One of the first strength seminars I ever attended was at the EliteFTS Compound in London, Ohio. If you don’t know of Elite and who Dave Tate is- Google him or check out elitefts.net. Some of the strongest men in the world train there. At this point of my life I had already worked with plenty of athletes and liked to think I was at least a little knowledgeable when it came to training.
However, to say I wasn’t intimidated walking into the EliteFTS compound would be a total lie. It was intense and massive individuals were all around me. Fortunately, all of the guys I met while I was there were great coaches, awesome dudes, and the majority, very soft-spoken. Although intimidated, I invested hundreds and drove many miles to learn from some of the best in the world and it was worth every penny. I still use much of the knowledge I gained while I was there to this day (I even went back for another seminar a few months later). Most importantly, I refer back to that feeling of being intimidated and use it when that feeling arises and I must push forward.
Some of our current athletes have said that PowerStrength is intimidating at first, but then you get used to it. This isn’t by accident. Why would we want to train anyone who can’t face his or her fear of going someplace new and possibly be intimidated? How will this athlete ever get better if they are fearful? Everyone has fears but you can’t let them freeze you.
Everything in our gym is earned. The athletes that have been training with us for months, even years, have earned their place. Many are still working and earning new gains. New athletes or our ‘veteran’ athletes aren’t ENTITLED TO ANYTHING. If a new athlete joins our program it’s because he went through a trial workout and displayed a strong will to get better. This doesn’t always mean they’re a stud athlete. This simply means they have a desire to improve their current state- whatever that may be- and are ready to sacrifice and work for it.
We train serious athletes. It doesn’t mean only the best, fastest, strongest, biggest athletes. Serious could mean a 10th grader who wants to add 15lbs of bodyweight and strength to be able to compete for a starting spot on varsity next year. It could mean working with an athlete just to be able to complete their first push-up. Or it could mean to help a high school senior prepare for their first year of college ball. Serious means serious. They’re there to get better or they don’t train with us…simple.
Our athletes who are big and strong that you see on our YouTube page or on our record board have earned that. Our strongest high school athlete has been training with me since he was a freshman (over 3 years). It’s not a coincidence he’s strong- he’s put the time in, worked hard, and made sacrifices. And you’re telling me you’re intimidated because you don’t want to appear to be weak? Uhh… you wouldn’t be weak if you took that first step, stopped letting your fear distract your progress, and started working! The strongest guys on the planet, the guys I met at Elite, all had to start somewhere!
At one point in time all of our athletes were smaller, weaker, and/or slower than they are today. They all started hungry and progressed. This creates an encouraging environment because they were once in your shoes. They recognize hard work- whether it’s hitting a new max squat our simply perfecting a bodyweight wall squat. Our athletes and coaches know when hard work and progress is being earned- then it will be praised.
So…the loud music, the blue-collar environment, the ‘earn the right’ mentality, the serious athletes with the kickass attitude…this may be intimidating to some more than others. We want competitive athletes who want to tear up, and dominate their training, not be afraid of it! Individuals who aren’t afraid to try something new in order to make themselves better!
This intimidation keeps out anyone who is fearful. These fearful people will be scared of something their whole life- so be it. Our athletes at PSTS will continue to get better and learn to face their fears. We have female athletes, youth athletes, skinny athletes, deconditioned athletes- yet they all have gotten over their fear of trying something new in a new environment and are making tremendous progress!
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather play next to the guy who can overcome his fears, than the guy who refuses to face his fear and go outside his comfort zone to get better.
-Mark
Interested in joining PowerStrength? First step is to complete the form on the ‘Contact Us’ page for a FREE Trial workout!