Lately, I've been signing off from my e mails lately with a line that is firing peeps UP!
It goes like this: "Stronger Than Yesterday"
3 powerful words, short and to the point.
If we're not making ourselves stronger than yesterday, better than yesterday, then we're NOT living.
When I know someone is stronger than me, smarter than me, has greater knowledge than me.... I WANT to LEARN from that person..... drop the ego and be willing to LEARN from others.
That's why I had Mandler make a video and a special workout, specifically for Underground Strength Nation.... a story that comes from the heart and a workout to not only build physical strength, but mental toughness as well.
Check this video out....
Listen & watch this video. KILL the distractions....
Mandler is a FREAK-ing BEAST. The dude is strong as hell.... he lives by his own rules and his success isn't a mistake. His success greatly came about because of what he learned through his workouts, accepting the fact that he will suffer and becoming comfortable with being UNcomfortable.
We ALL have "that story", that time when something happened in our life and we drew a line in the sand and NEVER looked back. It was the moment that got you to stand up.... FOREVER.
This is Mandler's story along with a workout we need to attack! Check it out and see the workout at the end as well, it's NASTY.
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcFap_O-Sfk[/youtube]
Do you have a story that finally got you to stand UP!?
Drop a comment below, I'd love to hear the day or the moment in your life that made you stand up and change your life... FOREVER!
If you wanna find out more about Mandler's training & nutrition regime, Click HERE
15 Responses
Hey Zach,
here’s my story:
Some 20yrs ago I was this typical skinny-fat guy Mr. Ferruggia talks about. I was at a bachelor party from a friend of mine and we were drinking and having a good time at a local pub. There were a couple of hotshots and as it is with alcohol two guys started to pick a fight with people. They got into our face but we just brushed it off. Later that night me and my friend got outside and wanted to go home. There they rushed us and basically picked up on my friend and KOed him in front of me. Now I remember that feeling like it was yesterday – not able to defend myself or my friend, just being scared and naked. Soon after that I decided that I never, ever want to feel so weak and naked again. I got into some selfdefence and karate but eventually sticked to boxing and got hooked up. Boxing has nothing to do with selfdefense but I really loved the training and the special situation in the ring with a guy across from you who just wants to beat the hell out of you.
From boxing I learned more than I did in college or school: I learned to deal with pain, with total fatigue and what to do in scary situations – how to control fear, fatigue, KOs and how to fight on. It just put a blueprint on my life after college and in my businesslife. Although I stopped training for nearly 10yrs I got back into it some 3yrs ago. Not boxing anymore, just fitness. I found again what I’ve been missing and I just feel great and thankful.
Sven, Italy
Sven, you’re a BEAST for sharing this story and a BEAST for showing Underground Strength Nation your love!
Boxing is amazing sport, my man!
I too, remember the day I was jumped by some 8 – 10 guys, realizing all I knew how to do was wrestle and NOT be a street fighter.
I was so pissed that I didn’t even know how to throw a punch.
It fueled me to find my way into a world of combat training and being mentally tougher immediately…. I was 16 at the time.
20 years ago, feels like yesterday!
I took a stand because I had enough of being “that chubby, cute, funny, friend zone and short guy.” I wanted respect, I needed respect. People respected me for my speaking skills, leadership, maturity and knowledge but not for my physical attributes/appearance.(manboobs etc.) I hated it, I wanted to change IMMEDIATELY. I wanted to get strong, its part of my ego too, I never want to lose a strength contest. So I took a stand, found the underground, loved it immediately, worked my ass off and I made some serious gains. Im 1 year and 5 months into my training, I bulked up about 45lbs/20kg and got strong(er). Now I love training, I’m respected and I feel great. But most importantly, I am comfortable being uncomfortable. Im a man of steel now, no bodybuilder or average joe can beat me. Yeah.
I had my live changing moment when I was around 12 years old. Being the only chubby kid in class was hard but I still had friends. The problem was summer.. I didn’t dare swimming with the rest of the kids. I cried in the kitchen telling my parents this.
From then on I decided to take up full contact karate and kickboxing. I always loved martial arts but thought that I could not do it being fat and all.
Now I’m 21 kind of ripped won a regional and national title in full contact karate and just bought body weight bodybuilding to strengthen my martial arts conditioning!
Love the site!
Peace from the Netherlands
Sjoerd!
Congrats on your karate championships my man, most of all, congrats on being a BadAss, committed to life and success!!!
I Respect that BIG time!
Muhd! That’s what’s UP!!! Good work, my brutha, keep growing stronger!
Hey Zach,
All of my life I have been in shape and pretty strong. I always played sports and was pretty athletic no matter what sport it was being able to pickup on everything it kind of held me back in a way. Like many people with some talent I didn’t put a 100% into everything I did. I guess in a way I just took things for granted. My Father was the one who showed me how to train, he was old school and we train in our garage all the time. He passed away little over 3 years ago and at that time I was a little lost and stepped away from training for a while. I came across underground strength nation, signed up for the website and with all of the information and emails sparked a fire under my ass. Thanks to Zach I started training seriously again, and had focus. With the focus I harnessed my energy to getting certified through the underground and now am starting to operate my own training business, something I have always wanted to do. I even competed in a strongman competition in the winter and took 3rd place in the novice division. What I am trying to say is thanks Zach for showing me its ok to get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Pat – you’re the man, I am honored you’re an Underground Strength Coach, your commitment and heart make you an AWESOME Coach, I have BIG time respect for you, my man!
HUGE thnx 4 sharing your story!!!
Psyched to see U at Underground Strength Conference!
3rd place Strongman Comp is Freaking AWESOME!!!
U FIRE ME UP!!!
I got bullied as a kid quite badly for being a typical “nerd”, i was a skinny fat kid with different tastes from the crowd (i liked rock music and no one else generally did). I came from a athletic family with me being the exception (this sucked…being surrounded by genetic machines on my dads side while i got my mums skinny fat genes)
The bullying got worse while i was going through my parents divorce and around this time a family member of mine took a term for the worse and due to this the person i looked up to for being strong and my idol went down the wrong direction in life and became skinny, fragile and in a dark place.
I looked at myself and would not realise but i was always wearing hoods to cover my arms and wearing layers of tshirts to make myself feel bigger but deep down i knew i was a skinny man. i joined the gym and straight away (may not be the smartest) but jumped straight into a 6-8 meal diet with supplements and high carbs and proteins. I wanted the thing so bad that i didn’t have to do the habit diet (which is something i like to show a few people these days) and was able to just jump straight in because of how fed up i was with my body comp. Im a lot bigger, leaner and stronger than the “bullies” in my past.
I went from 125-170ibs over a three year period, the major benefit has just been the improvement of the quality of my life and peace within myself. Having a transformation is one of the best things i could ever ask for it transfers into other aspects of your life, i continue to be stronger day by day and i believe everyone who wants to change or has really is a hero in training.
Dean P
Dean P! Good 4 U, brutha! Many think we train for the bigger muscles, the ego…. it’s for our OWN ego, to feel strong and confident about ourselves, NOT to impress others.
We KNOW why we do what we do, my brutha, and that’s all that counts!
Underground Strength Nation, this is BROTHERHOOD! BOOM!
Zach
This past Spetember I had cochlear ear implant surgery. I was unable to train for 6 weeks and then the holidays came. I had to work long hours so I did not get to workout. I made it my destiny that I would stop doing a job that I was not happy with. Enter your boy Travis Stoetzel with his AMF program and Intermettent Fasting 4 weeks later I won his contest. And I am still going I got certified as a Personal Trainer and I am now in the middle of opening up my online business.I am doing what I call IF fasting to a shrink wrap that is going to shock people when they see how I have changed how I look. I can’t thank you enough because I would not have found Travis if it was not because of this site. My next goal is try to make it to the crossfit games even though I don’t train strictly crossfit. I will not let my hearing problem stop me it will only make me hungrier to succeed.My videos or on my website and youtube page.
John Cintron
I was the chubby kid growing up, and in high school wrestling found starvation to make weight. I would eat like a pig all year until wrestling then try to drop 20-30#. Older I kick myself for that because I felt like crap all the time. Never achieved my full potential because I didn’t have the energy to make it through a match or practice.
After high school I fell in love with the steel maiden. Lifting and eating(not always healthy) and got big! Came home on leave to a local bar and sat for an hour as everyone I graduated with wondered who that guy was laughing at the bar. NO one knew who I was because I was 60# bigger. Finally they sent a girl from my class over(tells you there level of manhood). She didn’t believe it was me.
At a the bar was a guy that made his high school career tormenting myself and my friends. Still four years later he had his fear grip on everyone. He looked at me and said he was going to kick my ass. I walked over to the door and opened it. “Let’s go.” I had been through a lot in the service, and this backwoods punk didn’t scare me. He didn’t move.
At that point I realized something. I had a strength inside. I had a spirit that I never knew I had. In a way I didn’t say “Let’s go” it was something inside that said it. For years I have been nurturing that inner spirit. Through your words and the Warrior’s I have been able to pull my inner Warrior out.
Embrace discomfort! Conquer the day!
z,
love the post about our boy chandler !! that is real true stuff that he ( i guess all )
boys go thru about their body appearance. glad that he overcame and iam sure many of your future undergrounders will overcome. peace brother !!
house
As a 225 lb mother of 2 teenage girls, who were pressured with being skinny, and hating the weight we had all gained as as result of bad nutrition and no movement… I knew I had to do something. I started with the trainer at our local gym, Brad Martin, in April 2011. The more I worked with him and the stronger I got the more I loved it. I wanted to be a healthy example for the girls looking up to me.
Less than 12 months later I have already participated in 2 power-lifting competitions and I am a mother that my kids and be proud of… not to mention a wife that a husband is happy to be seen with. I am thankful that there are trainers out there who truly care and take time with their clients.
Hey Zach,
My story starts here dude…
I found your website whilst looking for home workouts i eventually found your review for convict conditioning since then i’ve become engrossed in your site and your good buddy Jason Ferruggia’s site. The information is pure gold especially love the “get comfortable being uncomfortable” such a simple but effective message which has taken a huge effect on my new training.
I’m living in the UK about 177lbs majority fat (for now) been struggling to shift this weight for years. But since following your info for the last few weeks i’ve started dropping in weight my arms,back, chest, shoulders and legs are a hell of a lot stronger and also starting to look pretty good to!
It’s a shame there is absolutley no gyms like yours or decent old school style gyms near me there all serious sted dens with bad rep. So starting to build a home gym all thanks to you bro!! Also if i keep getting into the iron as much as i am as a beginner it’d be a dream of mine to set up a gym with a similar ethic and attitude as yours over here.