Is Weakness dead?

I got an email the other day asking if my blog was still up.

I thought it may have crashed. It didn't. It's just not very active.

I'm busier than a 1 armed paper hanger!

I have been busier now than when I was working 2 full time jobs. It seems there is never time to write anything.

There are a lot of new things going on at TPS and in my training and life and finding the time to write is almost non-existent. Being super busy also limits the amount of energy you have for creative thought.

Don't take this a whining. It isn't. Just a statement of fact. I am happy to be busy and would be unemployed if TPS wasn't thriving.

I am always trying to find ways to improve our product and services. I have been focusing a lot of attention on developing my mangers and my Total Performance Method program.

We plan on launching the TPS Method as an information product (E Book/DVD) in about a year and we are using the gym as a laboratory to see what gives optimal results with the least amount of work in a group setting. We have had some outstanding results, some good ones and some with no success..

So far we have seen that the ones who get the best results are the ones who work the hardest. The ones who don't work look, feel and perform the same. That's not out fault.

We are coaches not feel good social workers. If I have found one thing in my years training and training people it's that hard work is REQUIRED.

Effort is required.

Not eating like an asshole is required.

This breeds success.

It would be great if everyone who pays for coaching bought into that philosophy.

Sadly they don't.

If you are not getting what you need or want from your workout program, don't blame the program.

Sure it may suck, but even a bad program will give results if you work hard at it.

A good one will give even better results.

Look in the mirror. Is the face looking back at you doing everything possible to achieve success in whatever it is you are trying to do?

 Never forget, Weakness is a Crime.

Don't be a criminal.

READ THIS NOW AND TELL SOMEONE YOU LOVE WHAT THEY MEAN TO YOU TODAY

The name of this blog is Weakness is a crime for many reasons. It is not just about weakness of the body, but also weakness of the spirit, of the mind and of will. It is about teaching you to be stronger in all of these areas and about how to make your life better. I am writing now in great sadness because one of the strongest people that I have ever met has just left this world, Mr. Richard Angelo.

Rich, Cheryl and my son the day he was born

Many of you know Rich, he was the owner of Rich Angelo’s Karate Academy on Ferry Street in Everett, and then on lower Broadway for over 20 years. Rich was instrumental in teaching many of the area’s children and adults on how to be stronger in body, mind and spirit through martial arts and strength training. Rich was also a mentor, father figure, like a brother and a best friend to me for most of my life.

Rich WINNING the 2002 Mass State Strongman Contest

I learned many lessons from Rich in the time that we had together. Rich was my first boxing/kickboxing coach, and the best one that I ever had. He taught me how to fight and not let the punches and kicks an opponent threw at me affect my will to win (not only in the gym but in life). He taught me the value of achieving what you want in life through dedication and hard work. He, along with my grandfather and Uncles, instilled the value of integrity. He taught me that it is not what you say to people, but how you say it. He taught me how to be a great coach. He taught me to never stop learning. He taught me the value of family, even more than my own family did. I could go on for days about the lessons I learned from this great man.

I got the news of Rich’s passing from his beloved wife Cheryl this past Saturday just hours after he passed while competing in an Ironman (like a triathlon) as I was attending a bench press seminar. A friend was sent down to the gym to have me get a hold of Cheryl. I was applying one of Rich’s lessons; never stop learning, when I got the news.

I spoke with Rich just a few days before he left to compete and we talked about many things, including how he was in the best shape of his life and how I was going to return to weight lifting competition in October. I wished him the best and we made plans to have lunch when he got back. After I got the news of his passing a lot of things went through my mind, and one thing stood out more than anything, besides horrendous grief; I owed Rich a debt that could never be repaid and that he was one of the most important people in my life, and he was now gone.

A true sign of strength is letting people in your life know how valuable they are to you while they are still here. I was and still am very sad at Rich’s passing, but I feel good about one thing. I let him know how important he was to me while he was still alive. Of course he knew it, but the fact that I told him left me with no regrets. A while ago, it was the anniversary of my grandfather’s death, and my son asked me why I was so sad that day. I explained to him that it was a special day and the reason why I was sad is that I miss him every day and that I never told him exactly what he meant to me while he was alive. A few days after this, Rich and I were talking and I took the time to tell him exactly what he meant to me and how grateful that I was to him for all that he did for me in my life. I told him that when my grandfather passed I never told him these things and I didn’t want to wait until it was too late to let him know the same things.

I’d like to leave you all with a few things that you can take away from my experience with Rich:

-never stop learning

-treat people well

-act with integrity

-keep your body and your spirit strong

-never, ever quit, no matter what at whatever you are doing

-be better today than you were yesterday.

If you try and do even one of these things, you will be stronger for it. Tell someone important to you TODAY what they mean to you. You will be stronger for it.

Rest in peace Rich. We will all miss you.

Training success takes sacrifice

Another great re-post from gregtrainer.com


If you’re serious about reaching and surpassing your goals, it should be your number one priority. If it’s not a priority then you’re not as dedicated as you might think. With that said it will take commitment, and more importantly sacrifice, to take you to the highest level of success. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or an average gym you must have the attitude to do whatever it takes to get you where you want to go. Here are three tips to put you in that direction:


1. Invest in the proper training environment


When choosing a training environment your thought process shouldn’t be the mileage it takes from your house or office. The distance should be the last thing on your mind. Think about it this way, if you’re investing in the supplement industry and expect that by simply taking some powder will magically take your training to the next level, you’re wasting your money. What you should be doing is investing in a training environment that has experienced athletes, coaches, and the proper equipment. It shouldn’t matter if that gym is down the street or 60 miles in another state. This investment will be worth its weight in gold. At Total Performance Sports we have a day called “training day”, which is one Saturday out of the month. This training session is dedicated to one movement, for example, recently it was the bench press. The great thing about our training day is that anyone can participate. We have coaches that can help if you’re a competitive power lifter, professional athlete, or your average gym rat. The total cost for our training day is $20, how much would you pay for a supplement that guaranteed you would set a personal record on the first day of taking it?


2. Leave your ego at the door


Investing your time and money is only part of the equation. You also need to leave your ego at the door. The only way to do extraordinary things is to surround yourself with individuals who are extraordinary. How will you separate yourself from others? You need to swallow your pride, and this might require taking 1 step backwards to take multiple steps forward. You need to be able to accept criticism on technique, program design, and your mentality towards training. Place yourself in an environment with successful coaches and athletes and absorb anything and everything you can.


3. Program Management


The last piece to this puzzle is often neglected and that’s program management. You can surround yourself with the most experienced coaches and follow all of the proven methods but what your lifestyle may not allow you to positively respond to this type of training. Management is how you handle day-to-day stressors. This includes getting proper sleep, eating healthy, managing relationship situations, and/ or handling work-related stress levels. All of these factors need to play a role in how you manage your program on a daily basis. This is where sacrifice will come in to play. If you just completed a tough squat training session and then that night go out to the bars and get smashed until 3 a.m., this will stress your system even more. Now your body has to recover from both the training session and the inexcusable boozing extravaganza. This will limit what you can do for your next training session. Furthermore, if this is a common occurrence over-time all of the fatigue will accumulate and will have a negative impact.


If you adhere to these three guidelines you will set yourself up for future success. Please remember it’s a total package and you need all three to reach the highest level possible for yourself. If you make this a priority then this will be a formula for success.


by Jamie Smith  of TPS 2012