If you've been following me for some time, you've likely heard me use the phrase, Comfort is the Enemy. But...... Let me expand on this. Comfort is the Enemy..... IN TRAINING. But, what about Life? Should life always be a struggle? Should life always be uncomfortable? It depends (of course!). Some people, like my friend Joe DeSena, find happiness when pushing and being uncomfortable. Others, need more flow and more happiness in life. So it depends, very much like … [Read more...]
STRONG Life BONUS with The Mind Muscle Project: Underground Strength Gym Stories & Lessons
The boys from The Mind Muscle Project hit this one out of the park when they interviewed me. It was reminiscent of when The Barbell Shrugged crew came to NJ and we could have kept talking for hours on end. This episode is a Bonus of The STRONG Life Podcast and you're going to LOVE it! We talk about early days of The Underground Strength Gym and how it all started. From my $3,000 "Lunch at Taco Bell" with Gary Vaynerchuk to how I got away from the fakeness of "the fitness industry" which I … [Read more...]
199 | Rachel Balkovec Interviews Zach on Childhood Upbringing, Coaching Philosophy & More!
Here we go, STRONG Life Podcast ep. 199 with Rachel Balkovec. Rachel interviewed me for her Theta Wave Podcast while on my drive to teaching and we got into some awesome history behind my training, my childhood and how these experiences have shaped my coaching philosophy. I share the infamous story of "Andrei The Giant" from Israel and lots of history from The Underground Strength Gym including how my mindset has changed from the business focus to the coaching / teaching focus. Prepare … [Read more...]
Why Strength Coaches MUST Have Grit aka “Mental Toughness” (Plus Business Tips)
This article is about GRIT & Toughness for the Strength & Conditioning Coach. This profession is NOT easy. The hours can be crazy and the vacations can be little but we are SO damn passionate about what we do, it's a double edged sword. I've been at The D1 Level and of course the independent level, running at times up to 4 locations of The Underground Strength Gym. Thank God for wrestling because it taught me to be TOUGH. From my first job working at JFK Fitness Center to my … [Read more...]
Iron Roots – Ep. 11 – Mike Mentzer aka Mr. Heavy Duty
I was 12 years old, maybe 13 when I first came across the training of Mike Mentzer aka Mr. Heavy Duty. I remember thinking to myself, Holy s--t, this guy looks like he's been carved from stone! Mike had a different physique than the others and the photos of him in training were INTENSE. He looked like he was destroying the gym along with his training partners Casey Viator and Ray Mentzer (his brother). With The Iron Roots Podcast, it's important for me to bring back and share many of … [Read more...]
Seek The Discomfort
Here is a short snippet From my morning newsletter aka The STRONG Life Insider. I am intrigued by people. MORE intrigued with who is tough vs who is not. Who quits vs who keeps going. Who punches the clock vs who does AWESOME work. Who genuinely cares about their work and how they work vs those who never gives a sh-t. What type of person are you? Normal people quit. A LOT. … [Read more...]
Are You Allergic……
As I am doing some research for some up and coming episodes of The Iron Roots Podcast I came across some of my favorite articles. Articles from the 60s and early 70s, before I was born. What do these articles talk about? The BASICS. Getting STRONG. Eating. A LOT. Finding a Way vs Finding an Excuse. But today. Not enough can do the above. Why? Because they're allergic. … [Read more...]
Iron Roots Ep. 10 – Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia by John Jesse
This book was gifted to me in the early 2000s by Josh Henkin, creator of The Ultimate Sandbag. I will never forget how grateful I was and still am that Josh shared this book with me! This book was written in 1974, before I was even born! Coach John Jesse was WELL ahead of his time, in fact, this was a time period in athletics where many Coaches were warning against weightlifting because You'll become muscle bound or Your muscles will turn to fat if you stop training. If you're ready to … [Read more...]
THIS GUY WANTS TO BE SOMEBODY!!!
I just received an e mail and HAD to share it. I withhold the person's last name for privacy and screen shot it below as well so you can see no words have been edited. This e mail fired me UP! It reminded me of Mark Smelly Bell's story of how a Powerlifter announcer would shout after each successful lift was made, THIS GUY WANTS TO BE SOMEBODY!!! Listen..... Not everyone REALLY wants to be somebody. Not everyone has that inner Spartan or inner Gladiator. But for those who … [Read more...]
Gladiator STRONG + How I Messed Up My Own Training When I Was Younger?
When I was younger and competing in sports, wrestling specifically, I was unfortunately training the WRONG way. And as an athlete, time is crucial. You NEVER get that time back and so, you miss out on opportunity. The opportunity to train the RIGHT way is often times the difference maker between you being part of the team vs you being someone who goes down in the history books. It was the late 80s and the early 90s when I was training complete opposite of The Gladiator STRONG method. I was … [Read more...]
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