Sohee’s approach to both training and nutrition is one that many may find unconventional but the impressive results attained by herself and her clients cannot be debated. Her cerebral methods consider the long term effects of training and are geared towards attaining a healthy lifestyle. Her philosophy is one of sustainability. I recently had the pleasure to speak with Sohee about her victory in the 2015 National Figure Championships and her philosophies on training and nutrition.

SP -First off congrats on your victory OCB nationals, can you give the background to the competition?

Sohee Lee -The OCB nationals is an all natural competition (no drugs) in which all contestants are subject to a polygraph. I competed in the bikini division. I have been training hard for a year but started to really focus in and tighten up my nutrition about 6 weeks out from competition. I ended up winning my class which is divided by height. If you win your class, you win your procard, so as of October I am a pro. I am particularly proud because for this competition I decided to do a Snickers experiment in which I ate a Snickers Bar everyday for the last 10 weeks leading up to the competition.  I worked it into my macros and was able to do it.

SP– What made you decide to eat a Snickers Bar everyday?

Sohee Lee  –I wanted to show how effective flexible eating can be, how you don’t need to kill yourself with a diet, you can eat sensible while not making restrictions. My trainer, Bret Contreras (www.bretcontreras.com @bretcontreras1) was very reluctant to go along because Snickers are calorically dense without a lot of nutritional value. At 5’2 110 pounds I don’t have much room to spare as far as calories are concerned and they ate up a lot of my calories. But like I said I worked it into my macros, I stuck with it, and it paid off.

SP -What was the training for the competition?

Sohee Lee – He and I have similar philosophies, especially when it comes to women. We both like to train full-body 4-5 days a week, always starting off with compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, bench, or overhead press. At the end of each workout we finish off with high rep glute work. The glute work included exercises such as lateral band walks, high step-ups, body weight lunges, or band hip thrusters; anything that would give my glutes a sufficient training effect without running me into the ground. We wanted me to go into every session strong and fresh. The goal was to hit PR’s (personal records) as often as I could. We were very big on progressive overloads, we both feel this is important especially for women because it produces a lot of positive body composition changes.

SP – What about cardio training?

Sohee Lee – We did absolutely no cardio for my prep. I haven’t done intervals or anything since the previous November. I have been able to maintain my leanness even without the cardio and I think it is big step forward for the female community especially because the mindset is you have to do a lot of cardio to lose fat and you have to lift light weights with high reps to look tone. I didn’t do any of those things, in fact I did the complete opposite of that and it worked. The most important aspect of fat loss is your nutrition and I was very meticulous about that. Bret did my training, I managed my nutrition because that is my area of expertise.

SP – You said you did heavy weights with compound movements. What was the rep range like?

Sohee Lee – I used a very low rep range as well as very low volume. A typical workout routine may consist of:

• Warm-up: 4-5 dynamic movements
• 3 sets of 3 squats
• 2 sets of 8 deadlift
• 2 sets of 8 barbell hip thrusts
• 2 sets of 10 high step-ups
• 10 minutes of glute work

That would be it. I never spend more than an hour in the gym. It was a total of 4-5 hours a week max.

One day I may start with squats (a knee dominant movement) then a Hip thrust followed by a vertical pull. The next day I would do deadlifts and then a horizontal pull. There may have been some overlap as far as muscles are concerned but I would do exercises that wouldn’t fry me. An example may be a body weight exercise such as an inverted row. By keeping the volume low I was never super sore the next day so I was able to repeat muscle groups. If you are doing one to two sets of an exercise you can do it again and you don’t have to wait a week. My trainer and I like hitting body parts multiple times a week, lower volume of work per day leaving significant amount of energy to train again, this will allow you get stronger each session.

SP – Is this similar to the way you train your clients?

Sohee Lee – Yes, for the most part. The majority of my online clients are females. It is common to get resistance at first because women have an idea that lifting too much weight and resting for extended periods between sets, along with low volume is not conducive to fat loss. Women will often feel anxious if they are not exhausted at the end of a workout. I have to tell them to give it a chance and that this is the way I have been training for a long time. I tell them “It works, be patient and trust the process.” Over time the fear dissipates. When you train, you should still feel good and strong when the workout is finished and not wiped out. People have this misconception that they need to be sore and unable to move the next day in order to consider it a good workout. That is not the case. The fact is training to this extreme can be counterproductive.

SP– Did you suffer from a negative rebound after the show? (weight gain, burnout from training and dieting)

Sohee Lee – Rebounding after a show has been the norm for so long but fortunately it is starting to change. People are realizing that there doesn’t have to be a rebound and they don’t need to get into some sort of a bulking phase following competition. Especially with the popularity of flexible dieting in recent years, people are recognizing that rebounding should not be happening. Rebounding after a show occurs when athletes are too strict on nutrition and they over train in the gym. If a person’s calories are too low for too long, than by the time your show roles around their will power is shot resulting in a breakdown of self control. When the person steps off stage they have no more restrictions and the flood gates have opened, and they go hog wild.

SP – Do you follow a flexible diet?

Sohee Lee – Yes I really believe in it. The competition stage cannot be your end goal. It is important to have a goal after stepping off the stage and to know how you are going to approach both training and nutrition in the long term. Years ago I made the mistake of following a meal plan prior to a competition; I really restricted and deprived myself of many things throughout the training, as result after the show I gained about 20 pounds.

SP – Do you encourage your clients who compete to follow a flexible diet approach? How has that worked out?

Sohee Lee –Absolutely, a lot of my clients compete but never rebound, they follow this approach to nutrition and they understand that the stage is not the be-all end-all. It is a 100 percent psychological approach. That is why I love psychology so much, with health and fitness (psychology) is the most over looked and underrated aspect. Everyone wants to talk about training and nutrition but what people often fail to understand is that if you can’t apply certain principles to your life on a consistent basis then it is completely irrelevant.

SP –What about your clients who don’t compete, do you encourage a flexible diet approach for them as well?

Sohee Lee – Definitely. When working with clients I try to explain that it all comes down to mindset. People often want a meal plan and to be told what and when to eat as well as what to avoid. The problem is this is not sustainable. What happens in a situation where it is too rigid is that when a person goes out to a restaurant or social situation it is difficult for them to enjoy themselves. It can terrify people because all of a sudden there are all these unknown variables.  The fear we have with foods is largely in our heads and we need to expose ourselves to different situations.

SP – I am sure you have clients who contact you after a night out or a day when they feel they ate poorly. What do you tell them?

Sohee Lee – It happens all the time. If a person eats poorly they will often not think long term and become impulsive.  That is when I tell them to just be patient and tomorrow just get back to what you were doing. I tell them not to overdo the cardio or do an extra workout. This can become a horrible cycle. They just need to get back to normal and realize feeling guilty is not going to help. That’s why I love this approach, there is no shame and no guilt involved.

SP – Looking at your website I read an interesting article about body  image and “Fitsperation.” Can you tell me more about it and the negative aspects of it?

Sohee Lee – Absolutely, fitsperation which is intended to inspire and motivate others often leaves people feeling bad about frustrated. Social media has done a lot of good for society but at the same time it can be so misleading because everyone puts a positive spin on everything. The posts put out there by people in the fitness industry (trainers or athletes) are of when they look their best. As a result others think that is what these individuals look like year around. They look at themselves and think “why can’t I look like this all the time?” Not realizing that the person they are following is not perfect and may be 20 pounds heavier than when they posted the photo.

SP – Do you think the fitness industry is doing a disservice to people?

I think in a lot of ways it is doing good, it is getting people to move because the large majority of people are sedentary. At the same time we are moving people in the wrong direction. People are not doing what they should be doing. People like intensity, but that is not necessarily the best thing for them. People like to say that they had to kill themselves to get to where they are. No one wants to say that it was through consistency and moderation that they got to where they are. But that is often the best way. It is better to be 80%, 100% of the time then it is to be 100%, 20% of the time.

SP – Do you have any advice for someone who is looking to start training but may be nervous?

Sohee Lee – The great thing about this journey is that it is lifelong. You may make mistakes along the way but there is always room and time to keep getting better.

Sohee Lee offers customized online personal training and nutrition consulting. Her clients are offered unlimited access and have weekly checkins with her. She can be contacted through her website www.soheefit.com and can be followed on Instagram at @soheefit. Checkout her ebook at www.beginnersmacros.com.

The post Sohee Lee – Exclusive Interview With Fitness Athlete Sohee Lee appeared first on Fearless Motivation - Motivational Videos & Music.

Frank Shamrock – Uncaged: My life as a champion MMA Fighter – Get The New Book On Amazon

Frank Shamrock. Image Credit T-nation.com

The mind, spirit, and drive of a champion are something that comes from within and cannot be stifled or controlled by others. No matter how significant the adversities or obstacles may appear, such individuals always seem to find a way to rise up and accomplish what was thought to be unattainable and unimaginable. Such individuals are heroes; serving as inspiration for others and showing us what the human spirit is capable of achieving, no matter how aggressively the odds are stacked against you. The larger the mountain of adversity a protagonist must climb the more inspiring their story becomes…. and no story can be more inspiring than that of Frank Shamrock.

Becoming a ward of the state at the age of 11 years old, Frank decided that a life on his own was better than that of a life consisting of neglect and cruelty. By the time he was 18 years old, Frank already suffered physical, mental, and sexual abuse. Spending his years being bounced around from one juvenile detention center to the next, Frank had experimented with and used all types of drugs, fathered a child, and was about to be sentenced to prison.

For the first 18 years of his life, Frank Shamrock suffered and lived the life that many may have expected from a person dealt his hand. Furthermore, once he was incarcerated, the pattern appeared clear with Frank’s bleak criminal future seeming an almost certainty. But, looks can be deceiving and stories are not always as predictable as they may seem. While in prison Frank Shamrock began to undergo a metamorphosis both physically and mentally and upon his release the hero’s journey would began.

Prior to prison, Frank spent time on the Shamrock Boys Ranch. This was a safe haven for troubled boys owned and operated by Bob Shamrock. Bob would serve as Frank’s first father figure, eventually adopting him as his son.

Upon his release from prison, Frank took Bob’s advice and went to train with and under the tutelage of his adopted brother Ken Shamrock at his gym, the Lion’s Den. During those 9 months, Frank worked and built the foundations of skills and discipline that would eventually equip him to become one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.

For a decade between the mid-90’s and mid-2000’s, Frank Shamrock engaged in some of the most epic battles in MMA history and was arguably the greatest pound for pound fighter the world had ever seen. Shamrock’s astonishing journey through the world of mixed material arts began when the then unknown travelled across the world to fight in the Japanese Pancrase Organization.

Shamrock became the first Middleweight Champion of the UFC (later to be renamed the Light Heavyweight Championship) with his shocking record setting victory over heavily favored and undefeated Kevin Jackson. During his reign as UFC Champion, Shamrock was ranked the Number 1 pound for pound MMA fighter in the world, as he successfully defended his title 4 times, never relinquishing the title in a match. His most epic title defense came on September 24, 1999 at UFC 22 when he defeated the much larger Tito Ortiz. Many consider this to be one of the greatest fights in the UFC’s history as Shamrock defeated Ortiz late in the fourth round with a sequence of vicious elbows and punches.

Shamrock would go on to win numerous titles in other organizations including, WEC Light Heavyweight Championship, and Strikeforce Middleweight Championship.  Today Frank Shamrock is a successful business man, actor, coach, author, and entrepreneur. He is a man who has grown into a mentor for others as he gives his time and energy to advising and coaching others.

Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Frank and to discuss his current life and epic journey.

SP- First off, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading your book. Is the making of the movie still in the works?

Frank –Yeah, still working on the movie. So far it has been turned into the Bio-doc on Spike, Bound By Blood. We are pursuing making a feature film for it as well.

SP- Who is going to play you?

Frank- I got a young kid who looks like me 20 years ago. So my plan is to train him and have him go on the journey.

SP- So he will learn to fight?

Frank- He’s already a Martial Artist who has lots of other artistic talents such as break dancing and performance art.

SP – That sounds great. I wanted to talk with you today about a number of things but I will try to keep it brief because I know you are busy. One of the things I really wanted to discuss with you was your mental strength and your ability to overcome tremendous amounts of adversity, both in and out of the cage. What do you attribute that to?

Frank- I think for me it was that I didn’t like being poor. I could feel there was a difference being on welfare, waiting in line for cheese, and just being a different social status. As soon as I became conscious of that I began looking for ways to change it. And that was always a driving force, because I didn’t like the feeling of being hungry.

SP- When did you become conscious of this?

Frank – It was around 13 or 14 which was the first time that I really got stable. I was at the Shamrock Boys Ranch at the time and I had a real father figure and a pretty stable family of sorts in the group home. This was the first time I had a community, guidance, and rules. That was when I first began to realize there is a better way and that I could do it. That was kind of my moment.

SP- Throughout your career and life what was the biggest mental obstacle that you had to overcome?

Frank – Mental? Just fears, general fears.

SP- Fear of what? Fear of being a failure, fear of losing a fight? 

Frank- Yeah of being in a fight, of losing, of hurting somebody, just all the general kind of human fears. I spent a lot of time alone reading so I had a very healthy imagination, and I still do. But it made the fears very real. I was always very scared to fight and figured that it was crazy that you would escalate a human confrontation into violence. So I struggled with that for a long time, the idea of hurting people, and it being OK. That was always odd.

SP – What was the biggest physical obstacle which you had to overcome?

Frank – My back. When I was 16 my right leg went numb when I was playing basketball. I went to the doctor and he said I had scoliosis and at some point I had broken my spine. He explained to me that I would have to have surgery and cage my spine for a year. The doctor started laying all this stuff out. He told me that I was never going to be able to participate in contact sports again. I told him of my dreams of becoming a World Champion and he just responded that that was never going to work out. At the time I was living in a group home, so I went home and told my group home Dad what the doctor had said. He thought the Doctor was crazy. So he took me to a chiropractor. The chiropractor confirmed everything, but said it can be managed if I kept my core strong and worked specific muscles. So my greatest physical obstacle has always been this ticking time bomb with the deterioration of my lower back.

SP – That takes a certain level of strength for a 16 year old to go against a doctor’s orders.

Frank – I think by then I had my dreams laid out. And I just had to find a way to get behind them.

SP- Your first day of the Lion’s Den when you had to endure server physical punishment as some sort of test, what kept you from quitting that day?

Frank – Well I kind of considered myself a tough guy at the time. I had been through a lot and just come out of prison. I had fought quite a few people and figured I knew how to fight. At this point I had never really lost a fight; nobody had ever beaten me up or beaten me down for that matter. I just had a lot of confidence going into it. So when I went into the Lion’s Den I just never wanted to quit.  And it was my shot to be a combat sport athlete and a champion, so I just kept going. It was probably the worst thing that has ever happened to me physically.

SP – Nothing went through your mind, while getting beaten on like maybe, “This is insane, what am I doing?”

Frank – I was living in desperation, living in survival mode. So I was kind of use to that, fighting for my life. But it did seem extreme. It seemed like physical abuse and a whole other level of weirdness, but I made it through somehow.

A True Champion. Image Credit: Poptower.com

SP- You had just mentioned being incarcerated. It must have been strange for you when you headed over to Japan to fight just 9 months after your release. You go from being treated like a prisoner to being revered and loved. Was that a weird thing to have to get your mind around?

Frank – Totally. Beyond weird. I grew up very closed in and was a product of physical abuse. So I was all closed up. Then in prison you put on this tough guy image and walk around with it and have to hold it up all the time and defend it. So it was like a 180. I was training in Japan while still on parole just 9 months after being released from Folsom. I was living in a Japanese Dojo training, so yeah it was strange, it was other worldly.

SP – In your book you mention that when you moved to Japan that the other fighters weren’t really sure how to treat you. They have a sort of a ranking system and they weren’t sure where you fit in. It sounded as if you were kind of the odd man out in that situation.

Frank – Yeah, it seemed as if everyone was waiting for me to do something. It was kind of a strange position to be in. Because I hadn’t fought, I was really still a young boy, and I was sort of the brother to Ken. Yeah it was odd, but I just trained like everyone else and just kind of jumped in line.

SP- It’s kind of insane when you think about it. You were all of a sudden in this different culture, different world, with no sort of experience to feed off of and no prep or information on what to expect. The only commonality being the training, was it difficult to adjust? 

Frank- Yeah, it’s very odd when you look back at it. But I do remember in the moment just being astounded by the similarities. In prison by the time I paroled, I had been studying body building for 5 or 6 years.  I was training a group of like 8 people and they were training a small group of people. I had been hired by the fire crew to teach conditioning to the inmates who would go out to fight the fires. I was running like 500 to a 1,000 group crews in conditioning and exercise. But I already had this conditioning within me; my Dad had taught me how important it was to build up my body. So I was just struck by the similarities in Japan. While in the Dojo we were cleaning mats together, we are working out as a group, eating as a group, and interacting in similar ways. It was just a weird time, but all my childhood was like that from 11 on. I was a ward of the state so I moved from group home to group foster home, all the way up to the camps. So it wasn’t that different being in Japan compared to when I was in the Lion’s Den because there we also all trained in the house, ate together and worked out together. The biggest difference was that no one spoke English and it was very much ritualized. It was like a well oiled machine.

SP – What struck me reading your book is even though you spent a lot of time surrounded by others in camps or homes you also had to spend a lot of time on your own. Is that accurate?

Frank- Yeah, yeah. It’s been this way most of my life, having a lot of alone time, and a lot of personal reflection time.

SP – You like that?

Frank – I enjoy it. I feel compressed when I don’t get it. I perform really well when things are chilled out.

SP- Looking back at your career what is the moment which you are most proud of?

Frank – I say my first fight with Bas Rutten. Because no one thought I had a shot, no one knew who I was or what I was doing there. When they told me who I was fighting people felt bad for me. So beating him really opened the door. It’s between that fight and the fight with Kevin Jackson in the first UFC title match when I set the record with a 14 second victory. That was interesting because I actually dreamt that one. I was so deep in study, documenting everything, figuring things out for the first time. I was a nerd in superman a body.

SP- Do you do a lot of visualization? 

Frank – I do so much insane visualization that I have taken it into my dreams. I do dream control and dream awareness where I can look at things from different angles. That’s how I beat Kevin Jackson. I was having a lucid dream and was looking at the technique and I saw a huge hole. When I awoke and told everyone they thought I was crazy. But I was able to repeat it in practice, show everyone, and to explain the theory that hadn’t existed yet. So yeah, visualization has been key for me for years.

SP – Being so cerebral, and having such a coaches mind, do you enjoy coaching others?

Frank- I do really enjoy it. I have evolved as a coach through the years. I went from strength and conditioning, into a martial arts instructor, to team coach, and now I am doing executive coaching. It really is the mind set in the machine and the structure that you put into place. If you have a willing participant who is a passionate person, often times all they need is the structures and systems set up and they can be ultra successful.

SP – What was your biggest disappointment as a fighter?

Frank – I would have liked to have come along 10 years later and made millions of dollars. That would have been nice. (laughing) So that’s kind of a bummer. I also would have loved to have fought Ken when we were both younger and more athletically inclined to do so.

SP- You mentioned the money that has come with the evolution of the sport. Do you think the younger fighters of today appreciate the past fighters who have paved the way for them?

Frank – Everybody is very polite to me. But I do think the culture changed a little bit with the UFC. They brought in a different culture and spent some time scrubbing out the old. The older group was a quality brand back then, real industry builders.

SP – What about the fans? Do they appreciate your work?

Frank – My daughter always asks me, “Dad how come all these people know you, and why do they always want to talk with you”?(laughing) So I try to explain to her that I was a great fighter but she just looks at me like, “Sure you were Dad”. To her I am just Dad, the guy that drops her off at school. So that is kind of funny. The good part is all the fans, the people who come up to me are always so respectful and so nice. They are real solid people.

SP – Is it difficult, because of your background, growing up abused and neglected to accept praise?

Frank –Totally. It is something I have dealt with for years and years. And now when I feel uncomfortable with praise I just examine myself and think, “why I earth would I feel that way”? If my reaction is uneasiness, than there is usually something I am not taking care of in my spirit.

SP – What can be taken away from a win and what can be taken from a loss?

Frank – For me it is always huge learning experience when I lose. When I win, I still learn, but I always have been able to learn a lot more from a loss. If I lose, the first thing I would examine is why I lost. And usually it is something obvious. This applies both inside and outside of the cage. And that’s business, that’s being a Champion, that’s being a competitor. If you roll out a crap product you have to go fix it, if you roll out a crap fight then you need to fix it.

 SP – When you have experienced a loss, does self doubt ever begin to surface? Or are you able to just move on?

Frank – No, it creeps in. It creeps in like everybody. Everybody is feels exactly the same way, we all go through the same emotions. It is just what we do about the situation, about those feelings.

SP – I love this quote in your book; “You can learn a lot from watching a person’s reaction to adversity”. Can you elaborate on that? 

Frank – At your core your character is who you are. When pushed and pressed, if you have a solid character you stay strong and won’t fall apart. When you are working on your mind, body, and spirit and making your human being solid, none of that outside adversity bothers you. There is a level of confidence and wherewithal when you have yourself together. I can speak with someone and know from 2 minutes of conversation if they are together or not.

SP – Well I will tell you now that I am not together. I am pretty much a mess.

Frank – (laughs)

SP – So please don’t analyze me.

Frank – Well we all have this energy, this life force that exudes from us and goes through a few layers before it comes out. Whatever those layers are will dictate what will come out. That’s what you feel, that’s what you see, and that’s what you communicate. It’s what you choose in your words and actions.

SP – So you think this is something we should be constantly working on?

Frank – We should, otherwise we’re dying. This machine lasts only so long. Science has us living to around 84. I got myself planned out to a 100 years. I have to take my mind and spirit to where I want it in that amount of time.

SP – I know you did a lot of body building when you were young. While you were a fighter what did your weight training consist of?

Frank – I still maintained a body builder type workout up until my 30’s. Lifting would consist of 3 days a week, using medium to heavy weights. I did 3-4 exercises, body groove, push-pull, and I would always keep it changing. I needed to keep weight on my body, so lifted heavy and got extra meals in each day. I always looked at it like I had to put weight on the machine because I was usually 10-15 pounds too light for the weight class. When I first went to the Lion’s Den, I was taught to use high repetitions and high endurance conditioning. We did high rep squats, push-ups, sit-ups, and leg lifts. It worked great but it made me smaller. I always needed to get bigger because everybody was way bigger than me. My natural body weight is around 183 lbs.

SP – What was the biggest you ever got up to?

Frank – When I paroled from prison I was 204. And I was just massive. All did was lift weights for 3 ½ years.

SP – How was your mobility at that size?

Frank – It was good, I always stretched. I put on a lot of muscle and felt a little tight because of the muscle. But I was studying body building and I read about a French bodybuilder, Serge Nubert. He had the most amazing physique; the most beautiful and symmetrical build. And his secret was that he stretched between every set. So he would do a set and then he would just completely elongate and relax and stretch everything out. Then he would go back and pump it up again and then repeat. He described the muscle like balloons, you sculpt them the way you like, you stretch them, feed them, and take care of them. To me it just made sense and was so disturbingly simple. So I followed that practice, and still do today if I do any body building or body shaping.

SP – I have heard that today you do mostly hiking, is that true?

Frank – Yeah for the most part.

SP – Do you still hit the weights?

Frank – Only if I have a movie role or something that requires it. I look at it like an interval training experience. Every few months I do a film or a TV show or something and I go in for like a month or so and go workout. That has been my strategy for a while.

SP – Does it comeback pretty quickly.

Frank – It comes back but honestly I am losing muscle mass as I get older and I am just not maintaining it the same way. I have been in the gym for 25 years so I get tired of it.

SP – What has Martial Art taught you?

Frank – It has given me that fabric on how to live and how to give back to society in a positive way. It has pretty much given me everything. It has been one of the biggest catalysts to my emotional development and healing from my childhood.

SP – Do you have a favorite Martial Artist?

Frank – I think Bruce Lee was my favorite. Where he was going and what he stood for is the essence of Martial Arts. The human body has been doing this for thousands of years and expresses itself in certain ways once you start grabbing on each other.  I was in the gym and I would create a move and then we traveled to Russia I would meet a guy, we didn’t speak the same language and would be creating the exact same moves.

SP – What do you think of the MMA today?

Frank – I feel both good and bad.

SP – Do you feel the UFC is good for Martial Arts?

Frank – I think it is good that it is expanding the presence of Martial Arts and combat sports. And that at the end of the day is also my mission. I can’t begrudge them for their business tactics. That is their choice, the reason I didn’t sign on with them was I didn’t agree with their business tactics. What they told me they were going to do, they did something else. That something else was a detriment to the sport and to the talent. And when that happens I have to say something because that’s the right thing to do.

SP – Do you have a relationship with Dana White today?

Frank – No. We don’t really talk. I’m not really in the sport. Every once in a while I will be hired to consult a business or brand, but I am mainly in other industries right now.

SP- Do you miss it at all?

Frank – No, I had 16 years of it and I had my fill. A few people have asked me to run their company but it just doesn’t excite me anymore. It’s not what I want to do. I want to help people with Martial Arts. I want people to use my knowledge to help them whether it is in Martial Arts, business, or life. That’s the direction I want to go. I don’t want to look after a bunch of guys beating the heck out of each other.

SP – If you had been anything else besides a fighter, what would career would you have chosen?

Frank – I think I would have been some type of physical therapist, or something along the lines of focusing in on the mechanics and healing of the body.

SP – How does your body feel? Are you beat up from the sport?

Frank – I feel good now, but when I first retired I felt old and jacked up. But I took care of my body. I think it is a combination of learning the sport the hard way, (because someone had to create it), the toughness of the sport, and my deteriorating back. But it took about 3 years to feel good. I hiked during that time, stretched, and had some physical therapy done. But now I feel great. I just can’t floor it but most 42 year olds can’t floor it anymore.

SP- You inspired a lot of others, who inspires you?

Frank – I always liked Chuck Norris, and I always admired Muhammad Ali. I have always been fired up by people that are bigger than life and who have clear morals, values, and beliefs. I also admire the healers, like a Tony Robbins and David Allen. They are people who are helping others to fix certain aspects and develop certain aspects of their lives. Technology and technological development also inspires me.

SP – Last question for you Frank, is there still a Shamrock-Gracie rivalry?

Frank – Um? I guess so. I am retired, but Ken is still going so I guess he can keep it alive. I think it is pretty much dead, I think we are two generations removed now. It is moving on and there is a new era of stories. But that was a good one.

SP – It was a good one. This has been great, thank you so much for taking the time today.

Frank – Ok thanks Sam. Have a good one.

Frank Shamrock – Uncaged: My life as a champion MMA Fighter – Get The New Book On Amazon

Frank Shamrock Documentary : Bound By Blood:

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Louie is owner of arguably the world’s strongest gym, Westside Barbell. Westside, located in Columbus Ohio is a gym of champions recognized for their innovative style and tenacious approach to weight training.
Westside Barbell is a no holds barred invitation only gym. The “ Westside Barbell ” method of training has helped athletes attain astronomical numbers in the powerlifting forum. Louie Simmons has also used the “Westside Barbell” method to train and develop athletes and teams from many different disciplines including Olympic gold medal sprinters (Butch Reynolds and Moe Robinson), UFC champions (Kevin Randleman and Matt “The Immortal” Brown), NFL teams (Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, and Green Bay Packers), numerous college teams, and he advised professional rugby teams (the New Zealand All-Blacks, and Melbourne Storm).

Louie himself is an extremely accomplished powerlifter. He is one of only 5 lifters to total Elite in 5 different weight classes. Mr. Simmons has realized a top 10 ranking for 30 years. Only 2 lifters over 50 years of age have reached 920 pounds in the squat, benched 600 pounds and reached 722 pounds in the deadlift to total 2100 pounds. Louie Simmons is one of those men. His personal accomplishments and those of his athletes speak for themselves.

Westside Barbell produces complete beasts. 

Currently 5 of the top 10 powerlifting totals of all time are held by Westsiders.

“Beast Mode” Motivational Speech by Fearless Motivation:

Here are some of the high marks accomplished at Westside:

77 athletes achieved 800+ lb. squat 

31 Athletes achieved over 900lbs. Squat

21 Athletes achieved over 1000lbs. Squat

7 Athletes achieved over 1100lbs. Squat

2 Athletes achieved over 1200lbs. Squat

22 athletes achieved 800+ lb. deadlift

2 athletes achieved 900+ lb. deadlift

15 Athletes totaled over 2500lbs.

9 Athletes totaled over 2600lbs.

4 Athletes totaled over 2800lbs.

1 Athlete possesses the largest total of all time 3005lbs.

44 Athletes achieved over 700lbs. Bench

14 Athletes achieved over 800lbs. Bench

4 Athletes achieved over 900lbs. Bench

1 athlete with a 1,005 lb. bench 

When I spoke with Louie we discussed what separated Westside Barbell from all the other gyms in the world, the mental strength of champion athletes, and many other topics. Here is the interview.

SP How much of one’s physical strength stems for the mental?
LS All starts in the brain. You can have a million dollar body and a 10 cent and won’t get anywhere. I have seen it over and over. The greatest in anything regardless of sport or discipline have the belief that they are the greatest and are not afraid to fail. If you are afraid of failure you will never succeed.

SP Are there ways to become mentally strong?

LS In my opinion no. There are people who will fight and people who won’t. You can’t build heart and you can’t build nuts. It’s about competition, and with lifting it’s about numbers. When some people reach certain numbers they fold. They can lose it in a second.

Now if an athlete has mental strength they can improve on it. As a coach you can make them better. I have my athlete do something out of the ordinary to see how they respond. We compete with each other, push one another, and challenge each other in gym to increase mental strength. Through these competitions we can build strength and see who can’t handle it.

SP If you have an athlete that lacks the necessary confidence or strength what do you do?

LS I let him go. I don’t think if it is not there it can be built. There are two types of people in this world. There are predators and there is prey. You need to find out what you are. This is not only in lifting but in life. There are grass eaters and lions who’ll eat the grass eaters.

SP You say a person is either mentally tough or they are not, as if it is something they are born with or not. But don’t you think environment also plays a role?

LS It’s a lot of environment. If everything is given to you your whole life, or if when things go wrong your parents intervene and fix things, you will become a soft person.

SP You are definitely not soft. You broke your back twice and made two comebacks. Tell me was there ever a moment when self doubt crept into your mind after the injuries?

LS Not once. Not once. I know one thing. If you quit once you are a quiter. I never ever quit. Not only did I break my back I completely tore my patella. I have beaten my body bad in this stupid sport. I nearly died lifting. I was in a coma for 3 days. When I woke up I was mad. Mad! I am a fighter. I was born that way. It’s just me.

SP Explain to me what went through your mind after your first back injury.

LS the first time was in 1973. I had just finished a meet and felt indestructible. 2 months later I broke my back. I had no training partner, no chiro, no PT. There was none of that available to me. I was on my own. When I was able to move enough I went down to my basement and looked in the mirror. I said to myself “one way or another you got to get well.” And that’s when I came up with the Reverse Hyper Machine. I needed to do something. As the Road Warrior says “desperate men do desperate things.”

SP How will lifting weights carry over to regular life?

LS It contributes to success. Lifting weights you set goals, you reach goals. It builds self-esteem. It helped me. When I was a kid I was always in trouble. I had low self-esteem. Lifting weights gave that confidence and others began to recognize me for it. It gave me recognition.

SP How can a failed attempt on a lift be helpful.

LS It is OK to fail on a lift. But, never fail to learn. Why did I fail? You have to be smart enough to figure out why you missed the lift.

SP What advice would you give a person trying to get better results in the gym?

LS Surround yourself with the best. If you run with the lame you will develop a limp. Only hang around people that want to kick your ass. That will make you an ass kicker.

SP What were some of the biggest mistakes you made in your training?

LS The biggest mistake I made, and I did it for 12 years was using western periodization. I learned you have to apply science to the weights. I started to study the training they used overseas. Eastern Bloc training. To get results you need to use the conjugate method.

SP One thing that stands out to me about you is your willingness to change. If you need to change your program, your approach, or your philosophy you are always willing to do that. 

LS The hardest thing for a human being to do is change. You have to be willing to change. Dinosaurs didn’t and they are gone. If the athlete doesn’t change or adjust he is gone.

SP What makes your gym the strongest in the world?

LS Brains. Brains. Where did bands come from? Westside. Where did chains come from? Westside. Where did the box squat, board bench, floor press come from? Westside. I could go on and on, it’s the conjugate method. Where did people get the conjugate method? That’s Westside. People write about the conjugate method all the time but never reference Westside. I reference everybody.

Everything has to be connected. This is the conjugate system. If there is one break in the chain, you fail.

The reason this gym is so strong is we experiment. I will have 5 guys do one thing, if it sucks and doesn’t get results we throw it out. We find what works and use it. Eliminate those exercises that don’t work and use the one’s that work.

I see people repeat the same mistakes over and over again for years.

SP Any tips for people just starting out lifting?

LS Build a base. Mathematically a pyramid is only as strong and tall as its base. Every kid I think should be exposed to wrestling and gymnastics that’s a good place to start. That and running obstacle courses and things like that.

For adults I would build a base with sled work. High rep lower back and abs work. Have them do high rep band pushdowns and band leg curls. Good mornings with the bands. Strengthen the ligaments.

Everybody wants to do what the strongest guy in the gym is doing. He didn’t start off that way. He built a base and that’s what they need to do.

SP What do you do prior to a competition?

LS I meditate. I do nothing. I think of nothing. Your brain is full of ideas you have to let them out. You don’t want to jam things in it. They are in there already. Before you lift the weight be you. If you need to get crazy, get crazy. If you need to be calm, be calm.

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Hardly any have the inner belief, drive, or balls to go after what they want or to speak their minds about what they believe. Most are just willing to passively go through life never asserting their will and allowing others to dictate who they are.

Henry Rollins is not that type of guy. Rollins is a man who has never allowed others to box him in or to dictate his limitations. Whether it is music, spoken word, writing, acting, or comedy Rollins has been willing to attack and conquer all. He goes after each with a raw tenacity and honesty that can only be admired.

The interesting and surprising part of Henry’s inner strength is that he did not always possess such confidence in himself to be a leader and go after his dreams. As a young boy Henry was bullied, harassed, and abused. His life was heading done a path of pain and depression. But fortunately fate intervened in Henry’s life when he came across his school advisor, Mr. Pepperman.

Twenty one years ago Henry Rollins wrote the candid and stirring essay; Iron and the Soul. In it he recounts how the influence of one man and the introduction to weight training changed his life forever.

I recently had the amazing opportunity to ask Henry about what has changed with his weight training and workout regimen since the writing of Iron and the Soul. We discussed how he designs his workouts, what advice would he give a young Henry Rollins, and what would he say to a young man or women who was about to start weight lifting. Enjoy.

Exclusive Mini-Interview with Henry Rollins:

Henry Rollins – Born February 13, 1961 (54 years of age)

Q .How has your training changed since turning fifty?

A. Less weight, more treadmill and calisthenics

Q. Have you been able to challenge yourself while still avoiding injury?

A. I don’t really challenge myself. I get in there and do the work. I can’t afford injury. It’s never worth it.

Q. How is your workout program designed? Example, is it upper/lower, full body, or push/pull, ect?

A. At this point, it’s push/pull. That’s a good way to break things up and keep from over working parts of your body.

Q.  Do you set goals for yourself in the gym?

A. No, it’s just part of my day.

Q. In your essay Iron and the Soul you spoke of your advisor Mr. Pepperman introducing you to lifting. Do you ever think about where you would be if he had never taken an interest in you?

A. I do not. My life has been quite eventful and there is a lot of that “where would you be if” stuff that comes up. It was definitely a lucky break to have met him, that’s for sure. Beyond that, speculation on the past in this aspect is not interesting as it has nothing to teach me.

Q. If you could give go back and give any advice to a young Henry whether it would be about life, lifting, music, or anything. What would it be?

A. Most human relationships are not worth the time you put into them. Do not waste time with normal people. They are a plague and will only slow you down.

Q. What advice would you give a young man or women who were thinking about starting to weight train?

A. Think of your body as a car you can never trade in. Rarely is anything worth injury, especially to your joints. Humans are not weight bearing creatures. You were built to climb, walk, ect. Not for impact or for carrying around a lot of weight.

Henry Rollins Quotes

1. Do not waste time with normal people, they are a plague and will only slow you down – Henry Rollins

2. You need a bit of insanity to do great things – Henry Rollins

3. Keep your blood clean, your body lean, and your mind sharp. – Henry Rollins

4. If feel more lonely in a crowded room full of boring people than i feel on my own – Henry Rollins

5. Don’t do anything by half. If you love someone love them with all your soul. When you go to work, work your ass off. – Henry Rollins

6. I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To be NOT like your parents. To be NOT like your friends. To be yourself, to cut yourself out of stone. – Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins Speeches

Henry Rollins: The One Decision that Changed My Life Forever

Get Up – Motivational Video Featuring Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins – Inspiration

The post Henry Rollins Quotes & Workout Tips! – Exclusive Interview appeared first on Fearless Motivation - Motivational Videos & Music.

Hackleman, himself a former professional Boxer and Kickboxer is considered to be one of the most innovative and sought after strength and conditioning coaches. Hackleman’s journey began at the young age of 10 when he joined a local gym in Honolulu, Hawaii to train under legendary Martial Artists, Professor Walter Godin. Under Godin, Hackleman studied KaJuKenBo (a mixture of Kempo Karate, Tang Soo Do, Judo, Jujitsu, Chinese Kenpo, and Kung Fu). KaJuKenBo, a style of Martial Arts developed in Hawaii specifically as a street fighting art.

At the age of 20, Hackleman answered the call of duty and enlisted in the US Army. His decision was influenced by the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, in which 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days. While in the Army Hackleman found tremendous success as a member of the Army Boxing Team. During the three years as an Army boxer he won the state and regional Golden Gloves titles. Upon leaving the Army, Hackleman moved to southern California to pursue a career in professional boxing.

While working full time and training for fights, Hackleman built a backyard training facility where he could work his conditioning and practice Martial Arts. This began to morph into a training facility for locals looking for a new and exciting method of training. As a result Hackleman began to train and coach others in both Martial Arts and strength and conditioning. He renamed his Martial Arts style, and began calling it Hawaiian Kempo.

In this interview Hackleman gives the origins of CrossPit. He shares his philosophies on training, and explains the pros and cons of having success training fighters.

SP – What I was hoping to talk to you today about was the history of Crosspit, how it originated, how has it evolved throughout the years, and where do you see its future.

Hackleman – Well I have been doing these types of workouts pretty much the same since the mid 80’s. I have always pushed hard, hard, hard conditioning. I made up drills like Blackjack* and other crazy workouts which I incorporated not only in my fight training but in my belt training classes as well. And then one day, I don’t honestly remember how we even met, but I met Greg Glassman, the owner of CrossFit. And right away we just started sharing ideas. We went over his philosophies versus mine and we realized they were almost identical except for 2 basic things:

1. Overhead lifts which I didn’t think were very advantageous for Martial Artists.
2. The length of some of his workouts. They were much too long for Martial Artists. With Martial Artists they are working out a couple hours a day anyway, so if you place a long conditioning drill on top of that it is overkill. With a CrossFit athlete it is OK to go longer because that will be all they do on a given day.

So I took out a lot of non-specific exercises and substituted in other Martial Art specific exercises and we created CrossPit. Greg and I came up with it in the early 2000’s. CrossPit was to be the Martial Arts version of Crossfit, and it was designed to fit any Martial Arts practitioners training regimen.

SP – What were the origins of the Pit?

Hackleman – I got out of the Army in the early 80’s and moved to LA to pursue my career as a Professional Boxer and Kickboxer. I had a few fights, but having two young kids I needed something more financially stable. So I went to school and became a registered nurse. It became difficult to find time to go to the gym so I built this little 600 square foot gym in my backyard. Next thing I know coworkers of mine want to train, friends want to train, and then friends of friends want to train at my gym. All of a sudden I had this whole little gym in my back yard where I was training students and it was so small and cramped we called it “The Pit”.

SP – So you stumbled upon this completely by accident?

Hackleman – Yeah definitely. Eventually, when my fight career ended we decided to move out of LA. We moved up north and the first thing I did when we got the new property was I built an 800 square foot gym in the back yard. And I started right away training people back there. It was the same type of training; it was old school, hardcore, spar every day, beat each other up training. And I got quite a reputation around the county and guys like Chuck Liddell heard about it and he started training there. So that’s how the training with fighters started and eventually, like in the early 2000’s I decided to take it mainstream.

SP – So you would have regular students who came to The Pit learn and work on everything such as: Martial Arts, conditioning and strength, and sparring?

Hackleman – When it was in my backyard I didn’t differentiate the fitness training from the Martial Arts. The philosophy being that the fitness and Martial Arts were incorporated in one and they were equally valued. A student had to be just as efficient in the fitness as they did in any other aspect just to get promoted to the next belt.

SP – Didn’t you actually first meet Chuck because of an old school Dojo war you had with his trainer? 

Hackleman – Yep, We actually went at each other the first time we met.

SP – Were you able to see a difference between the type of training and coaching he was receiving versus that of what you were teaching?

Hackleman – I always do. And he found out real quick that the type of training we were doing at The Pit was something that he wanted to do. The very next day after we sparred he came and started training with me.

SP – What were the biggest differences between his old school and yours?

Hackleman – Their striking was more of the traditional Karate striking, where one hand would be chambered near the hip while the other was extended. That would leave the fighter completely open. They were more rigid in their style, stiffer with their movement and foot work. They weren’t used to other kinds of strikes, knees and elbows. Obviously he was pretty well versed in takedowns because of his wrestling background where as most Karate guys aren’t.

SP –What are your philosophies when it comes to training? Is there anything particular you try to instil in your athletes or students?

Hackleman – My Philosophies with training are basic old school values:

• There is no easy way.
• You must be disciplined with training. Work super hard, but rest when it is necessary. There is a fine balance.
• There is no one technique that is perfect. One of our philosophies when coaching is that it is OK to have subtle differences. The best left hook is one that knocks the other guy out. It doesn’t matter how it comes across as long as it knocks someone out, it is a great left hook.

As far as my philosophies when it comes to attitude:

• Always have fun.
• Never be a bully.
• Always respect the art. (Anyone’s art).

SP – How did your gym change immediately after meeting Greg Glassman?

Hackleman – We definitely picked things up. I began to incorporate a lot more dumbbell work. Exercises such as Thrusters, and D-bell Swings were a great addition. We also added jump rope work, such as double unders. CrossFit really upped our game, it added to our repertoire of workouts, and systemized our classes better.

Sp – Where do you see the future as far as the evolution of the Pit? More of the same, or is there something you see it evolving into?

Hackleman – The gym has changed so many times throughout the years. It started out as a hardcore Martial Arts gym, known for beating the hell out of each other. Then we started training kids, so it became known as the “Bully-proof” place. Next thing that happened, Chuck Liddell came and became famous, so then we were known as an MMA gym exclusively. When Chuck wasn’t fighting anymore we became known for the CrossFit. And now we are a little of everything; we are the biggest MMA gym in town, we have the biggest kids program in town, we probably have the biggest fitness program in town, and we have a big belt program. So we have a little of everything to tell you the truth.

SP – Do you have any aspect which you enjoy the most?

Hackleman – Not really. I really love it all. I love watching the kids get their belts, I love watching the adults get their belts. It is rewarding having a guy who just wanted to try fighting a little bit, end up making it all the way to the top. It is definitely fun to watch people develop their conditioning. So I don’t have one favorite. To be honest it is a dream come true to have this as my job. I can’t complain.

SP – What is the conditioning like?

Hackleman – We do a lot of sprints and Tabata work. Sometimes I will want to do a long hard day–I call those “Mental Toughness” days– and sometimes I want to do a shorter more explosive day. On those shorter days we will do something like a Tabata on the AirDyne. (Check out these videos at the bottom for a more in depth look at CrossPit workouts).

We also do Tabata sparring or burpees and sparring. When we do Tabata sparring it is always to the body, and not to the head; the goal is not to knock someone out or hurt them. We spar for technique, timing, distance, and defense. How Tabata sparring works is the two athletes place their foreheads together and bang to each other’s bodies for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds for a total of 4 minutes.

SP- How are you able to build mental toughness through your training? 

Hackleman – First of all there is a difference between mental toughness and heart. Heart you either have it or you don’t. You don’t build heart. With fighters, you can always tell heart when someone is in the cage or the ring and they get hit for the first time. If somebody doesn’t have heart you can train them in every fuckin technique for the rest of their life and they will never be a champion fighter. Even with Sugar Ray Leonard skill you wouldn’t be a champion without his heart. Mental toughness on the other hand can be taught in the sense of how to grind out a difficult situation. To build mental toughness we do stuff like chipper workouts, where the athlete will do this, this, this, and just keep going. A workout may involve bag work with thrusters and just keep going for 20 minutes nonstop. Or sometimes we will do rowing followed by wrestling. For example, we will make them row for 5 minutes and then wrestle for 5 minutes. That is twice as long as a round. We make them push all the way to the end of the 10 minutes. If a fighter has an upcoming fight he may have to row then spar against a fresh opponent. That will build mental toughness.

SP – Was it ever difficult for you to make the transformation from being an athlete into being a coach?

Hackleman – It was pretty natural for me. When I was in my early 20’s I was in the Army at the time and I was on the Boxing team. While I was fighting, I was also training a lot of the other guys and doing their corner work. Then when I got out and I was fighting professionally, I was always training someone at the same time. Even with Chuck, during his first couple fights I was fighting on the same card. My last fight I wrapped mine and Chuck’s hands, then I worked his corner with my hand wraps on, then went on and fought right after him.

SP – That must have been unbelievably nerve wracking knowing you are about to fight next while coaching someone else.

Hackleman – The whole 2 weeks prior were probably the most nerve wracking two weeks of my life. We both won with first round knockouts so that was good.

SP – Is it difficult for a fighter to separate their everyday life from their fighting? 

Hackleman – I don’t think it is that difficult. Most fighters are so used to it. We get most of our aggression out in the gym. It was a little different for me than most fighters. I was a registered nurse, working the graveyard shift. So I would be taking care of people at night, and then during the day I would be either beating people up or getting beaten up. Most fighters aren’t really fighters outside the ring or the cage. So, it really isn’t as difficult as you think.

SP – Is there a particular type of fighting which you enjoyed the most? Kickboxing, Boxing, MMA……?

Hackleman – I don’t know. I don’t know if I was even a big fan of any of it. Guys I train like Glover (Teixeira), Court Mcgee, and Chuck, those guys love to fight. I never did, I just fought because that was expected of me. I was pretty good and I hit pretty hard. I never had a true passion for fighting. I had a true passion for Martial Arts. Yeah so I didn’t love it, and that was why I was probably miserable most of my life. (laughing)

SP – So when you first started to train as a fighter you were training yourself? What did that consist of?

Hackleman – I started young so I had a trainer at a local gym. This was back in the old days in the early 70’s. My trainer was at the local rec center. He would be training you with a lit cigarette in his mouth. That’s the way it was back then. He would tell you to make sure you got your road work in. But I didn’t know what that exactly meant. I was a 14 year old kid trying to figure it out. In junior high school I ended up going into the library and getting out a book written by Rocky Marciano on how to train for fights. Back then it was always said that longer was better as far as road work was concerned so I just ran. Some of my runs were 10-12 miles. Looking back I probably would have done less distance and more sprints and explosive work. If I had met Greg Glassman earlier in my career it would have turned it around. That would have been heaven sent.

SP – How does your approach to training a professional athlete differ from training a regular student?

Hackleman – The main difference I do between fighters and my regular students is the sparring. Almost everything else is identical except for the sparring. They drill the same, their bag work is the same, and their conditioning is the same. The fighters will spar harder and they usually train twice a day. With the fighters we usually schedule a striking workout with conditioning in one, then later that night grappling, or something like that.

SP – Can you breakdown a typical workout session?

Hackleman – The sessions usually last about an hour. With a regular class we warm-up really thoroughly, then move into drilling with partners. We go through a bunch of scenarios then drill, drill, drill. Then right from the drilling we usually always move right into some bag work for about 10-15 minutes. After the bag work comes the workout exclusive part of the class. That’s when I will give them the workout of the day. That will be anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. It depends on what I have planned for them that day. Then I will finish them off with something like a deep core stance with some Karate technique or drilling combination work. Then I stretch them out.

SP – With each training session do you have a different focus, and different goal for your athletes?

Hackleman – The goal is usually the same every workout. That is to make them better Martial Artists. With the focus sometimes I will push mental toughness, sometimes I will push explosive strength, sometimes I will even push for better active rests, because they would have done a lot of bag work so we will go longer and have them do something like a 5 K.

SP – Is it difficult for an athlete to allow themselves to be pulled back?

Hackleman – It depends on the athlete. Some guys like Court, he hates it, and sometimes he will even cheat behind my back and do extra work. I can always tell the next day when they come in. You know what is so stupid? I have some guys that I will give a day off to and tell them they need to rest. They say “Ok coach”, tell me they are going to take the day off and then they post a picture on social media of themselves doing sprints on the beach or working out that day. That’s how stupid they can be. (laughing)

SP – How do you come up with your workouts for your athletes and students?

Hackleman – I have to be honest I come up with most of this shit myself. I might take a few things from others, sometimes even my guys will come up with things, “hey let’s try this”. But I usually come up with 85% of it. Now my wife is teaching classes and she comes up with things. We just try to come up with the craziest shit we can that accommodates the class. It is so easy to train somebody hard, but harder isn’t always better. If that was the case I would just have them do 10 minutes of burpees as hard as they can. Everyone would get in shape, but two problems occur:

1. Over training of the students and athletes
2. The classes would be pretty boring

So not only do you need to come up with something that is fun and exciting and different but it also needs to be effective and not cross the line of over training. Some trainers will drive people that hard and the athlete or student will either get hurt or burnt out. It is really a big balancing act. It is important not only for the students to not over train but it is especially important for the athletes.

SP – Do you think it is intimidating for students to go into your gym because of your history of training? Do they misunderstand and think that the gym is about fighting?

Hackleman – Absolutely, that is our biggest liability right now. That is what is keeping us breaking through every barrier in the world when it comes to gyms. Most business and most gyms their biggest obstacle is trying to get there name out there. Our biggest liability is everyone knows our name and they are intimidated to come in. They don’t realize that we are more of a family efficient Martial Arts gym, everyone sees us as blood, guts, and cages.

SP – In some aspects you are a victim of your own success.  

Hackleman – Definitely, it’s been a double edge sword. I love Chuck. Chuck is the best student any instructor could ever have. He has tremendous loyalty, perseverance, heart, and courage. He is very generous, but as a gym owner Chuck has hurt me more than any single person has ever hurt another gym. (laughing) Chuck is like a brother to me and I love him to death, but that’s the situation. Don’t get me wrong my gym is doing very well, but I think it would be doing very, very, very well. If I ever said that to Chuck he would try to pay me out of his own pocket.

SP – So have you ever thought about moving away from training fighters?

Hackleman – I have pulled way back. I have basically a single digit team right now. But a legacy and a reputation that we have built since 1985, is still in place. Even before Chuck was a champion the reputation of the gym around town was one of blood sweat and tears, and beating the shit out of each other. So the Pit had a very, very, very tough reputation. Even though it is not like that anymore it still has that reputation.

SP – How has Martial Arts effected or influenced your life outside of training? 

Hackleman – I don’t think it has affected my life as much as it is my life. I have been training Martial Arts since I was 10 and that’s pretty much been a constant more than any single thing. It’s always been there. It is my life, period.

SP – I heard you said it was difficult at times growing up in Hawaii. Did you get into Martial Arts because you were being bullied?

Hackleman – Yeah it was, but to be honest it was more that I just didn’t want to be bullied. I was bullied a little bit and I knew I was going to probably be bullied more so I just started training and guess what? I loved it. It was like heaven sent. I went to the toughest gym in Hawaii, trained with probably the toughest guy. I just found the place in the Yellow Pages when I was 10 years old, and it just came together perfectly. I couldn’t have hooked up with a better guy to train with to reach the goals and get out of Martial Arts what I wanted, which was to get tougher and not get bullied. Walter Godin was one of the toughest guys in Hawaii, he had the reputation and he had the demeanor, and the toughest training, so next thing I know nobody is picking on me. Like I said, it was heaven sent. If I had gone to another gym or Dojo it never would have turned out the way it turned out.

SP – What I find interesting, listening to your story is that you were there almost at the inception of MMA, and you were there from basically the birth of CrossFit.

Hackleman – Yeah I believe I was the 2^nd CrossFit affiliate. When I met Greg Glassman his certification was in this little gym in Santa Cruz and the meeting after was in his backyard and we had Pizza and Beer. So that was really a while ago.

SP – Wow it is kind of crazy, finding two things you love and being there in the early years of these two growing sports. 

Hackleman – Yeah what can I say? It just worked out.

The Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tHYPmaR8H4

Workout of Week: Wave Master Training (instructional) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHROO8_Tawc

CrossPit Blackjack – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-lqsw6iSx0

Follow John on Instagram @  or checkout www.thepit.tv

The post The “Pitmaster” – Interview with MMA & Crossfit Coach John Hackleman appeared first on Fearless Motivation - Motivational Videos & Music.

What is it like to train the next generation of NFL stars? How is that different than training the Army’s elite? Which group is tougher mentally? Are Army Rangers really more physically capable than NFL stars?
These are a couple of questions I was able to ask legendary Strength Coach Nick O’Brien when I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with him.

Nick O’Brien, M.S., CSCS, USAW
Sports Performance Coach at Velocity Sports Performance in Redondo Beach
Human Performance Optimization Coach for the 75^th Ranger Regiment – Fort Benning, GA

Q – What was your job while at Velocity?

A – My job consisted of training all types of athletes with an emphasis on preparing Collegiate football players for the NFL Draft.

Q – What would the training consist of? What were the numbers they needed to achieve and how did you go about helping them to achieve them?

A – When specifically training for the NFL Draft, the training followed a basic outline with everyone and individual exercises that fell within those categories. The general outline of each week was:

Monday AM – Weight, Body Composition, Vertical Jump Testing and Linear Acceleration Training (starts, short sprints, sled resisted starts, etc.), possible 10 or 20 yard sprint testing

Monday PM – 225 Bench Press Test, Lower Body Power (Cleans, Snatches, resisted jumps, sled sprints, etc.), Bench Capacity, and Individual Assistance Training

Tuesday AM – Multidirectional Agility Focus, either 5-10-5 Shuttle or 3-Cone Drill, possible test of either drill

Tuesday PM – Lower Body Strength (generally double leg push focus like Back/Front Squat and their variants with bands/chains), Upper Body Pulling strength and individual assistance training

Wednesday AM – Recovery Training (Pool, light beach workout, or extended warmup with flexibility training), Massage specific to individual needs

Thursday AM – Multidirectional Agility Focus, either 5-10-5 Shuttle or 3-Cone Drill, possible test of either drill

Thursday PM – Lower Body Power (Cleans, Snatches, resisted jumps, sled sprints, etc.), Bench Max Strength, and Individual Assistance Training

Friday AM – Linear Maximum Velocity training (focus on the 20-40 yard phase), testing of 20-40 yard split

Friday PM – Lower Body Strength (generally single leg or double leg pull focus like split squats and Deadlifts), Upper Body Pulling, and individual assistance training (usually finishing off with some gun work so they look good/feel good in front of the scouts)

Saturday AM – Recovery Training (Pool, light beach workout, or extended warmup with flexibility training), Massage specific to individual needs

It would be hard to get into specific details of the target numbers that they needed to hit, but the answer is yes. Each position is expected to hit at least the bottom numbers to show they are adequate, and hopefully closer to the top numbers on each test. There is also a certain number on each test where they stop looking at it as a benefit, so continuing to improve that area may just be eating up time/energy they could be using to improve one of their weaknesses.

Q – Did you just focus on numbers or were there other areas of training which needed to be addressed?

A – Numbers are extremely important to get into the NFL. I did my Master’s thesis on improving the 40-yard dash in NFL Combine Invitees. I make sure each athlete understands that every fraction of a second and rep practiced counts. In the 40, .10 seconds can be the difference of millions of dollars. Because of this, we test everything that they will be tested on at the Combine/Pro Day and much more. But, the mental game cannot be overlooked when prepping for the draft. The NFL Combine is really the ultimate interview. It’s not just a physical assessment, but a medical, intelligence, personality, and psychological assessment. For these reasons we had regularly prepped them for interviews and used a sport psychologist (who now works for the Seattle Seahawks) to enhance their mental game.

Q – What sort of obstacles did you face while training college athletes? How did you address weaknesses?

A – It depends on the circumstances. I have worked with collegiate athletes on an individual/small group basis and with an entire team. The difficulty in the team setting is definitely providing an appropriate plan that works well for the entire team. You have a great array of abilities and in order to adjust for that sometimes the team needed to be broken into ability groups so that no one was held back. This is of course challenging; running a group of 30 by myself when 2 different workouts are going on… but it can be done.

Q – What is the most difficult area to improve in an athlete: speed, strength, or power?

A – They are all equally difficult in their truest sense. Just getting someone to squat more doesn’t mean they are stronger, it means they have adapted in some way to better tolerate the movement. The early improvements in strength in young athletes are usually technical, not an improvement in force production (or true strength). Once you pass this point though, strength improvements become much more difficult, especially with men prepping for the NFL draft who just finished 4 years of tough and thorough training with their collegiate coaches. Because power stems from both velocity and force, when you improve strength you improve power the majority of the time, so they are equally difficult to improve. Training for speed, in the sense of 40-yard dash or 5-10-5 shuttle is difficult, but not as difficult in the early stages because just like with the squat, it’s technical improvements that lead to better times. Once the technique has been learned it again becomes a much slower process to improve true speed. They are basically all easy to improve in a novice athlete, and then become difficult as an athlete becomes better trained.

Q – In 2012 you moved to Georgia to train Army Rangers. What is the biggest difference between training NFL caliber athletes and the Army’s elite?

A – Not to put down any of the pro athletes that I worked with in the past, but the biggest difference would be the amazing mental and physical toughness of the Rangers. It all comes down to their ability to endure extreme challenges. No matter what the undertaking entails they are ready to accept the job. Anyway, we are not just talking about any job. We are talking about an extremely taxing job, both mentally physically.

Even the basic selection process to become a Ranger is much more rigorous than that of a professional athlete. The mental challenges they undergo prepares them for any physical assignment which may arise.

Q – How much of the physical strength comes down to mental toughness?

A – A ton. Especially when compared to the average person. Often times their physical make-up, I am talking about genetic potential, does not appear that different than an average person. However, the numbers they achieve far exceed those of most civilians. It comes down to their mental strength, their belief in themselves, and what they can accomplish. Also, they are willing to work through anything without ever giving up until their body quits on them.

Q – How can mental toughness be improved?

A – By constantly training outside ones comfort zone. With the Rangers, their mental vigor is being increased throughout the whole process. Many get weeded out, those who don’t will eventually learn to train hard and work under any conditions, regardless of mental or physical fatigue.

Q – What does a typical week of training look like?

A – In general, we do 4 days per week strength training with a whole host of different splits like 2 upper body days. This would include such exercises as pull-ups or overhead press. And 2 lower body days. Such lifts would include squats, dead lifts, or split squats. This would equal 4 days total body, Lower/Upper/ 2 days total body, and even a scheme similar to the one list above for the NFL Draft Prep (but without the morning speed sessions).  We also include 1-2 days of anaerobic (short high intensity or interval) conditioning, as well as 2-3 days of aerobic (longer runs, ruck marches, or usage of some of our low impact devices like the C2 Rower, Jacobs ladder, or Versaclimber) work. Depending on the week the soldiers get 5-6 days of training. Since I started working here, we have also implemented a great deal of recovery training to keep them healthy and ready for the next training session.

Q – Do the Rangers do Olympic Lifts?

A – They do. Besides their basic weightlifting within their programs, we offer the Rangers clinics which include Olympic Weightlifting to enhance their technical expertise. We also offer a host of other clinics including basic barbell movements, rope training, kettlebell work, running efficiency and so on.

Q – What do you find more enjoyable, working with professional athletes or Rangers?

A – Definitely the Rangers. Again, nothing against the great athletes that I worked with in the past and some of them fell into this highly motivated category as well. The rangers are such competitive, highly motivated and respectful individuals as a whole. It makes it a pleasure to work with them by helping them both stay healthy and achieve their goals. Their drive to increase personal education in the field of human performance also separates them. I also feel that they are so similar in mentality to me, that I am at home in this culture every day that I go to work.

Nick’s 5 Tips to train for a combine:

1. Get a good, well organized coach.
2. Make sure that you are being tested on a regular basis
3. Focus on technique more than anything else; it’s the most bang for your buck in a short amount of time. Even exercises such as the bench press can improve dramatically by using proper technique.
4. Make the 40 a priority; it’s the most looked at regardless of position.
5. Don’t underestimate recovery; it’s the one thing that most performance centers do better than the colleges (although the big colleges have caught up on this lately).

Nick’s 5 tips to train like a Ranger:

1. At least once per month go out for a long foot movement; this could be a ruck march (backpacking) or a hike.
2. Obstacles are key; either find a place to create some outdoor obstacle based workouts or sign up for one of the million mud/obstacle runs.
3. Pick up something heavy and walk; the “famer carry” is a main staple of our training. Be able to pick up some heavy dumbbells, kettlebells, or a trap bar walk. This can also more simply be done at home with 5 gal jugs full of rocks or dirt.
4. Run; I know running has gotten looked at as sacrilegious in the performance field for the last decade or so, but it works. Some of the most overall fittest people I have met run because it’s simple and very hard (if you push yourself). It doesn’t have the technical limitations of circuits using weights and barbells. I have even spoken to the conditioning coach of some of the top Crossfitters in the world and what he has implemented into their program is running. Not tons of it, and it can even be short intervals like 200, 400, 800m distance repeats on short rest (like 8x400m on 1min rest).
5. Test yourself regularly; it doesn’t matter what you test, just test something. The biggest failure of many programs is a lack of objective measurement. In the Ranger Regiment we test all the time. We have the APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test) that we have to do, but also a 5 mile run in under 40 min, 12 mile ruck march in under 3 hours (with a 35lb ruck sack), and our own internal RAW (Ranger Athlete Warrior) Assessment including a host of well-rounded physical tests not unlike the NFL Combine. We also put out a new Bi-Weekly challenge every other week like BW Bench Max Reps, max upper body only rope climbs in 2 minutes, 2 x 48 kilo Kettlebell farmer carry for max distance, and many more. On top of that, we test all of your main lifts during regular training phases like cleans, squats, bench, deadlift, etc. Simply put, if you’re not testing, you’re not training. You are just doing a workout day after day.

Get Inspired!
NFL Draft & NFL Football Motivational Videos:

NFL Upper Body Football Training JJ Watt, Brian Cushing, Connor Barwin

NFL Motivation – Fight & Effort (The Last Ride) ᴴᴰ [720p]

American Football Motivation

Football Motivation 2015 “Secret to Sucess” Feat. Eric Thomas

The post NFL Athletes V Army Rangers – NFL Draft Motivation appeared first on Fearless Motivation - Motivational Videos & Music.

How to stay healthy and fit while traveling for work or pleasure:

Interview with Steve Maxwell
Steve Maxwell is a strength coach, physical educator, and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor who has trained and studied throughout the world. Having a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science Steve has an amazingly vast knowledge of sport, training, nutrition, and the effects on the human body. He has over 40 years experience working with athletes and students and has been named as one of the USA’s top 100 trainers by Men’s Journal. Maxwell is a fitness guru who helped introduce many of today’s popular fitness and training modalities to the United States.

Undeniably a true coaching and fitness pioneer Steve Maxwell was the first American to teach kettle bell classes in the United States, and the first certified teacher of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. 

Some of Mr. Maxwell’s students include members of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Eagles. He has worked both as a consultant and trainer for a number of US Government agencies including the DEA, Secret Service, and FBI.

Besides being an instructor, Steve has an impressive history of competing in combat sports. After being reluctantly persuaded by his father, he began wrestling at the age of 10. His relentless work ethic and drive would eventually earn Steve a spot wrestling at the Division 1 college level. Steve continued his athletic career after school wrestling for the US Army. Mr.Maxwell would eventually expand into other combat sports as he became the first American to earn a black belt from Reison Grace. Steve went on to compete in many US and world Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and won multiple world championships.

Today Steve Maxwell lives exclusively out of a backpack as he travels the world speaking to groups of students about the benefits of healthy living and maintaining an active and productive lifestyle. At the age of 62 Maxwell’s body resembles that of a 25 year old athlete, this despite his demanding schedule and continuous travel. Living the Spartan’s nomadic lifestyle Maxwell understands how to make the most of traveling when it comes to health and fitness, how not to let travel disrupt your training, and how to continue to grow stronger and more supple regardless of the hours spent sitting on planes or trains.

With travel becoming more and more prevalent in our lives today it is important to take a lesson from Steve Maxwell and to stay on top of your game while on the road.

Hey Steve it’s great to have the opportunity to speak with you. What I wanted to discuss with you was how to stay healthy and strong while traveling.

Maxwell – This is one of my favorite subjects. People have this idea that you can’t go on vacation or holiday without eating junk or without giving up healthier habits. The mindset is self defeating. The fact that they go in with these ideas is limiting.

Kettle bells are great for simple workouts and home training

I guess it all depends on outlook. You think people need to go in with the idea that they will continue to eat well and exercise?

Maxwell – It is not as hard as people think. They only make it that way.

How do you put yourself in the right frame of mind?

Maxwell – I start right from the moment I get on the plane. I begin with putting myself mentally in the spot where I am travelling. As I sit down into my seat I immediately change my watch and start thinking and acting as if I am in the new time zone. Sometimes I may lose a little sleep, sometimes I may gain a little.

What about your meals?

Maxwell – I immediately go on the new time zone when it comes to eating. I start to schedule my meals for my new location. That means I may skip a meal or two if it is a long flight. It is best to change your food patterns by skipping a meal. I am just sitting on a plane so I don’t need the calories. If I get hungry I will just have a glass of cold water, which usually helps to alleviate the hunger. The problem most people have is that they are uncomfortable with missing a meal. They think they are going to go into some catabolic state. It doesn’t work that way.

So you practice intermittent fasting? 

Maxwell – Yes. People are unaware for the most part of just how controlled by food they really are. It rules people’s lives. It can ruin people’s lives! They need to learn that they need not be controlled by their appetites. Hunger is nothing to fear. This is a huge part of travel. Getting your nutrition in line, right from the get go, while you are still sitting on the plane will set you up for success.

Do you consume more water while flying?

Maxwell – When you are in a plane it is equivalent to being at a 7,000 foot elevation. So yeah, you dry out and lose water more rapidly. So while traveling instead of being so concerned with eating people should be more concerned with hydration. Another great way to keep hydrated is with fruits and vegetables. What I do is to chop up fresh berries or vegetables and pack them in a small container. When it is time to eat according to the new time zone I will eat what I have packed with me.

Do you try to sleep on the plane?

Maxwell – If the flight is at night I just try to go right to sleep. I will often listen to a sleep meditation app on my iPhone.

How does that work?

Maxwell – The beats help to slowdown the brain waves. The waves will begin to match the beats. The waves will slow and you will go into sleep mode and can nod off for 2-3 hours and you can wake up pretty refreshed.

Do you do anything to combat the stiffness or tightness which may set in do to sitting on a plane for so long?

Maxwell – I try to get up every hour unless I am sleeping. I will get up and go to the back of the plane and move around. I always try to get an aisle seat so as not to disturb someone by constantly climbing over them.

Do you do just walk then stand for a bit or do you incorporate any type of mobility work?

Maxwell – I will do some Taoist yoga, Qigong, and some energy exercises. I studied a lot of different disciplines over the years so I incorporate a lot.

You do this on the plane?

Maxwell – Yeah, on the plane. I do tapping, self massage, and different types of manipulation. There is lots of stuff you can do on the plane to keep yourself mobile. I always try to staying moving. As a matter of fact while we are talking right now I am pacing back and forth across the hotel room, staying active and mobile.

When you land what is your routine?

Maxwell – The second I land and get settled, if it isn’t night time I will immediately go for a walk. I do what I refer to as “Breathing Ladders”. It is a breath control technique I learned from the Russians. It is a technique where you match your breaths to your walking. How this works is like climbing a ladder. One step inhale, followed by one step exhale. This progresses to two steps inhale, followed by two steps exhale, then three, four, five, and so on. On a good day I may get up to 20 steps on both the inhale and exhale.

How do you get back on schedule with your training regiment? 

Maxwell – That all starts before I leave. Before flying I always do an intense workout program. I will get up as early as 3:30 or 4 and will do something very intense. What’s intense? Well, I could do a circuit with rope skipping, calisthenics, some wrestling drills, Hindu Push-ups, and Hindu Squats. I have a homemade suspension device which I can do pull-ups and rows on. I also like to involve some Spiderman Crawls and a Squat Creep, which is a Russian form of the Duck Squat. When I am finished I feel like I could really use the rest so sitting back on the plane is a perfect time to relax.

It also sounds like you consciously include a lot of mobility work into your program?

Maxwell – Yeah pretty much. I give myself an all around good strength, conditioning, and mobility workout.

Take me through your routine on the first morning after you have reached your destination.

Maxwell- I force myself to get out of bed early the next morning. I have a little bit of coffee then I like to go out and have a fasted workout so time between 7 and 9.

What does a typical workout consist of?

Maxwell – It really depends on the day. For example, if I have a jiu-jitsu school available I just may walk in the morning to save my juice for rolling later in the day. If I am going to do a workout I like to follow the 5 pillar system I came up with. It involves a horizontal and vertical push, horizontal and vertical pull, some sort of hinge movement, for my hips, hamstrings, and lower back. Then I go into a variation of the squat, and some sort of core. I will also do a lot of time static contractions which are prolonged isometrics. I will do a hold for up to 90 seconds. These are great to build strength and for hypertrophy. Bruce Lee was a big proponent of isometrics contraction training.

Where do you workout?

You can do these workouts in a hotel room and you don’t need fancy equipment. People may think you need a lot of equipment but you absolutely do not. You can do a 15 or 20 minute workout that will kick your ass, make you strong and keep you strong. And that’s it. In the rest of your time just stay active and do low level activities. (For more on Steve Maxwell’s 5 Pillar System or to see his hotel workout video checkout his website www.maxwellsc.com)

You mentioned isometrics, will you ever combine an exercise with both full range of motion and isometrics? Like for example with a squat.

Maxwell – Sure, actually you can do a Goblet Squat with a kettlebell or some sort of body weight squat until you reached the state of momentary muscular failure then what ever position you are in you continue to isometrically hold this position. Believe me one set and you are done. If you get a point where you can’t do another rep with good form or when you performing a static contraction you reach the point where you are pretty much shaking and you can’t hold it any more, you pretty much did whatever is possible to do to turn on the biological mechanism to produce growth and strength.

Do you do any running or sprinting while traveling?

Maxwell – I will run. But running in general, the way it is done by most people is harmful. It is harmful because most people breathe dysfunctionally. They mouth breathe, they gasp, and they gulp. Most use a very dysfunctional manner of breathing and it can be harmful. It is well worth learning how to breathe properly. But to answer your question, yes I do run, I run in a functional way, not with dysfunctional breathing. I don’t pay as much attention to my heart rate as I do to my breathing.  I would tell all of your readers to download this free PDF it is called The Zen of Running. It is an old book that was written back in the 70’s, and I remember seeing it back then and I was a young wrestler in college at the time, and I basically blew it off as some sort of hippie drivel. And then later in I started to think, “Wow that guy made a lot of sense”. This is a free book that anyone can download, and this is the philosophy that I use while running.

This book has to do with just breathing and running, or does it get into all aspects of running?

Maxwell – It has to do with all aspects of running, from almost a spiritual point of view. You should not be running and stressing, it should be about doing it for the ecstasy of it, the sheer joy of moving like an animal.

Now I know you have a lot of kettlebell and other types of workout video but do you have any videos for individuals who are traveling and may not have access to a weight room or weights in general?  

Maxwell – I did a Las Vegas series where I show how you can turn a whole hotel room into a gym. Man, I show a lot of cool exercises on how to use what is available to you in your room. I make the video fun and I try to keep people’s attention. I hate these videos where a guy talks for 15 minutes before you even see an exercise. I try to do something within 30 seconds of starting a video to keep the people’s attention.

Steve this has been awesome and I really appreciate you taking the time today to talk.

Maxwell – Awesome, Thanks Sam and best of luck to you.

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Steve Maxwell Kettlebell Workouts on Amazon:
1. The Kettlebell conditioning system book – Steve Maxwell
2. The Spartacus Workout – Steve Maxwell

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