A Reexamination of “What is Healthy?”

June 6, 2011 by John Barban 4 Comments

The lines between weight loss, muscle building, fitness and health can get blurry. Having a clear understanding of each aspect and how it relates to your life is the first step to getting what you want out of your body.

Will You be "Healthy" if you eat these foods?

Weight loss and muscle building are a bit more straight forward than the others.

Fitness becomes trickier to define because its dependent on the kind of fitness and the level you want to achieve. Is the goal to be an olympic level endurance athlete, or a recreational level strength athlete?

Defining health is the most difficult of all, and this is the topic of todays uncensored podcast.

When you think of the word ‘health’ you probably have both a body image and a lifestyle idea that includes exercise and diet that matches your minds image of what ‘health’ means.

Health however is not a universal definition that can be applied to all people. In fact, it is a personal definition that can only ever be applied by one person to themselves.

In todays podcast we discuss what the variables are that can go into your definition of health and how each person has to decide for themselves what they want from their body and their life.

John

For more information as well as how to get access to Venus UNCENSORED, click the link below:

Venus UNCENSORED Premium Podcast

Filed Under: Health, Podcast, Uncensored Podcasts S01 Tagged With: definition of health, health, what is healthy

Putting it all Together: VI Open Winner Naomi Sandoval

May 16, 2011 by John Barban 1 Comment

Putting effort into diet and exercise is supposed to be a rewarding experience as you see improvements in your strength, body composition, and overall health and well being. It can be a source of gratification, confidence, and self esteem.

Naomi Sandoval Venus Index Open Winner

On the other hand, when your results don’t add up to your effort it can become a source of frustration and disappointment.

Getting your results to match your effort is the key to finally getting into the shape you’ve always imagined for your body, and that is exactly what Naomi did winning the first ever Venus Index open competition.

Naomi has wonder proportions

Naomi shares her experiences throughout the past 20 years with diet and exercise and talks about what she has done in the past and how she arrived in the phenomenal shape you see her in today after the Venus Index competition.

Naomi is 46 years young and has a figure that most women 20 years younger than her would envy. She is a beautiful example of lean feminine muscle and the Venus Index.

John

LISTEN:

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Filed Under: Contest, Interview, transformation Tagged With: Contest Interview Naomi Venus Index, Venus Index Open Winner

Takin’ it to the House: VI Contest Winner Alisha McGinn

May 9, 2011 by John Barban 7 Comments

The first ever Venus Index Transformation contest was a huge success and Alisha McGinn took it to the house, her transformation was amazing.

Venus Index Transformation Winner Alisha

Dramatic change

Venus Index Transformation 1st Place Alisha McGinn

Alisha has great definition in her back

In todays podcast I talk with Alisha and how she made one of the best transformations I’ve ever seen. She shares her story about how she used to be a fitness info junkie and how she made the decision to enter the contest.

We talk about her experience through the contest, what she did for diet and how she followed the program.

We also talk about motivation and support and how everyone has to find what works for them.

Finally Alisha shares how she researched and learned to take great photographs with just a few cheap lights and items you can find around your house.

This transformation is what the Venus Index is all about, Alisha joined the contest with the mentality to win, and win is exactly what she did. She did everything right and the results speak for themselves.

John

LISTEN:

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Filed Under: Contest, transformation Tagged With: transformation contest, Venus Index contest winner

Venus Index Contest #2: “VT2” Announced

May 3, 2011 by John Barban 3 Comments

The official start date of the next Venus Index Transformation contest is Wed May 11th 2011.

As with the previous contests we’re always trying to make them a bit better each time so we’ve made a few changes to the structure and format.

Who can enter:

Anyone who is a current Venus Index customer can enter this contest except for those who placed in the top three in our previous open contest. Placing in the top 3 in our previous open contest qualifies you for our annual level 2 competition that will be held in April 2012. There will be more details about the level 2 competition in the months to come.

Similar to the last contest there are going to be cash prizes for the top 1-6 in the transformation which is judged on total change combined with best final look, total change in the VI numbers, how much you changed overall and how close your are to your ideal VI.

The new twist is that you automatically qualify for the open contest as well, so this gives everyone double the chance to win. There will be prizes for the top 1-6 in the open category as well. The top 3 qualify for the level 2 competition in April 2012.

If you think you already look pretty good and want to enter the contest, but you’re not sure you’ve got a big enough ‘transformation’ to make, go ahead and submit your before and after pictures anyway. The judging panel will automatically bump you up to the ‘open’ contest if you’re final look is good but your total transformation isn’t as big as other people who have farther to go. This is the easiest way for us to award as many prizes as possible to everyone who wants to enter.

There are cash prizes for places 1-6 in transformation and 1-6 in open (we’ve eliminated the age categories for the open category)

Entry into the transformation contest automatically enters you into the open as well.

Prize money for both categories of transformation and open are as follows:

1st Place – $500

2nd Place – $350

3rd Place – $250

4th Place – $200

5th Place – $200

6th Place – $200

Submitting Before Pictures:

“Before” pictures must be submitted by all contestants at the beginning of the contest to me at my email address johnbarban at gmail (dot) com

“Before” pictures required: standard front, back and side shots, standing relaxed with hands at your side, and at least one extra picture in the grouping with the current days newspaper (while you’re in the same position and wearing the same suit as in your before pics). Find a spot in your house with a clear background or hang a plain sheet up behind you so you’re standing in front of a plain background.

Some form of two piece outfit is required for the before pictures so we can accurately assess your change. This can be a bikini, or shorts and a tank top/sports bra workout top etc. The better we can see the change you’ve made the better you’ll do in the competition.

Make sure the cover of the newspaper is visible and also include a close up pic of the news paper as well.

Name each before picture file according to the pose with your name and the word ‘before’ ex: name_before_side

The earliest you can submit a before pictures is on May 11th, every day you wait after this day is one more day of transformation that you are losing compared to others who have submitting on May 11th. I’ll be accepting before pictures until the following wednesday May 18th (however I strongly advise you take them and send them on May 11th). So even if you take them on May 11th you have until May 18th to send them in to me.

You must also submit a document with your before statistics including:

Age, Height, Waist measurement, Shoulder measurement, Hip measurements (as outlined in the Venus Index manuals).

Send all materials in a zip file.

All contestants must submit before pictures and statistics as stated above no matter if you feel you’ll end up in the open category or in the transformation category. The judges will decide which category you will end up in.

Your pictures will remain on my personal drive and will not be used or viewed by anyone for any purpose. If you choose not to complete the contest or have to bow out for any reason your pictures will never be used, viewed or posted for any reason whatsoever.

The rest of this post is the legal mumbo jumbo about privacy and the legal right to photo’s etc. This is the same stuff as the previous contest.

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Contest Policy and Privacy Statement

All entries become the property of the Contest Sponsor and will not be returned.

Contest Sponsor, its advertising and promotion agencies assume no responsibility for lost, stolen, delayed, damaged, illegible, incomplete, postage-due, garbled or misdirected entries or entries that have been submitted through illicit means, or do not conform to or satisfy the Contest Rules or for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any entry to be received or traffic congestion on the internet or at any website, or any combination thereof including any injury or damage to an entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from playing or downloading any material in the contest.

The Contest Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend this Contest should an external circumstances arise which are beyond the reasonable control of the Contest Sponsor. The Contest Sponsor is not responsible for any errors or omissions in printing or advertising this Contest.

The Contest Sponsor collects your personal information for the purposes of registration, program evaluation and to keep you informed about contest. The Contest Sponsor may, if consent was given during registration, also contact you from time to time with information about other ways you can lose weight.

The Contest Sponsor will not share any personal data about entrants with any
other party. The personal data collected for this Contest will not be used for any other purposes unless entrants provide explicit permission as indicated on the entry form. For more information about our privacy practices or to obtain a copy of our Privacy Policy, visit: Privacy Policy

By entering this Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Contest Sponsor and their respective employees, officers, directors, agents, representatives, successors, assigns, advertising and promotional agencies from any liability for any loss or damage of any kind to the entrant or any other person in connection with this Contest or participation in any Contest related activities, including but not limited the taking of a urine test or, if declared a winner, the use or misuse of a prize or any portion of a prize including personal injury, death or property damage.

This Contest will run in accordance with these Contest Rules, subject to amendment by the Contest Sponsor. Contest Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, amend, modify or terminate this Contest or the Rules at any time in its sole discretion and without notice.

Entrants must comply with these rules, and will be deemed to have received and understood the rules if they participate in the Contest.

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John

Filed Under: Contest, transformation Tagged With: venus index open contest, venus index transformation contest 2, VT2

Sweet Caroline! Interview With VI 2nd Place Finisher

May 2, 2011 by John Barban 4 Comments

In todays podcast we talk to the 2nd place finisher in our first ever Venus Index transformation contest Caroline.

Caroline 2nd Place Venus Index Transformation

Before VI

Caroline S (full name requested not to be disclosed for professional reasons) got in great shape and transformed her figure into what being a Venus is all about.

She shares with us how she kept track of her positive days and how you have to view a transformation as an experiment that requires fine tuning, observation, and adjustments along the way. The first time you try it you’ll find some things that work for you and some things not so much, so you keep the good stuff and discard what didn’t work and move on.

One of the big keys to making a change is committing to yourself and finally recognizing that you’re ready for it. In many cases women can talk themselves into the belief that they are ‘stuck’ with a body they are unhappy with and their inner voice is telling them that they’ll never change. They might even try and fail and start to create a self fulfilling prophecy that they really can’t change.

But this isn’t the case. Everyone can make a change, but it only happens when you’re finally ready mentally and emotionally.

Caroline shares her experiences throughout her transformation and how looking back she realizes that this time she wants ready to make the change, and wow did she ever!

John

LISTEN:

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Filed Under: Interview, transformation Tagged With: Interview with Caroline, venus index contest, Venus index Transformation

Venus Index Contest #1 Winners Announced!

April 27, 2011 by John Barban 42 Comments

Today we’re announcing the winners of the first ever Venus Index Transformation contest and Open Contest.

(click here for the system they used to get there)

Congratulations to all that entered, you all did a great job. So lets get to it!

Venus Index Transformation Contest Results

1st Place: Alisha M

Alisha McGinn Venus Index Transformation Winner

Alisha M Venus Index Transformation Winner

Alisha McGinn First Venus Index Transformation Before

Alisha Before

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2nd Place: Caroline S.

Caroline 2nd Place

Caroline Before

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3rd Place: Maro K

Venus Index Transformation 3rd Place Maro K

Venus Index Transformation 3rd Place Before Maro

Maro Before

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4th Place: Karen C

Venus Index Transformation Contest 4th Place Karen C

Karen Before

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5th Place: Laura

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6th Place: Leann H

Venus Index Transformation 6th Place Leann H

Leann Before

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Venus Index Open Contest

1st Place: Naomi S

Venus Index Open Contest Winner Naomi S

Venus Index Contest Winner Naomi Sandoval

More of Naomi

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2nd Place: Kimberley D

Venus Index Open 2nd Place Kimberley D

Venus Index Contest Open 2nd Place Kimberley

More of Kimberley

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3rd Place: Kris W

Venus Index Open 3rd Place Kris W

More of Kris

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Everyone did an amazing job and I hope that everyone will be available for interviews!

This was a huge success, you all showed up and kicked some serious butt!

Congratulations and I’ll be contacting each of you personally in the next few days.

We did a short podcast about the contest selections as well.

PS- If you want to be one of winners in the next transformation contest, the first step is getting the workout –> VENUS INDEX WORKOUT

LISTEN:

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Filed Under: Contest, transformation Tagged With: Contest Winners, venus index contest, venus index open contest

Unsummit and Other Stuff

April 25, 2011 by John Barban 5 Comments

Last weekend was the Unsummit and we got to meet some fabulous Venus’s

The first night in vegas we stopped to check out the water light show at Bellagio

Everyone was awesome and I only wish we had more time to spend together.

It was a great experience to be in vegas with a bunch of like minded people.

One of the things that really stood out to me was our mutual understanding

of food and eating and how it wasn’t a big deal to plan to eat once a day with

only a coffee/snack for the rest of the day. If I were in vegas with my non

AI/VI friends, breakfast, lunch and dinner would be mandatory meals and

mass over consumption would be the theme of the weekend. With the Venus

and Adonis crowd I think I actually came back from vegas leaner than when

I left!

In todays podcast we’ll share some stories from vegas and answer a few questions

that have come up in the forums.

We’ll be announcing contest winners in a special wednesday podcast this week!

John

LISTEN:

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Filed Under: Exercise, fat loss Tagged With: unsummit

First Venus Index Contest is Over…now what?

April 18, 2011 by John Barban 1 Comment

Now that the first Venus Index contest is done what is next?

What does your future hold?

For some people it’s a midway point in a longer transformation and a time to recover and gear up for the next contest,

For some it’s time to learn to maintain their new Venus body.

For others it’s the start of a new challenge being an agent of change and teaching others the ways of the Venus!

For me it’s going to be a week of stress trying to place the winners (you all do so well!)

But for everyone it’s a new beginning with a new future with new possibilities.

I’m still in vegas so I gotta keep this one short and sweet (I’m currently getting a series of txt messages telling me to get out of my room and down to the pool)

John

LISTEN:

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Filed Under: transformation Tagged With: venus index contest, venus index new beginnings

Biomechanics, Metabolic Flexability and…What is Shark Week?!

April 11, 2011 by John Barban 7 Comments

Well this is it ladies, the final days of the first Venus Index contest.12 weeks certainly flies by when you’re having fun doesn’t it!

I honestly thought you were all just 'into' watching shark documentaries

The forum has been active, some old faces have re-appeared, and the regulars are doing their thing making our community the best online from what I’m gathering (I’m going off of your comments I see as I’ve never been in another fitness community…especially one for women only!)

So it’s time to take final pics (for those of you who haven’t done them yet) and time to reflect on the past 12 weeks.

Also it’s time to realize that you’ve got an experience and knowledge about how weight loss, muscle building and changing your body composition really works.

There are going to be people in your life who will offer their opinion on your transformation regardless if they’re in no position of education or authority or experience to offer such an opinion. There will also be people (such as personal trainers) who appear to be in a position of authority that may try to convince you that what you’ve just done is somehow wrong, or has to change to continue to progress.

My advice at this point is to just be very aware of who you listen to and what you allow to influence your mind and how you view yourself and your next course of action for your diet and fitness lifestyle.

You’ve got the experience to know what works regardless if you still have a ways to go to get close to your idea VI. Any advice you get that sounds like the same old fitness dogma should be viewed with a skeptical eye. Either ignore it or ask for proof and the source of the claim. From now on you should question everything you year that doesn’t fit with your real life experience of what you now know really does work for changing the look and shape of your body.

In todays podcast we’ll talk about some of the social situations you might get into with other people offering uneducated opinions on your fitness and diet lifestyle.

We’ll also talk about biomechanics and discuss why each person will react and manage various exercises and workout routines differently based on the length and shape of their muscles vs tendons, muscle fiber type distribution, tendon insertion points, limb length and other factors that affect peformance.

Finally, I’ll explain how I spent two months in the fog about what the hell ‘shark week’ was…I really thought you were all just really into shark documentaries…seriously!!!

John

LISTEN:

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Filed Under: Exercise, Metabolism Tagged With: biomechanics, metabolism, shark week

A Reexamination of “What is Healthy?”

Putting it all Together: VI Open Winner Naomi Sandoval

Takin’ it to the House: VI Contest Winner Alisha McGinn

Venus Index Contest #2: “VT2” Announced

The official start date of the next Venus Index Transformation contest is Wed May 11th 2011.

Who can enter:

Submitting Before Pictures:

Contest Policy and Privacy Statement

Sweet Caroline! Interview With VI 2nd Place Finisher

Venus Index Contest #1 Winners Announced!

Venus Index Transformation Contest Results

1st Place: Alisha M

2nd Place: Caroline S.

3rd Place: Maro K

4th Place: Karen C

5th Place: Laura

6th Place: Leann H

Venus Index Open Contest

1st Place: Naomi S

2nd Place: Kimberley D

3rd Place: Kris W

Unsummit and Other Stuff

First Venus Index Contest is Over…now what?

Biomechanics, Metabolic Flexability and…What is Shark Week?!

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