I have no pictures for you this time around.

No videos.

No cool graphics, no flashy anything.

These are my words, not hidden or lifted with any technological gizmo.

i wanted to share what I went through, and pass my thoughts on to you.

Because if you’ve been to my Blog before, you know it’s about “Pay it Forward.”

I hope this lifts you, educates you and helps you, in some way, shape or form.

I just spent 1 & 1/2 days in / out of the hospital after something my son experienced.

My son is actually perfectly fine, but our Peditricians reacted very strongly and we got scared into taking it a step further. The way it was all handled made it impossible for us to leave the Emergency Room and bring my lil’ Dude home.

The time spent in the hospital was the toughest time.

My wife went through hell with all this and when tough times like this are faced it reminds me exactly why I lift. And exactly why you need to lift…HEAVY!

Reason # 1: Be STRONG!

Strength in mind AND body.

It’s easy to crack under pressure, and I won’t pretend to be perfect, trust me, I’ve been there, done that.

But things are different for me as a father compared to my days without kids.

I could have broken down with all the stress this past 48 hrs or so.

But I had no choice, I had to be strong, not just mentally, but physically.

Tired…so what.

Hungry….too bad.

HARD workouts prepare you for the real world.

Most people have a VERY different idea of what an intense workout actually is.

Almost every person who experiences a trial workout at my gym vomits in less than 20 minutes - and this is always from the guy who trains at a regular gym and thinks he’s strong as hell and already trains hard.

They find out very quickly that their world is completely different than “our” world. I’m talking about the world you and I train in.

The Emergency Room must be the easiest place for someone to break down. All the screaming, the crying, the stress, the confusion, the urgency to make decisions on the fly. I honestly have no clue how things get done in such a place.

Emergency room or not, You will one day be faced with a high stress situation and you must be prepared as best as you can. Nothing ever fully prepares you for real life situations but if you push your mind and body to greater heights you will understand how to handle these situations in a much better fashion.

I was shocked to hear parents complaining about being tired or not having eaten for 8 hours while their children were in distress.

At times like this, your mind must shut down all emotion regarding yourself. Instead, you must show strength, character, the ability to think clearly and the ability to make solid decisions.

Notice that NONE of which I just stated has anything to do with bigger biceps, ripped abs or a bigger chest.

This is about YOU and those closest to you. Maybe your like me, married with children. Maybe not….maybe it’s just you and a friend, or your wife / husband or your parents and grandparents that mean the most to you.

In the real world, strength wins. Start training for RAW strength today.

When you train, I suggest taking your mind outside the realm or “reality” and think about developing inhuman strength, yea, exactly like a super hero!

Family is # 1. Nothing else even comes close.

If you are a family man / woman, you MUST be strong. Let the excuses be gone now.

The bigger your family the stronger you must become.

Today, it seems to be the opposite – the bigger your family gets, the weaker you get and the fatter you get. Society is accepting this as the standard. Excuses are being made for parents.

It’s time to represent your family. Be able to carry them ALL on your back and be mentally strong during tough times.

If the mind breaks the body follows suit.

Shut the f**k up about being tired and busy and just LIFT heavy sh*t.

It doesn’t have to be barbells, it can be a stone and you can carry it, squat it, deadlift it and press it. Get ready to wrestle like a mofo to hoist this unyieldly stone. STRENGTH is what wins and it must be pursued with an undying passion.

My son and I are growing closer and closer. This time spent in the hospital certainly made us grow even closer. I’m sure you’ve had those times at least once in your life, right?

A few years ago everything was about me. But, since becoming a family man, I have learned and grown into someone that simply wants to take care of my family and make them proud.

I have grown into much more of a care taker and I feel that role with you. This is why you might find me going way beyond basic training information.

I like to motivate you and lead from the front. It is NOT “Do as I say, not as I do.”

It’s about leading from the front and I expect nothing of you unless I have been there, done that myself.

I can see down the road, sharing rusty barbells with my son, hitting heavy deadlifts together, dragging sleds and running through the trails of a nearby park to escape the noise and take the human body to ever greater heights.

I’ve received countless e mails from cry babies telling me they have no time and are too busy to train now that they are married and / or have kids.

They ask how I find the time to do everything I do.

I make NO excuses. I get up early, I stay late and I always do the extra to make things better for my family.

Whether you have family or not, I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with tough times and how you use strength and the iron to make things better.

Post your comments below…

In Strength,

–Z–

PS: My son is perfectly healthy and fine. The crazy part was that getting a simple check up at the ER became a full blown nightmare and we basically got locked in, unable to leave against medical advice. I feel great right now because my son is home, we’re all together, and he’s sound asleep in his comfortable bed and getting home cooked meals and the best care ever

I can’t say I have ever experienced anything better than being a Dad

PPS: Drop your comments below and share how you stay strong and what you do to become that way.

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