Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Where I Go From Here..

Lately a lot has been on my mind and it seems like I'm an inch away from crazy. So much has been going on that I have slipped badly in my training, my nutrition, the goals I had set out to achieve, even trying to take my business to the next level. I am human and it happens- but not anymore.  EVERYTHING changes now.

Making a plan is important for anything in life.  Sticking to it is hard and sometimes we fail. It's not a problem.  Again, we're human. But failure is not an option for me. I will not sit here and feel sorry for myself because I failed to achieve the goals I wanted. I've learned and now I am ready to take it back to where I want to go.

In Jack Canfield's book The Success Principles, he laid out 64 principles he felt were important for success. After his years of experience, working under W. Clement Stone, and his work with many other best selling books- I took his advice.  The first thing he talks about is "Taking 100% Responsibility" for everything in your life.  Nobody will make my dreams come true. Just me. After reading this book I implemented many of things he taught into my life and things were going great- until I let it slip and failed to continue.

I have BIG dreams.  HUGE dreams for my life and I can't and WON'T accept a normal life.  I am meant for much more then a 9-5 with a side job barely getting by. But, it's up to me and me only.  Nobody is going to give me my dreams.  Everyday I have to fight my ass off to improve and get one step closer.

I've taken an interest in Mental Toughness Training lately and this is the next step for me to take.  I need to master my mind and become tougher- mentally and physically. I felt the training I was doing was making me tougher.  Tough enough to handle many challenges in life- until it bitch slapped me across the face and brought me back to Earth.

For those of you who know, I follow Jim Wendler's work in 5/3/1.  I am a Barbell guy. For those who don't know, 5/3/1 is a training program based on Strength, used mostly by Powerlifters. There are 4 main lifts (The Squat, Overhead Press, Bench Press, and Deadlift) that the program is based on.  In addition to the 4 main lifts there are templates for accessory work.  Accessory work is used to improve in weak areas and help the progression of the main lifts- using mostly dumbbells and barbells.

Recently- this all changed for me. I started following a guy named Zach Even-Esh who owns the Underground Strength Gym in Edison, NJ. Most of his work is based around bodyweight, sandbag, kettle bell, and other training tools. His work has changed my entire view on WHY I am doing what I am doing.

I love being a trainer because I love helping people and motivating them.  Through exercise is the platform I chose. I personally train to Kick Ass in life. I want to be strong and powerful so I can take care of my family, take care of my house, do things without feeling weak and tired.  5/3/1 was that outlet. And still IS, but things are changing.

For the past few weeks I have still been following my plans in regards to my 5/3/1 program, BUT- only for the main lift.  All of the accessory work I've been doing is now GONE. The additional work I get in after my main lift for the day is now centered around sandbag work, kettle bell movements, and bodyweight training. Sled Drags and Walking Lunges.  Sandbag Cleans and Kettle Bell Farmer Walks.

I decided to go this route because my strength was Barbell strength.  Not real world strength.  As I mentioned I was bitch slapped back to earth and in that I mean I was knocked down when I realized my strength was not like real world strength.  Like a construction worker or a mechanic. I had (and still kind of have to) set up my body for the movements I was planning on performing- not training movements but shit like lifting the lawn mower or moving a carpet down a flight of stairs.  This happened because of - the bar at the middle of the feet, knees straight, bend down grab bar, ass down, chest up, and then lift off of ground training I was doing.  I know people who grab heavy shit and just manhandle it. That is why I was training and for what I want- it was all wrong. Now, I want to be able to jump right into action as needed, alert, ready, and able.

From here out my training will look something like this:

Squats 5/3/1 sets and reps

1A) Bodyweight Squats/Weighted vest Squats/KB Squats 4x20-30
1B) Weighted Push-Ups 4x20-30

2A) Sandbag Carries 4 x 100-200 feet
2B) Kettle Bell Swings 4 x 20-30

Prowler Drags w/ TRX 4 x 150-300 feet

Ab Exercises 4 different x 20-30 reps

Grip Work 4x *Varies (DB Holds x ALAP)

This is just example and not necessarily what I'd do but you get the picture.  Also I will be putting in Log Work, Heavy Sandbag movements, Farmer Walks, Various Strongman exercises, Weighted Vest work, Heavy Stone movements and really anything I can find to lift that mimics real world strength movements. I will also always keep Barbell movements in my accessory work.  Inclines presses, Lunges, Front Squats, Cleans, Stiff Leg Deads, Good Mornings, Barbell Rows. They're not going anywhere, but no longer will they be 3x10 or 4x8.. I may be wrong with this- but you live and learn and adjust when needed. For now- I will train with various movements that are new to me.

Now, moving on, I want to discuss my diet changes.  For awhile now it's been this here and that there with no real plan or rhyme with a reason. I tried Paleo, the Renegade Diet, Intermittent Fasting, and many other ways of eating the foods I wanted to eat.

Recently I changed it all, threw away the science, the knowledge, the opinions, and headed back to the good ole basics.

Here's an example:

Lunch:

Chicken 2 Fists
Carbs (Rice, potatoes, whatever) 1 fist
Veggies 2 fists

Repeat this three times a day with a Kick Ass smoothie somewhere between that and some nuts and fruit.

That's it.

Again moving on, Activate Fitness has quickly progressed, regressed, progressed again and stalled. A big portion of my time is spent figuring out how to build my business.  A lot has run through my mind and some of it's been negative. That's ok.  It opens the mind for more thought.  There have been times lately where I have asked myself if Hackettstown and Mount Olive are the right area for the mission of my business that will be able to follow it's values while growing.  I have had a hard time getting my clients to refer other people to come in and this has led me to question EVERYTHING. Is my training boring?  Are my classes too hard?  Is this town not the right town? Personal questions, political questions, negative thoughts and positive thoughts.

I've come to the conclusion that I've been worrying over things I can't control and I need to "just do it". So now some new things and different changes are beginning to take light and here are few important things coming soon:

October 6th, 2012 Activate Fitness will participate in Hackettstown's Community Day at the Lowe's on Mountain Ave. I'll be giving away some Free Trials, have a raffle for possible 1 year free training, and hold a few workouts in the parking lot.

October 19th and 20th I will be training to become a Certified Underground Strength Coach.
http://undergroundstrengthcoachcertification.com/

Activate Fitness will now be starting to "interview" and "try-out" new clients.  If they don't fit into what I want or who I want training in my gym, in my business, I will not allow them to become members.  This isn't about money and losing a few bucks will not concern me.  I want a specific vibe in my gym and will fight to create it.

Sometime in November or December, Activate Fitness will host a charity fundraiser for a local organization. Details to follow.

I will try my hardest to put out content EVERYDAY.  Quality, informative, intelligent, motivating content. Daily. Whether it's a 200 word blog, a 3 minute YouTube video, or a 10,000 word blog in the form of a list- you will see me everyday.

I recently started a closed group on Facebook for Activate Fitness clients, my inner circle, and will put out information for my clients that only the members of the Inner Circle will be able to view.

I have a baby coming and I will start training myself, I should say continue again, to live with a lack of sleep.  I started doing this by staying up later and waking at the same time.  Weekly removing time from my daily sleep.  This will be important to my mental toughness training and I will record everything from training recovery to aches and pains.

I will continue to put out my weekly newsletter (which you can subscribe to above and to the right) and I will try harder to get it out on a consistent basis. For those of you who have subscribed- thank you! I hope you enjoy my newsletters.

My goals from here on out will be tackled with a persistent consistency.  Dedicated with a continuous effort. Most nobody will ever no.  I keep them to myself.  Nobody needs to know what is going on through my mind.  I have made the decisions about what I want and I will never give up in achieving them. Join in on the fun, hitch a ride, kick ass with me, and get it done.

www.activate-fitness.net









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