By David Tepera, October 9, 2024

At the Tepera house, Tina and I spend every Sunday preparing our meals for the following week. We buy and cook in bulk, and this allows us bring 8 – 10 meals per day to the gym. We also bring meals for our son Dylan, who puts in long days as well.

Due to our food intake being so important, we do quite a bit of research to find the best quality. You’d be surprised of all the preservatives, pesticides, steroids and junk put in our food to make them look better and last longer. It’s all about the money.

Did you know there’s more water in cucumbers than watermelons. It’s not much, but watermelon is 92%, while cucumber is 95%. That’s actually the same as lettuce and celery.

It’s believed nectarines, like peaches originated in China over 4,000 years ago. Nectarines are high sources of Vitamin C and A and are abundant in antitoxins. They aid in weight loss, improve immunity and heart health, plus regulates blood sugar.

I tell people to eat any type of fruit you enjoy. Just know, any thing that ends in “berry” has plenty vitamins and antitoxins, like strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and so on. But, never eat fruit in the evenings because it will covert to a form of sugar which can cause sleep issues.

Okay, for all you vegan types. Your biggest challenge is getting enough protein to build and maintain muscle mass. There are plenty of plant-based protein foods, but chick peas and almonds have almost the same amount of protein as a 100 gram steak, which equals to 25 grams of protein. So, enjoy your hummus!

For some reason brussels sprouts get a bad rap. They are known as the most hated vegetable, but it’s amongst the most nutritionist veggie out there. It’s packed full of vitamins and minerals, has virtually no calories, no fat, no-cholesterol, plus it fills you up. It’s also been shown to be anti-inflammatory and help fight cancer.

Just to throw in some quick facts; pistachios are not nuts, they are a fruit, just like avocado. Caesar salad was actually invented in Mexico in 1927, not Italy. Also, Hawaiian pizza and California rolls were invented in Canada, not America.

Red food dyes are made up of crushed bugs, which is located in candies, ketchup, soft drinks and canned cherries.

Lastly, bananas will float in water, plus it’s skin will help relieve itching from mosquitos. They are also the oldest known fruit dating back to over 10,000 years.

Well, I hope you enjoyed some fun food facts.

By David Tepera, October 1, 2024

During my 20 years in the medical field, I worked with hundreds of doctors. I had the privilege to travel the country training surgeons on specific orthopedic procedures. I was involved in more than 3,000 operations. Of course, during this time, I met some of the most amazing surgeons this country offers.

Also, we have many clients with medical degrees, including dermatology, ear-nose and throat, cardiologist, neurology and many others. But, in my opinion, the following are the best doctors with the healthiest results that are absolutely-free.

Let’s start with Dr. Sunshine. When’s the last time you stepped outside and enjoyed the sun against you body? Yes, I know we live in south Texas, along with heat and humidity, but that’s not an excuse I accept. What are the benefits from the sun? Vitamin D strengthens the immune system, exposure to daylight makes it easier to fall asleep, sunlight increases serotonin production which elevates mood, lowers blood pressure, and the list is too long for this article.

Next on my list is Dr. Water. We all know how important water is for hydration, especially since our body is made of 60% water. Here are some facts you might no know about the importance of Dr. Water; it helps keep normal temperature, lubricates and cushions joints, gets rid of waste through urination and perspiration, improves brain function, helps with kidney-stones, and treats constipation. Really, there’s so much more.

Then there’s Dr. Exercise. I don’t care what your current physical status is, there is always a form of exercise you can start today. I’ve been writing about this for almost thirty years. So, here are some additional information to learn from Dr. Exercise; manages blood glucose and insulin levels, improves mental health, exercise can lower the risk of developing eight types of cancer, including heart disease, plus helps manage arthritis by reducing pain and improving function.

Lastly, my favorite is Dr. Laughter. Believe it or not, there are plenty studies about the benefits of laughter. Some short-term physical benefits are stimulation of organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen, stimulates heart, lung and muscles, and increases endorphins released by your brain.

To me, for some reason people have become way-too sensitive. Of course, life is challenging, but if you can find humor in daily life, then you will not only live longer, but will enjoy the journey.

I just gave you the best doctors with amazing results, plus they are absolutely-free. Today, you’ll step outside for a brisk walk, carrying a bottle of water, while chuckling at all the silly people around you.

David Tepera, September 24, 2024

One thing for sure, winners will always find an answer to any situation. Most of the time, negative people are the problem. Which one are you?

When life gets tough, as it does for all of us, are you the whinner who tells everyone your problems, or the leader who takes control and comes up with the answer?

You get it? Winners have an answer for every problem. Negative people only see problems with no answers.

Come on now, do you have a plan or an excuse? Accomplishments only come from hard work and commitment. That’s why winners will only see the gains, while negative people will see the pain.

I was fortunate to be raised by a father who was a high school football coach. I was around sports my entire life as a player and a coach. As most of you know, I competed in sports well into my late 50’s.

The message I’m trying to relay is that sports teaches athletes the lessons from losing, along with the rewards of winning.

In life, just like every sport, you are going to get knocked down. You’ll be faced with serious life changing events, so what’s your character? Are you ready to put your head to the grind and come up with an answer?

Even when you’re giving life your best, each of us will face one or all of the following; death of a loved one, divorce, bankruptcy, bad news from the doc, unemployment, or fill in the blank.

Just know, if you are reading this article, you are already a winner. More than likely, you have a place to live that homeless people would love. I’m sure you have a job that unemployed people would want.

Did you know between 713 and 757 million people are hungry and undernourished every day? How about you? Is your belly full as you tuck yourself to bed?

Listen, the whole purpose is for you to realize how much a winner we all are. Stop seeing the negatives that some outlets try to shove down our throats. Nope, we are better than that, and that’s why as winners, we find answers to lift those up around us.

By David Tepera, September 18, 2024

Do you know why there’s a difference between white and dark meat? How come dark meat is more tasty and juicy compared to dry white meat? And the answer is “blood”. Yep, dark meat is dark and juicy because it contains blood.

Let me explain. It’s really the domestic chicken we are referring to. What parts of the domestic chicken are dark and white? The only white portion of a domestic chicken is the breast. And, that’s because the wings are clipped, so they won’t fly. They breast has no purpose for domestic chickens, so the blood supply isn’t present.

Every other body part on a chicken is in full motion; neck, legs, thighs, including wings are flapping even though they aren’t flying. Muscles can only function when it’s full of blood.

Now, notice I kept referring to domestic chickens because of clipped wings. Not counting fish, but all wild animal’s muscles contain blood. There are no white meat body parts on wild animals. That’s also the reason there isn’t a lot of fat on wild animals. They are always on the run for survival. I hope this is starting to make sense.

So, for all of you our there that love dark meat on chickens, keep enjoying it – you vampires.

Just know, I prefer dark over white any day, plus most people don’t realize dark meat has more protein.

Since I’m writing about breasts, let’s think about chest training for humans. One of the most popular chest weight training exercises is the bench press. I’m sure most of you know, it’s when you lay on your back and press a barbell off your chest.

All the young gym bros want to be known for the heaviest bench press. In their heads, it makes them the king of the gym. There are those who train to break records in the bench press. I was actually friends with Anthony Clark, who held the Guiness World Record of a reverse bench press of 740 pounds. He was a gentle giant who left us way too early.

What most people don’t understand is the pectoralis chest muscles build better from fly exercises than press. Let’s think about birds again. Flying animals breasts are the biggest body part they have. Of course, this is from flying. You get it, it’s not from pressing, it’s from flying.

So, if you spend more time on fly machines than pressing, you’ll build a better chest without shoulder issues.  

Lastly, scientist have concluded that the chicken came before the egg. This is because the protein which makes their eggshells can only be produced by hens.

By David Tepera, September 11, 2024

Did you know a Big Mac doesn’t cost $5.29, it costs your health. Netflix doesn’t cost $17.99, it costs your time. Social media isn’t free, it costs your focus.

The real question is “how are you investing your mental and physical health?”. We now live in a time of no patience. We all want immediate gratification, so who ever can deliver our needs the fastest, will get our business.

As an old-foggy, it still blows my mind that I can order something and receive it on my doorstep the same day. That is totally crazy to me.

But, what has also happened is people will no longer put in the hard work and time to reach a goal. No wonder 41.9% of adults in America are obese. Also, 1 in 5 children and adolescents in the US has obesity. People have stopped exercising, including raising children in the same environment.

When you cook and consume healthy meals, you’ll lose weight and feel better. But, no, we don’t have the discipline, so we’ll take pills and injections to lose the extra pounds. What’s the hidden cost for your laziness? I’ve heard that some of those new trendy injections can cost up to $600 dollars per month. I’m sure a gym membership, time on the treadmill or cycle is much less.

Listen, don’t get mad at me. I get emails all the time from people appreciating me keeping it real. Plus, I do my best to live the life I write, but I’m not perfect and neither are you.

Don’t beat yourself up for making mistakes. There’s not one of us who can cast stones. If you need to change your life, then today is that day. Yesterday was only a lesson, so how are you going to improve today?

Now, let’s get positive and recognize the benefit. For those who are exercising more, how has that changed your life? You quickly find out that exercise doesn’t only improve physical health, but it gives people a more positive outlook on life. There are many studies proving exercise and lifting weights helps with depression. I know because it saved my life, and that’s a testimony for another day.

I guarantee, people who have reduced their social media presence are much happier than those who don’t. You are what you think about. Surround yourself with positive people and let the wonders be attracted into your life. That’s a great benefit without any costs.

By David Tepera, September 4, 2024

One of the benefits of owning a business, is we get to take our dogs with us. Even my son Dylan, brings his rescue mix-breed Buddy, who’s been a part of the fitness family for over three years.

Now, we have doggy gates to keep our four-legged family members behind while we train our clients. But, when the training numbers are low, Buddy gets to roam with the clients. Everyone loves the doggies, especially Buddy. He even has his picture set up as the employee of the month.

Well, last week was a difficult time because Tina and I had to put down one of our senior rescues named “KK”, which stands for Kahlua. All the clients that were close to her got to say their “goodbyes”. I’ve never seen more tears in a gym as everyone gave her lots of love and hugs.

How many of you business owners take your family pets to work? I actually know quite a few.

How many of you exercise with your pets? Do you walk your dogs in the mornings or evenings? Do you go to isolated parks and run with them or go hiking? Do you play fetch and wrestle in the yard? What type of activity do you get from owning a pet?

One of the few times I’ve seen my wife Tina running was her chasing KK down the street when she got loose. You see, KK was deaf and had dementia. Even though her ailments were sad, it was still funny watching Tina on a dead-sprint. This is not volunteer exercising.

There are not that many interesting studies about dog owner activities. One USA study found that only 27% of dog owners walked their dog for at least 150 minutes per week. It is proven that dog owners will partake in more physical activity than non-dog owners, just ask Tina.

If you don’t own a pet or have the resources, then animal shelters are always in need of dog walkers. When the kids were in middle school, we would take time to walk the dogs at the League City Animal Shelter.

Well, besides the sad week of losing our oldest family pet, we also got to cherish the wonderful memories KK gave us. For all you animal lovers, you understand that our pets are also our children.

By David Tepera, August 27, 2024

Notice in the title, I chose lifting weights over strength training. As much as those are similar, people are led to think differently.

Don’t misunderstand me, it is still good working out with bands, body weight exercises and other fitness programs, but you’re never too old to put iron in your hands and lift weights.

I’m referring to dumbbells, ez bars, pin-loaded weight machines, including free weights. This is good-old-school pumping iron.

Our 80-year-old client Ada sent us a quote she found “I’d rather be the oldest person in the gym, than the youngest person in the nursing home.” Now, read that again and do something about it.

It’s the weights that builds muscles around the joints to strengthen and protect. Of course, walking, biking or any cardio exercise is good, but lifting weights is the closest path to slow down the aging process.

I’ve written this many a time, but it’s humbling to hear the stories from all our senior clients of how their life has changed from lifting weights.

Listen, find a local gym and start your new journey to living. Get out of that old boring routine of taking prescriptions and watch television.

When you join a gym, and you’re not familiar with weights, then invest in a personal trainer for only a couple of sessions to learn the basics. Don’t be afraid of sticking out in a gym of youngins. You’ll be surprised how much respect you’ll get for lifting weights as an elder.

I apologize if I’m self-promoting, but we do offer a three-session training to teach people safe and proper lifting techniques, along with a lifting program. We do this so you can be comfortable to lift weights at your local gym.

Bottom line, quit making excuses for your current situation. Yes, all our days are limited, so why are you wasting yours away?

Every day I get up and punch Father Time in the face. Yep, I’m slowing down, but I’m not out and neither are you. I don’t mind losing a battle, but I will not lose the war of enjoying life.

I don’t care what your situation is to date. You’re the only one who can change it, so today you’re going to do something about it. Now, get up and get out!

Just be aware, everyday our body does it’s best to survive under the conditions placed upon it. How come we still breath when we are asleep? We take 12 – 15 breathes per minute which equals to about 20,00 to 25,000 breathes per day. We don’t consciously have to think about breathing because our body does it to survive.

What happens when we get overheated? The body will perspire in-order-to help cool itself. What happens when we get cold? The body will shiver in-order-to create heat.

Did you ever wonder why our finger tips get wrinkly while in water for a long period of time? It’s the body trying to create grip to protect itself.

Now, let me explain most diet failures. Have you ever noticed that with almost every diet plan, you lose weight in the beginning, but then it stops? What happened is your body survived the initial change, and since you’re still eating the same meal plan, the body doesn’t need to make changes. It’s just going to hang out and stay the same because it already survived the meal change.

Here’s a body builder trick. When we are competing and on a strict healthy protein loaded diet, every two-three weeks, we throw in a cheat meal. What happens is that the body does need fats, but when you deprive it of the resources, it will shut down the metabolism in-order-to survive. So, on cheat meal days, we eat pizza or burgers and fries. Now the body will kick back on it’s metabolism because it finally received fats needed. There’s more science to this, I’m just trying to keep it simple.
It’s common for us to hear from people about plateauing in their weight training. Again, when starting any weight lifting program, you’ll make good changes within the first few months. At some point, the body will no longer grow or make changes. The reason it already survived the weight load placed upon it. Since you’re still performing the same workout, the body will just hang out and stay the same.

At Ageless Muscle, clients get a different workout each week. We continue to confuse the body so it will continue to make changes and progress. I hope this is making some sense. I’m better at explaining than writing on certain topics.

One last little tidbit. Your pupils can reveal when you’re in love. When we are attracted to someone, our pupils will dilate. For me, this happens when I see ice cream.

By David Tepera, August 21, 2024

By David Tepera, August 14, 2024

In case you enjoyed watching the 2024 Paris Olympics, here are a few interesting facts.

The first modern Olympics was held in Greece in 1896. The contests lasted 5-6 months, and the athletes competed naked. In 2012, at the London games, was the first time all participating countries sent females.

There are many definitions concerning the colors of the five rings. One of them is pertaining to at least one of the colors represents each country’s flag.

In the 2024 Olympics, there were 10,714 athletes, 329 events in 32 sports, with 206 nations competing. So, you know, United States had 594 athletes.

Of course, we all know the name of Jesse Owens. For all you youngens, the significance of Owens is because he competed in the 1936 German Olympics when Adolf Hitler intentions was to use the games to demonstrate Aryan superiority. After Owens won 4 gold medals, Hitler refused to shake hands with him.

Remember, this was 1936 and Germany was invading and killing people in it’s path. At the Olympic games, the German public adored Owens and this bothered Hitler, who finally left the games.

During Owens attempt at the long jump, he scratched twice. There was only one more opportunity to jump. A German long jumper named Carl Ludwig Long told Owens to place a towel one foot before the take-off-board because he had plenty of distance to beat out the competitors. Ludwig helped Owens to obtain his 4^th gold medal. Ludwig and Owens became longtime friends. An interesting fact was that Ludwig asked Owens that if he didn’t return from war, that Owens would tell Ludwig’s son that war is only from the greedy people in power. We are all loving people and should treat each other as so. And yes, Ludwig lost his life serving his country.

So, you know, the gold medal isn’t solid gold. It’s true price is around $950 dollars. Simone Biles is the ninth-highest earning female athlete in the world in 2023. She made about 8.5 million before taxes. Tennis stars dominate the list of biggest earners.

Well, I hope you enjoyed a few fun facts about the Olympics. To me, it’s an honor to represent our country and represent the power of the flag that so many gave their lives for.

By David Tepera, August 7, 2024

I’m actually stealing the idea that sparked this article from a comedian whom I don’t remember the name of. But, the following is my personal spin. I’m sure the elderly will get a kick and relate to this.

Recently, I turned 63-years-old, also I spend my work days with clients from their 50’s up into the 80’s. Even though all these client’s quality of life has much improved, there will always be some aches and pains that come with aging.

Now, let’s take this a decade at a time, and relate getting older as being in school again.

Once you reach your 50’s, welcome to the beginning of old age. You are considered a freshman to the aging school of life.

It’s in the 50’s where life starts breaking down. For example; women freak out over the wrinkles and start paying the botox and filler doc’s bills. Men begin taking statins for their hearts, along with blood pressure and ED meds.

The mail I received in my 50’s was for AARP, 55 and up community living, along with life insurance programs.

People in their 60’s are the sophomores in the school of life. When you wake each morning, the neck is stiff and the knees are crackling as you limp to the bathroom.

I once came to work favoring one of my legs, Dylan asked me if I hurt myself on a morning jog. I said “No, I pulled a calf walking to the kitchen”.

The mail I received in my 60’s was for hearing aids, dentures, and medicare plus programs. Tina can’t wait for me to turn 65 because hopefully, we get to freeze some of our taxes.

I will say, the majority of our clients are well into their 70’s. You are the juniors in the school of aging. Everyone is retired and came to us to get stronger to enjoy travels and hobbies. There are many getting joint replacements, but we help with faster recovery outcomes.

The mails received are for assisted living, walk-in tubs, discounts on motorized scooters, along with anything related to arthritis. I’m sure when you wake, walking sounds like “snap-crackle-pop”, until you get warmed up.

Lastly, the 80’s are our seniors. You have decades of experience into the school of aging. Your prescription cabinet looks like the local pharmacy. Your surgeries typically include cataracts, prostate, heart conditions, and, sad to mention, but most have cancer complications and scares.

Your mail is all health related, along with funeral plots.

This is the reality of life, so just laugh your way through the school of aging and enjoy the journey. We will all eventually have the same experience, so choose happiness and love.