don't Lie: Fixing Your Force Couples....Obtaining optimal pelvic alignment Corrective Methods For Common Postural Deviations: The Anterior Pelvic Tilt

    Most effective IT and QL stretch:
    IT Band
    [youtube]t2uCy7lb9XU[/youtube]

    QL (feels good man)
    http://tinyurl.com/85ultov


    Taken from Gzuz's thread -Posture Correction Information and Routines-.

    3,6. Laser Eye Surgery ↑

    3,7. Gynecomastia ↑

    Gynecomastia can occur for different reasons but a probable cause is a result of the aromatisation of excess testosterone to DHT and oestrogen. There are ways to combat this. A quick and easy way is the ingestion of the phytochemical indole-3-carbinol which works to hydroxylate and metabolize estrogen; 500 mg of I3C has been shown to reduce estrogen by 50%. I3C can be found in the brassica genus (broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, etc).

    Chemical treatments for gynecomastia should probably be considered before surgery. Make sure to consult your doctor. Tamoxifen (nolvadex) is an antagonist to the estrogen receptor in breast tissue. Anastrozole (arimidex) works to combat the aromatisation of testosterone.

    Also be sure to check the section on bisphenol-A and water purity above.

    3,8. Teeth Whitening ↑

    These are really all you need right here in my opinion: Crest Professional Whitening Strips

    Here is 40inchvert's thread thread on the topic.

    Franchise16 wrote:

    First off I will start by saying as bad as you may want it, you won't be able to match my sheer size or chicklet-esque arrangement. There is however a way you too can have the extreme white color I do.When you have teeth this big you can't really afford to fuk around with your teeth cleaning so I know what I'm doing.

    First off I will show you the every day essentials and tips to take your teeth to the next level.First I will start with a whitening mouth wash. This is essential to your every day whitening. You can use name brands but a shoppers drug mart no name will suffice. I recommend keeping your bottle in the shower. After washing my hair and body I swish with this while I exfoliate my face with a scrub. This way you save time and you won't forget to use it.

    Second you're gonna want to get yourself a whitening tooth paste. I am a huge fan of Crest Vivid white paste, it is a few extra bucks a tube but it definitely makes a huge difference. I have fuked around with just using baking soda/hydrogen peroxide with the toothpaste but to be honest this works a whole lot better.

    Now time for whitening. I've used this 5 minute whitening gel before lots, the huge advantage to this stuff is that it only takes 5 minutes and a tube of the sh*t is only like 6 bucks. Although it will make your teeth slightly whiter, it really doesnt do a whole lot.

    The next thing I'll cover is the white strips. Although no name and cheaper white strips make a minimal difference, you're really gonna have the shell out the extra bucks to take your teeth to the next level. I am a HUGE fan of the Crest Advanced Seal Professional Effects white strips. I pay 80 bucks a box with tax but I know they are available on amazon for like 30-40 bucks a box (Shippings just a bitch to Canada). These strips are 30 minutes a day, for 20 days. By the end of a box your teeth are looking legit as hell.

    Now I'm gonna discuss the preferred method of whitening. You do not need to do the strips first but if you want to test sensitivity of your teeth it is a good idea to start with the strips then move to this. If you already know sensitivity is a problem purchase some Sensidine toothpaste and start brushing with that for a couple weeks before you use strips or this.This stuff is called ACP DayWhite. It is a 38% solution as oppose to the 10% solution found in the strips. ACP sells lower concentrations also. I got mine on ebay for $20 plus another 20 to get it shipped up to canada (for 4 tubes). Each tube lasts approximately 4-5 uses. It is recommended that you purchase a mouth guard to use this as it does not come with any application tools. You can buy those boil and suck mouth guards from sports stores OR better off just going to your dentist and having him make you up a couple custom fit trays. I am lazy and cheap so instead of walking 2 minutes to get a mouth guard I apply my stuff on with a Q tip. I first do the tops, let them chill for 20-30 minutes and then wash them off and do the bottoms. The only tricky part of using this method is keeping saliva under control and your lips out of the way for the time it is on. For the tops I just awkward smile and I can avoid touching them no problem. The bottoms are trickier so what I do it once I paint the stuff on with a Qtip I put a paper towel ball under my tongue and hold my lip away. Yes it looks retarded, yes it works. Although the mouth guard idea would be a whole lot easier I find painting it on allows me to get even distribution as well as lets me get in those hard to reach places where my teeth don't quite line up right.

    The most important thing that I cannot stress enough is consistency. Making sure to use your mouth wash and whitening toothpaste twice a day is essential in maintaining the white you'll get from the strips.

    3,9. Increasing Height ↑

    There are three ways to increase height. 1) thru posture correction (check the section on posture above), 2) thru supplementation assuming that your growth plates have not yet fused, 3) thru surgery (linked below)

    3,10. On Thinning Hair ↑

     4,0. The Mind

    Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. - Socrates

    Beauty is truth, truth beauty, - that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. - John Keats

    4,1. Reading ↑

    Language is what gives us our intelligence and humanity. Without it we would be dumb animals no different than chimpanzees. But even now when we speak and think we can only draw on those things that we've previously seen or heard before, so we are mentally limited by our current experiences and vocabulary. With each new book we read, we grow in sophistication and knowledge. With each new book we read we 'level up' like you would in a video game.

    4,1,A. List of Recommended Fiction ↑

    4,1,B. List of Recommended Non-Fiction ↑

    4,1,C. Guide to Speed Reading ↑

    Ever wonder how people read several books in a single evening? Would you like to be able to do that? If it takes you 3 minutes to read a single page of a book then you're doing it wrong. It would be like traveling with your bicycle but instead carrying the bike on your back instead of letting the wheels do the work. Of course speed-reading has its place; if you're trying to commit something to memory or if you're reading some very difficult academic subject then you'll have to read more slowly.

    The first step to speed-reading is to realize that you must rid yourself of your inner monologue. As you read this are you 'sounding out' or 'speaking' the words inside of your head? This is unnecessary and only slows you down. It might be hard to believe now but if you simply look at a sentence without 'speaking' it, then your brain will still soak it up. A good exercise that I like is to - while you read - repeat '1,2,3,4' to get rid of this monologue. So just scan your eyes across the sentences while repeating in your mind something unrelated as practice. Of course this requires much practice to get used to, but once you're used to it you'll be reading 3 books a day without a problem.

    Once you get used to simply looking at the words and not 'speaking' them, you can stop the '1,2,3,4' mantra business, and employ some more efficient tactics. One is called the 'z' style of reading. Once you finish a line on a page instead of looking all the way back to the left you need only move your eyes downward to the 'end' of the next line and read the line backwards.

    Spreeder (below) is a very neat program that helps you speed-read. You enter into it whatever text you want to read, and set the amount of words to display at one time on the screen and a time-limit for the length that the text shows up.

    4,2. Lectures, Documentaries, and Podcasts ↑

    Here's a list of some recommended documentaries, lectures, and podcasts:

    4,3. Guide to a Vast Memory ↑

    Everybody knows that there's a 'short-term' memory and a 'long-term' memory, and that you generally transfer information from the short-term to the long-term by repetition. But the type of long-term memory you

    There are two types of long-term explicit memory: episodic memory and semantic memory. Semantic memory is a type of memory processing that your brain uses for dry facts and text-book types of knowledge.

    4,4. Education ↑

    Tip: 1) Go to www.cramster.com 2) Sign up 3) On the left side of the "My Cramster" page hit the "Upgrade Now!" button 4) There's a hyperlink next to the postal code box that reads "Coupon Code?" - click it 5) Enter "cramster" in the coupon field 6) Enjoy one free year of cramster

    4,4,A. Guide to College ↑

    4,4,A,1. Choosing a Degree, a College, and the Application Process ↑

    http://www.salary.com http://www.studentsreview.com http://www.uncwil.edu/stuaff/career/Majors

    4,4,A,2. Getting Good Grades ↑

    4,4,A,3. Procrastination ↑

    4,4,A,4. Internships ↑

    4,4,A,5. Letters of Recommendation ↑

    4,4,A,6. Amphetamines and Methylphenidates ↑

    4,4,A,7. Piracetum, Choline, & Caffeine ↑

    4,4,B. Guide to Graduate School ↑

    4,4,B,1. Types of Graduate Degrees and Schools ↑

    4,4,B,1. Applying to Graduate School ↑

    4,4,B,1. You and your Research ↑

    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=124719161 - you and your research

    4,4,B,1. Medical School ↑

    4,4,B,1. Law School ↑

    4,5. Knowledge & Academics ↑

    4,5,A. English and Grammar ↑

    4,5,B. Foreign Language ↑

    4,5,C. Philosophy ↑

    4,5,D. History ↑

    4,5,E. Mathematics ↑

    4,5,F. Physics ↑

    4,5,G. Chemistry ↑

    4,5,H. Biology ↑

    4,5,I. Astronomy ↑

    4,5,J. Geology ↑

    4,5,K. Engineering ↑

    4,5,L. Business and Economics ↑

    4,6. List of Members to PM for Material/Homework Help ↑

     5,0. The Social Being

    -

    5,1. Basic Guide to Fashion and Appearance ↑

    5,1,A. Clothing ↑

    Clothing can make ugly people look good and good-looking people look bad. Here are some tips on how to work with clothes to accentuate your features and boost your attractiveness.

    5,1,A,1. Fit is Everything ↑


    Shujin wrote:

    The difference between appearing socially awkward or sharp and confident is often reduced to the fit of your clothing. Some of this is identifying the right tailor, but a lot of it comes down to you and the fitting room mirror. Picking the right fit is not some innate, instinctual ability, but is learned from paying attention to detail. A lot of people in MFA have asked for a general guide to fit, so here it is.

    Preface:
    This doesn't really need saying, but clothes best flatter a body that is already in shape. If you want to look good, style will only take you so far. Eat and drink well. Exercise every once in a while. You don't need a six-pack to look good, but if you're in decent shape wearing clothes become much easier. This works both ways - if you're lanky and stick-like, start working out. It will help you fill out your clothes.
    Have someone take all of your measurements multiple times for accuracy. These are very useful numbers when shopping for clothing in-store, and are absolutely crucial when shopping online.
    This guide is a general guide for the novice. If you're some style guru, you can look great in some crazy fits. If that's the case, this guide is not for you.

    Dress shirts:
    This shirt fits very well. Let’s go into the details.

    • The collar should just graze your neck without constricting it. If turning your head causes the collar to turn with it, the collar is too tight. You should be able to comfortably fit only two fingers inside of your buttoned collar without it tightening against your skin.
      ¬¬¬
    • Your cuffs should meet the point where your palm begins (about 2cm up from your wrist bone). It should be tight enough that your thumb notch at your wrist will stop the cuff from moving up your hand. It should be a bit looser than a properly fitting watch, and not go farther up your wrist than that watch.
    • The shoulder seam should be at your shoulder bone. This is the point on your shoulder that is the greatest distance away from your sternum.
    • Sleeves should not be so tight that you can see the details of your arm, but it should also not be so loose as to billow. When you bend your arm, your cuff should not move more than an inch up your wrist.
    • When you fold your hands behind your head, the shirt should not come out of the pants. If it does, the armholes may not be high enough. Alternatively, armholes should not be tight around your shoulder or cutting into your armpit.
    • Shirt length should be such that you can bend and make natural movements without it coming out of your pants.

    Blazers and Suit Jackets: Concerning fit, this jacket fits rather nicely... except the sleeves are too long and his lapels are in horrendous shape. Well, this gentleman’s suit fits quite well... except it's a bit tight in the body for most tastes. How about this ? Yes I believe that fits properly. See how hard it is to find a well fitted suit jacket?

    • Concerning length: a suit jacket is like a good lawyer; it should cover your ass. Some say that it should reach your knuckles, but this assumes the length of your arms is normal.
    • The second button from the bottom should be just above your belly-button (never below)
    • With your arms at your sides, the sleeves should cover the wrist bone, and no more. (Note that your dress shirt will have 1-2cm longer sleeves, which allows you to "show some cuff")
    • While buttoned, the jacket should not pull across the chest (signified by the fabric making an "X" shape at your sternum). Similarly, it should not pull across the shoulders when arms are folded.
    • The shoulder seam should lie on the edge of your shoulder. Avoid any bends, or divots between the shoulder and the sleeve. This is signified by an indentation seen just below the shoulder seam or shoulder pad. There should be minimal buckling, the sleeve should be smooth at the shoulder. You can see what I'm referring to pictured here. If you look at the fellow in the center, his left shoulder is smooth, while his right shoulder is buckling. Now natural movement (lifting your arms) will certainly cause the shoulders to buckle, but this is normal. You simply want to reduce the amount of buckling, and you want to make sure there are absolutely no wrinkles or divots while your arms are down at your sides.
    • About 2cm of shirt collar should be revealed by the jacket collar.
    • Holding your hand flat, you should easily be able to fit it inside the jacket under the lapels. However it should be slim to the chest - there shouldn't be an air pocket there.
    • Similarly to shirts, armholes must be sufficiently high. The arms should move somewhat independently of the jacket during normal motions. If holding your arms out at 45 degrees causes the bottom of your suit to rise significantly, your armholes are likely too low. The sleeves should not significantly restrain your movement. Note, however, that you're not doing acrobatics in a suit jacket. Alternatively, the armholes should not be cutting into your armpit.
    • If a jacket doesn’t fit your shape properly, sometimes the bottoms will flare out, a product of the jacket being too slim in the waist, so your hips push the fabric out a bit.

    Coats: Coats should fit like this. If you have an athletic physique, you can even get away with this. (Note: I tried to avoid quoting SF but those fits are just too good).

    • Keep in mind what you will be wearing under your coat, as the size will need to adjust accordingly.
    • Most rules are the same as suit jackets, in that shoulder seams should lie at your shoulders (given what you’re wearing underneath).
    • Sleeve should go about an inch up your hand from your wrist (an inch longer than a dress shirt sleeve), to ensure that you’re not showing any sleeve form something you’re wearing underneath.
    • The coat should not be roomy, but should lie close to your body and accentuate your shape. That being said, it should be in no way taut, and should allow freedom of movement.
    • Like a jacket, if a coat doesn’t fit right sometimes the bottoms will flare out like a bell, beware of this. It makes the coat look skirt-like.

    Pants:

    • No pants should need a belt to stay on your hips.
    Chinos should fit like this or this
    • Note: The pants in the first image are somewhat conservatively cut. There is nothing wrong with the fit, but some may prefer the slimmer cut in the second image.
    • The chino should not be tight to the leg, but also should not billow. It should be comfortably close to the leg without causing resistance
    • You generally want one break in the pant leg (A break is a crease at the base of the pant leg created when the pant collapses onto the shoe). If you're going sockless with slim chinos then you probably want no breaks.
    • Avoid pleats.
    Dress trousers should fit like this
    • Similar to the Chino in fit, but they well naturally drape more.
    • Again, avoid pleats.
    • You want to aim for a smaller break, but you still want a break.
    Some people opt for a cuff that weighs down the pants and has no break. I believe a small break is pleasing to the eye, and Brooks Brothers (pictured) seems to agree with me. Jeans should be no baggier than this
    • Go with your waist size and stick with straight leg or slimmer. Size down 1 for a slimmer fit. The jeans will stretch.
    • When it comes to breaks due to gravity, most people don't want more than a few, pictured here. Some people aim for more breaks, this is called "stacking", pictured here. That amount of stacking might seem like a bit much, but it's a matter of taste. Depending on the style of the jean and rigidity of the denim, you can get away with bunching farther up the leg. Since jeans are very versatile and can be fit with numerous styles, this varies quite a bit.
    • Length can vary if you plan to cuff the jean. Jean cuff can vary from 3-12cm depending on your style.
    • The jean should be slim in the thigh and straight or tapered from the knee down. Avoid bootcut jeans.

    Ties: A tie should be about this long with a knot that looks like this

    • While standing straight, the bottom of your tie should just reach the center of your belt.
    • The tie should simply sit under your collar, and should not tighten your collar.
    • Your knot should vary depending on your collar. A wider collar, such as a cutaway, would call for a larger knot such as a full-windsor. A narrow collar, such as a pointed collar, would call for a four-in-hand. Experiment and see what knots look good to you.

    Shoes:

    • While on your feet, you should not be able to easily fit a finger behind your heel (this varies a bit, but your shoes shouldn't be roomy).
    • You should be able to barely graze the front of the shoe with your toes. The front of the shoe should not be pressing on your toes.
    • The shoe should exert little to no pressure on the sides of your feet.
    • This should be obvious, but walking should be comfortable and take no effort.

    Taken from here

    5,1,A,2. Fashion and Style Guide ↑

    RoyGT wrote:

    Several people have asked me to write up a style guide, I work in the designer fashion industry and have modeled for a while. See this thread for any other questions or out of curiosity.

    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=140577301

    My current employer is Diesel; my job basically consists of dressing people and making them look good. I’m in sales; I dress mannequins, and do visuals as well. The following will cover the basics of day to day fashion; give an overview of each clothing item and my recommendations/tips.

    Disclaimer: some people might disagree with my choices but these are MY personal preferences/things I see when interacting with customers/celebrities/fashion “experts” that come into my store. Also, if I fail to mention something in the following post, I didn’t, I probably just don’t care much about it.

    PART I

    Tops:

    T-Shirts (short or long sleeve)

    Overview

    Types: Crew neck, V-neck (both have varying depths)

    Fits: relaxed, regular, slim, and super slim

    k6IYo.png

    The slimmer shirt is the tighter it will be at the waist. The chest area is also brought in (The armpit area tends to get tighter; if you sweat a lot this might be annoying).

    Dos:
    • Wear v-necks as they are more fashionable than crew necks
    • Explore different colors that match your skin tone
    • Wear a slimmer fit t-shirt as they tend to complement the upper body much better than a regular/relaxed fit.
    • If you get a t-shirt that has a graphic on it, make sure its tasteful (hint: if it has skull and crossbones, hearts, or a tattoo print, NO)

    Don’ts:
    • Don’t wear the following brands: Affliction, Tap out, Ed hardy, Christian Audigier. Please don’t.. and if you do stop immediately, they we’re cool 3-4 years ago now you’ll just stand out and look like a douchebag.
    • Don’t wear deep v-necks if it doesn’t match your body type. I hate seeing skinny non-aesthetic guys with no chest wear deep v-necks (this has been confirmed by women as well). Same if you’re chubbier, don’t do it.
    • I can’t believe i have to say this but if your t-shirts have a yellow stain under the armpit from years of use throw them out immediately.

    Recommendations/tips:
    • Try and find shirts that have a thinner cotton construct as it will show off your upper body better (if you do lift). You’ll look much more aesthetic.
    • Every guy should have a set of plain t-shirts in several colors. Match your jeans/shoes and just throw it on, easy.
    • Shirts with patterns or a logo are also essential just make sure they’re tasteful and something a self-respecting adult would wear.
    • T-shirts that have buttons on or around the collar, especially if they are lower down to the abdominal area are a huge chick magnet, get em.
    • These may be harder to come by but girls seem to like the European ¾ sleeve shirts I wear, I only started wearing the recently and so far I’ve had nothing but compliments. If you can find them go for it
    • Shorter guys should wear V-necks all the time as it elongates your neck and makes you look taller
    • I know I skipped polos because I don’t like them... it’s probably just in my head but they hide my traps/upper chest, I feel weird in them. However, they mostly come in 2 kinds of material, the standard thick cotton construct or cotton similar to that of a t-shirt with 1-2% spandex or elastin added, I prefer those as it hugs my body better
    • The same rules apply for t-shirts that are long sleeve

    Shirts:

    Overview:

    Types: flannel, plaid, solid colors, patterns (stripes, pin stripes, checkered, etc.) (Both come in short and long sleeve)

    Plaid: Has become really fashionable in recent times, wear these casually, they’re good for day to day use.

    Flannel: Looks the same as plaid in most cases except the material is much thicker, better suited for colder weather. I’d hold off on these unless you really know how to pull them off. You’ll look like a lumberjack otherwise.

    Solid colors: These shirts tend to have varying collars (standard, large, winged, etc.) for now let’s stick to the basics. Better suited for a “night out” or when you want a cleaner look, work well with dark colored denim and cotton pants.

    Patterns: collars can vary as well with pattern shirts, though if you are to wear them with cotton pants or a suit, don’t go too crazy with the pattern or it’ll look weird.

    z3fyv.jpg

    Fits: regular or slim/tailored

    X5Q4c.png

    Same rules apply for shirts; a slimmer shirt will be tighter on the waist and chest area. If you’re unsure if a shirt is slim/tailored, most have two darts on the back like the 2nd pic. Again, slimmer fit: tighter armpit/shoulder area.

    Dos:
    • Almost all the points in the t-shirt section apply here
    • Do wear a slimmer fit as they are much more fashionable

    Don’ts:
    • A lot of guys who lift will buy slim fitted shirts that are way too small for them. If you’re your arm looks like a sausage casing in it… it’s too small. If it bunches up in your armpit... it’s too tight. Finding the right shirt is troublesome if you do lift and you have a large upper body... I can’t even wear shirts anymore. If you can… I’m jelly because the right shirt with the right jean looks really nice and a lot of girls like that look.

    Recommendations/tips:
    • Almost all the points in the t-shirt section apply here
    • Again thinner material = more aesthetic

    Pants:

    Denim

    Overview

    Fit: relaxed, straight, boot cut, slim, tapered, skinny, carrot, slim-skinny/tapered, carrot-skinny/tapered

    Waist: low, mid, high rise

    Wash: Raw denim, acid wash, stone wash, shadow effect, 3d effect, frost wash, forest wash, etc.

    Pics were too hard to find and even if I did post some the minute details are hard to see so I’ll try and describe them as best I can

    Fits:

    Relaxed: A straight leg jean that has about .5 to 1 inches wider thigh and calf area than a regular straight. (These are good for just lounging around or just running to the mall or grocery store real quick, I don’t wear this cut to go out)

    Straight: the most “regular” fit, the knee and the bottom of the jean are the same girth. (everyone should have a pair of straight leg jeans, they fit really well and if you don’t know what best fits your body or all this jean nonsense is confusing you just go buy straight cut jeans)

    Boot cut: As the name hints, the thigh fits the same as a straight with the only difference being it starts to open up at the knee and flares out at the bottom. Typically boot cuts will be 1 inch wider on the bottom than a straight leg. (These have also fallen out of style in recent time but can still look good)

    Slim: Same as a straight leg in the sense that it’s the same size on the knee to the bottom but the overall size is tighter by about an inch on the thigh and the calf area.

    Tapered: Tapered jeans typically have a slim thigh and are brought in a bit on the calf area. They’re still roomy in the thigh but are a little tighter near the calf/ankle.

    Skinny: They start getting tight at the top of the thigh and continue to do so till the ankle.

    Carrot: Carrot is a term used to describe the type of jean that has a lower crotch area. Basically you can have the pulled down jeans look without pulling them down. The leg is usually tapered on carrot leg jeans.

    Slim-skinny/tapered and Carrot-skinny/tapered: Tight as fuuuuuarrrkkk

    Waist: self-explanatory where the jean will sit on your hips, most jeans are either low or mid waist, high waist jeans don’t really apply to men as much as they used to decades ago. You can find most relaxed/straight/boot cut jeans in low and mid waist while the tapered/slim/skinny/carrot are all usually low rise.

    Wash: This is easily the most complex and confusing part of denim. Certain brands (such as Diesel) take extreme pride in their jeans and will have jeans undergo wash treatments that can take up to 5 days per pair. Sticking to the basics all you need to know is the following; raw denim, light wash, dark wash.

    This will be a good Segway into my recommendations:

    Every man should own at least 3 pairs of jeans, 1 raw, 1 light and 1 dark color

    6qjJ1.png

    Raw: The raw jeans aren’t black, they’re a very a dark blue, the term raw means they haven’t had any wash treatments applied to them they’re one solid color. Girls seem to LOVE these jeans for some reason... every time I show a customer a pair of raw denim the sister/mom/girlfriend/friend 90% of the time will pick them out immediately. They can be dressed up with a nice shirt and a pair of loafers and can also, in the right situations, be dressed down. If you are to dress them down wear layers, they’ll look better than just a plain t-shirt, that’s what the other 2 are for.

    Light: Summer, spring, even fall they look good, they match your colored shirts really well and are a good all-around jean to own. Just throw on with a t-shirt or shirt and go.

    Dark: winter, fall, spring, same as above they’re a good all-purpose jean and match your darker colors better. Require very little thought, just match your shirt/shoes and go.

    Dos:
    • Do try a slim or a tapered jean as they look more fashionable
    • Do explore different washes than you’re used to, just make sure they’re tasteful
    • Go for low rise jeans as they are more fashionable/women find them sexier

    Don’t
    • Don’t wear skinny jeans or boot cut jeans unless you have the body type for it, both can look good but require a certain body (skinny: thin legs, boot cut: longer legs) to pull off. You’ll either look good in them or you’ll look like a douche, there is no middle ground.
    • I hate the carrot look where jeans hang down your ass… girls like to look at your ass why are you hiding it? Even if you don’t have much down there, wear low rise slim jeans they’ll give the illusion that you do.
    • Don’t wear true religion jeans or other jeans with thick stitching, it has really gone out of style and much like wearing an Affliction tee... you’ll look like a douche.

    Recommendations/tips:
    • As stated above own at least 3 pairs of jeans, it’ll make your life easier and getting dressed in the morning a breeze.
    • Make sure your jeans match your shirt, you might not notice/care but women do, they’re much keener on fashion and clothing and will shut you out if you look like you don’t know how to dress without ever having spoken to you (srs). I’ve had girl friends tell me they like a guy but can’t date him because he dresses like an idiot.
    • Pro tip: match you shoes/belt with the stitching color on your jeans.
    • Avoid wearing jeans that have polyester in them, they’ll smell quicker and look cheaper. Go for 100% cotton (again YOU might not notice but I do and girls do)
    • Don’t machine dry your jeans, hang dry them and they won’t shrink or lose color as much
    • Unless your jeans are stained and you really want to keep the exact same color you can freeze your jeans. Put them in the freezer for 24-48hrs and they’ll be cleaner than had you washed them. Just make sure there are no smelly foods next to them.
    • Shorter guys should wear tapered/skinny jeans, they’ll make your legs look longer and you’ll look taller.

    Cotton pants:

    Same as jeans but are made from cotton. Mostly come in solid colors, some have patterns but none have washes. Same rules apply. Most of them have chino pockets instead of the 5 pocket construct jeans do.

    Shoes:

    If your day to day shoes look like this, **** you.

    013DU.png

    You’re only allowed to wear jogging shoes WHEN YOU JOG. Only wear hikers when **** you, don’t even wear them when you hike.

    Types: Sneakers (low, high), casual shoes, dress shoes, loafers, boat shoes.

    Casual: Casual shoes that most people wear that don't fit the sneaker or dress shoe category

    http://www.aldoshoes.com/ca-eng/men/shoes/casual/85549077-chello/97
    http://www.ssense.com/men/product/diesel/suede_spark_sneakers/45511

    Sneakers: Shoes most people wear, most commonly low tops. High tops are also very fashionable (urban/street fashion); most people who do wear them have them on with the tongue sticking out.

    Low
    http://www.ssense.com/men/product/diesel/lowday_sneakers/45508
    http://www.littleburgundyshoes.com/ca-eng/men/shoes/sneakers/86082798-flanagan/90

    High
    http://www.littleburgundyshoes.com/ca-eng/men/shoes/high-tops/85517665-alukonis/92
    http://www.littleburgundyshoes.com/ca-eng/men/shoes/high-tops/85517235-decrosta/97

    Dress shoes: I think everyone knows what they look like. Don’t get them pointy or too rounded on the edge. Wear them with cotton pants or raw/dark denim. Some come with laces, others are loafer style.

    http://www.stevemadden.com/Item.aspx?id=56846&np=128_421-147_427
    http://www.stevemadden.com/Item.aspx?id=87383&np=128_421-147_427

    Loafers: awesome to wear in summer without socks, if you do wear them make sure they’re 100% leather to avoid having them smell. Wear them with jeans or cotton pants.

    http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/men/shoes/dress-loafers/88029237-yendell/97

    Boat shoes: awesome to wear in summer; look good with shorts. Make sure they’re 100% soft leather.

    http://www.theshoemart.com/sperry_top-sider-mens_authentic_original_2-eye_new_navy/pv-spe-0191312_spe_m_authentic_original_2-eye.html?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=nextag

    Dos:
    • Wear the appropriate shoe with the appropriate pants.
    • Match your shoes with your t-shirt/belt.
    • Take care of your shoes and maintain them by washing them properly.

    Don’t:
    • Don’t wear anything too flashy or with too many colors it just looks weird.
    • If your shoes look beaten up and are really dirty and destroyed get new ones, girls notice your shoes often before they notice your face.
    • A big no no are those half sneaker half dress shoe creatures guys seem to think are fashionable…………………………. don’t do it bro.

    Recommendations/tips:
    • If you don’t want to buy cleaning products here is a simple alternative: pour boiling water into a bowl and add; laundry detergent, dish soap, regular soap, and add a tiny minuscule dash of bleach. Mix it in a bowl and dip a tooth brush in the mixture to brush your shoes in a circular motion. Wipe them off with a wet towel and finally dry them with another towel (pro tip: don’t brush your teeth with the same tooth brush)
    • Make sure any shoe you wear without socks is 100% leather, they’ll stink a lot less and are much easier to clean
    • Some shoes that you wear without socks will hurt the back of your ankle the first few times, if you want to break them in quicker just stand and stomp on the heel of the shoe and step down on it a few times and you’re good to go

    Accessories:

    Belts, watches, earrings, bags, bracelet, necklaces, etc.

    Belts:

    Do’s:
    • Belts are like what purses are to women, have a lot of them for no reason. They really complete an outfit

    Don’ts:
    • Don’t wear a buckle that’s too big, its ugly; the buckle shouldn’t be much thicker than the belt strap. If your buckle says something like “thug life”... kill yourself.

    Recommendations/tips:
    • Pro tip: This may sound counter intuitive but as much as possible DON’T wear a black or white belt. Wear off colors like burgundy, cognac brown, velvet blue, dark blue, beige, basically any color that can match your outfit that’s not black or white. This will give you bonus points. I’ll still wear black a lot but if I CAN I won’t. I don’t wear a white belt unless there’s some other color or a pattern on it. Thinner strap belts can look good too just be more careful with what you wear them with, they’ll look better on low rise jeans.

    A few belts i own: here.

    Watches and bracelets:

    A good watch goes a long way.

    Do’s:
    • With jeans or regular pants I like to wear leather straps
    • Don’t wear bracelets when you’re wearing a long sleeve shirt or a suit.

    Don’ts:
    • Don’t wear large leather cuffs, 2 small ones look better than one huge piece of leather or just a small one

    Recommendations/tips:
    • Pro tip: if you do or can find ¾ sleeve shirts wear a watch and bracelets (on the other arm) it looks really good and chicks notice. Don’t go crazy with bracelets…

    Necklaces:

    Do's:
    • Wear a gold necklace if possible and you can afford one, gold will never go out of style
    • Thinner chains are much nicer looking than thick ones
    • Dog tags can also be nice, just make sure they're smaller than the standard issue military ones

    http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/diesel-dog-tag-necklace/3175000
    http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/diesel-dog-tag-necklace/2974604

    Disregard brand and price, these are just examples

    Dont's:
    • Do not wear those thick silver plated necklaces everyone seems to be wearing... wtf man
    • Avoid big medallions
    • Avoid thick silver or gold necklaces, they're not very nice unless it really suits you and you can pull it off

    Recommendations/tips:
    • If you are going to wear a shark tooth (or any animal tooth) necklaces just make sure it's not huge and overbearing
    • Leather straps are alright compared to metallic ones but they usually have something at the end of them that make them styles, not the strap it self, make sure that what ever is tied to it is tasteful and not too big

    Bags:

    I’ll address the Satchel issue. I wear one. It’s small and convenient and I hate having things in my pocket. As long as you’re jacked or aesthetic or look like you have a sense of style you can pull it off.

    Underwear:

    This is a very important, if not the most important part of your wardrobe, I’m very serious. Every girl that’s ever undone my pants/lifted my shirt either to unleash its content, to mire the aesthetics or just for the lols have always said something along the lines of: ‘woww your boxers are ****ing hot”. Designer boxers are expensive but are worth it, your balls will thank you for the added comfort and the women in your life will thank you for having taste. I wear a lot of Diesel boxers, gets some, you’ll get all sorts of compliments, I also like Calvin Klein and Emporio Armani.

    http://www.freshpair.com/mens/Diesel.html

    http://www.freshpair.com/mens/Calvin-Klein/underwear/boxer-briefs.html?CID=SEM-C&9gtype=search&9gkw=calvin%20klein%20boxers&9gad=7747427357.12&9gag=2050509077

    http://www.mainlinemenswear.co.uk/section.php?xSec=2573

    Recommendations/tips:
    • Wear boxer briefs
    • Wear a lot of colors (Plain gray/black/white is boring)
    • Due to cost have at least 2-3 pairs you can wear when you go out or when you’re going to see a girl and your pants might come off

    Store recommendations:

    Where I like to shop and find the best value:

    • http://www.zara.com/
    This is where I get most of my tops, they have very nice styles, every time I walk into that store I leave with something new. Good price range and excellent quality. I had a set of plain V-necks (20$/ea~) I bought from there that lasted me 3 years. They have a lot of cleaner/dressier clothes

    • www.diesel.com
    If you have a little more money to spend go here for jeans. Diesel jeans range from 185 to 800$ (most hover around 225$). If you have the money do it, it’ll be the best purchase you’ve ever made. Best styles/fits/washes of any brand and I’m not just saying that because I work there. 80% (check to see if there’s an Italian flag stitching on the back) of jeans are hand made in Italy and will last you 5+ years. Don’t buy cheap jeans, you’ll look cheap and feel cheap.

    • http://www.energie.it/Index.aspx
    Another designer that I like that have a lot of urban fashion choices, price point is similar to that of Diesel, again if you have the money go here.

    • http://bananarepublic.gap.com/
    Another good choice if you want dressier clothes that are still urban and casual, the price point is slightly higher than Zara but they have a lot of quality pieces.

    • www.ssense.com
    Online site with dozens of designer brands and often have sales, you can find a lot of nice things here.

    • www.revolveclothing.com
    Same as above.

    • http://www.stylexchange.com/
    They have a large collection of designer clothes and often have sales. I shop a lot here as well.

    My wardrobe consists of Zara, Diesel, and stuff from style exchange, I recommend these stores. Look good, feel good.

    Final note: the price tag on your clothes =/= style, I can walk into Wal-Mart and make good looking outfits for any body type. Sure it won’t look as sharp as the designer clothes others might wear but don’t get the idea that you NEED to spend a lot of money on your clothes to look good. There are a lot of stores that I didn’t write about that have excellent clothes at very acceptable prices (Levi’s, Urban behaviour, AE, etc.), it’s all in how you match your clothes, color pallets you use and the way you carry yourself.

    5,1,A,3. Suits and Dress ↑

    5,1,B. Hair Styles ↑

    5,1,C. Shaving ↑

    5,1,D. Lotions, Shampoos, and Clay ↑

    If you don't use any kind of hair products (gel, clay, etc) then I advise against using shampoos, or at least sulfate containing shampoos. The sulfates are very damaging to your scalp and hair. Simply using conditioner is a better option, or even baking soda. Get some baking soda and add water to make it into a paste and it makes for an excellent shampoo.

    5,1,E. Cologne and General Grooming ↑

    5,2. Confidence & Social Anxiety ↑

    5,3. Women and Relationships ↑

    Just be yourself, but be yourself confidently. It's all about confidence.

    5,4. Exercising Vocal Projection and Speech Therapy ↑

    Xzrc8fZISDo oQI4DkEO5-k GFHm6nkiC9o

    5,5. Understanding Body Language ↑

    5,5,A. Spotting a Lie ↑

    5,6. A Primer on Beers, Liquors, and Wines ↑

    Alcoholic beverages have been produced as far as written records will tell us. Every society had some form of alcohol at the central base of its culture. Even if you don't drink, alcohol is just a part of culture; If you go out then you're sure to encounter it so you might as well become familiar with it.

    5,6,A. Beers ↑

    Beer is a wide-ranging alcoholic drink produced from the germination by malting of grass seeds which are then fermented by yeast and flavored with herbs, fruits, and flowers. The type of grass or cereal grains used in America is typically barley; but corn, wheat, rice, sorghum, and rye can also be used (in China for example they use predominately rice for both beer and wine).

    Malting is the development or growing of the seeds in heated water which is then halted by drying; this is to develop the enzymes within the seed that are needed to convert the starches into sugars such as fructose, glucose, and maltose (maltose is the sugar present predominately in malted barley).

    Once malting is completed, water, brewer's yeast, and the flavoring component are added. There are two main types of yeast: yeast that ferments on the top and yeast that ferments on the bottom. Fermentation is the conversion of sugars into ethanol. Top fermentation takes place at warm temperatures and typically produces esters which are reminiscent of aromatic compounds in fruits like apples. Bottom fermentation takes place under colder conditions and produces dry, less complex beer.

    An important aspect of beer are the flavoring compounds used. In western countries a type of flower known as 'hops' are used. Hops serve to counteract the natural sweetness of the beer by adding in bitterness and complexity.

    There are four main types of beer that you might run into and that you should be aware of:

    1. Ales - Produced from top fermentation. These beers are rich, complex, dark, smooth, and creamy. They are usually given a hearty dosage of hops which makes them quite bitter. They are good for bars mixed with quiet contemplation and conversation.
      • Pale Ale: Bass Pale Ale, Anchor Liberty Ale, Schlafly Pale Ale, Young's Bitter.
    2. Lager - Produced from bottom fermentation. These beers are light, crisp, dry, less alcoholic, and less complex. Lagers are America's beer. They are the type of beer you'd drink to quench your thirst.
      • American Lagers: Budweiser, Michelob, Coors, Miller Genuine Draft, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Corona Extra, Foster's Lager, Labett Blue, Yuengling.
      • Light Lagers: Coors Light, Bud Light, Budwesier Select, Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra, Sam Adams Light, Amstel Light, Beck's Premier Light.
    3. Stout/Porter - These are top-fermented, and so similar to Ales in complexity. They are dark, very strong, and typically bitter beers produced by roasting the malted grains while they dry. These are great accompanying dinners. Great eaten with fish or with a sweet desert. Popular in Ireland especially.
      • Porters: Fuller's London Porter, Anchor Porter, Yuengling Porter, Michelob Porter, Samuel Adams Honey Porter, Black Butte Porter, Flying Dog Porter.
      • Stout: Sierra Nevada Stout, Beamish Irish Stout, Samuel Adams Cream Stout, Guiness Draught.
    4. Wheat - Produced with wheat as the main grain. It can be made as a lager in America (bottom fermentation) or an ale in Germany and Belgium (top fermentation). "White beer" is the German Weizen wheat beer.
      • Blue Moon Belgian Wheat, New Belgium Sunshine wheat Beer, Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, Hefeweizen, Bud Light Golden Wheat, Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat, Shiner Dunkelweizen, Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat.

    5,6,B. Wines ↑

    Wines are made by fermenting usually fruits with yeast. The most popular type of wine is grape wine. The climate that grapes grow in will affect the wine dramatically, so wines are often referred to by location and year. The variety of the grapes used in the wine are also incredibly important to the wine. Another big factor affecting the taste and smell of wine is the barrell that the wine is fermented in which can add tastes and smells of chocolate, asparagus, nuts, cheese, and more.

    Some of the most popular types of grapes used in wines are:

    • Pinot Noir - Typically considered the best of wines. Pinot Noir grapes are extremely difficult to grow but offer the most complex and rich tastes and smells.
    • Cabernet Sauvignon -
    • -
    • -
    • -
    • -

    http://wine.about.com/od/winebasic1/Wine_Basics_A_Beginners_Guide_to_Wine.htm

    http://www.winetrail.com

    5,6,C. Liquors ↑

    5,6,D. Info on Party Games ↑

    5,7. Bars & Clubs ↑

    5,7,A. How to Dance ↑

     6,0. Work, Finance, & Money

    Money may be the husk of many things but not the kernel. It brings you food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; acquaintance, but not friends; servants, but not loyalty; days of joy, but not peace or happiness. - Henrik Ibsen

    6,1. Getting the Job ↑

    Acquiring even a menial job these days has become a difficult and cumbersome task. There are many steps one must take: 1) creating a solid resume, 2) applying to many different establishments online and in-person, 3) phoning in afterwards to check-up on the applications, 4) going thru the interview process successfully. Here are some good places to get started by searching for possible job prospects, setting up accounts, and applying online to jobs:

    6,1,A. Guide to Resumes ↑

    • Resume Builder
    • Monster.com:
      Members of Monster.com may build a private or public resume. Public resumes display in the results when potential employers search for skills or job titles. Job seekers can save up to five resumes, showcasing different objectives, experience and education for each.
      Formatting offers a chance to emphasize parts of the resume that applicants don't want recruiters or hiring managers to overlook. Specialized skills may be entered, with beginning, intermediate and advanced ratings. Optional additions include professional awards, organizational memberships, achievements and references. Users may list only one public resume, and public resumes can be submitted directly from the site's job listings.
    • www.Careerbuilder.com:
      Job seekers may search lists of open positions without signing up on Careerbuilder.com, but free services, like the resume builder, are only available to the site's members. Resumes may be public, allowing employers to find them through a search; private, keeping a resume out of search results; or anonymous, displaying the resume without contact information. Job titles and years of experience are featured at the top of a resume, with employment history and education following.
      The 3-step resume-building process allows a user to specify salary requirements and relocation options. Up to five resumes may be saved and active, and job-matching e-mail alert options can be included with each resume.
    • The Army Civilian Resume Builder and armycivilianservice.com:
      The U.S. Army offers a resume-building tool to civilian personnel, military veterans and eligible family members. Job seekers may enter data in text boxes provided for employment history, education and additional information, such as special training, certifications and professional awards. Worksheets may also be used to specify the information in each category, incorporating it into the resume through the click of a button.
      Demographic information is required, as are employment preferences and type of eligibility. Prior to submission, an applicant must confirm the accuracy and integrity of the information. Candidates may enter e-mail addresses to send a resume, in addition to submitting it to the Army's Centralized Resumix System (http://acpol.army.mil).
    • www.USAJobs.gov:
      Federal jobs are posted on USAJobs.gov, and users may build and save multiple resumes on the site to submit directly for positions found in search results. Registration is not required; however, personal information, such as a candidate's name, address and social security number, must be entered.
      Specialized knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be entered, including languages and organizational memberships. Once a user's resume is complete, he or she may publish it, allowing recruiters to see it in searches, or save it for personal use. Job postings offer the option to apply for a position online and choose a resume to submit.
    • www.HowToWriteAResume.net:
      A free, basic resume-building option is available on HowToWriteAResume.net. Click the 'Start Your Resume Now' button to begin entering information in preformatted text boxes. No particular info is required, so users should be careful to make sure the contact information they want added to their resume is entered in the appropriate field.
      Each section includes a spell check feature, and the resume is displayed for viewing after all sections have been completed. The free option offers a single template and allows users to download their resumes in HTML or text formats. A selection of four fonts is provided, and users may print their resumes directly from the website.
    • www.Emurse.com:
      Membership at Emurse.com offers free tools such as job searching and resume-building. Resumes can be stored online for free, and members are offered a free URL to display their site to potential employers. The tool is complex, with hidden menus to add more data and formatting options in three different areas of the site. However, users may submit their resumes directly to a company or recruiter in Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, HTML or plain text through the website, with return receipt or follow-up reminder options.
    • www.IntaJob.com:
      Signing up at IntaJob.com is as simple as providing an e-mail address and creating a password. After confirming the user's address, the site offers personalized job listings e-mailed to him or her as they're posted. Contact information, work experience, education, skills and references may be added to the resume dashboard. Completed resumes may be downloaded as an Adobe PDF file with one of six available formats or viewed at a customized URL.
    • www.ResumesStartHere.com:
      Similar to the Army Civilian Resume Builder, which incorporates the same feature, ResumesStartHere.com lists previous skills and desired occupations in a list of check boxes rather than free text. Each section must be saved prior to moving to the next section. Saved information can be viewed at the bottom of each section, with an option to remove the entry.
      After users have added the required information, they may select from four layout options and six typefaces. Resumes can then be submitted to a team of professional resume writers for review. A free option enters a user's resume in a queue, with an approximate delivery date for the review. The completed resume will be emailed back with suggestions from the reviewer, and users may download additional copies from the website

    6,1,B. Guide to Interviews ↑

    6,2. Trading and Investing ↑

    6,3. Retirement Accounts ↑

    6,4. Credit, Loans, and Debt ↑

    6,5. Finances and Couponing ↑

    Coupons can actually be extremely useful; if you know how to use them you won't ever have to pay for groceries ever again. So how do you do it? Well first you have to acquire coupons. Buy the Sunday and Wednesday newspapers (not just local - get Spanish ones as well) and visit the websites I will list below (You can print the coupons you find online out in black ink and use them at stores). There are two types of coupons: manufacturer coupons and store coupons. What you want to do is acquire both a manufacturer and store coupon for one particular branded item. Stack manufacturer and store coupons together in such a way as to cancel the price altogether. Links:

    6,6. Entrepreneurship & Business ↑

    6,7. Taxes ↑

    6,8. Making Money Online ↑

    The age of the internet is upon us. Making money with a labor job is fast becoming a thing of the past (at least for the intelligent among us). MMO (making money online) is very real and can potentially free you from the rat race because you can make money passively, or without doing anything while you focus your precious time on other ventures. I will go into detail on some of the best ways to make money online below.

    6,8,A. Website Creation and Affiliate Marketing ↑

    Affiliate marketing is currently the king of MMO. Basically what you do is recommend products to potential consumers thru an affiliate program, and if they purchase the product you receive a commission.

    So what's the procedure for getting started? First you have to find and secure a domain through a service such as godaddy.com or domaincheap.com and then you have to find hosting for your site (hostgator is good). Now it's time to build your site and monetize.

    Affiliate programs to be aware of include amazon associates, clickbank.com, cj.com, and shareasale.com. Typically amazon will convert best but with the worst commission percentage, and the others convert poorly in comparison but with better commissions (clickbank is usually 50-75%).

    Mike Perry wrote:

    Step One: Niche Research

    If you are starting off in the IM world, find a niche that you know something about and something that you know you have a passion for. Trust me, in the beginning, this will keep you motivated as you know something about this niche. If you are a snowboarder and have a huge passion for it, build your list around this group of individuals.

    Step Two: Find a Problem In The Niche.

    This is where the money is. What kind of problems does this group of individuals have? It's easy to research. Simply go to forums that are dedicated to your niche and read what people are saying? What is a question that seems to be brought up over and over again? Maybe it's as simple as "how to wax my snowboard properly" or "where are the top places to ride in the US" or "how to properly execute a jump while landing it safely."

    Step Three: Solve The Problem.

    This is where most internet marketers screw up. Most internet marketers will try and push an information product solving their problem. WRONG! Why would they buy from you when they can simply do further research online and get the same answer? Exactly… What you want to do is a do the research for them, put a free eBook together, along with a squeeze page/landing page, and have them download the free information. BOOM! You now have a new subscriber to a targeted niche that you can market to over and over again (once you build that relationship).

    Step Four: Marketing Your Squeeze Page.

    This area is to vast for me to get into depth, but I know you can find some great resources here in the forum to help you along your way. A great way to start marketing your campaign is to join related forums, add valuable information to that forum and build your brand so that people will trust your opinion. Become known in the forum. Once you feel that people like you in the forum, add your link to your squeeze page to your signature. As well make a post about a free eBook that you wrote to help others solve their issue.

    Search for relative blogs in that niche and just like the forums, add value to the readers. Add your link to the URL field when you make your post. You will get clicks if people enjoy your contributions.

    You can also ask the blog owner if you can be a guest writer and write about something interesting for the readers. Ask if you can add a plug to your squeeze page at the end of the post. More than likely, they will have no problem at all.

    Those are just some ideas to help you get started in marketing your squeeze page for zero dollars. Imagine if you were involved with 10 forums in that niche, post 10 new blog comments each day and wrote 10 new guest blog articles! What would happen? You would start to see valuable, targeted traffic subscribe to your list. Once you get good at generating traffic this way, learn how to outsource your tasks and move on to your next niche. All you will be responsible for is creating solid content for your list.

    Step Five: Email Marketing and Building The Relationship.

    Now what can you send them that you think they would engage in? Remember the rules...educate or entertain. For example, send them a list of sweet places that they must take a vacation to as the resorts listed have the best powder, night life, etc... Don't send them stuff every single day, send them something every other day. Remember all those lists you joined? What did you do when you got something every day....you unsubscribed because you were annoyed. Do this for at least a week before you decide to market any products to them.

    Step Six: Marketing Your First Product.

    Now you have a list full of people that have stayed with you for a few emails and obviously enjoy what you have to offer. Now it is time to promote your first product. Maybe you found a relevant product in the ClickBank marketplace. If you feel that the product is worthy for your list tell them all about it. Tell them that you actually purchased the book (which is highly recommend as you don't want to burn your bridges) and send them to your affiliate link.

    Step Seven: Rinse and Repeat or Scale.

    Focus on building your first list to that niche you have chosen. Master it, become an authority. Once you see profits you can now either, move on to a next niche and follow the same guidelines or you can take your earnings and purchase paid advertising. This is whole new area of discussion but you can find good courses right here in the forum.

    There you have it, a simple business plan that will help you generate income for days to come. Hope this helps anyone that is confused in what direction you should be taking to create a living online.

    6,8,B. Bitcoin Mining ↑

    Bitcoin mining is another feasible way of passively earning income. You will have to purchase some new external hardware in order to make anything worthwhile, but this will all be paid for within a single month. You won't get rich by mining (by conventional means anyway) but it definitely has the potential to earn you a significant wage.

    6,8,C. eBay Buying and Flipping ↑

    6,8,D. Online Company Promotion ↑

    6,8,E. Youtube Partners ↑

    You can make some serious money on youtube. "Shay Carl" on his shaytards channel for example has been making a daily vlog for 3 years now and he makes enough solely through that revenue to support his family. Youtube is currently interested in this voyeurism known as the vlog so if you don't mind lending your personal-space and privacy for a few bucks then this might be for you. You need a certain amount of views on a youtube video before youtube will send you an e-mail and ask you to become a partner - which means that they will add ads onto your videos. It's not to hard to receive this e-mail; I have a video with 4000 or so views and that was enough for me.

    6,8,F. Google Associates & Search Engine Agents ↑

    6,8,G. Other/Random ↑

    www.points2shop.com shorttask

     7,0. General & Useful Skills

    A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - Robert A. Heinlein

    7,1. Making Jerky ↑

    1. Select the meat that you wish to make into jerky (beef, pork, bison, venison, etc.) It can be any kind of lean cut of meat; some popular choices are sirloins and top/eye rounds.
    2. Next step is to cut the meat into thin strips. The strips should be anywhere from 1/20 to 1/4 inch in thickness. Freeze the meat for a few hours before cutting. When you cut discard all noticeable fat. (you can always ask a butcher to cut the meat for you).
      • Slice with the grain for a chewy jerky.
      • Slice across the grain for a tender, brittle jerky.
    3. Once you've cut the meat into strips it's time to marinate the meat. This gives the jerky flavor. The marinate should contain salt, but besides that let your imagination run wild. Brown sugar, paprika, spices, liquid smoke, whatever. Soak it in the marinate for several hours depending on the thickness of the cuts.
      • Marinate Recipe:
        • 1/4 cup soy sauce
        • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
        • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
        • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
        • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
        • 1 teaspoon salt
    4. If you don't have a dehydrator then place the strips side-by-side on lifted cake/cookie trays and into an oven at around 150 degrees. Leave for several hours until they jerky is burgundy colored. Make sure they are not raw inside.
    5. If you have a dehydrator then just pop the strips inside and wait for a few hours.

      This dehydrator is fantastic. A cheaper but still quality device can be found here.

    7,2. Changing a Flat Tire ↑

    7,3. Changing Motor Oil ↑

    7,4. Playing the Guitar ↑

    7,5. Playing the Piano ↑

    7,6. Sewing ↑

    7,7. Finding North in the Wilderness ↑

    Day-time: Find a straight stick and insert it upright in the ground. Mark the length of the shadow and then mark again in ten to fifteen minutes. Draw a straight line between the two marks. This is roughly your east-west line with your second mark at the eastern end. If you stand with the west marker on your left and the east marker on your right, you are most likely facing north.

    Night-time: Find a particularly bright star and sit down with a stick. Hold the stick so you are looking along the length of it at the star. Bracing your elbows against your rib cage for stability, keep looking for a few minutes. If the star has moved to the left of your stick, you're facing north. If it has moved right, you're facing south. If up, east; down, west.

    7,8. How to Grill ↑

    7,9. Cooking a Good Steak ↑

    7,10. Carving a Turkey ↑

    7,11. How to Fix a Leaky Faucet ↑

    7,12. How to Pick Locks ↑

    7,13. How to Tie Knots ↑

    7,14. Guide to Lucid Dreaming ↑

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