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Success is Two Steps Forward, One step Back

How failure can equal your success.

A favorite presupposition of mine helps me cope with life and thrive in all respects.

It assumes that, “There is no failure, only feedback.”

Whether this is a true statement or not doesn’t really matter. The important aspect is that you gain valuable insight from every situation, even if it doesn’t seem to go in your favor.

In other words, you grow stronger at every corner because your thoughts become your best ally instead of your worst enemy.

Taking two steps forward and one step back is a means of sustainable progress.

Sustainable progress.

You continually move forward. You recognize that there will be drawbacks, and there will be barriers.

Taking one step back allows to you recognize that which you might not have seen before.

My favorite exercise could seriously injure me.

I want strength, I crave it.

My name translates to “man, warrior, strong.” Is this my destiny?

Okay, I’ll stop BS’ing. But the reality is that my passion is of movement. Being able to physically exert a force beyond what I previously thought possible.

I can’t always save face, I can’t always succeed in the ways I want.

But I know that each step back is an experience that can take me forward.

Forward…to a reality of everlasting growth and success.

At least, that is the goal.

And this is the progress.

Don’t beat yourself up when you eat too much junk. Understand the take home message, listen to your body, and move forward.

Power of the Mind
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How Setting Goals allows you to Exceed Fitness Expectations

This is how we get fitter, healthier, and happier.

Set goals and work to achieve them.

Three years ago, I could have said that all I wanted was six pack abs. Unfortunately, those abdominal crunches I was doing didn’t seem to do the trick.

If you can quantify a goal, you can make it happen.

For example, the aspiring professional wants to earn $65,000 next year. What steps must be taken to make that happen?

Just like careers, fitness goals can be quantified and then become more realistic and attainable.

To get abs, don’t worry about abs.

Eat, sleep, recover. Then hit THAT personal record.

For me, I place a high priority on a particular full body exercise that really targets the core muscles.

My favorite exercise…the Turkish Get Up.

Think about the numbers, and do what it takes.

If you want more toned arms, you can’t stick with the same weight. You HAVE to get stronger. Move up from the lighter dumbbells, use a pencil to write down your efforts, and then blast away plateau’s.

It’s easier to make several small goals interconnected to each other than it is to make one large vague goal.

For example,

Goal 1: Turkish Get Up 60 pounds for three reps.

Goal 2: Dumbbell Bicep Curl 20 pounds for ten reps.

Goal 3: Eat breakfast every day on THIS particular week.

All of these goals can support the over arching goal for physical fitness.

Quantify your goal, now today.

So that tomorrow, you are one step closer.

Physical Fitness by Dre
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How the Turkish Get Up changed my Life!

This old time Strongman exercise can take your body to a whole new level of performance.

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Unconventional, but the results are real. (DreFitness @ Rio de Janeiro)

In my younger days, I used to think that the Bench Press was the only way to get the body I wanted.

So I benched.

And then I benched some more.

But something funky started happening with my body.

The bench press destroyed my shoulders.

My shoulders ached, my strength flat-lined, and my posture sucked.

I finally realized that the Bench Press was doing more harm than good for me.

The Turkish Get Up is 100% pure functional strength, for an empowered lifestyle.

There are SO MANY benefits from doing the Turkish Get Up — it’s no surprise that this is a highly popular exercise among combat athletes. This is functional strength at its finest.

Here’s the benefits for a regular person like you and me:

  1. Fat loss, metabolism booster
  2. Increased shoulder stability at the joint
  3. FULL-Body Strength: Legs, glutes, core, shoulder, back, triceps, forearm grip strength
  4. One of the best Abdominal/Core exercises in existence
  5. Improved flexibility — especially relieving for tight hips that many Americans chronically suffer from.
  6. Whole body coordination
  7. Lean muscle!!!

The Turkish Get Up changed my life!

My joints, tendons, and ligaments are healthier! Performance has improved, and my physique is getting tighter for summer time.

Finally, the Turkish Get Up is a FUN exercise and gets a lot of priceless looks from other gym-goers.

This simple, full body exercise is Pure Bang-For-the-Buck!

Additional reading:

Mastering the Turkish Get Up for Total Body Power (DragonDoor.com, The world’s premier site for Kettlebells, Strength, Conditioning, Flexibility, and Advanced Fitness Resources)

Short Topic: The Turkish Get Up (Tmuscle.com, Unapologetic Muscle Building Elitists)

Rehabbing Old Injuries:

Mastering the TGU is well worth the investment of your time and effort. I’ve had a long history of shoulder subluxations/dislocations. I had two surgeries on my right shoulder (1985 & 1987) and one on my left (1989). Unfortunately, even after two surgeries, my right shoulder would continue to dislocate on a regular basis; sometimes while training, many times while sleeping. Talk about a rude awakening!

I was facing the grim option of a third surgery on my right shoulder, contemplating the ‘Law of Diminishing Returns’. Over a 15 year period, I diligently practiced every rubber band exercise and rotator cuff program known in the realm of physical therapy, but to no avail. In December 2001, Pavel taught me the TGU with a dumbbell. Kettlebells weren’t manufactured yet. I practiced this exercise with dumbbells, than later with kettlebells. Kettlebells are without a doubt superior and well worth the investment. Ultimately, I fabricated two 110 pound kettlebells. By Spring of 2002, I was performing singles with either hand, reaching my goal.

By God’s Grace and perfect timing, He placed the right person (Pavel) with the right exercise (TGU), when I needed it the most. Knowing what I know now, I’m thoroughly convinced that I could have avoided all three surgeries had I only known this valuable exercise.

My shoulders are more stable and stronger now than ever before. The range of motion completely restored. Best of all, I have not suffered a shoulder subluxation in years.

This success story has been repeated many times with the clients I train. Boxers, grapplers, NHB fighters, police officers, military personnel, and the average “Joe” or “Jane” have all reaped the benefits of the TGU.

Testimonial By Jeff, from http://tacticalathlete.com/articles/?p=21 

Here’s my progress on the TGU:

Physical Fitness by Dre