I'm at a stage right now where I am not solely focused on the results of my efforts and training, but more so about simply enjoying the process. It seems so many people are extremely results driven, they are all about busting through plateaus and avoiding stagnation at all costs. I think this is great, to an extent, as we should all have goals and not simply go through the motions on a daily basis. However, we all spend about 95-99% of our lives on a plateau, the other few percent is spent celebrating new accomplishments and grandiose moments of achievement. So, we tend to hate or avoid the plateau at all cost, yet we spend most of our time there. Do not live for tomorow or you won't enjoy today.

1. Stop wasting time hanging out with energy vampires. 

-You know the type, the person who is always mentally and emotionally draining. Let them go. They are negative, they bring nothing to the table, they don't appreciate you. All they want is the communal energy to be focused on them. They never even want to try and solve their problem, they only want to complain about it and have you listen and console them. Or worse yet, they complain about everything that is wrong with you. You are important and you need some focus too. Your time is valuable, spend it with those people who support you and embrace you for the person who you are. 

2. Make your move. 

- The time is never going to be perfect to do that thing you have been planning to do for so long. Something will always be in the way, between school, work, family, friends, money, kids, etc. That's never going to change, it is time to make that jump and get started. You will need to make adjustments as you go, but lots of learning will be made in the process. Nobody achieves greatness from doing everything right the first time, you learn the most through mistakes and adversity. Embrace the opportunity that you have today, accept the challenge and follow your dream. 

3. Stop taking care of everyone else before you take care of yourself. 

- Make yourself a priority. I am not saying disregard everyone else. But sometimes you need to look out for number one. If you are not going at 100% full throttle, than you can not be your best to help others as well. Charge yourself first, then help others when the time permits. 


4. Let the real you shine through. 

- Too often people try to be someone that they think others want them to be. This is a disservice to yourself by not being real. The world already has everyone else. The world needs you. Be proud to step up and represent who you are.  If you try to be someone you're not, everything will be fake and meaningless. Be yourself and you'll attract the people that you want to be associated with. 

5. Be conscious and actively experience life. 

- Notice and appreciate what is going on around you right now. You can never get this moment back. What you do right now will greatly shape what happens to you down the road. If you do nothing now, you'll be nowhere in the future. Experience as much of life as possible, it's really pretty amazing. 

6. Make an honest evaluation of yourself. 


- Be brutal and figure out what you like and dislike about yourself. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. The path to self discovery can be harsh. You will find out things that you did not want to admit, then ask why it is the way it is. Do it again, and again, and again. You will eventually come to the root of your issues, not just obvious symptoms. Dig deep inside you and change that thing that has been holding you back from being a better you. You can avoid the truth for a long time, but you can't make real change until you accept what you do not like. 




7. Appreciate what you have. 

- There really isn't a need for most of us to constantly get new toys, or seek happiness with a new relationship, etc. Take the time every day to appreciate the things you already have and may be taking for granted. You might think that the new shiny object is going to give you what you want, but it really only cost you time and money and soon you will want something else thats just out of reach. If you get a Maserati, you'll want a Lamborghini. You have something great right now, enjoy it. Besides, the best things in life are free anyway. 




8. Don't try to be the person you used to be. 

-We grow up, we get older, things change, it's inevitable. Some people try to reverse the clock and conceal the truth with surgery, makeup, transplants, pills, lotions and potions. You used to be younger, leaner, faster and stronger, but now you're wiser, you know how to work smarter and use your gifts to your advantage better. Don't try to be what you used to be, just be the best you can be for today and tomorrow. 

9. Be happy for other peoples success. 

- Never be jealous for someone else's achievements. Jealousy is a wasted emotion. Your time will be better spent building happiness for yourself. Genuinely let the other guy know how excited you are for them, and more people will cheer for you when you accomplish something great. 


10. Stress less. 

- I know, it's not so easy, but it can be done. Don't make excuses, find a way to reduce your negative energy levels. Eat better and sleep more for better energy. Smart exercise will help you feel and move better, which can make you more productive. Change one small thing at a time until it becomes a habit. Don't change your whole life, it is too overwhelming. Be accountable for your own life. Be ready to tackle the tough decisions head on. Nobody can change you but you. Sometimes things get worse before they get better. Stop resisting change, trust me, the hard road is a more joyful journey.  


Please share your thoughts on having a better year, or a more prosperous life in general. If you have any questions about any of these topics, please ask and share. 


Announcing our latest workshop at The Training Room at the Jersey Shore on February 25th. Our sign up page will be coming very soon. If you are anywhere near the Jersey Shore, you definitely do not want to miss this training workshop with the Milkman, Uncle MIke and myself, it's going to be an advanced athletic extravaganza. See YOU there!


Here is a link to the Kettlebell & Bodyweight Workshop I held last year at The Strength Shop. It is loaded with tons of great exercises and progressions to get you stronger and take your training to the next level. Also, if you are ready to take a free week long tour of our private membership area, The Consummate Athlete, CLICK HERE. 

Don't forget to grab a hoodie or a tee shirt to keep you warm, ready and looking like you have a clue while you hit the weights this winter! Click the photo below to get yours now. 

"I don't want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me!"

-Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello  in The Departed


Hell yeah, I'm friggin jacked up, flying around on cloud 9, droppin bombs all over the place, causing disruptions and making waves. This is how I feel when I walk into the gym to train. But you wouldn't know it to look at me. I remain calm on the exterior, but there is a social distortion going on inside me that would frighten most mortals to death. I'm fuckin raging, I'm hungry, I want that edge that I don't fuckin have yet, no one is going to give it to me. Im gonna take that shit, I'm gettin it today, motherfucker. I'm pickin up stones and droppin em on your motherfuckin head, motherfuckjer. This shit aint gonna be nice and it aint gonna be pretty. If I had to change routes and go to a professional environment, or a typical job right now, I would surely get fucking fired, kicked out, have the god damn police called, and I would most definitely burn this stupid fuckin building to the god damn ground, and murder every stupid fuckin asshole in this bitch. Fuck you, I'm mad as hell. 

Damn, son, why you so mad?

I don't fuckin know, but I'm about to rip your ugly fuckin face off, get away from me, shit head. 

Maybe I listened to too much Hatebreed, maybe I didn't sleep enough, maybe I heard too much pitiful bitching and my tolerance just snapped, and you're about to hear it all in your motherfuckin earhole. 

You never felt like this? You never get furious? You won't understand me. You should've turned away a long time ago, got the fuck outta Dodge, bitch. Today is not your lucky day, youre in the wrong place son. I came here to wreck shit and do fuckin damage. My veins are on fire and I am fuckin raging. You will never know what I feel like, whats happening inside me right now. I'm a motherfuckin time bomb and i'm almost outta ticks. Don't walk, run, motherfucker.

I need to feel that steal, I need to vent before i blow my shit. I'm gonna take a fuckn flame thrower to your face, your family and your god damn dog. I would boil your cat, but that shit would take too fuckin long, so I'll just eat it, ass end first and hear that little hairy fuck cry. 

This is the ugly side, the shit others dont wanna see, the scary shit that some suppress, and others embrace. Don't worry, I'm not really gonna melt you, or eat your cats asshole. But I am gonna take my frustration and crazy inhuman energy out on this weight right here, and after that, some lucky lady is gonna have her fuckin ass waxed til i can see my ugly mug right in her butt.  

I'm a fuckin destroyer!

I'm a god damn Goliath!

I will flip you on your head and punt your ugly fuckin face!

I'm taking this shit out on some heavy fuckin weight, bending steal over my back, melting knurling in my grip. Hearing these iron wheels knockin next to my head is like heavenly music. These chains rattling from the ground give me strength. They tell me whats up. I hear you, motherfucker,! You want another one? I got you, bitch. The chains count my reps as I rip them from the ground, again, and again, and again...

Fuck the plan! Fuck a damn five by five. I gettin after it today. I wanna see something snap, somethings gotta break and it wont be me. King fucking Kong aint got shit on me!  I dont even know what the fuck I am doing next, but its gonna hurt something fierce. I am NOT scared, I want the pain.  I aint got shit to do tomorrow but fuck up more shit. 

I am not here to impress you, I do not want your god damn acceptance. You judging me? Fuck you!  I'm not here for your approval. I am not trying to fit in, I do not want to be like you or feel easy in this place. If you want a lesson, stand back and watch, and feel your nuts swell up in the fuckin process. This shit right here will make a man outta you, like a god damn circumcision on a wooden chopping block with a machete in the fuckin desert.  

Don't fear the pain that is coming, the shit is gonna happen regardless, Do what you gotta do to survive. Heal your wounds and clean your blood up. 

The things that go through my head may not be right, or accepted by most, but sometimes rage happens, and we think fucked up shit. How are you gonna deal with it. Whats wrong with you? We all got problems. You gonna take it out on your ol lady? Or you gonna go out and do something of value? Don't be a fuckin pussy, do something worth talking about in places other than the police blotter, you silly fuck. Stop slackin and complaining and get out and do something motivating. It will be hard, it will not seem convenient. It will take a lot of effort and you might not be rewarded at all. But get back out there and do it again, and again. We all have an ugly side. Some hide it, some use it for a greater good. Don't let that shit hold you back. That is fuckin fire, the fuel you need to blaze a new path. Light it up and get moving. Keep working, dont stop, wear yourself the fuck out. You'll be fine, the sun will come up tomorrow. And there will be your barbell, without a scratch, without a dent, ready for another beating. You thought you fucked that mother fucker up, but he enjoyed it, the sick fuck. He absolutely loved being thrown around, picked up, slammed down and sweated on. He feeded on your sweat, skin and blood. He wants more. Do you have more to give today than you had yesterday? Thats man shit. Everyday won't see your best, but your best can be delivered at any moment. What brings it out of you? Lying inside you, dormant, is something incredible, just waiting and begging to be unleashed. Many will not like it, some will think you're fucking disgusting. Fuck it, you are not here for them. But, there are many who want and need you to show them the way. You are fuckin gifted, at what I have no idea, but you got something that they don't and they need that shit. You might have to make serious changes. You might have to look deeper into places of your soul than you ever have. You might scare the fuckin shit out of yourself. You might see an ugly side that may make you quiver with truth induced heaving. Or you may rage against the norm and set yourself free and discover your rare ingenious talent. Maybe you cant find it alone, Maybe you cant let go. Maybe you should eat a half ounce of Wisconsin's finest shit shrooms and take a long walk and figure your shit out. We all have many ugly sides, and we have a unique passion that guides ourselves, and others, to greatness. Be the fuckin one. Be on. Fuckin rage and be epic. 

I do not want to be a product of my environment, feeling sorry for myself because there may be pity and sorrow all around me. I want others to feed off of my energy, learn from me, and grow stronger knowing that they are more badass and empowered by the pain and suffering they endured, and they are ready for a bigger challenge every God damn step of the way. I can't help everyone, but those that I can help will be fuckin better for it. 

There seems to be polar opposites in the belief that exercise technique has to be perfect in order to reap the benefits of improved health and performance. The truth is, no matter what you do as a beginner, nothing is going to be perfect and everything is going to benefit you in some way. The problem occurs when you either refuse to work on fixing technique or have no idea how to fix it in the first place and continue down an ugly road of dismal performance gains and potential injury. The "beginner" benefits will soon fade away, and you will have to improve your technique if you expect not only better numbers, but improved health and real performance gains, not just the illusion of improvement. There are a few ways to enhance your skills and achieve better results from your efforts. Make sure you have at least one good training partner, get a qualified coach to guide your journey, or get a camera to record certain aspects of your training so you can review it and see what needs the most attention. 

A good training partner is not a cheerleader. In fact, I don't care for too much cheering when I train. I know what I need to do and I find cheering, yelling and screaming more distracting than motivating. This is true especially during skill work, but during intense conditioning we all need some encouraging motivation. But, if that is what you like, it might be exactly what you need to push your training further, to each their own.  A good training partner is someone who helps and motivates you to get better, period. This is by telling you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Everybody likes to be told, "good job," but if what you did is actually crap, you need to be told so, and further more, you need to know what to do to fix it. 

That leads to my next point, get a qualified coach to guide your journey. This is so important if you are serious about getting better. There are so many reasons for getting a coach that I can't even begin to list them all in this article, but feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section and we can discuss it. Just a few reasons are that you will be held accountable for your actions and progress. You will not have to think about where to start or what to do next, your coach will guide your journey, so to speak, you just have to put in the effort. You will get instant feedback on your successes and your failures. If you did something great, you should be acknowledged or rewarded, but don't expect a balloon party every time you get a PR. With hard work you should expect PR's, but don't expect the whole room to stop what they're doing and cheer because you did something good, you're supposed to do something great daily. Sometimes a quick smile and nod to acknowledge the achievement is all you need. On the other hand, if something is wrong, a qualified coach will see it, acknowledge it, and address it accordingly. If the coach just makes you do more of what you are doing wrong, then you will get really good at doing shit the wrong way. That is not a qualified coach, that is a crook who is stealing your money. This is a huge problem in the fitness industry today, too many people talk the talk, but can't walk the walk. Its cliche, but true, you simply can't become an expert by spending money on a quick certification via the internet or weekend course. It takes years of studying, training, and time in the trenches, there is no substitute. 

Lastly, using a camera is a good way to review your training technique and see what needs to be addressed. You can check your posture, your foot positions in olympic lifting, your lockout in kettlebell training, your back position while deadlifting, etc. The list is endless. The problem is that there is no instant feedback. You do the exercise and either check the camera while training, which detracts from training intensity, or you check after training and the stimulus is removed from the moment that the issue occurred. It's like yelling at a dog 2 hours after he chewed up your shoes, but the dog has no idea why you're yelling. While the feedback from a camera is still good, it is not the same as the instant feedback you get from a coach who fixes you on the spot, instead of the issue getting addressed later on or the next training session. 


To get back to the original point of this article, does technique need to be perfect to get the benefits of your training? Yes and no. Beginners will never be perfect, so does that mean they shouldn't train because they might injure themselves? Of course not. No matter what your skill level, everyone should always be striving to get better at all times, maintenance is a fucking joke. If you really want to improve, all aspects will need to improve, including skill, intensity, technique, volume, etc. 

Below is a video of Giavanni Ruffin, former running back for East Carolina University, during his first training session at TSS. Giavanni is a stellar athlete and is looking to go pro at his chosen sport. That means he is not afraid to do what is necessary to improve his abilities. The following video is his finisher after a hard training session. You will notice that some things are not perfect in his training. But, I knew from his ability what he was capable of doing. Being a Division I running back has extreme demands, so I knew he was up the challenge. After doing some basic mobility drills and making an assessment, we did some power work, then strength work and added in a few supplemental exercises. Then all I did was present Giavanni with a finisher that I knew would be demanding, fun, effective, valid and challenging. He was more than willing to accept the challenge. This is usually how I present it to the athlete, "Here is your job," or "Here is your challenge for the day..."  I know what their needs are and I know their capabilities. Now I want to see them work hard. Recording the training allows me to review it with the athlete and show them what they need to work on. Now they can see it with their own eyes what is good, what is bad, and what needs to be done to get better. 

In conclusion, being perfect is not important, but always trying to get better is imperative. Never think you are the best, right now someone out there is doing the work that you aren't doing, and they will beat you when you meet. Always train like you're in second place. Push hard for that extra edge. Never dwell on your mistakes, just acknowledge them and take action to get better. Being naturally talented is a great gift, but there is no substitute for hard work and dedication with a strong desire to be successful while taking the necessary action to get what you want. 


If you are the kind of athlete or coach who takes action when an opportunity presents itself, then you know what I am talking about. Take a free week trial at our private membership website and see what we have to offer at The Consummate Athlete today. We are constantly updating it with new and useful training information to enhance your skills and help you achieve your training goals. We currently have 3 separate training programs going right now to suit any particular individual needs you might have. You are guaranteed to benefit or just cancel your trial membership, super easy, no hassle, no qualms.