By David Tepera, January 15, 2020

Today’s article was inspired from a longtime reader of my column Leroy Naschke III. Leroy, like many of you, is known as a gym rat. He loves weight training, plus all the proper dieting that’s involved. Believe me, once you’re immersed into this lifestyle, it becomes a lifer.

So, get your highlighters out, and be ready to mark some interesting diet tips.

Did you know eating different colors of the rainbow will have an extreme affect on your body? Without going into specific detail, red vegetables and fruits are good for your heart, white colored foods build your immunity, yellow helps with our skin, green is for cleansing, orange colors for inflammation and purple is for antioxidants.

Did you know a banana has been chemically ripened if it is brown spotted with a green stalk? If the stalk is black then the banana is naturally ripened?

Do you know the difference between fresh and frozen strawberries? Frozen is nutrient rich, will last for months, usually cheaper, but not as tasty. Fresh strawberries are nutrient rich, too, have better taste and texture, but only last for days and spoils quicker.

For all you coffee drinkers, did you know a large caramel macchiato has 3,500 calories, large caffe lattes have 2,660 calories, large cappuccinos have 1,680 calories and plain black coffee has zero calories?

So, what changes are you planning to make into your new 2020 diets? Are you one of those people sucked into another diet craze? Did you set yourself up for failure again?

Listen, don’t go on diets. Just start making small healthier changes. It took a long time to put that fat on your body, so it will take time to burn it off. Don’t get discouraged. If there are certain “so-called” unhealthy foods you like, then partake on the weekend. We do!

It’s time to enjoy life and not care about what others think. You only need to feel better to get out in this world to enjoy all that it offers. Love yourself first.

Oh, and one last tip about the importance of drinking water. Did you know if you drink a gallon of water per day, you won’t have time for other people’s drama because you’ll be too busy peeing? Stay hydrated my friends.

By David Tepera, January 8, 2020

Throughout my body-building career, I’ve been asked countless times about how much and how often I lift. Today, my reply is “I lift my butt off the couch and hit the gym.”

That my friend, is the most important lift you can do.

When new clients come to us for their free consultation, I always express to them about how important it is that they’ve taken the first step of accomplishment by just walking in the door.

We understand that it’s extremely nervous and intimidating to walk into a busy gym. It takes us out of our comfort zone, plus to see a bunch of busy bodies on all the machines and cardio.

When Tina and I frequent any new gym that’s near our location, we always ask for a tour. Even though we have our own gym, we do have memberships at others. We like to use a variety of equipment, also being well known professional athletes, people want to talk to us about training.

So, what’s holding you back? Are you still hanging out on the couch to only talk about exercising? How many times have you said “I’m going to the gym tomorrow,” but it never seems to happen?

Start your lifting today by taking a tour at your local gym. Go in with a list of questions and make sure they not only demonstrate equipment, but you actually get your hands on it as well. This will help tremendously.

If you’re new to lifting weights, I would recommend utilizing a qualified trainer for a few sessions. Do not buy any additional products. I promise it’s not necessary when getting started. You’ll throw money away.

At Ageless Muscle, we have people who travel an extremely long distance just to learn proper and safe form. It’s our mission to make you comfortable to walk into any gym and lift weights without risk of injury.

Now, it’s time to start lifting. Lift your spirit, lift your mindset, attack this world with a vengeance and lift your butt off the couch. You got this 2020.

By David Tepera, December 18, 2019

Some of the most known properties of least resistance are water and electricity. As we experienced with Hurricane Harvey, the water flooded all areas that had no barriers and were most vulnerable. This created an urgency among our cities and counties to create a plan for a better drainage and diversion.

In sports, coaches develop plays to create a path of least resistance. The goal is to move the ball down the court or field to score. This strategic chess play is what makes games like football dynamic. There are offensive and defensive coordinators trying to outsmart each other’s next move.

My personal belief is that society has developed a path of least resistance throughout our daily lives, and this has affected everyone’s health.

Be honest, when’s the last time you actually cooked a healthy meal? Fast food and buffets are thriving. I know we are all busy with work and family, but you must make the effort because parents are creating a new society of obese children.

How many failed diets have you tried? People are always looking for the next quick fix. Extreme dieting never ends well. Yep, you lost weight at first, but it always comes back.

How many of you pay a monthly gym membership and can’t remember the last time you worked out? Of course, January is next month, and this time you’re going to stick with your new year’s resolution. Be for real!

There are many of you stuck on this never-ending cycle of diet and exercise failures. You must stop looking for the path of least resistance, and recognize, that reaching true success is through dedication and determination.

It’s interesting, we have two 62-year-old female clients who’ve been with us for a year. Both ladies, with two different body types, made a commitment to put in the work and consistency to change their lives. They recognize the path of least resistance isn’t working.

Now, when Cathy and Alice are in public, it’s common for people to give compliments on their legs and shoulders. I have to admit, it is quite striking. If you’re curious to see them, go to our website Ageless-muscle.com and click on “why lift weights.”

So, what about you? How’s that path of least resistance working out? It’s time to stop this cycle of failures, quit looking for the quick fixes and make today your life changer.

By David Tepera, December 11, 2019

There’s no doubt, athletes with the best reaction time usually conquer opponents. Think about a baseball batter reacting to a pitch thrown around 90 mph. You have to make a split decision if it’s a strike, ball, curve, slider, inside, outside and so on. You might not have heard of him, but Tim Anderson of the White Sox led the MLB in 2019 season with a batting average of .335.

You can put every sport possible into the category of reaction time. While following my daughter Daylyn’s volleyball career, I was always impressed how the girls could dig out a spike to keep the ball in play. These were game-winning reaction times.

For those of you who are getting into the older population as I am, the slowing and diminishing of our reaction time is frustrating. At the age of 58, my mind is still quick, but for some reason, my body can’t catch up. I have found myself a little more clumsy and less coordinated than I like to admit.

One component of our weight lifting system for our older clients is to improve body rhythm and coordination. Every single one of them make drastic improvements, including higher energy levels.

Look, we can’t stop Father Time, but we can sure slow him down. If you find yourself in the same category as I, and I’m sure you do, then do something about it. It is never too late to start exercising and lifting weights. Yes, I said “lift weights.”

Without getting too scientific, your muscles are made of fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers. Lifting weights builds more fast twitch muscle fibers, which increases reaction times. Performing long bouts of cardio only produces slow twitch muscle fibers, which mostly improves oxygen function.

One of our clients, 74-year-old Paul Hoggatt, has been with us for several months. He’s not only getting stronger, but Hoggatt’s speed and reaction time has created a more youthful appearance. Hoggatt definitely has more “gid in his giddyup.” Just know, Hoggatt has never missed session, and his consistency has paid off.

Now, what about you? Have you thrown in the towel? Have you accepted getting older and just withering away, or are you ready to put your gloves on and come out swinging? Believe me, everyday I’m punching Father Time in the face. He might be able to slap me, but I’m throwing punches.

Don’t wait until tomorrow, no more excuses, and start exercising to get back your reaction time because it’s critical.

By David Tepera, December 6, 2019

Once we roll out of bed, we start making choices that will dictate our day. Most of us have morning routines before heading out to work, and one of those is breakfast.

I know there are many of you who don’t eat breakfast. To kickstart your metabolism, it’s a mistake not to do so. If you want to learn more and ask questions, email us at [email protected].

Now, what other choices are important? What’s your attitude when you wake? Are you ready to attack this world and conquer the day, or you the grumpy person no one wants to be around?

As parents, we should not only teach our children the importance of making choices, but we must show them through our actions. From early on, I made it a point for my kids to be kind to strangers by doing something as simple as opening doors, responding to adults as Mr. and Mrs., and cleaning up their dishes after eating.

Sorry, but it’s an issue with me when I see other kids walk away from a table expecting their parents to clean up after them.

We are all victims or valors from all the choices we’ve made to date. Yes, mistakes will happen, but those are lessons to help us make better choices in the future.

Most of us have made wrong choices in relationships. At first, it didn’t seem so bad, but after time, the relationship went south and became destructible. It’s your choice to put a plan together and get out of there.

What personal choices are making you toward yourself? Did you eat something baked, grilled or fried? Did you strap on your sneakers to head out the door for some exercise, or was it another day of saying, “I’m too tired?”

It’s interesting that once our clients battle through a month of training, they develop a new habit of exercise. Major changes are taking place to not only with their bodies, but mental awareness, as well. Life takes on a new excitement because energy levels start soaring.

So, as you’re reading this column today, what new choices are spinning in your head? As soon as you put this paper down, do something healthy. Even if it’s dropping down and performing pushups.

Now, let’s get this thing rolling because starting today, you’re going to change your choices to change your life.

By David Tepera, November 27, 2019

Recently, a client asked if our family ever sits down and has dinner together? Kind of sadly, my reply was, “only on Sunday.”

You see, my family is like many of you with children. Modern day society has brought numerous organizations and sports in which parents enroll their children. A typical week is one parent rushing a child to their event, while the other parent is rushing another sibling to a different event. Usually, each parent is responsible for feeding that particular child. Believe me, I understand the importance of healthy activities because it brings many life lessons.

The only difference for me, I was a single parent when the kids were younger. At that time, I did all the cooking, so at the end of day, we did eat dinner together.

But, now, even though the kids are older and still live at home, they go to school and work. My wife Tina and son Dylan do most of the cooking. They prepare meals for all of us to eat each week, so we pack them in coolers, and go about our day. There’s a microwave at the Ageless Muscle fitness center, so meals are heated between client training.

Tomorrow will mark a special Thanksgiving holiday for all of us. For my family, this is the largest event of the year. My amazing loving mom Eileen Tepera, aka Nana, hosts an incredible feast each year.

Relatives fly and drive in from all over the country to enjoy this once a year food frenzy. Everyone brings a dish of some sort, with mom doing most of the cooking with her special Italian recipes to salivate over.

Once everyone is present and food is ready, we sit, laugh, love and catch up from the year’s past. Obviously, such an important time to break bread because there will be a day one family member might not be there with us.

So, my message today is to let go of your busy lives, let kids be kids, release all negative thoughts, and love those around you.

For some reason you’re not fortunate to have family or friends to celebrate with, I urge you to volunteer. There are many organizations seeking volunteers to distribute food to those less fortunate. I promise, this act will not only brighten your holiday, but those your serve.

So, tomorrow, take the time to sit down and share a meal with a smile.

By David Tepera, November 20, 2019

Since we own a family business, the term accountability is extremely important to us. All our clients know they can count on us to deliver the best outcome for their investment. We are result driven.

Each client quickly learns through consistency, hard work and accountability, they will exceed their expectations.

As you go about your daily routines, try to observe your surroundings. When at work, who are the employees worth their salaries? If you play sports, which teammate continues to outwork the others? Which family members are slackers and who is taking up the slack?

Earlier this year, Tina and I bought our last resting spot in an old established neighborhood. Our house was renovated but still has some bugs to work through.

Our new dishwasher has some electronic board issues needing trouble shooting. It’s taken five months and countless phone calls to finally get someone to come out and fix it. It’s been a bit of a nightmare because no one would step up to the plate and be accountable. Believe me, there’s much more to this situation. But, this issue did prompt a family discussion about the importance of accountability.

When I was coaching high school ball, part of the training program was teaching young athletes to be the best at their perspective positions. There’s no way a team sport can be successful unless everyone is going full speed. As we know, this accountability is necessary for every company and organization. The old term that a chain is only as strong as the weakest link is true.

As a parent, are you teaching your kids to be accountable? Do they understand the value of adhering to rules and laws? Have they learned to take ownership for consequences?

We all know too many people who point the finger and blame others for their failures.

Now, it’s time take a hard look at ourselves. Yes, there are times to step back and cruise through daily life, but there’s also time to strap on our helmets and go full speed.

Maybe that day is today. You’ve been putting off projects and serious situations that need attending. Tomorrow is too late, so put your foot down, psych your mindset and be prepared to win this game of life.

When it comes down to it, to succeed, you must be accountable.

By David Tepera, November 13, 2019

Many years ago, I became a single father when my youngest child Daylyn was in second grade. Since I grew up as a coach’s son in an athletic environment, it was natural for me to raise all my kids the same way.

Even though Daylyn is my only daughter, she participated in every sport possible. This ranged from martial arts, softball, basketball and soccer.

I didn’t know much about all the girly stuff out there, so we did try gymnastics and dance. Thank goodness Daylyn hated dance because the tap shoes hurt her feet. I guess she was used to only wearing sneakers her whole young life.

But, as much as I was trying to understand daughters, Daylyn was teaching me how to be a mommy. We bought matching aprons and cooked many cookies and brownies that would not have won any awards, but we still laughed and ate them up.

I probably spent five years with multiple colored toe nails from Daylyn’s collection. She thought it was cool for us to have matching toes. Yes, there were some embarrassing moments when people starred at my feet, but I got the biggest chuckle.

From the moment Daylyn was born, she receives a dozen roses on every birthday and Valentine’s Day. Not a year has been missed.

Through all the years of sports, Daylyn’s passion turned to volleyball while in middle school. She not only played for her school but for multiple select teams as well.

In the beginning, I didn’t understand volleyball that much, but quickly, I became the biggest cheerleader for the entire team. The game was full of strategy and explosive action. We spent many hours in the driveway learning to serve overhand on to the roof of the house. Daylyn’s brother Dylan would join us to volley the ball in our backyard.

Everyone would tell me that when girls become teenagers that it could be challenging, but Daylyn has always respected me for doing my best as an only parent. You have to remember, she’s my only girl.

Well, yesterday marked her 19th birthday, and our love is stronger than ever. We spent this past weekend shopping for girly stuff that included another pair of sneakers. And yes, she loved the dozen roses waiting for her.

Happy birthday Daylyn. You stole my heart at birth and will always be daddy’s little girl.

By David Tepera, December 5, 2018