So, it’s time for part II of my 12 Tips and Ideas To Help YOU Dominate 2012.

If you missed the first part, you can check it out HERE.

Now, let’s get right back to the list with number 7 which is to… Drag and Pull heavy ass stuff around every week.

Now if you don’t currently have some sort of sled, I would suggest you at least go and get yourself a used tired to use for dragging and pulling.

Dragging a sled around will simply work wonders for your strength training results no matter what you wish them to be.

I can remember when I first started to drag a sled around consistently how much my strength, power, and overall conditioning started to progress.  My friend Joe and I used to drag a tire around in the parking lot of the old corporate gym we used to work at!  We used to get some really strange looks from members and our boss even caught us out there one time…

Those were some good times! Here’s an OLD SCHOOL video of myself and Joe pulling a dragging a tire sled around…  This was one of my first videos!  LOL! 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPPThegUW_4[/youtube]

After getting into more sled work, it was amazing to see the results it produced.  Not only do you get the physical benefits from dragging and pulling a heavy sled around, you also get the mental benefits as well.

If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know I like to use training methods that help to build mental toughness…    Dragging and pulling sleds around are perfect for doing just that!

Now, there are a few different ways you can use sleds…

For strength endurance – pull or drag HEAVILY loaded sleds AFTER a lower body focused day for sets of 50-100 ft.

For straight conditioning – pull or drag a moderately loaded sled around for TIME.  Think this sounds easy…  Try to do a 15 min non-stop sled pulling session and then tell me it’s easy!  For these, pull a sled BACKWARDS for 20 yards, then FORWARDS for 20 yards and just keep going until time runs out.

Shorter 5-10 mins sets can be used as recovery for when your legs are completely stiff and sore form heavy lifting sessions.  Load up a sled with LIGHT weight and just go!  Dragging and pulling a sled will help get some good blood flow to your legs to help flush out lactic acid and toxins.  Don’t go too heavy for these sessions! 😉

For POWER and acceleration – run with a moderately loaded sled for short sets of either 4-8 secs or 10 -15 yards.  You can do these for a higher amount of sets, but use longer rest periods.

The bottom line is this, you need to be dragging and pulling a sled around at least 1 time per week.  I would suggest 2-3 times minimum.  Do it before or after a training session and use it for sled dragging and pulling for conditioning, strength, or even power.  What ever your goal may be, just do it!

Don’t give me the EXCUSE that it’s too cold outside either...  BUNDLE UP! 

Speaking on sled dragging, If you want a pretty SICK resource that tells you pretty much everything and anything you ever needed to know about sled dragging, check out the Ultimate Sled Dragging Manual 

This manual was one of the first resources I ever purchased a while back when I first got into training against the grain…

 

Tip number 8 is to ALWAYS try to EAT REAL FOOD…  I know this is a simple one, but why are so many people eating processed, fake sh*t???

If you were to stick to this one simple tip, you would solve a ton of your problems.

I for one promote the hell outta eating a Paleo like diet.  I do this for good reason, because it works!  Now, I don’t eat 100% Paleo all the time, but I do about 90% of the time which works wonders.

If YOU can manage to cut out most of the fake sh*t large companies call “food”, you’ll be on the right track to getting leaner and meaner for sure.

Here’s some rules to follow when selecting real food if you didn’t know…

  • if it goes bad on the shelf after a day or so, eat it
  • if it comes in it’s own wrapper, eat it
  • if it comes naturally from the earth, eat it
  • if it had a mother, eat it
  • if it had eyes, eat it
  • if it still won’t rot after 3 years, DON’T EAT IT!  (This includes EVERYTHING from Mickey D’s and most other fast food chains)

Just stick to the natural baseline – lean meats, tons of green leafy veggies, nuts, seeds, and fruits.  Don’t make it too damn confusing.  If you currently eating like complete sh*t, just switch up to an all REAL FOOD diet as best you can and you’ll be golden.

After you do that, you can then start to worry about doing low carb days, carb ups, fasting, ect…  Just get on the right track first if you happen to be way off.

Something I just implemented not too long ago with some of our athletes and clients to help them easily fit in REAL FOODS into their diet is called Meal Movement.  Think of this as your “Lean and Mean Meal Delivery System“.

They ship you 28 days worth of food and the food is damn good!  When I made an order a while back to test the food out, I got the shipment and I was like “DAMN! Where am I going to put all of this??”  My friend Joe and I had to split it!

But, if you’re lazy and have a ton of excuses as to why you can’t quickly cook up some REAL FOOD meals, I would suggest checking Meal Movement out…

The next tip is  THINK POSITIVE first thing in the AM, NO MATTER WHAT!

I spoke about reading out your goals before you go to bed and then again before you go to sleep at night and the reason I say to do this is because it sets you up for whats to come.

There’s nothing more important than to get your day started off on the right track by thinking positively.

The honest truth is this – YOU have the control over how you’re day will go by way of POSITIVE THINKING.

If you wake up and tell yourself, “Today is going to suck!”, your day WILL suck…  You’ll probably make the people’s day around you suck too…

BUT, If you wake up and tell yourself, “Today I’m going to DOMINATE LIFE and make sh*t happen!”, I can guarantee you that you’re day will go a ton better and be way more pleasant and productive.

It’s all in how YOU THINK.

Once you realize this “secret” which isn’t really a secret, you’ll understand…

For now, just think POSITIVE at all times, ESPECIALLY FIRST THING IN THE AM.

When sh*t goes wrong, take the negative and use it as a positive in some way shape or form.

Tip number 10, which has really made a HUGE impact on my life, is to Plan Out Your Day.

This is NOT something new. ALL of the most successful people in the world do this.

I’ve become way more successful and productive  since I started to map and plan out my days in advance.

Every night before I get into bed, I always make sure to have a check list of ALL the major things I need to get done within the next day written out and laid up on the kitchen counter ready for me to grab in the AM.

I try to plan out the day as best I can and when I do this, it keeps me focused and helps my mind stay a ton more clear.

I mark down almost everything…

  • errands that need to be run
  • tasks to be completed
  • workouts
  • nutrition (especially if I’m going to be in a rush)

Before, when I didn’t do this, I would find myself getting highly overwhelmed and frustrated.  Not good on my stress levels and bad for overall quality of life.

As the great Winston Churchill once said…  “Failing to Plan, is Planning to Fail…”

Nothing could be more true about planning ahead.  If you’re not already doing so, start mapping out your day the night before.

Number 11 is to Break The F*CKING Rules!

This idea goes along with both life and training.  It’s time more people break away from the normalcy of everyday life.

Way too many people are stuck in an almost “zombie-like” state, following everyone around.  Not many people think for themselves, speak for themselves, or actually lives life “as themselves”.

Too many people do what other people tell them to do…

Hardly anyone makes their own choices anymore!  It’s sad.  Too many people wait to be lead around by the hand and are afraid to express their own thoughts and opinions.

It’s time more people stand up and BREAK THE F*CKING RULES! 

Instead of sticking to the same old boring training styles and programs you see in about every gym around, break the rules and train against the grain!

Like I have laid out in my Bags, Bells, and Bodyweight Training System, it’s all about going against the norm and creating your own path to success.

It wasn’t until I started “training against the grain” when I finally started to see the difference.  The type of training I molded and blended together helped me become my own person.  Both physically and mentally.  NO JOKE!

What I would like to see more of is people break away from the normal everyday sh*t and make things happen on their own by taking the road less traveled.

If you hate your job, FIRE YOURSELF and follow your passion.  I bet you will be a ton happier once you start doing what you love full time. 

Years back, I used hate my job and I was ready to give it up to join the Marines.  I was training at a large corporate gym, but when I said I wasn’t going to follow the rules anymore and create my own way of life, that’s when things finally turned around. (HUGE Thanks to my mentor Zach Even-Esh for that one 😉 )

The bottom line is to break away from the mold that society has forced you into.  Break away and the biggest thing of all is to break the rules!

Now, don’t be going out and breaking the law 😉  Just go against the normal everyday stuff your used to doing.  Shake things up a bit!

If you’re still training the way you were years ago, I’m guessing it’s time to change the way you train and break the rules!

I hope to see more people step up!

Now, the final tip to help YOU DOMINATE 2012 is to Be On A MISSION…

I’ve talked ton about setting goals and to have a vision in past posts to you help you become more successful.  This is all true and needs to be a priority in your life however, I want to take it a step further…

A great way to look at this a bit differently and to possibly light a fire under your ass a bit more is to BE ON A F*CKING MISSION!

Yes! You should have goals set, but instead of just having “those goals”, make it a damn mission to complete those goals within a certain amount of time.

Pressure yourself to get sh*t done by setting a DEADLINE for completing the goals and visions you have set up for yourself.

For 2012, instead of just having a set of goals and visions, make a personal commitment to be ON A F*CKING MISSION to complete these goals and visions no matter what stands in your way.

That rounds of my 12 tips and ideas for YOU to have in order to DOMINATE 2012.

IMPORTANT: I want to hear what YOUR MISSION is for 2012!  What will YOU set out to conquere this coming year!  Drop it in the comments below or on my Facebook Fan Page. 

I’m jacked up to hear what you have to say! 

Live Aggressive and Get Strong!