"Kill it" on the court and in the gym

Above is a picture of a basketball player I train. This kid is amazing on the court. He has a lot of talent and works hard on his basketball skills. He came to me to increase his vertical leap and to become stronger. When he came in we tested him. We will test him again after 6 weeks. Everytime this kid comes to the gym, he works hard and never complains.






In the gym, we concentrate on the fundamentals; deadlifts, box squats, lunges, box jumps, tire flips, and exercises to strengthen his core. I have no doubt that his hard work and dedication in the gym will pay off. I cannot wait to see him play this season. With his work on the court and in the gym, he will be unstoppable.

Wednesday's Workout

I am married and have four kids. Because I am a family man first, sometimes my workouts have to be shortened and at different times in the day. For example, last night I worked out at 9:30, after the kids went to bed. Also, because I had not seen my wife much yesterday, I needed to hurry. Right now I am doing four-day splits. Yesterday was my upper-body day. I did the following:

1A. Push-ups w/ blast straps 4 x failure
1B. Reverse bench 4 x 10
1C. Shouldering (with 80 lb sandbag) 4 x 10

2. Handwalks w/ power wheel 3 laps around gym

The entire workout lasted twenty minutes. While I didn't do much in quantity, the quality and intensity of the workout were high. I spent little or no time between sets.

All of us are busy. However, we can all find time to workout. Even if it is only for 5, 10, 15 minutes.

Workout with a marathoner

Below is a picture of an athelte I train. She runs marathons. This girl rocks! She trains just as hard as any guy I know. A couple months ago, she decided she wanted to improve her time. She wasn't content with just finishing marathons. She wanted to dominate. So she began training with me. I train her just like any of my male athletes. She pulls sleds,flips tires, and pushes the iron untils she cannot push no more.






Her hard work has paid off. She has run three marathons this year. Below is her times:

Ogden Marathon (May 2008) 3:45
Deseret News Marathon (July 2008) 3:55
Park City Marathon (August 2008) 4:00
St. George Marathon (October 2008) 3:33

As you can see, after training with weights she improved her marathon time. As a result, she has qualfied for the Boston Marathon. All athletes, men and women included, should take note. Hard work and dedication produce results. I cannot wait to see how fast she runs her next marathon.

Failure

Do not let failure stop you from pursuing your goals and being happy in life. Keep things in perspective and continue pushing forward.

Joe DeFranco "Strong" Documentary

Soon Joe DeFranco will be releasing his documentary, "Strong". For those of you who have not heard of Joe DeFranco, he is one of the premiere strength and conditioning coaches in the world. He has been a big influence on me. Below are two trailers to "Strong". Check them out.







You can learn more about Joe DeFranco at http://www.defrancostraining.com/. Also, check out http://www.strongmovie.com/.

Do not limit yourself!

All to often, we limit ourselves. I truely believe that in order to be successful, we must dream big, take action, and refuse to place any limitations upon ourselves. Watch this video and be inspired.

Why I workout

Why would I choose to get up at 6:00 a.m. every morning to lift weights? Why do I constantly push myself to the point of failure? Why do I try to live a healthy life? Personally, I do these things because of the following:

1. My family. I want to be able to wrestle with my sons, protect my wife and children, intimidate those boys who have eyes for my daughter, and live a long life. I do not want to be restricted physically in anyway in doing things with my family.

2. My self. I personally like the feeling I get when I exercise. Nothing quite compares to the rush you get when you lift heavy weights. Additionally, lifting weights is a great stress reliever. I also firmly believe that lifting weights and exercising teaches a person self-discipline and the rewards that come with sacrifice. Finally, and to be honest, I like being strong.

3. Others. I lift weights to be an example to others and to teach others the benefits of exercise. I have noticed that my boys now have a keen interest in exercising and staying healthy. This interest they now have will likely stay with them for the rest of their lives. Finally, I have also seen those I train reach their goals. I have found great joy watching athletes and weekend warriors find success and achieve goals they never thought were possible.

Exercising is not easy. That's why most people who begin lifting weights and exercising quit. However, for those of us who have stayed "with it", and have developed a love for strength and health, we will find that our work and sacrifice will pay dividends not only for ourselves, but for those around us.