In life, you get two things: the result you want, or the lesson you need. ~ Scott Palangi

Many kickboxing programs only teach a “dance” style of kickboxing.

They require you (and it’s a real privilege, too, I feel) to learn certain skills that I learned from my masters.

I want to clarify something first, however:

I, have in the past, taken those sort of classes.

They are GREAT!

In fact, on my last vacay to L.A. I took a Billy Blanks Tae-Bo class and got my ass handed to me.

And I was in great shape mind you, too! (You shoulda seen it. They looked on my Guest Card…. googled me… and did the ole, “Everyone, we have a Master in the class from New York, the featured athlete on amazingkicks.com….” yada.

Trust me, as much as my ego loved the attention, I was cringing, wishing for privacy, wondering why I didn’t instead put “John Smith” “Burger Flipper” on the Guest Application at the front desk.

Master Billy Blanks runs a great class.

I’ve got mad respect for him, and he himself was not only a great inspiration when a was a lil kid competing in karate tournaments (yupp, he was a world champion, an amazing athlete, and still is), but he was also very cool to me when I taught right down the street from him here in Sherman Oaks California (This school is currently run by my peer and colleague Master Scott Lois).

But Palangi Kickboxing, as you know, is “different”.

I think of Palangi Kickboxing as a more “traditional” style of Kickboxing… kind of oldschool (but no punching each other in the face stuff, unless you’re training for a fight, and even then, if that’s the case, I’ll send your ambitious ass to my best teacher and best friend for 9 interesting years, UFC Lightweight Champion Matt “The Terror” Serra – I think I was supposed to be best man at his wedding… but he picked somebody else, adiup.)

We jump rope (or we try to)…

We hit targets (which is what this post is all about)…

And we hit heavy bags….

And we lift dumb-bells the way a traditional boxer would (in interval format)

The end result is a sharper mind (cuz you learn real SKILLS) and a harder body, because the class formats I’ve created are scientific in approach, and constantly create the proper training effect, even if you attend 7-days a week (which nobody does, except for me!)

This video show Alix Hunter doing a SUPERB job at holding mitts in a very casual, small, typical 10:15 am class.

Watch carefully, she’s amazing (the woman hitting the mitts is no slouch either, but I want you to watch this for MITT HOLDING instructional purposes only, okay?

All the best,

I love my life, and I love you all, please let me know if I can ever help in any way possible!

Let me talk about stress for a moment.

Stress, and the harm it causes, is very real.

As a country, I think we’ve simply adopted the attitude that stress is a part of life.

Many people, me included, in the past, have even resorted to chemical support to counteract the negative effect of stress. (By the way, at certain points, when stress is too overwhelming to manage, yours truly will confess that medication can help (helped me once) someone get to the other side… or “turn the corner” as they say; of course, sometimes those “corners” are not on a square building…. but an octagon; seeming like they never end, lol!)

Thing is though, many well-accepted solutions for stress-relieve… DO NOT address the causal root. (And I’m not sure if we can ever fully “get to” and win, over stress.)

For example

“Exercise”, a natural, aggression-releasing activity CAN, of course, take the edge off stress and it’s negative effects.

But watch out… even exercise cannot get to the root of stress’ source.

But “awareness” can! (Just like reading this little bit about stress, gives you a slight relief.)

Make sense?

More about stress…. (but not too much; just placing attention on the subject creates more stress, so I’ll make it quick.)

Here’s how it starts. Let’s go back in time for a moment.

When college people lament of “stress” and so on… often times the grown-ups in the room act “as if”… but I believe college-aged people actually have it tougher  especially these days) than most might think.

Here’s what I mean.

I firmly believe that “stress” is a silent killer for all ages.

The first problem with stress seems obvious — it leads to “worry.”

Worrying comes with a steep price tag because when you worry about things, you stifle your creative processes, and you also nullify your ability to express yourself.

The built in cost of worry however is far worse than you might imagine, too, because MOST of the things you worry about while your “stressed out”, never actually materialize.  But it almost doesn’t matter because when you “worry” about something you are actually creating an environment in your body that resembles the real thing that you are worry about!

And when you realize that 90% of the things you stress about, never happen, it’s too late emotionally because you’ve been behaving as if they DID happen.

I call this “Paying Twice.”

First, you “pay” by worrying about the thing that hasn’t actually happened, then if it does happen, you get to feel the stress again and have a reason to legitimately be “worrying” (the second payment)

I forget where I read it but one philosopher or wise person said, “Worry is like interest on a debt that never occurs.”

On a deeper level, I honestly think it’s almost as if (by worrying) we are unconsciously willing the bad thing into happening.

Do you see why it’s so important not to let yourself get stressed?

Stress is like a drug!

Hey, when someone’s acting like a lunatic… couldn’t you say they’re “under the influence of stress?

How about being under the influence of exhaustion? Under the influence of fatigue? And so on.

You wouldn’t deliberately go to a bar and whack down a six pack of beer and go driving around would you?

But this is the equivalent of when we let other people, or circumstances, or things, organizations, specific people…. and even certain times of year “GET THE BEST OF US”.

If you’re not vigilant… next thing you know, your walking with an equivalent of a stress “buzz”, as if you were in fact intoxicated by it.

In fact, most of us — even the “unstressed” — are walking around with what I call a “stress index” of about 70 – 90.

To get a sense of what I mean by “index” consider this:

Let’s look at stress on a continuum.

A stress index of “100″ could be called “the max”; it means you have the potential to cause harm to someone, or lash out, or engage in harmful, self-destructive behavior.

A stress index of “ZERO”, however, would mean that you are probably dead, or you have a trust fund to live off of, and you have no responsibilities pulling at you!  And… subsequently, being responsibility-less…. you have no more problems. So unless you’re dead or comatose, or a rich white kid from the Hamptons (I’m joking, sorta)…. point is: You need to manage your stress index, or at least be aware of when it’s overtaking you.

More about stress index numbers.

A stress index of 30 could be akin to what life was like when, say, you were in 2nd grade! Remember that? Maybe you had every cool toy you could dream of… no responsibilities… and everyone wants to play nice, so to speak. Just you and your favorite tree to climb, skateboard to ride, and so on.

Then life crowds in on us.

Responsibilities just start to “happen.”

The toys don’t quite make us as happy (not the ones we’re accustom to anyways)… we’re no longer in school learning the simple ABC’s and playing with our BFF’s at lunch time …. and now, maybe suddenly, our new sandbox isn’t like the old one; not only that.. but some of the attendees don’t wanna play with us, and when and if they do… they don’t always play nice!

This change creates stress.

Many people try and “force” their universe to go back to the way it used to be in elementary school. These are the folks who never seem to get it together and “grow up”, but they do get older, and they often times “suffer” unnecessarily for not cultivating the coping skills that a stress index of 50 (an even keel) requires.

Still others try and suppress it, ignore it, or (and here’s the tricky one) they try get better at avoiding it altogether. This manifests itself into “procrastination”.

Jeez, no wonder the most stressed-out people… rarely have their shit together!

So here’s a strategy:

Accept “stress” as if it were a helpful companion; a “gauge” that you’re ALIVE, if you will.

When it creeps up on you, get excited about it! It’s an indicator that you’re actually on your path (even if it seems like a path you’d rather not be on.)

Then, try to engage in a ritual that has the hidden benefit of conquering stress.

The reason I say “hidden benefit” is this:

If we try and confront stress in a mono-e-mono fashion, it will only persist.

Meaning, if you try and combat stress directly, THAT WILL ONLY CREATE MORE STRESS!

Why? Because goals (creating something where there is nothing) naturally create stress themselves. So, if “Conquer My Stress” is on a “to-do” list…. you’re doomed!

Instead, do this:

Find something that has “stress elimination” as a happy, coincidental, and secondary benefit; a by-product if you will.

Like Palangi Kickboxing!!

Then… always be on the lookout for other things that are more convenient (it wouldn’t be practical to drive around with a pair of boxing gloves…. and a heavy bag in the back of your car — like I used to actually do when I was 19, but, for me it WAS practical cuz I was sleeping in my car to begin with!).

For me, aside from training, reading, writing, cooking, and sitting stilll…. I love going to the movies! Comedies in particular not only give me stress-relief from laughing, they also give me the 2 hour escape from a long work-day (yes, “teaching” is the easy part, gang, the “work” actually never stops.)  The thing with laughing is that it’s an awesome way to spend time with people you love, it’s relatively cheap, and the medical experts say there’s all kinds of chemical stuff going on inside you that’s very good from a hearty chuckle. Try and seize opportunities for laughter as much as possible. This year, Sensei Grandy and I went to a firemans benefit hosted by our own Paul Pennolino from the Hillcrest Fire Department. Somehow,  Paul elicited the cooperation and kindness of a whole bunch of world-famous comedians… with Louis Black as the final act! I laughed so hard my face hurt the next day. It was almost as if my smile was “out of practice”.

For the next three days… I was laughing for no reason at all!

Another of my teachers, Master Jimmy Graesser, a four-time National Taekwondo Champion, and US Olympic Team member, happens to be a pretty serious guy. He’s always level-headed… serious about his role as “Master Instructor”… and he trains his students to be the same.  But guess what?  This guy wakes up almost every morning listening to something that makes him laugh (often times Louis Black, in fact, lol!).  We’ve spent hours and hours watching the same movie (The Princess Bride) and still laugh our butts off.

I think laughter is not only the shortest distance between two souls it is also one of the coolest ways to regain your energy.

Do this next:

When stress creeps in, ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now?”….. “What would be a good alternate activity to engage in, besides what I ‘feel’ like doing (the path of least resistance). “Is there something I need to confront? Or will this pass?

Or…. (my favorite) should I find my boxing gloves, my jump rope, and my ez-pass (depending how far you live from my academy; many people drive a half hour each way to train in Palangi Kickboxing), my water bottle, and my hand-wraps, and JUST GO TO CLASS!

All the best,

Scott Palangi

DISCLAIMER: What you are about to read has ZERO, nada, nothing… zulch… zip… to do with “looking good naked” (sorta’) So if you’re involved with Palangi Kickboxing solely for “outward” beauty… well… that’s probably the only thing you’ll ever get from the training… and you might not even get that.. until you “get this”. However, on a lighter note, if you’re open for a little mind-stuff this weekend, then I applaud you and I say “keep reading” : )

Here goes:

For the longest time, I’ve resented people who speak of “success secrets”…. and all of that baloney.

First of all, it kinda creeps me out…. Second, it makes me put up my guard… and third, it feels like they’re insulting my intelligence or trying to sell me something I don’t need.

However, I recently re-traced my steps about this small, but quite uncommon…. “common denominator.”

It’s what successful people do (whatever that means to you) and it’s a critical success factor that may very well be the “X-Factor” if you will.

I see it especially in those who are:

A) Really, really, really FIT & HEALTHY…. and/or….

B) Really, really, really HAPPY!

And now I’m convinced that THIS IS IT.

Coolest part is…. it’s simple…. and it’s FREE!

…..BUT ONLY IF YOU “BUY IT”, (mentally, that is.)

Here’s the short of it:

This “discovery”, happened as a quick-response to an email I received from one of my top students.  She’s a 23 year old intellectual woman who happens to be having her own revelations while traveling about overseas.

In a nutshell, we’re keeping in touch, and she send a simple, “Hey sir, how’s it going.” type of email.

My response was, “Actually… Life is amazing!”

She replied,  “Wow, that’s cool, not many people can say that……  Its gonna be part of my new years resolution- for every complaint I make, I have to say 2 positive things!”

And it hit me…

Now, normally, I’m a long winded SOB… but in one felt swoop I replied to her comment ..

I blurted:

Make two “positive” comments for every complaint?

That’s too much accounting!

Just divorce yourself from all outcomes!! : )

Focus ONLY on ACTIONS!

We CAN NOT control results… only OUR ACTIONS.

When you focus on “results”, you will unconsciously second-guess actions that are actually positive and beneficial to you… next thing you know, you won’t “act” like you should.

Make your resolve, this… “I will not complain.”

Now, you no longer have to find positive things to say, or think about!

Nothing’s good… nothing’s bad… everything just “is”.

Whenever you experience “happiness”… you are doing exactly the above.

Whenever you experience “non-happiness” you are focused solely on outcomes. Yours.  And others’.

Focus on ACTIONS. YOUR ACTIONS. and most importantly [here's the four magic words]

Divorce Yourself From “Results”

And when you do… your new results will amaze you!

Now, I know Anchul was only making some small talk with me, and I was by no means being critical with the banter up above about  “that’s too much accounting” etc.  She”s very sharp thinker and sort of the co-creator of the above by helping me to detect the whole  “focus only on your actions” shtick. (Thanks Anchul, get back here soon, man!)

But have you ever noticed that when we focus only on “results” we often stop paying attention to the little, almost mundane but necessary “actions,” that, when done…. day after day after day…. Take us to the result we want?

(I’d also like to publicly thank Anthony Iufredo for being the fertilizer of this concept and for drawing the above message out of me; giving me the base concept that’s led to DIVORCE YOURSELF FROM RESULTS, and for helping me re-shape it over the past two weeks, while paying strict “attention” to my past and current successes. I love you bro. : )

From: Master Scott Palangi

December 1st, 2009

Okay, I have a somewhat embarrassing confession to make, here goes:

As a professional trainer, who’s supposed to be considered as ”One of the world’s best” (by my peers, gee, thanks guys, talk about pressure)… I have a personal, procrastinatory (made that word up) admission to make public:

I love “New Years” and the so-called “resolutions” just like the next American sap!

Yupp. And I love it all!

For starters…

I love the socially-inspired “bump” in new bidnezz’ I receive from the sheer momentum of my fellow procrastinators…

I love the actual New Year’s Eve parties and catching up with old and new friends…

I’ll even tolerate all the insincere kisses (on the cheek usually — so long as they’re all females) with total strangers at midnight when the New Year rings in.

Heck, I even love the A/P’s (after parties) put on by my good friend DJ Tony Mazza (we go way back), and going to the local diner afterwards, sun well-risen, for some cheese-covered disco-fries and a chocolate milkshake, to boot!

And THIS YEAR, I plan to do exactly that.

But here’s where you and I may differ.

And here’s ALSO where you might be able to join me, maybe not physically, but “in spirit” for sure!

You see, I am now “IN TRAINING” for New Years Eve!

And I WANT YOU TO DO THE SAME!!

Listen gang, as much as I love to wake up groggy, stinky, somewhat hungover from the prior eve, and then whipping out my new “day-timer” organizer, and looking at all the lofty goals and ideals I’ve mapped out for yet another successful year…

I DO NOT hit the ground with rust in my gears, or dust on my shoes!

I will be COMPLETLEY ready for the kick-butt partying that’s gonna take place on 12/31/2009 because I am “training for it” as if it we’re a contest!

Usually I do NOT do it this way.

Usually, I stay semi-lean all year long (just in case I gotta take off my shirt like a jack-ass) and then I “bulk-up” (get fatter) around Thanksgiving… then I hit New Years Day pretty hard (just like the hopeful folks who courageously include me in their set of New Years resolutions) and boy do I swing big! I start off with a good ole’ LSD run (long, slow, distance) on Jan 1st… then I do weight-lifting on Jan 2nd… Rock-climbing on Jan 3rd… and so on.

Yeah man, I got it all planned out.

But this year?

I want me and you to do it differently… This year I think we should…. No… strike that… eh-em…let me re-phrase that “should” thing:

THIS YEAR WE MUST FINISH 2009 STRONG!

Here’s why:

I wrote something called

“WHY I MUST FINISH MY 2009 STRONG” and I want you to read it.

It’s based on two commonly mis-used words:

“SHOULD” and “MUST”

And it’s been my experience that… until you deliberately and consciously make all your dusty “SHOULD’S” into aggressive, inspired, hell-bent-on-achieving “MUSTS”…. YOUR’RE FOOLING YOURSELF!!

Now, remember how I said “I love all the new faces I get to meet on, and because of, “New Years”? Well, coupled with this blessing… is what I call the momentous “downside” of it all…. That is: the thing that causes many (certainly not all) of the newbies to attend my class in the first place:

BAD HABITS.

I’m not judging here. Not at all.

However, in between all of your a SHOULDs and all of your MUSTs is a small, commonly-overlooked space. Within this space, lies a void that I call a GHO (Good Habit Opportunities) and…. Although you may think that your SHOULDS aren’t costing you because they’re merely sitting on an ambitious “someday/maybe” list, I’m telling you otherwise.

See,  as I write this to you this morning… to my left, next to my now cold coffee, is a greasy plate of post-Thanksgiving food (yupp yupp, had it for breakfast. Don’t tell me about an eating disorder, I’m fully enveloped in mine at the moment.) So I’m “one-of-em’”.

The thing is though, I do not plan to…. Nor will I let this, little mini-moment become a habit.

Meaning:

INSTEAD OF SAYING: “Jeez, that stuff tasted way too good, I really should work-out now”… my internal dialogue will be a lil more stringent. Something like, “Wow, that tasted good enough for the next two months… I MUST WORK OUT NOW!”

You see, your habits are more powerful than your intentions, your desires, and your dreams.

Again, in caps:

YOUR HABITS ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN YOUR INTENTIONS, YOUR DESIRES, AND YOUR DREAMS.

And it’s only fair to say that your HABITS OF THOUGHT are equally, but not as important, as your physical habits!

If you agree with the above paragraph, keep reading. But if you’re stuck on some psychological or medical-filled acumen that creates a “Yeah but” in your personal philosophy… well then, forget it… just close this page, go have your jelly doughnut, and keep watching the 2009 calendar count downward, as you deliberately miss out on this built-in, accidental annual “gift” if you will, to positively influence your “brain” into becoming a well-discipline piece of software that can override the “old you”, and catapult you into the potential NEW YOU, right here, right now!

The ONLY reason anyone… not only myself, should make “being fit” an ABSOLUTE MUST right here… and RIGHT NOW, is this:

YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL G.H.O. (good habit opportunity) STARING YOU IN THE FACE… FOR FREE!

By waiting for the external “reason” (Jan 1st lets say) to start something that needs to already be a DAILY HABIT… you are not only adding ONE MORE LOUSY DAY… to an already existing “lousy life”… you are actually building-up a powerful, negative, and even counterproductive set of negative habits that might be TOO POWERFUL to overcome, come “New Years Day”.

Is this sinking in yet?

I certainly hope so!!!…. (keep reading, almost a wrap here)…

Where was I?

Oh yeah!! Okay, so!… To believe that we can go about our lives for the next 31 days… living habitually, mind you… with a lethargic, lazy, and “Hey-screw-it-it’s-the-’Holidays’” approach towards life… we are DOOMED, even fooling ourselves about making 2010 a STRONG YEAR, at all.

IN FACT… to wait until Jan 1st, 2010, to start living aggressively about your mental and physical health, what you’re actually doing is building up one more rock-solid day of “NOT DOING”, and actually RE-ENFORCING the current condition that you say you SHOULD “change.” (And I’m with ya’ cuz’ I am already not 100% happy with how I look naked, and how I feel inside, just from that post-thanksgiving food, either!)

More, okay?

So…. To think then… that we can suddenly and miraculously “wake up” on 01/01/2010 and put on our proverbial “running shoes” and live our so-called “new life”?… Pshh…. it is not only INACCURATE in thinking… its downright childish, immature, and maybe even IRRESPONSIBLE to those who love us….

…. and who count on us…

….and who actually need us to be healthy, happy, and wise… not only on NOW as 2009 wraps up… but on 01/01/2010… and long afterwards!

In short, when the sun rises on Jan 1st, 2010…. WE MUST ALREADY BE IN “RESOLUTION SHAPE”, or… it will probably never happen!!!

That is why, today, after writing this to you, I will put on my “running shoes” and I will RUN… and I will run… NOW!

This way, when the ball drops on New Years Eve, instead of dreading what would normally be a long and treacherous month of “new habits”, we (me and you, okay?) will hopefully be looking around the room of people whom we celebrate with, and we will say inwardly,

“I am already there”

Join me….

Today is the LAST DAY of the ONLY MONTH for you to begin a PRE-NEW YEARS ASSAULT on your 2010!

Come to class!

Weigh-ins happen tonight at 8:30pm!

Write down some “MUST’S” and email them to me…

AS YOU TRAINER I PROMISE THIS:

1) I WILL WRITE THEM DOWN WITH YOU AND PUT THEM IN YOUR FILE…

2) I WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE… IN AND OUT OF THE CLASS…

3) I WILL HELP YOU GET THEM… OWN THEM…. ACHIEVE THEM… AND MAKE YOUR GOALS TRULY YOURS, FOR GOOD….

4) I WILL HELP YOU (finally) OWN YOURSELF…. AND OWN YOUR LIFE…. AND I WILL HELP YOU WITH YOUR MUSTS, AND I WILL DO IT NOW, WITH YOU!

Do this next:

SIT DOWN.

GET OUT THREE, 3 by 5 CARDS.

On the top of card #1, write the word “BE”

The top of card #2, write “DO”… and

The top of card #3, write “HAVE”.

Then, pack that sucker full of goals, desires, and conditions you’d like to be, do, or have.

Don’t analyze as you do this. That kills it! Just let it rip! (I go over a whole process of this in my underground best-seller Be, Do, and Have – yupp, I wrote the proverbial book so to speak, and need to re-read it myself lol!)

This is another wake up call to all of you…. Act.

Act now.

It starts with the 3by5 cards… and ends with you simply dismissing the idea once it’s written. It’s that simple. That powerful. (I even have samples and pics of my office, the way I do it, that I’ll share with you if you email me requesting assistance; please give me a couple of days to get back with you, that’s all I ask.)

I really do want the best for anyone reading this letter. Let that sink in as you search for your 3by5 cards and get the Sharpie pen moving!

Wishing you all the best you can possibly want, and more,

Master Scott Palangi

Hello everybody!

Do you have a “FOOD VICE?”

I do… I have 3, in fact. One of which, is ICE CREAM!

Now, Websters defines a “vice” as: “…an immoral or evil habit or practice”

Now, I’m no priest, pastor, rabbi, or shaman — so I dunno exactly how all of this moral/evil food vice stuff relates to… well, the “afterlife”…

But I sure as heck can tell you what happens in the “nowlife” if you fail to defend against… and finally destroy… the ice cream demons!

Now, although you may not actually be “doomed” on judgment day for whacking down a half-gallon of Edy’s Mint Chocolate Chip (by the way, would somebody please tell the Ben n Jerry guys to launch the half-gallon container already? These lil pint things barely whet my ice cream whistle) anyways, yeah…the SELF-GUILT you might put yourself through after your vice-binging…. coupled with the feeling of POOR SELF-CONTROL during your self-indulgence…. and tripled with the extra BODY FAT you actually get the very next day, well gang… those factors DO and WILL….

MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL!

Naturally, there are in fact times where (especially if your doing  high-intensity, cardio-style workouts) your body will “crave” more (and seemingly want more) BAD SUGARS.

Happens to me every Summer when I start my sprint cycles.

Some nights… I’ve literally sprung myself out of REM-sleep…. and fast…. sitting straight up 90 degree angle  (like I was possessed like that scary chic in the movie “The Exorcist”)… and I make a bee-line for the freezer, grabbing a clean spoon on the way without missing a step (like a martial arts kata in high-speed.) Yep, I got this routine down to science.

And I’m off!!

One pint down the hatch… 10 minutes flat….

“Burp”… then midnight pee, and back to bed.

But during hard-training months such as July through August, I can mentally cope with my sugar cravings in a healthy way — never getting down on myself — almost rationalizing the caloric increase, so long as I intend to hit it hard the next day.

And there’s some truth to this kind of episodic binging; sometimes you just need sugar and your body will let you know, every time.

But sometimes folks, it ISN’T the body doing the talking, it’s the BRAIN.

Or better put, the HABIT of Ice Cream.

You see gang, once Ice Cream is a “habit”… well then it becomes “demonic” and you my fellow Palangi-believer…. become “possessed” in a sense.

Fortunately for you, I have a solution.

Practical it is  — philosophical it IS NOT.

The roots of this solution are also not steeped in, or officially recognized in the field of psychiatry… (But my good friend Dr. David Brizer does happen to think it’s not so anti-medical in nature)

Best part is… it’s based on my favorite topic:

ACTION!

Warning: My ICE CREAM SOLUTION IS, IN FACT, SIMPLE…

The problem is…  if you ARE NOT CAREFUL you may watch this video, and instantly find yourself saying inwardly, “Oh…. jeez…. that’s it? All that rant just to watch that?… Yeah, yeah, yeah, so what… anybody can do that. Palangi’s not so smart”.

But ask yourself this:

HAVE YOU EVER ACTUALLY DONE IT?

WOULD YOU EVEN TRY IT?

I have two clients (both shredded; both 40 something; both “successful” in many areas of life, who swear by it… and I actually learned it from them.)

What you are about to see my friends is an actual “self” Ice Cream Exorcism that I conducted in the comfort of my own home.

The Ice Cream is real…. and that is ME in the video….

It is SO powerful that I’ve even considered adding a Platinum Membership option at Palangi Kickboxing, wherein, I actually come to your house, and conduct this action-oriented solution to and with — ALL OF YOUR FOOD VICES! (Maybe on a bi-weekly basis, too!)

I hope you’ll entertain this simple and light-hearted solution to food-binging and other problems so often related to calorie-dense foods.

Dedicated to your health, but my happiness,

Master Scott Palangi

From: Master Scott Palangi, Piermont, NY ~ 2:56 p.m.

These days, we hear of like 67,000 different ways to lose weight, don’t we?

Including “Drinking More Water”.

Now, to be clear about this…. I don’t believe you should wash down a Quarter Pounder w/Cheese, with “More Water”… for weight loss, (for the record, I prefer Diet Coke with my McDonald’s, myself, and… if there’s anything but cheese on my burger… I’ll throw it right on the ground! Put onions on mine?… then we’re in a full-fledged street fight! But I digress)

Friends… I DO actually believe in “Water for Weight Loss”…

But it’s from my own personal experience with, and violation of, “Good Hydration.”

This past Summer, for the first time in my life, I was doing all forms of exercise: Running (every day, sometimes 8 miles per day 6 days a week — with Sensei David Grandy as my aggravated witness, each annoying step of the way), I was Cycling around 60 minutes (much less impactful — if that’s a word — than running), and doing Resistance Training too (mostly with my gymnastics rings – not weights), and of course, my own proven, scientific, Palangi Kickboxing class, which will burn body fat like nothing else… during, and… long-after the workout is finished!

Yeah… all of that stuff… EVERY DAY… and this past Summer, with like zero “off days”!

(I know, I know, “tough life” you’re thinking right? Yeah, I gotta admit, it’s a pretty good lifestyle. But believe it or not… what consumes most of my THINKING TIME and my actual CLOCK TIME is this: “How Can I Use My Life to Positively Change My Subscribers and My Clients Lives” — so keep reading, okay? Yes, I do this for you because I love it, but I love you guys too, and I love you most-est when you’re all healthy as horses, so READ n HEED!)

Now, even after all of that extra “work”…  I was only able to finally drop body fat points (from the body-fat scale) when I finally… and DELIBERATELY… began to “hydrate” myself…  during every waking hour of my day.

And it makes perfect sense too, because the guy who taught me 97% of what I know about fitness (Master Trainer Chris Esposito , creator the of Round 2 Kickboxing workout formats) used to friggin’ walk around with ONLY TWO THINGS IN HANDS… ALL DAY LONG:

In one hand, Chris had the leash attached to his dog “Buddy”…

And in the other was BIG, BULKY, 1-GALLON JUG OF COLD PURIFIED WATER!

And if he had to give up one of them… it’d probably be the dog. This guy has been ripped his whole life.

The thing is though… sometimes Chris would be lifting weights… other times, only sprints at the track… still other times “Bow-flex”… and sometimes, the SOB would only be fasting — with no “training” whatsoever…

But he was always RIPPED (and 100% drug free, mind you, and I know this for a personal fact, unless Tylenol is a drug, and I think I’ve only seen him eat one of those, like once, and it was probably because he was hanging out with me  all day because I sometimes get on peoples nerves!)

AND HE WAS ALWAYS HYDRATED!

Maybe even ULTRA-HYDRATED! (By the way, this video shows you where, and how I buy my water!)

Now, sure… diet AND exercise play a crucial role in your quest for health, and looking good naked.

But if you are missing a “certain amount”  good ole’ H2O in your daily routine (and I’ll teach you some guidlines regarding “quantity” as well as “quaility” of water, that you should obxerve) you’ll spin your wheels for eternity.

Now, even though “Master Scott Palangi” was nominated by his peers as “Master of the Year” at the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2007… I’m not exactly “qualified” to speak about the “science” if you will behind the chemical impact water has on lipid (fat) release, or burning or whatever ya call it.

I am however qualified to speak of my direct experience… and here’s what happened.

I started to drink about a gallon -a-day this purified water that was recommended to me by Master Trainer Anthony LaSalla of Bergen County New Jersey (this guy knows his stuff, and whatever he tells me to buy…. I buy it, and I buy it fast.) … and… the body fat started to disappear like the way Bon-Bons disappear when a Rockland County Soccer mom is in the room.

Now listen…. I don’t know if was because the water at DeWet Purified Water in Norwood, NJ has only 3 PPM (particle per million — and I STILL don’t what the heck that means, but it sounds like it means “good”)… and I don’t know if its because all the training finally kicked in and turbo-charged my metabolism… and… I don’t know if the good lord said, “Okay, screw it, let Palangi drop some body-fat already, he’s repented from his wicked ways… again.”

All I know is DeWet Purified Water (sorry if this sounds like a shameless plug – it is – because I believe in this place’s product so you should buy it, okay?) IS THE BEST TASTING…. AND MOSTEST-PUREST-EST WATER I’ve EVER drank before.

Now, here’s the formula I personally use for “proper hydration”: I drink (when I’m serious and mindful of losing body-fat, that is) 1 fluid oz. of water for every pound of body weight I have on the scale that day.

No… I don’t actually “measure” the amount of water I’m drinking that day…. I simply eye-ball it, or guess-timate if you will.

My point?

There’s two actually…. One “seasonal”, and one “situational”

Fist, “seasonal”:

During the colder months… we tend to drink less water than during the Summer.  And… perhaps the biggest problem here… is that many people will actually increase the amount of exercise they are doing, in an effort to prevent extra body-fat storage.

This is a problem because your body… for some strange and genetic reason…. will “hold onto” to its body fat stores when you aren’t hydrating properly. (Go ask a biology major “why?” if you must cuz I’ve got no idea — I just obey the laws of the universe, asking less, and doing more.)

Second is “situational”: It’s my observation that we also drink less water — again, because of the time of year — when we are eating more.

Listen closely… because there’s sort of a catch-22 “cyclical” thing going on here okay?

We often feel what seems like hunger…. when we are even the slightest bit under-hydrated.

Got that?

It means you may often times feel like your hungry… but it’s actually because your body WANTS more “agua” (that’s how it should be spelt — just the way it sounds.)

And from the month from October… all the way til February…. YOU ARE SURROUNDED WITH MORE FOOD, MORE BOOZE…. AND…. LESS WATER!

YIKES!

So here you are, maybe, continuing to “train harder”…. but you are also “eating harder” (office parties, family get-togethers, and so on) and perhaps if you’re a vino-lover like me, drinking a lil more booze too! (driking more alcohol will not only dehydrate you more, it will also NOT make you more thirsty, causing you to drink even LESS h2O.

Do you see the Seasonal/Situational dilemma here?

Thankfully for you, there’s a solution.

I call it W.O.P.

WATER ON PURPOSE!

If you can discipline or train yourself to gravitate towards more agua, during the colder, and more “partied-up” months during the year, you will become:

1) less hungry (the brain mistakes body’s lack of water for lack of food)…

2) more happy (yep, ther’s a whole “mood thing” going on too when your under-watered, so to speak)…

3) less lazy (yep, your enery levels will sky-rocket when you’re hydrated during the holidays, trust me, I know)…

4) and…. you’ll burn mad body fat, too (“Mad Bodyfat” is the technical term, according my teen crowd… “yo”.)

And… the best part is…

Ready?

You’ll more likely to continue to sticking with a healthy routine (if you’ve established one, of course) when you’ve got all of the above going on!

Phew!…. to think…. “Water does all that?”.

It certainly does.

Ok… that’s it for now….

“Cheers” (I’ve got water in my glass as I’m cheers-ing you… but after class, it’s most likely wine for me, from my good friend Joe Printz at Grape D’Vine in Tappan, N.Y.)

All the best,

Master Scott Palangi

Hey gang! I rarely ever use the word “Dummies”, but it sorta fits the bill in the case of push ups.

Push-ups, have been a staple in 3 of the 5 traditional Palangi Kickboxing class formats.

But to many people, the mere thought of doing a push-up can seem, well, discouraging (especially if you’re asked to do them in a “group” or class type of environment.) Luckily, everyone in a Palangi Kickboxing class is well-schooled in how to be a C.C. (cool classmate) and you’ve got no worries as far as being embarrassed, or feeling left-behind during the push-up segment of class. Trust me, when I created this program, I took FULL CONSIDERATION of your PHYSICAL SAFETY as well your EMOTIONAL SAFETY, so you’re in good hands.

Still, and sadly, many people (before being trained by me or my outstanding team of assistants) think they must first be stronger, lighter, etc. before being able to do adequate push ups.

That assumption is mostly incorrect.

A lot of times, people give up on earning themselves a good push-up… and… not to be chauvinistic… especially ladies (sorry girls, just an observation) but it is not really their fault.  In fact, many ladies can thank their high school gym teacher for their lack of push-up skill (I cover this in length in video 1)

And that’s too bad because the good ole push up is probably THE BEST upper body, bodyweight exercise that can pay off huge dividends as far as toning is concerned.

But don’t worry…. daddy’s gotcha! (That’s me) Ima learn you the perfect push up if you’ll just give me a shot, okay?

Now, to be fair, there aren’t any “shortcuts” to doing push-ups overnight… however… there are some “tricks” that can actually shorten the amount of time you spend feeling, well, like a “dummie” (physically speaking).

In video one, I cover the do’s and don’ts.  (Dont get distracted by Steve wandering around in the background though ok?)

And in this video… I cover a more advanced version of this American/Military favorite!

Okay, I hope you’ve enjoyed! Til next time, train hard, train smart, and train OFTEN!

Best,

Scott Palangi ~ Master Trainer

From: Master Scott Palangi ~ November 8th, 7:38 am. ~ Piermont, NY

Howdy Team!

You’ve probably heard that weighing yourself naked is the only way to get a true “reading” of your actual weight, right?

Well… frankly it’s true. But that’s just the half of it.

Ever heard of a “body fat” scale?

You probably have, if not, it’s not that important.

What IS important for you to know however, is that I ALWAYS use a bodyfat scale when I’m DEAD SERIOUS about getting skinnier and increasing my amount of muscle tone.

And in this blogpost, I show you EXACTLY WHERE I BOUGHT MINE at the Palisades Mall… and I also explain why and how it’ll help you NOW and in the long run… in your quest for lifelong health.

And yes… you gotta be naked to get an accurate reading from a bodyfat scale (most people don’t know that even a little piece innocent and humble clothing can impugn the integrity of the “true” body fat percentage reading.

And here’s why I think this bodyfat scale thing is important… stay with me on this, okay?

A lifelong mentor, master, friend, and sometimes even training partner of mine name Steve LaVallee used to always say, “What gets measured…. gets improved.”

Steve is a huge “time guy” and an even bigger “stats guy”.

He hates guesswork, and he loves data.

And Steve gets results like nobody I’ve ever seen. Guy has five clocks in a four walled room and a wrist watch on each hand. People in the martial arts industry wonder how he does it.

And I know the answer because I’m one of the few and fortunate individuals who’s forged a distant, yet very tight relationship with Master LaVallee.

And here’s (in my opinion) his “secret”.

HE’S NOT AFRAID OF THE HARSH REALITIES OF “DATA”.

But many of us are, aren’t we? (Heck, I still don’t like checking my bank balance regularly…. and…. believe you me,  I’ve got the NSF fees to prove it according to my accountant Jamie Muckell who is still teaching me how to use a calculator).

My point in all this is simple.

WHAT GET’S MEASURED… GETS “ATTENTION”

Now, sure… I’ve heard many a trainer — even me — say things like “Stay off the scale”… “Use the mirror”… “Health is a ‘feeling’ thing not just a ‘fashion’ thing”…. all in an effort to people tuned in to THE HABIT of training vs. the RESULT OF TRAINING.

And, I still hold fast to that theory.

I do believe that sometimes…. too many times in fact… when we make sudden and momentous efforts to get somewhere or make something “happen”… we mistakenly “pull up the roots” to analyze the growth of our proverbial plant — simultaneously killing the plant (unknowingly) in the process.

Such is the case with “weighing in” too often.

Many people give up on working out too soon. Acting as if they were weighing themselves after (or even during) each training session.  And this is a wrong set of behaviors.

“Weighing in” too soon, or too frequently is very taxing on your constitution, and it can often times KILL your stick-to-it-evenness.

However…. all psycho babble aside?

When I use a body-fat scale on  DAILY BASIS…. first thing in the morning… after I pee, but before I eat my first meal?

I ALWAYS BEHAVE IN A BODYFAT-CONSCIOUS WAY ALL DAY LONG!

BUT!!!!

If I jumped on a regular ole’ “pounds scale?”…. forget it! I too would give up… pack it in…. and hit the potato chips.

The bodyfat scale however, is “different”.

It effects my mind and my willpower and my confidence differently.

For example, many a morning (if I’m using it regularly that is, which, I’m not doing currently simply because since my birthday binging, I know the news is not-so-hot) the scale may say “170 pounds”.

Then, after a couple days of kick-ass dieting, and lets say, two-a-day trainings…. the scale may STILL SAY: “170 pounds”.

And that is, in fact, discouraging!

But not with the bodyfat scale you see, because in addition to giving me a “poundage” reading…. a bodyfat scale also give me a “body fat” reading.

AND THAT NUMBER ALWAYS FLUCTUATES… (and with erie accuracy, too) IN ACCORDANCE WITH MY DIET AND LEVEL OF ACTIVITY.

The reason it works out so well is because “170 lbs” vs “172 lbs” isn’t as important an abberation as 11.5% bodyfat vs. 9.7%.

And I try to stay in the single digits as often as I can. (keep reading below video the article continues)

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, lets say I have guests from the ole neighborhood in town; a few chaps who have an underdeveloped appreciation for my habits, my livelihood, and my “routine”.

Me? I most likely will tuck the scale under the bed… and let myself go a little (okay, probably a lot.) because I may not want to be the typical party pooper that I’m famous for being if, let’s say, I am training for something or whatever (in those cases, look out! I’ll tell everyone including family to “screw off” cuz I’ve got a goal in mind. But they know how I am and don’t usually bother me about my short tempered-ness in those moments.) and I’ll just have at it! “Eat. Drink. And be Merry” is my motto during these social times of bonding (yep, I’m just like you in many ways, probably worse!)

But hey…… lemme tellya sumtin:  When “they”….  the fatsos, that is (god love’em) … get back on the bus…. and go back to their respective caves…. my bodyfat scale comes back out and gets dusted off… the ole’ bodyfat percentages get measured again, habitually… and the Mr. Scotty-Dickhead trainer persona is in full-effect….

And this young master GETS RESULTS…. and gets them fast, too!

I encourage you to have as many tricks, tools, and gadgets as possible when it comes to keeping your head “in the game” of body fat burning/loss and the bodyfat scale is an absolute must in my book.

And… the video below shows me buying the one I currently use (so long as my fat freinds aren’t in town making me entertain them.)

Watch, and enjoy! I even explain this whole “pounds vs percentage” stuff.

Til next time… I remain…

Dedicated to your health and fitness,

Master Scott Palangi

From: Master Scott Palangi Friday, November 6th, 2009 ~ Piermont, NY

Howdy team!

With the advent of cold weather on our heels… I’ve made some tweaks to my famous 21-minute cardio routine.

Here’s why: 1) My normal 21′er has four intervals (four chances to cool down – or in this winter’s case “freeze down”) … and 2) I wanna change the staple workout cuz sometimes even I get bored of boring stuff (and I love boring stuff, a lot).

Now, for the uninformed, my “at home” cardio routines are simply a bunch of interval formats you can do to supplement your weight loss / fitness goals, and they’re best done via treadmill, street running, elliptical, nordic track, cycling etc.) And if you live in Bergen or Rockland County and you want to lose weight with Kickboxing Classes, you’d also be ready to supplement your training with some of my proven “at home” workout recipes!

As I mentioned above, the main adjustments on this one is simple: instead of four 4 minute on-times, I made 3, five minute on-times (keeps my body warmer the whole time, and elicits a little more mental toughness because of the extra minute per interval)

The 50% interval (which is slow as heck, I know, I know) has it’s merits though.  For example, such slow running allows me to absorb all the amazing beauty that my “route” has in store for me, early in the am hours. (Piermont, where I run, is so gorgeous this time of year, you really should run there — just about anywhere in this little town is just AWESOME for the eyes!)

Okay, til next post, class, or private session with me…

Train smart, and expect success,

Scott Palangi ~ Master Trainer