Anything But That

            The way some people look at fitness or certain fitness methods is pretty funny sometimes. You ask someone who doesn’t like weights and you might hear this (especially from women) “Ugh, anything but weights, they’ll make you bulky and you will just get injured.” Weights aren’t always as bad as you think. Some people prefer other things which are awesome. But it’s not just weights but many methods that this type of thinking or similar thinking comes around. Some can say something similar to other methods like say bodyweight exercise “Shit, anything but bodyweight stuff, that’s just endurance work and strength isn’t much of a factor.” I’m sorry but I got to laugh at that shit that just tells you, they have no clue what they’re talking about.

            There are people who are so harsh about certain methods that most of the time, they don’t realize it’s most likely something they might enjoy. I have even read somewhere that someone was so harsh on Animal Training it just made me want to slap them. Just because you read a marketing ad and think it’s bullshit without ever stepping foot into the program, that just makes you dumb and ignorant. People can say whatever they want but until you actually have done it, don’t be so harsh. I have trashed some methods before but that was because just what it looked like it just didn’t seem appealing. People who can’t stand certain methods try to dismember and trash it to the point where it takes away what fun it could be for someone else. Granted there are programs that are a complete joke like the Shake Weight or Hip Hop Abs (its aerobics done in a different form) but if someone likes them and it works for them, cool I’m not going to take that away from you.

            There are plenty of people out there who try to advise you on what method works and what doesn’t and will tell more negative stuff than the positive. Granted certain people I’ve been around have told me to stop what I’m already doing and do this other thing so I can look even better and help me in other areas, these same people have no real clue what I do and only have seen a glimpse of it. People will tell you can do this but never do that because of whatever reasons; common injuries, death, it didn’t work for them so why should it work for you and a favorite of mine; that’s pretty dumb and you look like an idiot doing it, well thank you. You have a choice and no matter what you choose there are pros and cons in all of them, but if it works right for you, that’s all that matters, screw the others.

            Want to know something really funny; I’ve done methods that are fun but to others it’s ugly and gnarly because it’s different and they don’t understand it. Most people that don’t understand will turn it into something that it really isn’t. There are some people that a friend of mine likes to call Wile E Coyotes, they’re the type of people who are obsessed with those that have programs that work for them and try to tarnish and ridicule them because not only does it not work for that person they try to destroy others for it. Most of these types of people are just keyboard ego maniacs who don’t have a clue what real training is.

            If you love what you do, hold on to and guard it with your life. If you’re good at it, help people find out about it but don’t preach the negatives, teach them by suggesting it and helping them find out about it. There are a lot of people who have methods that work but also try to destroy other ones so they can keep getting the bucks. We all need to make a living I get that but being an asshole doesn’t always work out so well. You can brag that whatever works for you will work for the rest of the population and beat down other methods just so you can be the top dog but in the end, every method is a suggestion from the endless variety that you can choose from.

            I take different methods and find the best ones by taking little pieces of them and mold them into something awesome for myself, it’s like creating your own puzzle, and you find the pieces that go with the picture in your mind and putting those pieces together.

Be awesome my friends. 

Everybody Else Is Taken

           Whether in fitness or in life, we have certain people we look up to. In bodybuilding, many guys wanted to be like Arnold, in Baseball if you were a kid in the 90’s, Barry Bonds was an idol to many boys and upcoming Baseball stars. My favorite sport as a kid was Basketball and watching the greats like Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Allen Iverson and John Stockton. I idolized many athletes in that time and had dreams of wanting to be like them. It wasn't meant to be.

            We like to compare ourselves to the idols we have whether athlete, physical culturists, celebrities and/or people in the corporate world. At times we mimic how they do things and the way they handle themselves. I fell for that kind of thing too and it got me injured sometimes and even broke my spirit because since I couldn’t do what they do why should I be any different. That’s just it, you are different; you have different shape, different body and a very different personality. There are people we admire but certainly should never be like them because they have their own ways of doing things; they have their own problems and their own way of making themselves happy. You on the other hand should focus on what makes you happy, finding what separates you from the rest of us and learning who you are.

            We have family that expects a lot of us sometimes, there have been times where people alienate themselves from others because either it’s not worth being around them or the people don’t want you around. It’s tough when something is expected of you, you are told to do this, do that, be polite to others, speak when spoken to, go to college, be a lawyer or doctor, play football because your dad did, be bold and upright in a beauty pageant, smile at the camera, rule a kingdom, there are so many things people expect from us and none are more tougher than your own family breathing down your neck.

            The only thing you ought to expect from is learning who you are but also understanding the unexpected outcomes that go with that. You are one person, one body, one soul. You cannot always be as strong or smart or sophisticated as the next guy so why should you try to compete or compare to others when the only person you should compete with is yourself. Learn what makes you happy, compassionate, what you love to do and where you want to go. You may not always see what lies ahead but you better damn sure know that there will be something unexpected that comes along and it happened for a reason

            Nobody can do what you do. We all think differently and way may have similar backgrounds and interests but how we shape what we do is very differently. Some of it is complex, other times it just comes natural. You are you and you can be great if you apply yourself to what you’re passionate about. Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t do something because someone is better than you or you ought to be “like everybody else.” I’m very proud of what I do and I love what I’ve learned along the way. Like I always say, be awesome and don’t let anyone tell you different.

Celebrating Life

Happy Cinco De Mayo to all my Amigos in Mexico and around the world and wish you all a pleasant day of happiness, love, celebration and good old fun.

            Now on to brass tacks. A lot of people take life a little too seriously and don’t really look around to see that there’s more to life than being miserable. Some of you may not have the best looking house or drive the most bad ass car, hell you may not even had the best education but yet, it’s all about how you see the world in your mind. There are people who try to make themselves happy by dressing to look better, fill the house with nice things and think that because they’re hot shit they ought to be happy by everyone’s standards, hate to break it to you but that’s just making yourself look worse.

            To really celebrate life is to not only embrace yourself (not in an egotistical kind of way) but to embrace what you have. Building your body internally is a practice that takes time, patience and to practice finding peace within yourself. You can love and take care of people and have a blast with the people you love but if you don’t celebrate who you are both in body and spirit, the rest won’t come as easy. I’ve been practicing Chi Kung lately to enhance not only my body’s energy but enhance my inner strength and spirit into a blissful state.

            Getting the body moving not just by training but by learning various movements and methods that give you results, not just by building muscle or losing weight but moving your body that has you smiling and releasing those endorphins instead of looking like someone just murdered your ass. Move your body and it doesn’t matter how you do it, you can dance, lift heavy weights, do muscle control, restructure your physique or even practice various forms of Yoga & Chi Kung and even take a walk somewhere.

            Remember about embracing what you have? It’s not always physical objects that embrace what you have. Just because you have a certain artifact or piece of jewelry laying around doesn’t make you the most bad ass person. By embracing what you have, it’s what you don’t see. It’s the energy that surrounds you with love, compassion and beautiful inner smiles with that radiant glow that lights up the room. You can put things anywhere you want like a pumpkin on Halloween, a tree at Christmas or a Buddhist statue on your mantle but if your energy isn’t there, than these objects are just that, objects. Celebrate life with love and spirit and embrace the energy around you, if it becomes negative or dirty as it often does, change it and harness your inner power from within.