Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - Active Rest Day

Today was a rest day but I just couldn't sit in the room and stare at the walls.

Brown's Bicep/Tricep Blaster
30x10/10, 30x10/10, 30x10/10, 30x10/10, 30x10/10

Preacher Curl Machine
80x10, 95x10, 110x10, 110x8/80x4, 95x8/80x4, 80x12

Spud Inc. Yoke Work
26.5x12, 26.5x12, 26.5x12, 26.5x12, 26.5x12, 26.5x25

Below is a motivational article written by Chis Vaughn and featured on Elitefts.com. Chris is on his way to becoming a Pro Strongman and is legally blind.

Walk in a King

The next time you go into the gym, I want you to walk in with a swagger. Walk in as King. Why? Because some day you will be.

Everyone had to start somewhere. Donnie Thompson, Derek Poundstone, Ronnie Coleman — these men were not born as the best of the best. They started small just like the rest of us. They worked to become the best as countless people fell by the wayside. How many training partners do you think they went through and probably still lose as the days go by? It doesn’t matter. Even if they were alone, they would still have the passion to achieve the unthinkable.

You will push harder day after day, workout after workout, rep after rep, and you’ll build the most rock-solid foundation anyone has ever seen. You will have your ups and of course, you will have your downs. A wise man sees failure as progress. You fail, you get back up, and you smash that weight the next time. So many of your peers will give up after just a few tries, but not you. You will set a goal, destroy it, and then move on to a place you are only dreaming of right now.

Let yourself be inspired. There’s no shame in it. Be in awe of people you admire. A big factor for me is the clothing I choose to wear for the gym. So many times I’ve seen pictures of athletes and I’ve actually gone out and bought the same type of outfit. It makes me feel strong. It makes me feel powerful. It makes me INVINCIBLE.

Prior to Paxton Strongman 5 in December 2009, I saw a picture of Dave Tate. The dude is jacked and ready to tear the house down. I went out, got the shirt, hat, and shorts, and I had PRs every single time I wore the outfit. I felt powerful. Psychologically speaking, emulating this man helped me break down barriers. It can work for you too.

Then, “World Painted Blood” by Slayer came out. The song kicked my ass, and I found another outfit that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck – the same way I felt when I heard the song. I went on to tie for third in Paxton 5 due in part because of the outfit, but also because I walked in there like I owned the place. I had one of the best contests ever. I imitated what made me feel POWERFUL. I took every advantage I could get.

Stand on the shoulders of giants. Feel like they feel. Wear what they wear. Do what they do. NEVER feel like you can’t lift something or achieve something. You damn sure can, because you will push until you do. I don’t care if you fail 1,000 times on the way. You will get there with enough perseverance.

Think of it this way: Vince McMahon from the WWE is in his sixties. There are guys that look better than him, are richer than him, and plenty of men who are far surpass his physical abilities. However, he is so successful due in part because he enters the building with the mindset that he owns the place.

Who gives a damn if people look at you like you have two heads? They will look at you like you have THREE heads when you lift double what they can, when you run faster than them, grow bigger than them, and achieve more than they could even imagine. People will mock you because they want to drag you down to their weak, uninspired level. Strive to be that guy — the one that everyone stops to look at as he loads 45 after 45 onto an already bending bar and just plays with it. Strive to be the baddest man on the block and know — don’t think, KNOW — that soon you will be.

The ability to do whatever you want is inside of you. Own it. Harness the desire and take every advantage possible to get it. Blast the most motivating music, emulate the look of people you admire, and swagger into the gym and DOMINATE the weights. SMASH through barriers. Lift until you think you cannot go on, and then push further. Sweat, bleed, and swagger. Be the King. DREAMM of living, and then live your dreams. Nothing can stop you!