powerDOJO

Tag: mma mindset

  • The WRONG Way to Set Goals (do this instead for LASTING results)

    The WRONG Way to Set Goals (do this instead for LASTING results)

    Ahhhh, New Years Resolutions…

    Set by millions around the world.

    Broken just a couple of months (or even days) later by those same millions.

    As such, a lot of “experts” look down upon setting them.

    But not me.

    I think when the calendar flips is a perfect time to reflect, re-evaluate and set new intentions on what you want to achieve.

    Every masterpiece started from a blank canvas and the dawn of the new year is just that.

    I’ve been spending the past couple of months thinking about 2016 because I know the power of planning (“Fail to plan, ___ _ ___”).

    I’ve come to realize that my work habits get thrown off in December, so there’s no point fighting it and instead, I use the time I have to sit back and reflect on what I want to make happen in the new year.

    And just for fun, I’ve been talking to random people about their New Years Resolutions.

    Just before writing this email, after I ordered my black double Americano, I asked the barista I see all the time if she had any goals for 2016.

    “Well, I want to find a good man.”

    “Sorry, I’m taken,” I replied.

    She giggled and then I asked her how she defines a good man.

    She listed off the typical characteristics women say they want in a man.

    I gave her a stern look and said, “I told you already, I’m taken.”

    She giggled again then gave me my Americano.

    Now, I’m writing this to you because there’s a mistake I want you to avoid that most people make when setting goals.

    I’ve made this mistake many times before, so don’t think I’m preaching from the pedestal, here.

    Here’s the BIG problem…

    Shooting for too much, too soon.

    You know what I mean.

    “I’m going to workout everyday and eat perfect everyday and lose 48 pounds in January. Hurrah!”

    And it’s not just at new years.

    I’ve heard some variation of this from many people at all different times of the year, whether it’s a fighter or overweight dude looking to get back in shape.

    So instead, I recommend you do this:

    Start Slow and BUILD

    When you start slower, you have a better chance of sticking to whatever plan you set.

    When you stick to your plan, as long as it’s sufficient to make progress, you’ll get results.

    The results you get will be motivating and will help you keep going.

    When you keep going, you’ll be building the most important thing…

    HABITS

    Habits are what will help you keep whatever results you get.

    Habits are what will prevent you from spiralling down into the dark abyss that is doing absolutely nothing and feeling sh*tty about it.

    Habits are the absolutely most powerful weapon you’ve got to create the life you want, because once they’re set, they take little energy to maintain and you can build more habits on top of them.

    But habits take time and consistency to build.

    At least 4 weeks of doing something daily and longer if it’s something you do less frequent.

    When it comes to your fitness habits, this is what I recommend:

    If you train MMA, a Martial Art or another sport:

    2 sessions/week for strength (30-45 min)
    2 sessions/week for conditioning (15-30 min, can combine with strength)
    15 minutes per day for flexibility/mobility/corrective exercises

    This schedule allows you to make gains without overtraining and ensures the bulk of your energy is devoted to skill training.

    If all you do is your gym/fitness workouts:

    2-3 sessions per week for strength (45-60 min)
    2-3 sessions per week for conditioning (15-30 min, can combine with strength)
    15 minutes per day for flexibility/mobility/corrective exercises

    I suggest doing some type of intense activity at least 3 days/week, so if you do 2 strength and 2 conditioning per week, one of the days can be strength+conditioning and the other 2 days can be just strength and just conditioning.

    Just 2 workouts per week is not enough to improve if you’re not doing anything else.

    So if you’re looking to create proper habits, look to implement these schedules and once you’ve followed them consistently for at least 2 months, then think about building on them.

    It might feel like you’re not doing enough, but you’re actually doing it right and it will set you up for a lifetime of being in shape so you never have to experience the depression that comes from doing nothing.

    Coach E

    P.S. If you want a program with everything mapped out for you, here are a few resources that give you everything step-by-step that have been proven by my thousands of customers:

    Ultimate MMA S&C Program
    Bulletproof Back
    Shoulder Flexibility Solution
    Hip Flexibility Solution
    Article: 3 Keys to Building Muscle

    And if you’d like to see if you qualify to join my powerDOJO Inner Circle where you get a new workout every month and my full support for any questions you will have (for substitutions, injuries, etc), click here to apply to become a VIP member.

  • DEFINED

    DEFINED

    Last week I had the privilege of attending the premiere screening of a new documentary called DEFINED, which follows a friend of mine, pro bodybuilder Ben Pakulski, as he prepares for the 2015 Arnold Classic.

    You could fit two of me inside of him lol!

    Obviously I’m not into the bodybuilding stuff but I have full respect for anyone at the highest levels of their chosen endeavour, especially Big Ben.

    Regardless of the use of steroids, bodybuilders still train their asses off and work as hard as athletes in any other sport.

    Defined is a short film and if you get a chance to watch it, I recommend you do.

    After the screening, the floor was opened up for some QnA and when I got the chance to ask a question, I first commented on how good he looked on stage in his red underwear, then asked him:

    “How do you come back from setbacks?”

    Many people have a (perceived) failure and then spend a lot of time and energy beating themselves up, either mentally (with negative thoughts), physically (through negative actions) or usually, both.

    Ben gave a great answer and outlined his process which gives you insight into how the elite become elite and continue to improve day-in, day-out.

    Essentially, he said that the outcome doesn’t really matter (he finished 8th in the Arnold), every workout is the real competition and if he’s successful there (in that he follows his plan and gives it his all), then he’s won.

    After the competition, he sits down and analyzes his whole training plan (the importance of having everything documented and tracked) and looks at where he could improve.

    Then, he revealed a very POWERFUL question that he asked himself after the Arnold…

    He said, “I asked myself, for the next competition, what do I have to do so that I can retire and be 100% happy with my performance and career?”

    This is a super powerful question and can only elicit a great plan.

    I really do look forward to seeing how he’s going to implement the answer to this.

    So that’s what’s up today.

    Focus on the PROCESS, not the OUTCOME.

    And make sure you ask yourself powerful questions.

    Tony Robbins says, “The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of questions you ask yourself.”

    Listen to these two giants and put it to use and nothing but good can come of it.

    I’d love to hear your thoughts or comments on this article, so you can leave them BELOW:

  • YOU have the answer

    YOU have the answer

    man-pushing-up-a-rock

    I was having a little coaching conversation with Sean, a pD member who described his goals and also the obstacles he thought were in his way.

    These are the two first things I want to learn about any client I work with, because what I’ve found is that often, once this info is revealed, I don’t have to provide any new info to help people make a big jump towards their goals.

    And this is a huge mistake people often make when trying to achieve a goal. We’ll get to this in a sec.

    Now, I’d go as far as to say that YOU probably have everything you need to take a big step towards achieving your goals.

    The problem that people usually bump into happens anywhere from 50-80% on the way there.

    It’s at this point they don’t have the strategies or support to push through to the end and end up at ground zero.

    So one of Sean’s goals was to get his body fat to 12%.

    I asked, “What’s the #1 thing that you think negatively impacts your fitness/physique the most?”

    “Evening snacking including but not limited to pizza, ice cream, and chocolate. The quantity is where I tend to foul things up I know a small amount of any one of these on an infrequent occasion is not going to screw up my entire diet.”

    Sound familiar?

    I’ve definitely heard this before.

    So we’re going to work on a blueprint and strategies to ensure Sean’s success, because I know when he gets to 12% body fat, since he’s already very strong, he’s going to look imposing and won’t go back to the old ways since the new Sean will be so badass.

    I just wanted to share this story with you because I believe that for most goals, YOU have the answer to get at least 50% of the way there.

    Now, back to that mistake I mentioned earlier?

    The mistake that most people make is they’ll try to achieve something, fail, then instead of learning and tweaking, they’ll look for a totally new approach instead of assessing what went wrong and fixing it.

    Do this and there won’t be any growth on top of their previous actions and again, they’ll get to 50-80% of the way and get stuck again.

    Plus, it’ll take a ton more energy to figure out this new plan and how to implement it.

    So think of your goals, then answer these 2 questions:

    1) What is the #1 thing you need to do to achieve it?

    2) What is the #1 obstacle holding you back?

    Get clear on the answers to these 2 questions and focus on the action you get from answering the first and the awareness you need to avoid the second and I bet you can get pretty close to your goals just staying vigilant.

    And if the problem in #2 is that you just lose motivation and fall off track, then perhaps, you need someone in your corner who will ensure you don’t fall victim to your past habits.

    If you want me to be that person for you, join me inside powerDOJO here and I’ll do my best to help you become the person you know you can be.

    Thoughts and comments? Leave them below:

  • Team Rampage = Gang of Thugs

    If you’ve been watching the Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights, maybe you’ve noticed that Rampage’s team is much like a gang of schoolyard bullies who go around and beat kids up for their lunch money.

    Their various antics on last night’s episode just went on to solidify this fact… Not to mention the fact that they still haven’t won a fight.

    The caricature painting was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen and seemed like such a waste of time.

    Whereas these guys could’ve spent their energy on coaching their fighters, they were out getting a painting drawn up of Team Rashad. Brilliant idea guys!

    The segment where Kimbo and 2 other guys were sitting around the pool and talking about who was gonna win the fight between ‘Titties’ and Zak was the most evident of the mentalitiy of these fighters.

    They were talking about who they thought was going to win the fight, and they made their pick based on who they thought was going to go ‘crazy’ and ‘lose it’.

    Since when have you seen a fight won by a guy who just went crazy and lost it?

    Maybe Tank Abbott a decade ago… But not anymore.

    Now, you’ve got true martial artists who show compusure… Guys like Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Georges St. Pierre, etc. etc.

    Going crazy won’t help you out.

    You’ve got to be relaxed and calm to let your skills shine. Once you get all riled up and you’re emotionally on the edge, you lose the ability to adapt and change your gameplan, if need be.

    So if you’re a budding fighter, don’t follow the lead of these thugs – take the champs who win with class as your role models and do what they do – train hard, stay consistent, continue to learn and grow, and fight with class – and you’ll be a successful mixed-martial artist.