Strongman Training Journal part 6

“Those who manipulate the unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested largely by men we have never heard of. In almost every act of our lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires that control the public mind.”

-Edward Bernays, Pioneer of Corporate PR and Propaganda

Embracing Minimalism, Why Less Is Really More

My parents raised me and my 3 siblings in Middle Class neighborhood on Long Island.  My mom was a nurse and my dad a mechanic.  They earned enough to provide an above average lifestyle for my siblings and I.  We went on vacations and each got a car when we earned our driver’s license (usually a car that my dad salvaged from the auto shop and fixed for us to drive, but a car none the less).

Although they could well afford it, there were some things that my parents just would not purchase for us.  One such commodity was “Cable Television”.  In a time when every house on the block had an enormous satellite dish sitting on the roof or some form of high tech signaling device that brought 300 + channels into their homes… we had a wire antenna.

Unlike the endless amount of channels that the Super Satellite Dishes provided for its users, our antenna gave us seven channels –  Channel 2 (CBS), 4 (NBC) , 5 (FOX), 7 (?), 9(?), 11 (WB), 13 (PBS).

Our house was by far the biggest and most well kept house on the block.  My father loves to garden so he would spend all weekend manicuring his lawn and planting shrubs (sometimes people would stop their cars when was working and ask if they could hire him, not realizing that he wasn’t just the “brown skinned man keeping the property” but the OWNER of the estate!).  So visiting friends and neighbors would present us with a perplexed, head tilted to the left, squinty eyed look when we told them that we didn’t have Cable Television.

“Your parents are rich and you have this huge TV, why the heck don’t you have any CHANNELS?!?!” – our friends, in all of their 9 year old wisdom would ask.  And when my brothers and I would pose my father with the same exact question, his answer was simply… “I just don’t think you need it.”

What exactly DO we need?

Well, if your like most Americans (or from any industrialized country) what you think you “need” has been conditioned deep into your consciousness by the “invisible government” that Mr. Bernays describes in the quote at the top of this post.  Our REAL needs actually consist of very little.  We need clean, healthy, nutritious foods; we need clean water; we need clothing for our body; we need adequate shelter; we need a mode of transportation; we need happy, functional relationships, and to be fully self actualize we need to find a form of self expression and service.

As far as REAL needs are concerned, they are few and far between.

But with concern for CONDITIONED needs enforced upon us by society, marketers and government… the list is endless!

According to the primary educator of American adults and children (the Television) we NEED — a newer car, a bigger plasma TV, nicer clothes, fancier furniture, a bigger wrist watch, $300 sunglasses, an iPhone, apps, a faster computer, stylish shoes, expensive jeans with holes in it, 6 pack abs, a tighter face, a tummy tuck, bigger lips, boobs and pecs, less body hair, a credit card or 12, Tickle Me Elmo, vaccinations, penis enhancement pills, longer eye lashes, to last longer in bed, a hotter wife, children who are “gifted”, crown moldings, bigger tires on your tuck, 2 sinks in your bathroom, Blue Ray stuff, to see the latest movie, to know about the latest news, to know about Brad and Angelina, have obnoxiously white teeth, ringtones, to look like the kid in the vampire movies, to be taller, to have smaller ankles, $100 t-shirts, skinny jeans, birth control pills, to take more aspirin, drink more red wine and to give to the Red Cross… this list can literally go on for days! — and if you don’t have anxiety from just reading this very short list, then assume you’ve been well indoctrinated… congratulations!

The fact is that EVERYONE is telling you exactly what you need to have, be and do. But how often do we stop, assess the situation and ask ourselves… What Do I REALLY need? (or value)

When I was in college I used to watch Rap videos with P-Diddy and Notorious BIG throwing huge parties on their yacht while dozens of beautiful women were grabbing at their expensive jeans while falling into a hypnotic trance by staring at the glittering diamonds embedded in the rappers teeth and watches… a $1,000 bottle of champagne in everyone’s hand — THIS, to me, was exactly what I wanted!!  What a picture perfect example of how life should be lived!

As I’ve matured (into my old, wise 30’s) I find that much of what I once longed for has lost its appeal. The idea of having to please several women and once (I can barely keep my 1 wife happy), while trying to keep my $10,000 suit free from marijuana blunt smudge, just sounds like too much of a headache to me now-a-days.

Of course I am over-exaggerating, but the fact is that for most of what I (and most of “us”) should be striving towards I have come to adopt my fathers simple sentiment that, “I just don’t think you need it.”

If you are currently of the conditioned mindset that I and Mr. Bernays describe above, what I am describing sounds like blasphemy! — “What are you Elliott?, some sort of a Communist?”

When in truth I have become so enamored with the idea and value of FREEDOM that I am terrified of the idea that someone else may be able to dictate my emotions to such a degree that I would alter that natural trajectory of my God-given life in order to fulfill false obligations that I truly have…. no need for.

Minimalism is the NEW Abundance!

It’s a paradox… “the paradox of plenty”!  It seems the more material possessions we have, the more information we are fed and the more choices we get… the more depressed we become.

<<Watch the video below, you may need to turn the volume up!>>

Now, don’t get me (or Jack) wrong here… I am all for enjoying the “chocolate frosting” of life but what often happens is that in our pursuit for the “frosting” we ignore the entire CAKE, the foundation upon which the frosting can be appreciated.  And if you have ever eaten frosting by itself you have surly experience the overwhelming sweetness that practically turns sickening after a few bites, followed by a massive sugar rush and subsequent crash.  You are left with nothing more than a  3 second memory of sweetness followed by a stomach ache, pounding head, and irritability.

Before we set our path in the direction of the “sweetness” so often portrayed as real nourishment by popular culture and media, lets first fulfill our TRUE needs to their fullest capacity.  This will allow for a much deeper and profound sense of stability and meaningfulness.

I invite you to consider…

Instead of taking on a new car payment (an unnecessary desire) => Spend $200 a month on Grass Fed Organic Beef (fulfilling a REAL need for clean, healthy food)

Instead of spending on new, in-fashion shoes and clothing => Spend $1000 on a whole home water filtration system (fulfilling the need for clean, unpolluted, fresh water)

Instead of buying thousands of dollars worth of useless toys for your children on “Black Friday” => Sign your family up for a local mission trip or donate your time, talent or treasure to hungry, handicap children (fulfilling a need to serve, contribute, and tribal association)

Instead of watching American Idol or 24 all weekend on your Tivo => Join a ballroom dance class with your wife or audit a college course (fulfilling a need for creativity and mental / physical growth)

Instead of self medicating with caffeine to increase energy and alcohol to relax => Start exercising in its various forms and read a relaxing book or learn how to meditate (fulfilling the need for healthy physical and mental stimulation).

By no means am I trying to manipulate your thinking to match mine (like the invisible government) but what I aim to establish in you is an awakening to the choices we make, why we make them, do we really value them, and ultimately to choose to spend our time and money on the things that we TRULY need.

As you experiment with this type of awareness, a funny thing typically happens.  What you’ve always thought you wanted, all the things you’ve worked so ambitiously towards… start to lose their appeal.  Dancing on yachts with half naked women while spilling champagne all over ourselves begins to sound — a little — silly.

When you’ve taken the time to asses and fulfill your TRUE needs to their fullest capacity (I say “fullest capacity”, because many will say, “I have food!”, yet skim milk, cereal and Checker’s can hardly be considered food) you’ll find that you’re very, very happy… with very, very little.

Strongman Training Journal Part 5

REAL Happiness (and training).

6 weeks ago when I started writing this journal and titled it my “Strongman Training Journal”, I’m pretty sure you figured that I’d be talking a heck of a lot more about training.  You probably assumed that I’d be outlining exercise reps and sets as well as how to perform what exercises and when.

Well, it’s true that my original intent for this journal was to teach you about my training plans, programs, tricks and tips.  But, if you’ve ever met me or listen to any of my “rants” you understand that I ALWAYS probe several layers deeper when trying to understand or relate a concept.  So in order for me to produce a background or frame of understanding for you to truly grasp my training methods, I thought it was important that you first understand what my innermost convictions and values are.

Elliott, what the heck do Core Values, Convictions and  Principles have to do with lifting heavy shit?

Everything! — You probably know that I am a strength coach / personal trainer that helps men and athletes realize their sports and fitness goals at my gym.  So, for over 10 years I have been in a position to observe and support people on their way to a “Fractioned Self-Realization”.  What I mean by “fractioned” is that when I aim at helping someone lose weight or gain muscle mass or jump higher, I have traditionally attempted this by manipulating their external environment with little regard for their intrinsic motives (ie. what they really want).

What EVERYONE really wants, no matter what they say or how they go about achieving it is To Be Happy!  If you probe deep enough you will learn that the person who wants to lose weight really just wants to be happy.  At first their answers may sound something like, “I want to lose weight so that I can find a hot wife.” But if you keep asking why? - you may get something like, “So we can have lots of great sex.” then, “So my parents will see that I am really not just a fat loser” and, “So I can share my life with someone I love.” and ultimately, “So I can be happy.”

Here’s the funny thing about happiness… you can choose to be happy at any time and under any condition.

In his book, “Man’s Search For Meaning”, holocaust survivor Victor Frankel describes how he met a deep and profound JOY while staring at a cold bowl of water with some fish bones swimming it, while at a Nazi concentration camp!  If Dr. Frankel could find happiness while eating a meal unfit for even the ugliest dog, after being striped of all his clothes, belonging, children and wife… then I think someone living in San Diego who is upset about his beer belly can find happiness in his circumstances too.

Here is my point… before any of us can make a meaningful physical or outer transformation, we must first commit to and strive relentlessly for an inner transformation.  — Jesus once ranted (and he is THE best ranter ever!), “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But wash first what is inside of the cup, and everything will be clean for you.

His point is this… if you seek to be new, better, different, less fat, holy, whatever… it would be far more effective to begin the “cleaning” process from the inside rather than the outside.  Consider, it is easy to clean the outside of a cup without cleaning the inside, just wipe around it with a wet towel.  But, it is much harder to clean the inside of a cup without at least getting some of the outside clean as the rag and water touches it.

To become happy we must seek FULL self-actualization!  If we start with a fractioned method for reaching true happiness, we will always come up short.  Full self-actualization means an inner and therefore an outer transformation.

If you want to look stronger, first BE stronger; if you want to look prettier, BE pretty; if you want happiness, BE happier!  The magic is in the BE-ing first and the DO-ing second.  We all want to know the “blueprint” for success!   I know because I’ve been there, I wanted someone to tell me what to DO?  How should I DO it?  What do I DO next?

I get e mails everyday from people who want me to tell them what to DO so that they can lose weight or gain muscle mass or run faster.  And every answer I give is fractioned… it is only 1/2 true.  What I really want to tell them is that they need to TRANSFORM… become someone else, become born again, new from the inside first.  But I would never sell any e-books if I said that — people just don’t like that answer.

My Renewed Power Plan For Strongman (sports) Achievement

Last year I was an amateur strongman competitor, this year I am a Professional Strongman.  My title shifted from amateur to Pro in the worldly sense but change of title did not automatically bring about the shift in consciousness` associated it… in fact, I’ve been scared shitless!  These guy I now compete against are good, very, very good!  And many of them a lot stronger than I am.

So, I know that going about my lifestyle and training in the fashion that yielded results last year will not be good enough this time around.  As you can imagine my new plan begins with “inner training” first, followed by what exercises, when and for how many reps.

Inner Training balanced with Outer Training

If you look at the image above, most of it is pretty self-explanatory. To the left is my “cleaning the inside of the cup” training  and on the right is an out line for my “outside of the cup training” So, instead of going into great detail for each one (I can probably write an entire post about each) I am going to share some of my thoughts on something that has been a topic of contemplation for me lately…

Failure

I once heard that, “you can know the success of a man by the amount of times he has failed.” This basically affirms my conviction that there is NO such thing as failure.

People are often shocked that I post videos of myself FAILING at some of my lifts in training, I am even more shocked that these are some of my most viewed and commented on videos on YouTube. — Watch these 2 short videos of me getting my ass kicked by some massive weights below.

When we fail at attempting ANYTHING, we are then armed with incredible feedback about how we can go about our next attempt.

When you saw me drop that 370 pound stone, I didn’t simply fail… I learned that my hip flexors were too tight at the time and didn’t allow for the hip extension that is necessary for me to move the stone higher.  And when I nearly severed me legs from my body by dropping that 355 pound log… I learned that I need to lock my elbows faster when dipping under the log so fast.

My next competition is my first professional competition.  It is in Orlando on April 16th and 17th.  I intend to win.  I always intent to win.  But if I “fail” I have come to grips with the fact that it is strictly feedback for me to adjust my course for my next attempt.  The only real failure is quitting.  And whats even worse , is not even trying.

I have a question for you this week. Feel free to post your response below, but if you don’t please take the time to reflect on it anyway.  Think about it when you are alone and can really focus.

Question - “What would you attempt, in any area of your life, if you absolutely knew with 100% certainty  that you couldn’t fail?”

Now, when you’ve got a nice long list of things that you would attempt if you couldn’t fail… consider the following. — THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FAILURE… only feedback.

Strongman Training Journal Part 4

My parents are from Belize.  It’s a small, poor, country in Central America that, like most Latin American countries, is poverty stricken.  My father grew up in a house with dirt floors and my mom relates stories about the cockroaches that shared a bed with her.

So, as my parents embarked on the American Dream of raising a family and owning a home…  they went FAR beyond the typical 3rd World immigrants expectations and purchased a HUGE house on Long Island.  This is where they raised me and my 3 siblings.

As did most suburban families, my parents would take us on short vacations once or twice per year.  Usually to places like The Jersey Shore and The Catskill Mountains.  We always stayed in moderate hotels and mostly ate food that was purchased at a local supermarket or prepared by my mom.  This was awesome! and I am eternally grateful to my parents for providing us these experiences.

BUT… there was one type of vacation that practically ALL suburban families would take that my parents were adamantly against.  My parents would never, ever, under any condition consider taking us camping. For my dad, the thought of returning to the dirt floor to sleep and for my mom to again share her covers with insects was appalling!

My dad would say, “Why the hell do you think we worked so hard to come to America?  — So that we can buy an expensive house and then have our children sleep out-of-doors?”

I totally understood… that’s why we (my brothers and sister) never really made a press to go on camping trips.

Buuuut, as the “King of my own castle”… my kids get the honor of resting their heads upon dirt mounds, amongst the wild life, out-of-doors, in the freezing cold!

We went on our 2nd family camping trip last week… as a part of my commitment to “spend less time working like a mad man”, I forced myself to shut off the Blackberry and leave my laptop at home in order to spend 6 days living outside with my 4 women (and the surprise bun-in-the-oven).

Below is a 5 minute video of us doing…. nothing.  Just sharing some sugar and talking about non-sense… just the life I’ve envisioned.

Honestly, I wouldn’t expect you to watch this video… it’s actually pretty boring (unless you love kids).  But I post it here anyway, perhaps as a means to show you that I am making good on my goals and promises for 2010.

*** If you are shocked that my children are eating smores… understand that they are allowed sugar only about once a week.  AND the majority of their diet consists of grass fed, organic meats, veggies and LOTS of whole eggs!  My children literally fight over who is going to get the first dose of Cod Liver Oil every evening… and even more strange is that my 5 year old has no clue who Ronald McDonald is!  (this is also a product of limited TV time)

Think Strong Thoughts!

Like I mentioned earlier my parents are from Belize.  Most of my dad’s siblings lived with him in a small apartment in Brooklyn when the moved to “the states” and my mom was forced to live with he aunt and 7 cousins. Less than a welcomed guest, my mother earned her stay by spending her weekends at the laundry-mat washing shopping carts full of dirt laundry.  She had no social life and spent her days “looking after” her little brother and cousins.

My father is a dreamer and a pragmatist.  With an ever optimistic view on life and rugged discipline he has cultivated what I call his “Iron Will”.  He thinks about what he wants and NEVER settles for anything less.  In fact, when he decided to buy a massive home on Long Island in an “all white” community, not only did the neighbors look upon him with contempt and disapproval… so did his own family!  Everyone (including my mom) thought he was crazy… but in his own words, he didn’t “give a shit” what anyone else said, he WAS going to buy this house!

Not only does my father THINK strong, he is tirelessly DISCIPLINED!  He understands the eternal law that states, “ask and you will receive” as well the old Quaker saying, “Pray and move your feet.“  Clarity, Commitment and Discipline are the qualities that construct his Iron Will.

My parents with my sister and her son.

Clarity

I once heard it said that, “Most people are wandering generalities instead of meaningful specifics.”  And again, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”  (If you couldn’t tell, I love quotes!)

If you ask most people, especially miserable people, “what exactly do you want?”… they usually have NO idea.

This is the first stumbling block towards to fulfilling life.  If you are not 100% clear about what you VALUE, then you will never be content.  Even if you’ve achieved so-called worldly success… if what you have accomplished is not in line with your inner most convictions about what is right and good, you will remain unhappy.

When my father talks about something that he wants (and today it’s usually an intangible goodness), he uses his entire body, hands and face to describe it (if you’ve ever watched me talk you’ll know what I mean :)).  When he’s relaying his VISION to you, it’s as if it is already here and he is showing it to all to you down to it’s last detail.  It’s incredible!

As an adult I now understand, the reason why my father got what he wanted, has the type of family that he wanted, and lives the life that he wants to…. is because he is always very clear and passionate about his desires.

Also, and this is very important, he is NEVER stressed out about anything.  As passionate and aggressive as he is, nothing really ever gets under his skin!  Worry never stops him or slows his mission.  He has an almost child-like sense of confidence and optimism.  If things don’t work out as he planned it… he sets his project aside and takes a nap.  His sleep is never interrupted by anxiety or depressive thought.

This is very important to understand.  Knowing what you want with super-clarity is critical, but you must also develop the peace of mind that allows you to set aside all distractions (and there will be many) as you move towards your hearts desire.

Commitment

I have recently shifted my desires from material things (and I really didn’t desire much material stuff prior to this shift anyway) to VALUES or ideals and VIRTUES or character traits.  In previous journal posts I relayed how important time and freedom, as values, were to me.

Most people would agree that these are good things to value and that we would be well off structuring our lives in order to maximize our ability to cultivate these values…. just like any other goal, material or intangible.   But what made my statement about these goals CONCRETE was that I chose specific steps and took immediate actions towards making them a reality.

The act of drawing my “Leverageable Business Model” and marking my 2010 calender with the 8 weeks where I’ve forced my myself not to work (and go camping) set my mind, as well as the powerful unseen forces of our universe (ie. God) to work in my favor to bring this ideal into reality.  This, in the same fashion that my father stated, “I don’t give a shit what anyone says… I’m going to buy this house.” over 30 years ago!

When you “burn the boats” (see the video below) you destroy any opportunity, in your mind and then reality, to backslide.  You slam the door behind you SHUT and never, ever consider turning back to face it.  That option no longer exists.  You are 100% committed, with out a single fraction in your consciousness, to MAKE what your heart’s desire a reality.

“10,000 Angels” will come to your aid…

Discipline

Brian Tracey once said that “disciple is the glue that hold your dreams together.”  He also said that in order to cultivate it, you must consistently do what you need to do, whether you feel like it… or not.

I have to be honest with you… this particular VIRTUE is at the top of my list for character traits that I aim to strengthen.  I have my father’s capacity to dream with clarity and I have a semi-dangerous ability to commit wholeheartedly (this explains a part of my talent as a football player… everyone knows that you’ve to to commit to smacking the shit out of your opponent or you’ll be the one on the stretcher).

But, when it comes to the “daily grind”… I have had the tendency to drift.  I am sure that you would agree that it is in the “carrying out” of our plan that most of us fall short.  Yet, it is precisely THIS capacity that “glues your dream together”.  The day-in, day-out, mindless, emotionless commitment to DO exactly what you have set out to do… weather we feel like it or not.

Most of us would agree that the temptation for achievement in absence of disciple pervades every aspect of our lives.  People want to lose weight, but they don’t exercise EVERYDAY.  People want better families, yet they fail to tell them how much they love and appreciate them EVERYDAY.  People want to make more money, but they fail to serve others EVERYDAY.

The magic is in the EVERY-DAYS.

Super Virtues

Aristotle is often considered the Father of Modern Western Philosophy.  It has been said that for the past 5,000 years, all philosophy has simply been footnotes to Aristotle.

Well, according to the father of western philosophy… “An intelligent being can only be happy if it acts virtuous.”

If I had to pick only 3 virtues that, if practiced and cultivated, would bring about the most happiness and success in the lives of those who made them goals… they would be CLARITY, COMMITMENT, and DISCIPLINE.  These are the Super Virtues.

My father came to this country in the early 70’s with nothing but his “Iron Will”, the combination of clarity (knowing exactly what he wanted), commitment (staking his claim with an immovable mindset) and discipline (even today he awakes at 4:45 am in order to exercise and train his body for everlasting health).

With his “Iron Will” as his only asset, he built a life that he often smiles and “cackles” a giddy laugh about.  He sits at the head of his living room table and propounds in his wise, yet child-like way that, “Life is pretty awesome.”

He was “poor” in flesh but rich in spirit and now swims in the warm waters of his dreams.

Most of us have been born into relative affluence.  We have food, clothes and cars… yet we are miserable.

And guess what? — It’s our own fault.

We are responsible for our thoughts, thus we are responsible for our words, our words dictate what types of actions we’ll take, our repetitive actions become our habits… these habits become our character.

Your “outer life” is a mirror reflection of your character, the values and virtues you’ve chosen to cultivate, or not.

Strongman Training Journal part 3

All men of discernment would agree that… Our outer lives are a mirror reflection of our inner lives; or we become what we THINK about most of the time.

This fact has been repeated by men of wisdom for countless generations.  Jesus constantly scolded his students reciting, “Oh ye of little faith!”, every time they considered outer appearances and circumstances rather than their (and our) divine capacity to see God’s reality broadcast live directly into our very cells of existence via the most complex satellite dish ever created… The Brain.

Before I describe my position on brain conditioning and mental reprogramming for the purpose of fulfilling our TRUE life’s potential and bringing our Ideal into full existence, I will relay my convictions and position on the ever debatable topic of, God and The Station of Man.

What Is God and Who Are We?

God is Omnipresent, meaning that He is everywhere at once… not limited by time or space.   From the tiniest, most microscopic electron to the largest most magnificent and complex galaxies in the universe, EVERYTHING is infused with the esoteric power which I am referring to as God.

Because I am referring to this entity as “God” does not meant I am attached to names or forms any more than a nursing baby refers to her source of life as “Mama”or “Baba” (I’ve got a 1 year old at home).  If the name Mommy was preferred over Mama, it would have zero effect on the entity that gives life… it still exists and is not only the Creator but the Sustainer of vitality for the baby.   Call It what you will, but understand that our existence is intrinsically tied to It… It is us and we are It.

To further elaborate, as ridiculous as it would be for a fish to deny the existence of water would be for man to deny the existence of God.  Fish can not SEE the water, in fact there would be very little reason for fish to consider the existence of water, since for most of its life the water is in them and all around the fish.  It’s the life giver, sustainer and provider of life for the fish.  The only way the fish might know that water exists is if he is removed from it.

Because the entity which I describe as God is “closer to us than our life vein.”, it is very easy to take it for granted.  But the fact is that we are surrounded by God in the same fashion that the fish is surrounded by water, and we are constantly communicating with our Source and He is constantly responding (whether we’re satisfied with the response or not).  He knows what we need and want even before we can verbalize it.

To observe God and study his pattens, or to immerse yourself in the reading and research of “Wisdom Literature”, as can be found in several ancient texts including The Bible, will give you a better understanding of the Principles and Laws that govern our lives and the universe.

This, in my opinion is the most essential of all studies we can undertake.  As Albert Einstein propounded, “I want to know the mind of God, everything else it just details”, it is clear that this is the SCIENCE of life.  (everything else is just details)

As for “The Station Of Man”… well, we’re pretty cool! — You see, unlike the plants and animals who are governed by instinct and have a genetic blueprint for the pattern of their lives, we can choose. As we are “made in the likeness and image of God”, we are not only Creatures… we are Creators.  Our capacity to choose and create is bestowed by the direct communication with God that we have been granted through the spirit and into our bodies via The Brain (and nervous system).

The brain acts as a switching station that translates communication received from God and the spirit world, as well as a means of relaying our wishes and desires back to God and the spirit world. We benefit from listening to God because He wrote all of the rules to this game we are playing called Life.  When we listen to God, it’s like having the creator of the game and a coach that wants to see you win, all wrapped up in one, sitting by your side and constantly giving you tips and course corrections.

How do you know when your Cosmic Coach is talking to you?  — You FEEL it in your body!

How To Hear God Talking To You

Our nervous system and hormones shift to produce a contortion or feeling in our body that is consistent with the message being received from the spirit.  This explains why some people feel neck pain or clench their jaw when they experience repressive stress… the nerve bundle, called a vortex, that projects from the spinal chord into the neck, shoulders, and jaw is connected to an area in the brain or nervous system that is associated with creative communication and expression.

Your body has several of these “vortexes” and each acts as a messenger to the body with communication from your spirit or God,  each one associated with a particular feeling or emotion.  Another example is low back pain; the nerve vortex located in the low back and legs are associated with feelings of safety and security.  When our safety is challenged (which it is every day via fear mongering expressed on the TV and media) this nerve bundle will TELL you by restricting the positive and vital energies to that area… creating back pain that not even your surgeon can explain.

(Used with permission from The CHEK Institute)

The most obvious “holler” that God shouts in our direction is that of Depression.  We all feel depressed at times and this is normal and natural.  But sustained depression in most cases can be traced back to one of 2 things that God is trying to relay to us.  First, consider that you may NOT be doing a thing that you know you should be doing –OR– you may be DOING a thing that you feel you shouldn’t be doing.  Examples of these could be anything from telling a friend the truth about his new girlfriend, to continuing in a job that you hate.

It is though “feeling” or intuition that God talks to us… not with some deep voice projected over a cosmic loud speaker when you are down on your knees reciting some sad, pathetic prayer.  The problem is that most of us have been numbed from these “feelings” due to: ignoring them for so long that they’ve grown faint, and being “high” on pain pills, SSRI medication, alcohol, drugs and caffeine.   Our communication systems are JAMMED!

The wonderful thing is that we can ALWAYS choose to become more receptive to the voice of God, and when we do we’ll once again have the creator of the game and coach that wants you to win guiding your every step.

How Do We Talk To God?

Whether you know it or not, you are constantly giving God feedback and demands via your thoughts.  One of the responsibilities that comes with our ability to choose is that God is pretty neural about your decisions.  He gives you warnings and advice about how to proceed in different circumstances but once you have launched a particular action (and thoughts are action) the steadfast rules will always apply.

Just like if you jump out of the 12th story window of an office building the LAW of gravity dictates that you WILL hit the ground… and hard!  — the law of “Sowing & Reaping” dictates that whatever you give, you will receive in equal fashion.  The only difference is that the law of gravity is immediate and obvious and the law of Sowing and Reaping (or The Law of Attraction) takes time to manifest… but, manifest it will!

So, if we are constantly communicating with God via thoughts the we SOW and he is ALWAYS prepared to answer, wouldn’t make sense that we should only THINK thoughts that are consistent with what we believe to be right and good?  Why then would we CHOOSE to focus our thoughts on fear, anxiety, doom and lack?

The answer is that we have been CONDITIONED to focus on fear.  If you pay attention to the Outer World (popular culture and media) you will be bombarded with messages convincing you that ” you don’t have enough”, “things are bad and only going to get worse”, “you should be worried for your children”, “you should be scared about the economy”, “you need to be afraid for your health.”

Fear is a powerful control mechanism, and world leaders, governments and marketers understand this.  The cry, “Something MUST be done about this!” is music to the ears of those who seek to control you.  Just look at all of the personal rights and liberties that were silently stripped from us post 9/11.  We (Americans) were scared and “something had to be done!”… and things aren’t much different now that “something must be done about the economy”.

We live in a fear-based world that is trying to control us with fear.  This is why it is ever so important to GUARD YOUR MENTAL INTEGRITY!  The first step in eliminating fearful and demeaning thought is to eliminate its source, and for most of us it means turning off the TV and stop talking with negative people. 

If you don’t guard your mind from allowing those negative thoughts into your consciousness then you WILL be SOWING the very seeds of your deepest fears… and the God who has given us choices and responsibility will respond  by giving your EXACTLY what you are asking him for.

The next step is to consciously and purposefully plant positive seeds in your mental garden.  This is done in the from of Prayer, Mediation, Affirmation and Visualization.

As I’ve run out of mental gas — I will continue next time with the exact methods that I use to Guard My Mind and the consciously plant positive seeds so as to communicate and receive from God everything that I know to be right and good.

Strongman Training Journal part 2

Beyond God and politics… no other conversation makes people as uncomfortable as of that about MONEY!

Last week I revealed one of my most pressing goals, which is to spend less time working and more time with my family.  Also, I have to make it clear that time spent with my family doesn’t simply mean “hanging around” or doing “fun things”… in my definition it means Teaching Values, Modeling Behavior, Cultivating Discipline and Encouraging Harmony within my “Tribe”.

Colleen and I have 3 daughters and another child on the way… so, we’ve got quite a relational dynamic as well an opportunity for personal growth and evolution for all “Tribe Members” with our 4 walls.

So, in order to fulfill my ideal of spending more time with my family, as well as exercising my position as “Spiritual Leader” in the home…  I not only need extra time to be with my loved ones, but I need time to learn and grow myself.  For I am only as good to others as I am to myself.

If you are anything like me, you’ve come to realize that TIME is our most limited and valuable resource.  Why then, do we waste so much time doing things we’d rather not do?  Why don’t we sit down and consider what we’d REALLY like to do with our time and then formulate a lifestyle to support it?

Second to the fact that most people either a) have no idea what they want, or  b) are to afraid to approach it… is that we understand that without adequate resources (MONEY) it becomes very difficult to enjoy time fulfilling our hearts desire.  Also, as ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs’ illustrates, a man’s perceived safety and security must be established prior to become fully self actualized and worthy of expressing unconditional love.

In the mind of modern, industrialized men… money creates safety and security.  Although many, including myself, would argue that true security is internalized through harmony with our Creator… it is difficult to argue that “all is well” when your bank statement contains several penalties labeled “NSF” (that’s for Non Sufficient Funds, for those of you who have never seen this).

The goal of capturing more free time to pursue my “heart’s calling” is a noble one, and one that most would agree is ideal.  We ALL want more time.  And we ALL want more money, safety and security in order to make constructive use of our time.

So, how can it be done?

Simple, Spend less time working and make more money!

Sure, this sounds like a late-night infomercial that most would simply ignore as the navigate towards ‘TV Land’ for old Cosby Show reruns.  But, I am crazy (and some might say naive) enough to believe that I can do it.

Before I proceed, let me remind you of my current situation:

1. We are currently in the process of repaying over $87,000 in credit card debt.

2. We are “upside-down” on our mortgage and are about to have the banks foreclose on our home.

3. My wife drives a used mini van that we purchased on Craigslist.com after Simone (or 3rd child) was born.  Prior to this she drove the 2 older girls around in a Ford Escort that my grandmother gave us.

4. Of course, I still drive the 1988 van that my dad gave me 5 years ago.

5. Colleen and I do not spend money on new clothes, jewelry, electronics (our children watch the 26″ TV that I bought in college) although we do go on 2 date-nights per month where we spend about $100 for dinner.  I love good food

The point is that I am not, by standard definitions, rich.  I have created MANY financial challenges for our family that we are still overcoming.

Also, I have tried and failed at several business models that have cost me lots of time and resources.  But, it has been those “failures” that have given me the insight to create a model that is now working on several levels.  It is giving me more time to fulfill my God-given purposes and hearts desires (like sharing this journal with you) as well as the money to fulfill my fiscal responsibilities as a business owner, father, husband and leader of my tribe.

**A Note To Employees** – I realize that most people reading this are probably not entrepreneurs or business owners (heck, I don’t even know if I’d consider myself a REAL business owner) and may be thinking, “yea, this all sounds good to you lucky business owners who create your own schedules… but my boss will never consider letting me leave the office early!”

If you love your job and are happy with the way you spend your time, then my hat goes off to you.  But, if you are miserable and feel that your time would be better spend doing something else… then I invite you to a) re-evaluate and re-state your TRUE VALUES; and b) get moving NOW towards creating an ideal life that facilitates the execution of your values.  If this means getting a different job or (as I often suggest) begin a LEVERAGE ABLE side project that has the potential to create enough revenue so as to allow time for self-actualization… then get crackin’.

The “Restored Power” Principles For Working Less & Earning More Money:

Before I tell you about the tools I’ve been using (more like practicing) to create more money in less time, lets make a few things clear.

First, I am not in pursuit of “riches”… in fact, I hate stuff!  I tend to be a minimalist of sorts and would rather spend my life in a criminal’s jail cell than to be made the prisoner of expensive consumer items that need protection and maintenance.   More TIME for Thinking, Learning and Serving — this is my desire.

Next, it is essential to decide upon the exact amount of money you’ll need in order to feel safe and secure enough to pursue higher level activities. Any income created beyond this is to be thought of as a bonus.  I aim to resist the tendency to become overly excited with the results, and then to endlessly reset the horizon… this will surely lead to discontent and is counter productive to Peace Of Mind.

My calculations bring me to a monthly income goal (I always think in terms of monthly cash flow) that will allow me to continue to pay off our debt in the rapid fashion that we have been for the past 16 months; pay all of our living expenses; pay all of my business expenses; save a percentage and give a percentage to our church (these 2 actually come first)… and of course a portion allocated to fun

1. The 80 / 20 Rule: Like most business owners I have become addicted to work.  Also, conditioning set in by my father has created in me a paradigm of “you’ve got to work, work, work, work!” I still harbor this sentiment but aim to break it this year.

The 80 /20 rule states that “80% of all results come from 20% of the performed activities.” This is an accepted idea by most high performing individuals… I didn’t make it up.  The 80/20 Rule is also called The Pareto Principle named after the scientist who first propounded it (for those of who would like to “Google it”)

After a careful 80/20 analysis of my business activities and results, I had come to the conclusion that there are only 3 activities that really create income for me.  My objective now it to focus mainly on those things while working… to the exclusion of all, less important, activities.

The essential point here is to be completely honest with yourself by choosing to do ONLY what you know will actively bring you closer to your goal.  AND then to focus on it with super intensity!

2. Parkinson’s Law: Parkinson’s Law dictates that a task will swell in perceived importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted for its completion. Basically, if you don’t set hard deadlines you’ll have a tendency to procrastinate and as you procrastinate the goal begins to look harder and harder to accomplish.

This is how I managed to begin spending extra time at home in the morning helping Colleen get the girls off to school and am able to train for strongman 3-4 times per week, can get home early to help bathe the girls and get them to bed, spend alone-time with my wife, read, meditate and pray… while running 2 “businesses”.

Because I have boiled my crucial actives down to only 3 things and FORCE myself to focus on them alone from 9am to 1pm, 5 days per week I am able to fulfill my other obligation and heart’s desires without anxiety.

3. A Leverage able  Business Model:

The last thing that has to be considered, is that when building a model that will create income, I had to consider it’s leverage-ability… it’s capacity to run without me sitting at the wheel.  There are 2 elements that allow my model to run without constant supervision.

1. I sell information.

2. I use the internet.

In the interest of not making this post any longer than it already is, I will spare you the details of my model.  But I have placed an image of its mind map for you to see below.  (Most people are visual learners and fare well using pictures to illustrate their goals and intentions)

In following posts I am going to tell you about my Mental Training Plan, Strongman Training Plan, Family Leadership Plans, Nutrition and Lifestyle Plans, Learning Goals, Spiritual Evolution Goals and much much more!

Suggested Reading ==> The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris , although it has a hokey name the content and ideas in this book are based on time tested truths.  Tim’s approach is very pragmatic and practical.

This is one of the few books that has shifted my thinking and life paradigm in a dramatic and positive manner and I HIGHLY suggest anyone interested in the topics discussed above read it.

==> Click here to get a new or used copy of The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris <==

Strongman Training Journal part 1

Every so often the evolving man will reach a season of reflection, assessment and course correction.  This is often a time to restate and adjust VALUES, then recommit to the course that leads to self actualization.

I have always been transparent and honest with you.  You have experienced my success as well as my failures; you have met my wife and children and you’ve partaken of my innermost convictions.

The only way that I know how to SERVE you is through my experiences.  Although I possess advanced degrees, certifications and accreditation… none of this gives me the type of power to inspire and motivate in the manner that making my life “an open book” to you does.

Far from being gifted, I was labeled very early in my life as “a child of below average intelligence”.  Teachers warned my parents about my inability to focus and concentrate.  Medication was given to temper my “Attention Deficit  / Hyperactivity Disorder”.

Today my gifted ADHD is manifest in a rebellious posture towards fraudulent authority and social norms.  I refuse to “get a job”; I abhor the “American Ideal” of overextending finances in an attempt to pacify the conditioned desire to appear consistent with the homogeneous masses; there is but ONE television in my home that ceases operation 5 out of the 7 days per week… my children will be saved from early commercial brainwashing.

I invite you to join me in CHOOSING OUR OWN VALUES.  Not that which your neighbor adheres or the television insidiously demands.

What do you love?  What is TRULY of the utmost importance to you?  What type of life would bring you piece of mind?

Service is the highest station of mankind.  When asked, “What is the purpose of life?”, Albert Einstein answered, “To serve one another, what other purpose could there be?”

As I have been called to serve mankind through my words, information, encouragement, and coaching… I will now share with you my current personal vision, goals and action steps, with 2 purposes in mind… one to aid you and one to motivate me.

1. First, you may be experiencing or have experienced similar challenges or aspirations as the ones I am about to share with you.  If this is the case then perhaps you can glean some insight as to how someone else is navigating the same terrain.

One of my favorite hobbies is to read the Biographies and Autobiographies of men who lived extraordinary lives.  This provides encouragement as well as insight that may support me on my journey.  I, by no means intend to bind my name with that of Abe Lincoln, Ralph Waldo Emerson or Jesus… but as an ordinary 30 year old American Man that yearns to enjoy all that is good in life and expire in due time with confidence and zero regrets, my assumption is that many may be able to relate.

2. As a means to motivate myself through accountability.  If I share my values, goals and intentions with others… I am essentially being put “on the spot”.  The type accountability that is associated with full public divulgence  creates a haunting sense that “I am always being watched.” And with that type of supervision it becomes more difficult to backslide.

Share your goals with those you love most.

Amongst the first steps towards My Ideal Life in 2010 was:

1. To Spend More Time At Home With Colleen & Children: Accomplished! — I go to Strength Camp at 5:45 am to train my Men’s Strength Class and then immediately head home to help Colleen cook breakfast and get the girls off to school.  In the past I would get started with my internet business immediately following the morning class… Now I begin no earlier than 9am.

2. To Take More Time Off And Vacations: Accomplished! — I am a self proclaimed workaholic.  When I moved to Florida from New York I spent the first 9 months working at a gym from 6 am to 9 pm, Monday through Friday and 9 am to 5pm on the weekends.  I never thought twice about spending more time working.  When I opened Strength Camp, I continued with the same pattern.  Now that Colleen and I are going on our 4th child… things have to change.

When I bought my new PlannerPad for 2010, I marked off 8 weeks that I will FORCE myself not to work… at all.  That’s 2 weeks every quarter.  This definitely is “stepping out of my comfort zone”… but wait, I have already decided that I will cut my working hours back even more in 2011 (we’ll talk about it then)!

If you haven’t figured it out yet, my most valued asset is TIME! Not more money, or a newer car (I still drive the 1988 Ford family van my dad gave me 5 years ago), fame, or even to save the world…. I just want more TIME!

The 2 goals above have pretty much been accomplished already or are being fulfilled as we speak… but I am NO WHERE near to coming close to the REAL transformation that I am embarking on for 2010.

As I mentioned in an email earlier this week, there are many holes in my character that need patching.  Truthfully, most of these holes have been created over the past 5 years as I embarked on the responsibilities of manhood.

Many of the positive traits I had begun to express via awareness and practice prior to getting married, having children, creating debt, starting businesses and becoming a Pro Strongman… have been abandoned.  They are now long lost attributes of a once mindful, peaceful and courageous 25 year old boy.

Although I comfort myself with the *excuse* of “battle wounds acquired in my fight for accomplishment”… the truth is that many of these traits were desirable and can be retrained.  It IS possible to regain lost virtues in the same manner that you can regain lost strength or muscle… through exercise!

In future segments of my Strongman Training Journal, I will expose you to my “Restored Power Plan” where you will gain insight into:

1. My Daily Mental Training Regiment For Accelerated Success!

2. The Techniques That I’ll Use To Regain The ‘Dominant, Confidant, Alpha Male‘ Command.

3. How I Will Force My Environment (and the people in it) To Comply With My New Demeanor.

4. The Extremely Demanding Meal Plan That Will Force My Body To Comply With Physical Vision.

5. My Exact Strongman Training Plan That I Will Follow To Bring Me Success In My First Pro Strongman Show.

Plus many more disciplines that will be practiced.

In the meantime, if you are compelled to share Your VALUES or GOALS For 2010 please feel free to comment below.

If you are a man of wisdom and feel moved to share your insights with me or any of our readers please feel free to comment below.

Sports Psychology (Mental Muscle Training)

By far, it is the training and development of mental fortitude, focus, concentration and the ’strength of character’ that will determine an athletes (or any individual)  success in sports and life.

All physical preparation, the manipulation of training variables, adoption of dietary regimens are bound to failure if the mental and emotional constitution of a man is weak.  There is no superficial tactic that will trump flawed mental strategies.

This is why I always fall back and refer to one’s character; their clarity of vision and expression of commitment / discipline when confronted with questions about training mechanics and specifics.

You can only GET what you ARE!  The results you see in the mirror or on the playing field are in direct response to the type of character and inner strength you’ve developed.  And every superficial effort put forth is only as strong as the soil from which it sprouts.

To quote Emerson (as always), “Every action is measure by the depth of the sentiment from which is proceeds.” In other words if you think you are going to lose, if you think you are too small, too short, too fat or too slow… you are probably right.  This is your deeply held ’sentiment’ and every action you take henceforth will be measured by it.

This is why you have tried “ALL THE TRICKS IN THE BOOK”… and are still not seeing the results you aim for.  It’s not that the tricks are bad, it’s that your thinking is!

Last night I had to honor of speaking with a man that trains the Mental Muscle of professional and Olympic athletes in a similar fashion to that which I do with their physical muscle.

Todd is the author and creator of the Champions Challenge , a system that encourages athletes to change their performance for the better by practicing mental training exercises.  This, in my opinion, is the ABSOLUTE foundation for the realization of full athletic and life potential.

Very rare is it that I am this excited and convinced that a product, if used properly, has the potential to change it’s users life in the way that the Champions Challenge does.

Well, I invited a few people to listen in on my call with Todd last
night and I also recorded it for you to listen to (below).

Just a quick heads up before you listen to the call… as it turned out, some 14 year old chuckle head snook onto the call when his mommy and daddy were in the shower and decided to interrupt Todd and myself on several occasions.

So, try your best to focus on what Todd is teaching us, but be prepared for me to grow a bit restless with our intruder.  If you can’t tell by my tone, I was ready to give the little lad a few lashings with my belt… but tried my best to stay cool

 

If you feel like the stuff that Todd is teaching us on this call may be of support to you or your atheltes, I would invite you to check out his Champions Challenge <=  Click Here

Elliott Hulse Interviewed By Vince Delmonte

Elliott Hulse Interviewed By Vince Delmonte

About Lean Hybrid Muscle

1) Tell us a little about yourself and how you hooked up with Mike Westerdal on this project.

I am a strength and conditioning coach, personal trainer, gym owner and professional strongman. I train athletes and fitness clients get stronger, leaner and reach their full physical potentials. Long story short… I’ve spent my entire life; since I was in high school, studying, coaching, training and motivating people I care about to become the best that their capacity would allow.

Mike and I played college football against each other and without ever formally meeting each other traversed similar paths post-college. Mike is a power lifter and motivates athletes with his website criticalbench.com. I am a strength coach and motivate clients at my gym. When we finally met it was like a perfect union. Besides, we both have similar values and He and I are both passionate about training and helping people.

2) Is the lean hybrid muscle building program just about strength training and getting stronger?

No. In fact, we started manipulating our training variables with the sole purpose of burning fat since Mike and I had put on so much weight getting stronger.

What makes this different than most typical fat burning programs though is that we also wanted to maintain as much muscle and strength as possible while getting leaner.

Yes, Mike and I are both strength athletes but we are also ex-college football players, family men and regular guys that want to look and feel good just like everyone else.

3) What if you don’t have access to strongman training equipment, can you still do these hybrid workouts?

A lot of people get this confused. Hybrid Muscle training is NOT about the equipment being used… these are just tools. The essence of Hybrid Muscle training is found in the manipulation of training variables, basically how you structure your reps, sets, rest intervals, intensity and frequency.

You can do this with ANY training tools. Barbells, dumbbells, cables, medicine balls, and machines… whatever you like.

I just happen to be a strongman and like using strongman equipment for myself and my clients. But it is by no means a necessary. What is necessary is a willingness to train hard, get uncomfortable and strive towards your fitness goals like your life depends on it.

4) We haven’t heard much about the type III muscle fiber. What is it and how did you first hear about it?

It’s funny, there are many things that have the capacity to change our lives but we rarely if ever hear about them. Then all of a sudden someone re-discovers one of these lost gems and brings them to the market like it’s brand new. Kettle bells are not new, but now everyone is jumping on the kettle bell bandwagon like its best thing since sliced bread.

This Acai berry is another example… it’s not like someone really discovered it. The freaking berry was sitting in trees for thousands of years and them some dude comes along and puts it in a bottle and now he’s a hero.

I had been using a similar type of training to increase my strength while simultaneously improving endurance for my strongman competitions. I was first introduced to the idea of lifting heavy for a lot of reps by my friend Tom Mitchell.

I did some research and found that a similar model to this was being used by a guy named Charles Staley; he called it Escalating Density Training. Then after some further research Mike stumbled upon a book titled The Purposeful Primitive by Marty Gallagher. In this book Marty introduces us to a few guys who had been doing decades of research on Type 3 muscle… guys like Ori Hoffmeckler and

5) You’re a pro strongman and a strength coach. I read that you once said, “Strength has been stigmatized in our society.” Could you elaborate on that?

Haha! I have a tendency to be over inflammatory at times… but the truth is that this DOES piss me off. It’s just amazing to me how many people still buy into the lie of getting “something for nothing”. This is why “get rich quick” schemes still exist and why infomercials selling stupid ab-buster gadgets are still around.

I don’t care what anyone tells you… getting fit, building muscle, burning fat or any worthy goal that you set is going to take work. You are going to have to work hard, cultivate discipline, become focused, relentless and obsessed. This is a law of nature, it’s the law of the farm… you can only REAP what you SOW.

To build muscle, you are going to have to get stronger… there is no other way. You can “feel the burn” all you want, but until you start adding some challenging intensities to your workouts you are just playing with yourself.

Yes. I do think “strength has been stigmatized” in our society… also honesty, honor, integrity and discipline. These are all foundational VIRTUES that are the cornerstone to living a fully self-actualized life. But they ALL require hard work and awareness to develop. Most people are too blind and lazy to accept and pursue this… so instead, they simply bash it.

6) Why is hybrid cardio a better use of time than traditional cardio machines?

Research has shown that interval training is better for fat loss than long, low intensity stints of “cardio”. This has already been accepted, I don’t need to prove it.

But “Hybrid Cardio” or what I like to call “resistance cardio” is a bit different in that we can use weights or other resistance training tools to enhance our cardio training. Things like sled dragging, prowler pushing, sand bag carries, kettle bell swings and even wearing a weighted vest all add a moderate muscle building response to your typical cardio routine. Besides, in my opinion this stuff is just much more fun than jogging on a treadmill anyway.

7) Name your top five favorite “hybrid exercises” that someone can do in a commercial gym.

This is a great question because most people are going to be trying these workouts in a commercial gym. But keep in mind that ANY exercise can be classified as “hybrid” by simply manipulating the training variables according to your goals.

The following exercises are cool because they tax the muscular and cardiovascular system together.

#1. Barbell Squat Push-Press

#2. Reverse Cable Wood Chops

#3. Barbell Hang Cleans

#4. Dumbbell Farmers Carry

#5. Barbell / Dumbbell Overhead Lunges

Why is it called the Lean Hybrid Muscle program?

Like I mentioned before… Mike and I started experimenting with these workouts with the main goal of getting leaner without losing muscle or strength. We both realized after a short while that we are not only getting leaner with these workouts but we were gaining muscle mass at the same time!

So the word “Lean” is of course because we wanted to get leaner. The “Hybrid Muscle” part describes two things: first the Type 3 Muscle fibers we spoke about earlier as well as the hybrid nature of these workouts. Combining all of the training modalities (strength, muscle building, conditioning, functional) into one workout is hybrid.

9) Why do you want to burn fat and build muscle at the same time instead of doing one at a time?

Speed and sanity. Let me explain… first, I am impatient. I like to get what I want as fast as possible and I’m willing to work as hard as possible to get it. I don’t read into astrology too much, but I am an Aries… the Aries is a “fire sign”. I’m not too sure what this means but it sort of dictates my personality. I get super hot and create destruction with speed… but then I’m done. Haha!

So speed first and then sanity… I would just lose my mind if I had to “bulk” and “cut” like most bodybuilders do. I was sick of being fat but didn’t want to lose any strength.

10) Is there a different program for men and women?

A common myth is that men and women need to train differently. I am no scientist but I can tell you from experience that women do very well training with Hybrid Muscle Variables. In fact, the results that women get at my gym are often better than the men.

This is simply because this is the first time they have been exposed to strength training. So, all types of cool things start happening like their posture improves and this means that the boobs stand up a little higher. Also, since we include so many squats in the programs there is a significant tightening and firming up of the gluts.

We may design a program specifically for women in the future but the foundation will still be exactly the same. Work hard, get stronger and train like you life depends on it!

Interview With Strength Coach Tim Mosolino

Last week we welcomed Strength Coach Tim Mosolino, Founder of the Strength Coach 101 clinics… which, by the way is finally open to the public but only a few spots remain.
So, get your ticket here => http://www.StrengthCoach101.com

If you didn’t get to listen to our call, here is a taste what you missed:

* The 1 Step That All New And Aspiring Strength Coaches Must Take Before Going Into Business

*Why Learning From Textbooks and Most University Professors Is A Waste Of Time and Money.

*How Tim Assesses His Athletes To Determine What The Best Exercises Are For Them Individually.

*How You Can Join Tim, Elliott, Jimmy “Smitty” Smith, Joe Hashey and A Bunch Of Other Top Strength Coaches For An Ass-Kicking Clinic This Month.

Listen to the interview with the player below:

 

Learn More About Strength Coach 101 & How You Can Win An Exclusive Interview With Me And All of The Presenters:

Click Here Now => http://www.StrengthCoach101.com

What the heck is going on!?!

A few months back I introduced you to my PPFB Personal Development model.  This is the tool that I use to keep my business, family, education and training in order and perspective.

Well, over the past few months things have gone awry! — I am literally losing my mind.

My life has been OUT OF CONTROL! — but still moving full steam ahead.

Still you may be asking, “Elliott, where have you been? I miss your motivational videos and informative daily blog posts?”

So today, I decided to simply share with you what the heck is going on… behind the secenes at Strength Camp and Hulse Strength Central.

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?

1. Mike Westerdal (criticalbench.com) and I have teamed up and started a new blog in order to build a community around the type of training that we do at Strength Camp.  We call it “Hybird Muscle Training” and our new site is http://LeanHybridMuscle.com <== This link will give you access to our free reports.

2. I made a new video that expalins what “Type 3 Muscle Fiber” training is, as well as why and how we access it through the type of training that we do.  You can see it here => Secret To Building Lean Muscles **Be Sure To Leave A Comment!**

3. Mike aslo posted an article about getting stronger without getting fatter. => Build Muscle Without Fat

As you can see by the amount of comments on these posts as well as the interaction between all of us that our main purpose with this site is to SHARE IDEAS & BUILD A COMMUNITY around the truth about strength training.

Please join us => http://LeanHybridMuscle.com

4. My oldest daughter, Isabelle turned 5 last week and is going to her first day of Kindergarten next Thursday.  To say that I am nervous is a serious understatement.  But I am confidant that the values that Colleen and I have instilled in her since the day of her birth create in her a shining example of what a young lady should model.

5. Colleen and I have been working on a joint project together where SHE is the expert and I am assisting her with marketing and promotion.

Colleen birthed all 3 of our girls naturally and our last 2 at home!  She has also studied Natural Child birthing and is certified to teach other women how to do the same.

Here is the new site that she and I made => Truth About Natural Childbirth

Please share this with anyone who you think may be interested in natural birth for themselves or family members.

6. Although it has been under the radar with all of the work I am doing on Lean Hybrid Muscle… my Warehouse Gym Business Plan is helping over 100 coaches and trainers quit their jobs and open their own 6-figure warehouse gym.

You can get my free video and CD here =>http://warehousegymbusiness.com/

7. Finally, I just want to show my appreciation for you and everyone who reads this blog.  You are the only reason why I continue to write and expose my life, business and family on the internet.

Please comment below and let me know how reading HulseStrength.com has helped you with strength training, sports, business, family and life.

I need to know that this blog is worth you reading it and that you are getting everything you need from me.

Also, let me know if there is anything that you would like for me to post about… whether it is about training, sports or life.  Anything!

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!

Thanks.

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