Ruben Avila - Digital Strategist

Sacramento, CA

How to Build Your Own Garage Gym

By Ruben Avila  ·   · @RubenEAvila

home gym squat power rack

This is a work in progress to building your own home gym in your garage or other rooms. More on this later, but for now…

Most Important Home Gym Equipment (By Priority IMHO):

home gym kettlebells
  1. Kettlebells – 35 and 53 lbs are enough to start.
  2. Rings/pull up bar- versatile. I’d suggest a pull/up bar dip station hybrid from OneTwoFit.
  3. Barbell- Olympic
  4. Weights- Iron for most. Rubber also good idea, especially if you’re dropping weight.
  5. DIY Power Rack:
    1. this or
    2. this.
    3. Buff Dudes DIY Rack
    4. Or this
  6. Bench- flat is fine but get adjustable if you want to do iso work
  7. Dumbbells- get adjustable. It’s worth it.
  8. Conditioning machine – Bike/rower/sled
  9. Floor mats – horse stall mats suggested. DO NOT waste your hard earned money on foam mats.
  10. Leaf blower – because reasons.

How to Fix Slope in Your Garage

How to Level a Sloped Platform

How to Build a DIY Plyometrix Box

Home Gym Start-Up Guide: Nomad Strength Podcast

This was an excellent and concise episode on the Nomad Strength Podcast regarding building your home gym.

How to Build a Budget Garage Gym: Home Gym Reviews

The Dokkodo – 21 Rules For Life

By Ruben Avila  ·   · @RubenEAvila

From swordsman and philosopher, Miyamoto Musashi a code of conduct. I see many parallels with the stoic way of life. His proverbs can be applied to many things in life. This is his last known work before he succumbed to lung cancer. The word Dokkodo can be translated to the path to progress alone with self-confidence.

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) also known as Shinmen Takezo, Miyamoto Bennosuke or by his Buddhist name Niten Doraku, was a famous samurai swordsman, Ronin and Zen philosopher during Japan’s feudal era in the 17th century.

He was known as an excellent and unrivaled swordsman during his day, as he fought over sixty duels without losing a single one. Not only was Musashi an excellent swordsman, he was also a writer and philosopher.

His book, The Book of Five Rings, is a book about strategy, tactics and philosophy and is still printed and read to this day. The book became a classic – not just for martial artists and those interested in Eastern philosophy, but also for politicians and businessmen looking for an competitive edge in modern times. Musashi’s philosophy is one of self reliance, inner calm, acceptance, and discipline. His work is read all over the world to help people develop mental strength and the qualities needed for a resilient and happy life.

I know it is helping me to heal.

He speaks to the idea that the more we endure, the better we become, because every action has a purpose, and when every action has a purpose, every action has a result. Always be willing to get up and go at it again and again and again, for that’s the person who has their hands raised later in life, because that was the person with dreams and goals. We are what we do repeatedly, because today it begins, tomorrow it continues and it never ends, until we reach our goals.

Priority Pass Select Membership Lounges in the United States

By Ruben Avila  ·   · @RubenEAvila

What are Priority Pass Lounges?

Technically, not all priority pass lounges are lounges. Priority Pass is a rapidly expanding network of airport lounges, airport mini-suites, and airport restaurants. As of this post, there are over 1,300 locations worldwide. The company was created in 1992 and it claims to be the largest airport lounge network in the world. However, most of the lounges are not in the US.

Priority Pass Lounges By State

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How to Grow Organic Peaches at Home in Sacramento, CA

By Ruben Avila  ·   · @RubenEAvila

Man, do I love me some gardening. It is quickly becoming one of my most rewarding activities. I now have some reason to recall what we learned in 9th-grade biology. Holy smokes, I just remembered my teacher’s name! Thank you, Mrs. Ruedas for doing the lawd’s work. This is my ever evolving growing guide for gardeners wondering how to grow organic peaches at home.

Peaches are a perfect crop to grow in Sacramento.

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George Washington’s Resignation Speech

By Ruben Avila  ·   · @RubenEAvila

He was at a fork in the road.

He knew the decision he was faced with would impact this new nation in infinite ways. However, he didn’t know that it would impact the entire world, the human race, and echo in time for eternity.

The decision was simple – to rule or to galvanize this nation under the ideal under which it commenced.

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Simple Advice on Writing

By Ruben Avila  ·   · @RubenEAvila

During my stay in business school, a recurring theme was to ensure our writing was clear and concise. Most professors focused on concise. If you can condense an essay to a paragraph, do so. If you can condense a paragraph to a sentence, do so. If you can condense a sentence to a single word, do so. At some point, you begin to question, “fuck, do I even need to communicate anything at all?”

Okay, maybe I got carried away with that. But, Scott Adams has some tips for writing that are timeless:

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How Writing Every Day Benefits You

By Ruben Avila  ·   · @RubenEAvila

I came across this new writing trend called, “morning pages.” Essentially, it’s a practice where you sit down every morning and write whatever comes into your mind, unadulterated, until you have three full pages. There are plenty of people who are jumping on this bandwagon. And, with good reason.

To state it bluntly – writing regularly is good for you.

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The Why Behind My Blogging

By Ruben Avila  ·   · @RubenEAvila

I have been blogging since 2003. My first foray into blogging was in the form of silly posts I made on the defunct ancient social media website Myspace. I had not heard of term blog, blogging, or blogger. Yet, I started to actively blog all the same.

I discovered two things during those days: 1 – I enjoyed sitting down and giving life to my internalized monologue via digital publishing, and 2 – I enjoyed the feedback from people reading my words and sharing their thoughts on said words.

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