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Undergrounders -
Quick Heads Up on some New Stuff but please make sure you read this ENTIRE Blog Post.
Some Very powerful info to share with you:
I've got a new "camp", so for those who keep asking when the next USC Cert is going down, we have a few 1 day camps where you can become a Level 1 OR Level 2 Underground Strength Coach. Everything is explained HERE
Once the fall starts up again, I will get back to cranking 2 day camps / certs.
Summer time always proves craziness w/people on vacations, etc so I decided to introduce these Intensive camps, where we cover just as much info as we do in the 2 day course, but now you will push hard and go for 1 day, starting earlier & finishing later.
It takes mental toughness and showing up READY, and these are 2 BIG qualities expected of Underground Strength Coaches.
Underground Strength Camp Details are Linked Up Here
Make sure you Read this Entire blog post and you'll see WHY I've created a training camp and WHY this Underground Strength Camp is NOT JUST for Coaches & is MORE than simply about being a Strength Coach - this is BEYOND a training camp for Strength Coaches...
Check it....
Take A Quick Trip, Back In Time With Me.....
During my early 20s I began getting aggressively involved in "self development". I guess you can say I was climbing my personal Mt. Everest. I was learning how to control my happiness as well as my life and my days of depression were not that far behind me, so I was VERY careful to let anything cause me to slip up and fall backwards.
In Simpler Terms: How can I ensure that I wake up every morning psyched, happy and ready to have an awesome day?
Sounds kinda weird, but let me tell ya, my first few years as a teacher, I used to get fired UP for my day! Key words being, "used to..." Things changed when administration changed. The paper work, the rude parents, the lack of respect for physical education.... It was draining to say the least.
But, those first 5 years were awesome. I would crank music in the morning as I would shave, shower and eat breakfast, amped up to have a career I was so passionate for.
I would crank music in my car on the way to work, fired up and excited that I was on my way to a job (an actual career) that I had Passion for, a place I was excited to be part of. I KNEW my attitude had a lot to do with my success as a teacher. I wanted to see what else I could achieve if I would learn from one of the most inspiring people in the world, Tony Robbins.
I likely have told you the story of me using an entire pay check (2 weeks worth of work) to get front row seats at a Tony Robbins event called UPWI or Unleash The Power Within. Yep, I walked on fire, went all out from 8 am - 1 am for 3 or 4 nights, laughed, danced, cried....
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGdLkyy-bpE[/youtube]
At the time of attending Tony's seminar, I didn't have ANY aspirations of becoming a Strength Coach, running my own business and crafting my life. In fact, I had NO goals for finances at all! I remember sharing my goals during one of the sessions with a successful businessman and a former Army Ranger, he was looking at my goals and that was the FIRST thing he said to me.... "I notice you don't have any financial goals here?"
I answered, "I just wanna be happy!"
I was there to learn more about being Happy.
Yep.
That's it.... may not sound like much, but, to me, happiness is everything. I push away the shit that makes me unhappy, unfulfilled and does anything negative to me and my overall energy / well being.
It's still one of the MAIN factors in how I revolve much of my decision making, although I am more mature and smarter today than I was some 13 years ago or so, happiness guides me.
You see, I've experienced depression, although I was only 18 when this came about (half a life time ago), I learned that I was basically DEAD for an entire 6 months.
I didn't enjoy life, my grades suffered, I didn't gain an ounce of strength or muscle.... Nothing good came about.
Above, post workout pic at The Underground. In The Trenches... this is where I LOVE to be and that is where my unique ability lies... helping others kick ass & take names. GO Where You Are Happiest.
I know the pain that comes from this experience but I also know how to take control of my life now, I know how to face challenges, obstacles and how to achieve success and happiness. It takes HARD work, you can't DREAM it up like many of these books and feel good seminars try to convince you.
A couple tips to apply to your life immediately:
- The past is the past, it doesn't exist anymore, let it go and focus on moving onward, upward and learning from the experience.
- Give yourself only ONE option after a challenging experience may have stumped you: Become a stronger, better person from the experience: physically, mentally and spiritually / emotionally.
- Dump the negative, whining, complaining, energy zapping people who are in your life. These people are sometimes those closest to you, it doesn't matter. This is about YOU.
- Give yourself permission to treat yourself with Respect & Dignity. Be selfish and be COOL about it.
Nothing wrong with taking care of YOU. If you're not making yourself happy it's likely you won't be helping others either.
In life, if you remain static and don't grow personally, you will stress yourself out.
Resisting growth in life is one of the most stressful things you can do to yourself.
You are supposed to evolve, don't fight it.
This means you should try new and different training programs.
You should be reading books that educate, motivate and inspire you to to take action.
I've been reading a lot of books before bed every night, a ritual I started when I was 22 years young.
I've been changing my training and running more than I ever have in the past 20 years.
I just signed up for a 5 mile race on July 4th.
The bottom line: Push yourself, challenge yourself, treat yourself GREAT, become better every day and you WILL experience a life of passion.
Sounds a bit weird n' all but I'm speaking the truth.
Ya gotta make it happen through ACTION.
Stronger Than Yesterday
--Z--
PS: The Underground Training Camp is NOT just for Coaches.
It's about challenging yourself, becoming part of a group of highly motivated people, go-getters every step of the way and ultimately becoming a better YOU.
Spaces have already been filled from our Underground Strength Conference so I expect the NJ Camps to fill up Extremely quickly:
Underground Strength Camp - Details HERE
PPS: Please connect with me on facebook and twitter, linked below.
I am sharing lots of articles, videos and tips that I can't share through e mails.
We also have special contests with prizes, give aways and more, ONLY through my fan page and twitter.
Hope to connect with you there!
7 Responses
Good stuff Zack! Thanks! I give everyone that signs up with my gym a Tony Robbins audio cd.
Real life stuff man. That’s awesome. Biggest thing I am attacking in my own life and business is getting rid of the stuff that stresses me out. Running a business is hard enough you don’t need the tons of other things to bring you down. Chase your passion!!
Zach,
this is some real stuff- emotional, open, personal & inspiring.
Awesome or like Warner Nickerson used to say: “the sun never sets on awesome!”
Everyone has certain mountains to climb – some bigger and steeper ones, others just some small hills. It’s the way how you accomplish the tasks of life, how you carry yourself when the shit hits the fan, when the going gets tough.
Do you quit? Do you give up? Do you carry youself with dignity & integrity through the valleys of life?
It is a true virtue to come out of these tasks not being beat up, not being bitter, with your dreams intact and being a better, stronger person.
As a young gun, you don’t care and run around life not knowing. As you get more life experience and collect more life scars you get more sensible about these things. That is why I train for life, why I want to be prepared, ready to fight when life throws a new challenge at me. That is physically, emotionally and mentally.
Pure stuff. You just know when its pure! Thx, big Z.
Have an awesome sunday!
Cheers
Great post
Happiness, the one thing many people miss out on, if they do experience it, it’s most likely short-term. Everyone should strive to live a life that fuels off of happiness. If happiness isn’t fueling you, your engine (life) will just shut down.
Quick update on my BW-Training:
Finished week 4 of the intro course. As I had some birthdays and family businesses to take care of my mind wasn’t that focused last week on the training. Therefore I decided to go through week 4 one more time.
The Iso-training introduced in week 3 was really tough on me. I guess that is one of my weak points. As long as I move and move things I’m fine – but holding for strength? Puuuh! When I read what crazy iso-training Bud Jeffries is doing right now I can only shake my head. These days really got me – I was shaking after the sessions. hahaha…
Otherwise everything flows nicely. Have cut back a bit on my endurance and weight training, but will have a go at it again this week.
Cheers
SVEN
Live with no regrets! I like the “past is the past”. It never fails when I start talking about my code people (haters) are quick to remind me I wasn’t always that way.
Remember the past but do not live in the past. Remembering will help you prevent repeating past mistakes.
Move forward! Live with no regret!
I simply loved the suggestions that one should add immediately to one’s life. I am looking forward to adding these to my life especially “The past is the past, it doesn’t exist anymore, let it go and focus on moving onward, upward and learning from the experience.”Thumbs up.