Check out these 2 e mails I just got. Full names are withheld to protect privacy.
The first e mail is from a Marine we trained at The Underground Strength Gym before he was deployed and is currently a Captain. The Dude is tough as nails & when he trained he fired on ALL cylinders, it was always inspiring to train him, so check his e mail, below:
Yo Zach!
What's going on bro! I just wanted to drop you a line.
I've been spending the past few weeks really exploring your site and it has completely revitalized me man! Contrary to popular belief, time in the Corps can really hurt your fitness. Well, sorta, at least.
I feel like my PT has been slacking. I feel that I haven't been making the gains that I want, even though I ran the Marine Corps physical fitness test last month for a perfect score (20 dead hang pull ups, 100 sit-ups in 2mins, and 3mile run under 18mins).
I just wanted to thank you again man!
Everything you send pumps me up every day.
Looking at the workouts (I just started the hybrid Kettlebell workout program) has revitalized my spirits to get out of the stagnant PT that I had been doing and get back on "the path."
I thought that the best way to thank you would be to share a story.
My 1stSgt went through an amazing physical transformation a few years ago.
During this time, he had the opportunity to meet DDP. Yes, that's Diamond Dallas Page, the master of the diamond cutter!
After his wrestling days, DDP started DDP Yoga: a high intensity yoga program to elevate the heart rate and get you strong with no impact activities. He's also a great fucking American and an inspiration.
He came to PT with us a few weeks ago, and I'll tell you- his shit is no joke!
He also decided that since our team is deploying for 1 full year, that all 30 guys should have an iPad or a Garmin Foretrex 401(for those that already have a tablet).
So, after he tore us up physically, he gave us one. More importantly, he is hooking us up with some DDP yoga for deployment.
I will surely be combining it with your workouts while I'm gone!
Even more importantly, he introduced us to Mr. Arthur Boreman.
Arthur is another badass muther who inspired the shit out of me!
As a US Army Airborne vet, he couldn't walk without canes and weighed 300lbs. With the help of DDP, some personal initiative, and a limitless amount of courage and dedication, he kicked ass and got his life back together. It was an absolute honor and privilege to meet Arthur and DDP. They are some badass Americans!
I wanted to share the link below with you. Brought me to tears bro! Every time I watch it. It's a 10min video about Arthur's amazing transformation. I figured that it would be something that you would appreciate it.
Enjoy my friend, and let me know what you think!
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIXOo8D9Qsc[/youtube]
As always, thanks for everything you do man! Stay well, stay strong, and continue kicking ass!
- Ron -
I recently was in Indiana for my 2 week responsibility for the Army Reserves. Though we were pulling several 16 to 20 hour days, while at one point having 7 hours of sleep in over 48 hours while convoying through several states, myself and fellow
soldiers found time to train.
I have been reading your websites and studying your training material for years.
When it came time to train with no equipment I had no hesitation unlike my friends. I set up circuit courses using cinder blocks, chains, CONEX containers and other odd objects we had.
I had people dragging thick chains forward and backward, doing pull-ups on CONEX containers, and even made a dip stand out of cinder blocks.
We did overhead squats and lunges with cinder blocks as well as goblet style squats.
We box jumped using a wooden deck and cinder blocks for variable heights.
Overall, I couldn't train as much as I would have liked but using the methods and ideas you have been posting for years, we made things work. My buddy who is a "gym rat" was blown away by my knowledge and ability to improvise.
I made a deadlift station using a 4x4 beam and chains.
Your information is incredible and I commend you for putting your knowledge out to everyone so we can all benefit as well as help others.
Thanks,
- Pat -
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Please share on facebook / twitter and drop a comment if you enjoyed these e mails and this video. I thought they were inspiring as hell!!!
MUCH respect to all our military men and women! Thank YOU!
12 Responses
Hi Zach,
I already saw that video on the internet. Damn it´s amazing.
You can reach soooo much, if you believe in yourself and get the work done!!
Your military guys are amazing to. All the best for them and stay safe and healthy.
Thanks for sharing theire mails with us. I would have for sure hit a workout today on the beach in Rio. But hell i´m fired even more right now.
Thank you Zach for your inspiration and for your spark to fire us up as hell.
Keep going like this!
Greetings from Brasil
(Damn i´m hungry to hit the weights when i´m back to austria. 5 weeks with “only” bodyweight 😉 )
I’ve seen this video before as well, but THIS time it really moved me, my philosophy and outlook on health, physical culture and overall evolving is why it really hit me this time!
Yea man, if you’re hungry for the weights, you gotta find a stone and lift it!
Thanks for your advice.. and yes i looked for a suitable stone.. i didn´t find one around.. sounds strange i know. ( I have your stone training manuel with me here on hard disk.. so what to do with them wouldn´t be a problem 😉 )
On the other side its awesome too, it´s like you did it when you trained several weeks without weights.
I already had that situation in the past.When i come back the first week with free weights will be some kind awefull but than the weights will start to fly and i will get a step further than i was befor i came to Brasil 🙂
This was a very passionate video and it fired me up to be a better person, a better baseball player, and a better coach to my athletes. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the military. Great story, really touched my heart
Chase, that is awesome, bro – time to evolve!!
At 21yo I was sitting in an office at the VA waiting for the doctor to tell me what they found during my testing after service. He told me my knees/right foot are so bad that replacements are my future. He gave me a script for pain medication and said in five years I will need surgery to clean up the damage.
My conversation with the doctor went the same way as Arthur’s. The doctor gave me paperwork to fill out for disabled parking, and said if it got worse he could get me a cane.
I am now 35yo and have been competing in strongman competitions for over 10 years. No medication to get me through the day. Hell I don’t take anything for pain. I have to feel it to know if what I am doing for training is working or hurting.
Like the Danzig song “I don’t mind the pain”.
To the military people that emailed you I give you a Spartan roar, “AAHHOOHH!” Keep your heads up brothers it is tough, but it makes you stronger!
Thanks Big Zach! See you in Chicago!
Dustin, you’re THE man!!! Awesome of you!
We need MORE Doctors who understand physical training as well as DO physical training!
Kill
Nuff sed
Damn!!! ha ha
This video gets better and better just the same that a person’s body gets better and better through the fire.
Love this video!!!
Amazing and inspiring video. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I agree with the Captain that time in the military can hurt your fitness. The only thing I think I improved at from time in the military was holding a press up in the lowered position. I learned how to keep running through the pain but that was just mental, never physical. Kettlebells are the way.
Cheers for sharing about DDP Yoga. I checked out his site. Looks awesome.