Kicking Ass isn’t for everyone. Period.
It’s too hard.
I’m too tired.
It’s too expensive.
A family emergency came up.
I’m busy.
I don’t have time.
Excuses piss me off.
On the flip side, excuses are fine by me because that makes it easier to get to the top.
Those who win have no excuses. They bull doze through anything that gets in their way.
If something goes wrong, they take responsibility and learn from their mistakes.
There is no.....
Next year...
Next time...
My girlfriend...
My boyfriend....
It’s amazing to see the excuses I hear and see so many use and actually believe. Excuse makers brainwash themselves and give them self the Green Light to fail.
In life, you must be a Hunter. If not, you become the Hunted. It’s your choice.
There are people out there right now, busting their ass to get ahead, while you sulk.
Some wake up early and go to bed late, but they LOVE what they do.... like me.
I’m sure that if you’re going through a tough time right now, someone else is going through a tougher time and still kicking ass and taking names. Did you listen to my audio interview with Dan John? His BIGGEST lesson learned came from losing.
If you haven't listened yet, you've got homework, my friend. You will learn a lot, and learning is part of the game. Getting under the bar is the BIGGEST part of the game.
That holds true for those who wanna get strong and jacked as well as the business peeps out there. I am shocked at how many business owners or aspiring business owners feel they don't need to learn more training, just more business. Training IS the business.
If training, business or life isn't going your way. You need to do something about it.
It’s your decision. Completely up to you. Circumstances will and can control you, if you let them.
Or, you can decide to say F**K it, and react your own way and dominate as you wish. It will NOT be easy. There will be blood on the bar and you will probably feel some fear.
Fear is GOOD. It means you have stepped outside your comfort zone and have strayed from the norm.
Normal actions = Normal results.
Surround yourself with the right people and the right information if you want to win.
The wrong people and wrong information will bring you down. Once again, this holds true for business and in life. I rarely have training partners because far and few between want to train like a madman.
Even I need a reminder sometimes.
I have my flaws, we all can agree on that, but I have gotten very good at facing adversity and dominating.
I dominate because I choose to dominate.
My mental toughness has been cultivating since my days as a wrestler. The days when I got my ass handed to me. I learned through failure. I refuse to lose. Been there, done that. Times are different now, my bruddahs and ladies.
I am highly motivated to win and succeed at everything I do.
I can NOT motivate you, that must come from within.
I will give you the tools to kick ass and take names, from there, you must take the necessary action steps and put the wheels in motion if you want to kick ass and take names.
Kicking Ass....It’s not for everyone, I used to think it was for the top 10%, then I thought it was for life’s top 5%, then I had a phone conversation with my friend and mentor, Alwyn Cosgrove, and we both agreed that it’s less than the top 1%!
Whether it is training, business or anything else in life, start taking action and start being a warrior. It’s a mind set shift, that is where it begins. But ACTION is what is necessary.
Don’t read all those mindset books and then sit on your ass hoping for jacked up muscles to appear or the life of your dreams to suddenyl pop up because you sat under a tree and meditated.
No one reaches the top with out working for it.
Peace!
–Z–
Reccomended Resources / Events (Click Below)
1 Day Underground Training & Business Mastermind
Convict Conditioning - Bad Ass Bodyweight Workouts & Training
30 Day Underground Trial - Where Strength is a Way of Life
30 Responses
I just printed this post out and put it on my vision wall. Could you kick ass any harder, Zach? You ROCK my friend. YOU ROCK!!!!
Being an educator myself makes me realize how lucky I am to be in this role. Too often we hear people complaining about their situation when there are those less fortunate struggling to make ends meet. It’s especially difficult during this time of year when others (specifically children)go hungry.
People like you only motivate me to get better. As my dad would say, “As long as there are people out there who aren’t willing to do what it takes, you will always be successful.”
Keep it up Zach!
As always, little things like these reminds me that I will succeed. Well done Z, you have the right attitude. Peace to you and your family
Zach, You are right. Even if there was a magic pill that did everything there would be people who would think that was too much work. Blaze th eway. Thoses who want to follow will. The others are just going to take up space. Cheers
You are right on the money Zee you are either a Lion or a Sheep. Lions work hard and smart to hunt their prey , Sheep just wait for the next hand out to either have some one feed them or get hunted. You are either a Lion or a Sheep .
“The wrong people and wrong information will bring you down.”
Zach always sez it like it iz!!
Pour it on my brother, pour it on! 37 years I’ve been doing this coaching gig and the excuses have not changed one bit…. they are still excuses! “An excuse is the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.” I’ve used that quote forever with my players. Just yesterday, in our off-season weight lifting for football, I got a couple. Have a nice life, son, I have to go work with players who want to WIN!
Life is designed to put you down. Whether you stay there or not is up to you.
One of these days, Zach, I’m coming to the dirty Jersie to meet you. Keep pouring it on!
Less then 1%? Probably. I am in decent shape but not great shape. My problem has not been motivation in the area of “exercise” or “working out”, it has been in the area of education. This past year I have not only kept myself motivated to exercise but found a new, much needed, motivation to educate myself in multi areas (fat loss workouts, power lifting, body building, functional training, strong man, bodyweight, kettlebells, etc) and although I do not use all these method at least I now know what I have at my disposal, where as a year or so ago all I know was fat loss type workouts (which never really worked for me because I need to add muscle, but that is another story). My long winded point is that part of the reason it is less then 1% is not only due to lack of motivation to workout and push ones self but also a lack of even the basics when it comes to overall fitness and health. Now, I am no expert and I have a lot to learn, but I go to the gym and see it all the time; people working out with no real plan, no pen and paper, no idea what they are doing, and way too much socializing. They made it to the gym but that is about it. Zach, you have been an inspiration to me (and also Elliott Hulse and Sean Nalewanyj). This year you can expect great gains from me and some pics and #’ to back it up. Looking forward to your next vid/blog.
Z,
I hear you man. This past week has really gotten to me. Some of my players have no clue what it takes to win. They make excuses as to why they can’t come work out, it’s driving me crazy. They whine and complain about not getting a stupid award at a dinner! We have no idea what it takes to win. I’m trying to change em, but I’m getting more and more angry by the day man! Tomorrow is gonna be hell for them in the gym, time to unleash it on these kids!
Zach,
True dat!
So many think that 90% of the battle is just showing up.
Gyms are filled with people “just showing up”.
They lift and train the same way for years with no progress.
10% of the battel is showing up.
Putting forth the gut-busting effort is the other 90% of the battle.
A persons got to
change the way they think,
change the way they act,
changer the way they eat,
change the way they train,
if they want to change their life.
Adversity is just a ramp to success.
or
Adversity is a chasm that swallows you.
Only you can decide which it is for you.
And if you choose to not decide or wait and do nothing, you are already in the chasm.
Zach,
Got the go ahead from my surgeon: I can train again! So I did. Did a warmup of:
Power snatch, overhead squat, back squat, press behind neck and bent rows. 3*5 with just a light 22lb. bar. for 3 circuits.
Then Power clean, front squat and press for 8,6,4 reps for 2 sets. Used 45 lb. bar.
I was sucking wind. Can’t believe how much mobility and strength I lost from the surgery and having to lay around healing.
But I WILL get my weights back up there and join you on the power cleans with 135 and eventually a whole lot more.
Keep on pounding away Zach!
Walter
Honestly, this is one of the best blog posts ever.
I have never been a part of the hive. I have always seperated myself from the masses and I have created myself.
When it comes to training I agree aswell. The biggest obstacle in my gym is all the people almost “accidentaly” trying to put me off my game! I want to crush the gym but it’s harder the more people who’s there. That why I’ve started to train during saturday and sunday mornings! The squat rack and the stereo for myself.
“If you let them make you, they’ll make you paper mache
At a distance you’re strong, until the wind comes
Then you crumble and blow away
If you let them fuck you, there will be no fore-play
Rest assured, they’ll screw you complete. Til your ass is blue and gray”
Incubus – Make yourself.
Zach,
The truth is that most people are too comfortable and don’t want to achieve their goals badly enough. Sure, they’d “like” to have a six-pack, they’d “like” to put 300 over their heads, and they’d “like” to own their own six-figure business.
BUT… They have a warm house… food in their belly… their job doesn’t suck THAT much, does it… they get laid on Thursday nights, at least once a month…
Until the vast majority of people decide that their current state is simply unacceptable and they’re willing to fight, kill, and die to improve it then they’re going to just stay comfortable and bitch a lot.
Competitiveness is getting bred out of our culture and being replaced with complacency. Now that, my friend, is unacceptable.
Isaac
Jackie, ha ha, hells yea, I’ve only just begun!!!
I’ll kick plenty more ass next week during our interview!
Derek, I am psyched to hear your plans of changing the youth you teach bruddah!
Everybody above me has somed it up really well so I will leave you with some quotes, which strengthen your stand and the stand of anyone willing to work for their dream.
“Do or do not, there is no try.”
Yoda
Jedi master,
from the “Star Wars” series
“Problems are only opportunities
in work clothes.”
Henry J. Kaiser (1882-1967)
American industrialist
One more thing way to rock the DeathMatch.
Keep Rockin It
Blaine Gilbert
Michael M – 1 of the greatest teachers you can have is experience….. the more you train the more you learn what works or doesn’t work!
kick ass!
Isaac, u know it my friend, you’re either the Hunter or the hunted…..
Zach, once again I have to say it: Training without the attitude of a beast sucks! I love it when I get the feeling that the weights are hurting when I hit it! And you are responsible for this madness! Love it!!!
Zach, you continue to inspire how I coach my athletes/clients every single day. I learn something every time I come to your blog! Keep up the great work!
John Cortese
Z,
Kick ass post and thank you for it. Just like you said we all need a kick in the ass and a reminder sometimes and thats exactly what this did for me. Been having some rough times personally and with business.
I dont know exactly what to do next or where to go but I am not going to sit by and wait to see I am just going to get up and out and make it happen.
So again thank you for this post. You are and always will be a friend/mentor/ and a great inspiration. Keep killin it.
-Matty Holmes
Zach,
Thought this video might be appropriate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9PqA
Zach… been away awhile my friend but back in full force now. This post hits home as I always hear excuses from people why they “can’t instead of why they “can”. Life is filled with those who can’t… you seem them everyday at your regular job or on the street… the ones who have just given up on their dreams and settled in a comfort zone.Keep up the good work.. you were one of the first people i found on the net when i decided to pursue personal training as a career. You are one of the “real” ones buddy. Keep bringing the message because there are still some out there that need to hear it!!!!
Ricardo & John, thnx Bruddahs!!
Matty, those tough times come, keep pressing onward, try new things, b/c if the wheel is broke, U gotta fix it.
I know you can, your gym is bad ass and you got the skills to transform weaklings into beasts, we gotta keep pressing onward 2 get the word out there!
PB, hells yea, that video is appropriate on a daily basis.
They should play it in the weight rooms of high schools especially, we need to rebuild the younger generation.
Dee, Psyched to see you back Bruddah, I am honored my Blog inspires you, now you need to crank up the volume and let the world know about YOU!
“Excuses piss me off.”
Ha – good stuff man. I’m in the same boat. I tell people that hard training is all about “Mind Over Matter”…
B/c if you don’t mind, it don’t matter. 😉
Keep up the kickass work, man.
Wiggy
http://www.workingclasscardioworkout.com
http://www.workingclassfitness.com
Zach,
Talk about lighting a fire under someones ass. This one is good. Today’s muddy workout is going to be bad ass! We are going to leave everything on the field.
Keep the goods coming!
Mike
The clan that I play with has recently heavily gotten into League of Legends. They rock 5v5’s almost ever night. Check them out if you want a good game: http://www.2ndwindgaming.com