By David Tepera, May 20, 2026

It’s here, thousands are graduating from high school and college. It’s exciting, but scary at the same time. For the last 12-plus years, your life was planned out and on cruise control. Every year was the same as last, but just one grade further. Well, it’s time to grow up and control your destiny.

Listen, I might not be the best person for advice, but I am sharing a personal experience from a 65-year-old. Believe me, I’ve made more mistakes than I want to admit. But, my failures gave me humility which helped in the journey towards success.

I tried college right out of high school, but wasn’t disciplined enough. So, I ventured out into the workforce to give my best, but couldn’t find satisfaction. After six years, I went back school, received a few degrees and found my destiny.

Now, that was in the 1980’s. Today, is a totally different world with the internet and all it’s access. The whole world is connected, along with unlimited opportunity, you just need creativity and ambition.

Everyone has a special gift of talent. Think about it, what is yours? If your ambition requires a college degree, then go for it. In today’s world, I would not have gone to college. There’s way too much opportunity to be successful without going into debt.

Please, don’t misunderstand me, I am not poo pooing a college education. All you need to do today is research jobs on demand. People can make six figure incomes with less than two years of training. Believe me, you’ll be surprised of the lengthy list.

What I learned the most throughout my adult years is that exercise gave me confidence to tackle any situation.

At the age of 26, I started lifting weights and exercising outdoors. This cleared my mind, along with building stronger muscles. As I ran further and lifted heavier, I realized my mind could absorb more knowledge. Why settle for mediocre, when I can push to be the best of me?

My message is that you have full control of what is put into your mind and body. Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes as long as you’re giving it your best.

Now, get out there, find your destiny and make this world a better place.

May 12, 2026

When I first met my wife Tina many years ago, she was one of the founders of a large animal rescue group. As a dog lover, I was introduced to a lot of incredible people with a passion to help those who couldn’t help themselves.

Here’s what became my perspective; we have two choices; one is a life with or without a dog. If you’re dogless, life is simple and peaceful. Your floors stay clean, shoes are where you left them, couch pillows are intact because life is on cruise control.

Now, for us dog lovers, everyday is unpredictable. Expect mud on the floors, hair on furniture and clothes, plus our sleeping patterns are according to their schedule.

What most people don’t realize is that having a dog is beneficial physically and mentally. The physical benefit is dogs need exercise, so they force owners to get outside to walk and play.

The mental is more beneficial than you can imagine. One thing you can count on is that dogs are excited about everything every day. They attack every meal like they are starving, even though they aren’t. Who’s the most excited when you wake in the morning? Who loves a car ride, and who is happy to get home?

A dog’s love is unconditional. They miss you if you’ve been gone all day or for only 20-seconds. Dogs don’t know the challenges that we go through all day. All they want is our entire attention and love. They are our stress relief.

 I know this is a weird statement, but I think dogs follow us to the bathroom because we are outside with them for their business. Okay David, another dumb joke.

My son Dylan rescued a puppy 5-years-ago. Buddy has grown up in our gym and gives all clients the biggest smile when they enter the gym.

Here’s what makes dog owners the most passionate people you could ever meet. Owners know, they won’t spend the rest of their life with a pet, but that special family member will spend their entire life with them. That’s love and beauty that can’t be explained.

Who do you know that never judges your decisions and mistakes? The love of a dog doesn’t care about your flaws. They only want to be your best friend.

By David Tepera, April 28, 2026

Of course, everyone’s goal in life is to find happiness, but to get there, we must experience every emotion possible. In the real world, you can’t escape sadness, defeat, anger, and heartbreak, but there are also happiness, success, victory, and love.

It’s through these experiences that develops character, the way we think, and how we treat others. But, most importantly, how we treat ourselves.

Do you respect yourself through exercise and a healthy diet? How many days a week do you weight train, including cooking healthy meals. Or, have you developed destructive behavior only to blame others? Remember, everything you put into your body is your decision alone.

How many of you have put in years of hard work to be successful? I’m sure you can’t count the ups and downs along the way. People don’t get lucky, they create opportunity.

As you all know, I grew up in an athletic environment with my dad being a high school coach. During my youth, I played every sport available, plus did the same as an adult. At an early age, I knew if I kept challenging myself, I will find success.

This is the same reason I put my kids in sports, so they realize success and victory only comes through failure and defeat. You don’t need to play sports to understand that statement. Just know defeat is part of the process for success.

Now, what’s your challenge today? Which emotion has life thrown at you? It’s okay to take a moment of being mad and upset, but that’s only a moment. Now, pick yourself up, change the emotion and become a fighter.

Listen, you’ve survived many situations, and today is only another. Put your guards up and get ready to throw some punches. When we face challenges and emotions head-on, we gain confidence that leads to happiness.

Today is your day to make those changes. Excuses is the easy way out, so don’t let that be you. Yes, you had a rough go here recently, but that was preparation to lead to success.

This is your life, so dig deep through tough situations and become the warrior you were meant to be. I promise, it’s in you and you know it.

You’ve been through every emotion to experience true life, but now, happiness is one punch away.

By David Tepera, April 22, 2026

For us older folks, we grew up hearing certain teachings from our elders. Most of these sayings came as parenting lessons, even though it wasn’t always truthful. Just know, your parents were taught the same myths from their elders.

How many of you had heard that it takes seven years to digest gum? Nope, it passes through the body like most everything else. On a side note, if you pass gas, it could blow a bubble. Okay, bad joke.

How about waiting thirty minutes after eating before swimming? Of course, another myth in the early days from the American Red Cross. Yes, it takes energy for the body to digest food, but it has no effect for swimming and enjoying the pool.   

Most people were taught that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis. Again, not at all. Cracking your joints is only releasing gas bubbles. There’s no harm there, so enjoy the relief.

Now, let’s get a little more serious. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from women who don’t want to lift weights because they are afraid of getting too bulky. I don’t care if you get upset because that’s a lame excuse for not weight training.

There’s a reason why men are can build massive muscle compared to women through testosterone. So, ladies, lift weights to battle osteoporosis and other menopausal diseases.

Just know, the elder ladies who weight training in our gym are stronger than their husbands. While the men are throwing in the towel, their wives are traveling and enjoying life with friends.

I know that’s a harsh statement, but fellas, get off the couch and enjoy the golden years with your woman.

Here’s one of my favorites “sit-ups and crunches will burn fat to show abs”. Guess what? We all have abs. it’s just hiding under the flab from over eating. Abdominals are built in the kitchen, not the gym.

Lastly, for those who are weight training, exercising and dieting, don’t use the scale as a measure. The results will show up in your clothes and the mirror.

Nobody is perfect, so enjoy life and laugh at the myths.

By David Tepera, April 15, 2026

For all of you who started a new training or diet program this year, are you still making progress? Hopefully, there is success, but at some point, you will plateau and get stuck.

Our body possess multiple systems that allows it to adapt to all stress it’s battling. Bottom line, the body’s job every day is to survive.

When we get cold, the body will shiver to create heat. When the body starts to overheat, it produces perspiration to cool down.

At night, while we sleep, the body goes into repair mode to conquer the stress from the day. Growth hormones can exceed up to 500 times to help repair muscles and bones. This is also why it’s important for children to get a good night’s rest.

If you’ve become stuck in your weight training, are you still doing the same routine? If so, your body made the required adjustments and survived the stress. Because you’re still doing the same thing over and over, the body is just going to chill and hang out. You must trick the body into another survival by changing the routine.

For example; try lifting a little heavier with less reps for a few weeks, include changing machines that target muscles at different angles. This will jump start the muscles into growth for survival.

For those stuck in a dieting program, the body needs a wakeup call.

Again, which ever special diet you are currently involved with, the body has already lost the weight necessary for survival, so now, it’s on cruise control and will not lose any more weight.

During Tina, Dylan and my body building careers, the diets were very specific for growth and recovery. I’m not going to bore you with the anatomical science involved, but we also would plateau and needed a shock treatment.

I’m sure most of you are familiar with a cheat day. For us, it was only a cheat meal. You see, once the body is deprived of nutrients and loses a certain amount of weight, the metabolism will start shutting down for survival.

People make a mistake by thinking they need to perform more cardio to lose weight. Nope, you will only over stress the body, and the metabolism will shut down.

I apologize for any confusion. I answer all emails each week, along with follow-up phone calls.

Remember, if you are stuck, change it up for new results. I promise, it works every time.

By David Tepera, April 8, 2026

Recently, I was talking with my daughter Daylyn, explaining why everyone’s personalities are different. For all of us, personality is developed through life experiences. Not only from good, but the bad ones as well. Through these experiences, we learn to process – then react.

Life isn’t easy, life is work, so your rewards are from the work you put into it. Don’t put your hand out, put a hand in. It’s totally up to you.

I taught my children from an early age, do your chores well, be accountable, respect all people- especially elders, plus be a positive impact in other’s lives. If you accomplish this throughout life, you’ll never stay down because your character won’t allow it.

What ever your challenges are today, you must find a way to show progress. Just know, progress doesn’t speak loudly, it shows up silently through consistency. You want the secret to progress? Just show up.

It’s never too late to start a healthier lifestyle. It will take some time to reach goals, but you’ll get there with discipline. Remember, people didn’t get fat and out of shape overnight. Nope, that developed through years of laziness.

Did you walk further this week than from last? Are you preparing more meals than eating out? Through time, your clothes will answer those questions.

We all have different battles, but one we share is age. Yep, our biggest and longest battle is with Father Time. Eventually, he’ll catch you off guard and throw you to the canvass. But, that’s a reminder to get back up and keep fighting.

Just think, you’ve already been through many challenges and survived all of them. Hopefully, this strengthened your personality to never want to stay down.

What’ today’s battle? Did you get bad news from the doc? Are you going through a divorce, unemployment, family issues, or you fill in the blank?

So, what? Pick yourself up and do something about it. You’ve come to far to stay down. There’s a win out of every battle, and you’re about to conquer this one. Some people need a support group, and that’s fine for them. Just remember, it’s you who is going to win this fight.

Now, take a long hard look in the mirror and observe the warrior staring back because you didn’t come this far to stay down.

By David Tepera, April 1, 2026

These are definitely exciting times we live in. All pharmaceutical companies are in a race to develop the best successful drug to dissolve fat cells while building muscle tissue. Well, guess what my friends, it’s here.

I’ve kept this a secret over the last couple of years. I’ve been involved with a major pharmaceutical company to help develop a capsule form prescribed medication, with no side effects, covered by most insurances. I’m not a chemist, but a well-known scientist of the muscular and skeletal system.

We performed a worldwide study of more than 50,000 participants ranging from 25 to 65 years of age. 70% were considered morbidly obese, 20 % obese, with 10% average in weight. The study included around 60% female and 40% male. Each participant went through a full-scale body measurement test that’s too extensive to describe in this article.

Bottom line, DBL Pharma Labs has developed AF1 Formula drug that will not only burn fat, but completely dissolve it’s cells. That means the fat cell is metabolized and gone forever. Also, AF1 captures the energy dissolvement factor from the fat cell’s mitochondria and coverts it to building muscle tissue without exercise.

Sorry, if I’m losing you, but what does all this mean? There is now a drug on the market that does not require exercise or a healthy diet to lose as much fat as desired, plus grow muscles far bigger than ever imagined. All without side effects.

Now, here’s the best part. This drug can only activate when the body is not under stress. During the six-month prescribed phase, no going to the gym for resistance training, no need for excessive healthy diets because they will slow the process. Actually, sodium and sugar are benefits to enhance AF1’s building and dissolving phase.

At our last board meeting with DBL, I did raise the question about the billion-dollar health industry. AF1 will put many corporations, fitness centers, and health related markets out of business. They assured me that their legal team is well equipped.

How many of you are excited? Well, if you haven’t figured it out, yet, April Fools people. What do you think AF1 stands for? DBL pharma stands for Don’t Be Lazy.

Quit looking for the next big “gotcha sucker” money grabber. So, get up and get your butt in the gym.

By David Tepera, March 25, 2026

There is no secret, our bodies are a reflection of choices. Of course, as we get older, skin becomes less elastic, joints wear out, plus the loss of balance and coordination. But, that doesn’t give people excuses for giving up. Your body doesn’t know it’s getting older, it’s your mind telling it.

Every thing about your daily life is what your mind perceives it as. I don’t care what your health situation may be because your body will do anything the mind tells it.

You can either play the victim by telling yourself “I’m old, fat and broken, or I’m not giving up and ready to punch the world in the face”. Be honest, which one are you?

Yes, our muscles and bones are what keeps us mobile, but they are only limited by what the mind tells them to do. I’m sorry, but those who sit around making excuses are mentally weak. Your body doesn’t know it has limitations. It’s your mind telling it to give up or not.

Listen, don’t beat me up. I understand there are some serious physical challenges and situations out there, but, why give in? Don’t be a statistic, pull yourself up and enjoy the rest of your life.

Every week, I’m fortunate to talk and communicate with people all over this great country. There’s not one of us who hasn’t stared tragedy and diversity in the face. Of course, your situation is unique to you, but make that circumstance your fire.

Come on, when life challenges you, don’t curl in the fetal position, no, get up and start swinging. I promise, one of those punches will knock out your depression.

I know, I’m all over the place with this subject, but I’m your biggest fan. Look in the mirror, change your mindset and see that beautiful amazing person starring back at you.

Now, are you through sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, or are you ready to tell the body to get it’s butt up and start moving?

I know I’m a little harsh, and in your face, but what’s it going to take for you to enjoy the rest of your life?

Remember, what ever you chose to accept in your mind, the body will follow. Today, you will never see yourself as weak because your mind will tell the body to keep fighting.

By David Tepera, March 18, 2026

Growing up in an athletic world, due to my father being a high school coach, I participated in multiple team sports. After college, the only competition that challenged me was me.

I was no longer competing against teammates, no, the biggest challenger was me. I was still young, so how strong could I get, how fast could I run, how high could I jump, along with marathons, triathlons, and martial arts. I didn’t get into body building until my late 50’s, which I won my pro card.

Listen, I’m not trying to pat myself on the back because I’m pushing 65-years-of-age. Every morning, my body let’s me know all the abuse it endured throughout the years.

What’s most important is where we are today. Yes, our bodies wear down for various reasons. Some genetic, some abuse, and some from physical trauma and injuries. But, remember, that’s all in the past. It’s never too late to pick yourself up and get back in this world.

That’s right, today you’re going to challenge yourself to get up with a game face and do something about it. We all have different challenges, so it’s time to conquer yours.

Believe me, nobody cares about your issues or complaints. There’s not one of us who can’t come up with excuses, but don’t let that define you.

You are competing with yourself every single day. What extra physical activity will you accomplish? Are you someone who inspires others or the whinner?

We all have the ability to not only change our lives, but those around us. That choice is totally up to you.

Come on now, there are no teammates to tell you to get up and get going. You are no longer waiting for your turn to bat. Your moment is now and every day. Step up to the batter’s box and start swinging. Who cares if you struck out this time, as long as you were swinging because the homerun could be next.

I hope everyone is understanding my message today. The only person who can challenge you is you. Let’s make this day the first of challenges. Shut your laptops, put your phone down and get back out in this world. I promise, you will be proud yourself and gain confidence.

By David Tepera, March 10, 2026

First of all, I would like to give credit to my client’s Ron and Kim Mlcak for today’s article. They shared a small study that reminded me to give readers another great benefit from weight training, which promotes brain function.

We see this every day in our gym from the elders who have been training with us over the years. They are mentally sharp, witty, independent, and experiencing life to the fullest. Isn’t that what we all want as we age?

I’m not going to indulge in all the physical benefits of weight training because you already know them. Those benefits come from action – not laziness.

So, how does the brain get protected, plus improve through weight training? Without giving you all the fancy science words, just know there are proteins and hormones that supports brain cell growth, protection, plus reduce inflammation.

Think about it, besides your trainer, who is telling your body to stress itself by picking up weights? Who is directing your body to grab objects to pull and push?

The brain is our central command center and needs to be challenged to strengthen. Yes, this can be succeeded through mind puzzles and games, but today’s message is the benefit from weight training. For all of us, there are no excuses for not exercising.  

How many of you have heard that we only use 10 percent of our brain? Just know, that is completely-false. There are four lobes of the brain that we need for daily function, and we use all of them.

There’s not a day without problem solving, motor movement, sound processing, and memory.

Do you ever have to think about where your hands are? Our hands are in constant motion for survival. They take care of us all day long without thinking about it.  

Alright, back to weight training for the brain. I’ve had the privilege of working with multiple clients with different levels of dementia. Besides all the studies, I’ve witnessed it first hand the mental benefits. Proper weight training will slow brain degeneration, along with the progression of dementia symptoms.

Really, it comes down to blood flow improvement to the brain. Come on, don’t throw in the towel. Make the golden years as best as possible. Take two days out of the week, and start lifting weights. Your brain will appreciate it.