When I was 13 I started getting heavily into bodybuilding.

But what impacted me most was the info found in the original, Arnold Schwarzenneger Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. In this HUGE book were tons and tons of black and white photos of the rugged bodybuilders from the 50’s - 70’s.

These guys were more like what I call a “power-bodybuilder”.

They hit heavy deadlifts, heavy olympic lifts, heavy powerlifts, heavy cheat curls, HEAVY EVERYTHING.

They developed incredibly rugged, rock hard physiques and man did they motivate me to do the same!

These photos made me feel like I was living during the Golden Era, training with the crew at Gold’s Venice and on Muscle Beach.

I would watch Pumping Iron over and over again, and on weekends I would have my Dad drive me to see other gyms in the area as I dreamt of owning my own gym one day.

I wanted a hardcore gym, a dungeon like faciluty where everyone busted their ass and sweated buckets to achieve their goals.

I wanted a gym where everyone understood their purpose, and that was to train your ass off, surround yourself with other highly motivated beasts and to WIN!

Well, whaddya know…. dreams become reality and I own my own hardcore facility. Just as I envisioned.

I believed, I had the guts to make it happen and I took massive action - these are 3 keys to success.

If you want something to happen badly enough, ask yourself if you have followed the 3 steps above.

If not, how about NOW would be a great time?

In Strength,

–Coach Z–

P.S. - Wanna see what kick started my gym and my business? It allowed me to open up a kick ass gym with barely any investment, while others are out spending tens of thousands and paying loans, I owe not one dime to anyone and continue to kick ass. I am showing the world how I do it, get started HERE.

P.P.S. - Stay tuned, I’ll be announcing the next USC Certification course, very likely to be in November!

I was 23 years old and spending 2 weeks in Los Angeles as I was heavily thinking of moving out west. Every day I took a trip for a few hours into Venice, trained at the weight pit, trained at Gold’s Venice, ate at the famous Fire House restaurant where I ate their very popular “Bodybuilder’s Breakfast” - this was a 6 egg white omelette, a 6 oz flank steak, 3 whole grain pancakes and then I added fresh fruit on the side and a BIG glass of iced tea.

I was in heaven. Bodybuilding was my passion, and to this day, I still consider what I do to be “Bodybuilding”…..after all, I am building my body aren’t I?

But, on my first day in Venice, something very special and electric happened….

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When I first began setting up shop in my new home, in my 2 car garage, I was starting fresh. A brand new life of weight lifting. No more lame gyms, crappy music, depressing environments and finally, NO more rules!

The energy was awesome, whether I trained alone or with a friend, it was like being in Heaven, I can only imagine

This got me feeling like I was starting my training all over again, age 13, back at the OLD Metuchen YMCA. It was a hardcore place, lots of rusty York olympic plates and barbells, pull up and dip bars, an OLD York Isometric Rack, round head and globe dumbbells from York, and a bunch of guys who loved to train.

I was rereading many of Arnold’s books till the late hours of the night and often times the morning, 2, 3 and 4 AM….. Books such as his ‘Education of a Bodybuilder’ and I had my subscription to FLEX magazine which I would tear through over and over the second I got it in the mail! I was practically stalking the mail man awaiting my trustworthy FLEX magazine.

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