Hey guys…. here’s an update for the TWO Winners of The December, 2011 Underground Strength Nation Inspiration Contest. The Two Winners get a lifetime membership to The Underground Inner Circle.
Sam Portland REALLY hit home with me and those who helped check the videos. He “gets it”. Listen to what he says about #LivingTheCode. He has NO excuses, he charges through discomfort and is making shit happen! I SEE the fire in his eyes and feel his passion from “Across The Pond”!
He drove his tractor tire down a highway to make shit happen! Isn’t that illegal??!! ha ha
Notice how he REinvests his income into making his business better and improving his knowledge.
As Sam says, “There’s NO limits.”
Thank YOU, Sam!
Check out Sal, working in his garage and yard to take care of his kids and show them how to have passion for health and strength!
Sal’s kids are tearing it up….. bodyweight….. the power wheel… a sandbag… and the technique is TIGHT!
I see his kids having fun training, no one yelling at them, just allowing them to enjoy the experience and fall in love with fitness. I can see Sal’s passion for strength with his books scattered on the floor, all types of equipment squeezed into that garage. I KNOW the feeling, you fall in love with training and you want to keep getting different strength toys to take things to the next level.
This was a VERY tough choice, there were MANY participants from overseas in various countries and English was not their first language. Many training compounds in garages, back yards, basements and MANY in freezing cold temps!
I am embedding ALL the participants below, this was amazing, had me choked up, on verge of tears and struck a VERY deep chord with me.
I am beyond shocked at how many videos were submitted and I will ALWAYS REMEMBER WHERE I STARTED…. My friend calls this “Boots on the ground”…. remember where you came from and always be humble 
Please check these videos, they will inspire you on your toughest days, because I know all too well, we ALL have them, NO matter how strong we are…..
As you can see, these videos are ALL very unique in their own way, everyone inspires me. I suggest you watch them all, clear your head, and listen to the stories of these men who rise above and have gotten comfortable being UNcomfortable.
Thank you, My Bruthas!
Peace! Underground for LIFE!
–Z–
PS: Seriously, this was VERY tough to choose. You guys are ALL f**ing awesome!!
Filed under Announcements, Kick Ass Business, Kick Ass Life, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos by on Dec 20th, 2011. 1 Comment. 
If you let your passion slide then you might as well be dead.
Question for YOU: Have you let go of something that you were once passionate about because of some Bull Shit excuse? Step UP & get it rolling again. Be accountable, drop a comment, tell the world what you’re gonna do to bring your passion back to life again!
Peace!
–Z–
PS: When I was 13 I KNEW I was gonna open a gym…. a hardcore gym….. I NEVER let the dream go.
When I was in elementary and middle school I was die hard for my BMX & Freestyle bike, I wanted to learn how to surf and I used to bomb down the hill behind the Edison water towers on my skateboard!
My passion doesn’t die and excuses won’t stop me and they shouldn’t stop you. This is YOUR time, make the most if it or you are NOT TRULY LIVIN’.
PPS: The die hard Strength Coach or aspiring Strength Coach, Click HERE & make it happen.
Filed under Articles, Kick Ass Business, Kick Ass Life, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos by on Jun 29th, 2011. 7 Comments.
Just a lil’ taste of what went down last weekend in Austin, TX, perhaps one of my favorite places I’ve ever been to, and not just because the town is so kick ass, but because the friendships I’ve built there are more like brotherhood and family.
BIG thanks to my homie, Jeremy Thiel, for making this happen.
One year ago JT brought 12 of his Coaches to NJ for a specialty USC Cert, where the entire 2 days were dedicated towards their needs and likings. His crew was in such kick ass shape that we went through twice as much info and training as any other group.
The Red & Black Gym was created immediately after JT & his crew returned home from NJ, and, let me tell you, this gym is Underground 110%. He took FAST action & now he has one of the nastiest, Underground gyms I’ve ever stepped foot in.
This crew was NO different. Must be something in the ATX water, and lemme tell you, the girls from Austin are f**ing LEGIT! These girls climb rope, crank pull ups, handstands, jumps, tire flips and MORE like NObody’s BIZ-ness!
This was also the first time I had been on a plane in some 5 or 6 years. You can see what happened to me about 3 years ago….. It was a stressful time for me, VERY stressful.
I can certainly say I’m a lucky guy, but I won’t bull shit you.
I MADE my own luck, I hunted and killed my prey, I blasted through brick walls and sprinted up mountains. Many tried to stop me, many hated on me.
I still said F**K it and stuck to the MOST important things in life:
1) Family
2) Friends
3) Integrity
4) Work Ethic
The next USC Cert is in Ft Lauderdale, bring your A Game because that’s the ONLY game I accept!
The weekend to change your life is ahead, yours for the taking, or, let opportunity pass you by.
Peace!
–Z–
PS: Making your own luck isn’t easy, every overnight success story has a 10 year history. Remember, you’re either the hunter or the hunted, you decide.
Hunters Click HERE
Filed under Articles, Calendar, Kick Ass Business, Kick Ass Life, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos, Zach's Workouts by on May 3rd, 2011. 5 Comments.
It was 5 years ago…. On April 1st, 2006, I uploaded my first ever video to you tube.
I was running my training from my garage at the time, training ONLY Wrestlers & Football players, kinda like what I do now
I was rockin’ a self made web site and a simple blog because web designers back in the day were charging over $ 200 per hour. OUCH!
My lack of knowledge with web sites never stopped me from trying my best to spread the word about my training methods.
I still remember recording that very first video. I went up stairs & asked my wife if she could record a quick video for me as a favor I was using a digital camera back then and as you can tell, my garage was heated, I was sweating bullets during my workout
Friends AND family thought I was crazy, thinking something was wrong me because I had ideas of teaching people how to get strong on the internet. The BIG joke is that I could barely use a computer, unable to even create a PDF document!
Truth be told, I AM CRAZY, this is probably why I am successful.
My craziness blended with my mental toughness AND my passion for strength and muscle building is unrivaled. It drove me to where I am today, all the way back from age 13 when I dreamed of opening my own gym one day…until finally making it happen, even if the start was in my garage…
It was heaven…. I always wanted my own gym. I used to have my Dad drive me all around NJ so I could visit the gyms and see what type of equipment they had and how they ran things. I saw myself as a gym owner, I KNEW it would happen one day!
Beginning in my garage and training only the athletes I wanted to work with was a dream to me. Others laughed while I kept charging onward & upward.
I remember when my wife and I bought that house, I was hunting for a home with a 2 car garage because I KNEW what I wanted to do I knew I would begin my business inside my garage while working as a teacher.
The ceilings were barely high enough for my hands to punch a hole in the ceiling, there might have been 1 inch of clearance, NO kidding!
Before you tube was in existence, I was working with Wrestlers and Football players from my parents back yard and their tiny 1 car garage. Imperfection didn’t bother me in the least, on the other hand, lack of action DID bother me. I knew if I just worked my ass off, good things would finally happen.
I TRULY miss those simple days when the internet was still young, where the “noise” was less and everything 
was extremely raw and natural. There were less Bull Shit artists on the internet and certainly less copy cats and cry babies.
There were maybe 4 or 5 web sites that you could truly go to for quality training information compared to nowadays where there is an overabundance of information that confuses everyone to no end.
I would go to wrestling clubs to train wrestlers with bodyweight only, often times selling workouts and training manuals that I self made from Staples with a 3 ring binder that I shoved inside my red Adidas Bag.
I went out and trained with real people in the real world, yet today, so many people only see the outer layer of The Underground.
They see a big following and a popular blog on the internet, a busy warehouse gym…. they think it all happened easily and overnight.
People rarely dig deep to see what REALLY exists and how it ALL came to fruition. The late nights, the early mornings, the work on weekends, the working during my lunches and never listening to the radio for countless years on end as I would only listen to training or business related CDs to gain more knowledge and bring my closer and closer to my dreams.
I did this as a married man with kids, trust me, it would have been WAY easier if I wasn’t a family man, BUT, my family motivated me to kick ass, I wanted my kids to always be able to look at me as someone who took charge of life and lived his dreams rather than dreamed his life. I KNEW if I did it, my kids would do the same with their own dreams
It was a struggle and people often told me to quit. I was told to keep my teaching job with my pension and health benefits safely lined up.
My training days go back further than many dare to imagine. When I was 19 or 20 I got a job as a trainer in a hospital fitness center. I loved it and worked my way through undergrad and still kept some hours when I was a full time teacher. Then, I began grad school while coaching wrestling and teaching full time.
Somehow, someway, I found time to travel to people’s homes and train them in their living rooms.
At the end of the night, around 9 PM, I would be found in the gym, training with my walkman on, because that was sooooooo damn long ago there was NO such thing as an I POD!!!
In high school I would stay awake late at night, reading all my bodybuilding magazines until 1, 2 or even 3 AM in the middle of the night. Today, it’s NO different. I have vintage training books scattered all around my house so I can read them on a regular basis. I can’t put them down, I can’t let them go.
As they say, Every overnight success story has a long 12 year history.
For those of you reading my blog and hoping to become a Strength Coach and run your own Warehouse Gym, let me tell you…. it takes WORK, a LOT of damn hard work.
With the internet, people forget about real life human interaction, which is what REALLY counts.
Wanna know when I feel MOST at home & most comfortable? When I’m training athletes or working with other Coaches in my gym, where the music is loud, the weights are rusty and I’m sweating bullets. That is ME. It’s where the proving grounds REALLY happen.
One guy told me I could grow my business anywhere because I’m a “Marketing Machine.”
ha ha ha
How soon we forget and how quick we are to judge when we do not know the journey of a man. The ability to grow my business comes down to the fact that the athletes I train become Bad Mother F**ers. They become one man wrecking machines and the RESULTS are what count the most. Period.
Want “marketing”? It’s called getting AMAZING results and showing your clients you truly & genuinely care for their success in sports AND life.
Those who see the surface think a fancy web site with cool logos will do the trick. Then, they wonder why they haven’t made millions of dollars after their first year. Give me, Give me, Give me…. go to Mc Fucking Donalds if you want instant gratification.
In the REAL World, you gotta earn your success, there are NO hand outs.
The weights are my passion and my blood.
It’s what has ALWAYS driven me and it’s what I live and breathe. I want to lift heavy shit and be around heavy shit. I want to learn about ALL things strength because chasing strength helped me build my mental strength and save my life in the process.
Nothing I have ever came to me easily. There have been MANY struggles and I had to earn everything I’ve achieved through blood, sweat and tears.
500 videos in 5 years is a small milestone.
A large reason why I am still here is because of my wife and kids, and, a small group of close friends who believed in me and guided me along the way.
And… a HUGE reason as to why I bust my ass so much is because of the feedback I get from YOU. I have gained so much from the world of strength and muscle building and I see what it does for others so this is just the beginning. You can expect MUCH more from me, every time, I’ll be giving my ALL, it’s the only way I know how to roll!
Thank YOU
Peace!
–Z–
Filed under Articles, Kick Ass Business, Kick Ass Life, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos by on Mar 31st, 2011. 21 Comments.
Don’t think you need to train your arms? HA! Guess again! You NEED to build powerful arms, and, this means that sometimes you gotta specialize and WORK them directly. All this talk of people saying you don’t need direct arm work because all the upper body pushing and pulling will suffice are dead wrong.
Experts claiming that “training arms isn’t functional” are WRONG.
Now, don’t be an extremist and avoid rope climbs, pull ups, heavy rowing, etc. You STILL gotta rock those movements, but, direct arm work will boost your performance in those lifts as well.
Pay attention, Kids…
1) Heavy Cheat Curls, as shown above by Casey Viator, will develop a powerful upper back, a stronger grip, strong shoulders as well as improve your full body lifting power.
RIP the bar up with some aggressive hip action, lower the bar with control, avoid dropping the bar on the way down. I began using cheat curls many years ago after reading how Dave Draper & Arnold used these often to help add strength and mass to not only their biceps, but the upper back / traps, shoulders and forearms.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the crazy ex shot put thrower, Ricky Bruch, who would perform cheat curls in the same fashion as a hang clean as it felt better on his wrists. Rumor has it, he would do these with 315 plus pounds.
George DeFranco, the ORIGINAL warehouse gym owner and father of Joe D, would perform cross body DB Hammer curls using 90 lbs dumbbells. It helped him become one of the best AND most feared arm wrestlers in the world.
By the way, did you know George D. turned down a role in Sylvester Stallone’s movie, ‘Over the Top’? George D has integrity and didn’t want to lose on film unless it was the REAL deal. INTEGRITY!
2) Strong biceps will improve your pulling strength in BIG lifts AND Bodyweight Pulling Movements.
I’ve seen LOTS of people struggle with pull ups. And, 
there are only so many pull ups, recline rows and other pulling movements one can do before it becomes too much for them.
If they have weak, skinny arms, you can expect weak bodyweight pulling power/strength. So, we attack the weak areas and make their biceps stronger to aid their pull ups, get their triceps stronger to aid their push ups and dips.
Being weak sucks. It just ain’t cool and there are TOO many weak people roaming around these days. If there’s a weak muscle, attack it until it becomes strong(er).
3) Strong triceps will improve pressing strength. Can’t crank push ups or bench heavy? Triceps fatigue as the reps get high on push ups? Time to jack up the triceps. Dips, close grip benching and skull crushers are amongst my favorites and they deliver the results.
Tate presses and lying extensions with Russian Kettlebells are also pretty darn good! They have always produced the best results time and again. Pushdowns pale in comparison to the results of the basic triceps movements. Don’t be scared to go heavy and hit sets of 6 – 8 reps on these BIG lifts.
When I was young I could barely perform 1 pull up or 1 parallel bar dip. I would do 1 or 2 reps at a time until I complete 20 total. The next workout I went for 22 total, then 25, then 30, 40 and 50.
I ate pull ups for breakfast! I remember doing 26 pull ups my sophomore year in high school during wrestling season while weighing 145 lbs. I can do 26 pull ups today, while weighing 215 lbs.But guess what, I’m NOT impressed with myself. 30 reps needs to be done!
Dips were impressed upon me at an early age as well, reading plenty of books by Arnold he always showed powerful looking bodybuilders performing dips, often times with added weight.
Back in my early years at The Metuchen Y, Big George used to crank countless sets of dips with heavy weights strapped around his waist. He did set after set for what seemed to take 20 or 30 minutes! His arms stretched through his shirt sleeves and he also had a POWERFUL upper body and could bench the house.
I’m sure his powerful arms helped him grip the heavy barbells he used for deadlifts, rows and pressing. They’ll do the same for you if you attack your guns SERIOUSLY.
4) Strongman training puts tremendous strain on the biceps.
Before you become a tire flippin’ freak, you better make sure your biceps can handle the stress that comes from ripping through 500 + lb tire flips.
Remember, if you want to reduce chances of injury, don’t be weak. This is why girls often times tear their ACLs. The lack of stability and strength in the supporting musculature and tissue / ligaments are NOT prepared for sprints, jumps, change of direction, etc. so in turn, we see LOTS of female Basketball players tearing ACLs.
Jack up your guns and better prepare yourself for the rigors of strongman training.
5. A pair or thick, rugged looking arms looks BadAss. Period.
Some closing thoughts on jacking up your GUNS:
- You don’t need to perform a million sets or spend incredible amounts of time training your arms. If you’re hitting the heavy upper body pushing and pulling with free weights and bodyweight exercises then pick one exercise for biceps and triceps and hit em’ hard for 2 – 4 quality sets.
- Mix up the movements for your arms and mix up the reps as well. You can train heavy in the 6 – 8 range or light to moderate for 15-25 reps.
- If you find that certain movements hurt the elbows when performed heavy, be smart, try them with lighter weight and higher reps or eliminate them altogether.
- Don’t neglect the gun show just because the internet gurus have touted direct arm work as being “non-functional”.
Go ahead, tear into the gun show work and start stretching your shirt sleeves!
Peace.
–Z–
Recommended Resources:
Underground Strength Coach Cert
Filed under Articles, Strength Building, Zach's Workouts, muscle building by on Jan 20th, 2011. 28 Comments.
It’s the year 2011 and I NEVER make New Year’s Resolutions, I ALWAYS resolve to do things NOW. I’m an action oriented guy, waiting for the perfect time does nothing.
But, ONE thing I am careful with is who I contribute my work to and who I associate myself with.
The lack of integrity that I have come across has bothered me, and NO, I will not harp on it, this is just me giving a rant that for those who read my blog, I hope you continue to live your life with passion and integrity.
Feel free to drop comments below.
In Strength,
–Z–
Recommended Events:
Underground Strength Coach Cert
How to Kick Ass Seminar / Business Immersion Course
Filed under Announcements, Articles, Kick Ass Business, Kick Ass Life, Q & A, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos by on Jan 11th, 2011. 21 Comments.
I believe in doing what you love, following your passion and making something happen from it.
I believe in living my dreams, NOT dreaming my life.
I wanted The USC cert to change people’s lives, NOT just teach them about training athletes.
Here’s an inside look through the years of USC Certifications….
My first Underground Strength Coach Cert of 2011 is in Fort Faulderdale.
20 people can attend and since the cert is on sale now ($400 off) we’ve already have several sign ups.
See you in Sunny Florida!
–Z–
Recommended Resources:
North Carolina Strength Coaches Clinic
Underground Strength Coach Cert
Filed under Kick Ass Business, Kick Ass Life, Success, Videos by on Dec 23rd, 2010. 1 Comment.
Here is the final installment of my 2 part video QnA regarding the question, “Should I become a CrossFit Affiliate?”
Feel free to comment in the comments section below
Peace!
–Z–
Recommended Resources:
Underground Strength Coach Cert
Mobility WOD with Kelly Starrett
Filed under Articles, Kick Ass Business, Kick Ass Life, Q & A, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos by on Dec 21st, 2010. 4 Comments.
“You can’t do that”
“You’re too old”
“You’re too young”
“You’ve got no money”
“That’s too hard”
“Nobody ever did that”
“You’re crazy”
“Stop Dreaming”
Let me tell you something. Many of the most successful people in the world were told some, all and MORE of the negative comments you just read above.
Many had it worst off than You and I. They slept in their car, went bankrupt, lost their home, their family and / or their friends.
I was very often told to quit, to not do this or that, not to open my gym in “that area”, not to quit my job. Many look at what I am doing now and don’t even TRY to see what I went through to get HERE.
For those of you going for a dream, it sounds cliche but VERY true, you can NOT listen to the negative naysayers or the haters. It’s also WAY harder than it looks. It’s a rough journey and the majority quit.
It’s up to you to decide if you make it or not.
Check the vids for this Monday Motivation & please share with friends:
The video below relays a critical message, I hope you catch it as it’s a quick one. The tears remind me of buying my recent house. It was a just a little part in my life, which helped change the life of my family, for my wife and for my kids, FOREVER.
Enjoy….
Success isn’t as easy as many claim it to be.
It was a tough, long and windy road. I got there, but, not without gut busting hard work, and, most importantly, the love of my wife and kids. I’m still clawing my way because I don’t settle, I ONLY climb.
See you on the “road”?
Drop a comment, let me know
Peace!
–Z–
PS: I Get COUNTLESS e mails and messages from people telling me they want to do what I do but they take NO action. That’s what you call being a chicken shit.
Remember: You’re either predator or prey. YOU choose.
Do you want to be a Strength Coach or a Warehouse gym owner?
Then STOP talkin’ and Start DOING. See You at The Underground Strength Coach Certification
PPS: Do you want to become a BEAST? Do you want to be strong mentally AND physically, confidence and energy like a Bad MoFo. Then DO something about it. We’re an Army growing every day, join us HERE.
Filed under Articles, Calendar, Kick Ass Business, Kick Ass Life, Monday Motivation, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos, man up monday by on Sep 26th, 2010. 26 Comments.
I am a highly motivated Coach. I feel this is a fault, perhaps not though? You can comment below and drop your thoughts as my mind wanders too much. I find myself louder, more aggressive and more intense than 99.9% of my athletes. I want them to train harder, rest less, move heavier weights.
I sometimes wonder why I am so loud and excited and they seem so quiet. I try to calm down and let them take the wheel. I wait to see if they will have intrinsic motivation. A few are animals and show the eye of the tiger, others seem to be searching for that inner animal. Perhaps it just isn’t there?
Here and there a parent tells me they will no longer have little Johnny continue training at The Underground Strength Gym due to finances yet little Johnny has a Lexus or an Infiniti at the age of 17. He doesn’t have a job either. Finances? Naaaaaa. Different priorities? Yes.
If finances are a problem and you’re a young lad go get a job and help Mom and Dad, NOT for gym membership, but because it’s the RIGHT thing to do. If you don’t want to be a kick ass athlete and don’t enjoy a brutally challenging workout we don’t want you here anyway.
Other times they say Little Johnny is too busy. Too busy to train 1 or 2 hours each week? I am confused. What does Little Johnny do after school? Is there really 6 hours of homework every day?
At The Underground Strength Gym, we are not training to fit in with others and to become part of Team Average. Sorry, we’re here to be front and center of Team Ass Kicker. Period. Need I explain any further?
The world has enough lazy excuse makers but The Underground doesn’t have room for ONE such athlete who doesn’t demand excellence of himself.
Watch the video below and ask yourself if you too have such desire.
Notice the Coach did NOT make any special treatments for the aspiring boxer. The boxer had to pay for his coaching as do all other students. The boxer had to work for his money. The boxer was clearly comfortable being UNcomfortable.
And, let me tell you a little secret. You need to learn how to get comfortable being uncomfortable. If you wanna succeed in this world, let me cut through the hype and BS of everything happening fast and easy. Sorry, the things worth anything nowadays require some serious gut busting work. That’s THE truth.
And that’s your Monday Motivation.
Peace!
–Z–
PS: Running your own garage or warehouse gym is NOT easy. It takes serious work to grow your business. If you’re ready to learn, I will teach you, time waits for no man or woman….
==> Underground Strength Coach Certification
PPS: Wanna see how I train athletes AND myself. Updated almost daily with 24-7 access to me. Take the 30 day Trial for The Underground Inner Circle, Click HERE.
Filed under Articles, Calendar, Kick Ass Life, Monday Motivation, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos by on Sep 19th, 2010. 24 Comments.
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