Hulk X – Sign Up Now

Hulk X... Are you ready?

Start: May 1st (Fit tests 4/24 through 4/26, Measurements 4/27 & 4/28)

Ends: July 14th

Location: Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Ave.

Boot Camp Days: One team will meet every Tuesday 6:30pm/ Friday 6:30pm, one team will meet every Wednesday 6:30pm/ Saturday 10am, and one team will meet every Thursday 6pm/ Saturday 11:30am. Boot camp lasts for 1 hour.

Cost: $300 for members and $350 for non members for the entire 13 week experience. Members get first priority! If you are not a member but sign up after joining Hulk, your nonmember fee of $50 goes towards sign up!

How to sign-up: E-mail me (Josh Cox) at AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com. All I want you to do is tell me you want to be a part of Hulk X. Nothing else. I will ask for all other necessary information (like what team you will be on, contact information, shirt size, etc., etc..) as I need it.

Breakdown:

Are you ready? I said ARRRREEEEE YOOOOUUUUU REEEAADDDYYY?!?!?! Hulk X is here, and I’d like to welcome you to the Hulk Nation. This Hulk challenge is going to be the most epic Hulk challenge yet. Get ready to join Team Gamma, Team Beast, or Team Banner as we create one, unified Team Hulk. This time around there will be ONE team color, ONE team song, ONE team shirt, and ONE team goal (to be announced…). Weekly weigh-ins, before/after photos, circumference measurements, body fat percentage testing, “sound offs,” award certificates, a complete “what you accomplished” certificate, and a support group the likes of which you have never seen are all just a fraction of what Hulk X is going to bring to the table. I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve for this one. New themes, new exercises, new “callouts,” and much more are what lay ahead. Hulk is a movement… Are you in?

This time around, I expect only the most committed. When you put that pen to paper and sign that commitment contract, I want it to MEAN something. This is NOT a toy to throw away and come and go as you please. It is an experience that is what YOU make it. No, you will not have the same experience as any challenge you’ve ever done before because it is DIFFERENT. You will have different, new teammates. There will be new themes, new points brought up, new events surrounding this challenge that will make it impossible and fruitless to aspire for “challenges past.” I PROMISE I will make this challenge amazing, you’ve just to meet me halfway. Bring your enthusiasm, step out of your comfort zone, refuse to submit to old habits. You WILL be forced to step outside of your comfort zone, but in the best way possible. Hulk wouldn’t be as big if that last statement wasn’t true.

Life’s best lessons are learned outside your comfort zone, so why stay in it? Your comfort zone is doing nothing for you except falsely convincing you that your habits and lifestyle are totally ok when the fact that you’re even thinking about joining up with Team Hulk means that clearly isn’t true.

Again, I ONLY want the most dedicated, the most excited for change, the most hungry for a team spirit unrivaled by anything this side of the Mississippi and beyond, and the most cognizant that this isn’t just a “boot camp,” this is MUCH MUCH more. If you match all of that criteria… WELCOME TO HULK!!!

AhhhhOOOOO!!!!!

– Hulk

ps Get excited!

Tough Mudder – Temecula Slideshow

I wrote about the journey, and now you can see it:

We are already training for Tahoe (Northstar) going down September 22nd and 23rd of THIS YEAR.

To register for Team Hulk – Tough Mudder CLICK HERE

Saturday‘s team name is HULK and password is hulk2012

Sunday‘s team name is Team Hulk and password is bangerang

To get added to the Team Hulk Tough Mudder Facebook Group CLICK HERE

For more information, E-mail myself (Josh Cox) at AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com

AhhhhOOOOOO!!!

– Hulk

Tough Mudder 2.0 – In My Eyes

You'll see me in the bottom left hand corner then moving towards the right you'll see Justin Zeuiderweg., Kim Yoxall, Ron Kennedy-Klein, and Carlo Piscitello. The man in the center was sending us off to destroy that course!

I’ve been here for a bit now deciding on how to approach talking about this Tough Mudder Temecula experience. It was AMAZING for starters, and there sure was a lot that happened sandwiched in between a 48 hour period. With all of these new memories still getting digested, it’s hard not to do a little cross comparison between Temecula and Tahoe. What makes it especially hard is that’s the biggest question I get when asked about Temecula by those who went to Tahoe but didn’t go to Temecula.

Let me tell you… it was its own separate beast…

The Tough Mudder Pledge has been recited and we are good for take off!

For starters, the last time around in Tahoe we made the drive in good time, got there VERY early, set up shop at The Larsen’s cabin, and rocked some family style dinner before TRYING to get some sleep a midst the nerves and excitement.

THIS time around however, was a different story on MY end. Most everybody got to Temecula on Friday and spent the day on Saturday either participating in the first day of Tough Mudder, spectating, or preparing for their day on Sunday. ME? Well, I had some Hulking out to do… 2 boot camps on Saturday to be exact! Short story shorter, I rocked the 2 boot camps, got a 1pm start time for hitting the road with the Unicorn, and made it in to Temecula around 9:30pm. Just enough time to get a bite to eat and sleep on the floor of Megan Gill’s hotel room (thanks for the floor space guys!) and wake up at 5am to prepare for the massacre about to take place…

PS if you guys want some good stories about what happened on SATURDAY, talk to Cory, Megan, Shaleena, or T-Bones about that one ;).

Some of the toughest women I know! Oh, and Adam... 😉

So 5am rolls around and everyone has that “I’m tired but anxious and excited all at the same time” kind of energy. Rightfully so, considering this thing is no joke! Some breakfast (or attempts from some) and wardrobe preparation later, we are on the road and on our way to Maggie Schuck and Justin Zuiderweg’s campsite where they have a back door entrance straight to VIP parking for the event. It’s all about who you know…

Don't let my smile fool you... those wires felt like Satan peeing on you. Jamie's face is a more realistic impression.

So after some checking in and Hulk hugs we make way towards ground Zero…

Let me tell you, the setup and sign-in process was INFINITELY less stressful than Tahoe. Lines were shorts, the process was efficient, everything was wide out in the open, nobody had any issues with their registration, and it was agonizingly easy to find everybody. Think the exact opposite and that was the sign-in process at Squaw Valley (which many of us agreed is probably a big reason why it’s not returning to that specific location).

Had to stop and take a picture with 2 of the Toughest mudderfuc... Aw, you get it 😉

Once everybody has been grabbed and tagged, we get wind that they are calling for the 8am start timers. That’s us! We make sure we have everybody and make our way to the start line… Where the NEXT difference between Norcal and Socal rears it’s beautiful face. BEFORE you start, you had to climb an 8ft wall to just simply get into the START PIT. Right away I’m thinkin’ “Awesome, a challenge before the challenge… I LOVE THIS!”

In Hulk fashion, we hurdle it like it was a speedbump and resonate in the energy bouncing off the metaphorical walls as the realization sets in that we’re really going to do this thing… Being the first group to go for the day, the energy is EXTRA special. The seal was yet to be broken, and that was where we came in… As the master of ceremonies starts to gather the Mudders and get everyone so geared up their faces hurt, that’s when us Hulksters found it PRIME to show everyone the chant…

I can proudly say that even though we had quite a few less people in Squaw, the chant was JUST as loud as in September. Hulksters really know how to make that “AhhhOOOOO!!!!!” reverberate!

They stayed like that for 5 full minutes until the marines got creeped out and kicked them off...

I do want to mention that the master of ceremonies was hilarious. He was also spot on with his motivation. He made it a very precise point to emphasize that the team work and camaraderie were THE MOST IMPORTANT aspect of doing Tough Mudder. Shoot, we are HULK! That’s what we came for! He also made a very precise point to name a lot of the injuries he’s seen over the years that didn’t sit well seeing as how we’re tryin’ to get geared up, not tear up because we feared up! Regardless, the message was loud and clear… You WILL get hurt if you don’t respect the course and play it smart. Message: received.

I wish they caught the OTHER log I carried with that one! 100% not joking 🙂

Finally, after a series of “HOO-RAHs!” we were good to GO! The beginning, as excited and amped as you are, is hard to let loose because it’s so packed. I also forgot about the orange smoke canisters that make your lungs feel like you’re breathing in napalm (I might be exaggerating…).

All I can think of is Resevoir Dogs... WE ARE HULK!

Right away, exactly what I love about Tough Mudder got shoved right in our faces. The Berlin Walls. It’s not the walls themselves that I love about Tough Mudder, it’s what those walls represent. Fear.

I’ve always felt that a good leader in a situation like this doesn’t take up the front, but secures the rear. No man left behind. Fears, physical limitations, apprehensiveness… I’ve got you. The caboose is my home. What I LOVE about that is seeing fears get conquered. Realizations made. “I can’t!” turning into “I did…” To see timid voices transform into “WOOOOOO!!!!” when the reality hits that your worst fear has turned into one of your greatest accomplishments.

 

Shaleena manhandled that business!

I know that the Berlin walls were exactly that for a lot of people. Someone the other day asked me “What’s the big deal behind climbing those walls? I mean, they’re really not THAT bad…” to which I replied “Well that’s easy to perceive if you’ve never had an issue with your body weight or strength abilities.” For me, when I see those walls my inner fat kid starts to cry. I get a little nervous as this wave of butterflies take over that feels like a swarm the size of my car. Then, just like that… it’s gone. It’s similar to the 8k that I ran recently. Mentally it was the equivalent of a marathon for me, yet physically I did very well. There are some things you just don’t forget…

Given that tidbit of knowledge, I’m FAR from a small percentage of people who feel that way. So when you have that swarm of butterflies cascade over you, it makes the feeling of actually DOING IT literally euphoric. As a team, we conquered the walls like they disrespected us. We did it as a team, through and through. From top to bottom, everyone made it over with a smile on their face and a triumphant fist in the air that screams “What’s next?!” I LIVE for that!

 

Laree did this thing with Bronchitis!

I think once this wall was hurdled, there was a collective exhale from a lot of people. The energy was lighter. The  smiles were brighter. The eye of the tiger was more… tiger-y. It’s at this point the course became a blur of memories and moments. Some of favorites:

• We happened to pass by the parking lot TWICE during this course. Both times Lorna says “I can see my car Josh… it’s right there… You can’t stop me…” I deemed it an official obstacle for Lorna 😉
• The first time you get pissed on by Satan happened to be very early on. You had to crawl through mud with live wires hanging (ie: The badass picture of Shaleena Gibson in the white crawling along the mud). It was the first “wake up call” because you pretty much weren’t getting out of that thing without getting a little crispy.  Well I had been zapped twice by the time I made it to the end. When I had passed the last row, I rested for a moment. Turns out I didn’t pass the last row… I stopped resting VERY quickly.
• During much of the first half of the course I was running back and forth between the front of the group and the back of the group. This one guy happened to see me whenever I’d be waiting for the Team but he missed whenever I’d run passed him (because I’m just that fast apparently). After a few times in a row of this he finally yelled “What the f**k man?! What are you, a leprechaun?” I told him “Better believe it! I’ve got secret tunnels all over this bitch.” That was the last time I saw him :).
• When we had reached the plank where you jump into the water, I did the damn thing (looked way higher here than at Squaw I think due to the fact that you were jumping into a smaller body of water) and eagerly awaited the rest of the Hulksters to rock Casbah. The same thing with the wall only on a grander scale happened here. From screaming “your LIP KIM!” (she has “why not” tattooed on the inside of her lip) to Shaleena’s epic story to how she made it off that thing right on down to Lorna getting literally pushed off by the Marine (with permission mind you, I don’t think that Marine would have served her country another day had it not been permissed haha), this obstacle gave us everything it had and lost. It said “fear me” and Hulk said “no.”
• Jumping in the ice bath, I managed to get so numb that I wasn’t even sure if my extremities were working. Megan and I were trying to get out at the same time (I say “trying” not because we got in each others way, but because of the whole “extremities not working” thing) and I remember being against the dumpster wall thinking “I have no idea if my legs are evening working. I wonder if they’re making their way over the side of the dumpster yet? Hmm… We’ll find out!” In case you’re wondering, I got out.

 

No man left behind... AhhhOOOOOO!!!!!

One highlight I need to separate from the bullet points is coming around the bend with Adam, Kim, and Lorna and Ron in tow and seeing THE WHOLE TEAM waiting for us at the top of the water slide. While the 5 of us in the back knew we were near the end, we didn’t know that everyone was going to wait for us the way they did. To put it in perspective, in Squaw we all celebrated after the finish line. We finished close together, but it was so extreme that the last quarter of the course everyone just needed to finish at their own pace. This time around however, right BEFORE the finish line, everyone waited so we could finish together. It was a true Hulk moment. One team, one dream. I couldn’t have been more proud, and that’s the buddha honest truth.It is also worth mentioning that Jodi Curry is my own personal super hero. A separated knee kept her from completing the course at mile 8 of 11.5, but it’s what she DID with that separated knee that blows me away and puts her in the stars as far as admiration goes. She separated her knee NOT on mile 8, but around mile 6! She went TWO MILES with her knee popping in and out when finally, while carrying a log around the hill, her knee waved the white flag and mutinied. I told her, and I will tell you all, I would NOT have continued had I done to my knee what she did. You can think of me what you will for saying that, but I know that deep down, if I did what she did to her knee to MINE, I would have given MAYBE a quarter mile before the realization that it’s done for me set it. Not Jodi though… her knee had to take her out FOR her. If there was ANYONE that I thought was going to pull that off it was Jodi. So I just wanted everyone to know that Jodi was one of the toughest mudders on that son of a bitch and had she not suffered an injury that has held FOOTBALL PLAYERS FROM PLAYING IN THE SUPERBOWL (aka when put in perspective it’s a little hard to be viewed as a failure don’t ya think?) that she would have been the first across that finish line. How do I know that? Because she literally led us all day. We were in her shadow. Her slim, svelte, white chocolate shadow as she kicked up dust with her getaway sticks and dared us to catch her. I even told her ON the mountain before she had to get wheeled out “This was just the mountain’s way of putting you on our level!”I still stand by that.

One Team. We are HULK.

In conclusion, this Temecula Tough Mudder might not have had as much uphill challenges or ridiculous elevation levels, but in its place were some challenging ass obstacles and voltage I will never forget. As far as the spirit and essence of Hulk that I saw on that mountain? Well I can proudly say we whooped it the same way we did Squaw… With a Hulk SMASH! We left our mark and blazed a trail to convene the two groups who did Squaw and Temecula and form one SUPER GROUP ready to take on Northstar with the type of ferocity Northern California has yet to see.

Yup, that's me falling flat on my face in mud. Those wires? Attached to 10,000 volts. It is not a drill. I repeat, it is not a drill.

Who’s ready?

CLICK HERE to get to the Tough Mudder Northstar page. Search for “Team Hulk.” Password: Bangarang. AhhhhOOOOOO!!!

I could have hugged that man forever. Justin did the whole thing with a BROKEN FOOT. He earned that headband...

For those who have NOT heard the Tough Mudder pledge:

As a Tough Mudder I pledge that…

* I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge.

* I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time.

* I do not whine – kids whine.

* I help my fellow Mudders complete the course.

* I overcome all fears.

Many thanks to such a wonderfully gorgeous human being by the name of Maggie Schuck! She did both days (had to bow out the first day when her man Justin broke his foot, needed to sleep it off, and decided to do Tough Mudder again and get that damned head band!), and on the second day took a million pictures! She was also integral in helping organize and make sure we all made it to the start point together regardless of hectic schedules all around. Maggie, you are a saint!

PS I will be posting a slideshow shortly with all the pictures we took of this round (trust me, there are TONS) but until then, here is the slideshow from LAST September in case you missed it 😉

 

Black Light Special 5.0!

You can't imagine how much fun we're having

Black Light Special 5.0 is here! I couldn’t be more excited, seeing as how I have the most black lights I’ve ever had and some of the rowdiest “Bad News Hulksters” this side of the Mississippi all the back on to the OTHER side of that very same river. AhhhhOOOO!!!!

Basically, I want everyone to wear whatever neon or white clothing options you’ve got. The flashier the better! I’ll provide the black lights and festivities if y’all bring me some flare! Be careful with those white shirts though… think “CSI.”

Black Light Zumba this Thursday night!

We’re going to be Hulk smashing your upper body right before BLACK LIGHT ZUMBA KICKS OFF!! I’ll be sure to leave your hips intact so they can swear to tell the truth, the WHOLE truth, and nothing but the truth in order to prove that your hips beyond a shadow of a doubt do NOT lie (Shakira Shakira).

Notice the shovel? We dug in the dark!

Lastly, I want to congratulate everyone on the number of inches lost! I will be posting the top totals on the boards along with number of people who measured over the weekend (because I missed quite a few of you). The halfway measuring point is something I highly recommend, but if we are not able to get your halfway measurements done due to schedule conflicts, well then we will be SURE to get them done at the end! NO EXCUSE! 🙂

Like I posted in the Facebook Trinity forum, take away from the measurements that you took part in this weekend what you’re supposed to take away. If they weren’t what you were hoping they were yet you know why, use it as a chance to pick yourself up by the bootstraps! We’ve got 5 more weeks, PLENTY of time to get rockin’ and work on breaking some of those “not so good for you” habits! If you haven’t lost much weight but your inches tell a different story, remember that! When it feels like you’re giving your all and the scale isn’t listening, remember that your body IS changing. It’s been a long and short 5 weeks… meaning we’ve gotten a LOT accomplished in a very minuscule amount of time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same applies to fitness. It took a long time to build the habits a lot of us are trying to break, so don’t beat yourself up too bad if you’ve still got “bad habits” left after 5 weeks.

We’re at the official half way point… imagine what the NEXT 5 weeks are going to bring! I know I’m excited…

– Hulk

PS here is the “No excuses” video I told some of you about…

Lastly, I love this song and wanted to share it. Reminds me of Hulk. Let’s pave our own way and ROOOOOOLLLLLLLLL!!!

 

Trinity Slideshow Teaser!

You should have seen Alan's face! Click on the picture to hear the song that soon overcame the situation and was all that could be heard as everyone in the room drifted away and all that was left was long standing eye contact between Alan and I, the music of our hearts, and a dimly lit room filled with the smell of sweat and difficult decisions...

This was Alan's face. For those wondering.

Hey Hulksters!

So, we’re almost at the halfway mark of this challenge, and I wanted to do something to commemorate that. I figured there was no better way to vamp up the excitement than to give you a little 1 minute teaser clip of the 25 – 30 minute slideshow to be presented at the Trinity Wrap Party on March 31st! We’re gonna bring in April Fools day with a Toga party Hulk style!

Hulksters, I look forward to sharing the rest of this slideshow with you in a month and a half :).

- Hulk

PS it was completely unintentional that the very last snippet you see on the slideshow is Alan and I sharing a broment. Unless you ask Freud probably. 

Bonus Boot camp!

Rain or shine... Boot camp time!

 

As a quick reminder… we have measurements this Friday/Saturday! Be sure to wear the same articles of clothing you wore on the FIRST measurement day! We are ONLY doing weigh-in, measurements, and body fat percentage testing. Everything else gets repeated at the END of the challenge.

I want to put out there real quick to be prepared to have your mind blown. I LOVE measurement day, because it provides a tangible answer to all the hard work you’ve been doing that the scale hasn’t been as kind in showing its appreciation quite as much. I’ve had MANY people lose little to no weight, even go u a pound or 2, yet lose TREMENDOUS inches… So keep rockin’ the better eating, getting proper rest (as much as you can!), and workin’ up a sweat as often as you can, and you’ll be sure to see a new side of results this weekend some of you weren’t necessarily expecting :).

Now, because measurement day means no boot camp, I have decided to do a boot camp at 1pm this Saturday! Hephaestus, Apollo, and Poseidon are ALL welcome! We don’t have a limitation on how many people because… we’re gonna be outdoors! That’s right, it’ll be the first outdoor workout of the challenge. That means dress accordingly. Long sleeves and pants if you have a grass allergy. I encourage everyone to bring their own mat, water bottle, and rock star attitude. Rain or shine, it’s gonna happen!

The cost will be $5 per person (keep in mind, this is extra in addition to the measurements, NOT part of the original challenge) and we will be meeting at Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Ave. to start. From there, I will lead the way! If you have anybody you’d like to bring or have participate, then make sure that you have steered them to this page so they get the gist of what’s going on, they sign the liability waiver when they get to the gym if it is their first time working out with Hulk, and that you let ME know so that I can be prepared for a fresh face :).

Also, Hulk’s own Jessica LaVenter will be rocking a Zumba class at 12pm! If you are a part of Apollo’s measuring group, I’ll make sure you are taken care of before Zumba starts so that you can get measured AND show how truthful your hips are! It’s $5 for members of Anytime Fitness and $10 for non members. Ready for the best part? All of the funds raised from the class will be going toward Jessica’s Relay team the TransFormers who are running 199 miles to raise money for Organs ‘R’ Us! So, you get a great workout, have a great time with great people, and it all goes towards a great cause! I dare you to find the downside!

See you all soon!

AhhhhOOOOOO!!!!

– Hulk

PS a LOT of you asked what song I played with “the high pitched guy in it.” That song, ladies and gentlemen, is THIS song. See what you started Austin!

Hulk Food Group: The Beginning

Click the picture for words everyone needs to hear.

Wow!

Last night was great!

TWSS Jessica.

So, I’m just going to get right to it and say that I think Hulk Food Group was a success. There were about 20 or so people who showed up at the gymnasium at 7:30pm right after Hulk Poseidon got done mopping the floor with… themselves? It was refreshing to say the least. Motivational to say a bit more. Eye opening on top of that. It was a tangible realization (I hope) that “being healthy” is not going to be a walk in the park, but it is MORE than doable and you are FAR from alone. 

That was actually the first point I brought up… I asked everyone to notice the volume of people showing up where they didn’t even really FULLY know what to expect, they just knew it dealt with nutrition and they needed help. If it were easy, everyone would be in shape and I’d go back to waiting tables and slangin’ diet sodas with double cheeseburgers. Unfortunately, it’s not easy… Doing the right thing takes a lot of hard work sometimes. Most of the time actually. But that’s ok… The things most enjoyed are those that are earned. That spark pride and self assurance. That allow you to feel good about yourself all day because you made a great decision where a moment of instant gratification would be MUCH easier to succumb to in the moment. What makes y’all Hulk (ANYBODY reading this, not just “official” Hulksters) is the recognition and ability that you have that fight in you. That you’re worth that fight. Last night, at the first HFG group, I saw the start of something great. A collective group of people choosing not to settle. I emphasize “start.” This is just the beginning!

There are big plans in the works for HFG! I was originally going to have it at my house, but when I put out the poll question in the “Hulk – Trinity” forum, the response was so overwhelmingly positive that the gym was the only place it could be done! I thank you all for that :).

A special thank you to Liz Rait (Hephaestus) for her volunteering her fantastic knowledge on the subject of Gluten Free (and much more) nutritional advice! She asked me the night prior if I’d like a little help, and I’m really glad I said yes because she offered insight that as much as I know, I couldn’t possibly know the nutritional side of things the way SHE knows. She has also offered to collaborate and make this thing as helpful, informative, and kick-ass as possible. Again, we have big plans!

Also, a special thanks to Bobbi Rivera for bringing in an AWESOME Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe! If anybody knows how to throw down in the kitchen and still be healthy, it’s this girl. I urge everyone to check that recipe out!

To give a little overview of what we talked about:

•  Handed out homemade protein bar recipe, Bobbi’s chicken tortilla soup recipe. and my “alcohol effects” handout (posted below)
• Talked about the importance of proper nutrition in accordance with “over training” (I quotation over training because if you’re not giving your body the proper amount of nutrition then it turns “intense” training into “too much” training).
• Liz gave a brief overview of what gluten actually is, the misconceptions on the matter, and opened the floor to any questions anyone had
• Briefly discussed the battle of “logic” versus “fatigue and emotion” and how it’s very hard to intertwine the two and make the “right choice” (see previous post) when you’re anxious and miserable with what you’re doing.
• Ended with open floored questions and discussions pertaining to individual matters. 
• Afterwards, I printed up copies of my 3 page universal guide to better nutrition and gave them to anybody who wanted one as well as went over any nutritional journals anybody brought in.

 Next Wednesday, it is going to be at the same place (Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Ave.) at the same time (7:30pm) with a similar structure, only newer topics, recipes, and odds are… a bigger group of people :).

Thank you again everyone for showing up! 

You get the results that people don’t get by doing the work people don’t do… 

– Hulk 

 

Which would you choose?

Which would you choose?

 

So last night… I posed a question for Team Hephaestus. That question was NOT the one above. I had flubbed my own exercise with Hephaestus so I want to thank them for being the guinea pigs for a successful point made on Saturday. Don’t get me wrong, I was still able to make my point, just not quite as smoothly. So, Hephaestus… THIS was the intended exercise ;).

TODAY I posed the question of “Which would you choose? 60 minutes of discomfort for a day of positivity or  60 minutes of comfort for a day of negativity?”

The response was OVERWHELMINGLY positive. Talking only a couple of people chose to spend a day negatively, and one of those people even wrote down “I’m a glutton for punishment.” How cheery…

The point I was making is that we ALL have a choice, only it’s not always so black and white. How many times have you PROMISED yourself that you were going to start eating breakfast in the morning because you know it’s important. Because you know it is going to keep you on the pathway to being who you’d like to be. Because you know it will kick start your energy and leave you feeling good all day. Because you know that it’s an issue and you’d like to make good on at least ONE promise to change some of your ways. You may not be perfect all the time, but you can change some of the big things, right?

Then, that alarm that you set for 30 minutes earlier hits… You look over and don’t take more than a moment before you go “Nope… SLEEP!” and slam that snooze button for jammin’ back to dream land for a few more minutes.

That, my friends, is choosing a moment of comfort for a days worth of kicking yourself. You’ll try all day to say “oh it’s ok, I mean how important was that goal REALLY? I mean, I’ll DEFINITELY get up early and make breakfast tomorrow…” yet somehow, tomorrow never comes… You then fall into the rut of forever saying “tomorrow”… Today. You will forever be reaching for tomorrow when you choose a moment of instant comfort (sleeping in a bit longer) in return for letting yourself down and feeling secretly bummed about yourself. All day. Until “tomorrow.”

How about when you say to yourself “I need to do more… I’ve got a routine right now, but I’m complacent. It’s not as hard as it used to be and damnit I know I can push myself a little bit hard. You know what, I’m gonna add that extra gym day in! You know what… make it TWO extra gym days in! That’s what I NEED!”

Then, on the first “extra gym day” day, you start looking at the clock when it comes to quittin’ time… As each hour draws nearer and nearer to “go from work to the gym” mode, your brain starts to creep on you. It says “Really? Today? I mean… Today sucks… We’re tired you know! You still have errands to run, you crazy? You’re gonna choose the GYM over errands? That elliptical isn’t going to get that set pile of dirty clothes started! Dinner isn’t going to cook itself!” and so on and so forth so that by the time it comes to punch the clock and head to the gym, you’ve already convinced yourself that going to the gym after work would be the WORST decision you could make, all the while knowing that you’re going to regret that decision later. You KNOW you’re going to regret that decision, yet you go home anyway…

I can bet you 99% of then go home, sit on the couch, and “rest” before you end up doing your errands. That “rest” turns into a storage wars marathon/ nap (YUUUUUUP!) followed by those errands getting pushed into the ever popular “tomorrow.” If not getting done tomorrow, then guess what… 10 bucks says that you started your errands when you would have been back from the gym (or a trail, or a soccer game, or whatever floats your boat fitness wise) ANYWAY.

Again, you chose a moment of comfort (NOT going to gym… WOO!) by trading in the “I’m willing to feel down on myself for the decision I made” card.

What I’m trying to say is that when given the black and white choice of a moment of discomfort for a day of positivity or a moment of comfort for a day of negativity, you ALL (for the most part :-P) chose to feel good about yourself. I challenge you all to take a moment of discomfort: getting up a little bit earlier for breakfast… Drinking on the weekends a little less often… Packing those lunches you swear you’re going to pack and never do because you “just don’t feel like it”… Actually MAKING it to that gym appointment you made for yourself… and recognizing that you are setting yourself up to feel good ALLLLLLLLL DAAAAAAAAAY.

I hope you realize that you ALWAYS have a choice. ALWAYS.

 So remember Hulksters… The choice is yours. Which would you choose?

This holds true for every one of you...

 

And for good measure…

– Hulk 

“Hulk” is the newest food group!

Sometimes, we tend to do the wrong kind of smashing...

Alrighty everyone, I’ve had an idea for a bit that I tossed out today in regards to getting together as a group and discussing everything under the sun in regards to nutrition! From sharing recipes to talking about the struggles that come with a healthier lifestyle so you can maybe get a different perspective or hear a few tips and tricks maybe you haven’t heard before. Well, when I tossed the idea out there, it was received so well that rather than e-mailing those interested, I felt it necessary to sound out a mass hulk post! Another action I’d like to take with this “Hulk Food Group” is to answer any questions as a group and address the question to everyone. You’d be surprised at how many people have the same question you do!

Those who would like to bring food journals for me to look over are more than welcome to do so! Click HERE to get some easy to use food journal templates that you can print right from the website and keep track of what you’d like me to look over! You can also get a simple notebook and document that way as well. If choosing that method, please still check the template website and seeing the basic info I’d like you to keep track of for me :).

The goal of this is to unify! To support! To encourage! To listen! To speak! To broaden your nutritional horizons! To get a better grasp of the MENTAL side of changing your nutritional lifestyle for the better! I have already talked to a couple people (and a couple more I still need to contact) that would love to come guest speak in the future. When that happens, best believe I will post about it :).

I would like to get this started next Wednesday, February 8th at 7:30pm (after Team Poseidon meets) at Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Avenue. If you are not a part of Team Hulk or a “hulk associate” then please e-mail me at AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com so that I can be ready for a new face :).

This first HFG (Hulk Food Group) I will be providing a post workout juice mix to any Hulksters who worked out prior as a “thanks for staying!” along with a “this will make it so you can sit, listen, engage, and not feel like you’re going to die.”

This coming first HFG, I will also be starting it out. I will go over whatever struggles I’ve experienced during the week nutritionally (I go through lots daily, trust me!) as well as providing a quick, easy, and healthy “homemade protein bar” recipe to share with anybody who would like one :).

Lastly, if any of you get the chance, please check this film out. That intangible energy that is hard to explain that makes a Hulk workout so lively… They talk about exactly that in this movie, among many other intriguing perspectives that will leave you thinking for sometime after the ending credits have rolled. I still plan on putting up a post about this movie in relation to “Hulk” and the connective energy you all harbor, so be on the lookout for that :).

– Hulk 

What’s next? 2 months of delicious insanity

Yeah, we're pretty badass.

Team song; Introduced. Chant; instructed and implemented. Sound offs; Loud. Energy; infectious, kinetic, and monstrously growing. What do we have left?

2 months of Hulk smashing the hell out of this challenge, that’s what.

I wanted to give y’all just a glimpse of what Hulksters got to experience of the course of getting their team song introduced to them. Here is a “video” of Apollo gathering around and gearing up for the song “The Believer” by Common. It’s less of a video and more like an audio excerpt. I keep it dark so that emotions can be expressed comfortably without fear of embarrassment or judgement and the song and message can be fully absorbed. Lights off means focus on. After listening, I urge you to go down to the post below this one and check out the song by pressing “play” on the video, while subsequently reading the lyrics.

Powerful stuff if you let it be :).

One final note… TRINITY TRAGEDIES TONIGHT!!!!!!!

– Hulk