Lately, I received emails from people pertaining to joining a gym, plus starting to eat healthier, as soon as they receive their tax returns. Of course, my question to them is: “Why you waiting? Yes, a gym membership will help, but why not start doing something now?”

No matter what’s going on in your life, there’s room to improve by moving the chains.

So, you’ve been bombarded with advertising to eat foods that are sugar-free, gluten-free, fat-free, low-sodium, non-dairy, no carbs, high-protein, no-protein, yada-yada-yada.

Recently, we were invited by our friend Jerome Karam, the owner of World’s Gym in Texas City, to attend a free seminar by former Mr. Universe Lee Labrada and his son (and IFBB Pro) Hunter.

A hundred doors of opportunity might slam in your face, but all it takes is one big break to change your life. Remember, your biggest successes came from multiple failures. If you want it, never ever give up because with persistence, you’ll learn to ride the waves.

OK, here we go, another new year full of hopes and promises. Believe me, I agree, we should set higher expectations of ourselves and give it our all.

Well, you’ve made it through a long month of Christmas parties, gifting and lack of exercise. Yep, right now, you’re probably feeling a little blah, bloated and broke. Don’t feel alone, even as a family of professional physique competitors, we’ve battled the diet challenges all month, too.

There’s no secret, America is plagued by an obesity epidemic. According to statistics, 67 percent of people will never use their gym memberships, and 80 percent of you will fail new year’s resolution by February.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been bombarded with questions regarding Christmas party eating. Most people are trying to keep their diets in check, but the variety of foods has become challenging.

Take a moment and really put some thought into the scents with the most wonderful memories. I promise, in a short time, the list will become endless.

We all know our weaknesses, so get out there to overcome them. That’s the beauty and reward of success, it takes hard work and perseverance.

For me, I only get to see some relatives once a year, so I take this opportunity to love and cherish the moments.

Bottom line, it’s OK and normal to be scared, but take the leap. When you crash to the ground below, it’s not as hard as once thought. Before you know it, you’ll learn to fly.

Being in the fitness industry, I’m surrounded by all body types. This is from the morbidly obese to the almost severe anorexia, and, of course, all the in-betweens.

A technique used with all my personal training clients is called “recover in motion.” To give you a better understanding, here’s an example: While training the lower body, instead of taking time to rest from an exhausting set of weights, I have them perform upper body exercises while the low…

If you’ve played enough sports, you’ve heard coaches tell players, “we’ve got to take it to another level.” This usually happens when the opponent is winning, and someone needs to dig deep to put forth more effort.

Do you really enjoy the sport you’re playing? Do you look forward going to work each day? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with the person you’re dating? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then I’m truly excited for you. But, if you answered “no”, then it’s time to reflect, refuel and refocus.

Throughout the years, as I’m getting older, I’ve noticed how much I’m slowing down physically.

I want to share a lesson learned, back in 1993, when preparing for my first marathon. I had spent over seven months training and was fully prepared to complete the 26.2-mile race. Through my excitement to conquer such a feat, I chose to treat myself by purchasing the most expensive running s…