My friend, Lachlan McIntyre from Australia sent this my way via FaceBook.
He got me fired UP! My Blog is my sounding board, it’s of NO benefit to hold back my thoughts or words.
It doesn’t help you nor does it help “Us” if I try to walk on egg shells for fear of upsetting others. Many will be upset, others will hate, I don’t give a s**t, I only care about those who wanna go BIG in life.
I’ve had enough of the Bull S**t, and YES, some people will complain that I curse, oh well, this is what happens when I get fired up and passionate about something.
Watch this Video….
I am trying to focus on the BadAsses that come through my Underground Strength Gym, committed to dominating. But EVERY time I come across an excuse from an athlete I get sick to my stomach.
I am still confused by those who make excuses for NOT wanting to WIN or playing a sport and not giving a shit about your effort or lack of desire to dominate. Why do so many people settle for 2nd place or less?
This is a HUGE problem with our country, and often the comments on the Blog say it is also outside of the states.
Our economy is f**ed because people fear to do work. I’ve mowed lawns, cranked 2 paper routes at a time, washed cars, cleaned toilets and done sh*t that today’s generation wouldn’t do if you put a gun to their head.
There are COUNTLESS athlete out and about playing the game and not even caring if they lose.
They have MORE excuses than anyone can count, instead of training, they’re joining groups on facebook such as “I love when you text me first” and other life wasting bull s**t.
There IS an army of Bad Mother F**ers walking this earth, I KNOW it. We need to keep banding together because 2nd place sucks. If you’re here, reading my blog it is pretty likely you are like me, someone who has learned his lessons from the past and now you don’t see any other option aside from FIRST PLACE!
I’ve lost a lot in my life and have a million regrets and will never be able to GO BACK and fix them. I understand that TIME is the MOST valuable thing because you can NEVER get it back. I am doing my thing NOW because I have learned that doing my best or 2nd place sucks. Period.
I NEVER hid the fact that I f**ed up and missed out on HUGE opportunities as a younger athlete, which is what motivated me so greatly to step up my game of life and it also has made me the Coach who has high expectations and nothing less. I take 100% responsibility for my lack of success AND the success I create.
I’m a tough Coach to train under and that is because I don’t see or understand doing anything unless you’re in it for 1st place.
I still remember a BIG name Strength Coach talking sh*t about me when I first began showing my methods on the internet. The guy was, once upon a time, someone I looked up to.
He had multiple facilities around the world and a slew of Coaches working for him. I did find it funny that a guy running certifications around the world with gyms around the world would talk sh*t about a dude training wrestlers and football players from his garage.
It was a sign of his blazing insecurity. Perhaps he saw the fire in my eyes. Haven’t I said you’re either the Hunter or the Hunted? I wasn’t hunting anyone, I WAS hunting my dream though, and that was to own my very own, hardcore gym. One that I could call my own.
I’ve watched other Strength Coaches copy lots of what I do, from videos to web design / graphics and even my personality. I’ve seen other Strength Coaches walk around as if they are entitled to everything. NO respect. How embarrassing it is to see such a thing.
I was certainly the Strength Coach labeled as “Least Likely to Succeed”…..
Problem is, I don’t quit. I don’t stop. I get knocked down and get back up. Again and again and AGAIN.
I’m not slowin’ down any time soon and this is REALLY only the Beginning.
If you’re a Strength Coach with a dream then F**K everyone else and go after it.
Here’s the last crew of USC Certified Coaches going through the paces, the next Cert is around the corner.
Enjoy the next 12 minutes of ass kickin’ Coaches going for their dream. Are YOU next?
Regardless of your dream(s), don’t let people try to bring you down, slow you down or shut you down. Keep attacking and keep charging. Life won’t wait for you, you gotta take life by the balls. Period!
Looking forward to your comments. Drop em’ and start uniting NOW with a crew of people going after their dreams no matter WHO stands in their way…..
Lead from the FRONT.
–Z–
PS: Check out the links below to help YOU start taking life by the balls!
Three summers ago at Joe DeFranco’s strongman contest I was introduced to a guy I had heard lots about. I had heard the rumors….Some crazy ass business man addicted to strength. Word was he was some BadAss Business Man, strong as hell and had to overcome a LOT to get where he was in health AND business.
His name, Jeff Sica.
I kinda knew his story as we met briefly at Joe DeFranco’s documentary release, STRONG, but I did not truly know the severe extent of what really happened to him and how or why he became so obsessed with strength and why he sought out Joe.
There was a short spot focused on Jeff during the documentary and when I watched it I didn’t realize that the jacked up guy I met only 45 minutes ago almost didn’t survive through a rare disease! That night was an emotional night for me.
I got a deeper look inside the family life of Joey D, I saw Joe’s Dad cry and express the meaning of family and I had just met a guy who almost lost his life and was now chasing a 405 lb bench press. It was at a time where I was regularly working from 7 AM – midnight or 1 AM and thought I had it pretty tough.
This night taught me otherwise and it toughened me up mentally in more ways than one.
Check the video below and you’ll see Jeff talking about life and lifting and how the two coincide…..
Jeff was a very reserved and quiet guy when we met. I didn’t know much except what I had heard from Joe.
The REAL word was, Jeff almost lost his life at one point due to this rare disease, and because he was so committed to life in general, it was only natural for him to become committed to his health after he made it out of the hospital.
Jeff got extremely sick in 2001 with a bacterial infection that attacked his skin and then was headed to his heart and brain. He suffered with fevers around 105 and facial distortion. He was packed in ice and treated with an arsenal of antibiotics that wiped out the infection and also his stamina.
Here and there I get sick and it wipes me out for a few days perhaps a week. The mental fortitude one needs to bounce back after 6 months of exhaustion is mind boggling and impressive to say the least.
So, like many over achieving business men, Jeff wasn’t interested in being your typical business man who hits the elliptical for 45 minutes 3 days a week after a long, hard day at work.
Nope. That’s the WRONG guy. This guy is DIFFERENT. WAY different.
He told a friend he had to get BACK on track and he asked his friend to research the best trainer in NJ. His friend told him about some dude named Joe DeFranco, who became the key to changing Jeff. Jeff began training with Joe twice a week and then employing Joe’s method of training two other days on his own at home changed Jeff forever. He never looked back, and has not been sick again since making his comeback. He made Joe’s washed up meat head hall of fame instantly!
I knew of Jeff’s goal to bench 405 and so when we met in person again, there seemed to be a mutual respect that we were both a bit crazy. Perhaps we had BOTH just heard strange stories of one another. Who knows what Joe and his athletes have said about me, haha!!
When I arrived at Joe’s first open strongman contest with 10 + high school and college athletes ready to rumble, the question was, “Who the hell is Underground?”
We were an unknown gym at the time and Joe was explaining to others that we were basically a bunch of crazy bastards coming from some tiny warehouse gym loaded with strange objects like stones, kettlebells, sandbags and more.
When Jeff saw our guys compete, I think we earned his respect a little more as well. He saw our guys fighting for every inch of speed and strength on that hot day. Jeff’s wife liked what she saw in our athletes as well. Perhaps she saw the same “fight” in them as she saw in her husband.
Every time I ran into Jeff it reminded me of a guy who I had first seen on ESPN, competing as a bodybuider in The Mr. NJ competition. We became friends when I was a bodybuilder at the hardcore, Diamond Gym. The bodybuilder was a business man and as I grew up in that gym, from a teenager and then into a working man, working as a teacher, we always discussed the need to be strong as I got older.
His name was Carlo, and he was in his mid 40s, strong as hell and ALWAYS ripped. He seemed to never slip, always tight on his training, nutrition and his tan! haha
He would tell me that his business was so successful because of his physical and mental strength. He mentioned how he would dominate business meetings because of his energy and his ability to handle large quantities of work and complete tasks in less time than others.
Carlo would always train with his wife. She respected him for his drive and loved him for his dedication to his health and his family. He kept things simple, it seemed to me. Be strong and ripped, be healthy. Love your wife and love your family. Kick ass in business.
Jeff Sica does the same. I am lucky to have crossed paths with men like this. I spent many years training side by side with Carlo. My respect to him was great and my memories of his intensity and his passion have never faded.
With Jeff, although we have never trained together, I have the common bond. The feeling and the understanding of what he does while in training, his commitment to strength, business and most importantly, family.
I have known Joe since 2004, we met 2 weeks before I got married and I had studied his methods. Jeff has been training with Joe since 2001. I know his last 9 years have been an intense battle with the iron.
Men like Jeff Sica are a RARE breed.
If you ever feel you are down and without hope, look at Jeff’s battle to regain his health inspire you….
For a little over 6 months Jeff had NO energy. He was always a regular at the gym and worked 12-15 hour days, but he barely made it through these days. Finding Joe, was the key to change, training with him twice a week and then employing Joe’s method of training two other days on his own changed him forever.
Jeff never looked back, and has not been sick again since then. He made Joe’s washed up meat head hall of fame instantly! Its easy to see when you look at him the work he has put forth, stretching his shirt sleeves with his jacked up guns, big ass traps and chest….
Jeff Sica IS built like a BadAss.
Jeff’s wife, Lori, spoke to me about his dedication and she said she doesn’t think there is anything he looks forward to more than training after a long, hard day at work as it clears his mind a bit. Joe has to force him to take a week off once in a while.
Behind MANY great men stands a great woman and a great family. Marriage is sometimes the toughest thing one can face, but it has made me a MUCH better man and for sure, my life is better with my family. Before meeting my wife, to be honest, I had NO goals of what I have today. I was self centered and focused on ME and how everything could benefit ME. It was NOT a good way to live.
Every time I run into Jeff I see him with his wife, Lori. It’s NOT odd to see a good man spending most of his time with his best friend and biggest fan. Last time we all met was at Joe DeFranco’s charity dinner for The MS Society. I believe she convinced Jeff to take it easy on me as we battled for a bid on a David Diehl autographed NFL Jersey. BIG thanks to Jeff and Lori for taking it easy on me, haha!
Lori connected with me as I told her I was inspired by what Jeff does and how he lives with greatness. She was honored to share some info about the man who nearly lost his life and now gives his ALL to his family and those around him.
Jeff has been married for 15 years and has 3 kids, a son who is 12, and twin girls who are 11. Jeff is the defensive coordinator for his son’s football team and has recently launched his own company, Sica Wealth Management.
A typical day for Jeff…. Up by 5 AM and in the office by 7. From August through October he coaches Football three nights a week. Outside of that, while he always worked long hours, this year, getting the business started required more hours..some weeks 7 days and as late as 11 or 12 pm.
This has been his dream for many years, and after assembling a great team, getting the right business plan and just about perfect office space, he made his dream a reality on May 28, 2010. He is also the vice chairman of the Board of Directors of Daytop NJ, a program for adolescents fighting the demons of addiction.
Even with all that, he finds time to be an amazingly thoughtful and loving husband and father.
When it comes to nutrition, Jeff is adamant. Lots of protein, lean organic meats, vegetables, no gluten and no dairy…well, an occasional piece of cheesecake.
Vitamins, pre and post work out shakes and a few through out the day as he sometimes doesn’t have a minute to eat. Jeff is passionate about serving his client base, always looking forward, helping to bring out the best in others: doing everything, working, training, helping, mentoring, with an intense drive and focus.
It’s an honor to shake Jeff’s hand every time we meet. It’s awe inspiring to know such a man. Jeff’s story and commitment to family, health, strength and being an overall BadAss inspire me to take EVERYTHING I do to the next level and then some.
If you’ve been inspired at all by Jeff’s story please drop a comment below and share.
I’d like to thank Jeff’s wife, Lori, for taking the time to share more of Jeff’s story with me as well as always being supportive for the success of The Underground. I’m honored and grateful beyond words.
Thank you to ALL who read this Blog and have inspired me to go beyond the workouts that once began in my parents garage.
Most of ALL, thank you to my wife and my beautiful children, without them, I am not even 1% the man I am today!
Lead from the FRONT!
–Z–
PS: Please drop your comments below!
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“Kick Ass & Take Names in Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness”
The quote above is something that is ALWAYS running through my head and something I wholeheartedly believe in.
I believe life should be lived the way you want it to and that there is NOTHING wrong with going for your dreams and living life on your own terms, NO need to follow the rules of others or conform to what others believe to be right or wrong.
Normal People achieve normal success and live normal lives.
YES, Kicking Ass in Life & the Pursuit of Happiness is easier said then done, especially when you are in my OLD shoes and you are preparing to leave behind a full time job with a pay scale just shy of 6 figures, full health benefits and a pension all lined up. Even tougher when you’re a family man and you are the only source of income.
But, I had prepped and educated myself beyond belief. This is what people simply do NOT see. My book shelves are piled high as are my closets overflowing with books, DVDs and Audio CDs on how to run a Kick Ass Business and Live a Kick Ass Life.
The dollars invested in mentors, coaches and seminars are sky high yet ALL worth every cent invested. Notice I use the word “invested” and not “spent”. BIG difference.
No, these books I have are NOT handbooks, BUT, collectively, between all the education materials and seminars, they ALL played small roles in helping me make it to the Kick Ass Life I live today. For some, the road is easier. Everyone will have a different path towards kicking ass in life.
It differs if you are a family man or a single man.
It differs on your past and your state of mind.
Mindset is HUGE when it comes to your success. Remember, normal people achieve normal success.
I still remember the first day I sold an e book, it was $ 19.95 I believe, and I was a 5th or 6th year teacher.
My plans were to get my PhD and follow my TWO passions, teaching and training. I already had a Masters Degree and was almost finished with my Supervisors Certificate. But, I stopped going for my Supervisor’s certificate as I saw how my growth would be limited to the attitude of the administration and I wanted to remove any and all limitations from achieving my goals.
As my teaching career grew, the town I worked for began to go downhill. MORE paper work and LESS benefit for the kids in Health & Physical Education. The focus was ALL wrong and there was NO fun in it. The teachers around me walked around depressed, upset and the bad energy was draining me BIG time.
The countless excuses that parents made for lazy or rude kids and the lack of growth and forward thinking in teaching turned me off. I was less fulfilled and was BIG time disappointed because my first few years of teaching were amazing! I loved waking up every day and loved doing what I did.
I didn’t want to let that feeling go and I knew I had to be in control of life going this way. It was gonna take BALLS to make this happen.
As the years passed and administration changed as did the kids and parents (as you KNOW, I have a VERY hard time working with people who have excuses, are rude, lazy or dishonest) I became disappointed with my career and wanted more in life but most of all, I began to worry that I was not setting the example for my kids.
What would I be able to tell them if they wanted to make BIG dreams become reality and there I was, living and working in the same town I grew up in. Playing it safe. Being normal.
I didn’t want them to follow my foot steps. I wanted to show them how greatness and happiness can be achieved by Leading from the FRONT!
I wanted happiness for my family and for myself.
I wanted to pursue my dreams and live my dreams NOT dream my life.
The first Mentor who got me thinking about lifestyle design, creating a business to help me create the perfect life and living life according to my own rules was Alwyn Cosgrove (aka, Uncle AC).
In fact, to this day, when Uncle AC and I chat it always ends up being about lifestyle design and running my business according to THE rules that dictate lifestyle design. Things like turning down flying and traveling around the world meant saying “Yes” to someone else which automatically meant saying “No” to my family.
Sure, I was and DO leave a lot of money on the table but that doesn’t matter, you don’t always need the money you think you need to live the lifestyle you want. Tim Ferriss ALWAYS talks about this.
I had gone through enough hardship with my family during my days of teaching combined with running my Underground Strength Gym AND an internet business that I reached a breaking point and never wanted to go through it again. In addition, I heard enough stories of other men experiencing this same thing and I wanted to help them avoid this pain.
I had a VERY clear goal in my head of what the perfect day looked like, and EVERY time I consulted with a Business Coach, it always came back to what did I want to do and how the perfect day looked like.
Heck, I still remember one of my Coaches telling me I should say F**k it, and go ahead and train some rich housewives just to get the ball rolling. He was SHOCKED when I told him there is NO way I would do it. I explained to him the pain involved with doing something that I am not passionate about and how it can literally kill me.
He encouraged me to do it for just a lil’ while, only short term…… I said “NO.”
You see, I’ve been through enough shitty times in my life that it has scarred me to the point where I REFUSE to go back and refuse to lose through those time EVER again.
Sure, you will deal with haters who are jealous of your success and you deal with changes in your relationships with people because they will tell you to be safe and don’t let go of that job because of your health insurance, bla bla bla
It’s AMAZING that people stick it out in a job that makes them miserable because of health insurance. Can you imagine living life miserable all because some shitty job gave you health insurance??!!
In life, ya gotta have BALLS, and this is literally spoken, so women can have “balls” in this instance as well
Why spend 20, 25 or even MORE years of your life being miserable?
There is NOTHING wrong with kicking ass and taking names in life and the pursuit of happiness.
This is where sh*t gets tough because people will try to bring you down to “normal-ness”.
Haters will come out and try to bring you down so they can build themselves UP. HAHAHAHA, F**K them
Time to for YOU to Kick Ass & Take Names in Life & The Pursuit of Happiness.
Lead from the FRONT.
–Z–
PS: Mark your calendar for October 1st & 2nd. Go HERE and sign up for the Early Bird Invite.
** Note: Availability will be VERY limited to this event AND USC Coaches will get early invitations. **
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Before the internet, the world of strength and serious bodybuilding was in it’s very own little world.
A small culture of people who shocked the rest of the world for doing what they did:
- Lifting HEAVY and straining the body
- Eating like Gladiators
- Transforming their body / Growing Muscles that stretched shirts
- The ability to perform feats of strength
Well, after this weekend’s USC Cert, we had a few guys in attendance who were in their 20s and they had never seen the movie,’Pumping Iron’ with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I spoke of Franco Columbo deadlifting a small car (in the video below) and how the bodybuilders from back in the 70s were more of a hyrbid power-bodybuilder because they lifted so heavy.
They also were BIG proponents of bodyweight exercises performed in high volume and / or with LOTS of added weight.
Arnold would perform back workouts by performing mixed grip pull ups until he could NO longer hold onto the bar!
Other times it would 5 sets each of chin ups, behind the neck chin ups and close grip chin ups.
When is the last time you saw anyone cranking out 15 sets of pull ups?
There is a man who I would consider “Strong as Hell” by the name of Marvin Eder, who was known for his astonishing strength back in the 50s and 60s and still, TODAY is known around the world in the circles of strength and bodybuilding, NOT just his astonishing strength in exercises such as dips and chins, but his strength in the powerlifts and the military press.
He weighed under 200 lbs yet would perform parallel bar dips with 2 men, each hanging from his legs.
His workouts motivate me to consider 100 dips my warm up, NOT a workout.
Marvin could also squat 500 plus pounds for 10 deep reps and had a bench press over 500 lbs as well.
This reminds me: I am NOT strong enough and have LOTS of work to do ahead of me.
What about you, are you strong enough yet?
Are you satisfied with your strength in the below movements?
- Squat
- Deadlift
- Strict Press
- Dips
- Chin Ups
I’m gonna be hitting a playground workout shortly, and at The Underground Strength Gym later tonight I’ll be squatting and deadlifting.
Today’s Morning workout will be tons of push ups, pull ups and dips.
Evening has Squats and Deads on the agenda.
I’m pretty fired up, motivated MORE than ever to be stronger than ever. I’m ALWAYS chasing the pain AND new found levels of strength.
In life, you gotta have BIG things to go after, BIG goals to attack. Starting my day at The Underground at 3 o’clock I’ll be training Rutgers Wrestling Team today as well.
I am excited to see the damage they’re going to be dishing out on their competition as they get stronger and more exposive training at The Underground Strength Gym, and, we’ll be blasting their conditioning levels
to a whole new level.
Once again….
All this talk of Marvin Eder and the men of amazing strength reminds me:
I am NOT strong enough and have LOTS of work to do ahead of me.
What about you, are you strong enough yet?
Lead from the front.
–Z–
PS: One of THE most impressive and influential books I have ever come across in the world of developing FREAK Strength has to be the one I picked up from Marty Gallagher, below, GET it HERE.
