My frequent trips through out the pathways of life have taught me a lot. At an early age I discovered the human invention of excuses. By definition, excuses are merely justification for not performing. Excuses are not inherently "bad," in fact they can be healthy in life, but there is NO PLACE for them in exercising. There is absolutely no reason to not exercise.
Case in point:
I have one hand. When I see you at the gym curling a 10lb weight you quite literally make me sick to my stomach. As a punishment, you then have to watch my STUMP curl 50lbs.
This is exactly what happened to me the other day. I was working out, like a fucking savage mind you, and I was wrapping up the workout with some cable military presses. Now there is physically no way to workout my left pec without a prosthetic. So I had my prosthetic on, now I don't have a pic but let me tell you... this shit is BADASS. Titanium and steel combo grip, solid casting, heavy duty hardware, and topped off with a camouflage paint job on the arm. I look like a jacked robotic marine, but I digress. So I'm get a good pump going and this woman is scoping me out. She was doing triceps in front of me. She turns towards me and heads my way. Now I'm thinking she is wondering how many reps I have left, wanting the cable machine maybe. Boy was I wrong. And so the convo went as follows:
Woman: "Hi there."
"Hey, how you doin?"
Woman: "You know... you are just incredible... I mean, I was sitting at home today making up bullshit excuses to not go to the gym. Then I finally get myself to come in and I see you. You have no hand and I have to say I have never seen anyone in my life work as hard as you. Seriously... like WOW... just amazing. You have no idea how much you motivate."
"I'm so glad I can do that for you. Use me in your thoughts next time you are sitting at home trying to create motivation for yourself."
Woman: "I will, thank you so much. Truely."
To which point she gave me a huge smile and trailed off.
Even my bodybuilder friends say I motivate then. I have a friend named Chris who is fresh out of the army. The kid is SHREDDED! Low 10's or single digit body fat. Very built, very dedicated, very motivated. I'm doing dead-lifts with my prosthetic the other day and he walked by.
Chris: "Drew you ARE my motivation."
Ladies and gentlemen, I have seen a double amputee with no legs outrun four other full body sprinters on nothing but a pair of carbon fiber boomerangs.
I have sat in a chair while a QUADROUPLE amputee crawled to the chair next to me and FLIPPED HIMSELF UP INTO THE SEAT TO TALK TO ME with a huge smile on his face just like he should.
Listen we all have flaws, we all get in slumps, but leave the excuses in the parking lot. In fact, void your life of them. The sad truth is, no one cares, and you really have no excuse when it comes down to it. I could sit on my fat ass all day everyday and say, "Well I only have one hand, I can't workout." THAT'S BULLSHIT! You know it, I know it, he world knows it. I can do whatever I put my mind to and so can you. You are born a champion, the world teaches you to lose. I have one hand? So what? And? The NO LEGGED dude is working out, why can't I?
Strength is looking an excuse bold in the eyes, have a staring contest with it, until it blinks.
Next time you want to sit on your ass and do nothing, think of me the one hand dude. Because the next time I want to do the same, I think of the no legged dude. There is no excuse. Someone is ALWAYS worse off than you. And that person turns out to NOT be worse off because THEY workout, reach goals, strive for excellence. All the while you sit on your ass, limbs intact, mind healthy, fully capable and able-boddied, eating fucking chips and watching Judge Joe Brown.
Give me a break. If you don't want to workout don't make an single excuse, just repeat after me:
"I'm lazy and don't want to workout."
That really isn't hard, nor is it a lie. It's honest, realistic, and positive because you are admitting your flaws.
Drop the excuses, grab a hold of life instead.
Weight Track
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saying goodbye to a friend
Today I have decided to say goodbye to my very dear friend.
You were always there for me. Through all the sorrow and pain. Through all the good times but more importantly, the bad. You held close to my heart when I felt like an outcast. You hugged me hard when I wanted nothing more than to be alone. You were my best friend. But today, before the new year, on December 27th, I have to let you go. You will be missed, but not enough to take you back. You see, you have plagued my life as well as nourished it. You have made me different. You have held me back. You have created difficulties in my life, and the bad outweighs the good. When I was alone, you told me everything was going to be OK, but you are the reason I am alone to begin with. When shit hit the fan, you were there for me, but your support was nothing more than fuel to the fire. You have created a barrier between my heart and the world, preventing a level of love and intimacy from entering. You are a wall, the Berlin Wall, and history has repeated itself in that you must fall. I can't allow you to barricade my life from the world anymore. I'm sorry, but your love is not real. Your love is damaging, false, and painful. And through the years I have discovered this about you. I have discovered that I am not an outcast. I am not different. I am lovable and deserve only the best, but you say otherwise. You eat away at my soul, slow me down, and prevent me from obtaining my goal in a prompt manner. You are the painful fire that needs extinguishing. And I know your weakness. Your achilles heal. Your weak spot. A weapon so powerful that it will blast you away forever. A power so great that when harnessed banishes you for the rest of existance. This way your fake love will no longer enter my heart and corrupt my emmotions. Only real love can touch me now. Only intimate emmotions can penetrate my soul. And for this, I need to let you go. You are the reason I am who I am. And yet, I created you. Today I must say goodbye to you, my old friend. You are no longer welcome in my life.
Goodbye obesity.
You were always there for me. Through all the sorrow and pain. Through all the good times but more importantly, the bad. You held close to my heart when I felt like an outcast. You hugged me hard when I wanted nothing more than to be alone. You were my best friend. But today, before the new year, on December 27th, I have to let you go. You will be missed, but not enough to take you back. You see, you have plagued my life as well as nourished it. You have made me different. You have held me back. You have created difficulties in my life, and the bad outweighs the good. When I was alone, you told me everything was going to be OK, but you are the reason I am alone to begin with. When shit hit the fan, you were there for me, but your support was nothing more than fuel to the fire. You have created a barrier between my heart and the world, preventing a level of love and intimacy from entering. You are a wall, the Berlin Wall, and history has repeated itself in that you must fall. I can't allow you to barricade my life from the world anymore. I'm sorry, but your love is not real. Your love is damaging, false, and painful. And through the years I have discovered this about you. I have discovered that I am not an outcast. I am not different. I am lovable and deserve only the best, but you say otherwise. You eat away at my soul, slow me down, and prevent me from obtaining my goal in a prompt manner. You are the painful fire that needs extinguishing. And I know your weakness. Your achilles heal. Your weak spot. A weapon so powerful that it will blast you away forever. A power so great that when harnessed banishes you for the rest of existance. This way your fake love will no longer enter my heart and corrupt my emmotions. Only real love can touch me now. Only intimate emmotions can penetrate my soul. And for this, I need to let you go. You are the reason I am who I am. And yet, I created you. Today I must say goodbye to you, my old friend. You are no longer welcome in my life.
Goodbye obesity.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Fruit 2 Day - For the laziest of lazy
There is a product on the market now, a fruit drink, called Fruit2Day.
If you are unfamiliar with this product, good. Essentially Fruit2Day is just plain old fruit juice. Now of course fruit juice has been on the market for God knows how long, so how can they make it new and appeal to consumers? Well, instead of juicing the entire bottle, why not juice 7/8ths and the remainder is composed of "fruit bits." This gives the good ole' fruit juice a fresh face.
So why am I talking about this?
I was watching TV the other day when a Fruit2Day commercial came on. It opened with a busy business woman in her cubicle trying to juggle a few things. She pauses and digs through her bag for an apple. Biting into it the camera zooms closer and shows that the juice squirts out each side of the fruit. The woman's face turns shocked and slightly disgusted. Her phone then rings and the camera zooms out showing her trying to have an apple in one hand and reach for the phone with the other. She gets frustrated and fumbles around. The announcer then says "Fruit2Day, an easier way to eat fruit."
I sat in bed and wondered:
"When has fruit ever been hard to eat?"
Fruit is ready to eat right out of the bag. No need for refrigeration, you don't need to heat it, you usually don't need to do prep workout, and there is absolutely no clean up. In fact, fruit is among the EASIEST natural food sources we have on the planet. Never once have I bitten into an apple and said to myself:
"God, this apple is so much work to eat. And what's with this juice? This has shocked and disturbed me as I expected an absolutely dry piece of fruit with no juices at all. Oh no, the phone is ringing. I am totally disorientated by this cumbersome fruit that I am fumbling through my day. This apple is so incredibly juicy that I am physically incapable of balancing multiple strenuous activities. Picking up the phone is far too taxing as it is let alone dealing with the tedious task of eating a small apple. What ever will I do? I mean, I can't put the fruit down or anything, that's an extra step and honestly I just can't afford the four milliseconds it takes to perform. Who has that kind of time? And what do I do when I'm done with this apple? It's not like I can throw the core away absolutely anywhere and it will biodegrade, that's such a hassle. I think I need to switch to Fruit2Day to ease up my life!"
Do people buy this shit? Hey, I'm all for fruit juice. I love me some OJ all the time. But don't try to play it off like your product is the easy way out of something that takes zero effort. And don't play it off like it's revolutionary either. You make and sell juice. Period. It's not magical, it's not easier, it's not the way to go.Your product is pureed fruit and juice in a plastic bottle. A bottle, by the way, that sits in a landfill for the remainder of Earth's existence. Not only do you contribute to America's laziness, you appeal to ecologists by raping the Earth! Excellent execution, pricks. And your juices are from concentrate, yuck! I haven't had concentrated juice in years for the mere fact that it tastes like asshole. I have an idea. Now, this may sound over the top, so bare with me. MARKET YOUR JUICE AS FUCKING JUICE! Drop the lazy enabling campaign and focus on what your product is, JUICE. Look at Flordia Natural. A commercial from them says, "Flordia Natural: 100% fresh squeezed Flordia oranges." Holy shit that was hard. I'm exhausted, that took a lot out of me to tell the truth about my product. I should of laced my orange juice's marketing campaign with some sort of relate-to scheme based on America's need to always find the easy way out an contribute to the obesity epidemic.
Listen, fresh fruit is always the way to go. We all know this. Drink juice in moderation and occasionally. And stop being so damn lazy. If a product offers a fast track way that seems to improve on something that doesn't need improving, turn away. The human metabolism is designed to break down and absorb food. Drinking juice instead is doing to your body what you're allowing your mind to become, lazy.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend a whopping two minutes of my precious time peeling and eating a grapefruit. God damn, what a hassle.
If you are unfamiliar with this product, good. Essentially Fruit2Day is just plain old fruit juice. Now of course fruit juice has been on the market for God knows how long, so how can they make it new and appeal to consumers? Well, instead of juicing the entire bottle, why not juice 7/8ths and the remainder is composed of "fruit bits." This gives the good ole' fruit juice a fresh face.
So why am I talking about this?
I was watching TV the other day when a Fruit2Day commercial came on. It opened with a busy business woman in her cubicle trying to juggle a few things. She pauses and digs through her bag for an apple. Biting into it the camera zooms closer and shows that the juice squirts out each side of the fruit. The woman's face turns shocked and slightly disgusted. Her phone then rings and the camera zooms out showing her trying to have an apple in one hand and reach for the phone with the other. She gets frustrated and fumbles around. The announcer then says "Fruit2Day, an easier way to eat fruit."
I sat in bed and wondered:
"When has fruit ever been hard to eat?"
Fruit is ready to eat right out of the bag. No need for refrigeration, you don't need to heat it, you usually don't need to do prep workout, and there is absolutely no clean up. In fact, fruit is among the EASIEST natural food sources we have on the planet. Never once have I bitten into an apple and said to myself:
"God, this apple is so much work to eat. And what's with this juice? This has shocked and disturbed me as I expected an absolutely dry piece of fruit with no juices at all. Oh no, the phone is ringing. I am totally disorientated by this cumbersome fruit that I am fumbling through my day. This apple is so incredibly juicy that I am physically incapable of balancing multiple strenuous activities. Picking up the phone is far too taxing as it is let alone dealing with the tedious task of eating a small apple. What ever will I do? I mean, I can't put the fruit down or anything, that's an extra step and honestly I just can't afford the four milliseconds it takes to perform. Who has that kind of time? And what do I do when I'm done with this apple? It's not like I can throw the core away absolutely anywhere and it will biodegrade, that's such a hassle. I think I need to switch to Fruit2Day to ease up my life!"
Do people buy this shit? Hey, I'm all for fruit juice. I love me some OJ all the time. But don't try to play it off like your product is the easy way out of something that takes zero effort. And don't play it off like it's revolutionary either. You make and sell juice. Period. It's not magical, it's not easier, it's not the way to go.Your product is pureed fruit and juice in a plastic bottle. A bottle, by the way, that sits in a landfill for the remainder of Earth's existence. Not only do you contribute to America's laziness, you appeal to ecologists by raping the Earth! Excellent execution, pricks. And your juices are from concentrate, yuck! I haven't had concentrated juice in years for the mere fact that it tastes like asshole. I have an idea. Now, this may sound over the top, so bare with me. MARKET YOUR JUICE AS FUCKING JUICE! Drop the lazy enabling campaign and focus on what your product is, JUICE. Look at Flordia Natural. A commercial from them says, "Flordia Natural: 100% fresh squeezed Flordia oranges." Holy shit that was hard. I'm exhausted, that took a lot out of me to tell the truth about my product. I should of laced my orange juice's marketing campaign with some sort of relate-to scheme based on America's need to always find the easy way out an contribute to the obesity epidemic.
Listen, fresh fruit is always the way to go. We all know this. Drink juice in moderation and occasionally. And stop being so damn lazy. If a product offers a fast track way that seems to improve on something that doesn't need improving, turn away. The human metabolism is designed to break down and absorb food. Drinking juice instead is doing to your body what you're allowing your mind to become, lazy.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend a whopping two minutes of my precious time peeling and eating a grapefruit. God damn, what a hassle.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Gym rules and editque
Don't pretend like your dying from that 15lb. bicep curl, you're in your twenties you aren't fooling anyone
The gym is made to provide a venue for bettering yourself. It is NOT a fucking Verizon Wireless store. Don't stand in the corner with your buddies fondling your Blackberrys, blocking my precious hex squat machine.
If you workout for 15 minutes, lifting minimal weights with zero cardio, get the fuck out... you're wasting your time and blocking my space.
Don't pretend to be healthy then down a 32oz Gatorade, also known as SUGAR, while working out. You aren't a super athlete, you don't need to "restore your electrolytes."
Wipe the damn machines down, honestly... I promise it's not hard.
Bathe PRIOR and POST workout. NO ONE wants to smell even the faintest scent. Combined with sweat, well... you got yourself an odor only a skunk could love.
Dont hog the fountain.
Dont hog the tredmills.
Dont hog specific muscle machines because they are in your circuit. If you're off the machine, I'm on it. Go away it's my turn.
Yeah she's hot, but you cant have her because you look the way you do. So workout to get her, and keep your eyes to yourself.
The gym is NOT a community talk session.
If you are dressing to impress while working out, you're dressing like a d-bag.
Dudes moan, scream, grunt, and shout in agony when they workout. Get used to it, infact... embrace it. It has an odd way of helping ease the awesome pain of weight lifting. Why? Don't ask questions.
FOR GOD SAKES DON'T MAKE MODEL FACES IN THE FORM MIRRORS!!!!! YOU AREN'T ON THE RUNWAY, CHEIF!
And the most important rule of all:
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The Beginning
The story of my weight loss journey began about a year and a half ago. I was tipping the scales at 406 pounds of obesity, my social life was non existent, I had a girlfriend that wasn't right for me, I worked at a deli that was not only a hellish job but contributed to my weight problem, but most importantly... I was unhappy. I can honestly say that I hated myself. I considered suicide, ending it all, too selfish to even leave a note. Yet I was too afraid to pull the trigger. I couldn't do it, something told me that everything was going to be alright. Call it whatever you wish, I call it G-O-D. I didn't know it at the time, by I had heavy divine intervention in my life. And so I pushed forward and began to morph. Evolve, if you will, into a better man. A healthier human. Thus began my walking journey on the road to happiness.
The girl got the boot, the job got the two weeks (and by two weeks I mean not showing up one day), and the life that was so clouded by a destructive fog started to clear out the storm.
I asked for help, knowing I had no power anymore. Knowing I had zero control over my intense binging and destructive behavior. Through the darkness I saw light within a family friend named Ron Stewart. Ron owned a successful personal training studio and he also did diets and eating plans. Ron had helped me lose about 30lbs. in my teens, but I pushed him away due to bullshit emotions and teenage angst.
Fortunately for me, Ron was a forgiving soul and always thought of me as his "star." He happily started training me again and taught me to eat well. I began seeing him three times a week and following the diet to the last teaspoon. I decided, "I'm not going to cheat for three months. I just want to see if this works."
Four or five months later I had lost 115lbs. and was a totally different person. My life was altered in such a positive way that I felt born again. I stopped going to Ron's and branched off on my own to the gym. I continued his diet, and lost an additional 20 pounds. I was down to 265lbs. which was the lowest I've been in my life. I began getting a flood of complements, praise, and admiration which all contributed to a strengthened self-esteem. Everywhere I went people that knew me would stop and comment about how great I looked:
"Andrew Locke? Is that you? Holy shit you've lost a lot of weight!"
"Oh my God Drew I've never seen you so skinny!"
"What's your secret!"
"You look phenomenal Drew!"
"Wow what a difference a few months can make, huh?"
"I can't believe my eyes! Andrew Locke? From high school right? Good God you are different looking."
"You must workout all day you look so good!"
Ron asked me, "Hey, do you want to start training people here?" I was shocked! Me, a trainer? But as I looked in the mirror it became a reality. I was at the point where I knew all I needed to know. I studied nutrition, physiology, exercise science, and anatomy. I spent six months studying to become a trainer. I failed the first test, so I studied harder, longer, and with determination. I failed again, so I studied even HARDER. I surrounded myself with knowledge. I understood every single muscle in the body and it's function. I had my head buried in the bible of exercise science six nights a week. The third and final test I passed, with flying colors. I was certified, and from a reputable certification board. You see, you can become a trainer in a matter of one week from those garbage online or home tests that are developed for the one purpose of making money. Trainer mills give you certifications that are worth nothing. So I went for the gold, and became certified in one of the top personal trainer certification boards in the world. It took a lot of time, patience, and money but was worth every bit. I brushed up with a first aid and CPR course and I was ready. And so my knowledge became ritual for clients, clients of my own now. I was helping people overcome what I battled with for so long.
I felt on top of the world. Nothing could stop me. I set a goal to be able to fit in an airplane seat in August when I was going to visit my best friend in LA. Not only did I fit, I had room to spare. And as I spent time in LA, my life seemed to be coming into place. I felt so good about myself that no obstical seemed to stand in my way.
Then it happened.
I tore my meniscus in my left knee.
The doctors said it was small, but concluded with "even a minuscule rip can cause intense pain."
I was lucky because it did NOT require surgery, but did disable me. I couldn't run. Running was my life. Running was my weight loss tool. Running was my escape from the clutches of obesity.
And without running, my life crashed. I became so incredibly unmotivated that nothing worked. Weight training was out of the question. Any exercise involving the legs (most) caused intense pain in my knee. So I literally stopped exercising.
I gained...
And gained...
And binged and gained.
Eventually I once again crashed. I hit 340lbs. on the scale and hit rock bottom once again.
I am glad I caught it where I did. I am so proud of myself for stopping. And once again, for the second time, I began my hike up the mountain. The peak stares me in the eyes. A healthy body, a fit life, and success rests at the summit.
I started from scratch. Went back to the basics. A diet from Ron, and a workout from my mind based on my studies.
And here I am, down to 320lbs. and fully motivated.
So, about my blog. I don't expect to have many people read this. I do not care if they do or don't. This is for me. With that said, I'm going to say what I want. I'm going to swear. Offend people. Make jokes. Be rude. Be inappropriate. Be politically incorrect. Why? Because I believe that nothing is taboo. And, after all, this is my blog... I'll say whatever the fuck I want.
=D
My goal is to be UNDER 250lbs. by my 23rd birthday in August. This means I need to loose 70 pounds in eight months. A very obtainable goal.
Nothing stands in my WAY
I will persevere.
This battle has a predetermined WINNER, that WINNER is me.
I AM STRENGTH.
The girl got the boot, the job got the two weeks (and by two weeks I mean not showing up one day), and the life that was so clouded by a destructive fog started to clear out the storm.
I asked for help, knowing I had no power anymore. Knowing I had zero control over my intense binging and destructive behavior. Through the darkness I saw light within a family friend named Ron Stewart. Ron owned a successful personal training studio and he also did diets and eating plans. Ron had helped me lose about 30lbs. in my teens, but I pushed him away due to bullshit emotions and teenage angst.
Fortunately for me, Ron was a forgiving soul and always thought of me as his "star." He happily started training me again and taught me to eat well. I began seeing him three times a week and following the diet to the last teaspoon. I decided, "I'm not going to cheat for three months. I just want to see if this works."
Four or five months later I had lost 115lbs. and was a totally different person. My life was altered in such a positive way that I felt born again. I stopped going to Ron's and branched off on my own to the gym. I continued his diet, and lost an additional 20 pounds. I was down to 265lbs. which was the lowest I've been in my life. I began getting a flood of complements, praise, and admiration which all contributed to a strengthened self-esteem. Everywhere I went people that knew me would stop and comment about how great I looked:
"Andrew Locke? Is that you? Holy shit you've lost a lot of weight!"
"Oh my God Drew I've never seen you so skinny!"
"What's your secret!"
"You look phenomenal Drew!"
"Wow what a difference a few months can make, huh?"
"I can't believe my eyes! Andrew Locke? From high school right? Good God you are different looking."
"You must workout all day you look so good!"
Ron asked me, "Hey, do you want to start training people here?" I was shocked! Me, a trainer? But as I looked in the mirror it became a reality. I was at the point where I knew all I needed to know. I studied nutrition, physiology, exercise science, and anatomy. I spent six months studying to become a trainer. I failed the first test, so I studied harder, longer, and with determination. I failed again, so I studied even HARDER. I surrounded myself with knowledge. I understood every single muscle in the body and it's function. I had my head buried in the bible of exercise science six nights a week. The third and final test I passed, with flying colors. I was certified, and from a reputable certification board. You see, you can become a trainer in a matter of one week from those garbage online or home tests that are developed for the one purpose of making money. Trainer mills give you certifications that are worth nothing. So I went for the gold, and became certified in one of the top personal trainer certification boards in the world. It took a lot of time, patience, and money but was worth every bit. I brushed up with a first aid and CPR course and I was ready. And so my knowledge became ritual for clients, clients of my own now. I was helping people overcome what I battled with for so long.
I felt on top of the world. Nothing could stop me. I set a goal to be able to fit in an airplane seat in August when I was going to visit my best friend in LA. Not only did I fit, I had room to spare. And as I spent time in LA, my life seemed to be coming into place. I felt so good about myself that no obstical seemed to stand in my way.
Then it happened.
I tore my meniscus in my left knee.
The doctors said it was small, but concluded with "even a minuscule rip can cause intense pain."
I was lucky because it did NOT require surgery, but did disable me. I couldn't run. Running was my life. Running was my weight loss tool. Running was my escape from the clutches of obesity.
And without running, my life crashed. I became so incredibly unmotivated that nothing worked. Weight training was out of the question. Any exercise involving the legs (most) caused intense pain in my knee. So I literally stopped exercising.
I gained...
And gained...
And binged and gained.
Eventually I once again crashed. I hit 340lbs. on the scale and hit rock bottom once again.
I am glad I caught it where I did. I am so proud of myself for stopping. And once again, for the second time, I began my hike up the mountain. The peak stares me in the eyes. A healthy body, a fit life, and success rests at the summit.
I started from scratch. Went back to the basics. A diet from Ron, and a workout from my mind based on my studies.
And here I am, down to 320lbs. and fully motivated.
So, about my blog. I don't expect to have many people read this. I do not care if they do or don't. This is for me. With that said, I'm going to say what I want. I'm going to swear. Offend people. Make jokes. Be rude. Be inappropriate. Be politically incorrect. Why? Because I believe that nothing is taboo. And, after all, this is my blog... I'll say whatever the fuck I want.
=D
My goal is to be UNDER 250lbs. by my 23rd birthday in August. This means I need to loose 70 pounds in eight months. A very obtainable goal.
Nothing stands in my WAY
I will persevere.
This battle has a predetermined WINNER, that WINNER is me.
I AM STRENGTH.
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