First of all, digestion is fine. The notion of needing “fiber†in your diet seems to be overhyped.
Second, energy level is fine too. I intermittent fast, which means I never eat breakfast or lunch. Only one massive meat heavy dinner. And yes, intermittent fasting is easy and sustainable; I’ve been doing it for the last 5+ years, easy. I literally don’t even get hungry for breakfast for lunch anymore. Therefore to me to fast during the day is not “hardâ€.
Third, in terms of “gainsâ€, The notion that you must consume carbs or sugar in order to augment your muscle mass is false. I have been able to put on mass just fine, with no carbs or sugar or protein powder the last five years.
Fourth, I’ve been able to deadlift over 500 pounds, easy, while fasted (not eating breakfast for lunch, and not eating anything before I lift).
A great idea, as Google maps can become the next social media. For example, I have a Lea love and depend on Google maps for almost anything. Far more than yelp or TripAdvisor. I don’t even have yelp installed on my phone anymore.
However, a lot of the reviews I see are just lame. I wish I could respond to the comments of others, often adding humorous responses.
â€Haters screaming illuminati. They can’t believe this much skill in a human body.†– JAY Z
Something which I am personally fascinated by and in; what the limits of a human body are, and what a single human being can achieve. Kind of like how Michelangelo was able to single-handedly paint the Sistine chapel; I believe that if one intelligently uses their time and life force, one can achieve a phenomenally epic thing in their lives.
How Vietnam was the first step
My first personal renaissance happened in Vietnam, when I unplugged and went off the grid for almost 2 years. No email, no external correspondence. Nothing. Only strong Vietnamese coffee, focus, music, and philosophical introspection. Lots of reading philosophy, and lots of writing.
How Phnom Penh Cambodia has become the second step
Phnom Penh is my new favorite city in the world. Why? As much as I loved Vietnam, Phnom Penh is the next level. Why? Simply put, my new favorite gym and iron paradise: Monkifit gym here in PP.
On the road to greatness, I believe that physical greatness is essential. I do not really care for any other innovator, or entrepreneur, if they cannot deadlift or squat more than I can. This is why the only writer and philosopher currently living who is interesting (whom I greatly admire and respect) is Nassim Taleb; he deadlifts. And encourages others to do as well. Also, I first learned of the “one rep max“ concept from him and his Antifragile book.
This is where Kanye West is not very impressive; he seems to be too fat, and maybe no longer lifts weights. He is so rich now, and now that he is divorced, he should be able to hire the best personal trainer in the world. Kanye West has the ability to look like an idealized version of himself in the Black skinhead music video. Kanye West should get back into weight lifting — bench press, squat, and deadlift. Kanye should also go on a 100% carnivore diet; with only the finest cuts of beef and meat on the planet.
Why discount yourself, or discount the efforts and/or achievements of others?
The tall poppy syndrome
Everyone likes to think of themselves as the most supreme. Therefore, others will often discount others in lieu of the fact that when they see somebody else greater than themselves, they personally feel diminished.
However, this only becomes a problem if you benchmark your greatness in respect to others. I say, detach yourself from all external metrics.
You will discover more about yourself through a one rep max deadlift attempt, than all the philosophy books in the world combined.
What I discovered about myself through breaking through the 500 pound deadlift barrier
The first thought is that we mentally hold ourselves back. And that metrics and standardization hold us back.
Also, convention and what is considered “proper†hold us back. For example, nobody uses the trap bar for deadlifts. A lot of people consider the trap bar as “cheatingâ€. But, what if cheating were good? Also, what is “cheating“ in terms of form or technique what is the path to becoming more?
For example, with squats, I’ve discovered that the higher weight you squat, and irregardless of whether you “cheat†or not, overall you still get stronger, your legs get buffer, and overtime directly able to squat more, even “ass to grass†form, parallel, below parallel etc.
Why can you not trust others, or their supposed experiences? It is impossible to know whether they’re telling the truth, or even whether they have the facts right.
For example, what if Lance Armstrong was truly 100% ignorant of the performance enhancing stuff which was happening to him?
Or as a thought experiment, imagine if there is a world record power lifter, and his personal trainer was secretly injecting him with steroids and hormones in his diet, without the athlete knowing? And that athlete genuinely 100% believed that he was all natural? Therefore if somebody asked him whether he was “all natural“, and he said yes I am 100% all natural, he would be telling the truth, ignorant of the fact what his personal trainer was doing to him in his sleep.
My personal curiosity with physical strength, and bodybuilding
It is impossible to know what is physically possible, when it comes to the strength or the muscle or the physique of other bodies. All you could trust is yourself, because you know with 100% certainty what you do to yourself.
For example, impossible to know with 100% certainty whether the other guys in the gym are on the “juice†or not. And instead of wasting time, or mental bandwidth on doing research online about what is “natty†(natural) or not, just focus on yourself.
The problem: most thoughts published are depressing than motivational.
My personal ambition: to only share motivational thoughts. Funny enough, even my mom aspired me to become a motivational speaker. Thus for myself, maybe my life goal should just be a motivational blogger? And vlogger? Or person?
Why is so much of modern day media so dismotivational?
Several thoughts;
First of all, it looks like most modern media is driven on fear, and negative emotions rather than positive ones. For example, what are you more likely to click on? An article about a nice young boy helping a grandma walk across the street, or some new terrorist attack?
Therefore this is the first big problem: perhaps there is a human bias that we are more prone to be attracted to danger and fear, rather than the positive ones.
Via Negativa
The concept that I keep going back to, which I learned from Nassim Taleb in his book antifragile is his notion of via negativa. The basic notion is that we gain more from subtraction than addition.
For example, in order to become more motivated, perhaps the best strategy is to get rid of our dismotivators; things that dismotivate us.
For example, I am very critical of weed and marijuana. Why? It makes you lazy. Like Musk said, smoking weed is like the exact opposite of drinking a cup of coffee. Most productive and optimistic people that I know like drinking coffee.
What dismotivates you?
Things that prevent you from leaving the house. For example, COVID-19 was a huge dismotivator for most people; it made us fearful of just leaving the house. However, now that we are all vaccinated, the vaccine is out, etc., yes, you can leave your house now. And, it is also necessary for you to strategically unlearn the fear of being in public.
For example, I say just go out, and live your life, get your necessary booster shots, and just wear a face mask when in doubt.
Stop consuming the news
It is a physiological thing; whenever I see the news, or accidentally read it, it has a physiologically depressing effect on me.
We all agree that McDonald’s is bad for your health, why not social media? Why not the news?
All media is bad, even the good ones
My belief is that all media outlets are bad, even the “woke†and progressive ones. Even Al Jazeera, NPR, the New Yorker, and other “fact checking“ news sources. Whether they like it or not, all of modern news is driven on Google AdSense and mobile advertising, which means there is always some sort of hidden incentive to maximize clicks and views.
Funny enough, everyone always critiques Facebook and social media for spreading disinformation, but Google, and Google AdSense is never accused. Because if you think about it, even much of Facebook‘s profits piggyback off of Google AdSense. Therefore, Google, and Google AdSense is a stronger player than Facebook, who is simply the middleman.
Again, this then nudges writers and platforms to focus on more negative and sensational news, which strikes fear in us and dismotivates us.
The joy of movement
For me, I realize that after much thinking and life experimentation, I prefer to be in public, out and about, exposed to the elements, rather than chambered at home, indoors, and yes even the mall. I found that spending too much time inside an air-conditioned place, or a heated place actually lulls you to sleep. Even being here in Southeast Asia, in Phnom Penh Cambodia, I feel greater physiological energy when I’m outdoors in the hot and humid weather, than indoors in an air-conditioned mall, car, or room. The only nuance is that I prefer to sleep with air conditioning. Otherwise, air conditioning has a more depressing effect on your body, rather than a motivational one.
Having the right clothes
What is the ideal shirt? If it is hot, or humid outside, topless.
For hot and humid weather, no jeans. No long pants. Breathable mesh nylon shorts. I really like the Lululemon license to train shorts, and even the breathable Uniqlo mesh shorts.
If you must wear a shirt, then outlier.nyc merino wool T-shirt. Or just get a nylon tanktop.
For shoes, Vibram five fingers. I really like the EL-X model. Why are shoes important? Because the lighter, more compact, less foam, your shoes, the more you can walk, move, and play with less fatigue. I believe nowadays, shoes are the modern procrustion bed.
For example nowadays, there is a shoe-first approach. That we try to get our feet to fit our shoes, rather than getting shoes that already fit our feet (natural barefoot style, five finger toes).
The only objection that people honestly have about Vibram five fingers shoes is that they look weird. But maybe we should turn it into a new fashion trend.
For example, flip-flops and sandals, and crocs were seen with diadain, and were considered lame or for losers. But now if you look at the new crocs, the Yeezy slides, etc., the new trend is towards slide-type slippers, and crocs. Even note the high-end Balenciaga collaboration with crocs. Also the Hermès flip-flops.
Share your own motivational thoughts
Ironically enough, whenever I share things which motivate me, and I publish them, there is a BOGO (buy one, get one free) effect; first, it motivates me even further, and it also motivate others. This is where I think the blogging and vlogging is so powerful; you can double dip motivation.
I recommend you to thus start your own blog or YouTube channel, and share your own motivational thoughts with others!
Be driven by enthusiasm and passion
It is difficult to fake enthusiasm and passion. Even harder to fake hate (Nassim Taleb, bed of procrustes).
The radical motivational idea I have is this:
Perhaps the best mode of action is to live a life in which you only do and pursue things you’re insanely passionate about, and have great enthusiasm for, and disregard everything else.
Like Nietzsche says, we must renounce many things.
For example, for me this means renouncing social media, renouncing email, renouncing text messaging, and renouncing other forms of distractions.
Also, not to do things that do you think people will like, but just doing things that you like.
For example, in UI/US design, don’t create an interface which you think people will like. Rather, follow your own gut and design things which you consider beautiful. This is the genius of Steve Jobs; his incredible tenacity to create a device which was absolutely beautiful and perfect for him.
Also, for web designers. Especially YouTube designers:
Create a user interface in which you would not feel ashamed having your kids use.
For example, probably the biggest waste of human potential is YouTube and children. How many kids I see mindlessly clicking through YouTube, and becoming pacified. If you were one of the head designers for user interface for YouTube, I say it is your moral and ethical objective to design it in such a way that you yourself would not feel ashamed having your kids use it. This is why I am so suspicious of Silicon Valley; the rich and elites send their kids to anti-technology schools, yet they sell Google Chrome books and iPads to schools. Even Steve Jobs refused to let his kids iPads. Why? Certainly a hidden downside.
Motivation in photography
Start off by deleting Instagram. And everything you would otherwise share on Instagram, share to your own blog instead. For my true followers, the number one test I have is this:
If you desire to follow me and become my disciple, you first must delete your Instagram.
Otherwise, no faith.
I also don’t trust people in Silicon Valley who use Facebook and or Instagram
Folks from silicon valley should know better. Most intelligent people I know who are photographers and visual artists from Silicon Valley still use Instagram and or Facebook or Reddit. The only people from Silicon Valley I trust are the ones that don’t use Facebook or Instagram. Even more radical, don’t use Reddit.
Also, knowing some of the former head people from Google; who no longer work there, they themselves no longer have a Google account. Why? They probably know something that we don’t.
Motivation in our photography
I like the notion that you can become a “full stack photographerâ€. That you shoot anything and everything with your heart desires. No more categories, genres, boundaries.
For example, one of the biggest dismotivators in my photography in the past was that I felt like I had to stay within the small genre of street photography. Also, I find it very strange and bizarre that videographers constrain themselves too much in the world of video; they should also delight in shooting still photos! Also, more traditional photographers should also shoot video for fun!
For example, sometimes I see things in which just shooting a still photo is lacking. More fun to shoot a 30 second video clip of it, Snapchat style, for myself. And where to host it? I like to use the videopress.com plug-in for WordPress, or just upload it to youtube.com
Genres constrain our creativity.
Don’t classify yourself
For example, I find there to be too much baggage and weight whenever you try to classify yourself into something, like being a “writer“, photographer, poet, etc. Maybe it’s best to just think of yourself like a big kid, and you like to do stuff and create stuff for fun!
Most of the adults I know are too serious. All of my close friends who I admire are the ones who don’t take themselves too seriously, and they simply live their lives like overgrown children.
Therefore, it seems the number one motivator is to become more childlike. For example, as Seneca is exploring the world, he doesn’t need any external motivators like a pedometer, step counter, or metrics for “success“. Success and failure are not even notions to him yet; he is simply driven by curiosity, desire, and desire to learn more about the world around him. If he could do it his way, he would simply play all day, and not sleep. And he does this all without coffee, caffeine, stimulants, money, or carrots and sticks!
Therefore the number one direction we should go in:
Become more childlike!
ERIC
Become a photographer
Become the photographer you desire at an upcoming ERIC KIM WORKSHOP:
I quit reddit around 2010, when I still worked as an IT consultant as my undergraduate job. Why?
First of all, it is not good for your brain.
Secondly, insanely addictive. If you mindlessly find yourself opening up Google Chrome tabs and typing “RE†on your keyboard, you’re still a slave to reddit.
Third, the communities are strange. They all seem to be a bunch of guys trying to humblebrag. Also, it seems that individuals who are actually very active on Reddit tend to be a mediocre folks.
Therefore you cannot trust Reddit anymore; it is owned by the same mega media Corporations, which Reddit users pretend to subvert. Note that Reddit is one of the top 20 visited websites on the Internet; does, Reddit users are not unique. They are all the same.
Those who own the media own our minds.
For example, the advance group acquired the Ironman group, which hosts the Iron Man triathlons etc. Therefore, for any major news publication, do you think anyone will criticize or critique the Iron Man competition?
China also likes to complain about America — 800 military bases around the world vs only 1 for China in (Africa?)
Also, nobody cares for the yuan. US dollars (at least for fiat currency) will probably endure somewhat indefinitely, at least for our lifetime. Until bitcoin takes over.
For myself, I desire to become more like a spartan 300 soldier.
For example, I desire to become harder, less soft. More manly, more focused, more ascetic.
In terms of my personal aesthetics, I desire to look more like a spartan soldier. For me, the ideal is to look like king Leonidas, or any of his brave soldiers.
Also funny enough, the best visual I got of child rearing actually comes from the movie 300. I do not want Seneca to be soft; I want him to be strong and hard. Also another good visual from the film Ninja Assassin— seeing how spartan the children were raised.
Less, but more elite
Would you rather have 1 million slave Persian slave soldiers, or 300 dedicated spartan warriors?
This is where I love the graphic artist Frank Miller; if it wasn’t for his rendition of the war of Thermopylae, we would not have the Zach Snyder rendition of the movie 300.
A single boy child?
It seems that when it comes to movies, a common motif is the solo boy child.
In modern American society, the notion of a “only child†is seen as so bad. It teaches them to be “selfishâ€. However this is my suspicion; it seems that all men, or all fathers desire to have at least one boy, to continue their lineage. Therefore, typically when you see a man with only one girl, as their first child, they seem to desire to try for a second, in order to have a boy.
This is why I often see a lot of guys with two girls. Because the first child was a girl, and they tried for a second and ended up having another girl. Or even families with three girls; three attempts, no boys.
Therefore, is the spartan ideal to birth only one boy, man? Or to bear as many men as possible?
Epigenetics; Epi means on top of. Genetics are what you’re born with. The optimistic thought is this: while you cannot change the base level of your genetics, you can still modify your genetics through training, the environment, and exercise.
I often joke and I say that I don’t believe in genetics, when it comes to the gym and weightlifting. This is what has helped me deadlift over 500 pounds, and squat over 400 pounds; this disbelief in genetics. And the pure belief in personal desire, time and effort.
To lift heavier weights, best to reduce your range of motion. Also in life, maybe in order to enact greater impact, also best to reduce your range of motion? That is, doing fewer things, but stronger.
For example, the reason why it is easier to lift heavier weights with a trap bar or hex bar deadlift; the bars are a little bit elevated off the floor. This means that the handles require less range of movement, but still the benefit is that technically, the weights themselves have a similar range of motion.
Charge your phone on the floor, literally. Also, the Tar is best on the ground, literally on the street at street level. Not in a skyscraper. ground over the sky.
also, best to sleep on the floor. Japanese tatami style, also Korean style.
Also the best cars are closest to the ground. The lower and wider of the car, and the closer to the ground, the sexier, better performance, more fun to drive, etc. SUV cars and overlanding cars are boring.
Certainly there are things you cannot change (your facial features, height, eye color, etc), and your genetic features. Yet, there is so much you can change!
My overall critique of the notion of “body acceptance†is this:
It is depressing. It’s telling yourself, “This is the body you’re stuck with, and there is nothing you can do about itâ€.
It is fatalism.
What’s a superior approach? I say—
Okay there are certain things I can change and certain things I cannot change. Disregard the aspects I cannot change, but take radical control of the things I can change!
For example, weight lifting as “epigeneticsâ€, or how you can modify your genetics. Any human being, if they start weight training will and mustput on muscle mass (skeletal muscle mass). This is a physiological fact. For example it is impossible for anyone who can deadlift 500+ pounds to not have bigger muscles than someone who cannot. Or in other words,
If you start training deadlift, squat, and bench press it is impossible to not put on muscle mass and to increase the size and strength and “swoleness†of your muscles.
“But I’m a “hard gainer!â€â€œ
Everyone is a hard gainer. And also, I am starting to think the notion of being a “hard gainerâ€, being an “ectomorphâ€, or being a “mesomorph†or any of these new pseudo-scientific classifications are the new bodily racism.
For example, typically speaking Asian guys, especially Asian Americans (East Asians, Southeast Asians, South Asians) see themselves as physiologically inferior to African-Americans, or those with African descent. For example something I realized when I first deadlifted 4 plates and a 25 on each side (around 455 pounds)—
Everyone at the gym was so shocked I could do it.
But I asked my friend, “If I were African-American, would people be as shocked?†He laughed and said frankly, “Probably notâ€.
The ancient Greeks were “coloredâ€
Things I note as hugely fascinating — the relatively “small†chest and pectoral muscles. The insanely massive traps. Insanely buff but actually quite proportional. Was this possible in Ancient Greek times, without steroids or other strange drugs?
This is why all these “color politics†annoys me so much — it is ignorant and inaccurate. For example, let us agree that the height of past civilization and greatness were the ancient Greeks. They were all “colored†Mediterranean folks. No “Caucasian’s†or “white†folks here. Everyone probably looked like they had a good tan — olive colored skin.
And the height of all their achievements in terms of strength, military prowess, athleticism, wisdom, intelligence etc wasn’t a race thing — all Greeks were Greeks. Certainly there was a subdivision of slaves, free men, artisans, soldiers, merchants and aristocrats, but in Greece, all were Greek.
Back to the body
Taking it back to the body — any human being given a certain approach will and must put on muscle mass, and remove body fat (adipose tissue). The bigger issue at hand is an optimization thing —
How quickly or slowly can I do it?
And I think this is how we fail — we are all in such a hurry. I say it is simple:
To increase muscle mass and size, simply start powerlifting and slowly and gradually attempting heavier weights.
To decrease body fat (adipose tissue), start intermittent fasting (no breakfast or lunch, only one massive dinner meal a day), and quit all sugar (natural or fake), quit all sweet stuff, all starchy things (even the “healthy†starches like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower), all “vegetables†(most vegetables are starches in disguise).
Then what can you eat? Simple:
Lots of red and fatty meat. Also organ meats. I love beef belly, lamb, beef liver, beef heart, lamb belly, beef ribs, etc. Eggs as a supplemental snack (if I have leftover beef belly oil in the frying pan I just cook 8-12 eggs in it).
Bitter greens and herbs. Kale, spinach, chrysanthemum greens— anything bitter. Bitter is better.
Take your time
Perhaps with transforming your body, give it a year. Or a decade.
Stop looking at bodybuilders on social media (they’re all on strange supplements, hormones, steroids, etc). Instead look at Ancient Greek heroes — The Farnese Hercules. The Doryphoros.
Also, spend more time looking at yourself. Shoot more selfies of yourself, your body, etc. Become more fascinated with your own body than the body of others.
Also I say—
See your body as superior to the body of others, and don’t desire to exchange your body with any other human on the planet.
“Are you all natty bro?â€
No problems with plastic surgery. Only critique —
It doesn’t hold up well over time.
For example women I see with plastic surgery in their older years end up looking frightening.
If you got in a car accident and your face got torn up (Tom Cruise, Vanilla Sky), certainly plastic surgery is great! Yet if you’re already beautiful, striving to become MORE beautiful is not a good path.
Big boobs as a trend?
Something random I read online which I found interesting:
With men being attracted to women breasts— it isn’t about breast size, rather “perkiness†(the suppleness of the breast and the direction the nipples point, ideally upwards) as a sign of health and youth.
Big breasts (unnaturally big, plastic surgery implants) I think are just a Hollywood (Pamela Anderson) trend.
A superior trend I see is the “big butt†trend, as all women can get a bigger and more muscular butt and glutes through squats, deadlift, hip thrusters etc.
Even for myself, I’m most proud of my legs (my thunder thighs, turbo thighs) and my butt than any other part of my body. That and my back.
How Brad Pitt changed the game
I believe up unto this point, Brad Pitt has been the alpha male in American society, and also with Hollywood celebrity. His body physique in Fight Club was the #1 desirable aesthetic.
Also, the movie 300– the physique of King Leonidas and the insanely ripped Spartan 300 soldiers.
Build your body in such a way you like it and love it!
For example, if you find a certain part of your body lacking, it isn’t about “bodily acceptanceâ€, but rather, deciding to build it and improve it instead!
I get very very suspicious whenever I hear that some sort of activity is good for kids, because it is “good for their socialization.â€
For me, much of my adult life post college was all about de-socialization, unlearning all the BS from society. This was the biggest benefit of studying sociology, unlearning.
Therefore for me, perhaps my approach is different; I don’t want to socialize Seneca. I want him to become some sort of rare plant. The uber-kid. Eventually the uberman.
