The coach, who just happened to be on a Super Bowl winning team in the past, was saying that when you start feeling tired and winded that it starts to mess with and weaken your mind and confidence and can really bring down your ability to play the game.

Think about it….

You’re in the big game and right at the start you are feeling tired and winded and your legs are getting heavier and heavier. This is going to have a serious effect on your mind and you are going to start doubting yourself and wondering if you can make the plays you need to make, or defend the opposing player you are up against.

This not only just applies to sports, it applies to the majority of things you do in life. And it has to do with preparedness.

For example; when you have that big exam and you know you could have and should have done more to prepare for it you go in taking that test with a lot less confidence than if you had fully prepared for it.

Or you have a speech to give and didn’t rehearse or practice what you are going to say ahead of time and then BOOM, you are in front of a bunch of people sweating bullets, not knowing what to say.

Or you have a big workout session planned but didn’t get enough sleep, ate like crap all day, didn’t drink enough water, and when it’s time to get under the bar you are already beat because you know in your mind  you didn’t prepare yourself the right way.

Like the saying goes: “Perfect practice of the right things make perfect!”

Our minds will give up before our bodies will, and if you know in your mind you didn’t get properly prepared for whatever it is you are taking on then you will be beaten in your mind and that will effect you physically and ultimately lead to failure.

Check out this video of former pro bodybuilder Ian Harrison training me at his gym, City Fitness, in Bradenton, FL. I knew the day before that I was training with him so to prepare, I got plenty of sleep, and ate the right things. And as you will see in the video it was a grueling training session. Yeah there were times when my mind was telling me to quit but by being prepared and with Ian pushing me and having that “never quit” attitude I fought through the mental barriers and finished the sets!

Also when you are at peak physical condition you will be at peak mental strength because of the confidence it gives you and the knowing that your body can push to the limit and beyond what your mind is telling it to do.

This will not only make you a better player on the field but it will make a stronger person when taking on the tasks in everyday life.

Would love to hear your comments on this below. Thanks!

Think, Look and Be Strong!

Well one way you can fix your program if it’s not working or you just want a change is to include other types of training tools into your workouts.

You see our bodies don’t know what we are lifting, it just recognizes that we are putting a stress on our muscles with some form of resistance and will adapt accordingly.

I was brought up in the iron game lifting barbells and dumbells and training on machines and have seen great results in using all those training tools. In the last few years I have swithed things up and have gotten outside the box of traditional gym workouts and now include other strength training tools in my programs.

Don’t get me wrong I still love to get under the bar and lift heavy Dumbells and those are still a main part of my programs. But now I have thrown in some odd object training tools such as, big tractor tires, Kegs, sandbags, sledge hammers, pushing  and pulling vehicles, and sled dragging.

Now your training goals maybe just that you want to look good and don’t really care about real world strength and “being as strong as you look”.

Well my goal is to have both! Look great and be strong as hell!

And yes you can get strong as hell and look great just by lifting barbells and dumbells and including some machine work. But why just stick to that when there are so many other inexpensive tools you can use that will get you outside the gym, and maybe even out of that training rut that you are in!

Let’s face it with the ecomomy the way it is, times are tough for some of us and some gym memberships can get expensive. Most of the odd object strength training tools I am talking about are very inexpensive and some are FREE and you can do your training at home or in a nearby park or parking lot.

Here’s a short video of me and a couple of my buddies hitting some tire flips and farmer walks as finishers to a recent trainig session.

Yeah it’s hard work, but fun and rewarding!

Like I said I still love to get under the bar and do some traditional bodybuilder type training, but since I’ve started to include odd object, strong man type training in my programs, my physique has taken on a new form,

and…

I am getting as strong as I look!

And as a man and warrior that should be our ultimate goal.

Think Strong, Look Strong, Be Strong!

With that said I also got in a strength training session. There are a couple ways you can approach balancing a vacation and still getting your strength training in without feeling guilty about being “at the bar” instead of “under the bar”.

#1) You can plan your program around your vacation and just take the time you are on your vacation and use that as a scheduled break in your training program. Yes you need scheduled breaks in your program to avoid overtraining and to let your body recover fully.

#2) If your vacation time falls into your scheduled training time then make sure you get out and get something done. Go running on the beach, in the mountains, hit some body-weight exercises, and get in some flexibility work. Or find the local gym and get in your training there. Or you could schedule some activities during your vacation that will keep you active. Hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming etc…It doesn’t take much time to get a quality training session in if you do the right exercises.

Not only will this help you out and keep you on track physically but mentally as well.

Like I have said many times it’s all about being consistent.

Here’s a video of a strength training session I did with my brother while I was home on vacation. You gotta see how I kicked his ass in a pull-up contest at the beginning!

Would love to hear your comments below on how you get your strength training in while your on vacation.

Think, Look and Be Strong!

Whether you play competitive sports or not we are all made to run, jump, crawl, lunge, squat, push, pull, drag, throw etc…

Therefore our bodies need to be trained athletically. We need to run, jump, squat, lunge, push, pull, drag, throw and carry things for our bodies to operate at their peak.

If we don’t continue to do these things on a regular basis our bodies will start to freeze up in certain areas, collect fat in certain areas, and  our muscles including our heart will become weaker and more susceptible to injury. Now I don’t know about you but there’s no way on hell I am going to let my body freeze up, collect fat and become weak and injury prone.

And I am guessing of your are reading this right now or have been following me for a while then you dont want to let that happen to you either.

So what do we do about it?

Easy….

We get out and run, jump, lunge, squat, push, pull, drag and carry shit. Preferably fairly heavy to real heavy shit!

Throw in some good quality foods that you can kill or grow and stay away from the highly processed goods and sweets and you will have a physique that is athletic, strong, and full of energy.

Now who doesn’t want that?

If you don’t then please unsubscribe and stop wasting your time reading my stuff. I am here to build a build a community of warriors. Those who aren’t afraid to challenge themselves mentally and physically! Those who aren’t afraid to take there bodies to the limit and beyond!

Here’s a video of a recent training session I put myself through. It’s in my garage gym which is just a 14 X 24ft storage space. It was 90+ degrees that day, and i have no Air condition, and no fan. Nothing but some hardcore music, gut busting hard work, and some serious sweat and pain!

Enjoy it!

Are you with me?

Now let’s go tear it up!

Think Strong, Look Strong, Be Strong!

Do you know how to be a winner? Do you know how to think like a winner?

As some of you know I have been playing for a professional indoor football team in Florida and we had a game a week ago against a team in Maryland. We won the game 36-0 and I wanted to share with you some of a pre-game speech that was given to us before we played the game.

It was a very emotional and inspirational speech and was given to us by the ccommisioner of our league who just happen to also play and win Super Bowl III with the New York Jets. If any of you are football or sports fans you remember that the Jets were the under dog going into that game and there quarterback, Joe Namath, guaranteed a victory.

This is just some of what was said by Mr. Earl Christy on how to be a Winner on and off the field:

When you approach anything in sports and in life you need to think about the word “W.I.N”

- The “W” stands for “Work Ethic”

Meaning if you want to ahieve anything in life you are going to have to work hard. If you want that strong, lean body you are going to have to bust your ass consistently to get it! And its not just the hard work on the practice field, or in the gym that’s going to give you the edge, its the “extra” work that you do when nobody is around that is going to set you above and beyond your competition.

- The “I” stands for “Inspirational”.

The word “inspiration” is defined as:  a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation b : the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions c : the act of influencing or suggesting opinions.

What that basically means to me is: influencing others with your actions. Give it your all in everything that you do and that is going to “inspire” others to do so as well. And also feed off the hard work and success of others.

-The “N” stands for “Never Quit”.

That i believe needs no explanation. Never quit or give up on anything no matter how hard it gets. On the field or in life there will be challenges, let downs, and failures. Do not let that take you out of your game. Learn from you mistakes, let them go and move on to the next play or the next part of your life. Thats all we can do.

Check out this  video of the “Dont Quit” poem.

Now get out there and W.I.N in everything that you do!

Would love to hear your comments on this below.

Think, Look and Be Strong!

If you’ve been training hard over the winter and spring then you should be very confident in going shirtless and wearing that tiny bikini showing off your best assets!

If you haven’t and your still not confident well shame on you for not taking action but with that said it’s never too late as it is just the start of beach season so you still have about 3 months to drop some unwanted body fat and gain some muscle to show off on the beach.

Below is a video of how to gain that muscle and burn some fat while training outdoors at the nearest park, playground, or beach of your choice! It is The Ultimate Outdoor Workout!

Start using this workout right away and if your not beach body ready then you will be before summer ends!

No excuses!

Think. Look and Be Strong!

Would love to hear your comments below on the workout. Please post. Thanks!

More specifically…

The direction you are taking towards your strength and fitness goals.

Are you headed in the right direction or do you find yourself starting out on the right path only to end up lost, or traveling in circles only to end up where you started off.

Well here is one of the biggest reasons why we get lost and how to fix it and get back on track.

THE REASON: You have a plan and directions to follow but for some reason it’s taking too long for you to get where you want to go and you either change direction and get lost you stop all together.

THE FIX: If you have chosen the right program(direction) to get you to your goal destination then stay with it. Have faith in the program and yourself and give it time to work. Give it at least 4-6 weeks, track your progress and then if it still isn’t getting you where you need to go then make some changes. If it’s a solid program like the ones I recommend on the blog then you have to stay with it and give it a chance to work.

Too many people give up on a program before it has time to work and then blame the cause of failure on the program and not on themselves for not following or putting the effort into the program.

Bottom Line….

Choose a solid program,

Put in the work and follow it to a tee,

Have patience and give it time to work.

Stop over-thinking and start training! No Excuses!

Would love to here your comments on this below.

Think, Look and Be Strong!

Which category do you fall in to? The “want to’s” or the “have to’s”? The answer to this question could determine how successful you are in acheiving your strength and fitness goals.

Think about it….

If you treat your workouts as a “chore” and something that you “have” to do then you are not going to put as much effort into it as if it’s something that you “want to” do and  “love to” do.

Maybe you “have to” workout because….

your doctor told you…

or you have to get in shape for that reunion or some other big event…

or your significant other is getting on your ass about how big your ass is getting.

Yes these are all good reasons to start a training program and will help you set those goals to achieve. But these are still “have to” reasons and not “want to” reasons.

That’s why it’s really important to find that training program that you want to do and that you enjoy doing. That’s what’s going to keep you consistent and get you the results you are looking for. Not everybody wants to be a meat-head and lift weights all the time and that’s fine. Maybe you’re a runner and enjoy that, or a swimmer or biker, or you like doing an aerobic style workout.

Whatever the case may be you have to do it because you enjoy it and want to do it not because you have to do it.

Granted there are more effective ways to workout for certain goals. For example if one of your goals is to gain muscle then you have to include weight training in your program. There is just no way around that. But how you structure and schedule your workouts is up to you and whats the best fit for your lifestyle and schedule.

You might “want to” do quick workouts that last 30 minutes or less, and that’s fine and if doing the right movements then that will be very effective for gaining muscle.

You might “want to” do more lengthy workouts for an hour or more and that’s fine and will work too.

You might “want to” workout at home, in the park, at the beach, alone, or with some friends.

Whichever way you choose to get your workouts in just make sure it’s something you “want to” do. Yes it’s going to be hard and you have to be patient, but just make sure you stay consistent and find the training program that best matches your goals and that it’s something that you like to do and is going to get you to where you want to go.

Watch this video of Arnold below. You think he trained as hard as he did because he “had to?” Definitely NOT! He WANTED TO!

Unleash your inner “Arnold”!

Would love to hear your comments below.

DON’T BE A “HAVE TO”

BE A “WANT TO”!

Think. Look and Be Strong!

-Tommy T.

Self-disipline is defined as==> correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement…

and just like the picture above says ===> It is the bridge between goals and accomplishments!

Without commitment and self-discipline it is going to be near impossible to achieve your strength and fitness goals and any other goals you have in life for that matter.

You have to have the discipline to complete you workouts when scheduled…no matter how tired you are. Do something!

You have to have the discipline to eat the right foods and to not eat the wrong foods no matter what you are craving. If you have scheduled “treat” days in your nutrition plan then you need to have the discipline to follow the plan and not deviate. Because if you get off track once or twice then it starts becoming a habit.

Don’t get in the habit of bad habits!

I believe discipline comes from desire. If you want something bad enough you will have the discipline to do whatever it takes to get what you want.

If you desire to have a strong, healthy, chiseled body then you will do whatever it takes to get it that way.

If you want to do a particular job then you have the discipline to go to school, work your ass off, earn that degree or whatever the case may be and go out and get that job.

If you desire that girl or guy then you will have the discipline and the drive to do whatever it takes be with that person.

We all have particular wants, desires, and dreams in our lives that we wish to have. And it will take self-discipline, a correction or regulation of ones self and a never give up attitude to accomplish or improve on them.

Especially when it comes to getting a strong and healthy body and mind!

Think Strong, Look Strong, Be Strong!

Video 1: Some workout motivation

and….

VIDEO 2: Backyard Snowboarding fun!

They speak for themselves! Let me know what you guys and gals think in the comments section below!

Thanks!

Let’s get movin!

-Tommy T