There are 5 lifts that you must keep holy and do.
Squats, Deadlifts, Overhead Press, Bench Press and Clean and Press.
These are the foundation of everything you build upon. Without these
lifts you are just playing games better left to your betters. Do not
forget or neglect pull ups and dips these are like incense to the IRON
and make it happy.
Learn the correct form of each lift, seek out knowledge and turn it
into wisdom. Worry about doing them right, correct fundamentals and
basics will never do you wrong.
Worry more about getting stronger than you do getting bigger.
Progressively add weight to your lifts and do the form correctly. The
stronger you are the bigger you will become. Keep a journal of your
travels and training, to remind you just how far you come. If you add
2.5 pounds per week to your lifts then the journey is going forward.
Don’t set out without a map or a plan of your trip. Decide what you
want and then how to get there. Don’t vary from the plan every other
week. Be constant and diligent about what you have set out to
accomplish. Keep records and journals of your journey, this way you
can look back on the past and see your progress from where you were to
where you are and plan the move forward.
The Alter of Iron is holy keep it that way clean up
after yourself. If you can’t rack them don’t mess with them. Clean off
the equipment when you are through and stay humble. I have seen men
and women that by right of age and experience cleaning dojo mats and
floors as well as re-racking weight because they have the learned to
respect the Iron as well as themselves.
Strength comes from the positive, size and stamina
come from the negative. Work both sides of the lift. Explode up, slow
release or lower. Make every rep count for something. Do not try and
impress others, be slow to talk, don’t brag, prove who you are by the
things you do. Let others watch and learn from you, don’t be led by
bad examples set the example. Don’t be influenced by peer pressure, be
the pressure that sets the example for others to follow. You will
learn more from your negatives and failures than you will ever earn
from your positives and wins. Complacency kills, it kills the spirit,
murders dreams and slaughters goals. Never settle for what others
believe you are capable of. Fish swim, birds fly, haters hate. It is
as simple as that. Do not let the opinions and words of lesser men
condemn or control you. The truth is they are just jealous of you and
hate themselves for not being brave enough to change.
Do not forget to sleep and to eat. Your body needs
both to repair what you have done to it. You cannot run a car on
empty, nor can you drive far on a flat. Don’t try, you will only hurt
yourself and set your journey back days, weeks, and maybe months.
Protein, fats, carbs they are the building block and cement of your
body, you will never make gains without them. Sleep and rest are the
maintenance and repair days, without them you can’t expect to move on.
Your goals will set your dietary needs.
You have to decide what you are wanting to do then plan and execute your plan accordingly. You have access to the whole world of knowledge right at your fingertips, use it to educate yourself in what and what not to do. Know your body
and how it responds to certain things. Listen to it, your body will
tell you what you need. If you are craving milk then you are needing
fat and calcium most likely. If you are craving meat then you need
more protein. If you are tired and sore then you need to rest. Even if
that means taking a week off and kicking back to drink beer and sleep.
Remember you do not make gains in the gym only. You make gains at the
table and when you are asleep. If you plateau and are not gaining,
then stop for a week let yourself heal, and start fresh with a
refreshed body and spirit.
Most life lessons can be found under the IRON, but it
is up to you to look for them. Muscles and Faith are similar, if you
do not use and stress them you will stagnate and grow weak. Lift for
you and not for another. Believe that you can and you will if you move
toward that goal. Do nothing and expect nothing.
For every hour you lift, spend two training your mind,
and two training your spirit. Become BLESSED, (Whole, Complete and
Lacking nothing). Take time to meditate on what and why you are doing
it. Look for your flaws and how to erase or improve them. Never be
satisfied. You will never lift enough, learn enough, love enough.
Always seek to do better. Never be afraid to fail at something,
failure means you are trying and you never improve without trying.
There is only one person that you need to compete against that is the
man in the mirror. Be better today than you were yesterday and then
beat the man you are today, tomorrow. This is a marathon that last a
lifetime, not a sprint for the fastest to arrive at the grave.
You are the master of you destiny in the gym as well
as in life. The amount and effort you put in will return to you.
Little exertion means little rewards. This is a marathon not a sprint.
Take each step one at a time and make it a lifestyle not an enforced
requirement. Every time you go to the gym, the dojo or training hall
you are making progress. Whatever you have decided on you have to put
effort and exertion into. It doesn’t matter if it is being a
weightlifter, a martial artist or a painter. You have to put the work
in to receive and enjoy the benefits.