Today I want to share one of my few style experiments that I would label a success. I’m a pretty simple guy and don’t spend a lot of time accessorizing. If the car runs, then it’s good by me. But an item on Amazon caught my attention that looked like it could add value to my Honda Civic. And by value I mean the satisfaction I get by looking at the car and the additional cleanliness of an extra layer. Judge for yourself down below, but I’m happy with the end result.

Seat covers cover existing stains on the surface of the seats, prevent future stains, and add style and comfort. I have several unsightly stains from passengers eating and drinking, and now my interior looks brand new. And a lot of people commented on how much cooler the car looks after the installation. I bought my seat covers on Amazon from a company called PIC AUTO. Since my purchase, they’ve come out with a new universal design. I chose PIC AUTO because I liked the price, it had a 4+ star rating, and it was easy to put together. Assembly took about 30 minutes with the help of my brother, and neither of is a handyman. The universal design fit my Civic perfectly and they say it is built to accommodate most cars, SUVs and trucks. (UPDATE: It looks like they got rid of the mesh fabric universal fit in the red and black. The red and black is available in leather and the blue and black is available in fabric mesh.)

Here’s a link to the red and black variety as seen in the featured image. PIC AUTO Universal Fit Full Set Mesh and Leather Car Seat Cover(Red). They also offer Red, Gray, Dark Blue, Light Blue, and Beige (clickable links below). Make sure you check out the before & afters of my car down below.

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Before & Afters:

You don’t need a lot of equipment to make major gains in the gym. If you don’t believe me, watch the 300. It can certainly be motivating to have somewhere to go to where other people are striving to reach the same goals. I have a membership at a local gym. But the fact is that anyone can get swoll from the comfort of their own home. Let’s be real–most people who lift weights are in it for the upper body. That’s what people see. That’s what people like. There are a lot of good reasons for lifting legs, but I won’t get into those now. If you want a muscular, shredded upper body, then there’s only one piece of equipment you need: a push-up/pull-up bar. If the treadmill is king of cardio, then the push-up/pull-up bar is king of upper body.

Pull-ups as pictured on the right target biceps, back, chest, and shoulders–four of the most visible muscle groups. Pull-ups also work the abdominal muscle. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken up with sore abs from a pull-up routine. You can also turn your hands around so that your palms are facing you instead of facing away from you. This variation of the pull-up is called the chin-up. I’ve found that it works approximately the same muscles as the traditional pull-up with a little more stress on the biceps. In my experience, it’s easier to bang out more reps doing the chin-up variety. Pull-ups, it follows, are a complete upper-body experience. If you did nothing but pull-ups, and you did enough of them, you’d be jacked in no time.

Push-ups are by far the most popular upper-body exercise known to mankind. Push-ups work chest, triceps, shoulders, and abs. Unlike pull-ups, push-ups are something you can reasonably do with zero equipment. However, having a push-up bar can be extremely useful. A bar adds resistance by enabling you to go deeper down where the ground would otherwise stop you. With no equipment, I can easily bang out 50-70 push-ups. When doing this many reps, it takes a relatively long time to tire out the muscles enough where real growth takes place. Most bodybuilders swear by the 8-16 rep-range for optimal muscle volume. Having a push-up bar can be very useful for anyone already capable of doing more than 10 reps with no equipment. If that’s not already you, it will be within a few weeks of beginning a push-up routine.

I’ve used one push-up/pull-up bar for the last 4 years. You can get it at Amazon on the cheap: Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar. Apparently, you can also use the bar to do crunches and dips, although I’ve only ever used it for push-ups and pull-ups. Iron Gym hasn’t modified their product at all in 4 years, and I don’t think they’ll ever need to. The nice thing about the workout bar is you can modify your grip rather easily. I like rotating between wide-, narrow-, and straight-grip pull-ups and push-ups for maximum adaptability. I also like doing push-ups with my feet on an incline (a sofa or bed) for increased resistance. Exercise common sense.

Take a look at some photos I took of the equipment. As you can see, there is some wear on the grip being as old as it is. It still works perfectly fine, and I probably won’t buy a new one for a while. Good luck and happy gains.

My Iron Gym Workout Bar:

I hated haircuts growing up. Haircuts were what you got when your parents or the school district wouldn’t let you grow your hair long. My goal was always to have the barber cut off as little as possible. I can’t remember a single time I thought I looked better after a haircut. When I was a kid, my parents would take me to one of those brand-name franchises that would service you in less than 20 minutes. Every visit was with a different stylist who could never seem to figure out my hair in the short allotted time. They would cut it too short or botch the area with cowlicks in the front and back. I could no longer see the logic of paying someone to perform a service I didn’t want done to begin with and thought I could learn to do better myself. Plus, I was already getting my hands dirty as my neckline would get out of control after about a week in-between cuts. I decided to take action and started cutting my own hair.

At first, it wasn’t pretty. I remember grabbing a pair of school scissors I found in my drawer and began imitating my stylist. The first few cuts were uneven and I missed large spots. The neckline wasn’t straight. A few people noticed. But my hair grew back and I continued to make a little progress every few weeks. Eventually I bought a pair of clippers with attachments that made my life a lot easier. I liked the sides and the back short, so I could now get those done within a few minutes. I would alternate between leaving the top at the longest clipper setting (about 1 inch), and cutting it with scissors. I learned how to do my own neckline with a tri-fold mirror and would sometimes ask my brothers for assistance.

Today, more than 10 years later, I still cut my own hair. I’m definitely not a professional, but I have no interest in going anywhere to get my hair done. My initial motivation wasn’t to save money–it was to do a better job than my stylist. But I have undoubtedly saved thousands of dollars over the years. And I’m not convinced I would look any better getting it done professionally.

Learning how to cut your own hair requires patience and focus. It’s easiest for people with shorter hair. For longer hair, you have to use scissors, which require skill and are less forgiving. If your hair is long, plan on watching a lot of YouTube videos. Cutting your hair also makes more sense if you don’t enjoy going to a barber. A lot of people like the feeling of getting “treated” by a professional. It is a form of therapy for them. Or maybe they have a good relationship with a particular barber and like the cultural experience of getting a professional haircut.

If you decide to cut your own hair, the first thing you need are good tools. My last pair of Wahl’s clippers has lasted me 6 years, and I recommend this brand to everyone. This pair Wahl Professional 5-Star Cord/Cordless Magic Clip is a newer version of my old one. There’s no telling how long it will last if you take care of it. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, there’s Wahl Clipper Elite Pro High-Performance. It’s cordless and costs about half as much but will get the job done. Both products come with attachments for cutting at various lengths. You will also need a pair of scissors for hair you want to keep longer and for areas hard to reach with clippers. I haven’t bought scissors in a long time, but Equinox Professional Shears Razor Edge is Amazon’s top-rated product and is sharp enough for all hair types.

Remember, YouTube is your best friend. The fastest way to learn is to look up videos on how to cut hair, in general; how to cut hair that is similar to yours, in particular; and how to do so at home without a barber.

Cutting your own hair may not just be something you do to save time and money. It may evolve into an activity you enjoy, like many people when they go see a professional.

There are two types of people in the world. Those who take cold showers and everybody else.

Cold showers have become a fad in recent years. An increasing number of people are adopting the ancient art of cold hydrotherapy as a means of self-improvement. They claim that an act as simple as turning a nozzle clockwise in the morning can bring life-transforming benefits. About 18 months ago, I made the move and ditched warm water for good. Here I outline the benefits I have personally experienced that have left me with zero intention of ever taking a hot shower again.

1. Increased Energy

Energy is arguably the most important benefit of taking a cold shower. Like many of you, I am not a morning person. My energy peaks in the evening and stays elevated into the wee hours of the night. The most expedient way I have found to overcome low morning energy is to subject my body to a cold shower. Cold water acts as a shock to the whole system and puts the mind to work to restore homeostasis. The end result is an organism that is highly energized and ready to move about the day. I challenge everyone reading this to take a cold shower and fall asleep immediately afterwards — it simply can’t be done. (Give it at least 15 minutes, but you get the point.)

2. The Release of Happy Hormones

Nothing is free in nature. Our brain rewards us with happy hormones only when we have achieved something that contributes to our survival. A cold shower is a surefire way to get the endorphines and dopamine flowing early in the morning. After taking a cold shower, you will not only have greater energy but will feel good as your brain’s pleasure reward system is activated.

3. Greater Resilience

Resilience is something that does not come easy. On the surface mental strength is nothing more than a mind game. In reality, however, our brain takes past behavior and outcomes as hard evidence of how it should act in the face of new challenges. Taking cold showers is a proven way to build mental toughness. No matter how many cold showers you take, there will always be the temptation to feel instant gratification by turning the nozzle counterclockwise. With experience, you will learn to silence this voice, callous your mind, and acquire the stoic demeanor vital to navigating other life challenges.

4. An Antidote to Depression

Cold showers are an effective tool that everyone suffering from depression should have in their toolkit. While the benefits outlined above are sure to lift anyone’s state of mind, particular studies have been carried out on those suffering from depressive symptoms. Take this study, for example, in which cold showers relieved depressive systems in a group of test subjects. However, you don’t need a peer-reviewed, double-blind study to tell you something you can test on your own within a few minutes. If you are suffering from depression, why not give cold hydrotherapy a try. Commit to taking a 3-minute cold shower every day for a week. It costs almost next to nothing and may supply the boost you need to move forward with your day.

5. Improved Male Reproductive Health

Wet heat exposure is a well-known cause of low sperm count and infertility. The decision to implement a cold shower regiment is usually accompanied by the decision to abandon hot showers altogether. In this study, infertile men who gave up their hot baths, hot tubs, and Jacuzzis experienced a mean increase in total motile sperm counts of 491%. The author of the study concluded that the toxic effect of hyperthemia on male reproductive health may be reversible in some men. Whether you are in the baby-making business or not, as a man you should think long and hard about continuing a habit that has such a damaging effect on your vital reproductive organ.

6. An Increase in Testosterone

It is conventional wisdom among guys who take cold showers that they increase male testosterone levels. I have yet to come across a study that confirms (or refutes) this claim, so I will instead focus on my personal experience. After years of paying close attention and getting lab work done, I have a good general sense of where my testosterone levels are at any given moment of time. That said, I do believe that cold showers increase my testosterone levels over the course of an hour or two after exposure. I experience increased energy and feel eager to hit the weights.

Russian powerlifters, known among other things for their astronomical testosterone levels, seem to agree with me. Russian powerlifters have been known to ice their balls prior to competition. The routine is based on the fact that the optimal temperature for testosterone production is lower than the body’s overall temperature (hence why the testicles sag away from the body). Exposing the testicles to cold temperatures is believed to optimize this process and increases testosterone production. What science has definitively shown is that hot water has a negative effect on male hormonal health. As someone who has taken cold showers for 18 months, I believe the opposite is also true.

7. Save Time and Money

Hot water is rare in nature and takes technology to sustain. Even during the summer months, natural water rarely ever reaches the temperature of your average suburban shower. This is because the cool temperature at night does not allow the water to remain as hot as it would be if it remained under the midday sun 24/7. In short, by taking cold showers you will save money on your gas bill. You will likely also save on your water bill as most people who take cold showers stay under the water for only a few minutes. Cold showers will also save you valuable time in the morning and give you a head start on your day. In my experience a three-minute cold shower is sufficient for reaping all of the benefits. The length of time may vary for you, but I have found that any amount of cold exposure is better than nothing.

In this article, I laid out a case for the benefits of taking cold showers based on my experience and research but the jury is still out until you experiment for yourself. No two people are alike, and everyone’s experience will be different in meaningful ways. Let me know in the comments what your experience has been with cold showers and any questions or insights you may have gained from the discipline.