Let’s talk a little bit about Swagger and Strength shall we…
I’ve talked numerous times on my blog and within my videos about how important STRENGTH and being STRONG is.
I also promote strength in every single one my different training programs.
If I’m designing a program, you can bet your ass that strength will be a HUGE component within it.
The truth is, strength crosses over into all of the other areas of your fitness and life.
Speed, Power, Conditioning, CONFIDENCE… You name it, strength has a pivotal role in helping provide a solid base for these attributes to be built upon.
I’m a HUGE believer that the stronger you are, the better you’ll be as an athlete and human being overall.
Strength is that important.
Another important key to know and understand is that physical strength helps create mental strength. The two go hand-in-hand.
With this, there’s noting I love seeing more then the “swagger” a member of my gym gains from getting stronger.
We’re currently going through our infamous “BEAST Week” which means we’re putting our clients and athletes through our various levels of “BEAST Testing”.
Some athletes are just getting their first crack at Level 1 while a few have managed to get themselves up to Level 2, 3, and 4.
The Levels of BEAST Testing are all arranged in a progressive and strategic manner, but one thing they all have in common is that their NOT designed to be easy.
These are all rigorous tests as you must EARN your spot up on the “Beast Board”…
Nothing is given away.
An example I want to use is with one of my police officers, “VC”.
When this guy first stepped into the gym he was WEAK. He couldn’t even make it through out basic warm up.
Not only was he physically weak, but he was mentally as well.
As time has gone by, I’ve seen a MAJOR change in not only VC’s physical attributes (the guy is a beastly 225), but I’ve seen a HUGE change in his character.
Yesterday he took on Level 4 of our BEAST Testing.
He came up just a bit short, but in his failure to pass the test, he gained a TON of new confidence and growth.
He learned from his failure.
One of the parts to the test was to do 30 reps of deadlifts x 1.5 of his bodyweight.
His max deadlift since starting with us has gone from 
185 up to 365 for a solid 2 reps.
In the LEVEL 4 test, he cranked out 335 x 30 reps with pristine form and technique. The weight looked light.
He crushed the deadlifts but that was only a small part of the Level 4 test.
To make a long story short, after VC came up a bit short of passing the Level 4 BEAST test, he was still happy with his performance.
He didn’t mope around and feel sorry for himself as he understands that when it comes to strength, it’s a long and consistent process. It’s not a sprint like most people want to think.
He now knows that he’s capable of a TON more just as YOU should know this as well.
I could see it in his eyes that he had gained a new sense of confidence from hammering out over 90% of his 2 rep max for 30 reps. That’s UNREAL.
I have NO doubt that he’ll absolutely crush LEVEL 4 next time it comes around in 4 weeks.
The moral of the story is that even in defeat, there’s much to be GAINED, but more importantly, strength is a slow and long process and one that YOU must be seriously committed to.
If you want to get stronger, understand that it takes dedication, time, focused hard work, and a sh*t ton of patience.
Don’t get caught up in the bullsh*t talk out there that tells you Strength comes easy.
The truth about it all is this…
It all depends on YOU and you’re current levels of strength.
If you’re a beginner, strength is going to come fast and in fact, you’ll see some amazing gains in just weeks if you follow the right program.
If you’re consistent enough, you’ll see some major gains in overall strength. You don’t have to be as patient with it if you’re just starting out.
On the other hand, if you’re an advanced trainee, meaning you’ve already got some good levels of strength built up and you’ve been hard at it for a while now, gains for you are going to be a bit slower.
As you get more advanced, that’s just how it goes. This is where commitment and a good deal of patience must come into play.
Where most advanced athletes and lifters make this biggest mistake is that of jumping from program to program in hopes of finding the “magic program”.
The truth is, there’s no magic program.
There’s TONS of different programs out there that work.
The magic program is the one that YOU stick to.
For example, in just the last 6 weeks, my front squat has gone up a whopping 30 lbs and my back squat has gone up about 60.
My clean and jerk went up about 15 lbs as well (still stuck at my current snatch of 225).
Those gains for me are colossal!
It’s taken a great deal of work to get those numbers up there and it’s taken even more patience.
I was guilty of jumping around trying different programs and methods instead of just sticking to one thing.
When you get more advanced, you start to look for faster ways to get results and the truth is, it will always come down to HARD WORK, consistency, and focused progression.
There are NO short cuts…
Your main take away should be this: Keep grinding, keep focused, and the results will come.
That “Swagger” I talk about will build and trust me, it will grow and overtime you’ll be amazed at what you’re able to accomplish.
But, you’ve got to stop buying into the BS / false hope and dream schemes that claim they can get you all the results you want and more within just a few days or a couple of weeks.
When it comes to strength, you’ve got to be in it for the long haul.
And that my friend is the TRUTH about strength.
Question – What has worked the BEST for you in making gains in strength? Drop it in the comments below along with your thoughts.
Live and Train Aggressive
PS – If you’re willing to put in the work and the time, I know in 6 weeks, you’ll see some major progress…
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I dare you to stick to it this for the whole 6 weeks…
That’s my personal CHALLENGE to YOU.
PPS – I thought I’d also mention that Joe Meglio and I will be having a special BONUS Coaching Call that will only be given to the first 300 people that grab Strong and Shredded!
Find out all of the details here ====> Strong and Shredded + BONUS Coaching