In yesterday’s email, “Hello from Singapore” I told about the foot massage I got – along with all the hanky-panky small talk leading up to it.

Well, a number of you wrote to ask whether the massage was good or not. And last night I found out, while having dinner with a couple Singaporean customers, what “going to the toilet” really means here.

Based upon what I was told last night, when you are in school in Singapore, you are not allowed to leave the classroom for any reason, unless you are going to “the toilet.” And so, the myriad of reasons to leave the classroom are reduced to the singular. No matter what you are going to do, it falls into the toilet.

This means that it’s possible that the man who wanted to give me a foot massage, but said he had to go to the toilet first, may have bypassed the toilet and only had a smoke. A habit begun as a child in school is still being used used – and the guy has no idea whatsoever that some may cringe when they see a mental picture of him going to the toilet, then giving a massage to you.

Now, lest you think this is a MALE thing, think again. Yesterday I got a 90-minute massage from a lady – and 60 minutes into the job she stopped and headed for the door. Just before opening it she looked back and said, “Sorry. I have to go to the toilet.”

Yes, very sorry. Very, very sorry you felt you had to tell me that. Now I’m sorry I have to ask if you washed your hands.

All toilet talk aside, who gives a better foot massage? Men or women?

Well, if you were to believe the man who told me women have no power, you’d be wrong.

I’ve had 90-pound girls in China apply knuckle pressure that made me jump. They look like they may have no power, but looks can be deceiving. As I like to say, “It’s not the size of the cat in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the cat.”

Two days ago, despite his sleeveless shirt and big guns, the dude was not as good as many of the women who’ve worked on my size 10’s. He gave me what the Chinese call “hua jiazi.” It’s a massage that looks as pretty as a flower, but doesn’t accomplish much of anything. It’s a surface-only treatment.

Maybe I would have been better off with Mr. Toilet Hands. Definitely better off with most women foot

reflexologists I’ve had.

And so, in my estimation, odds are 9-1 that a lady will always give me a better foot massage than a man.

The same goes for a body massage, albeit with different odds. More like 3-1.

Massage, whether it’s done by hired professionals or self-administered, is one of the keys to enhanced physical and mental well-being. Make it a regular part of your life and you’ll never look back.

Matt Furey

P.S. Want to live to be 100 in superior health? Then learn to massage the top three pressure points that govern your mind and body.

I landed in Singapore for the first time yesterday and the flight here from Beijing gave me two indications of what can be expected.

First, many of the people speak English a little funny.

Second, they speak Mandarin (Chinese) very funny.

So let me tell you, when a gui lou (foreign devil) has a much better pronunciation of Chinese than the

flight attendants, you know you’re in for a fun time.

In the evening we went to a Brazilian joint for a feast – and man, it was awful. To recover we went for a three-hour long walk through town, and this, as well as a couple fresh fruit drinks, fixed everything.

Fresh pineapple juice. Can’t beat that – so long as you make sure they don’t add ice, water or sugar.

Unlike China, at least they ask if you want them added.

Afterward I walked past a number of foot massage places. One man put the hard sell on – telling me “his word was his bond” and a host of other unknowns like “lowest price, best service.”

Something he said must have worked as he finally got me to agree to an hour. After roping me in he walked into the studio and demanded that the ladies who had just finished their foot massage approximately .0001 seconds ago get out of their seats.

“Get out,” he said. “We have new customers to serve. Come on. Get up. Move.”

I politely chimed in: “Yeah, get up. We got your money. Now go. Get out. Massage finished. No more money right now Get up. No next time. We very rude to you. Just like New York. Big city, you know.”

The ladies enjoyed my sense of humor. The boss-man ignored it, I guess, as he kept poking them with an imaginary cattle prod.

“Come on. New customers. Service over. Get out.”

So the guy who is going to give me a foot massage needs a break before working on my size 10’s.

“I take a break. I go to the toilet,” he says.

“Very happy to know that in advance,” I reply.

I then turned to my brother-in-law from China and said, “I think he can give you a better foot massage. Maybe someone else for me.”

Both of us laughed.

After the man took his potty break he stood outside the door smoking a cig.

“Look,” I said. “The man uses the toilet. Then smokes. Just what I want from a health practitioner.”

The boss man called him inside. “Get to work. No more smoking. We have a customer waiting.”

He walks in and I ask for a lady instead of a man.

“No lady. Man is better. Man has the power. Lady no power. If you want hanky-panky you go somewhere else.”

“Hahhahahahahaha,” I laughed. “Hanky panky??? I haven’t heard that one since Hong Kong Fuey.”

So I cut my time from one hour to 30 minutes.

The boss man tried to negotiate for 40 minutes. I stuck to my guns.

Lucky for me he called another man in with a sleeveless shirt on. The boss man kept trying to upgrade me, but no cigar.

During the massage the boss man turned out to be more than a good salesman. I think he’s a good guy, too. We stood outside talking for a while afterward and exchanged several good stories.

Before leaving though, I said: “Next time I come here tell the workers not to tell me they’re going to the toilet.”

This morning I got up and walked several miles, ran some hills, did some exercises straight out of my international best-seller, Combat Conditioning.

Tonight I’m having dinner with some customers. Perhaps I’ll have something funny to tell you afterward.

Singapore. What a place. Hustling, bustling and absolutely beautiful.

Matt Furey

When you do the deep breathing exercises and muscle flexing I teach in Combat Abs, like so many others, you may enjoy the following benefits:

• Reduced waistline

• Increased endurance

• Improved regularity – bowels

• Much stronger abs

• A powerful core

• Radiant energy

• Elimination of urinary incontinence

And then, to top it off, better seks – more often – for longer periods of time.

Here’s why:

A lot of men and women have bought into kegeling and other pelvic floor exercises. And these exercises are helpful to men and women alike when it comes to exercising your mattress muscles – they go limp when compared to the Farmer Burns Stomach Flattener.

You can kegel, kegel, kegel and it won’t reduce your waistline a zillimeter. On the other hand, you cannot do the Farmer Burns Stomach Flattener without also strengthening your perineum and other pelvic muscles. It’s not possible to isolate your abs with this exercise – even if you want to.

You’re focusing on your abs like never before, sending vital qi to the area – then mixing it with your intention to have a superb looking waistline.

When you do this you strengthen all the weak links from your diaphragm thru your buttocks – including everything internally. This means your internal organs are being helped – not just your muscles.

Your intestines get a vigorous massage from the Farmer Burns Stomach Flattener – which increases the peristaltic movement necessary for bowel regularity.

Your bladder, perineum and seksual organs get a powerful dose of training as well – something these areas are not getting from your typical abdominal routine.

As a result you can count on improved seksual health – for male and female, from doing the Farmer Burns Stomach Flattener – as taught in Combat Abs

A few other exercises which help improve seksual function are:

1. Rope skipping – this action stimulates the kidney point on the foot which improves overall seksual health

2. Hindu pushups – the bending and arching of the spine, along with abdominal flexing, helps tremendously

3. Bridging – I show several types of bridging in Combat Conditioning start with what you can do and progress naturally. If unable to do the bridge, look into doing the ….

4. Tablemaker – also found in Combat Conditioning– this exercise works your core, your legs, hips, buttocks, arm, shoulders – damn near everything.

Well, there you have, my friend. A few more ways to inject spring in your step, lead into your pencil – and so on.

Best,

Matt Furey

P.S. Are you following me on Facebook, if not join in the fun as I give you LIVE updates from China.

Go here to become a friend on Facebook

And if you’d like to read a few witticisms about success and more – then follow me on Twitter.

‘As for Hindu pushups, Hindu squats and bridging, you can do them daily OR you can do them 3x per week. Vary the intensity level of each workout. It’s not smart to strive for a world record each day.’

Now, I realize some of you want me to give you the ABSOLUTES on everything.

I realize that when I say, ‘take your pick, you can train 3x per week with Combat Conditioning or you can do it everyday’ – some people will get pissed and think I’m not answering their question.

But I am. Understand, first and foremost, YOU are making the decision, not me. You are the one who decides what you will do with your life, not me. You are the one who either accepts or rejects what I have to say.

Second, I can tell you to train everyday, and you may say, ‘Nah, I’d rather do it three times a week.’ And if I said train three times per week, some might say, ‘But I heard two times a week is better. That’s what Bubba says.’

And if I say train one day a week, you’ll say, ‘But I know a program where they recommend only training once a month.’

Laugh all you want. But it’s true.

And so, my solution to it all is to give you options. Train everyday or Train 3x a week. Take your pick.

I do not advise going below three times per week.

I mean, if you had a dog would you recommend that he only ‘move’ 2x a week? Or less?

I don’t think so.

But with some people, ya never know. Maybe someone right now, who previously figured out that your dog needs breath mints and a day at the spa – will come up with some machine that will exercise your dog so he won’t have to. Maybe there already is such a machine.

Actually, there is. I just found it here in China. But that’s another matter entirely.

As an aside, last December, when I was in China for a few weeks, I took delight in how many of the dogs had on winter clothing. I wanted to laugh – but then I checked the temperature. Twas a cold evening and if I were a dog (or as the Chinese would say during Mao’s time – a ‘running dog’), I’d probably want a jacket, too.

**

And now, for the ultimate ‘monkey wrench.’ If you want, you can train 2x per DAY.

In fact, you could even get off your ‘arse’ 3x a day and – DO SOME- THING. Especially when you throw in a quick workout with Combat Abs.

Did you know that during my high school and collegiate career, I trained 3x a day, everyday? That was nine straight years of 3x per day training (first year in college was a red-shirt year).

In the olden days, fitness pioneers such as Paul Bragg, Charles Atlas, Earle Liederman, etc. – recommended you do something twice a day. Get up in the morning, do some deep breathing exercises. Or some isometrics. Or some calisthenics. Or swimming, running, walking up hills. Something.

Then at night, before retiring, DO something again.

The workouts need not be long. 15 minutes is really all you need. But guess what those 15 minutes give you? They give you TWO hours of increased productivity. TWO HOURS.

Don’t know about you, but with the slate I have each day, I will do 15 minutes worth of exercise to get back 2 hours. It’s a no-brainer – even for a ‘jock’ like me.

Now, just think if it were ‘money’ we were talking about.

Would you spend 15 dollars if you knew you’d get 120 dollars in return? I know I would.

****** And now, for the final monkey wrench *******

When people are just starting out, quite often 15 minutes is too much time to spend training. So I recommend 1 minute workouts:

Half minute of Hindu squats.

Half minute of pushups.

Or one minute of walking in place.

Not to mention, the Farmer Burns Stomach Flattener – the squeezing portion of each rep is only 2 to 5 seconds- you can find this exercise in my book Combat Abs.

The key thing is BEGINNING. If you get started with one minute workouts, you’ll build a success pattern and before you know it – you’ll WANT to be training for 15 minutes a day.

Well, that’s it for now.

Best,

Matt Furey

P.S. Are you following me on Facebook, if not join in the fun as I give you LIVE updates from China.

Go here to become a friend on Facebook

And if you’d like to read a few witticisms about success and more – then follow me on Twitter.

14 years ago I was in Minneapolis at the NCAA wrestling championships.

All throughout the weekend as I watched the action, my wrist throbbed with pain. At first I didn’t know why.

I didn’t fall on it. I didn’t tweak it working out. It just hurt – for no particular reason – and the pain was driving me up a wall.

While at the tournament I met an old wrestler who showed me a simple exercise that strengthened his grip considerably.

I did the exercise as I was taught and the very same day the irritating ache went away.

The next day, however, the pain returned. So I did the exercise again – and the same thing happened. My pain went bye, bye.

The following day the pain came back once more – and by now you can probably guess what I did.

But in this instance the third time was a charm. The pain went away for good.

As a result of this I began to look into other ways to strengthen my hands and wrists – mostly to make me a more effective martial artist. During my annual trips to my vacation home in China I scoured the country for the best exercises I could find. And upon my return one summer, I began teaching a whole system of exercises that hit every area of the hands and wrists – and these exercises not only strengthen all the weak links in the hands – they also strengthen the rest of your body – including your mind.

What happened when I put this new program on the market was truly remarkable. People who had slept in braces – or who wore them during the workday – were able to discard them for the first time in months.

Others who thought they needed surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome were able to forego it.

My friend, pain in the hands and wrists is a big, big problem today – and grip training gadgets, for the most part – aggravate existing problems … or create them in the first place.

While in China I have researched and studied the best hand exercises ever conceived – exercises from kung fu and chi kung as well as from those who have mastered their own body weight. And the vast majority of these incredibly powerful exercises require nothing other than your own hands and a soft, pliable rubber device shaped like a donut – or a thin piece of string.

That’s it.

Once again, just as animals in the wild get strong without weights or gadgets, the key to hand strength comes from doing exercises with your hands. And if you combine the exercises with deep breathing and concentration – the sky

is the limit in regard to hand and wrist strength.

I have seen things done in China with one or two fingers -including balancing your body in a handstand – that I have never seen duplicated by anyone who uses gripper gadgets.

All you need to eliminate most hand and wrist pain and to acquire great hand strength are exercises that open work the hands and wrists from every angle and direction while opening the meridians of the body. The positive effect of doing the right exercises with concentration and deep breathing is nothing less than stunning.

I have personally trained with a master who can plow through cement blocks with the inside of his finger. His fingers are so powerful you’d think each digit were a sword. Does he use gripper gadgets to build this type of power. No.

He simply does the right type of exercises with concentration and deep breathing.

More often than you realize, hand and wrist and elbow and shoulder pain stems from a blockage in chi flow. The meridians of the body are damned up with negative stress – and this negative energy won’t be released via surgery or using a bunch of mechanical devices.

The key to releasing the trapped energy is, once again, the right exercises, proper concentration and deep breathing.

You get all three of the above in my course for eliminating hand, wrist, elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome pain.

Order now by going here.

Matt Furey

P.S. Even if you don’t have carpal tunnel syndrome, you’ll find these exercises nuking your hand, wrist and elbow pain like nothing else on the market.

The mail keeps pouring in, and in addition to the usual training questions, we have received a lot of good information on diet foods, and other subjects, from various members of the Faithful. We will be using some of this info in future emails.

The following letter is one I really liked.

M.F. Many thanks for your letter. I enjoy busting on the muscle heads me self. The looks on their faces are just priceless.

Best,

Matt Furey

P.S. The Furey Faithful is really hopping. Want me to be your online and offline personal trainer – for an amount so ridiculously low you’ll think you’re robbing me? Then go here and check it out.

P.S.S. Are you following me Facebook, if not join in the fun as I give you LIVE updates from China.

Go here to become a friend on Facebook

And if you’d like to read a few witticisms about success and more – then follow me on Twitter by going here here.

Find a selection of champion athletes and coaches. Ask each one this question: How much of your success is mental.

You’ll have a tough time finding anyone who will say less than 80%. Most will say 90%. Or more.

Take any group of millyunair entrepreneurs and ask them the same question: How much of your business success is mental.

If you find anyone who says less than 90%, he’s lying.

Why. Because all success is mental.

Sure, some people are genetically more predisposed to do certain things well, but if this same person takes his skills for granted and does not enhance them with practice, he will be surpassed by someone with less talent who has a great willingness to practice hard and focus.

Now we come to the subject of fitness. I don’t care whether it’s increased strength, speed, flexibility, power, endurance – or simply dropping excess flabola – the same question applies.

How much of strength, endurance, power, flexibility or weight loss is MENTAL.

The answer is the same: 90% or more.

Now, you may argue that it’s all about taking action. That it’s all about doing the right things.

Damn right it is. But WHO are the people who DO the right things with the right mental attitude.

The whiners or the DOERS.

Who are the people who ACT with enthusiasm.

You’ll find they are the people who have goals, who have plans to fulfill those goals, who have patience, persistence, guts, determination, desire and so on.

These qualities are mental skills transferred to the physical.

All champions, all winners – are the people who know that success is first and foremost a mental process.

Here’s a simple example: Let me ask, what time do you get out of bed each day.

Okay, fine.

Now, when you get out of bed, are you tired or enthusiastic.

Do you hit the snooze button a few times before getting up.

Do you stroll to the shower with your eyes barely open or do you move with excitement for the new day that has dawned.

As you answer all of the above, think about the mental picture you have in mind for each. Why. Because I guarantee you that the way you get out of bed is in direct accord with the mental picture you have of yourself waking up each day. All the way down to the TIME you choose to get up.

Think about this.

Think about it before you go to bed tonight. Picture yourself getting up early to do the exercises I have for you in Combat Conditioning and Combat Abs.

Picture yourself looking in the mirror at the end of your workout, celebrating another mental/physical victory.

I dare you to form this mental picture before bed and NOT have it come true. I dare you.

When you do as I advise, you will know what it means to … Get Tough.

Best,

Matt Furey

P.S. Are you following me Facebook, if not join in the fun as I give you LIVE updates from China.

Go to here to become a friend on Facebook.

And if you’d like to read a few witticisms about success and more – then follow me on Twitter by going to twitter.com/matthewfurey

I gotta lay it on the line here. From the time I was a teenager to the present – the hype surrounding the bench press has gone wild.

People are now conditioned to believe that how much weight you can press while lying on your back counts for something.

And it does.

It counts for a lot of torn rotator cuffs, a lot of blown pecs and big useless pecs that don’t contribute a whole lot to being functionally fit or strong.

Making matters worse – because many people fall in love with “benching” – it’s almost all they do. The whole workout is nothing but taking turns on the bench.

A far, far, FAR better measure of your strength can be summed up with the following question that the

farmers in Iowa used to ask me:

“Hey feller, how much weight can you put up over yer head.”

That one used to stump me when I was busy building my bench press. But it was the right question.

How much you can pick up from the floor, hoist to your shoulders, then press overhead – sounds a lot like what a farmer might have to do when he working the hay fields or doing other chores.

Doing the old fashioned clean and jerk and snatch – although true measures of overall body strength – are pretty doggone hard for many to learn. Moreover, they’re just not the best exercises for a lot of people to do because of age, previous injuries, overall coordination, etc.

This is why it’s a good idea to begin with Combat Conditioning wherein you are building FUNCTIONAL strength with nothing more than your

own body weight. Just like animals in the wild.

Bodyweight exercises build strength, endurance and flexibility simultaneously. And Combat Conditioning starts you off with the Royal Court – the Big 3 of exercise: Hindu squats, Hindu pushups and bridging.

Once you’re doing these fairly well – then it’s time to reverse things. By this I mean that instead of seeing how much weight you can “put over your head” – you kick into a handstand – lean against a wall and work on pressing your entire body weight up and down.

It’s harder than using a barbell with weights. It’s more challenging.

But when it comes to creating FUNCTIONAL strength – it is truly magnificent.

You can read more about doing these handstand pushups – by going here.

Best,

Matt Furey

P.S. Are you following me Facebook, if not join in the fun as I give you LIVE updates from China.

Go to here to become a friend on Facebook.

And if you’d like to read a few witticisms about success and more – then follow me on Twitter by going to twitter.com/matthewfurey

When the weekend arrives, many people don’t know how to ‘unwind’ in a healthy way. Today I submit to you …

1. Take a sauna – Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, before and after. At the end of a long day, even during the week, I like to to sauna.

2. Hot tub – Get in some warm water and let the ‘jets’ do their magic on your muscles.

3. Get a massage – I recommend a massage at least once a month. When I’m in China, I get one everyday.

4. Go for a long walk with ‘nature’ – Find a special trail, go to the beach or hike a mountain path – just get out there and stroll while inhaling and exhaling and feeling how good it is to be outside, breathing fresh air.

5. Read something – Notice I didn’t say watch tee-vee. You’ll draw more inspiration and appreciation for life from a good book than you ever will from passively watching tee-vee – esp. the so-called ‘news.’ Who needs anymore of that? Not me.

6. Spend time with those you love. Need I say more?

7. Do some stretching exercises. Believe it or don’t – but stretching isn’t just good for your muscles. It’s also good for your mind. Bridging, for example, is fantastic for ridding yourself of depression. If you’re ever feeling stressed, down or depressed, practice the bridge as well as the other stretching exercises as seen in Combat Stretching. And, iIf you’re not able to do the bridge just yet – then lie across a gymnastics ball and feel all the tension melt out of your back.

Well, that’s all for now.

Gotta go hug my wife and kids.

Best,

Matt Furey

P.S.: The Combat Stretching series really does help you double your flexibility – and fast, too. And yes, it is a very quick mood altering exercise. Find out more here.

Here’s a great question that many of you might also have:

MJF: Terry, the Magnificent 7 found in Combat Abs is not nearly as difficult to perform as the Royal Court in Combat Conditioning. That’s the first thing to keep in mind.

Doing the Mag 7 every morning will keep your bowels regular due to what I call the “Cosmic Fiber Effect.” Most people today have irregularity in going numero dos – and so this can help a great deal.

Next, the Mag 7 will energize your system because of the deep breathing.

Of the seven exercises, only two are going to push you into a sweat, the other five are mostly to keep you limber, loose and flexible in your waist, spine and hips. Very important to the functioning of your core.

I think it’s not asking too much to do the Mag 7 on the days you do Combat Conditioning. You can whip through a shorter version of the program if you’d like. Reduce the numbers in half if you’d like.

Even so, as I’ve stated, you can do the Mag 7 once a day or three times a week. You can alternate between both programs if that is more to your liking.

The biggest key to success is getting on a program and following it because of your strong desire to be happy, healthy and fit. Don’t look for excuses NOT to train. Look for reasons to do it – the foremost of which is that when finished, you can look in the mirror, smile, pump both fists heavenward and proclaim, “Good work Terry. You did it again. You remembered to ‘Get Tough.’ You won another mental game with yourself.”

For future questions, make sure you’re a member of the Furey Faithfu l we cover everything there in a ton of depth

Best,

Matt Furey

P.S. Are you following me Facebook, if not join in the fun as I give you LIVE updates from China.

Go to here to become a friend on Facebook.

And if you’d like to read a few witticisms about success and more – then follow me on Twitter by going to twitter.com/matthewfurey