The one-legged surfer

I often run into people who definitely refuse to accept limitations as opposed to those who never even try anything difficult.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about a young gal with no arms who seemed to doing just fine eating a a pizza place we were at.

This evening, we were leaving beautiful Lido Beach just before sunset, and a guy was loading his surf board on his SUV.

He was parked right next to us and I glanced down and noticed at the prosthetic leg he had. It was not slowing him down a bit.

I told him he wins the award for guts and he broke into a big smile.

He walked over to his door and easily got in this fairly high vehicle like he was working on parallel bars.

He waved and drove off. I thank GOD for people with that kind of “never quit” attitude!

As we approach a new training week I wonder how many people will rise to the challenges they face and crush them.

As we

Powerlifting & Strongman–two very important parts of our training

I was thinking the other day about the things that have been the greatest help to me in my own training and the training I have others do here at the Cave.

While I am a big believer in tough bodyweight training, being able to interact with and learn from Powerlifters and Strongmen both in person and  online has been a huge asset to me.

I remember my football coaches always thinking I was too small to be effective in the line. even though I would go head-to-head with their biggest players and make a decent showing time and again.

Over time I moved away from team sports to martial arts, where my size didn’t matter. In fact, being on a team didn’t matter either during those years.

Eventually I started focusing more on strength training and my passion for it grew and grew over the years!

I just wanted to make my five foot six inch self as strong as possible. It’s okay to be a “runt” you can’t make yourself any taller; just don’t be a wuss if you are small. Be a strong runt!

This where Powerlifting and Strongman training have really helped me. I found out these ways of training really do make a person strong, big or small, guy or gal, the results are there if you attack the weights relentlessly!

If you don’t already use these training methods, find a good coach and get started.

Much respect to all the Powerlifters and Strongmen out there! You guys and gals rock!

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“Connecting the dots” on health and wellness

I mentioned in an earlier post that some people act like they are immune to the law of “cause and effect” when it comes to their health. Sometimes we as coaches wonder if people really just don’t “get it” when it comes to being healthy.

We see it as very and straight -forward, very logical. It’s as simple as A + B = C, so how come so many do understand that there are consequences for the choices we make every day.

All I can say is that really don’t get it and it’s our job as coaches to help them connect the dots concerning their health and fitness. This can be one of the most frustrating aspects of coaching.

Let me qualify that by saying we can only help those willing to be helped, those who aren’t trapped in voluntary ignorance or extreme ego.

I have found it is better to very blunt with people about these things. Suggestions or hints are pretty much a waste of time.

There’s an old saying, “Never try to teach a pig to sing, it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.”

While I don’t get deeply involved in  the personal lives of the people I train, I do need to be a good listener overall to the things they are struggling with.

All we can do is help them connect the dots in  their own thinking about health and fitness, set a good example for them and hope for the best. Some will listen and some won’t.

Free training? You’ve got to be kidding!

If you’re a coach, I know you have heard many  people whine about how they can’t afford to train.

Could they be the same people with the latest Smart Phone, a new car, a fancy apartment, and eat all their meals out?

Good chance of that!

The money factor is just an excuse (one of many), so I am calling them out.

Starting this week our 6:30 am training sessions (Tuesdays and Thursdays) are free.

Whiners and excuse-makers will not be there because the money never was the real reason.

Laziness is!

Anyone with the guts to show up for these sessions will definitely get some solid training and I will be glad to do it

Tomorrow we celebrate “Hard Labor Day” at the Cave

Sleep well tonight, tomorrow will be even more fun than usual !

The guys who missed Saturday really need to make a strong showing tomorrow, I know the Cave girls will !

Some people adapt, improvise, and overcome; and some just give up

Last night, my wife and I were out getting a pizza and saw an amazing sight.
A couple sat down near us, the young woman had no arms, yet they were out enjoying a meal and each others company.
The gal used her left foot like we would use a hand. She used her cell phone with extreme dexterity, pushing keys the with her toes (the one was on the table, talk about being mobile and flexible).
That in itself was very cool!
Then she grabbed a slice of pizza with her toes, like it was no big deal.
What an example of courage and persistence!
People like this take all the excuses way from the rest!
How little it takes to make most people quit in life and on themselves.
Will anything make you quit today?
I hope not!

Some celebrate Labor Day, but at the Cave we call it “Hard Labor Day” for good reason

The concept of hard  physical labor is foreign to many Americans; the hardest thing that many do is texting or playing video games. That is pathetic at best!

The people who made America great worked incredibly long hours doing back-breaking work in miserable conditions.

They built railroads and skyscrapers, they mined coal, they worked on farms, they were lumberjacks and more.

I was blessed to grow up in a time when manual labor was still very common. Others who lived during those years know what hard work is. Though today, some still do tough jobs like hanging drywall, roofing, block masons, stone-cutters, truckers, etc. most don’t any more.

So celebrating Labor Day is almost irrelevant to those who just have over-use injuries on their thumbs.

Here’s the definition of Labor Day

      “La·bor Day
      noun
      noun: Labour Day; noun: Labor Day
  1. a public holiday or day of festivities held in honor of working people, in the US and Canada on the first Monday in September, in many other countries on May 1.”
    So, to keep the spirit of hard physical work alive, we have “Hard Labor Day” at the Cave. Our training is tough already, but we’ll ratchet it up a little more on that day.
    Like I always say, “Only the brave train  at the Cave” !
Translate labor day to
noun
noun: Labour Day; noun: Labor Day
  1. a public holiday or day of festivities held in honor of working people, in the US and Canada on the first Monday in September, in many other countries on May 1.
Translate labor day to

sledge hammer & dumbbell finisher

Longevity & health: the American counter-culture

Today was a phenomenal day. We rested and took some time to go the beach and just relax.

If you were brave enough to read what I posted yesterday, this will be a breath of fresh air.

I was in the water,  which looked like crystal clear jade, looking back at the beach.Siesta-beach

The sun was intense, the sand was almost pure white, the palm trees and sea oats were waving in a gentle tropical; breeze.

I watched a beautiful, shapely woman walking towards me and it was like a dream.

It wasn’t a dream, though, it’s how my wife (the beautiful, shapely woman) and I relax whenever we can.

Both of us strive to keep ourselves healthy and fit. We are part of the counter-culture in America that refuses to take the path of least resistance and let our bodies and minds deteriorate.

  • we eat clean
  • we exercise regularly
  • we live a healthy life overall

Most everyone we hang out with is part of the counter-culture too. They are fit, strong, healthy, and have positive attitudes about life. Life is so much better this way!

As I approach my 65th year of life, I am more psyched about training and life than ever.

There is so much life to be lived still and we plan on living it to the fullest!

Slow suicide in American culture

Many people won’t ever think of taking their own lives in a sudden, violent manner; yet they slowly kill themselves each day.
Smoking + junk food+ sleep deprivation + stress + lack of exercise = a slow death
Add in excessive alcohol consumption and you speed it up a little more.
Look around you and you’ll see it almost everywhere.

  • family
  • friends
  • coworkers
  • neighbors

You see the “out of control” obesity, the weakness, and the apathy in so many.

I used to say  that the most dangerous weapon in America was the fork, however, smoking is a close rival.

Terrorists aren’t our biggest threat; eating junk food and smoking are way more dangerous.

I have watched  people’s health decline right in front of my eyes from this.

When the human body is derived of exercise, proper nutrients and of sleep, the downward spiral begins.

Add extreme stress and constant anger to the mix and it gets worse.

Then pump poison fumes into the lungs (by  smoking) and a death sentence is in place.

Just a thought