Author: Doug Graham

I play a game with my mind while I train. I try to focus on a phrase or a saying that keeps me going. It quite literally is a “MANTRA” that I repeat in my mind as I work. For instance, one that I use all the time these days is, “DO THE WORK!” With every set or every rep I repeat “DO THE WORK” over and over again and as often as I need to so that I stay focused on keep moving. Other guys/girls use other “MANTRAS” but this one works for me.

Based on the “MANTRA ABOVE” I would shorten it to, “MY BEST TODAY!” It’s a reminder to me/us to not do a half-ass workout. Each phase of my training has to be the best I can give that day.

The other side of the “MANTRA” is that it is a reminder, an oath, a covenant with ourselves to put in our best effort during training. Workouts are where the gold is made from the muscle we produce by hard work. the “MANTRA” is a verbal cue for us to never let down during the performance of the requisite exercise. Let’s switch from “Mantras” to “Maxims.” The ultimate “Maxim” that I have incorporated into my mindset says, “I don’t top when I’m tired, I stop when I’m done.” In order to put the “Maxim” into play we must use the “Mantra” to push to “COMPLETION OR TO DONE.” Anything less than the interplay between these two tools is never enough.

In summary, a MANTRA” is designed to keep you going moment by moment a “MAXIM” is designed to define what the standard for performance is.

Find that phrase or. word that propels you forward to the end of your workout. quit, to never. give up, to push on to the end Choose something that speaks directly to your psyche in a way that causes or reminds you to never quite, to never give up, disallows us to be distracted as we push on to completion. You can’t look back. the “MANTRA” you select must propel you forward. CHOOSE WISELY!

In life there just happens to be an expectation that we eat only what we produce or kill for ourselves. At least that is true in my world. Rarely does any of us get the benefit of wealthy parents who give us every desire of our hearts or appetites. Almost never do any of us get to inherit enough wealth to retire at age 16. The vast majority of us humans have to figure out how to make it in this world with very little help or even coaching. Thus, it behooves us to be our best. If we cannot “be” our best then we have got to commit ourselves to the task of becoming our best selves.

In the gym we work hard to be better than we are. We set some lofty goals and we go about the business of attaining them. as we work we fall into certain habits that either help us or they hinder our forward progress. There isn’t much that separates hinder and help. However, I submit that there is one mindset that always translates into superior effort and steady improvement in results. Let me explain.

Today, make up your mind to be head and shoulders better than anybody else in the gym. Be humble but go about your workout with an eye toward working harder than anybody else in this place (gym). Look after your own stuff but make it a point to take notice of the big guys around you. Note their effort. Note when they seem to let up on their work. Notice when they begin and end work at each station they go to. Make mental notes as you make your observations.

Now!!! Is your time. When you work, be sure you know where your breaking point is for each exercise. Now, exceed it by just a little. Do this drill over and over again. Determine that what you are doing is greater than the best you can see around you. Do this drill every time you workout. Never let anybody outwork you. By setting the bar above everybody else you guarantee that you will be the best in your class.

This little “ego game” will push you and your body to greater effort and thus better results. Say to yourself, “Nobody beats my arms, shoulders, chest or back” I have to work harder than the others because this is what is required of me to win. Repeat to yourself, “NOBODY WORKS HARDER THAN ME AND BECAUSE THIS IS TRUE I WILL WIN!” There are no shortcuts there is only you against you that pushes you ahead of all other competitors.

The take home here is that we must decide to be the best. To get there means that we must work harder than the rest. In the gym (preferably alone) is where you labor and blossom into a CHAMPION!

MANTRA FOR LIFE: “NOBODY OUTWORKS ME IN THE GYM OR ANYWHERE ELSE!–———I WIN BECAUSE I OUTWORKED THEM!”

It seems that I was born with a “glass half empty.” But, I will not play my sad violin for you to illustrate my life’s drawbacks. Suffice it to say that I didn’t get the four leaf clover, the horse shoe, the brass ring or the winning lottery ticket tucked into my diaper. I have, however, been given many basic god-given physical talents. I’m short but I could compete well in most sports. I will for sure say that God gave me something far richer. He provided me with an insatiable desire to win and a matching drive to be the best.

That does not mean that I won all the time. Quite the contrary. There were numerous times I did not win. Each time there was a set back there was a choice to be made. To continue trying or to quit and never try again. Some of the losses were so severe that it made the choice to quit very real and very possible. Let me illustrate this with a couple of personal stories.

When I was about 10 I played on a softball team for guys under age 12. I hated sitting on the bench and I played as often as they would let me get onto the field. My Team was the Roosevelt summer playground midgets (ages under 12). We were playing the Garfield summer playground midgets. With my team down by one run in bottom of the last inning I got on base (I have no recollection how). I stole second. There I was representing the tying run. All we needed was for me to get around third base and score. Without any coaching (permission) I took off third base in an attempt to steal third. I got thrown out by a country mile. You could hear the audible groans and verbal abuse the rained down on me for being so stupid. I was so crushed by what I had done that I stayed away from the playground for 3 weeks. I was so afraid that my teammates would see me and continue their attacks on me for my indiscretion and idiocy. None came and I could resume my summer at the playground in peace. Lesson learned and I did not quit.

My second story has to do with football. When I was a freshman in high school I had spent the entire summer running around with no shirt, skimpy cut offs, and low cut tennis shoes daily. Played softball, baseball and rode my bike to see my new girlfriend nightly. I stayed so late each night that often the temperature dropped so low I found myself shivering and riding home with no shirt, skimpy cut offs and low cut tennis shoes. About three weeks before football practice started i started coughing up some of the greenest oysters ever produced by man. Every time I ran I got short of breath and the coughing began. One night at practice I coughed so much stuff up it poured through my face mask. I was running a fever, chills, aching, headaches, severe weakness. I went home and toughed out a case of pneumonia all by my lonesome. It took days to get my fever down. When I returned to the team I was still sick. I only took aspirin which alleviated my body aches, chills, and headaches in order to play. I could have and should have quit. Stupid or courageous is still a great debate. But, I played an entire season with pneumonia. Again, I should have quit but it illustrates the drive I have had to continue even in the face of a self-inflicted wound. I learned there is never a time to quit. BUT there is a time to take a break and heal. This is not quitting! Taking a break sometimes is as important as not quitting. Remember, in the face of great calamity you have to live to fight another day.

I have very little natural talent but God gave me a drive to never quit and don’t not even today.

Today, as back then, I am given the choice to quit or to endure daily with something or many things. My reflex for living has taught me to continue despite the burden or the pain. This trait does not make me tough or smart it’s just me. Each of us has these qualities inside us and it’s up to us to know when to continue or when to take a break. The great running back for the Cleveland Browns back in the 1960s, LeRoy Kelly said it best, “Sometimes there are times when you give a second effort. There are other times when you just look for a nice soft place to land.” This is wisdom on the half shell for all of us to learn from.

Remember this! “NEVER QUIT BUT ALSO KNOW WHEN TO LOOK FOR A NICE SOFT PLACE TO LAND—-FOR A TIME

Bodybuilding is the same way. When we don’t do so well on stage it only means that we take some time to figure out what needs to be done to be better. We take a break. We work harder to be better. We focus. We get back to the stage with our improvements to see what we need to do next. Quitting is never an option. So get after it! See you on stage soon! Doug

“

A dear friend of mine replied to my lamentation that I wished I had started doing bodybuilding when I was much younger. He said to me, “Doug, all we have is today and you have tons of potential!” Now this was and continues to be a wake up call for me. I’ve always been driven by a sense that I’m late and that all my friends and the world are passing me by. I never checked to see if my premise was true. I just responded as if it were true. I drove myself insane with the “TYRANNY OF THE URGENT” mentality. Pushing myself alone in the alley running sprints for track until 11 PM some nights, lifting weights in my room, sneaking into the stadium to kick extra points with only the street lights to illuminate the field. The list of things I did to “catch up” is endless. Thus, even though I have had some degree of success in bodybuilding at this later age I was still playing the game of regret and remorse. Boy, my friend allowed me to gain some very real perspective. For this, Doug Andrewski’s advice is forever written on my mind.

Today is the most important day of my life. I get to get out of bed and do the things I love and to hold my wife close to me. Nothing else matters. All of us needs to come to grips with this important concept of “lifting where we stand today.” — Peter Uchedorf of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Saints. There is no other battlefield than the one we face today.

Bodybuilding is the crucible we have chosen to advance ourselves and our characters. It’s challenges are daily and the rewards truly belong to only us. I would admonish all of us that are involved in this sport to just realize that what we do today will open up our future and propel us to a personal victory on the stage. All of us has tons of potential and it is totally up to each of us to bring out those great attributes to apply.

Remember what Doug Andrewski said to me, “Doug, ALL WE HAVE IS TODAY AND YOU HAVE TONS OF POTENTIAL!” This is perspective born of wisdom. Take heed to it and live the best of life for yourselves and those you love.

This is what we do at any age! “WE HAVE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL—-SO UNLEASH IT BECAUSE ALL WE HAVE IS TODAY!”

Almost everything in the world is governed by gravity and downward pressure. It’s easy to live in this environment as long as we settle for walking at the lowest point that downward pressure will push us to. No questions asked. This is it. No muss no fuss. The problem begins when we decide to rise above what is prescribed for us in this world. When we decide that we want something more than we have there must be a supreme effort to overcome the natural inertia that binds us to the lowest common denominator.

In bodybuilding, as in any endeavor, there is a moment when we decide what we want. That fixes our vision. Next we have to count the cost. Then we lay out a plan to reach our new set of goals. It is at this point that we start experiencing the downward pull in new ways. It feels like we may have bitten off more than we can chew. After several attempts to start and to progress we contemplate quitting. Our self-talk sounds like, “its too hard. or “maybe I’m not cut out to do this.” The biggest and most virulent excuse is when we say to ourselves, “I don’t care anyway.” All of these excuses are traps. They rob us of our dreams, our vision, and our person. It’s here that we have to “grow up” and take responsibility for our desire and decision to go after our dreams.

Sometimes when we are on the road to accomplishing our goals that we have to decide when to try again when we fail, and when to pack it in and say enough for today or enough for this exercise. It’s here that we learn to give our effort one more time or one more rep or one more set. It’s here that personal and physical growth occurs. It’s the leading edge of our effort. “ONE MORE TIME” is sometimes all we have left in the tank.

Seated presses does it for me. I set rather lofty goals during my sessions that involve increasing sets and reps with increasing weight. I put a mark on the wall of my mind to work toward. I dare not stop until I reach it. When I’m close I often have to do some introspection to determine whether I have a single rep left to give. When I finish the set and my last rep expended…….I quit! But not until I know I’ve given my all. Growth in the heart, the mind, muscles, generates confidence and the “WANT TO.”

To win you have to lose yourself in your effort. You have to know you are going to lose more often than you win. Each loss is nothing more than a stepping stone to your ultimate chosen goal.

Let me say inclosing that if you want to win you have to do the work and expect nothing before it’s time. You have to tty again and again. Be encouraged by your progress and don’t lose heart.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE AND THESE ARE YOUR TROPHIES. PUSH AND ALWAYS “GET UP ONE MORE TIME!”

Go to http://www.sixpackandsenior.com to see the entire article and post. Please feel free to forward this article to anyone you think would benefit from it. Thanks!

Doug Graham

Deciding that we are entering a world that supremely honors winners means we have to be sure that we define our victories, how we are going to go about winning, and “WHEN” we are going to win. Most of us enter things that we have never done before because we somehow believe that doing this ‘THING” is the way to go. Each person has their own reasons for doing what we do and most, if not all of our relatives, friends, or colleagues will never understand nor will they take the time to figure out what makes us tick.

When I was old and already lived a great and satisfying life I decided to do bodybuilding. This decision has caused much criticism and consternation among my family member and relatives. The predominant question is “WHY/” I’ve tried to learn what these people thought as I discussed my experiences in preparation for contests, my trophies, my journey and I have heard many responses. I’ll share just one that is both validating and perplexing at the same time.

First, all of us who are bodybuilders want to win. Then, when we realize that we cannot win every time we step onto the stage we begin to understand that the bigger prize is to compete against ourselves to get better each time. It all culminates in us being in the best shape of our lives on the night of the show. Winning and being at our best are the goals and we put in the effort. Sometimes against all odds and inconveniences. Plus, we get to see our muscle head friends again. Everybody wins! I must understand that winning is never something that is ours just because we show up. It may not be immediate but you can bet that ultimately I will win. The journey to the top is its’ own reward. Back to work!!

The perplexing item is that some of my family believe that I am doing this mighty effort late in my life so that they will like me better. Hahahahaha! I love them because I love them. I have nothing to prove and nothing to win that will substitute for our great love and affection. Oh well! Part of pursuing something that is bigger than ourselves brings out the naysayers and doubters.

We have to determine and know that all of us will win…..WE WILL DEFINITELY WIN! Just stick with it. Never look back. Double down on your effort and commitment. Ignore your family and friends that who don’t believe in you and I promise you that if you do, they will be converted to your most ardent supporters and fans. Loving them is one thing but having them respect you is quite another. GO FOR IT GANG!—–AND WIN!

Here are a few shots I’ve had in my gallery for awhile. I hope you enjoy them! Please feel free to forward this article to anybody you think might be interested. Go. to http://www.sixpackandsenior.com

Doug

Two Rules in life: 1.) Never Quit and 2.) Always remember Rule#1

When I was growing up with little to qualify me for anything. We were so poor that on Sunday mornings I used to get up hungry. Put on my shorts, shirt, and tennis shoes, jump on my bike and go looking for a friend who would invite me to breakfast. After a mooched breakfast I was ready for the day. The other six days in the week were days without breakfast before school. Lunch was a feast.

I tell you this little story to set the stage for the kind of determination that I had to generate to be better than I was. There is no space for pity or self doubt, only the dream of earning my way out of this condition that I did not ask for.

Despite all this I played every sport available. I settled on Baseball, track, and football even though I was best cut out to be a wrestler. I was driven by the idea that I too could be respected and I wanted to be a winner. I did not want to be regarded as the poor kid who would live down to the expectations of others.

One of my football coaches said to me that “I had to play big_ I could note “QUIT.” He would yell at me, smack me on the helmet when he thought I wasn’t giving it my all. He took me into his office one time and explained that I had to be better and that he was depending on me to be better. He would not accept anything less. I responded in a big way. Next game I had 18 tackles paying linebacker, blocked a punt, intercepted two passes. Quitting had just disappeared from my vocabulary and belief system.

not These early lesson have not been wasted on bodybuilding which I took up much later in life. Learning to push when others rested. Never being satisfied with the training or the results. Always assessing my physique, refining and redefining my training plan to correct deficiencies real and imagined. Going into the gym early and staying to the end.

The results for this older guy has ben great. I just. finished my 22nd contest and earlier this year I turned 70 years old. I can tell you that if I had “QUIT” there would not be the super satisfaction I get from competing and winning. The numerous trophies and medals are significant because I did not “QUIT”

I write this to you my friends to say that you can have most things in life if you will persist and don’t “QUIT!”—Quitting is never and option. Keep at it and good things will come your way!

Being “Average” sucks. Nothing could be worse than being lukewarm as a person who makes no noise, cannot commit themselves to an opinion or position, who has no vision of being better. How can we push ourselves forward if we are unwilling to take a chance and put yourself out there to win. In fact, nobody wants to be defined by the word “AVERAGE.”

An old memory comes back to me that illustrates when my mind and will was changed.

“I came back into the locker room at half time during a football game and I was disgusted with my performance. I threw my helmet on the floor. My coach walked over to me and said to me, “Doug, you have to play “BIG.” Those words ignited in me a desire to be far better than I was. I went back out onto the field looking for a fight. I played way above anything that I had ever done before. The new mindset was established.” Since then I have desired “GREAT!” as the only standard for performance. Anything less for a focus is unacceptable. I will not settle for “AVERAGE.” It’s all or nothing with “GREAT” being the end game.

It’s imperative that we define ourselves AS “GREAT!”——we have to be the person that places our ultimate goal on the table and pursues it with every ounce of energy we can muster. There has to be nothing standing between me and my goal. The very thought of being “AVERAGE” has to be totally abandoned. There is no room for “AVERAGE” —there is only “GREAT” on my scope!

It may sound like I’m conceited but I’m not! This is the level of self-confidence that I/we have to have to shed an “AVERAGE” performance or existence.

Bottom Line: Life is hard. Each of us defines who we are and what we want. I would urge all of us to desire “GREAT” because being “AVERAGE” is never an option. Being “GREAT” is my/our desire. Don’t settle!

Everybody who has ever picked up a weight knows that consistency of effort on a daily basis is how muscle is made. It takes tons of concentration to continue subjecting ourselves to maximum effort. There are times when getting out the door in the morning is just about too much. There are times, even after arriving at the gym, that we would rather be anywhere but in the gym. For one reason or another we just don’t always have the push that is required to train effectively. When these situations occur (and they will) we have to reach deep and latch onto our “WILLPOWER” to move to the next task and eventually to the next level. Nothing is free and we have to apply all that we have to advance and to win. In fact, as noted above, “WILLPOWER IS A MUSCLE AND THE MORE WE USE IT THE STRONGER IT GETS.”

I can think of the many times in my career that the tank was empty and I was tempted to omit training that day. When this happens it’s important to do a moment’s reflection on how far I have come and why I started in the first place. I just can’t let a single emotion or temptation derail me. The fire in the belly is burning very low. This is the point where, “WILLPOWER” comes into play. This is when we dig deep inside ourselves and by sheer at of the “WILL” that we press on.

Often, once we start the fire returns. This is an amazing truth that cannot be ignored. We have to determine to do the work and then we get to witness God lifting us up to be better. I have no other explanation for the massive change in our attitudes that occurs when we press forward with our “WILLPOWER” doing the discipline and dragging us forward. Its happened this way hundreds of times for me.

There is no magic! It’s all about how badly you want something. Our “WILLPOWER” is often the thing that keeps us on course toward victory.

If something is worth having or accomplishing we have to use “WILLPOWER” to get the job done and win. There just aren’t any short cuts or alternatives. Love what you do and when things are tough reach for “WILLPOWER” to win. You will not regret it.

Use the great and powerful muscle known as “WILLPOWER” often. It will only get stronger as we use more and more frequently. Push hard and goal will appear.

There are no shortcuts to the win!

When the “dye is cast” and you have gone all in on a show or a goal, there is no other way to get there and perform well except to “WORK FOR IT.”

How many times have we read the bold head lines to an article or book or video that stated, “THE QUICK EASY WAY TO…….” or the author trumpets, “GIVE ME A WEEK AND I WILL TURN YOU INTO A CHAMPION.” Well, once again I’m here to tell you that these are lies and there is rarely anything that is “quick and easy.” There is no person on earth that can make a champion out of any man in a week. Let’s talk about truth. Let’s talk about what it takes to be a “CHAMPION.”

First of all once you have zeroed on the target —-Get to work! Time is wasting and you don’t have a minute to spare. This is what has to go through your head. Create that sense of urgency and excitement that drives you forward. Only YOU can generate that massive amount of energy and effort that is required to prepare and win. You have to want this contest to go well more than anything else. Essentially, life stands still for you until it’s done. Nothing else matters!

I encourage myself and you to set up and stick to a training regimen that culminates in the win. Every moment of every day is to be tracked, no workouts are missed, superior effort must be exerted with each training session. The path ahead must be purposeful, aggressive, and measured. Nothing is to be left to chance.

REMEMBER! Nobody is going to give you anything. It all has to be earned and all of us must ‘WORK FOR IT.” There is no other way. Nothing is quick and easy.

For now suffice it to say that I am in show prep and I’m on track. Got to still lose about 7 lbs. over the next 10 days. I’m on it. I’m doing the cardio x 2 hours each day. Hundreds of crunches. Two workouts per day. Sticking to the diet that will get me extremely lean. Posing with my wife for 30-60 Minutes per day. Music routine needs to be brought current. As noted above, nothing can be left to chance.

This is where I’m at and what I’m willing to work for. Write to me and tell me where you’re at, where you want to go, and how you’re going to get there. Maybe I can help a little.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE AND YOUR JOURNEY. WHATEVER YOU SEEK TO ACHIEVE WILL REQUIRE SUPREME EFFORT TO EARN. NOTHING WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO BE ABOUT YOUR FATHER’S BUSINESS—–AND WIN!