Fitness & Wellness

Plenty of people are pissed off, stressed out, out of shape and completely unhappy. And I get it. I used to be one of those people. It took a lot for me to make necessary changes to my life over the years.

But since I did I couldn’t help but want to share the steps I took to transform my life with other people. Sure, helping people pack on muscle, lose fat and add weight to the bar is awesome and rewarding in itself. However there’s more to life than just chasing numbers.

With that said, I firmly believe that in order to be truly successful and happy, health and fitness must be a priority in your life. These things go together and are crucial for our quality of life here on this planet.

So, I figured I should put together a list of the things we should all do in order to achieve optimal health, wellness, strength, muscle mass, success, freedom and happiness.

These are the steps I have learned from my coaches and mentors and personally taken to change my life for the better, as well as the people who I’ve worked with over the years. These tips are in no particular order, just naturally flowing off of my distorted brain.

So grab a pen and paper, you may want to take some notes…

1. Wake up early. At least 30 minutes before you “have to”. This is the best time to get the work done which you say you have no time for.
2. Move often. Walk, stretch, stand. Just don’t sit in one spot for too long.
3. 30-60 minutes per day, every day.
4. Knowledge is powerful. But it’s useless if you don’t apply it.
5. Sprint often. Human beings are designed to do this. Sprinting is in our DNA. It will help you build lean muscle, develop explosiveness, burn fat and produce hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone.
6. You are a product of the five people you spend the most time with. Choose your inner circle wisely.
7. Belief is powerful. If you want to achieve anything you first have to believe it’s possible. Choosing the right circle of people has a lot to do with that.
8. To achieve anything you have to be relentless. Not just for one day, or one month. EVERY-FUCKING-DAY. Consistency is the key to your success.
9. Tell people how you feel. Let them know what’s on your mind. Holding that shit in is toxic and will eventually lead to resentment and anxiety.
10. Lift heavy shit.
11. Hike, jump, throw, swim, play.
12. There is an entire world out there filled with shit to see.
13. Invest in yourself. Take classes, go to seminars and events. Learn something new!
14. Tell the people you love how you feel. You’ll make their day and you’ll feel even better for it.
15. Don’t hate on other’s success. Be happy for them and let them know it.
16. Ignore the haters. They’re out there. Trust me.
17. Keep your training between 45-60 minutes. Anything more than that is counterproductive.
18. Sleep 7-9 hours per night.
19. Turn off all electronics 60 minutes before bed.
20. Take a COLD shower before bedtime. You’ll sleep much better.
21. Face fear. We all feel fear. Some let it hold them back. I was one of these people. Because of that, I was MORE anxious and depressed. Once I started to make it a point to face my fears my life changed for the better. Be sure to do something that scares you, or at least makes you uncomfortable every day.
22. Get out of your comfort zone. You’ll never grow there.
23. Take risks! You only got one life. Try to accomplish what you want. To do that, you’ll have to take some risks.
24. Don’t argue with people. It’s cool to disagree. We will never agree on everything. But arguing with someone who’s narrow minded will get you nowhere.
25. Seek out mentors. Don’t try to accomplish your goals alone. Find someone who’s already done it, and don’t be afraid to pay them for their service.
26. Write down your goals, and read them every day.
27. Your mind fills up with plenty of thoughts, emotions and all things alike. Journal what’s going on and read through it. Sometimes you’ll find the answers you’ve been looking for all along.
28. Don’t be a slave to your phone. Don’t look at it first thing in the morning or right before bed. When you’re working, keep your phone on vibrate and across the room. When you’re with other people, be present. If you’re looking at your phone constantly you’ll never be present.
29. Be totally present.
30. Don’t fucking text and drive. It’s stupid and irresponsible.
31. Care for other people and LISTEN to them. Truly listen. Don’t just wait for your turn to talk.
32. Squat and deadlift often.
33. Don’t train to failure.
34. Eat plants, animals, fruits, unprocessed carbohydrates, nuts and seeds. That should be the make-up of your diet. If it is, you’ll build lean muscle mass and burn fat.
35. Avoid processed, refined sugar.
36. Avoid flour.
37. Avoid foods that are fried in cancer-causing oils.
38. Get a massage as often as you could afford.
39. This has been a game-changer for me and calms my psychotic brain. You don’t have to be a pro to start. I recommend holosync by Centre Point to help you get started.
40. Remember that when you feel like you have no control, you can always control your breathing. I work in box breathing every morning when I meditate. 5 seconds on the inhale through the nose, 2 second hold, 8 second exhale through the mouth as if you were blowing through a straw for 4 sets. You can also do this when you feel stressed or nervous.
41. Dream big and set your goals high.
42. If you think you’re doing enough to accomplish your goal, double what you’re doing.
43. Competition is great for our well-being. Compete in some way and compete often.
44. Schedule quality time for your friends and family.
45. Stand up for what you believe in. Not everyone will agree with you and that’s ok.
46. Don’t try to please everyone. You’ll never succeed. Be true to who you are.
47. Don’t wait for tomorrow. Start right now.
48. Be open to new ideas.
49. Put the fucking toilet seat back down.
50. Don’t piss on the toilet seat.
51. Embrace the journey. Life won’t always be perfect.
52. Make quick decisions. Even if it’s the wrong one you’ll make some progress and course correct. Overthinking just wastes time.
53. Make sure your daily habits are aligned with your goals. If they’re not, change them.
54. Don’t ever fart in my car.
55. Hate something? Don’t fucking do it anymore. Trust me, there is a way. It just takes work.
56. Be grateful and express your gratitude.
57. Drink water. At least half of your bodyweight in ounces daily.
58. Drink your coffee black. Out of respect, that is.
59. Don’t ever say ‘JK’.
60. Don’t be afraid to pump up the gunz with curls and direct tricep work. Regardless of what the ‘experts’ say.
61. Create a code and live by it.
62. Learn new skills. A martial art, how to play an instrument, how to paint…whatever you want to do. Just be sure to do it.
63. Don’t fear failure. There’s always a chance that you’ll fail, but if you don’t take that chance you’ll never know if you could have succeeded.
64. Train with rage.
65. Volunteer, mentor or give back in some way. This is the most rewarding and fulfilling thing that you can do.
66. As Ray Lewis says ‘BE PISSED OFF FOR GREATNESS’. It’s the edge you’ll need to succeed.

I believe that we are all capable of achieving great things in our lives. However people hold themselves back with self-limiting thoughts and beliefs.

They hate on others and are full of negativity, spend their time watching mindless bullshit and don’t do anything but complain about the success of others. That will never get you anywhere. And I believe that to be happy and to be the best you, nutrition, exercise, sleep and recovery need to be prioritized.

Once they are you’ll start to see things from a different perspective. You’ll be open to learning, traveling, competing and having fun. Because you’ll feel better and your brain chemistry will change.

Then, all of a sudden, your life has changed.

This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s when you apply these new rules to your life consistently enough that you begin to see the shift.

I truly hope you take advantage and see the impact that these ‘rules’ can make on your life.

Thank you for reading.

Now…go dominate the fuck out of this life.

Most people know that sugar and flour are bad.

You know that sugar spikes blood sugar to the extreme and forces the pancreas to work extremely hard over and over again to produce enough insulin in order to keep your blood sugar in check. Which can eventually lead to diabetes.

You may even know that sugar and flour are both highly inflammatory and the people who eat it on a daily basis are in a chronic state of inflammation. Which leaves them with a weakened immune system and more susceptible to life-threatening diseases like cancer.

Not to mention their contribution to the obesity epidemic.

And finally, if you ever tried going on a diet and removing sugar or flour from your daily intake, you know that it can be extremely difficult to stay on track. And the majority of us crave some type of sweets or processed carbs when we’re dieting.

Well, here’s what you might not know…

The reason why so many people crave sugar and flour when dieting isn’t only because they’re byproducts are delicious. It’s because you are addicted! Yes, you.

This is difficult for many people to believe, but just hear me out for a sec.

Sugar and flour are extremely addictive on both the psychological and physiological level. First let’s talk about the psychological end…

So since we were little kids we’ve consumed massive amounts of both sugar and  flour. Especially during birthday parties, a fun day at the beach or when we were feeling down our parents gave us some ice cream or pizza to cheer us up. Due to the instant gratification we received as children, these substances are now built into our reward system, which plays a huge roll in our adult life. Now, when we have a shitty day we might tend to say “screw it” and go for that piece of candy, whether that be a conscious or subconscious decision.

On the physiological side, we have actually conditioned our gut flora (good bacteria of the gut) to crave flour and sugar, since we’ve been eating it consistently for years. Our gut actually craves it when we remove them, making it extremely difficult to stay on track.

So since you’re getting hit from both the physiological and psychological end, you need to recondition both your gut and mind to break free. It’s important to  understand that the instant gratification you receive from eating these substances is only self-sabotage and not rewarding at all. Aside from the few minutes of deliciousness that is…

In order to recondition your systems, you need to remove all processed, refined sugars and flour from your diet for anywhere from 8-12 weeks.

I know, easier said than done. But here is what I have found to be extremely helpful over the years.

1. Understand that you will crave both sugar and flour.

Now you know why.

2. Have a goal.

When you have a transformation/health goal keeping this crap out of your diet becomes much easier. Know what your goal is, write it down and read it out loud every day.

3. Have a start date and end date to accomplish your goal.

If you simply say “I’m going on a diet tomorrow” then I guarantee that you’ll be stuffing your face with Twinkies by Sunday. Put your plan in place and then have an exact start and end date. This way you’ll know when you can earn a cheat meal and it won’t seem like you’re just “dieting” all the time.

4. Stay disciplined as a motherf*cker.

At first you need to be extremely disciplined. There’s no way around this. However, once you get a few weeks in you will start to develop good eating habits. Once you develop good habits it becomes much easier to stick to your plan.

So you may be asking yourself how you keep from eating sugar and flour for the long haul, and not just for 8-12 weeks. Well, the answer is by removing it for 8-12 weeks first! This process will help you lose body fat, look better and feel better. You’ll be healthier and have more energy than before. Once you see this in full effect you start to realize the negative impact these substances have made on you in the past. When you tie all of that together your cravings for sugar and flour will be significantly reduced.

I tell you this firsthand because I am a true fat kid at heart. I grew up in an Italian family eating pasta all the time with all the desserts you can imagine. If you ask any of my closest friends they will tell you about some of my epic cheat meals that even I don’t know how I got down. But now I only eat sugar when I choose to. Not when I simply want it. And to tell you the truth from eating well for the majority of the time I rarely crave it these days. So trust me, if I can do it you sure as hell can too.

I hope that you realize how the over-consumption of sugar and flour is an epidemic. Obesity and disease are at an all-time high, regardless of the fact that fitness is more popular than it has ever been! If we can reduce the rate of heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes by removing two things from our diets for the majority of the time, why wouldn’t we do it?

It just takes a conscious effort and a little discipline. Let’s take a stand and do this shit together.

Here’s to your health.

Be sure to drop a comment below if you have any questions!

If you’ve been training hard for a while, you have probably heard of overtraining. You may have even questioned if YOU are over trained.

Before we go there let’s clear up what overtraining even is.

Overtraining is creating too much muscular damage and central nervous system fatigue for the body to repair as quickly as it normally does. When this happens it comes along with a number of symptoms and impedes your strength and performance.

Some of the signs of overtraining include insomnia, lack of drive to train, weakened grip strength, elevated resting heart rate, fatigue and abnormal muscular soreness.

However, many of these symptoms can also exist if you are new to training and simply deconditioned, and you may only be experiencing them due to lack of exercise and poor nutrition.

So here is how I’m going to kick this off so you can differentiate between being over trained and deconditioned.

If you recently began training (less than one year of hard training) don’t worry about overtraining. You need to be more concerned with developing good habits and training consistently enough to see real results. If you are really weak and deconditioned, then odds are, you aren’t doing enough to truly over train. This doesn’t mean that you should ignore all of my training recommendations and train for 17 hours a day, every day. It just means that if you’re strength training 3-4 days per week for one hour and doing cardio/conditioning for 20-40 minutes on off days the chances of you over training are very small.

Now if you’ve been getting after it for over a year and have seen some significant progress, then there is a chance you can reach a point of overtraining if you’re doing too much and may need to kick it down a notch.

If you’re advanced and have been training for years, then overtraining is certainly something you need to consider.

So, simply put, if you are a complete newbie to the training world, don’t pay too much mind to overtraining. If you have been training hard for AT LEAST one year or more, than you may need to put some thought into avoiding it and follow certain recovery protocols, and here is how you can do that.

1. Sleep 7-9 hours per night

I have stressed the importance of sleep over and over again. And today I’m going to do it some more. If you want to be healthy and get the most out of your training you need to get adequate sleep. Not only does your body produce anabolic hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone when you sleep, but it also helps combat disease and strengthens your immune system. Turn off Netflix and get your ass to sleep!

2. Drink at least ½ of your body weight in oz. of water daily

Adequate hydration is also imperative to help avoid overtraining and aid in recovery. Muscle tissue is made up of 70% water. If you aren’t supplementing that fluid with a solid supply of purified water every day you can potentially create more damage. At the very least you should be consuming half of your bodyweight in ounces of water daily.

3. Stimulate, don’t annihilate

To quote the great Lee Haney, stimulate, don’t annihilate.

Some guys just go way too hard. I was certainly a culprit of this in my early twenties. I would treat every training session like I was going into the fight of my life. I’d crank crazy tunes and go absolutely ape shit for an hour 4 days a week. I’d go as heavy as possible and then hit a fuck-ton of volume for every body part.

I was constantly sore and eventually ended up exhausted all the time, lost muscle and strength. I was definitely over trained and felt like absolute shit.

Now, I’m certainly not suggesting that you don’t train hard. If you want results you gotta put in some hard goddamn work! But there is a line between training hard and training like a clinical maniac.

There is no need to destroy every body part with every set you do. Be smart, avoid training to failure and don’t beat yourself into oblivion every session. Take it from me, you’ll only end up weaker, smaller and constantly tired.

4. Get massages, SMR, hot/cold treatment

Take advantage of the benefits of massage, self-myofascial release (foam rolling, using LAX balls, etc.) and contrast baths. Both massage and SMR can help break up scar tissue and replenish the muscle with fresh blood filled with vital nutrients.

Hot/cold treatment is incredible for recovery. The heat will dilate blood vessels which will bring fresh blood and nutrients into the muscle. The cold will constrict the vessels which can help pump out some of the built up lactic acid from training. This can be easily done in the shower if you don’t have access to hot/cold tubs.

5. Focus one day per week on recovery

To maximize your recovery, dedicate one day per week to it. Go for a walk, do some light sled dragging, get cryotherapy or a massage, stretch, go through a mobility circuit. Do something to aid in your recovery from training.

6. Feeling like shit? Take the day “off”

The whole “no days off” thing you see flooding your social media feed seems to have become quite glamorous these days. The problem is that most of these people are knuckleheads and sometimes you need to take a day off.

Sometimes you’re sick, haven’t slept or just feeling completely exhausted. When shit happens (and shit does happen) you need to be smart and listen to your body. A day off isn’t going to kill you, in fact you will actually benefit more and usually feel tremendous when you get back in the gym the next day.

Please don’t use this as an excuse to be lazy and say “Chris Tutela said I don’t have to train when I don’t feel like it”. That’s not what I’m saying at all. What I am saying is that if you’ve been training your ass off for a long time, sometimes you‘ll need a day to rest. And maybe on that rest day you stretch, do some more SMR work, go for a swim, hike or bike ride or hit a massage or cryo session. For those of you that go 110 mph all the time, you can do something like this rather than continue to roast your CNS even more when you’re feeling off.

7. Eat real food

The quality of the foods you ingest play a huge roll in your energy, physique, strength, performance and of course, overall health. If you’re eating shit food you’ll feel like shit and never hit the training goals you’re looking for.

8. Avoid training to failure

This goes back to the “stimulate, don’t annihilate” tip. Try to have the last rep of your set look like the first rep; clean, with no one else doing the work for you! If all of your sets end with slow, grinding reps or even worse, missed reps, you’ll only end up working backwards. You’re CNS gets roasted from training that way. Plus, that’s a sure way to NOT build muscle and strength. Don’t waste time. Train smart.

9. Deload

If you’re advanced, you should be taking a scheduled deload week every few weeks. Deloading basically means that you will reduce the intensity (percentage of your 1RM) on your big lifts and the total volume of your workout (total sets) for one week. Deloads work wonders for gaining strength, avoiding overtraining and for keeping your joints healthy.

Typically I recommend deloading every 4^th week. So 3 weeks hard, followed by a deload. During your deload week you can reduce the total number of your sets by about 40%. So if you were doing 20 total working sets the week prior, you can kick it down to 12. If you’re doing big lifts like the bench, squat, deadlift and military press you can reduce the intensity to 50% of your 1RM. So if you’re 1RM on a squat is 400 lbs, you’d only work with 200lbs when deloading. You can use this weight for 2 sets of 5 reps on deload weeks.

10. Schedule one week “off” every 12-16 weeks

If you’ve been going hard for a while, you gotta give yourself a break every now and then. I typically suggest giving the weights a breather every 12-16 weeks. Just don’t use this as an excuse to sit home and eat Milky Ways. Keep your nutrition in check, walk, do some mobility work and low impact activities.

I know that working these 10 tips in will help you feel better than ever. Take advantage of them and take your training and physique to the next level.

Drop a comment below if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading!

2017 is coming to a close. As every year approaches its end, I spend some time reflecting on the year that has passed. Did I accomplish all that I wanted to? Did I stay consistent with things I need to change most? Did I see the places I wanted to see? What are my new goals for 2018? What is my plan to achieve these goals?

Then I write out all of my answers and new goals, and prepare myself for the year to come.

One of my latest end of the year rituals is to repeatedly listen to one of my favorite songs of all time. This one particular song gets me more fired up than any other and motivates me to live my life the way I want.

That is, to live with passion, drive, energy, compassion and focus. To work hard, help others, travel and have a shit-ton of fun in the process.

Some people who know me well might think this is some Eminem or Biggie song, however that’s pretty far off. Actually, the song I’m referring to is “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. I already know what you’re probably thinking, “another guido listening to Frank Sinatra, how typical”. Well, you’re right! I guess the year end forces me to channel my inner piasan.

But to me this is one of the most motivating songs, because it inspires me to live life the way I want, and I want to share some of the lyrics with you in hopes that it will inspire you to do the same.

“And now, the end is near; and so I face the final curtain.”

When you face your final curtain, will you have done all that you wanted to? Will you have traveled to the places you wanted? Did you ever reach your fitness goals? Did you ever buy that house you and your family always wanted? Did you ever start that business you’ve always talked about?

“I’ve lived a life that’s full. I’ve traveled each and every highway, but more, much more than this, I DID IT MY WAY.”

Are you living a life that is full? Are you doing the things you want? Or, are you living for someone else? Does your boss control your life? Are you pointing the finger at other people and blaming them for things you say you can’t do?

Or are you traveling, competing, having fun or maybe even starting a family? Whatever it is that you want to do, if you aren’t doing it, why the fuck not?!

“Regrets, I’ve had a few; but then again, too few to mention.”

We all have regrets and wish we could have done things differently. However, the mistakes you made do not define who you are right now! Do not live in regret. Change the things you want to change about your life and focus on what you could be doing right now!

“I did what I had to do, and saw it through without exemption.”

You want to do something? Do it! And give it absolutely everything you’ve got.

“And more, much more than this, I DID IT MY WAY.”

More importantly, do it for you, the way YOU want to do it! This is your life, no one else’s!

“Yes there were times, I’m sure you knew, when I bit off more than I can chew, but through it all, where there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out.”

Things can be overwhelming at times. Hey, that’s life. Figure out a way to structure your day and organize your time so you can get more done. The more action you take, the less you’ll be overwhelmed. Don’t find the time to do something, MAKE THE TIME!

And doubt…People will doubt you. You may even doubt yourself at times. Remember that you’re human and doubt will exist. If people are doubting you then I suggest finding new people to spend your time with. If you doubt yourself then understand that it’s normal and do what the fuck you want to do anyway, because you don’t want the “what if’s” to turn into the “I should have’s”.

“I faced it all and I stood tall; and DID IT MY WAY.”

Smile, stand up tall and take on what life throws at you. NEVER accept the roll of the victim. You are 100% in charge of your life! Don’t complain or blame other people. Pussies do that. Take life by the horns and create your own destiny.

“I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried. I’ve had my fill; my share of losing.”

Don’t hide your emotions. Let your true colors come out. Love those closest to you and let them know it. If you’re sad about something then cry and let that shit out. Talk to someone who can help. And never, ever forget to laugh every day. Life is too short not to enjoy it.

“To think, I did all that; and may I say, not in a shy way, oh no, oh no not me, I DID IT MY WAY”.

Don’t hold back. Talk to strangers and put yourself out there. You’ll never regret getting turned down by someone, but you’ll always regret never knowing what could have been. If you see a girl you’re interested in, talk to her. What do you really have to lose?

“For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has not, TO SAY THE THINGS HE TRULY FEELS AND NOT THE WORDS OF ONE WHO KNEELS.”

This is by far my favorite part of this song. Never, ever try to be someone else. You cannot and will not please everyone, so don’t try to. Be yourself and say what YOU believe in.

People surrender to criticism, doubt and fear. They are so worried about what other people think that they hold back from doing so much in their lives. Do everything in your power to be you. When you face your final curtain you will only regret not truly expressing yourself on this short journey that is life.

You don’t have to agree with someone just because you fear the backlash. Don’t constantly argue with people but express yourself and let the world know who the fuck you are.

“The record shows, I took the blows, and DID IT MY WAY.”

I’ve learned that in life, you will take your bumps and bruises. You’ll be heartbroken, faced with death and all types of traumatic experiences. But it is up to you how to handle them when they arise. You can CHOOSE to accept the pain and tragedy we all face, or you can fall victim to it.

I have also learned that the good will too come with the bad. You will laugh, love and party. You can accomplish anything that you want and live however you want. You can travel, meet new people and make the world your playground.

The highs and lows you face on this journey is what makes up life! You can’t expect the bad not to happen, because at some point it will. You just need to prepare yourself for it the best that you can, and then do your best to move on, and always focus more on the good.

Sure, sometimes you’re going to take your blows. But so will I and so will everyone you know, whether they talk about it or not.

In 2018 you have the potential to live life YOUR WAY! If you choose to make changes or achieve certain goals, go do it! Don’t just fuckin talk about it, TAKE ACTION!

I have no idea when I will face my final curtain. But I do know that when that day comes, I will be absolutely fucking certain that I lived everyday to make sure that I lived this life for me.

My way…

Thanks for reading, guys and here is to an incredible, happy, healthy, successful 2018.

PS Don’t forget to give this a listen.

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to see UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Not only were the fights fantastic, but every time I watch a big event I try to learn something from it. Although there were many takeaways from this event, there were just a few that truly impacted me.

My biggest takeaway came from the bout where champion Cody Garbrandt took on former champion, T.J. Dillashaw. This was a fight that has been building up since the summer, since these two were coaches on the show “The Ultimate Fighter”.

There was certainly a lot of bad blood between these two and when they walked into the arena you could absolutely feel it.

The fight began and was just as fast and explosive as everyone thought it would be. Late in the first round T.J. was knocked down by a right hand from the champion and was almost stopped. However he managed to scramble back to his feet as the round ended.

In the next round T.J. sparked the crowd by knocking Cody down with a kick to the head which Cody recovered from. Shortly after T.J. then caught the champion with a right hook directly on the chin, which dropped him and led to the fight being stopped.

We have a new champion! And from this fight I learned a few things…

Lesson #1

There will be times in your life where you get hurt, whether physically or emotionally. There will be something in your life that occurs and puts you down.

But that should never define the outcome of your fight.

Your personal battle may be in fitness, business, family, relationships or anything else that’s important to you. At some point bad shit WILL happen and can derail you from making strides towards your overall goal and happiness. However it’s not about preventing the bad shit from happening, it’s about how you respond to it when it does.

The last place in the world that T.J. wanted to be was lying on his back after getting dropped by the champion in a world title fight. He was derailed from his goal, but only for a moment.

He could have simply given up, but he didn’t. He battled through the challenge he was faced with and in the end came out victorious.

And I believe that there is one big entity that enables us to accomplish something like that, which takes us to my next point.

Lesson # 2

Over the last 12 years I have worked with many people. When I reflect on those who I’ve come across I realize that many of them have goals, but very few of them know why achieving that goal is important to them.

For instance some people have a goal of making more money, but when asked why they want more money they don’t have a real answer. They say stuff like “so I can buy a nicer car” or “so I can buy a bigger house”. If your why is only to buy more stuff it’s going to be hard to put in the massive amount of work it will take to make the money you want.

There has to be a bigger purpose as to why you want to achieve something. When your why is strong enough, there will be a significant amount of emotion tied to accomplishing your goal.

Failing to have a true why leaves you with a sense of insignificance and lack of fulfillment. I truly believe that is a huge reason why there is so much depression and a need to medicate ourselves in this country.

When you look at the Cody vs. T.J. fight what you saw was an unbelievable amount of passion and emotion when T. J. got the victory. It was so intense that I could actually feel it from my seat.

If T.J. Dillashaw didn’t have a true why, and was simply in that cage going through the motions, he would have never made it out of that first round. The raw emotion was so incredible that you know there was a greater purpose for T.J.

And it’s unfortunate that so many people will never know what it feels like to have such implausible emotion about something that you literally roar in victory when your target is met.

And you don’t have to be a professional cage fighter to feel that. If your why is strong enough then you will feel a similar sense of emotion by accomplishing whatever you’ve worked so hard for.

You may even break down in tears when that goal is achieved.

So my advice to you is to find out what makes you tick. What is something that you would die for? What is something you believe so strongly in that you would defend it at all costs? Take some time to think about your answers because within them, you may be able to find what you are truly capable of.

When you tie emotion to a goal you can literally become unstoppable. You will work harder and won’t let the day to day bullshit prevent you from taking action on your dreams. You won’t care what other people say or think because your why will lead you to a razor sharp focus that cannot be blurred.

I feel that there are many overlooked lessons that we can all learn from world-class athletes. Next time you’re watching a big sporting event, think about what it truly takes for these men and women to achieve these incredible outcomes. Think about how much work is required of them to succeed and how strong their driving force must be.

Then realize that they are human beings, just like you and me. And if they can accomplish incredibly hard tasks, then why the hell can’t you?

The answer is inside each and every one of us, so reflect on why your goals are important to you and you will get closer to achieving them.

I hope this post helps you on your path. Be sure to drop a comment below if you have any questions.

I’ll catch you guys next time.