Over dinner last night I caught a glimpse of the news from Torino, Italy. Michelle Kwan had just withdrawn from the Olympics. I felt bad for her. She’s a great champion who, as fate would have it, will never win Olympic gold.

Nine times a national champion. Five times a world champion. Twice the favorite to win Olympic gold. Twice beaten at the last minute by the “underdog.”

I tend to get incredibly emotional whilst watching the Olympics and other great sporting events. Tears come to my eyes when I see someone win. Tears come to my eyes when I see someone I want to win, lose. And I can tell you, when I watched Michelle Kwan’s press conference last night, when she announced her withdrawl due to injury, I really felt for the girl.

Just a few weeks ago, on a plane ride home from China I found out about her injury and how she might not make the Olympics. She was being petitioned in as a member of the team after missing the Nationals because of her injury. In an interview she said that she would withdraw from the competition if she realized she couldn’t go on and that someone could skate better.

As I read this I didn’t think it would happen. It did.

I happen to be someone who knows what it is like to train for years and come up short. I also know what it is like to win, and win big. And I know that there seems to be a reason for everything – and as heartbreaking as this is for Michelle – she will emerge as a stronger, more successful person if she reaches deep inside and pulls the benefit from this experience.

This is something my father taught me to do when I felt the sting of defeat as a young wrestler. He always told me that I had a way of turning a loss into a triumph; that I always come back stronger after defeat; and that I could rise above the pain if I wanted to.

With the tenacity Michelle Kwan has shown for so many years, I’m sure she’ll be back. Not as a figure skater. But in some other capacity that will benefit herself and others in an even bigger way.

Nine times a national champion Five times a world champion. Twice an Olympic medalist. That’s a career worth having.

The key thing is getting over the heartache, the frustration and the hurt of defeat. I found solace years ago in the teachings of Dr. Maxwell Maltz – author of the 30 million copy best-seller, Psycho-Cybernetics. And my training regimen, Combat Conditioning, have served me well.

The key thing is staying creatively involved in something that keeps your spirit alive – and keeps you growing as a human being, reaching for the best that is within you.

Michelle, you’re a champion, through and through. End of statement.

Kick ass – take names!

Matt Furey

My daughter, Faith, is a couple months shy of her 2nd birthday. And she’s now reached the stage where she’s taking the stairs with cautious abandon. This means she’s learned her lesson from taking them with “reckless” abandon.

It’s always a scary thing when your child first finds the stairs, especially if they’re steep. I know a family where the son fell and cracked his skull – not a pretty sight, eh? Yet, the child didn’t stay away from the stairs for life – that would be silly.

The key thing is letting your child explore the world while you chaperone. Simply saying “no” and “don’t” all the time is not the right way to let someone explore. Naturally, you WILL have to say “no” and “don’t” more than you’d care, yet, at the same time you still must allow enough freedom for growth.

Funny thing about Faith is that after she climbs the stairs, she stops, puts both palms in the air and says, “Muh.”

That’s Shanghainese for “nothing.” In Mandarin you would say, “Mei you.”

Once she reaches the top I give her a big hug. Let her hang out for a spell, then send her back downstairs. She comes to the first step, places one foot on the next, then drops to her butt and slides, step by step, on her butt – all the way down.

See what I mean about “cautious abandon?”

Now, many people want to know about kids and Combat Conditioning. Will it stunt a child’s growth if he does Hindu squats, Hindu pushups, bridging, and so on.

The answer is HELL no.

I know why people ask this question. It’s because they’ve heard that kids who train with weights will stunt their growth.

Well, stunting a child’s growth with bodyweight exercises is impossible. You stunt kid’s growth by not feeding them, by feeding them unhealthy food – and by not letting them try new things. You stunt a child’s growth by telling him that he’ll never amount to anything, that he’s not very smart, that he doesn’t have the right genes to become what he wants to become, and so on.

And, in the case of young boys, you stunt their growth by depriving them of good male role models – you know, FATHERS.

Far too many “men” today are absolute wimps, and part of the reason is because they didn’t have a strong father who taught them the ropes, showed them the light, and spent time with them.

This is no slight on women. A young boy needs a mother, too – and in a big way – but he also needs a MAN. Both are important.

This is why it’s a good idea for fathers to train with their boys. Don’t force the child to do the exercises. BE an example to your son. When he sees you doing the exercises, chances are excellent he’ll want to follow along.

Frank was doing Hindu squats and pushups and bridging at 18 months. Why? Because his father was doing them. And you know what? He’s the tallest boy in his class. Doctors have him pegged for a height of 6’5″. Oh my!

I don’t think Combat Conditioning is bad for him in anyway. It’ll make him stronger, physically as well as mentally.

It’ll do the same for YOU, too! If you’ll let it. Will you let it?

Kick ass-take names!

Matt Furey

What’s the Matt Furey Inner Circle?

Didn’t get to bed until after 3 – as I’m working to get ready for my forthcoming seminar on Internet Marketing, which I’m happy to report is SOLD OUT.

One of the good things about owning my own Internet business is that I can go to bed when I want and get up when I so choose. This morning, for example, I got up at 11:17. And so, despite hitting the hay late in the day – I can make up for it. If I wasn’t able to sleep in, now that would be a disaster. Have no desire for sleepless nights, tossing and turning, getting up tired and going to bed tired.

One of the main reasons I’m telling you this is because there are several things we tend to do during the day, and while we’re doing them we are in what is called a “highly programmable” mental state.

This means that, when we’re in such a mental state, we must be vigilant about what we’re thinking, what we’re picturing in our mind’s eye, what we’re feeling and so on. Most people program their minds in the wrong manner – and they do so each and every day, without realizing it. Part of the reason why most people do this is because no one ever told them that what they’re doing is a mistake – and a HUGE one at that. No one ever told these people that this major error leads to the living a lousy life.

So leave it to Fure-cat to break the news to you.

Here’s what not to do: Before going to bed, regardless of the hour, you do NOT say things to yourself like, “I’m tired. I’m sooooo tired. It’s late. I haven’t had much sleep. When I get up tomorrow I’m going to be wiped out.”

Remember once again, just before falling asleep is a “highly programmable” state – so instead of thinking tired thoughts – which literally program you to wake up tired – you want to think different. Here’s an example of a different and more powerful approach:

Before bed think: “It’s time for me to go to bed. I’m feeling very relaxed right now. While I sleep I’m going to recharge. And I’m going to wake up a NEW MAN (or WOMAN – er, without a sex change, eh?). I’m going to have a ton of energy and I’m going to get everything done I’m planning on doing.”

If you think this way before bed, I can assure you that the very first time you implement this suggestion you will wake up feeling much better than you normally do.

I use a similar method when flying the friendly skies – and that’s part of the reason I experience ZERO JET LAG! I can fly to China, undergo a 13-hour time-change – get off the plane and immediately morph right into the new time zone. And I do this whether I got any sleep on the plane or not. (Oftentimes I only get an hour or two of sleep while flying overseas).

Taking charge of your mental pictures and the words you use may seem like a lot of work – yet, it’s far easier than you think if you have the right guidance. I prefer the teachings of Dr. Maxwell Maltz’ – author of the 30 million copy best-seller, Psycho-Cybernetics. His advanced work is absolutely out of sight. It’s called Zero Resistance Living. I highly recommend it and use the technology every day of my life.

Right now you can get Zero Resistance Living for less than 400 smackers – but it’s so effective than I’m going to more than double the price very soon. So I’d jump on it while it’s still at a bargain basement low amount – unless of course you’re one of those people who won’t buy something unless it’s at a high price point (and yes, those people DO exist, I know a lot of them).

Kick ass-take names!

Matt Furey

MFIC

P.S. Did you know that this whole blogging thing is nothing new. I started doing it back in 1997, long before it was called blogging. I went to email in the year 2000, and that has served me well. At present I’m doing a combination. Why? Stay tuned.

Had a good question from a reader yesterday and I’m going to cover it now.

Matt,

I have a question regarding Combat Conditioning in regards to fat loss. We are always told that to burn fat you need cardio and more importantly, you need cardio that maintains a steady elevated heart rate for at least a half hour.

Now, it seems to me that a rank beginnerto the CC routine who isnt in the best of shape would probably have a 15-20, maybe even 25 mintute routine. My question is, could one forego a separate cardio routine and soley rely on CC for fat loss.

I ask because I dont own a bicycle, I dont have access to a pool, and its currently too cold to be swimming in the ocean where I live (NJ). My one option for cardio at the moment is either walking (which I find boring), or jogging (which I love but which aggravates my shin splints). So, I have a very vested interest in wondering whether or not CC is not only viable for creating lean muscle, but also for far loss.

After all, it does no good to have lean muscles if you cant see them underneath the blubber.

Thank you in advance for any insights or advice that you can give.

Sincerely,

Sadiqa Dickens

M.F. Sadiqa, so glad you asked these questions. To answer, let me begin by talking about some of my relatives – those Fure-cats that come in various shapes and sizes and generally live outdoors. Yes, I’m talking about cheetahs, lions, tigers, panthers, leopards, and so on.

Last time I checked, all the cats listed above were in pretty fine shape. They are fast as lightning. They are the world’s greatest killing machines. They are flexible, strong and powerful. And they don’t do ANY LSD (long slow distance) cardio.

On the other hand, our friendly antelope, does mucho cardio. He’s also strong and fast – and lean. Even so, I wouldn’t bet on him surviving a cage match with any of the cats mentioned earlier.

Other than hard sprints, climbing and stretching – cats don’t do much to maintain their lean, lithe physiques. In fact, they don’t need to sprint very often to stay lean and powerful. One good burst a day is usually enough.

There’s something to learn from this, me thinks.

Yes, you can burn fat by doing long-distance cardio. But you can burn fat faster with total body calisthenics, hill sprints, dynamic deep breathing, and so on. Time and again members of the Furey Faithful report inches of blubber dropping

off their bodies – and this was from a few minutes a day of Combat Conditioning and Combat Abs. Not the 20 to 25 minute routines you envisioned.

In the beginning, most beginners are unable to do more than 3 or 4 minutes of my program. Most people, even those who can squats several hundred pounds, cannot do more than 40 straight Hindu squats. The same goes for Hindu pushups.

Even seasoned exercise fanatics often stop at 25. As for the bridge, if you can hold for a minute in the beginning, you’re an exception to the rule.

What I have just outlined will take you approximately 3-4 minutes when you begin. Once you get into great shape, the workout may go 20-30 minutes, or longer, if you so desire. But make no mistake about this: It is NOT how LONG you train – it is WHAT you do WHEN you train.

Give the Royal Court in Combat Conditioning and the Magnificent 7 in Combat Abs a whirl – and you’ll soon have the understanding of these truths. On the other hand, if you sit on the couch or at the computer, considering, wondering and pondering, you’ll gain nothing.

The rewards in life go to those who DO – not to those who speculate.

I suggest you get involved in the Matt Furey Inner Circle because all the books I’ve just mentioned come free – and because each month you’ll receive a newsletter and CD that gives you a routine to follow as well as incredible hard-hitting advice that will change your life for the better.

Go to Matt Furey Inner Circle and enroll NOW.

Kick butt – take names,

Matt Furey

P.S. I should also mention that the Matt Furey Inner Circle also has an elite Member’s Only discussion board, wherein you can ask me and my illustrious group of Furey Faithful as many questions as you want for an entire year. This offer should not be overlooked. It is the best package I can give you. Go to Matt Furey Inner Circle and get on the perfect program NOW.

Just got this email. My response to follow:

Hey Fure-cat,

I just checked out the Coca-Cola website and they have this big promotional gimmick on there stating that drinking soda and coffe rehydrates you just as well as water. Part of the site also kind of hints that soda is good for performance athletes because it helps replace sodium lost through exercise. Like Americans really need any help with their sodium intake! You should check it out, I’m sure it will irritate you as much as it irritated me.

Bob?

M.F.: Bob, or whatever your name is (tis best to sign your email, ya know) – it doesn’t surprise me in the least that Coke would do this. But I’m not going to bother going there to check it myself. Got plenty of other useful things to do. I will say, though, that drinking your own piss may rehydrate you, too – but I’m in no hurry to begin that so-called “health” practice.

At a seminar last year a young lady asked me what I thought about drinking piss. I nearly gagged, then I rolled my eyes up and to the right. I think the others in the room wanted to crap their pants, but they had to be professional, ya know. The sad thing is that the lady was rather attractive. Later in the event she came up to me to ask a few questions. It was hard to have a normal conversation because each time she took a drink from her glass, I was wondering what twas inside it. Don’t drink your own piss. Gandhi may have done so, and I have great respect for him as a person – but if you ever looked at his body – he had good reason to drink most anything. He was damn near wasting away and needed all the fuel he could get. As for you and me, just say no to Coke – and turn the other way when you hear about piss gulping.

Kick Ass – Take Names!

Matt Furey

Hindu Pushups

Hindu Squats

Hindu Pushup

Hindu Squat