WOW!
All I’ve got to say is WOW.
There were a few more then 50 total entries that came in over this week for the “I Am UNBREAKABLE” Challenge.
It’s been great to read through each and every story.
They all bring a big smile to my face.
At the end of the day this was a very TOUGH decision.
I had a really hard time selecting just ONE overall winner so I went ahead and selected 5 WINNERS overall.
Now, before I announce the winners below and share their winning entries, I just want to make it clear to everyone else who entered the “I Am UNBREAKABLE” Challenge that I greatly appreciated it.
Even if you didn’t win, I still want you to know that I THANK YOU for taking the action and the time to submit in your story.
ALL great stuff!
It shows that YOU care and you give a damn about your health and your fitness which is how it should be.
Your overall health, wellness, and STRENGTH both physical and mental I believe are so important in regards to how you feel and look.
Not only does this have a huge impact on your own life, but the life of others are effected as well. LEADING by example.
Showing people how to take control of their life by first taking control of their health via TRAINING.
Everyone will be different in their own ways in both the WHY and HOW they train and that’s what makes it so damn special and that’s why I wanted to hear YOUR story.
It’s great to see your PASSION and it keeps me fired up well beyond what I can even begin to describe.
Now, I don’t want to ramble on too much here because this is about the WINNERS of the “I Am UNBREAKABLE” Challenge.
So, without further wait, here are the people I selected…
In no certain order…
Matt
Why do I train and how does it make me feel? Well, to answer that I’ll have to back track a little so please bare with me. Growing up in an industrial area in the north of England, I really had no idea what I wanted to do in life. It was the 1980′s and there were practically NO JOBS to be had back then. I left school when I was 16 simply because I had the opportunity of a crumby job delivering kitchen & bathroom suites to customers’ houses. Believe you me, at the time, this was considered lucky! Music had always been a passion of mine and I eventually joined a band as drummer. We moved to London and became relatively successful, touring all over Europe and even making it out to the states one time. It was whilst in London that I met my future wife, a young Japanese lady. We lived together happily for four years before she became so homesick for her native country she felt compelled to return to Japan. Being an adventurous type & not one to miss out on an opportunity, I came out to the land of the rising sun to begin a new chapter in my life. Let me just say that it wasn’t easy adapting to a land so alien from my own; new language, customs, rules, food and a complete change in lifestyle led to a huge increase in day to day stress – the kind you don’t notice so much as it creeps up on you and builds upon itself. I got a job teaching English, something I had never dreamt I would or even could ever do. Through hard work I made a success of this and have managed to stay fully employed in teaching capacities for the past 15 years due to putting in all the extra miles necessary to keep from going under here. The stress was beginning to tell on me, though; I had many a sleepless night worrying about our future until very early one morning, after yet another night of no sleep, I threw on a pair of old sneakers, went out the door and RAN until I couldn’t run another step. This was the turning point for me as I hadn’t felt as I felt that day for ages! I quickly joined a gym, even though I had little to no idea as to what I should do in there. I actually ended up doing 3 sets of 20 reps on each and every single piece of machine equipment in the place and my workouts would take me two and a half hours to complete – lol! Eventually I got into running marathons as I had always been up for a good challenge. I carried on like this for a few years until I realised that I was just burning myself out. I tried bodybuilding next but quickly got bored with that. Moreover, I was losing overall the overall fitness that had been so important in helping combat the stress from living in a land where the people are friendly yet, no matter how hard you try, will never accept you – after 15 years, I’m still the ‘Gai-Jin’ or ‘person from the outside’. When I stumbled across Travis’s blog I was intrigued. This type of training seemed to make sense! It looked intense for sure but it also looked fun! It turned out that this was exactly whatI’d been looking for & I started to feel alive again! Fast forward until the past six to eight months and one of the hardest times for me over here. My company had been having financial problems for a while and my job was looking shaky at best; my wife & I had been having problems and our marriage was breaking down after 19 years together; my mother back home in England had been very sick for the past few months. I was stressed to my limits but, of all things, it was my training that kept me from going under. I instinctively knew that if I could just hang on in there that I would eventually break through into the light again. This stuff was NOT going to break me. I was better that and my training was keeping me sane and on track. Well, my mum died & my marriage is all but over ( although, I still have the most precious thing in my life, my 9 year old daughter ). The one good thing is I just landed a new position at work with improved conditions. This past few months has made me see things very clearly. Life is short so you need LIVE EVERY DAY, not just exist or scrape by. I now have a clear picture of what I need to do in order to live the life I want to live. I will turn 47 in April but, thanks to my training, I remain young in both my spirit & body. I am blessed! I am fit, healthy and still look good naked all thanks to the lifestyle I chose to follow. Moreover, I feel unbreakable, life can get real shitty sometimes but, as long as you hold on tight and never let go, you will break through those damn walls. Eat right, train hard & join like minded people ( even if those people do live in over countries like the Aggressive Strength Army I am so proud to be a part of ). Training is my life. I simply cannot imagine not doing it! Training keeps me pushing onwards & upwards and helps me smash through all obstacles that are put in my path! This had compelled me to do more for others. I shall use my knowledge and pass it on to those who need it & are willing to listen and take positive action. Teaching is my profession yet training is my passion. I shall combine my skills and passions and create a better future. Keep on keeping on brothers!
-Matt W
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Aaron N
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Stephen H
Why do I exercise? What’s it all about for me?
It’s a really good question…and it’s been good for me to take the time to think it through.
For me, taking care of my body and being physically fit is richly spiritual. As a follower of Jesus, I believe life is a process of learning more about and growing in God’s love and grace over time—growing in my ability to have my whole life to be an expression of Jesus’ life in me. This means being in-process in every area of life, and it often includes difficult healing. Making progress is a lifelong pursuit. I am definitely still a work in progress!
Up until a year ago, I was not taking transformation process this very seriously as it relates to my physical condition, and it was affecting not only the quality of my life, but was negatively impacting relationships too. When I decided to take on this physical challenge, I had no idea how much it would affect me spiritually.
Here are some of my personal discoveries about how I see my body and physical fitness in light of my spiritual journey. Old concepts; fresh understanding and application for me.
My body is a temple (1Corinthains 6)
God’s Spirit “indwells” every believer, and everything I do in daily life involves my body, so God can be honored and worshipped by how I care for my body and in everything I do. This makes life very exciting—everything is purposeful! Every day! All the time! Including workouts!
Physical Training is of some value (1Timothy 4)
While the focus of the text is training in godliness (life-long growth and transformation), I have learned that physical training, too, is of some value. To ignore the physical would be to my spiritual detriment.
I am to rule my body (1Corinthians 9)
My body doesn’t always want what is best. It’s like a spoiled child sometimes. In fact, naturally, in many things, I want what is contrary to what would be best. I don’t drift toward what is good! I have to discipline myself! It is hard work!
My body is a temporary dwelling (1Corinthian 15)
I will not need my earthly body in Heaven; but I do need it for the years I have here on Earth. I limit my ability to do what God has given me to do if I don’t care for my body. I need to take good care of it, but physical perfection is not ultimate.
Live life for God (Romans 12)
The logical/spiritual thing for a me to do (in light of what God has done for me in Christ) is to offer my body in worship to God…to offer my whole life. This includes sacrificing to get healthy and staying there. There is a transformation process involved. Oh, how I wish there was a light switch to flip! But no, it is a process…a process of having my mind changed!
One surprising outcome of physical training through Forged is seeing the ways in which disciplining my body in training benefits me in other areas of my life where I am also disciplining myself for change. Learning to face mental hurdles in physical training through pushing myself is also paying off in other areas of my life. I am growing in my ability to deal with leadership challenges in my work, persisting in situations that I don’t enjoy but are beyond my control, and persevering in difficult relationships. Talk about whole life transformation!
I can tell you this, Travis, I am exceeding grateful for your leadership in this area of my life. It is one of the most significant experiences I have ever had! It is having, and will have, lasting impact in how I live the rest of my life. That means more to me than I know how to convey.
-Stephen H
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Sean S
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Miko
“I do it because I can’t do with out it.”
It may sound a little hokey, but every time I say it out loud, it gives me a little chill. There is more than one aspect to this statement.
As a law enforcement officer, I never know what is going to happen on the next call, traffic stop, flag down.
I train for LIFE!
I train for SAFETY!
I train for SURVIVABILITY!
Statistics show that officers in better physical condition have a greater chance to survive a mortal confrontation- chase, fight, stabbing, shooting.
I train because I am going home to my family tonight, and the bad guy is going to jail, hospital, morgue.
I train for BALANCE!
I feel better physically. I feel more confident in my appearance. I sleep better. I am comfortable in my ability to handle whatever demands life throws my way.
I feel better emotionally. My stress levels are lower, allowing me to handle the craziness of life.
I train for ME!
I train for FUN!
I train to LEARN!
I enjoy pushing myself. I like knowing what my body can do, and even can not do. I love the feeling when I reach a new personal best or learn a new skill. Even when I fail at an attempt, I learn about myself and my body.
I train to KEEP WHAT I HAVE!
Everyone has heard, “Use it, or lose it.”
I train to retain my mobility, flexibility and strength. I have been diagnosed with arthritis. The doctors told me to stop, rest, take pills to feel better, see what happens. I flushed the pills and got back in the gym. I revamped my nutrition.
I work out so my joints keep working. I work out so I keep moving in a healthy way. Consistent training helps to control the pain.
I train for LIFE!
Hoo-Rah!
Go H.A.M.!!!
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And there you go!
Those are the 5 people I selected as the winners of the I Am UNBREAKABLE Challenge.
Again, THANK YOU to all of the BADASS’ that sent in their entry.
It takes some BALLS to post up and send in your personal stories and for that, I commend you.
With this, I’ll will leave you with an important message…
What ever it is YOU do and HOW ever it is you do it, ATTACK it will full force and BELIEVE in the fact that you can and WILL be successful.
NOTHING can stand in your way…
No “walls” can hold you back…
And NOTHING will ever break you because you’re UNBREAKABLE.
Keep being RELENTLESS and aggressively attacking life, training, and everything else in between.
Travis
PS – HUGE Announcement tomorrow.
I’ll be unleashing my newest program, The UNBREAKABLE BADASS Blueprint.
Get yourself ready…