So many lifters walk into the gym and try to figure out what everyone is doing. The serious guy with good form and integrity looks after the guy who goofs around, or causes the scene, the goof thinks about how much he impresses everyone, the rookie is in awe of everyone around him and believes everything is amazing, the chick is afraid, but thinks she is cool just to be in the gym and then there are a few who are in the zone and improving themselves. Think about it, It's like the Anima/Animus Phenomenon running wild in our minds as our disowned pieces are being projected on each other. As a result, we sacrifice the moment/ our FOCUS, as we are worrying about everyone else and therefore we cannot gain! And really too many lifters are more focused about how everyone is different than them, what lifters are the same, what guy not to be and who is the best. And this takes place at all levels. Many gyms have this mindset.

If you want a gym that supports excellence and not these mind games then you need to find a HARDCORE gym. Some of these gyms are hard to find, and some don't look to nice. You know, the ones that have mean looking men who remind us of Adul the Butcher, Viscera, Dick Murdock, Kamala, scary people and all the scary freaks of nature! The place the strong become scary, where the heavy weights become SCARY weights and where the intensity becomes EXTREME! However, as great as these gyms might sound, these MONSTERS scare people away to comfortable fitness centers..

There are fitness centers that find a way to cater to both Adul the Butcher, though so keep your hopes high! So many of the modern gyms of today are indeed hardcore that really support pain and pushing ourselves to achieving AMAZING goals. All gyms, however, have an attitude of their own, some people down in NJ, take their 700+ bench workouts as being a part of their religion for God, others go to other gyms and say "welcome to hell" the place where I kill weights- Other athletes feel more at home with an athletic culture. And some bodybuilders prefer a gym like muscle beach, where everyone has their shirts off and are posing in front of mirrors. Despite, the gym, whether it be a franchise, huge fitness center, chain gym, industrial gym, big and clean hardcore gym or a dirty pit hole in the wall, the lifter needs to remain focused on their goals.

So when you enter the gym, don't look around- Think about what you are doing. Shut your eyes and lift like hell! Put on your head phones, crank up the volume, or do whatever it takes to keep you in the zone and avoid distractions! You have to see the people around you and everything else as illusions, they don't matter, they aren't there, it's your heart, your soul, your emotions against the weight! As the real journey is within, what's around us is atomic and the only thing atomic we need is OUR MONSTERS TO KILL SOME WEIGHTS AND LIFT WITH INTENSE FOCUS!

So if you want babes there are other places to find them, but I don't think the gym is the place. You can take your physique and the positive attitudes you have learned from the gym with you and succeed with that one anyways. The gym is crunch time, an atmosphere where hard work is encouraged and the last thing you need is to be surrounded around people training as comfortably as the gym looks. So sweat all over the equipment, listen to loud heavy metal music, grunt, swear, scream aaaaaa, roooooarrrr, kill the weight!!! Oh, yeah, and yeah, dignity and respect is also important, clean it up when your done.

After your hardcore workouts take place, you will find competition day or maxing out day, depending in what type of environment you prefer to test yourself in. Whatever the reason you are going to have a goal in the end before another journey begins! Goals and competing are important for motivation, it gives you a reason to go all out and sets your training into direction. Competing puts deadlines on your goal and you realize you must do everything in a certain time phrase. Competing also is a great way to meet people who have the same interest as you and provides an atmosphere you just can't get in the gym, unless you go INSANE in the gym, in your basement and go CRAZY in your garage with your buddy!

However, when the big maxing day comes, take 4-8 days off to recover. Sit around, be lazy, eat a ton! Unless, you have to cut weight so you can say you lift XXX at this weight or to be more shredded for a contest. Finally your preparation, not skipping workouts, meals, going that extra mile and how well you mastered your mind will take the key! Finally, learn from the testing day and improve your cycle for next time. As in VICTORIES we show weakness as well as loss and even losses show victories. So, either/or, both ways we learn! Like they say "Today's preparation is tomorrow's performance". And by keeping this attitude day in and day out you will set the weights on fire! You will have people go up to you and say "wow, or oh my god what are you doing, you are going to get hurt"! You are now every bit as extreme as mick foley falling off a hell in a cell into thumb tacks, but you are doing something POSITIVE! and all that matters is that you know it because you are a strong tough mother f cker becoming SUPER STRONG! So Train hard, train right, and stayed focused no matter where you train! After all it's not the gym, but the animal training in the gym!

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