Category: General

The proverbial “ass kicking” is all but baked into the cake of life. Sooner or later we all get humiliated or driven into seeming obscurity. Sometimes it is through no fault of our own. We get ambushed by those who don’t like us and “POW!” we get one right in the kisser. Down we go and life seems very bad. The key to failure and future success is learning what we did wrong and to vow to never let the mistake never happen again. Thus, the wisdom of defeat. Why rise from the ashes of total annihilation only to do it again……We would then conceded that we didn’t learn a thing and we deserve what we get.

We have to know the difference between losing and learning and going on and the personal abandonment of quitting. In the world of a quitter there is only hostility toward ourselves, regret, loneliness, and a severe sense of loss. If the thing we sought is left on the side of the road like a discarded piece of trash we leave with it a piece of ourselves. The things we throw away are of two categories: 1.) We really didn’t want them that much anyway or 2.) We really wanted them but we didn’t have the guts to keep going and to accomplish them. So, before we toss something over our shoulder, let us think and consider what this thing means to us and how much we want it.

Deferring to bodybuilding I can say from experience that once the fire is burning and progress toward our stated goal is being made, it is a sacred decision to keep going. Never back down. Losing only happens on stage. Quitting happens in the heart and the head before you even show up. If you do it once, you run the risk of making quitting a way of life.

Bottom Line: Go after it an lose and then learn. Never quit because you run the risk of learning how easy it is. This is a lesson we need not learn.

There has always been this little motor inside me that pushes me, excites me, settles for nothing but the best or at least will get me into the fight. But, the most important thing is to know where you are going and that is more ugent than anything else in your life. This is you “WHY”….Simply stated it is the thing that drives you, that gets you up in the morning, that occupies your thoughts and pushes you to excel and win.

Not every “WHY” is attached to a contest. Many “WHY” mindsets are in place to move us to a better place economically, socially, or in relationships like our wives and our kids. Just imagine closing your eyes and thinking of where we want to be and holding it there. The imagination can define and direct us. Again when something or someone becomes our “WHY” there is nothing tht will get in our way to have and hold the “WHY” in our hands.

My “WHY” is loving my wife and having her approval and advice always. It’s quite impossible to live without her presence. In bodybuilding she has become my posing coach. She has a real knack to see my flaws and hold me accountable. If I need to do better or to change something she is merciless and my ego takes a beating but is she that pulls off the difficulties I face with her keen eye.

Lastly, find that thing and make it your “WHY”…..There’s an old saying that says, “HE THAT AIMS FOR NOTHING HITS IT EVERYTIME!” Do not let life become purposeless. It’s a oad that does not end well.

Bottom Line: Determine to be somebody or suffer the consequences of being nobody. It’s all up to you. Discover your “WHY” and be the best you.

All of us have been around people who talk a good game. They always have answers to life’s most difficult problems. They believe that if they just “say the words” their solutions and desires will appear like magic. These friends are not very interesting and we all know they miss the whole point of supreme effort to attain a given goal. Now, the guys who are interesting are the ones that tell you everything and are willing to bleed openly about their efforts, what they are doing, how it works, why they are doing it and they love to relate their progress. Now, these are the beings that will teach you, test you, and will push by example to be better.

When I used to run track (a million years ago) i knew I would be running against the best. I would fret and worry about not being the worst guy on the track the day of the meet. I’m a first class worry wart so I would take my prep to the alley out back of my house. I’d run the precise race over and over again, night after night for weeks if necessary. All the while trying to improve. I’d finish with my legs wobbling, sweat soaking my entire gym clothes. I’d climb the stairs to the balcony outside my bedroom and fall flat on the cool wood and often fell asleep until around 4:00 am. Then crawl to the base of my bed and grab my stinking blanket and wrap it around me until school. I never lost in the next 5 major meets. All because of the hard, hidden work in the night.

In bodybuilding the same is true. You have to get a very large pile of “want to” in your belly. Begin and don’t look back. You have to work harder than anybody else. You need to develop a maxim that says, “nobody out works me.” — “Victory belongs to him/her that prepares to win”…..Bear Bryant, College Football Hall of fame coach from the University of Alabama.

Bottom Line: Nothing is free. Talk less. Work more. Expect to win. This is your time.

Shadow Boxing is lonely and not very much fun. It teaches us to be better while we seemingly imagine our opponent encased in the boundaries of our own shadow as it is projected onto the wall in front of us. No matter how hard we work we cannot overcome, defeat, or outdo our own shadows. Of course, this is precisely the reason we do the shadow boxing. It causes us to reach deep to beat the beast in front of us.

The reality of our training motivates us to overcome the very things that drag at us and cause us to be less than we can be. Let’s start with Genetics. The first thing we face as men and women is that our body size and our shapes are all different. We are instantly intimidated because all of us sees our own body as less than perfect. Our body image throws us backward and tells us we cannot do what others do nor can we look as good as others. Self Image is paramount in our ability to believe we can be better. We have to beat the negative self image of who we are and what we look like. Next up is the fact that genetically we don’t all possess a standard amount of muscle, reflexes, and strength. We are all different but none of these things can/should hold us back unless we let them determine who we are and how far we can go. Overcoming these genetic markers is tough. Being too short doesn’t eliminate you from the battle. Only we can surrender the determination to use that we have and become the bestt here ever was.

Next up are the people we know or sometimes don’t know that do not want us to be the best. For some obscure reason there are people who just cannot stand to see somebody else excel and be the champion. They won’t do the work, they won’t spend some time imagining what it would be like to be a winner. So, rather than get into the game of life and excellence they spend their time dragging others down with their constant criticism, belittling, undermining, and downright denigration of true competitors in life. It’s best to defriend these naysayers. Three people in life you should never listen to: 1.) Close Friends. 2.) Relatives. 3.) and Knuckleheads. Bottom Line: Stay away from them and let them stew in their own juice.

Doubts are inevitable. Don’t listen to the negative voices inside you. An exercise I use when I prepping for a show is to go for long walks and try to focus on the feeling of exhilaration I will have on stage. Focus on the routine. Let the sound of the crowd fill your head as you do the music routine. Make this whole experience about you and winning. Doubts seem to go away as you imagine the great moments to come.

Excuses are a dime a dozen. When things are not going well—-blame something or somebody else. It feels good to shift the blame and reduce the effort. Excuses gives you an out. It says to yourself and the audience that you are really good but the path of least resistance must go through the land of “Excuses” in order to qualify for an easy path despite their being no reward. The lack of a trophy is explained away by the athlete as unfortunate but—-better luck next time!

Competition is the ultimate hurdle. It’s here that we decide what we are made. of. It’s in the heat of battle that we show the world what we can do. It demonstrates to the arena that we have worked, we have overcome many obstacles and we are ready to win.

On stage you project your personality, you demonstrate your skills, you demand to be paid attention to. Bring it on! Show me what you got so I can humiliate you and leap over you to collect the prize. You own the stage, the judges, your competitors, the trophy that you have come to collect. Competition has to be overcome. This is not the time to be humble. Each competitor you face is staring down the barrel of a person’s gun that is committed to the win.

Bottom Line: In order to win these basic obstacles must be faced and each must be brought under your control. Overcoming is the order of the day. Nothing else will do. Don’t listen to me…….Go do it!

go to http://www.sixpackandsenior.com for all my photos and posts

I believe that we just didn’t show up on planet earth out of thin air. We bring into the world some very definite personality characteristics. That said, each of us begins a journey that is tough. This journey refines our particular strengths and weaknesses. We learn to adapt to change that is not good sometimes. The changes we experience help to define the parameters of our existence. We are able to see and define characteristics in our lives that make us stronger and more capable to problem solve. Out of this comes a strength to push forward even under the worst of circumstances. Some would say, “IF IT DOESN’T KILL US IT WILL MAKE US STRONGER.” I also believe this is true but some toughness we develop is natural.

Now, just rolling forward here. In our daily human experience we run across people that seem to have been born for the hard times that we are experiencing this moment. These heroes seem to have what it takes to overcome the here and now problems. But, rest assured this quality didn’t appear just because it is a “super power.” They possess a degree of toughness that will forever serve them in a world that honors nobody.

As a kid we grew up “beyond” dirt poor. There were 10 of us kids in a condemned building in a small town on main street in Iowa. We truly were the outcasts of the community. I learned very early that there was nobody who would be coming over mountain to save us. We were our own captains of our own ships. The biggest mantra for success I ever learned was “if you want it, you have to go get it.” There was no free lunch. I excelled in sports because I had nothing else. The lessons learned have carried me when there was nothing that would make me survive or to win. Digging deep has been the order of the day for me. I won’t trot out my resume with all my accomplishments but suffice it say that it is good. Being strong is predicated on personal training, and personalities that are conditioned to win in the face of certain failure. Nothing is wasted in this life.

Bottom Line: We are destined to vast personal strength based on having had to develop that strength earlier in our lives. Now, this is our time! Enjoy the world you have conquered and share it with the best people in the world—-those we love!

go to http://www.sixpackandsenior.com for all photos, posts, and articles

Ahhhh the Sting! There is no greater bitterness than to admit that I no longer have the gumption or the drive or the bedrock reason to continue toward something I really want and believe in. When quitting is summoned as our only response we are denying that what we are chasing is not “worth it.”

Regarding losing! What a wonderful thing to step onto the stage, or into the arena and fight for our right and our place in the war. Losing!!! Hell!!! We all lost but we are here on the field, giving it all we have. We who are in the arena are the envy of all those who would not do the work to be here with us or against us. The armchair quarterbacks talk and salivate in front of their unwilling egos to prove they too belong here. However!! We who are living and dying, moment by moment by being in the fight cannot extend the same respect to those who will not do the work and “get their asses in the grass,’ (to steal a term from a Marine infantry officer in Vietnam). Be sure to know that we who engaged are automatically the winners. There is no losing. But, we all want to be on top so there is another level of the journey that must be endured—-‘Let’s call it the AGONY OF DEFEAT if we do not win. Ouch! Everytime I come close and do not win I repeat to myself, ‘THIS SHIT AIN’T HAPPENING AGAIN!” as I descend the stairs of the stage.

Back to the idea of quitting. Never in a million years should we entertain the temptation to quit. My suggestion: 1.) Take a deep breath. 2.) Punch a wall. 3.) Cry and scream out loud. 4.) Curl up on the bed and sob. 5.) Get up, take a long shower and think about what you will do now—but quitting is not one. 6.) Talk softly to your wife who feels all your turmoil and disappointment as her own 7.). Resolve to find another way and begin to fantasize about the plan. 8.) NEVER TELL ANYBODY ABOUT THE NEW YOU. 9.) Get after it and be willing to lose again and push on for the win.

Bottom Line: Don’t let quitting define you. Losing will never define you. Before you can make the world believe in you, you must make yourself believe in you. All this is given in my humble opinion. See you in the arena but prepare to lose.

go to http://www.sixpackandsenior.com to read this in it’s entirety and to see all my photos, posts, and articles

This is it guys…..You can forget bringing stuff and wins into existence by simply thinking about it or talking about it. When you pursue something that you have deemed “worth it” and you want it, you have to establish the end game and then the plan to get you there. We, quite literally, have to be about the business of setting aside time, each day to pursue the vision. Tough as it is, we being the “Captains of our Ships” are the only ones who can set the goal and establish the path forward. Our wonderful imaginations and egos are helpless before the altar of practicality and sheer effort. There is no short cuts…..You have to decide what you want and provide the place, time, and effort….

Very simply, there is no substitute for performance. I have being around guys who talk a good game but in reality they cannot even find the stadium.

Bottom Line: Be consistent. Be tough. Keep your mouth shut. Keep your head down. EXECUTE! Anything less than this is a self lie. Be about the business of performance and not about the business or bragging, talking, dreaming or missing workouts. This is your mandate—-Make time for your goals and EXECUTE!

go to http://www.sixpackandsenior.com to see all photos, posts, and articles

Each of us starts our lives in this world by bringing to the table all that we have, all we know, and all the basic intellect and physical gifts in our possession. We crawl, then walk, before we run but we are in there fighting and making a life for ourselves. Later we settle into an adult life that is focused on providing for our families, making sure that all of our kids and wives hae all they need to thrive and the advance.

Later on at sometime during our life’s experience a real sense of clarity about who we are and what we ought to be pursuing. Often, this new insight and aspiration is at odds with being a great provider, husband/wife and we toss our desire aside to return to the grind of being the best resource in the world for those who depend on us. We try to ignore the beating of our heart and the dream that has taken shape in our chest, our mind, and our souls. We begin to day dream and plan to take the leap onto the path that leads to our dream. We try to not discuss our goals with anybody for fear of being ridiculed, misunderstood or rejected. So we keep quiet.

This is the story of many, if not all bodybuilders. But, one day we take the big risk and we share with a trusted friend what we are thinking about and what we are preparing for. Naturally, the fear in that moment is deafening. But, even if the person is totally against what we have shared we will not be deterred. It’s at this point that we realize that we will get very little support or understanding from those we love. It’s also here that we decide to go on.—-ALONE!

There are no HEROES to look up to because this is a brand new world order. So, knowing that we are ALONE we keep after our goals by comparing ourselves against ourselves day by day, picture by picture. We look through magazines to compare our body against all the greats on stage. We up our game. We train harder. We train more often. We train longer. We eat like the stars say we should eat. Our bodies are getting bigger, leaner, more cut, more hard, more veins appear.

Despite being ALONE we learn to reach for the most powerful weapon in our life’s arsenal—OURSELVES! We discover ultimately that nobody cares about me and my success more than me. With a super great EPIPHANY my hero is cut from the massive piece of granite. It takes on all MY characteristics and it becomes obvious, My hero is ME! Unvarnished, rough, and yet solid. When this moment arrives is when we will never depend on anybody else to motivate us or to discipline us to win. “I AM MY OWN HERO! I don’t need a cheering section. Because I finally know who I am and what I want.

Bottom Line: When you are on stage, try to remember that there are 10,000 other guys who wish they could do what I just did. I carry “MY HERO WITH ME EVERYWHERE I GO.” Pick up your hero and follow your dream. Nobody is going to do it for you.

go to http://www.sixpackandsenior.com to see all my photos, and posts

I am NOT an average person if effort is the metric we use to determine my “AVERAGENESS.” I take great pride in my self applied mantra that says, “I NEVER DO ANYTHING HALF WAY!” Because of this trait I have become a polarizing force of nature to my family, friends, and colleagues. It’s very uncomfortable for them and me.

I have a T-Shirt that I bought from The Great Branch Warren that says, “MOTIVATED BY THE FEAR OF BEING AVERAGE.” I submit that being average should scare us to death. Afterall, who is attracted to somebody who has settled for a life of mere existence rather than a guy who ignites the world on fire daily with his vision, effort, and his incessant talk of how he’s going to win? Trust me! I love being around self-motivated winners. Wow! Nothing gets in their way. They know precisely what needs to be done and they get it done. A little story: “My coach Justin Dees invited Jose Ramos to train at his gym. I didn’t even know who Jose was but the thing I learned was this. When an alarm went off inside Jose Ramos’ gym bag, he stopped training instantly. He went to his bag and pulled out a plastic container with his next meal in it. He didn’t even heat it up. He sat down on the floor and ate. I was shocked!” Point of this story is that when you are seeking something you stick to the program no matter what. Let nothing get in your way…even food.

When you fall in love you want to give it your all. If she is worth it, you will fight for her with “reckless abandon.” To do this or to seek a lofty prize requires that you put away half-ass efforts and surrender nothing. When this happens, you will cease to be “AVERAGE.” You are no walking on sunshine. You will have just transcended the “AVERAGE” mortal. I was told once that when I get up on stage there are a 1,000 guys who wish they could do what I did. I was surprised….But, now I know it’s true. Many guys wil look at me and wish to be me…..In reality, if they took themselves seriously they could/would blow me off the stage.

Bottom Line: Don’t be Average…..Put in the time and push beyond your comfort zone. Settle for nothing less than your best. You want to be noticed. You want others to see that you are NOT average. Rather you want them to know you are better than you even think you are. Go for it and never let Average or “good enough” be your end game.

go to http://www.sixpackandsenior.com for all photos, and posts.

When I was a kid I would awaken, lie in bed and imagine all the cool things I was going to do that day. We were poor and my only clothes during the summer time were cut offs, low cut tennis shoes and some T-shirt. When I zeroed on my plans for the day I’d pull these clothes on and head for the kitchen with zip, energy, and excitement. I would be so pumped with my plans I’d sometimes eat very little food on my way out. Focus and motivation came easy in these days. Life was measured in the moment.

As life got bigger and I grew up I found myself learning that in order to have anything of value you had to do far more than wish for it. No amount of talking could bring my dreams any closer. I had to ACT! I had to convert my thoughts, dreams, talk, into a very focused action plan if I wanted them to materialize. Sometimes in my exuberance and youthful over confidence I’d talk about what I wanted to accomplish and sometimes I would be ridiculed, made fun of, and told what I was talking about was for anybody but me. The pain of having supposed friends tell you that they didn’t believe in you was over the top and I cried myself to sleep many nights as I battled inside myself to believe I could do whatever I set out to do. I had to stifle the ugliness that others extended to you.

I discovered that in order to get the respect I needed from my friends, I had to stop talking and do something that got me closer to my goal. I had to ignore them and as Branch Warren says, “look after your own shit!” They don’t determine my goals, my feelings, my effort to win. I do!….I had to show them what effort looks like and I eventually, had to show them that I was a somebody. The finish line is mine but getting there involves dragging many naysayers across with you with Herculean effort and self mastery.

I started Bodybuilding after a very successful medical, and Air Force Career. I had gone through a divorce that nearly killed me. I was a broken man with no place to go. I bought a gym membership at a local Golds Gym. I trained twice per day X 6 days per week for 3 years. I usually wore three layers of clothes, i.e. strap shirt, T-shirt, Tight short pants, gym shorts, sweat pants and a sweat shirt with a ball cap with my head set. I soaked these clothes every workout. Then one day I had to take off my shirt for something and a local guy said I should try bodybuilding…..My response was swift….No way was I going to get up in from of 3,000 people in a speedo at my age. I talked to my wife and she said I should give it a try. I did! I won 3 trophies the first time out. No coach. I was hooked. I started my bodybuilding career at age 63 and have donee 21 shows and have won about half the time.

At 63 I heard some very discouraging comments about being too old. I pushed on and the rest is history. I was out to prove that I could do it. I determined that this was my journey and if I chose this then I would be the best I could be. Go to http://www.sixpackandsenior.com to see all my photos, posts, and articles.

Bottom Line: Be quiet! Get to work! Got show these people who doubt you or criticize you that you are for real. Nobody can steal or take away your effort….Only you can surrender it by listening to others who wish they were you….

You can look good at any age, but you got to want it…..Your mission to prove you are worthy begins NOW! My best to all of you…..