There is a lot more to health than just looking good. As a health & fitness expert, it may be grounds for impeachment to say that, but sometimes the reality of things can get off track when we're bombarded with so many messages telling us otherwise. A fit body does not necessarily mean a healthy liver, clean blood, optimal brain function, and a properly functioning gastrointestinal tract among other things. There are millions of seemingly "fit" people that are significantly unhealthy when you see them from the inside out. I know because I was one of these people... When I was 16-years old I had a 6-pack, huge pecs, and could run a 4.4 40-yard dash. I looked and even performed at a high level, but inside I was a ticking time-bomb waiting to go off. If you know my story then you know that by the age of just 20 I was diagnosed with a degenerative spinal disease that eventually led to a 50 pound weight, depression, and severe pain that had me on highly toxic painkillers for almost two and a half years of my life. There was a bright light at the end of the tunnel for me, but for many others who've been mislead by the health & fitness industry, they are still struggling to find their way. Well, we are working to make a huge shift in this today! You're about to get access to someone who is making tremendous strides in uniting the worlds of fitness and real health together. He doesn't claim to be perfect, nor does he want to be, but he has a model that has really worked for him, and now he's working to share it with the world. Our guest today is IFBB physique pro Steve Cook. He has found that real health is not just what you look like on the outside, and it's not just about the right nutrition and exercise either. It's about something far deeper and more important that you're going to learn today, and I think that you're going to be totally blown away! In this episode you'll discover: Why people can get lost in only caring about their physical appearance. How health and fitness can be two totally separate things. How bodybuilding competitions can distort your self-image when you're not preparing for a show. Why you typically don't see many healthy, vibrant bodybuilders once they get older in age. What inspired Steve to really look into the meaning of happiness (this is powerful!) The very 1st thing you need to do when working to change your body. What type of exercises are most important for making great physical changes. How the amount of weight and reps you do can change your body in different ways. Whether or not women should be concerned about putting on mass when lifting heavy weights. What priority training is. The only time you should never do cardio. Why having a plan matters so much. Powerful tips about squats that you need to know about. Whether or not overtraining is something you should be concerned about. We you might want to include supersets in your fitness training. Items mentioned in this episode include: Onnit.com/Model <== Get your optimal health & performance supplements at 10% off! Shawn Stevenson on Instagram Steve Cook on Instagram Steve Cook on YouTube Gretchen Rubin on The Model Health Show The Only Time You Should Never Do Cardio Drew Manning on The Model Health Show Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week! Click Here to Subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click Here to Subscribe via Stitcher Click Here to Subscribe via RSS (non-Apple Podcasts feed)