Pizza Is A Vegetable, And I’m A Jerk Off!
If you haven’t heard yet, the brilliant and talented
US Congress has officially proclaimed that pizza
is a vegetable!
My first reaction to this news was quite apathetic…
I feel that if you believe anything that comes from
the same people who promised “Change”, only to
create more wars, give more bailouts and infringe
on more of our civil liberties…
Then by all means, eat your freaking veggies!
(Just don’t bitch, moan, or demand free health care
when you get parasites, and stomach diseases that
causes your a** to leak bile every time you sneeze.)
– RANT OVER –
Honestly though, in this day and culture it is almost
impossible to know what is true from what is total
BS!
We’ve got 64 year old women walking around with
boobs firmer and more perky than most 19 year old
cheerleaders.
We’ve got law makers telling us that fluoride, which
is known to be a neurotoxin that destroys learning and
memory, is healthy and should be put in our drinking
water.
We’ve got counterfeit-muscle pretty boys dying to
build more muscle but afraid to get stronger.
And EVERYONE is a winner!
I don’t know about you, but none of this stuff makes
any sense to me.
Call me “old school” — but this is why I always stick to
basics.
Like building a solid foundation of tendon strength
and a powerful nervous system BEFORE adding soft,
flat, empty looking muscle to my body.
Calling muscle that has no strength, a real muscle… is
like calling pizza a vegetable!
Another “old school” strength-guy who hates flat, empty
muscle is Mike Gillette “The Savage Strongman.
He’s written an interesting manifesto on the idea of
building the kind of strength that bends steel!
He calls it Savage Strength, and hes got a few tips on
how to build it over on this website for you.
I have nothing against looking good, in fact I like to flex
my guns in the bathroom mirror once in a while too 
But I have a problem with people who try to get something
for nothing…
And trying to build an attractive body that lacks strength is
just that!
Here is Mike’s manifesto:
http://www.hulsestrength.com/recommends/savage
If you love strength like me, then you’ll love this book!
I say Grow STRONGER,
Elliott “The Incredible” Hulse
PS – Did you know that you can read and comment on this
e mail and all my others over on my blog:
http://www.HulseStrength.com/
Feel free to stop in, say hello, or ask questions 
Categories: Strong Body, Strong Character Tags: elliott hulse, hulse strength, mike gillette, pizza is a vegetable, savage strength, veggie
Do You Know Your Sh*t? (why I look in the toilet)
“Americans spend $1,300,069 a day on laxatives. Can you
imagine? What a sad state of affairs. All that money just so
you can poop!”
This quote by Paul Chek is how Sean Croxton opens chapter 8,
Heal Your Gut!, in his new book: The Dark Side Of Fat Loss
Earlier this week I mentioned how obsessed I am with colon health
and that I teach my children to always look at their poop before
flushing.
In fact, just this morning my oldest daughter told my wife that “she
had a bad poop today.”
She’s seven years old and she understands how to diagnose the
quality of her bowel movements!
Why is this so important?
Because now she and I are empowered with information about how
her body is reacting to her diet.
I know that the night before she had lentil soup for the first time and
apparently her body is reacting to it.
This may be good or it may be bad, but at least we know that something
is going on in her body.
How many people do you know understand how their body
is reacting to all of the processed foods, pesticides, protein
shakes and pasteurized beer that they ingest on a daily basis?
When your gut is telling you something about your thoughts,
actions, choices and habits… do you know how to listen and react
appropriately?
When you are stressed out about money and it causes you to become
so constipated that you can’t even do a single ab crunch without
having back pain, do you then go and make better lifestyle choices?
… or do you just skip training and take an Advil?
It is these types of questions that you’ll begin to ask yourself and
consider when you read Sean’s Dark Side Of Fat Loss book.
And it is this type of information that will empower you to become
The Strongest Version of Yourself, from the core of your being!
If you are dead serious about maximizing your STRENGTH in all
areas of your health and being, and not just having bigger biceps or
bench pressing more weight… then Sean’s book will be one of the
best investments you’ll make this year.
In fact, this book is so good that I wish I had written it! — I believe
in it THAT much!
Grow Stronger,
Elliott “The Incredible” Hulse
PS – I have something really cool for you later this week. Keep
an eye out for my e mails
Here is the link for Sean’s new book again:
http://www.hulsestrength.com/recommends/dark-side
Categories: Strong Body, Strong Character Tags: dark side of fat loss, diet, digestive health, gut health, paul chek, poop, sean croxton
Doggie Style Workouts
When I was a kid I had a dog we named Bow-wow.
Bow-wow was never neutered.
So, being the uncastrated male mutt that he was, he naturally barked…
A LOT!
Bow-wow would bow-wow at EVERYTHING.
If someone was walking in the street 400 meters away, Bow-wow
barked.
Sometimes Bow-wow would bark for no apparent reason. He would
just get up, face the door and begin barking incessantly.
Then about 20 minutes later, someone would ring our doorbell. It
seemed like Bow-wow was warning us that someone was coming, in
his strange psychic-dog manner.
Funny thing though… when Bow-wow wasn’t barking like a mad dog
he was calm, cool, fun, focused and even creative (in a canine way).
But when he needed to bark, he barked to the point of catharsis!
It’s like he was getting rid of pent up energy.
One day Bow-wow encountered another dog who seemed to be bigger
and more aggressive than him.
Immediately the bigger dog gained a sort of power over Bow-wow that
caused him not to bark. But what Bow-wow DID do was something
that I had never seen before.
When meeting the bigger dog, the hair around Bow-wow’s neck and
shoulders stood straight up!
He couldn’t mutter a single bark. But is seemed like the hair around his
neck was “barking” for him.
It was almost like the bark got trapped inside his body!
If you grew up in the typical modern family home here in what we call
the civilized world, you were probably told to “sit down and shut up!”,
at least once.
Then when you got older and went to school you were expected to sit
quietly at your desk… and if you wanted to speak, you needed to raise
your hand.
Everywhere you went adults were shutting you up!
You couldn’t speak when you wanted to speak, you couldn’t say the things
you wanted to say and God forbid you ever try to yell or scream at the top of
your voice! — that was just not acceptable, or civilized.
Eventually all of this stifling of your need to express yourself got trapped!
Just like when Bow-wow’s neck and shoulder hairs stood up, due to the
tension in his muscles from not releasing his bark in front of the more
dominant dog….
You began to “bite your tongue” and trap all of your expression within your
neck and shoulder muscles!
This is why so many people have neck and shoulder pain.
Ever since you were a kid… your parents, your teachers and now your boss
force you to SHUT UP and now you hold all of that repressed expression
within the tension of your muscle.
In my Anabolic Energizers System I teach my students how to do “Vortex 5″
exercises to release the tension and repressed expression in their neck and
shoulder muscles.
When this tension is finally released you’ll also notice a sense of freedom,
the desire to become more creative and start expressing yourself more openly.
If you don’t believe me then try this simple exercise.
Go find a place where no one can hear you… then begin yelling at the top of
your lungs. When you get tired start chanting, like an Indian.
Just sing, laugh, yell and allow any type of gibberish sounds and words to
come out of your mouth for a good 20 minutes.
When you’re done I guarantee that you’ll feel like a new person – try it.
Then, go an begin using ALL 17 of my mind-body exercises that I teach my
students in order to release their true power and anabolic energy!
http://hulsestrength.com/anabolic-energizers/energy/
It’s only $1 per exercise
Keep growing stronger,
Elliott “The Incredible” Hulse
PS – if you found this information powerful… please share it with someone
you think may benefit from it.
Just forward this e mail, I won’t mind
Categories: Strong Body, Strong Character Tags: anabolic energizers, anabolic hormones for fat loss, elliot hulse anabolic
Why Stupid People Are Stronger
Yep, it’s true! Very often it’s the stupidest of us that get the very best
and fastest results… and I’ll tell you why in a minute.
First, yesterday I finally opened the much anticipated and highly
regarded Anabolic Energizers Video Course.
It’s only been available for about 17 hours and over 100 copies have
been downloaded and consumed!
In fact, I just got testimonial email from a guy in Los Angeles who
reported that since using a few of the Anabolic Energizers last night
he finally cleared his constipated bowels, which released the pressure
it was placing on his sciatic nerve!
Honestly folks… I couldn’t make this stuff up! LOL
My New Slogan:
“Anabolic Energizers not only increase testosterone, it helps you poop
to heal back pain!”
Okay, now about the stupid people…
Back in 1997 I was recruited to play college football for St. John’s
University in Queens, NY.
Although I am built like a running back I had been playing nose guard
since the tenth grade.
The reason why I ended up playing defense instead of the offensive
position I was built to play is because my middle school coach told me
I was “too stupid to play offense”! –
That statement really did scar me for life 
Now in college I was playing in a position that I was way undersized for.
The thing that allowed me to succeed was my speed.
I was the fastest athlete on the team, running a 4.34 in the 40 yard dash!
So, when all but one of the running backs had gotten injured in my junior
year of college, the coach naturally asked me if I wanted to “run the ball”.
Since I had NO CLUE how to play running back, and since the season
was well underway… I had to wing it.
As a running back, I really was stupid!
I had no experience at the position and had never even seen an offensive
playbook before.
But something interesting happened that season…
I led the team and much of the conference in rushing yards, touchdowns
…. and SACKS!
Now you might say that it was my natural athleticism that allowed such
success in a position I knew nothing about playing.
But get this… the following off-season my coach made it a point to teach
me how to play running back!
And the following season… was terrible!
I didn’t perform half as well as when I was stupid.
The coach taught me just enough to ruin by ability. For the first half of that
season I suffered from paralysis by analysis!
Back when I was stupid… I just did it.
I grabbed the ball and just ran for the end zone, if someone was in my way I
just went around him. — Simple.
There was no time to think, only time to ACT.
When facing a challenge, while armed only with a handful of parameters,
we may be far more successful than when we “know what to do.”
When we begin to think, we are often stumped and this disrupts our natural
abilities.
That is why I created The Anabolic Challenge for you to use.
It consists of 10 super simple nutrition and lifestyle adjustments that you can
make to improve your strength, muscle, health and fitness.
The point is not to think about it… JUST DO IT.
If you are ready to commit to big changes in your life by following a few
simple directives, then try The Anabolic Challenge for free on my blog.
Start today and keep me posted about your results.
And if there are 1 or 2 of the rules that you can’t seem to follow, that’s fine!
Just move on and complete the other 8 or 9.
No big deal… JUST DO IT.
Growing Stronger Together,
Elliott “The Incredible” Hulse
PS – If you know someone who could use a good pick-me-up or swift kick
in the ass to take action and become a stronger version of themselves… then
please forward this e mail to them.
As we support others in getting stronger, we add to the strength of the world.
And laaawwd knows we need a lot more strength to navigate the direction
we’re heading!
The Anabolic Challenge
Becoming the Strongest Version Of Yourself is a commitment to taking action towards all of the necessary physical, physiological, psychological and lifestyle adjustments that our mind-body and spirit guide us to.
Our bodies are constantly speaking to us and guiding us towards actions that support the evolution of our strength.
Many people refer to the body’s appeals as “The Gut Instinct.” This is accurate as the gut produces a great percentage of the body’s neurotransmitters, and is well aligned with the intentions of nature and your heart.
Nature wants us to be strong.
In fact, nature abhors weakness of all kinds and often does away with weak organisms in order to make room for the strong.
You don’t have to be Darwin to accept the fact that weak crops are devoured by pests, weak animals are invaded by parasites and pathogens and weak human beings spend much of their so-called lives sick, sad, injured, impotent and depressed! (also usually infested with pests, pathogens and parasites)
Feel free to attack the statement above with any heart-felt, hippie squabble but the fact remains… only the strongest really ever LIVE.
And by strong I don’t mean aggressive, arrogant, overpowering or physically dominant.
I mean calm, confidant, courageous, happy, healthy, generous, vibrant, vital, balanced, beautiful, and STRONG!
These are the type of men and women who contribute to the world either by way of trade, industry, art, communication, family or prayer.
Their energy is STRONG and is a refection of their thoughts, words, actions, habits and character.
Ladies and gentlemen… THIS is the type of person that we all strive to become, and is the reason WHY we train.
We understand that a weak, ugly body can hardly reflect to majestic magnificence that we yearn to express.
We are strong in spirit and our bodies are the vehicle for its expression!
When your body is lean, fit, supple and strong it speaks volumes about your character.
It tells the world that you are on a serious mission. That you are here to take care of business and aren’t willing to let a moment pass in laziness or dysfunction.
Here Is The Problem…
There are times when we feel our efforts are self defeating.
When we bring our FIRE to the fight, day-in-and-day-out, there comes a point when what was once a roaring blaze seems to be no more than a flickering matchstick.
Then as we double our efforts by training harder, training longer, cutting more calories and taking on greater commitments, it begins to feel as if everything is being done in vain.
Results come to a screeching halt!
You begin to question your intentions, your abilities and your work ethic.
I don’t know about you… but I’ve been in this battle before, several times!
What Went Wrong?
Everything in nature is a dialectic.
It’s a dance between seeming opposites.
We can not have day, without night.
We can not have light, without dark.
We can not have summer, without winter.
We can not have cool, without hot.
We can not have heaven, without hell.
…this list goes on, and on.
In fact, just about everything in our world follows this natural rhythm.
This natural rhythm is expressed deep within human psychology and physiology!
It’s hard coded into our DNA.
It’s wisdom is as old as man himself.
We see this law of contrast in the ancient traditions of the East within the Yin and Yang of the Taiji, as well as in the poem of Genesis where man and woman are invited to partake of the “Tree Of Wisdom” that brings him the insight of “good” and “evil”.
Its this interplay of opposites that creates the energy by which we live.
From the ON / OFF switches that power the digital age, to the systolic and diastolic actions of our hearts.
…But, over time we have come to resist this natural balance.
We wish for it to always be daytime… and electricity has made it so.
We wish for it to forever be springtime… and air conditioning / heating makes it so.
We wish to produce healthy crops without rotation… and pesticides make it so.
We wish to ALWAYS BE FORCING… and never to yield.
In our forcefulness, despite the appeals of nature and our intuition, we disrupt a rhythm that is at the very core of our strength and vitality.
The Circadian Rhythm of
Anabolism & Catabolism
When we ignore this rhythm we find that no matter how astute our efforts, results come slowly, if at all.
Chronic ignorance of this cycle leads to all sorts of dysfunctions including low vitality, low libido, diminished physical strength and power, poor focus and concentration, poor immunity and the onset of disease.
By pushing harder when your body is begging you to yield, you cause the over production of YANG, Catabolic Breakdown Hormones, and a decrease in YIN Anabolic Building Hormone release.
It’s like fighting fire with fire!
In order to restore balance, and bring back the natural anabolic responses of the circadian rhythm, there are several steps we can take.
It’s been over a year since I became a pro strongman, tore my biceps tendon and began steering my life in a new direction.
Amongst several physical advancements that I’ve made, including losing 60 pounds and riding my digestive system of some common yet deadly bacterial infections with the help of my naturopath Dr. Kalish, I have begun practicing the cultivation of internal strength through holistic health practices.
With this new commitment to building strength from the core, I have implemented the following nutrition, training and lifestyle strategies to bring balance and superior strength to my physiology.
Its a game plan for building the foundation of becoming The Strongest Version Of Yourself.
I share them with you below… along with a challenge!
The Anabolic Challenge!
For the next 30 days I challenge you to bring your natural anabolic hormone production up to par by following the steps below and keeping a journal of your experiences. You can post your journal in the comments area below or keep it confidential.
Either way, if you want to restore your strength, energy and vitality… START NOW!
You may need to make big adjustments to your life in order to accommodate this challenge… but THAT is why it’s called a challenge!
This is the foundation for becoming the strongest version of you! — Good luck.
===========================================================
1. Wake daily between 5am – 9am, even weekends. If possible, also complete your cardiovascular physical training at this time. My workout consists of some bodyweight circuit training at this time and I follow up with heavy lifting around 4pm.
2. Splash cold water on your face or take a cold shower upon rising. This has several benefits including an energizing effect that may rid your need for caffeine.
3. Eliminate all gluten containing grains (barley, rye, oats, wheat, spelt). This will lower gut inflammation as well as the associated immune response, leaving you more anabolic.
4. Eliminate all processed foods. This basically leaves you eating only meats, eggs, veggies, some grains, root veggies and fruits. I also include raw dairy (if you can get it) in my diet.
5. ONLY drink water! During this challenge you are not to drink anything except water. Use coffee and tea (without sugar) sparingly. No coffee or caffeine after 1pm, and NO ALCOHOL ever.
6. Eliminate sugar in all it’s forms. #4 pretty much covers this one.
7. Take a mid day nap or “down time”. To assist the anabolic pathways later in the day it is best to take a nap, meditate, or just sit with your eyes closed for 30-60 minutes between the hours of 11am – 1pm.
I meditate using Holosync meditation at this time.
** This step alone has been the most beneficial step for me. It may be the one that most people will have a hard time committing to, but it may very well be the most important step.
8. Practice Anabolic Energizer Exercises (click here to learn more) – at least once per day, best upon rising OR at bedtime.
9. Be mindful of your breathing & emotions - several times throughout the day you are to simply bring your awareness to your BREATH. If you have a tendency to hold your breath or breathing shallow, use this as an opportunity to take longer, slower breaths.
Also “create a space” between outside stimulus and your response. If you tend to be an emotional person, STOP yourself from reacting, take a deep breath and then consciously choose your next action.
10. Go to bed no later than 11pm daily, even weekends. This will allow for the full spectrum of anabolic hormones to be given enough time to be released into your body for building and recovery.
RECOMMENDED READING:
During these 30 days I also invite you to study all of the books below. Each book is a prized addition to my personal library and has had a profound impact on my health, strength, performance, career, family and happiness.
Listen To Your Body: The Wisdom Of The Dao
Qigong For Health & Martial Arts
Your Guide To Healthy Hormones
Good luck… you’ll be a newer, stronger you in 30 days!
Categories: Announcements, Strong Body, Strong Character Tags:
We Are The 1% Of Muscle Builders
Yes, you read correctly… me and everyone else who is building strength
and muscle right now are in the 1%.
The other 99% are puny, weak, lazy losers!
I call them Muscle and Strength Socialists, who think they’re entitled to portion
of my hard earned muscle.
More about that in a moment.
========================================================
First I just wanted to remind you that today is the last day to get Eric Cressey’s
Show & Go Training system for 50% off.
http://www.hulsestrength.com/recommends/show-go
========================================================
Now…
As a “One Percenter”me and my hard working buddies don’t take to kindly
to the whiny, crybabies that have been protesting in their frustration, pointing
their chubby little fingers at us!
First of all, we risk our time and money in order to become The Strongest
Version of Ourselves.
There is no guarantee of success when we grind away in the gym day-in-and
day-out working towards what we believe is the idea physical body.
But that is a risk we’re willing to take!
Well, after years of hard work when our muscles finally become bigger and
stronger than your average schmuck’s, we’d like to enjoy our wealth without
listening to the cries of all the Lazy Louie’s out there.
(In fact, if they were spending less time protesting in the streets they might
have time to workout in the gym or create a meal plan)
Look, I totally understand that you are frustrated.
But we are not your enemy.
Sure, you have been brainwashed to believe that if you just “buy this new gadget”
or “try this new supplement” that you might be able to shortcut your way to
a leaner, stronger body… like mine.
But it is a lie.
By the way, I totally resent those assholes who have lied to you also. But it was
YOU who decided to take their bate. No one put a gun to your head!
No one forced you to buy the supplements or spend four years in a gym contract
that you’ll never use.
In fact, many of us are happy to even create opportunities for guys like you.
We write books that teach you the truth about hard work. Many of us even
become trainers and coaches to help you succeed.
But all we get in return is your grief!
You still believe that having more muscle and strength is your right!
But that is another lie, pure and simple.
Where I come from the only guarantees are The PURSUIT of Life, Liberty and Muscle.
You’re not entitled to ANYTHING except the pursuit.
And you’re definitely not entitled to a share of my muscle… that is muscle and
strength socialism at its worst.
So, put down your pickets and pick up a freakin’ barbell for God’s sake!
Again, there is no guarantee of your success… but at least you’re free to pursue it.
And NO ONE should have the right to place a tax on your muscle once you earn
it.
Especially to give it away to some one who just doesn’t get it yet.
Grow Stronger Because There Are A Lot Of Weak Bastard Out There Who Want To Steal Your Muscle,
Elliott “The Incredible” Hulse
PS – Please share this e mail with anyone who still thinks they’re entitled to
anything! — Muscle, Money or Mama’s biscuits.
Categories: Podcasts, Rants, Strong Body, Strong Character Tags:
The Prolific Practice Of Bad-Assery (and bending nails)
Dirk Gorman is a bad ass.
Basically, he lives life by his own rules.
If there is something he wants, he goes and gets it.
If there is something that he doesn’t like, he says something about it.
If he thinks you’re being a pussy, you’ll know right away.
He purposefully seeks out challenging shit to do, just to force himself to get stronger!
Like right now he has decided to take up the bad ass practice of intermittent fasting and heavy lifting in order to more build dense muscle, cultivate discipline and ignite super human vitality.
Dirk owns a company that sells medical hardware… screws and stuff.
While the US economy is starving and atrophied, his company is growing like its on steroids.
Why? — Because he only hires other bad asses (to sell $10,000 screws to surgeons!).
When I interviewed Dirk for The Manifesto Of Strength he told me a story about his crazy interview and hiring practices.
First, if you want to get a “formal” interview with Dirk’s company you might first have to join him and his hard core sales staff for a BEAST workout that consists of stone loading, tire flips and sled dragging.
If you agree to join them at 5:30 am for the workout… you’ve passed the first test.
Next, if you show up for the workout and complete it without puking, passing out, pissing on yourself or pussying out… you’ve passed the second test.
Then, and only then, do you get an opportunity to wash up and meet Dirk in the office for a man to man talk about how you might be invited to join his medical sales mafia.
The Prolific Practice of Bad Assery is built upon your courage to embark on and succeed in activities that most fragile, soft-palmed pansies tuck their tails under their tushies and fearfully back away from.
Bad Asses thrive on danger, insecurity, perseverance and the thrill of chasing unreasonable goals.
They hate MEDIOCRITY and anything that smells like laziness (or a Double Daisy Chocolate Frapachino from Startbucks)!
To become a bad ass you’ve got to practice bad assery!
You can’t read about it. You can’t take a course. You can’t even pay $1,000,000 to join the club. You’ve got to PRACTICE it. You’ve got to PROVE IT… just like the guys who want to join Dirk Gorman’s Fight Club!
All… ALL BAD ASSES choose to fight.
We might not all or get conscripted or to choose fight bloody wars overseas in order to protect greedy commercial interests and tyrannical government agendas.
We might not all “live on the edge” by sprinting down crowed streets on crotch rockets.
Most of us will never give our lives to become martyrs of a cause we believe in with all of our blood and soul… the likes of Martin Luther King and Gandhi are few and far between.
But ALL Bad Asses choose to fight.
I once chose to fight and become a Professional Strongman.
Now I choose to beat my body into enduring shape to compete in a psychotic race of strength and will in March of 2011.
Dirk and his 300 warriors choose to prepare for battle in the marketplace by enduring brutal physical workouts and character challenging fasts.
ALL Bad Asses choose to fight.
And they all TRAIN to fight… in strength, endurance, spirit, will and life!
I invite you to join a fight… here are a few challenges for you:
The Tough Mudder Race (I’m doing this)
Nail Bending Contents (my friend Jedd teaches you how in his new DVD… that is him in the picture above. Bending nails is pretty bad ass!)
Reach A 315, 405 or 500 Pound Bench Press
Lose Fat By Fasting (this has become my new lifestyle habit)
Start Your Own Online Business (this is where I started)
What are you fighting for?
How are you practicing your Bad-Assery?
Categories: Recent Posts, Strong Body, Strong Character Tags: badassery, bending nails, dirk gorman, jedd diesel, tyler durden
Stronger Revolution part 2
Immunization For Mind Viruses
When I was a kid summer felt like it lasted forever… and that was a good thing!
What kind of weird kid would be anxious to go back to the prison of public schools, where our freedom to wake up at the crack of dawn and watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles while eating Coco Puffs straight from the box, only to spend the rest of the afternoon playing Marco Polo in your neighbor’s swimming pool?
Summer was great!
School sucked!
Well the summer before fourth grade had finally come to an end for me, my siblings and the neighborhood kids that hung out on Stanton Avenue, an oak tree lined, sleepy street on the north side of Baldwin, Long Island.
On the morning of the first day of school I woke up and ran into my brother’s bedroom, as I did every school day morning in previous years, I ripped the pillow from beneath his sleepy head and proceeded to slam him in the back of the skull with it until he finally rolled out of the sack onto the floor.
When Eric finally managed to crawl off the floor and lurch towards me with both hands aimed at my throat, I screamed out a loud and taunting cry, “GROOOOSSS!”
Eric had Coco Puff sized spots all over his face and neck. He looked like a villain from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cartoons we watched every morning… and I proceeded to attack him like one!
After several minutes of calling him names and warding him off with my imaginary nunchucks, my mother came into to room and immediately yanked me away from my little brother and wisked him off to the bathroom.
My mother was a nurse in a children’s hospice for almost 30 years so it didn’t take long for her to diagnose my brother with Chicken Pox.
Mom warned me to stay away from Eric, or I might contract the virus. Then she went to examine my other brother and little sister.
And guess what?
They had chicken pox too! All 3 of my younger siblings were covered from head to toe with little, ugly brown spots.
Intent on finding one of these tell-tale markings on my body, my mom stripped me down to my bare ass and examined me for about 20 minutes… then she gave me permission to get dressed and go to school.
To my surprise, Chicken Pox meant NO SCHOOL! — for my siblings.
I was jealous of my siblings and felt that it was unfair for them to get an extended summer due to some silly little marks on their body. But my objection was met with a swift backhand to the face and a long finger pointing to the front door, “get out of here!” she said.
When I got to school I noticed what was typically a class of 20 student had only about 10 students in attendance on this first day of school! I quickly discovered that most of the neighborhood kids, including my best friend who slept over almost every night in August, had gotten the virus.
Everyone… except me.
As it turns out, I’ve got a pretty strong immune system. I very rarely got sick as a kid and most viral or bacterial epidemics seems to blow right past me while devastating the “weaker” organisms by my side.
When I was 9 years old it seemed that I was cursed! Never would I get the chance to extend my summer or even get a three day weekend due to the physical infection of an invisible, almost ghost-like, monster that would grab and manipulate the bodies of my siblings and friends.
Today, I am grateful for the strong immune system that I was blessed with and often brag to friends and clients that “I simply DO NOT get sick”.
When people who are sick and are carrying a virus that may be contagious, they often refuse to shake my hand or be in my presence in order to avoid getting me sick.
Last winter when the so-called Swine Flu was creeping up and attacking unsuspecting weaklings, the basketball coach of one of the teams I was training got bitten by the super-bug. On the day that he suspected he may be carrying the Swine Flu he declined my outstretched hand in his attempt to “save me”.
I told him, “Dude, I DO NOT get sick!”
Then I grabbed his hand and shook it like I was running for mayor. Shit, I could have just as well licked his sweaty palm and French kissed him and still not get bitten by the boogie bug!
But with all of my display of arrogance, and while scoffing at those who allow themselves to be infected by little nasty, invisible monsters…
I am VERY susceptible to a far more dangerous and damaging virus that is in a constant battle with my self-manufactured defenses.
This skillfully hidden hellion resides in the minds of men and can instantly be spread by a distant glance or word shared between men that are hundreds of miles away!
I call this The Mind Virus.
According to Richard Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene , ideas will proliferate and reproduce in environments that are resourceful to its existence regardless of weather the ideas are beneficial or damaging to the host.
He calls these viruses of the mind, Memes.
Memes or Mind Viruses can be good or they can be bad, but the bottom line is that THEY ARE.
These viruses exist to manipulate the minds of men and in turn dictate the behavior by which their character, and ultimately their lives, are built.
An example of how Memes evolve to change the minds of men in a given “social matrix”, is how homosexuality has been perceived in western culture.
There was a time (like in the movie “Alexander The Great”) when men often enjoyed the “company” of other men. Their wives were meant for procreation… and their buddies were meant for, well… buddying around.
Then, due to a major religious and philosophical shift in the European collective consciousness (or social matrix) towards the Judeo-Christian ideal, it was no longer cool to bone your homeboys! In fact, up until very recently you could be killed for such an act!
Today, it kinda trendy to be gay again. If you don’t believe me just watch any cable AND network television station for longer than 30 minutes.
The collective consciousness or meme structure within the American root social matrix has decided to “change its mind”. (or it had it’s mind changed for them)
Now, weather you think being gay is cool or not, is NOT the point.
Whatever you “think”, just happens to be the meme that has inhabited your consciousness at this current time. At any time in the future it is possible that a new mental virus may infect your mind and you will “believe” something different.
And you are ALWAYS being infected!
Most of what people think they “believe” is simply just an idea that they have been infected with.
More than likely you did not consciously choose the meme that is running your life. It had been downloaded by default of being alive, just like viruses attack your PC by its virtue of being, well a PC!
When you participate in being a human being you are susceptible to the viruses, like chicken pox and homophobia, that are spread by other human beings.
As a kid, my parents made an effort to only feed us the healthiest foods they could buy. We took vitamins and played in the sun all summer long. Fresh air, sunshine and good food are the raw materials for a strong immune system.
Coupled this with the fact that I was the oldest sibling and my mothers first child, gave me the well-fated advantage of strong immunity.
You might say that I was “lucky” to have never gotten Chicken Pox.
However you look at it, I did not get sick because I was STRONGER than the others. Perhaps not by my own virtue, but true nonetheless.
The memes and mental viruses that are sneaking around your eyes and ears, waiting to pounce on you right now, are looking for the weak link in your mind and character in order to attack.
We fortify our defenses against these viruses by getting STRONGER!
When we have a strong sense of awareness;
When we can look at ourselves and others objectively, instead of through a foggy lens marred by prejudices and fear, we perceive from a place of strength.
With our stronger mental defense we have the ability to nurture memes that are resourceful for us to keep, and ward off memes that we feel are harmful.
I am not here to tell you what memes you should choose to accept or deny… I just want you to be aware that they exist.
And I go even further to invite you to challenge all of your assumptions.
Take NOTHING for face value, as what may be called “truth” today may be despised as lies tomorrow.
Today the Earth is flat… tomorrow it is round.
Also, beware that many of the “beliefs” held by those you know have been created in a lab by greedy corporations, religious vampires and tyrannical government institutions that seek to control your mind for power and profit.
All in the name of safety and security.
Lies!
The only real security available to you is found in developing YOUR STRENGTH!
Get Stronger => Manifesto Of Strength
Categories: Recent Posts, Strong Character Tags: memes, mental virus, richard dawkins
Top 5 Motivational Psych Up Techniques
First, I am super impressed with all of the awesome responses to this contest. With almost 100 entries between Facebook and blog comments it was pretty tough deciding who was the absolute awesomest.
Many of you really understand the deeper science behind the emotional triggers for psyching up… and I’m sure you’re results are nothing short of fu*king AMAZING!
Well, the following 5 entries happen to be my personal favorite… so, that means they win! Each winner will be e mailed a copy of my new online DVD “The Science Of Psyching Up”.
For the rest of you guys… thanks for entering and don’t fret! On Tuesday Alex Maroko is launching his Truth About Quickness 2.0 System and I’ll be giving away a free copy of The Science Of Psyching Up to anyone who invests in his program.–> Click Here For More Details About This FREE Offer
Okay… so, here are your winners!
–> Stephen
“nobody can give you freedom, nobody can give equality or justice or anything.
if you’re a man you take it”
malcolm X
i also love visualization, i’m a meticulous person so when i see myself doing something i see me dominating it and doing it with picture perfect technique whatever the thing
angry music of course is what of my favorite way to psyche up
i also have a philosophie that i call “the flow”: (i warn you it may sound a bit strange lol)
when you do something you got to be constantly moving you got to be align with the flow of universe
you always have to do something it’s a bit similar to the bruce lee thing
“be like water”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ijCSu87I9k&NR=1
adapt the flow to the task and you gonna have the necessary energy to succeed
**BY THE WAY… I LOVED THE BRUCE LEE VIDEO**
–> Lachlan
“I think the best way to get psyched up, is to visualize your self being successful, seeing your self doing everything that you want to do on game day, dominating your field, then associate a trigger with it, in your head so that u associate it with that trigger, and then when u need to perform u use ur trigger. but this takes a bit of practice to use properly, so if ur looking for an external source ive found the best video is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJu37n4aZ8s, I found this is the best video to get psyched up just right before competing this is the way to go, my fav psych up vid of all time”
–> Jon
Videos, poems, visualization imagery, memories, & stories are all great motivators. But the thing that really boils my blood and ignites the fire is Facebook.
When logged in you become the unseen witness to people’s thoughts, emotions, demeanors, attitudes, beliefs, judgments, comments, and worldviews. I find I can’t help but react with divine ferventness to battle all the negative, lame, weak, victimized, pathetic rants. To overlook the hatred, violence, of dissenting opinions – to stand steadfast against the disapproval, discouragement of grand visions, dares, risk and big dreams. The comments made with no regard or respect to others, just to please the ego. Blaming external factors & creating excuses instead of owning it and taking responsibility gains popularity as well as acceptance. It hits home at a higher intensity because these are people I usually know and care for.
The sum of all these factors is more than enough for me to get my ass into gear because I absolutely despise being a weaker (weak minded, weak body, weak soul) man. If I am to expect everyone else to rise to a higher standard, I must be the one to first demonstrate and live it.
The trick is to channel all that raw emotion into energy to absolutely crush it on the immediate goals. I find PRs come easily on those days.
**YEA, I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THOSE FACEBOOK LOSERS TOO HAHA!***
–> Mohammed
Note; This is usually before games.
I need 2 orchestral (trailer music basically) songs, a calm one (e.g.Now We Are Free) and one that gives you goosebumps and gets my blood rushing.(e.g. Dark Side of Power) The trick is to only listen to these songs before games, NOWHERE ELSE or they LOSE THEIR EFFECT.
I play basketball so I’ll hold a basketball(if you play another sport you can hold another piece of equipment) in my hands, and I’ll close my eyes. While listening to the first song I’ll relax my whole body and do meditation-type breathing and not even think about basketball, attempting to actually think about nothing. Once that’s done, put the 2nd song on. Squeeze the basketball harder and start visualizing powerful things that can happen in the game (monster blocks, vicious dunks, etc.) As the song ends, I’ll smack the basketball down like a medicine ball ONCE, as hard as I can. Once the song is over, lace up and begin warm-up, ready to crush whatever poor creature lies in your way.
–> “Facebook User” (I’m not sure who you are, but I had to choose you because I love Rulon Gardner)
Easy! Close my eyes and picture Rulon Gardner standing on the podium smiling with his olymipic gold medal after beating the unbeatable monster Alexsander Karelin! The frown on the Russian’s face is priceless! The under dog ruled the day!
**I’VE MET RULON AND HAVE TO SAY THAT HE IS ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE I’VE EVER MET… HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT HIS NEAR-FREEZING-TO-DEATH EXPERIENCE?**
Thanks again to all of you who sent in your entries
Categories: Motivation, Recent Posts, Strong Character Tags:
The Truth About Psyching Up
Blood curdling, Primal Scream at the top of his voice… aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!
Slapping himself in the face with both open hands. whap, whap, whap, whap!
Punching the padded gymnasium walls until his fists were numb. pap-pap, pap-pap, pap-pap!
Sprinting full speed at a wall and then as he approaches the wall he leans back and begins sprinting UP THE WALL!
This, all in the name of getting FIRED UP!
Yep, that was me.
When I played high school football I was that kid that always seemed to be the most fired up. I would bang helmets with my teammates, shout outrageous affirmations like “I kill entire tribes and eat their young!”; I even scraped the word KILL vertically on my helmet to ensure opposing lineman that I intended to do nothing short of murdering them.
And of course, I was the shining example for the other players as to how to get psyched up… that’s why I was usually the player to lead the team onto the field carrying the Baldwin Bruins team flag.
College was different.
Completely by accident, I discovered the power of visualization.
During my rookie year of college football a movie about dinosaurs called Jurassic Park was released. In the movie were these highly skilled, quick and viscous, meat eating lizards called the Velociraptor (or Raptor for short). I fell in love with the athleticism and ferocity of these bad-ass creatures and even bought some toy models of them to play with (always a big kid!).
Well, before games I would sit in my locker and imagine that I was a Raptor!
There in my locker I would close my eyes and visualize myself as a Raptor sprinting down field on a kick-off where I honed in on my prey (the kick returner) with desperately hungry intention to literally devour him! — I could see myself sprinting, with impregnable focus, maneuvering around anything that came between me and my desire… and then as I approached my prey I’d attack him as if my life depended on it.
An example of this type of focus:
Today, as I have competed in both the business world and as a professional strongman I continue to use several motivation / inspiration techniques in order to deepen my desire, sharpen my focus and strengthen my fortitude…
But there is a BIG DIFFERENCE between how I go about getting “psyched up” as a coach, pro athlete, father and businessman… and when I was a crazy kid full of “piss and vinegar.”
And the truth is that experience had shown me that my new methods for getting fired up are far, far, FAR more effective than when I was younger… AND the tools that I am going to teach you are scientifically sound and so powerful that they’ve been used by martial artists and gurus to exhibit feats that most would insist are impossible!
First, let’s get something clear… there are two types of motivation:
Extrinsic Motivation vs. Intrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic Motivation is stimulated via an outside-of-the-body stimulus (or extrinsic).
This can be achieve by the use of something like yelling; slapping yourself; listening to high tempo / heavy beat music; watching a motivational clip; listening to a motivational speech and with stimulants such as ephedrine, cocaine or coffee.
The problem with this type of “motivation” is that it is FAKE.
- It is shallow, never penetrates the level of base emotions (anger, anxiety, rage, etc)
- It is temporary, never lasts long enough to carry you through challenges and adversity. And in the case of music and movies… what happens when the music stop or the high wares off?
- It is draining, most extrinsic motivation drains your catabolic hormones, energy and can lead to adrenal fatigue… this is BAD if you actually have a game to play after you’ve gotten your feather all ruffled!
Intrinsic Motivation rises up from within. It comes from your heart and deepest intentions.
Intrinsic motivation comes from within. It is a deep reservoir of intention that resides within AT ALL TIMES. It is always there, you never have to “turn it on”. This burning fire can be accessed by using a few simple “Jedi Mind Tricks” that I will teach you later.
The great thing about this type of REAL motivation is that, well… it’s real!
- It is calm, focused, mature YET outrageously powerful. It can be compared to a mighty river.
- It is enduring and never fades away, or can’t be taken away!
- It ENERGIZES you all the days of your life. It gives you the drive to work with no sleep; train when others are tired; focus when chaos ensues and brings all of your latent powers together in order animate your TRUE greatness.
As you can see… most athletes and high achievers are going about psyching themselves up with superficial, inferior and essentially ineffective tools. Music and Tony Robins CDs stop motivating you a few moments after your iPod battery dies.
But INTRINSIC motivation, that lives deep within your soul, can easily be accessed by using techniques such as “emotional triggering”, and NEVER DIES!
Oh, and now when I compete (and whoop ass!) in strongman or need to motivate myself for anything else, I simply stoke the “internal flames” and then use my favorite emotional trigger.
See it here:
Categories: Motivation, Recent Posts, Strong Character, Uncategorized Tags: get pumped up, inspiration, Motivation, motivational songs, psyching up
