I'm going to start with a few quotes I find works very well with how I'm feeling these days....
"Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude." - Ralph Marston
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." - ???
Nothing better than Tony Robbins!
Mind state is key. I'm not talking religion or some cult. I'm a believer in the statement "You need to believe in something or you'll die for nothing".
If religion is what gets you through the day, week or month then good for you. If a pet rock helps get you through your tough times in life then good for you. If you believe in something and have a purpose then good for you. You will have a successful life if you believe in something.
I don't follow God or A god... I don't have a pet rock either. I do believe in something though. MYSELF. I "preach" to many of the belief in yourself quite a bit. Why? I am proof that if you believe in yourself and that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to... you will be successful and do the things YOU want to do.
I just had my 30th birthday on October 3rd. In 30 years on this planet I have seen so much. I have seen hit shows like Cheers, ALF (of course it was a classic!), Friends.... I have seen athletes such as Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt and Randy Couture reach the pinnacle in their respected sports despite the haters. Not so great things I have seen include my mother go through chemotherapy for breast cancer, guys snorting "blow" off a table. I don't claim to have grown up or live in some sort of "projects" but there have been too many people murdered in my hometown less than half a kilometre from my house! Now I'm not going to record a rap album now but I'm not alone here. So many people experience these very moments and actions as well. Some fall into the trap, some rise above. There are so many temptations on this planet. What are YOU going to do?
Lifting weights has been my release since I was 13 years old. Sand filled 10lbs dumbells were my weapon. I was always stronger than most kids so it was a natural gravitation. Of course alcohol when I was younger played a big role in my stress release methods. It wasn't the smartest thing to do but shit happens.
Through the ups and downs of life one thing remained consistent... I lifted weights. I struggled with my indentity on who I was growing up. I was never the hockey player, football player, straight A student etc. I didn't have a shitload of girls knocking on my door at any time. But I still lifted weights. I couldn't say I was a bodybuilder, weightlifter or powerlifter because I never competed. All I knew is that I was no WannaBe!
When I married my wife (truly the best thing ever that has happened in my life) it felt so natural. I had a wife and a child. I was a family man. I was done with weekend "outings", driving around looking for chicks, I was done with trying to be sooooooo cool. I had everything I ever wanted. With Amie life just got even better. Even with this new life I lifted weights.
Where the fuck am I going with this??
Simple... I feel that my love for lifting weights taught myself discipline and that good things come to those who put in the hard work and never to be satisfied until to find what you are looking for. Once you reach a goal then it's time to re-evaluate and set new targets. I could have fallen into the trap of drugs and alcohol (I sure as fuck have seen some things that would warrant a downward spiral right? ) but I always knew that I was here on Earth for something. I wasn't going to be truly happy until I found it. I put in some time and found my family. Anyone who has known me for a long time can vouch for me. I believe in myself.
Once again you're probably thinking "What the fuck is this guy talking about?"...
I learned so much about myself and gained so much confidence through lifting weights. I was a fat kid! I had no confidence!! With weights I learned discipline, hard work and that I could do anything I put my mind to.
Look at me now... I have a super hot wife and lift cars!!! You can do anything you want to do too. #Believe
People never thought a Natural Strongman show was possible nor would it be entertaining because you can't be really strong NATURALLY right? Wrong. I believe it's possible... I'm living it. Here's my write up from Calgary 2012 with the World's Natural Strongman Federation.
I'll talk about my flights and travelling alone at another date. I have bored you long enough.
1st Event- Atlas Stones to 55" Platform - 265, 300, 330, 370
I have never seen this event first but it was cool. I was selected to go second. Damn. I didn't bring my tacky on the plane so I borrowed some of my roommate Brian's SpiderTack. Can't say I'm a fan of it. I still prefer the Elite. Whistle blows and I load the 265 easily, move to the 300 and load it smoothly as well. I felt strong. I try to grip the 330 and it just slides down my forearms. The stones were very dusty and my tacky was screwed! I made a rookie mistake and didn't have some readily available beside me. After several attempts at the 330 it was pointless. My forearms were super dirty and bleeding. Very disappointing since I am definitely good for a 330 stone.
2nd Event- 1000lbs Tire Flip - Fastest 3 Flips
I've flipped this weight of a tire before and took a practice pick before the show. I put the stones behind me and looked forward to the tire flip. Now since I sucked on stones I was 2nd to go on the tire. First guy flipped the tire once so I was ready to kill it. For some reason I had it in my head that since it is only 3 flips for time that we had to flip the tire then run around and flip it back for 3 total flips. WRONG. I flipped it once fairly well but then proceeded to run to the other side until everyone was yelling at me. Duh. My mind was all over the place. Finished last two flips with energy and strength to spare. DAMN IT!!
I felt like a total jackass.
3rd Event- Duck Walk- 530lbs
First time ever doing this event. Didn't know what to expect but I just had to dig deep for some points here. It was a giant I-beam with a T-handle. I am still bruised on my inner thighs from it. We were only allowed one drop, two and you're out. I picked it up and started my waddle. It actually felt ok in my hands and my walk was going slow but pretty solid. I lost my air and dropped it. I had lots of time so I took some deep breathes and waited for a few seconds. I re-picked and walk again but my breathing was all over the place... I leaned forward and dropped it.
4th Event- Farmer's Walk - 330lbs per hand
Loved this. I have learned that with my piano fingers I can hold a decent weight on grip events like Farmer's. If I can deadlift it then my grip will be just fine. I picked it up (660lbs total) and had a solid and smooth walk full course with no drops. Happy with that. Need to work on foot speed now.
5th Event- Power Stairs - 440, 540, 640
First time on this event as well. My technique is way off. 440 x 2 stairs then moved to 540. I lifted that 540 block atleast 4-5 times. I was short by an inch each time (insert joke here). It kept hitting me on my inner thigh and I could not get the height I needed. More practice is now in the plan.
"Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude." - Ralph Marston
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." - ???
Nothing better than Tony Robbins!
Mind state is key. I'm not talking religion or some cult. I'm a believer in the statement "You need to believe in something or you'll die for nothing".
If religion is what gets you through the day, week or month then good for you. If a pet rock helps get you through your tough times in life then good for you. If you believe in something and have a purpose then good for you. You will have a successful life if you believe in something.
I don't follow God or A god... I don't have a pet rock either. I do believe in something though. MYSELF. I "preach" to many of the belief in yourself quite a bit. Why? I am proof that if you believe in yourself and that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to... you will be successful and do the things YOU want to do.
I just had my 30th birthday on October 3rd. In 30 years on this planet I have seen so much. I have seen hit shows like Cheers, ALF (of course it was a classic!), Friends.... I have seen athletes such as Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt and Randy Couture reach the pinnacle in their respected sports despite the haters. Not so great things I have seen include my mother go through chemotherapy for breast cancer, guys snorting "blow" off a table. I don't claim to have grown up or live in some sort of "projects" but there have been too many people murdered in my hometown less than half a kilometre from my house! Now I'm not going to record a rap album now but I'm not alone here. So many people experience these very moments and actions as well. Some fall into the trap, some rise above. There are so many temptations on this planet. What are YOU going to do?
Lifting weights has been my release since I was 13 years old. Sand filled 10lbs dumbells were my weapon. I was always stronger than most kids so it was a natural gravitation. Of course alcohol when I was younger played a big role in my stress release methods. It wasn't the smartest thing to do but shit happens.
Through the ups and downs of life one thing remained consistent... I lifted weights. I struggled with my indentity on who I was growing up. I was never the hockey player, football player, straight A student etc. I didn't have a shitload of girls knocking on my door at any time. But I still lifted weights. I couldn't say I was a bodybuilder, weightlifter or powerlifter because I never competed. All I knew is that I was no WannaBe!
When I married my wife (truly the best thing ever that has happened in my life) it felt so natural. I had a wife and a child. I was a family man. I was done with weekend "outings", driving around looking for chicks, I was done with trying to be sooooooo cool. I had everything I ever wanted. With Amie life just got even better. Even with this new life I lifted weights.
Where the fuck am I going with this??
Simple... I feel that my love for lifting weights taught myself discipline and that good things come to those who put in the hard work and never to be satisfied until to find what you are looking for. Once you reach a goal then it's time to re-evaluate and set new targets. I could have fallen into the trap of drugs and alcohol (I sure as fuck have seen some things that would warrant a downward spiral right? ) but I always knew that I was here on Earth for something. I wasn't going to be truly happy until I found it. I put in some time and found my family. Anyone who has known me for a long time can vouch for me. I believe in myself.
Once again you're probably thinking "What the fuck is this guy talking about?"...
I learned so much about myself and gained so much confidence through lifting weights. I was a fat kid! I had no confidence!! With weights I learned discipline, hard work and that I could do anything I put my mind to.
Look at me now... I have a super hot wife and lift cars!!! You can do anything you want to do too. #Believe
People never thought a Natural Strongman show was possible nor would it be entertaining because you can't be really strong NATURALLY right? Wrong. I believe it's possible... I'm living it. Here's my write up from Calgary 2012 with the World's Natural Strongman Federation.
I'll talk about my flights and travelling alone at another date. I have bored you long enough.
1st Event- Atlas Stones to 55" Platform - 265, 300, 330, 370
I have never seen this event first but it was cool. I was selected to go second. Damn. I didn't bring my tacky on the plane so I borrowed some of my roommate Brian's SpiderTack. Can't say I'm a fan of it. I still prefer the Elite. Whistle blows and I load the 265 easily, move to the 300 and load it smoothly as well. I felt strong. I try to grip the 330 and it just slides down my forearms. The stones were very dusty and my tacky was screwed! I made a rookie mistake and didn't have some readily available beside me. After several attempts at the 330 it was pointless. My forearms were super dirty and bleeding. Very disappointing since I am definitely good for a 330 stone.
2nd Event- 1000lbs Tire Flip - Fastest 3 Flips
I've flipped this weight of a tire before and took a practice pick before the show. I put the stones behind me and looked forward to the tire flip. Now since I sucked on stones I was 2nd to go on the tire. First guy flipped the tire once so I was ready to kill it. For some reason I had it in my head that since it is only 3 flips for time that we had to flip the tire then run around and flip it back for 3 total flips. WRONG. I flipped it once fairly well but then proceeded to run to the other side until everyone was yelling at me. Duh. My mind was all over the place. Finished last two flips with energy and strength to spare. DAMN IT!!
I felt like a total jackass.
3rd Event- Duck Walk- 530lbs
First time ever doing this event. Didn't know what to expect but I just had to dig deep for some points here. It was a giant I-beam with a T-handle. I am still bruised on my inner thighs from it. We were only allowed one drop, two and you're out. I picked it up and started my waddle. It actually felt ok in my hands and my walk was going slow but pretty solid. I lost my air and dropped it. I had lots of time so I took some deep breathes and waited for a few seconds. I re-picked and walk again but my breathing was all over the place... I leaned forward and dropped it.
4th Event- Farmer's Walk - 330lbs per hand
Loved this. I have learned that with my piano fingers I can hold a decent weight on grip events like Farmer's. If I can deadlift it then my grip will be just fine. I picked it up (660lbs total) and had a solid and smooth walk full course with no drops. Happy with that. Need to work on foot speed now.
5th Event- Power Stairs - 440, 540, 640
First time on this event as well. My technique is way off. 440 x 2 stairs then moved to 540. I lifted that 540 block atleast 4-5 times. I was short by an inch each time (insert joke here). It kept hitting me on my inner thigh and I could not get the height I needed. More practice is now in the plan.
Overall I finished 8th in a field of 10 natural strongmen from all over the world. I was the top Canadian which I am very proud of. All of the athletes were very supportive. No egos here. Loved every minute of it. I did it. I competed at the International level naturally. This experience has motivated me to new levels. I lifted weights that were new PR's for me. I can do it. I'm a Believer.
Here's my video of the trip.
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