Austin Powers

I arrived in Austin last Friday after an early 6 am flight (which means I was up at 3 AM & on the road for 3:30 AM). This was my 3rd time in the ATX, and, thinking it would be my last time, at least for a year. I figured I’ll take a trip elsewhere for The USC Cert next year. Go somewhere else, be adventurous, right?

You see…. I’m not much of a traveler and I actually perform my best knowing I’m coming home to my family every night… my wife and my kids. Even if it’s a hectic work day, a late night, simply knowing we’re under the same roof and waking up together gives me a strength difficult to describe.

I’m asked often times to go here and there for The USC Cert, from California to Colorado, Puerto Rico to London, Costa Rica to Italy…..

But, EVERY time I’m in Austin I am fired up WAY beyond the norm. If you know me even somewhat well, you know I’m already fired up on the regular, but there’s something about Austin…. Austin Powers, that takes me from a level 20 to a level 30. And I’m talking on a scale of 1 to 10.

In a nut shell, while I’m in Austin, I feel like I’m with family. That feeling calms me down AND empowers me at the same time.

When I arrived in Austin last Friday I was ready to take a nap and recharge, get myself ready for the big weekend ahead. When I fly, my energy is sucked out of me due to stress and some calming meds 🙂 But, I was called upon to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather and train with the Coaches of CrossFit Central for their 1 PM training session.

I felt like crap but I KNEW that a workout would be the best thing to overcome my post flight fatigue….. I rolled up in a cab and the gym was electric, I could FEEL the energy from well over 100′ away on the other side of the road….

Coaches were fired up to attack their training session while the music was pumping and spectators surrounded the gym.

The workout called for Barbell Thrusters + Chest to bar pull ups for 7 minutes, going from 3 reps to 6, 9, 12, 15….. adding 3 reps each set. I’m NOT an expert at the common crossfit lifts so I opted for 185 lb deadlifts + chest to bar pull ups instead.

That was a brutal 7 minutes 🙂

Above, JT firing up his Coaches AFTER the team workout.

Each time I’m in Austin I notice this ONE thing: TEAM.

In NJ, when I hold a USC cert, most attendees come alone. Here and there a partner but NEVER  team. In Austin, the TEAMS show up. The majority of Coaches are 2 – 4 coaches coming from one gym. That’s a team. They ALL have one common goal, one common bond, one common theme.

Last year’s cert was the same. TEAMS of Coaches rolled up, NOT lone rangers.

There is certainly beauty to be found in doing things on your own. The view is magnificent from the top of the mountain, the air is cleaner and then you want to grow from there and spread your knowledge…. but with who? How? You’re all alone, atop this beautiful mountain, no wing man, no teammate.

If the most elite soldiers in the world act in teams, why aren’t enough gym owners & strength coaches doing so?

As you can tell, the most powerful teams have a collective goal. Less egos and a strong mission to achieve. I was told years ago by a close friend that he felt I was put on this earth to make people strong. VERY true. That mission has never left me, it’s at the front of my mind at all times, thinking of ways to help people become strong in mind and strong in body.

I USED to enjoy being a one man show. But I see things WAY differently now. I see my mission as a collective mission, also called Underground Strength Nation, where we are all sharing our knowledge with others with the same goal in mind, building strong minds and strong bodies.

That mission not only strengthens those who come in contact with us, it also strengthens those in THEIR lives. STRENGTH is a gift that keeps on giving. It goes FAR beyond success in the weight room, the wrestling mat, etc. As one of our adult athletes says, “We’re training for LIFE!”

Nothing could be further from the truth.

So, ask yourself, are you part of a team, or are you all about YOU? Dig deeper and ask yourself “WHY?”

Is your mission to help others to make yourself look good?

Drop a comment below, looking forward to your thoughts!

In Strength,

–Z–

PS: The next USC Cert in NJ will be announced soon, make sure you’re subscribed to our e mail updates to get the announcement. Our next USC Cert is a 1 day intensive cert in Kirkland, Washington.

Details are HERE, space is limited.

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