Atomic Fitness: The Alternative to Drugs, Steroids, Wacky Diets, and Everything Else That's Failed

ATOMIC FITNESS

The Alternative to Drugs, Steroids, Wacky Diets, and Everything Else That’s Failed

STEVE MICHALIK

MR. USA • MR. AMERICA • MR. UNIVERSE

The information contained in this book is based upon the research and personal and professional experiences of the author. It is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician or other healthcare provider. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should be done under the direction of a healthcare professional.

The publisher does not advocate the use of any particular healthcare protocol but believes the information in this book should be available to the public. The publisher and author are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of the suggestions, preparations, or procedures discussed in this book. Should the reader have any questions concerning the appropriateness of any procedures or preparation mentioned, the author and the publisher strongly suggest consulting a professional healthcare advisor.

Basic Health Publications, Inc.

28812 Top of the World Drive

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

949-715-7327

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Michalik, Steve.

Atomic fitness : the alternative to drugs, steroids, wacky diets, and everything else that’s failed / Steve Michalik.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-59120-563-0

ISBN-10: 1-59120-168-3

1. Physical fitness. 2. Exercise. 3. Health. I. Title.

RA781.M449      2006

613.7’1—dc22

2006014284

Copyright © 2006 by Steve Michalik

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the copyright owner.

Editor: Roberta W. Waddell

Photographers: Larry Tallis (exercise photos) and Denny (vintage photos)

Typesetting/Book design: Gary A. Rosenberg

Cover design: Mike Stromberg

Printed in the United States of America

10    9    8    7    6    5    4   3   2    1

Contents

Foreword by John DeFendis, Mr. USA

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part One

1. My Philosophy

2. The Psychology of Atomic Fitness

3. The Origins of the Insane

4. Atomic Fitness, or Intensity/Insanity: The Principles of Time, Space, and Muscle

5. Darwin and the Atomic Fitness System

6. Medical Insanity

7. Getting Started on Atomic Fitness

8. The ABCs of Programming Your Fitness Level

Part Two

9. Fundamentals of Muscle and Exercise

10. Introduction to Muscle

11. Basic Anatomy & Physiology and the Training Effect

12. Aerobic Fitness and Fat Burning

13. Eating Correctly for Fat Reduction

14. Nutritional Insanity

15. The Atomic Fitness Nutrition Plan

16. Food, Nutrition, and Digestion

17. Atomic Nutrition Recipes

Testimonials

Glossary

Appendices

A. Alkalizing and Acidifying Foods

B. Carbohydrate, Protein, Fat, and Calorie Counts

C. Anabolic Steroids

References

About the Author

Dedicated to . . .

My brother Paul— to whom I am eternally grateful, for without his wings I would have never flown again.

My Aussie rugby mate, Joe Reaiche, who pulled me from the demons of the abyss to regain my true self.

Foreword

A CHAMPION is one who visualizes a goal and goes after it with enough passion, knowledge, and desire to attain that goal. There are many champions. A LEGEND is one who becomes a champion and then uses that same passion, knowledge, and desire to help others attain their goals. There are few legends.

Steve Michalik is a LEGEND.

Steve has imbued in others the spirit, discipline, and knowledge necessary to enable them to become champions. His drive and commitment to help others is unparalleled. The book you now hold in your hands is a very powerful tool. It is the equivalent of a hammer to a carpenter. This information is essential in helping you attain your fitness and bodybuilding goals. Utilizing its principles of Atomic Fitness, or Intensity/Insanity, will enable you to reach goals you never thought were possible in bodybuilding. Millions of people exercise daily in hopes of reaching their goals. Few will ever achieve their goals because they lack the knowledge necessary to become successful. You wouldn’t attempt to travel across the United States for the first time without consulting a good map to reach your destination. Steve’s book is the map that will pinpoint your destination and your goals, chart the course, and guarantee your arrival. I have reached many of my destinations because I allowed Steve Michalik to be my navigator in my quest to reach my own bodybuilding and fitness goals. Steve’s knowledge and commitment to excellence have also afforded me the ability to help thousands of others reach their fitness and bodybuilding goals. Read this book, absorb the information, and strive to be the best you can be. You cannot fail with Steve’s direction to success!

—John DeFendis, Mr. USA

Two Champions—Two Legends: Steve Michalik and John DeFendis

Acknowledgments

First, I would like to acknowledge myself for being able to accomplish what I have through the adversity and trauma of growing up in an emotionally abusive, dysfunctional, and suppressive household. Through my faith in the almighty and in myself, I was able to persevere and overcome. May this be a lesson of inspiration to all who feel helpless and hopeless.

I would next like to thank my partner and assistant, Darlene. Without her relentless and persistent support, neither I nor this book would be here today.

I would also like to acknowledge my wife, Tina, and my children, for believing in me.

My sincerest thanks go to Boris Mlawer and his son Ira who brought us together. Boris’s experience and guidance throughout this project was priceless. Not only is he a consummate professional in all he pursues, but on a personal level, his genuine warmth and enthusiasm, coupled with intelligence and wisdom, led me to think of him as the father I longed to have.

I would like to extend thanks and recognition to my good friend Larry Tallis for the relentless hours and hours he put into creating the images for this book. Also, my thanks go out to my technical assistants Emy Bradley and Mike Manavian who were always up to the task.

I would also like to acknowledge Saul Katz for his wisdom and teaching throughout our friendship, which has made me a better man.

My sincerest gratitude goes to my publisher, Norman Goldfind, for taking a chance on me.

I would like to thank my spiritual mentor, Joe Reaiche, for helping to pull me out of the muck of life and showing me the light of freedom. And finally, I would like to acknowledge my successor and truest of all believers, John DeFendis, Mr. USA.

Introduction

If you read everything there is to read on exercise and fitness, if you hire the best trainer money can buy, and even if you exercise at the best-equipped gym you can find, your results will still be merely ordinary.

Gym memberships are up. Sales of books and videos on fitness are up. Information on diet and nutrition is abundant. There are more personal trainers now than ever, and yet there is 60 percent obesity in the United States. Heart disease is the number-one killer. Weak bones and soft muscles are the norm. Obviously, there is an epidemic of misinformation. The Atomic Fitness System will remove you from this maze of confusion. Ordinary is unacceptable, and only extraordinary will be tolerated.

IT’S HIGH TIME YOU DISCOVER THE TRUTH

I always get excited walking into a bookstore. The smell of new books and the colors and designs of the book covers stimulate my senses. During a typical visit, I asked a sales associate for the fitness and exercise section and was told to go three aisles down and then turn right. There, I was amazed at the seemingly endless rows of exercise books on everything from Pilates to water fitness, but what caught my interest most was the section on intense exercise—intense this, maximum intensity that. I thumbed through each book, laughing at the inaccuracies. Here were unknown authors, who have achieved little, or perhaps trained some athlete or celebrity, and now they’re authorities. Trainers with barely enough knowledge to fit in an acorn are now preaching useless words of so-called wisdom. Each book has a little truth, surrounded by a lot of mumbo jumbo about the nature of intense training.

Ordinary is unacceptable.

One author claims to have developed the perfect rep (repetition). He says if you perform reps in a slow, controlled manner, it builds strength. Maybe, but it does little in the way of increasing the size or shape of the muscle, and it puts undue stress on the joints. I know because I did this workout a long time ago when Arthur Jones, of Nautilus fame, introduced it. I gave it a really good try until my joints started giving out and my neck and back were in constant stress, and still, there was no gain in muscle mass. My experience was no doubt duplicated by others because most people have abandoned this system. I have found that one of the limiting factors in exercise is an individual’s strength, and believe me, you have to be strong to do those absurdly slow reps. So, I guess if you’re willing to waste a year or two building the strength required for this system, it might work for you, especially if you have a good orthopedic surgeon. This perfect-reps author also says, The strength system is ideal for any young athlete—children as young as ten can begin. Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want any ten-year-old doing this, or any weight training, until her or his bones have grown sufficiently, usually after puberty has set in. Another trainer says, and I quote, To reduce the risk of injury, it is important for athletes to train both push and pull muscle groups. Well, Mr. Trainer, for your information, muscles only pull. They may give the illusion of pushing, but they don’t.

I could go on and on. The truth is, you are bombarded by false information and misinformation. What dictates the truth is the ability to demonstrate your claim. The Atomic Fitness System has produced champions in every field of endeavor. It works. The only limiting factor is you and your ability to understand the facts. You drive the beast and the beast is you.

With the Atomic Fitness System, limitations no longer exist. This is true. Heredity need not be an obstacle, but only if you understand the interrelationship of the body and resistance. If you truly understand the body, the mind, and the method, then you will go a long way toward creating and building that fabulous body, and demonstrating the ultimate you. You must not repeat the errors of most who fail to recognize the benefits of the exercise method put forward in this book. For years, doctors (who, incidentally, die younger than most professionals) rejected the benefits of intense exercise, and suggested walking around the block a couple of times instead. Although such biases against this method of training still exist, years of proven results cannot be denied. Also, you don’t need to obtain a degree in biophysics in order to understand and utilize the data.

THE ATOMIC FITNESS SYSTEM

Atomic Fitness, otherwise known as Atomic Intensity/Insanity or Atomic Force, refers to a group of fundamental principles of biology and physics that interact and function together as a whole in order to control energy, matter, space, and time. This is done with my unique exercise routines, knowledge of nutrition, and understanding of the workings of the inner mind. This Atomic Fitness System combines mental and physical movement with force, intelligence, and speed to bring about a biological change.

The more you know, the more able you become.

As used in this book, the word atomic relates to the amount of force put upon, and released in, the body to effect a physical change in an extremely short amount of time. As used here, time is a measurement of space. Shrink time and you collapse space, resulting in tremendous force, a force that has created the universe and has the ability to change it and everything in it, including the body. The reverse is also true—if you shrink space, you collapse time. These conditions bring about a significant change in matter—in this case, muscle and fat—and all the exercises and mental discipline in this book can create such a state.

In writing this book, I want to communicate to you what I know and what I’ve felt during my many successful years as a bodybuilder. And the term bodybuilder should be looked at as just that—an individual who wishes to build his or her body for whatever purpose.

Building a body is no different from how you would approach any other building project. You must first have a vision of what you want to build, of what exactly you are looking to do. Don’t cheat yourself. Go for it all. Once you have determined your goal, be it health, appearance, or both, you’ll have a starting point. Next, you’ll need a blueprint, and that blueprint should show you exactly how to go about it. After that, you’ll need some help in carrying out that blueprint. You’ll need a skilled worker, someone you can trust, especially, with this particular building project—you.

Only those who have been to the battle . . .

The theories and principles set forth in this book work, and they work fast. What really determines how far you will get on your project is in the essence of each human being. There are those, like myself, who are relentless in their efforts, and then there are those who need guidance and understanding to get them through. Regardless of who you are and how you view life, this book will change the way you perceive your current state of reality. The sense of who you are and what you’re doing becomes very clear as you embark on the journey of Atomic Fitness and see how it affects not only your body, but also your mind. Hidden in each of us are suppressed emotions and thoughts. Each of these hidden emotions (what I refer to as mis-emotions) and thoughts were created by force, and the training principles in this book create tremendous body force, which unleashes those old suppressed body emotions. It sounds wild, but it works. Your body is just waiting for you to unleash all that stored negative energy.

It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that you fully understand how to train your body to obtain the greatest benefits. For starters, every time you do the Atomic Fitness routines, you need to block out all external thoughts and focus on your task. You will determine for yourself that it is necessary to work as hard as possible, and as you do this, you will feel excited and exhilarated, and enjoy a sense of freedom. You will be in a state of cause, meaning you’re in control. You will cause the outcome. This is freedom in its purest sense—a freedom seldom experienced elsewhere in life.

During exercise, it is important to understand that it isn’t how heavy a resistance is, it’s how much force you can generate during that exercise, how much energy you can generate in each repetition—basically, how much mental force can you apply, and how much love, joy, and excitement you can put into the body as you move through the Atomic Fitness routines. You will learn to conquer and let go of fear. You will learn a lot about yourself and how tough you really are. And you know what? This knowledge of self will carry you through the rest of your life. These ideas of the mind and body are very powerful. As the ancients knew, these principles are at the core of existence.

. . . can possibly understand the WAR!

I have traveled around the world and I have seen much, and what I have discovered is that all we believe to be reality is not. Once I unraveled this mystery through extensive study and meditation, I learned to know and perceive beyond the apparentness of reality. It all became crystal clear. Force created the universe and force will destroy it. All matter stems from force of some kind. The solution to all problems then stems from the use of energy and the force it creates, whether that force be intellectual, physical, or spiritual—the Atomic Fitness System integrates all three.

Physics teaches us that matter is held together by the forces, two forces being what is referred to as the strong force and the weak force. They pull at each other, creating stability. We use this secret of the universe to build bodies that are strong, look good, and last.

Thought is faster than light. Light is energy. Energy condensed is matter. Therefore, if you think it before it is apparent, it will be there waiting for you. I urge you to place your powers of thought into the body. Create positive images in your mind, and your body will follow that path.

Newton expressed his viewpoint of the universe as three-dimensional, with length, width, and depth. This, of course, applies to the human body. He explained that time, or duration, is merely a measuring device. Einstein expanded on this by explaining that dimensions are not consistent, and that time is variable. Simply put, duration of effort (in this case exercise) and speed of movement have a resounding effect upon the body. I use these principles in the Atomic Fitness System to bring about incredible results.

Much can be said about the science of the universe and how it ultimately affects lives, in this case, building a body—but that’s a subject for another book entirely. For now, I have researched this data and come to the undeniable and demonstrated truth that the Atomic Fitness System works.

Facts You Should Have

The harder you do aerobics, the less fat you burn.

The longer you exercise, the less chance you have of getting in shape and building muscle.

You can’t overtrain.

Fat doesn’t make you fat.

Heavy weights don’t build muscle.

Eating before a workout will not provide energy.

As you exercise, you should study the motion you’re about to perform and determine how you can increase the force. For example, in any chest or shoulder press, as you lift the weight, force your hands inward. They do not move, but an isometric force (that is, a muscle contraction against resistance) is created while you move the resistance. For back work, the opposite is true. You need to pull outward in an isometric effort. This will enhance the movement a hundredfold.

Remember, the velocity of the movement or exercise is of extreme importance. Einstein stated that, as velocity increases, time expands. This works beautifully in bodybuilding. Since the Atomic Fitness System increases intensity and incorporates the principle of velocity, it can be instantly seen how this applies to building a body quickly. What you want to do is create as much force on the muscle as possible, in the shortest period of time. Not only does the increased force directly impact the state of the muscle, but indirectly, you’ve created a greater period of recovery time for muscle growth. So basically, what I am stating here is that high-intensity exercise diminishes exercise time while expanding recovery time. If Einstein had only exercised, he would have been Mr. Olympia.

Two-minute butt, six-minute abs, eight-minute chest . . . If you’re doing more, you’re doing more than is needed, and accomplishing less. It’s not time that builds a body, it’s force. Reduce time and space, increase energy, and you will affect mass—mass in this case being fat and muscle. The Atomic Fitness System delivers fast, intense training principles that produce optimum results. It is the ultimate battle plan for defeating the I have no time to exercise idea. This state-of-the-art, scientific program conquers conventional wisdom with alternative breakthroughs. You now have an action plan that puts it all together for you.

The Atomic Fitness System combines the very best advancements in modern thinking with the wisdom of the great minds of the past. It is supported by years of research and decades of results. It roots out the false data and propaganda associated with exercise. It wipes out conventional exercise methods that are time-consuming and harmful. Research has come a long, long way, and the Atomic Fitness System is packed with life-changing information that makes it possible to alter your physique in the shortest time possible. I will give you the facts that will allow you to win the battle for your body. You no longer need to feel overwhelmed. You deserve every chance to achieve your goals. The Atomic Fitness System delivers hope beyond hope. From your first workout, you’ll restore energy, vitality, a sense of self, and a renewed confidence that you can accomplish all you desire.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

The following chapters are designed to bring an awareness of the facts and provide clear instructions on how to apply the principles presented. I have attempted, in as simple a manner as possible, to outline the points of knowledge necessary for producing ultimate results.

Part One of this book lays out my personally developed theories and explains the origins of such intriguing methods as the Intensity/Insanity system of building muscles. These easy-to-understand exercises start with preconditioning routines to provide a foundation of optimum fitness levels in order to prepare you for the real work to follow. From there, the routines progress from beginning, intermediate, and advanced, to super-advanced routines. Sections on abdominals, hips, and butt are also included.

Part Two takes up the body’s basic anatomy and explores the role of nutrition. This is followed by a selection of recipes designed to provide maximum benefits to the body. Testimonials, a glossary, appendixes, references, and a full index are also provided toward the end of the book.

It has long been understood that exercise is capable of producing significant increases in strength and clarity of mind. Even prehistoric humans appeared to understand this, as early archeological finds show evidence of humans engaging in exercise and conditioning. Today’s society requires men and women to strive for perfection and unheard-of levels of fitness and skill. My goal is simple—to educate you in the ways that can bring about such dynamic change in your thinking that you will never be the same again.

Looking into the future, you can see your final goals being realized. Now you must do it. Teaching old dogs new tricks may be difficult, but it is not impossible. Although much bias and rumor plague society, you must not be afraid to challenge current beliefs and see the light of the new. For all that is new is as old as the creation of the body itself. The principles I have brought forth are new only to a point of present understanding. The body and mind work in a certain way. The mind follows exact rules of behavior, regardless of your intentions. You must conquer with understanding what seemed unconquerable in the past. You must come to discover and live a new reality. You must have a love of life so profound that you become one with all. Be responsible to yourself, seek truth, and knowledge will follow. Then and only then will you finally