Six Pack and Senior

Doing anything new is a “PAIN!” We all know it and we avoid breaking out of our comfort zones at all costs. But, there are times when trying a new approach to solve a problem or to accomplish a goal is required because all we have tried up to this point has been a collection of failures. So, we have concluded that in order to survive or to win we have to try something new.

We retreat, we think, we play out in our heads what needs to be done and why. Each plan is loaded with opportunities to fail. But, we know that something has to be tried. Finally, we settle on the plan that we will follow to win. We are not sure how it will end but we will give it a try.

In bodybuilding we put the goal out in front of us. Often, the goal is so big or so different we are not sure what to do. We rework our many plans and off we go. We change the number of reps on selected exercises. We increase the weights we are using. We increase the amount of cardio. We eat differently with new rules and new intent. Supplementation is changed. All is aimed at victory. We are willing to go all in on the plan and we are willing to risk it all and fail. Nothing gets in our way. Failure is always the specter that chases us. We want to win and failure is not an option.

Now, the other side of the equation is to do nothing at all. We could just look at what needs to be done and decide to throw in the towel before we get started and do nothing at all. This is where we make all kinds of excuses for ourselves. But! As we discussed in the title to this article. “If we do nothing we guarantee failure.” I call this “MALIGNANT NEGLECT.” We want something or we have to do something and we choose to do nothing thus making failure a certainty.

I would encourage all of us to not quit. But, rather let us come up with a new and different way to get to where we want to go. Never take our eyes off the goal but make adjustments even if the adjustments are uncomfortable, painful, or doubtful that it is the best way to win. But, to do nothing seals failure as our fate. Do the hard stuff until it’s time to change—-and do it!

Do something and run the risk of failure or do nothing and be assured of defeat. You have to be brave sometimes. But NEVER quit!

“Life is “SOOO DAILY!” I heard this quote 45 years ago at a religious conference and it is as true today as it was uttered then. We get up every day and face ourselves, evaluate ourselves, inspect ourselves at every level imaginable. Somewhere, in these moments of introspection we decide we want to be different. We, in fact, want to be better tomorrow. But, the journey to improvement starts immediately. It is defined by “WHAT WE DO ABOUT IT!” Nothing in life is free (unless you are a self-defined professional victim), so knowing this little nugget of truth, we do a couple of things intuitively and reflexively: 1.) We Decide that what we have is unacceptable. 2.) We fill our psyche with a big pile of “WANT TO” 3.) We make a plan to advance on the change that we desire. 4.) We keep our goal before our eyes always (on the refrigerator or your bedroom or bathroom mirror) so we are constantly reminded what we decided to do. 5.) We roll up our sleeves and we go about the business of change. In short! “GET STARTED.”

In bodybuilding we go through precisely the same process to make the changes required to win. “TODAY TRULY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE” —so get it right. Do the things that are required to be better or you will forever be trapped in the world of “TODAY.” Which is to say, we have settled for that which we do not “POSSESS” with no thought of “DOING” anything to get that which we “DESIRE.” If bodybuilders settled then they would be forever losers and what’s the point of exposing ourselves to public derision.

A dear friend of mine pointed out to me this truth, “ALL WE HAVE IS TODAY, BUT YOU HAVE TONS OF POTENTIAL.”—DOUG ANDREWSKI. So, the only thing keeping you and me from the mountain top is what we do!—–SO LET’S DO IT! — See you at the top!

A couple months ago….

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When we were growing up doing sports we were. told to do things over and over again until we got it right. We were also told that this is our goal—to get it right! We worked we slaved, we did the extra foot work, we did the extra take downs, we ran the extra stairs, we spent massive amounts of time in the batting cage. All this helped and our performance rose to new heights. But, in bodybuilding and especially related to posing, we can’t just assume because we did the pose correctly a couple of times. We quickly learn that from one execution of a pose to the next we are not anywhere near perfect or good enough to stand on that stage and perform in front of thousands of people. Our arms are ending up in weird positions. Our shoulders drop during a turn. We flex our traps when we really ought to be presenting a square set of shoulders. We release our legs and they become smooth as we focus on an unrelated body part. Wow! The little things that destroy our ego and our performance are legion. My wife said to me several times after doing turns that my arm came across like it was a noodle. No life, nonchalant, unattached to the effort required to project competence and confidence. Ouch! I think I slept on the floor that night because she hurt my ego and my feelings. In my mind I was doing it right. However, in reality doing it right is only the beginning. A coach told me one time that we play like we practice. This was an eye opener. You can’t just go through the motions. So! Get it right and keep it right! Also, be looking for ways to make it “snap”–bring the crowd to their feet because you project greatness! Get your head into the posing routine and do it each time like it was on stage. Leave nothing to chance. Put on your game face in front of the mirror. Impress you posing coach (in this case, it is my wife). Make your coach believe in you. When you do that you are getting close to being ready. Remember this maxim: “Nobody works harder than you do.” This must become a FACT no just a belief.

Bottom Line: Repetition is key but maximum flawless effort is KING! If we do this we will win under any circumstances. You can never do it wrong is the goal. Neve settle for good when GREATNESS is within reach. It’s always your choice…..

How true is this for us muscle heads? We train like dogs, BS with out buddies in the gym, eat like refugees, we do cardio like long distance runners, we nurse little injuries that threaten to keep us awake for weeks. Best of all, our poor wives watch grown men force themselves to do what we do not want to do when we ought to do it. This is the very definition of discipline—-and they still love us! The miracle of commitment will bear wonderful fruit.

The moral of all this descriptive hyperbole is that very few people have any inclination or idea of what we muscle cretins go through for the world to see as the final product. We all want to be appreciated for the effort we put out to attain things but more often than not the effort is lost out of sight below the waves and below the surface.

Yet! It is the effort that is made totally out of sight that makes us the happiest. When we approach the front doors of the gym or our training area and our excitement piques, our blood pressure surges, our eyes bug out with focus. Our playground of pain, push, and progress is about to be entered. Gone for a couple hours are the things that are so “daily.” Now, is the time to forge that physique we chase so diligently and daily.

We have to decide that we train hard for ourselves and not for the adulation and adoration of the public and our friends. All that is a bonus. Our only competitor is ourselves. There is no compliment in the world that can take the place of our own personal satisfaction we enjoy in the crucible of the gym. People only see the results and nobody ever sees the process required to make the results that others enjoy and admire.

Bottom Line: Be happy with the process for it is here that character, integrity, determination, and victory are chiseled into our minds and hearts. It’s great to be seen but it’s better to be the artisan & mason of all that is good…..Never turn back….The only way to lose your greatness is to engage in what I call, “malignant neglect.” Be a man/woman and win because you can!

On my website my motivating quote is, “You can look good at any age….but you got to want it!” Funny, how this idea that having something requires more than wishful thinking. I’ve put forward the idea that the first thing you have to do before you begin this journey in bodybuilding is to gather a gigantic stock pile of “want to” or you will not even start.

Once again, one of my favorite quotes comes from Hall of Fame College Coach, Bear Bryant from the University of Alabama when he said, “Winning!?, Hell, everybody wants to win, but victory belongs to him that prepares to win.” No matter how you try to play the game or why you play the game, it all comes down to you/me and how badly we want to win. There is no substitute for this seemingly mystical and intangible quality of “want to, that is bolstered by desire and preparation.”

Next up after deciding that bodybuilding and the journey is yours to travel is goal setting and planning. This exercise must take place daily until it becomes ingrained into the person and character that is required. Bodybuilding is tough but so is anything else we set out to attain. Whether it’s a spiritual journey that requires tons of time hearing, studying, memorizing, meditating on the things that will make us better. Other challenges might be our careers, or child rearing, or academics. The exact challenge is irrelevant. What’s essential is that the process begins with “want to!” It ends only when we reach our stated or understood goal.

The gym is our crucible that we use to perfect our craft. It teaches us the subtleties that make us better at what we do. Preparation is essential on the heels of “want to” is the only one-two-punch that is required. If there is a better formula that disallows cutting corners then please put it forward or all of us to see and ponder.

Never look back. I remember a story about the great miler Glenn Cunningham whose legs were burned so severely in a freak accident starting a wood stove as a kid that the doctors said he would never walk again. As soon as he could be on his feet after the accident he began to run everywhere he went. Living in the country he covered dozens of miles sometimes in a day going from place to place. When he was just a freshman he discovered the track team working out. He took off as a heat started up around the track. He had heavy boots on and he ran on the outside of the track on the grass just to see if he could keep up. He won by a quarter track. He made the track team. His coach told him to never look back during a race because that is precisely when his opponent would pass him. Years later when he was running in the Olympics against the world renowned miler Roger Banister it began to rain. During the race Glenn could feel the splashing of the water from the track on his legs. He feared Banister was about to pass him but he dared not look back. Instead he poured it on and killed Banister in the mile. All because he was told that looking back would allow his opponent to pass him. Fear of being overtaken should drive us all to do better, never look back and win.

Bottom line: Sometimes we don’t really know how bad we want something until we are faced with the challenge in front of us. It is here that our “want to” merges with our discipline to “never look back.” Create the “want to” because nobody can do it for you.

Well! Fighting alone is, in my opinion, the only way to fight. Sure there are military squads, sports teams, and in the basest of worlds there are gangs. However, in every combat situation each of us has to ultimately lay it all on the line–alone. Nobody can do our fighting for us. We don’t have the “Divine Right of Kings” that enables us to raise an army to do our fighting for us. So, we have to do the right thing even though we find ourselves alone.

In bodybuilding we quickly learn that “NOBODY IS GOING TO DO IT FOR US” and worse yet is that many times we are also going to be all alone in the gym perfecting our craft. We will raise up our heads and only see the janitor moving about and doing his required duties—-if we are lucky! The music in our heads becomes our only link to the outside world. It’s a reminder that there are other people in the world waiting for us to emerge from our solitude to see what we have forged in silence. Somewhere deep inside we conjure up the spirit needed to push forward. It’s us and nobody else.

I will reiterate that the path to the next level and then on to greatness is lonely. But, it is here on this journey that we learn where our strength comes from to continue. God, has built into each of us the tools that are derived from the singular soul that he gave us. In isolation, like David, we experience the power that makes us strong, versatile, and hard as flint to go on. Alone is a bad thing in a social sense, but it is absolutely essential to tapping into the hidden personality that will bring forth strength, focus, confidence and peace that we need to win.

To my comrades in iron we all know this language intuitively. We need no instruction. We only need guidance to make it all so. In all other areas of life the same path has to be traveled. In the end we stand like Greek Marble statues because we did it alone and learned the secrets hidden inside of us by God.

Bottom Line: Stop depending on others to do the work you have before you. The Cavalry is not coming to rescue you. Dig in and learn as you labor to be the best. Strength and character comes in the morning—or on stage!

All of us who have been athletes in a previous life can remember a coach walk directly up0 to us and get into our face and scream, “Graham! If you want to play for me you gotta do your job! You gotta play BIG or not at all. Don’t make me put your sorry ass on the bench beside me!” Boy! After a gigantic ass kicking and super human admonition we instantaneously wanted to perform. We would run through a brick wall if that was asked of us to get onto the mat, the field, or the court to destroy the competition. That sort of speech marked the beginning of a “hunger” to be better, to perform above our pay grade, to win at all costs.

All of us have seen fellow athletes who had it all. Good looks, a seemingly perfect body, and a relaxed method of winning that we wished we had. We also witnessed these same sorts of people squander their perfect sets of talent and gifts from God. They quit. They drank heavy. They stayed out late. Smoked reefer. Dropped acid or any of 100 other things that destroyed their will to be the best they can be. I’m a firm believer that winners are not born, they are made in the crucible of life and all it’s challenges.

I’m small and will always be small. But, a coach got me aside and said those terribly precise words to me while he hung onto my face mask. I played bigger than life. Because I did, life changed for me. I was no longer limited by my size. This dog had a demon inside me that was released and the rest is history. I won’t bore you with old stories of glory.

You and only you can generate the desire (hunger) to pay the price and win. In the gym, you have to disappear inside your head and talk to the spirit that sustains you and guides you to increased effort. We have to imagine ourselves getting bigger, more defined, and ultimately winning. It’s a mindset that is worth it’s weight in gold. Nobody can give it to you and only you can develop it or to abandon it. It’s always our choice.

A coach told me once. Never look at your competition. Focus only on you and what you need to do to be the best you can be that day. I do the same thing in bodybuilding. Nothing is in the way until after I step off stage. It’s over at the point because I left it all on stage. I didn’t quit. I am determined to learn, whether I win lose or draw, what I need to do for next time to be better. Tons of people are better naturally, but very few, if any outwork me because I always remain—-“HUNGRY TO WIN.”

All of us has a choice 1.) Succumb to free floating self-inflicted intimidation by the more talented and gifted or 2.) Ignore the competition and remember that we are “HUNGRIER” than anybody else in the arena that night.

Bottom Line: Stop gawking and get “HUNGRY”. This is your time!

This is a tough truth to internalize and even tougher to execute. When we are faced with a problem, a challenge, a threat, a chance to recover, or to destroy we instantly have imbedded in our psyche the limits that we cannot or will not cross. Unfortunately, in all of us there is a base part of our characters that struggles to be set free when the time is right to preserve our lives or to deter and destroy that which threatens us or our families. A strong man is the guy who has tremendous base instincts, power, and emotion and can control each of them until the time when they are needed. Never does he use them or allow their expression indiscriminately, especially on those whom he loves.

Bodybuilding teaches us to dare to unleash these instincts in the gym during our prep, and on stage—–to win! Training enables us to project these base instincts onto steel and machines to forge a body that will cause us to be better than we are. It can’t be any other way. The lessons we learn in the crucible of training transfers to almost any other part of our lives. We have to carefully select the base character traits needed to accomplish the things that we have decided are important. Think of your wife. Your kids. Your job. Your academic achievements. Your other athletic wins. Each of these took something more than we thought we had. But, somewhere from deep inside we pulled the correct spirit out of hiding and we put it to work. When the battle was over, we put away such things until needed again.

For us, who head for the stage as our end point, we have to look deep inside for that character trait that makes us stand head and shoulders above ourselves and our competition. We engage it boldly, without fear of failure, or regret. For the bodybuilder in each of us there is only the final product and the stage to define our victory, loss, or lessons learned.

Bottom Line: Go to the mat to win, but only after you have defined what victory means to you and then select the warrior portion of your personality that has to be engaged. Remember, controlling these spirits is real strength. Applying them judiciously is wisdom. Self mastery is the ultimate name of the game. There are no substitutes. This is your time! Play big, play wise, play tough—-a great many people depend on you to do your calling well.

A very good and wise friend of mine, Doug Andrewski said to me once, “All we have is today, and YOU have a lot of potential.” See you on the other side of the winner’s circle!

I think all of us have tried so hard to accomplish something that those around us started wondering if we had a screw loose or whether we were struggling to compensate for some childhood insult or deficiency. When we persisted the people we irritated by our efforts and antics began to complain openly to us and anybody that would listen — that we thought we were better than other people. They missed our intent and our passion completely. So, they would impose demands that we cease and desist “for our own good.” —As if they know what is best for us.

Fast forward! We did not stop. We did not return to the place that we started from. Instead all of us pushed ahead in the face of tons of criticism. We were just not done yet. Our sites were on something nobody else could see nor could they experience. We were just too excited to be deterred. We would never be done until the task was done or in the present “yet done.”

As we approach our next challenge (of our choosing) whether it be in bodybuilding, parenting, education, or our jobs, never stop until the job is done. Don’t let anybody tell us that, “we gave it our all and we tried.” NAHHH! Setbacks or delays are just speed bumps. Look around at all those that quit. Now, go ahead and finish the job so we can say with the Apostle Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith…..” This has to be our credo our mantra to do the work until we are “DONE!” Nothing in this finite world is as satisfying as doing things to completion in spite of naysayers and doubters.

Bottom Line: What good is it anyway to keep doing a multitude of things dispassionately and half way. Grab your passion (even if it’s only part time) and finish your calling. Bodybuilders! Head for the stage. Win, lose or draw…..Show up! The rest of you, find your stage and finish strong. The world is waiting for your excellence. Remember! “I AM NOT DONE YET!!”

These three things are the essence and foundations upon all that I do. Everybody has a great plan until the first shot is fired and the first plan goes directly into the toilet. Chaos reigns for a time and then cooler heads take over and we again engage the plan as we get control of the situation. But, it takes super human focus to see the failure and the path forward as we struggle out of the gates.

In body building there are a lot of words that we use to put off doing what is required. Our minds want it but our hearts are not plugged in. We have to totally sell out our hearts and minds to accomplish anything worthwhile in life. We have to believe it is possible to win. Once this has happened we look around us for the tools to get the job done. Gym memberships, money, friends, clothing, whatever has to be put into the equation. We have to assemble these pieces in a manner that points us to the stage and the win.

Doing what we can. This is broad and seemingly open-ended. It’s not! We have to believe that we can. Then we have to live up that belief that we must do what we can. Anything less is an excuse to fail comfortably with a great cover story for our crash.

Bodybuilding is hard but it brings out the worst and the best is in us, quite apart from other areas in our lives. Marriage, childrearing, church and personal faith, careers. All are affected by the attitude and the work ethic that we develop in the gym. Body building is NOT the Rosetta Stone nor are their Oracles hovering over altars of truth. It is a journey that has the potential of establishing in each of us, the principles of hard work, self mastery, and taking responsibility for failures and victories. This is our time! Let’s not squander even a moment.

In closing: 1.) Don’t wait for the perfect moment to get started. Get alone. Think. Plan 2.) Take inventory of the great tools that have been laying around that have gone unused to this point. Assemble them for battle. 3.) Don’t just do what you can. Do ALL THAT YOU CAN to hit the mark. Leave no room for excuses in the gym or in our personal lives. Excuses are the lies we tell ourselves in order to let ourselves down softly—Only to pick up the heaviest burden of all—-REGRET! Others depend on us to be and do our best! We dare not disappoint them.