Most Protein Bars Are Candy

Marketing is a tricky obstacle for health enthusiasts.

Labels and words we’ve never heard of on ingredients lists trick us into think protein bars are “healthy” when they’re no different than a candy bar for the most part.

Containing glutenous grains, added sugars, poor quality protein, gmo ingredients, artificial flavoring, colors, and sweeteners, and other junk don’t qualify a food as “healthy”.

Thanks to doctors like Dr. David Perlmutter and other health advocates, the information on why these ingredients are detrimental to our health is abundant and clear.

Tag your favorite protein bar and share why it’s your favorite.

My favorites are @primalkitchenfoods and @gardenoflife. Loaded with quality protein, prebiotic fiber, and healthy fats. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

My Mission

My mission is to create support for those in need, direct patient funding for brain tumor patients, empower people to live as healthy as possible, and create faith, inspiration, and partnerships through sport, education, and story telling. 💚✌️

What’s your mission in life?

-Josh P.

Push Your Limitations

How do you push your limits and increase your potential in life?

I never thought weight lifting would be apart of my life or even half of the role it plays in my life today.

I got into fitness after I blew out my knee in 2013. That’s what I call being “reactive” rather then being proactive”.

Today’s it’s a passion of mine. I love the health benefits, of course, but I also love the challenge mentally and physically, learning a new skill, how it supplements my riding very well, and how the risk factor is not as high as BMX but sill presents that mental and physical challenge.

That said, here is a face of joy and relief as I successfully cleaned my highest weight so far (88kilos) and got it after just missing it on the attempt prior. I’ve come a long way his last year of introducing Olympic lifting to my programming and mobility as played the biggest factor. I had some strength, and it does keep increasing, but my lack of mobility held me back so much in terms of technique and form, which determine how successful my lifts are.

I’ve been working hard with Jackie and 919Spine to correct that and have been stoked! 💚✌️

-Josh P.

What’s In Your Hand?

What would you do if this was your scan result after an MRI following a sports related head injury?

My path to making my dream of becoming a pro bmx athlete come true has never been an easy one.

I know things that are worth having don’t come easily. I have overcome financial instability, injuries, cancer, abuse, heartbreak, and depression. If the things we desire most in life were simple, we’d already have them.

I am a firm believer that it’s not the cards were dealt; rather it’s the way we CHOOSE to play those cards that determine the outcome of our life. 💚✌️

Did you get dealt a shit hand of cards? How are YOU CHOOSING to play them?

Power Clean PR 3-14-18

Almost got in the 200pound club for power cleans today.

Hit a PR (88kilos) for power cleans after an 85 kilo cleans, and then just missing 88 before getting it. I’m liking week 1 of my new block from Coach Matt Hunter at Athletic Lab.

I’ve been working with Matt for a little over a year now and am getting more and more comfortable and strong with these Olympic lifts. Have more work to do to get this weight cleaner and advance. So stoked! 💯🙌🏼💪🏽

-JoshP.

Don’t Wish For An Easy Life

If you are wishing life to be easier, then you’re living in a victim mentality and not taking ownership of your life.

I’ve learned it’s never going to be easy, especially if you want an extraordinary life and to challenge status quo.

The level of progression with every aspect of life has rissen so high that committing 100% to desires is more important than ever.

Every second of every day is an opportunity to choose actions that will better yourself and get you closer to what you desire.

Don’t fall for the easy way out because of the resistance change and hard work brings with it. Just know you’re on the right track and having a clear vision is what will keep you moving forward to your success. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

Training vs. BMX

I’ve grown to love training over the years and recently was sharing why I love it so much beyond just the health benefits.

Training vs. bmx when your mind isn’t right is safer to me. Training has less risk than bmx. Both of them push me mentally and physically but if I’m not 100% feeling like riding, or am in a bad mode for whatever reason, I’d rather train.

I enjoy the aspect of pushing myself mentally and physically with both bmx and training. It’s just different with bmx if you’re not all in it because you can get fucked up.

I’m not competitively power lifting so the risk factor for my training is nothing compared to my level of risk riding as a professional bmx athlete, but I can still push my body and mind. 💚✌️

Why do you train?

-Josh P.

Success Is Not A Destination

Success is where we all strive to be and even though it says “success” this doesn’t mean stopping there and setting up camp.

I don’t believe in a destination for success. I believe in loving the process and continuing to grow and progress. This is when we can reflect on the changes we made and the benefits that have taken place.

When success is viewed as a final destination, it’s more than likely going to be left behind as success is a continuous pursuit of evolution and obstacles.

You have likely heard “that was worth it” or something along those lines or “the struggle yesterday made me stronger today”. It’s times of adversity that we sort out who we truly are and our inner strength to move forward. Only when our Vision is clear can we move forward, leave the “victim” mentality behind, and manifest true success in our lives. 💚✌️

What does success mean to you?

-Josh P.

3 Keys To Success – Mindset, Nutrition, & Fitness

I believe the single most important factor leading to success is prioritizing your mindset. The mindset was the final piece for me, but I learned that it was the most important piece that should have come first, with nutrition and fitness not far behind. They all play a unique role in strengthening one another, but ultimately it’s the mindset that determines the rate at which you manifest success and if you believe you can.

In terms of setting goals of any nature, understanding the purpose of those goals, or the WHY to those goals is so crucial to determining how we choose to move forward in life, which manifests in a success or “failure”.

When we foster a powerful mindset, optimize our nutrition, adopt a healthy practice of fitness combine it with a Vision, Commitment, a Plan, & the Tenacity to NEVER give up, success is inevitable.

When we neglect our nutrition and fitness, our mind suffers because our brain suffers. Same as when we neglect of mind’s health, we make poor choices within nutrition, fitness, and life overall.

Close behind, if not right there with the mindset, comes your Nutrition. This sets the tone for your gut, which directly correlates to the health and function of your brain and what it’s going to activate or suppress within the body in terms of hormones, inflammation, neurotransmitters, epigenetics (gene expression), mitochondrial biogenesis (growth of new mitochondria- energy powerhouses of every single cell in the body), neuroplasticity (the ability to have a resilient brain), and so much more.
The third key to success with your health, but very much elsewhere like the business and personal life, is fitness. Most people, like myself, in the beginning, think this means muscles and “bulk”, which can’t be further from the truth- if done correctly while corresponding with the mind and nutrition. Exercise is more effective than meds for depression (fact, look it up!), produces the “feel good” hormones, slows down aging, stimulates the growth of new mitochondria, increases insulin sensitivity (leading to burning stored and consumed energy), positively stresses the body to grow stronger, and so much more.
I’ve been training consistently for 4 years with these last 2 year the most focused and educated I’ve ever been thanks to Jackie Lauricella (licensed athletic trainer)walking me through ACL prehab for surgery and then recovery/rehab along with Matt Hunter (performance coach) from Athletic Lab in Cary, NC working with me on my goals with Max Aerobic Heart Rate Training, Injury Prevention, and Strength on and off the bike both in the body and mind. I also owe a lot of what I have learned and coach to Mark Sission and his work on the topic of fitness and becoming fat-adaptive.
That being said, I’ve lost size on my waist but stayed about the same weight while gaining a few pounds. I look leaner at the same time, feel lighter and stronger, have a very confident and positive mindset, my digestive system has never been better, my energy levels are very high and stable rather than like a roller coaster of ups and downs, and my performance on and off the bike has gone through the roof.
You may ask “how?”.
  1. muscle weighs more than fat and helps burn fat.
  2. strength doesn’t mean bulk or more muscles. Just means strength in the body and mind. End of story, if done correctly.
  3. Mindset and nutrition are two of the biggest factors in determining if you actually take action towards your goals (fitness, health, business, or personal), the motivation and “willpower” you possess, and how well you feel, perform, prevent illness and disease, make decisions, and think.

The value of implementing all of this into your life is priceless and is a bulletproof plan to success as long as you commit and don’t give up when times get tough. That being said, there is also a thing called the “Emotional Cycle of Change” (ECOC) we all go through when making changes. I believe this is important to note, which in short goes as follows:

  1. Uniformed OptimismThis is when your emotional response to an idea or goal takes over and you feel very optimistic and see no downsides to that idea or goal.
  2. Informed PessimismWhen you learn more about the change that idea or goal requires, you start forming negative emotions and beliefs. The idea or goal doesn’t seem possible and you question if the change is worth it.
  3. Valley of DespairThis is where most of us give up. All the pain of the change gets to us and the idea or goal seems to be further and furtherer away. This leads us to think there must be a quick and easy way to end the pain and discomfort- back to where we started. It is important to have clarity on our goals and our WHY so we can ensure we do not give up or think that success is not for us.
  4. Informed OptimismVision is very important for the Valley of Dispair because it is that Vision that keeps you moving forward while not giving up. That “I will do whatever it takes to accomplish” a goal is fueled by the Vision along with a commitment to not give up and the tools like mindset, nutrition, and fitness. In the informed optimism area, you are back in the positive emotional state and success is much more likely to manifest. The benefits of taking action towards a change for the desired goal is starting to manifest more and more and keeps you going. This is when you must continue and not settle!
  5. Success & FulfillmentSuccess is where we all strive to be and even though it says “success” this doesn’t mean stopping there. I don’t believe in a destination. I believe in loving the process and continuing to grow and progress. This is when we can reflect on the changes we made and the benefits that have taken place. You have likely heard “that was worth it” or something along those lines or “the struggle yesterday made me stronger today”. It’s times of adversity that we sort out who we truly are and our inner strength to move forward. Only when our Vision is clear can we move forward, leave the “victim” mentality behind, and manifest true success in our lives.

To conclude, take care of your body and mind as they work in a uniform reactive relationship to one another. Be pro-active when it comes to your health and goals with your life. Don’t settle for the status quo and then react to negatives. Do what you can to prevent a negative from occurring in the first place. It’s never too early to take action towards your goals and your health. It also never too late if you are reading this.

-Josh P.

Do What You Love Every Day

Don’t make it about money. Don’t make it about “success” or “failure”. Don’t make it about fear. Don’t make it about “what you’re supposed to do”.

Make it about YOU and your true desire. I believe true success comes when we are happy and fulfilled with every aspect of our lives. Not about money, materials, titles/accomplishments, and so on.

If that was the case, why is it so many we see as successful, defined by having money, materials, and titles/accomplishments are unhappy and/or sick? They live a life they don’t believe in or that aligns with their in we desires but we’re told to lead by parents or society.

Although it’s possible to manifest success in your life by doing what others “expect” you to, it’s a hell of a lot easier to lead a life you believe in while maintaining that life.

Nothing is guaranteed so you may as well take a risk on what you dream of. 💚✌️

-Josh P.