Shovel day done… Next up: Team Song!

Yes we are...

 

Well, that concludes week 1… 9 more weeks to go! I am proud to say that the tabulated weight loss of the 3 teams was about 80 lbs. In 14 days, as a team, you have already managed to lose 80 lbs. EIGHTY POUNDS! I mean, you’re still settling in! Actually, obviously not… Looks to me like y’all have settled ;).

After one week, I can already see the personalities of each team starting to unfold… We’ve got the feisty rookies sprinkled with some well seasoned and oh so studly OG Hulksters for good measure in Team Hephaestus. We’ve got the cool headed, “fueled by heart and soul” robotic nature of Team Poseidon. Then, we’ve got what can only be referred to as a Hulk “All Star” team in Team Apollo, being almost completely comprised of some of the craziest, most tenured Hulk veterans sprinkled with some newbies who are SERIOUSLY ready to party. I sound like a broken record, I know, but… it only gets better from here!

I wish you all the happiest of weekends! I wish my beloved 49ers a bid to the superbowl as well! For good luck, I’m running a Tough Mudder “Beach Bonanza” workout tomorrow! Actually, more so because Tough Mudder is right around the corner… but any edge my boys can get I’m gonna go for it! Meet at Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Ave. at 10:30am and we’ll go from there!  

AhhhhhOOOOOOO!!!!!

– Hulk 

1st week jitters… Gone!

Oh boy, what do I say… 

It’s hard to think of the perfect words to describe how I feel about what’s happening. That’s a pretty fantastic feat seeing as how I pride myself on being somewhat linguistically clever. Clever has nothing to do though with my lack of ability to find a description for the magic that all you possess, yet only some of you know that and many of you don’t. I don’t mean that negatively, more so along that lines that sometimes the “overwhelming” factor needs to die down a bit before the full impact hits you. I have gotten message after message after glorious message of “I get it, I get what this is about now” and “I’m not scared and excited and nervous anymore, I’m just excited!” and “I can’t wait till the next workout! If I can walk to it…” right on down to “I love my team and I don’t even know half their names yet…”

Which brings me to a quick point… I don’t introduce you all with a cutesy name game on purpose. Because we’re adults. This isn’t a kindergarten circle :). I fully expect, as part of getting out of your comfort zone, to FIND OUT the names of your teammates! Ever wonder why I use everyone’s name so often? It’s a chance to look up and see who I’m talking about… To get familiar with hearing that name so often that you want to find out who they are. For every person that’s new to you, you’re new to them, so put bashfulness aside and embrace a hulkster!

So what I was saying before telling you you’re an adult was that I LOVE when the first workout is over and done with. It’s like the first time you’re learning to ride a bike, take the training wheels off, get your push off, and find out that you CAN steer the bike and stay upright! It’s like a weight is lifted off of your shoulders and what’s left is beautiful hope and a desire to rid yourself of that demonic little voice that is so good at convincing you that you’re going to fail anyway so why try? By now, I hope you can see that trying is what we do. Battling till you stand atop your insecurities and self proclaimed “inabilities” is what courses through the veins of a hulkster.

Something NO ONE can take from you is your choice to give up.  In that moment of angst, fatigue, and ache where you are firmly convinced that if there were a gun to your head you TRULY could NOT go on, it’s up to you whether you believe that or not. Don’t get me wrong, “going on” isn’t referencing perfection… Quite the contrary! “Going on” means refusing to give less than everything you’ve got. “Going on” pertains to that instance when you KNOW that if you go for one more push up, you’re going to collapse… yet you go for it anyway. At this point, you have 2 scenarios. You either really DO collapse, or you squeeze out another. If you manage one more push up when you thought it impossible… Well then there you go, you’re defying the odds and proving your self doubt completely wrong and the tangibility of the human spirit completely right. You might be saying “Well then you’re put right back into the same scenario, which means eventually, you collapse!” Yup. Bingo. What do you do when you collapse? You take that deep breathe, remember what you’re there for, take a quick glance at that shovel, and go for it again. And again. And again. Until the end comes. The end of the exercise always comes. The end is inevitable, you’re guaranteed failure is not. 

What the short story turned long really is… is that I’m proud of you. Most importantly, YOU should be proud of you. Already you have tackled something that has caused some of you some restless nights and so many butterflies you could open your own butterfly conservatory. You did it. Remind yourself of that. It gets not only better, but easier from here. It gets more rewarding than this, I mean it! That’s really saying something, because I know several of you who already know you have your hands on something magical here.

It’s up to you to let it go…

As for you Veteran Hulkamaniacs who have been traveling this road with me for a long time now? Don’t worry, I’ve got some major tricks up my sleeve this challenge ;). No Hulk left behind! This is going to be new for EVERYONE! 

I’ll leave you with a little tidbit of what you all have done so far. For those of you doing Hulk, it’s an opportunity to relive something you’re going to want to remember. It’s the little things, after all… For those of you who AREN’T doing Hulk, I want you to think of this as a window into room you can only see 1/100th of it’s actual space, capacity, and draw. These videos were taken during Poseidon’s first workout. I will be posting videos periodically of the different teams so everyone can get a glimpse in on what the House of Hulk really does :).

In this video I took the opportunity to remind Adam (a packer fan) that my 49ers are still securely in the superbowl runnings:

Then Tammey said something, and I decided to say hello:

Then Denise (owner of Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Ave where all the magic happens) decided that smack dab in the middle of gearing up Poseidon for their first chant was the best time to take an important phone call into the back office. Luckily the other gym owner, her husband John, got it all on video:
 

Finally, I’m able to address (only an excerpt) what the chant is REALLY all about before we get to the real thing:

The finished product:

Love,
Hulk 

Trinity – 1st Chant

I want to thank everyone who showed up yesterday for your time and energy. Saturday shook the soda bottle… Tuesday uncaps it! If you weren’t at the orientation, I want you to take a good long look at this chant, study it, and be ready to open every boot camp with it. AhhhOOOOO!

 

And in honor of the guy in the car that got a kick out of us…

 

– Hulk

Take me home.

This is home.

 

Sometimes, sitting in the corner of your room on your computer, listening to Phil Collins on repeat IS as glorious as it DOESN’T seem.

There is not a strand of words in ANY language, let alone SENTENCES that could describe the butterflies and iron weights bouncing around in my stomach due to the excitement I’ve got for tomorrow (by the time you read this; today).  

But hey, I’m all about trying… right?

Tomorrow marks another step in the greatest thing I’ve ever done. Tomorrow, anyone present will lay witness to the greatest day of my life. No pressure or anything… Tomorrow represents everything I was ever told I couldn’t do, everything I was told would not make a difference, and everything I swore I’d never be again by showcasing the beauty of the universal desire for a better life in the form of all you wonderful Hulksters, Hulkster friends, and Hulkster family members alike.

There was a day 10 years ago that I said “I will never be stepped on ever again.” I don’t remember the exact date, but I remember the DAY itself vividly as a play being re-enacted in front of me. It was sunny, yet I FELT cloudy, which was typical of those days. I was wearing my standard XXXL sweatshirt (O’neill, forest green for anyone keeping score) and a pare of Etnies with red laces that I thought could make me walk on water. I had PE first block this day, I remember that. A boy in PE (for privacy sake, we’ll call him E.D.) kept giving me funny looks and talking to his friends all class. We were practicing basketball drills (the school year was fresh, we hadn’t yet gotten to playing ACTUAL basketball yet) and it was hard to concentrate. I mean, come on… I was self conscious as is, now he’s making it noticeable? To everyone? Blatantly? So, I asked him…

“What do you keep laughing at?”

“Aw you could tell?”

“It was hard not to…”

“Ha, sorry man… but you just run so funny. Like a fat raptor. Your body shakes like a bag of water, and you look like you’re going to cry when you run. It’s just funny bro. You know?”

I didn’t know, but that’s ok. I’ve run into E.D. recently. Let’s just say if I had the same sense of humor he did, he’s “hilarious” right now. Anyways…

I thank him for that. I have no idea why that kick started my engine, but it kick started it hard. To this day I’m thankful that I was able to have such a realization at such a young age. You see, it wasn’t just a “I’ll show him!” that trickled into immaturity… It was a spark that grew to a forest fire IMMEDIATELY. That fire got me in trouble from time to time, but at least I was ready for the pain.

I’ve never told that to anyone before. Thank you for listening.

What I realized that it wasn’t necessarily about morphing everyone’s perceptions of me to be different… it was up to ME to be different. Once my adolescent brain stumbled upon that little nugget planted into my cerebral nether-regions, it was like this weight was literally and metaphorically lifted off my shoulders. In my head, I was HOPING for a 9-5 job in a cubicle that would allow me to collect a modest paycheck and not get in anybodies way. I wanted to shirk through life and try to make the pain stop by doing as little as possible. At least, that’s what I thought…

After that day, I decided that I was going to be the person I wanted to be. It’s been a 10 year shaping process that is still well in its early developmental stages, but I’d love if we could go through this journey together? Which brings me to tomorrow…

There are 75 people signed up for this challenge. I have invited EVERYONE I possibly could. I have requested you bring your friends and family if you’d like, because they’re gonna want to see this! I’ve put it out to the world that we’ve got a big event tomorrow, and it for sure will be! There could be 140 people that show up, there could be 50… Either way, that’s ok. Because tomorrow is going to be huge. Whether high or low numbers, the ENERGY is going to be tangible. You could cut it with a green Hulk knife, you just watch… Basically I just want to thank everyone for being a part of something that is so huge to me. This is more than a job. More than a means to pay the bills. This is my life, and you all trust me enough with it to take my hand and help ME go through this journey as I help YOU all with all the things I’ve come to learn in my short time on Earth thus far.

“So, what makes it different than just a regular boot camp?” you either have gotten asked a lot or will get asked a lot. There is a quote from Jessica LaVenter given to HER by a brother from her fraternity (yes, fraternity, I put that correctly) that I’ve always felt sums up Hulk perfectly;

“From the outside looking in, it’s impossible to understand… From the inside looking out, it’s impossible to explain.” 

You either know exactly why that quote is so perfect, or you’re going to find out tomorrow at 12pm…

Where it all began... Not bad for being told my methods wouldn't work 🙂

 

Hulk Helping Hearts & Scentsy – Teaming Up for Jon Michael Martin!

Love you Jon Michael!

 

Hey everyone! So, I wanted to give a day of absorption for the orientation announcement before throwing this little tidbit your way… 

Fantastic Scentsy consultant and fellow Hulkster Jodi Curry has decided to throw a fundraiser of her own for Jon Michael Martin (Click on the little guy’s name to be directed to the Jon Michael Martin Foundation website) the day of the orientation! She will grace Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Ave. with her presence starting at 10am and will be there AFTER the orientation as well! What is “Scentsy” you ask? Click HERE to find out!

For good measure, here are Jodi’s own words on the matter;

“Hey Hulksters!!! I want to take this opportunity to 1) Welcome all of you to Hulk. For those of you that I have Hulked with before and to those of you that are first time Hulksters ….. let’s get after this!!! and 2) as all of you know Saturday is the Hulk orientation. On the same day, I will be having a Scentsy fundraiser for the Jon Michael Martin Foundation. For those of you that don’t know, Jon Michael is a 10 month old baby Hulkster who was born with a heart defect. Jon Michael has already successfully battled 2 surgeries and has at least one more to go. As you know, medical bills are outrageous and Jon Michael’s amazing mother has had to quit her job to be a full time caregiver to her son. As a Scentsy consultant I am going to donate 100% of my earnings from this fundraiser on Saturday to the JMM Foundation. If you are already a Scentsy fan, please be ready to stock up on your Scentsy. Also, think about buying for birthdays, housewarmings, anniversary’s, valentines, or a just because gift. For those of you that don’t know, Scentsy is a wickless/flamess fragrance system. It is an awesome product for those of you that like your homes, work, car, locker smelling good. I know I personally don’t go to the gym with money in my pocket but I am asking that this Saturday, you come with a check, cash, or credit card so we can help this amazing little man and his family. I will be there at 10 for those that want to come early to look and smell and I will also be there post the orientation for those of you that have been moved to help this family. Also, if we are lucky, we may even have the chance to see this little Hulkster. He has been known to make an appearance on occasion at Anytime Fitness 🙂 Thanks in advance for your contribution to this most worthy cause.”

For good measure, here’s the slideshow of the Zumbathon put on a few months ago that through Hulk Helping Hearts and our very own Jessica LaVenter, Bobbi Rivera, Kima Lovold, Tye Rivera, Kristie Clay, and several other key helpy helpers that raised roughly $10,000. We ARE making a difference!

– Hulk

Orientation: January 14th at 12pm

** Very important **

I need you all to carpool as much as possible for the orientation on Saturday, January 14th at 12pm. There are going to be a LOT of you and we have a VERY small parking lot at the gym. However you can condense the level of cars in the parking lot, please help me out by doing so :).

This will be rain or shine. If the weather is awful, it matters absolutely zero to me. I will have canopies set up, but if it’s raining up a storm… better bring your poncho! If the weather is bad, consider it your first foray into being a Hulkster. It won’t always be pretty, but we’re gonna get it done…

I want EVERYONE to be here. Friends, family, co-workers… The more the Hulkier. I’m serious. Past Hulksters, current Hulksters, future Hulksters… If you have ever wanted to see what it’s all about, then January 14th at 12pm is the day for you. I promise, this is the beginning of something HUGE.

AhhhOOOOOO!!!!! 

– Hulk 

PS – This is what I want all you new Hulksters to be prepared for. All you veterans, I want y’all back to THIS form!

PPS - A good reminder of how I view the scale.



Run Hulk, Run!

Be on the lookout...

 

This Saturday, December 31st, I will be running an 8k. That is 4.97 miles.

This weekend, I ran the better part of 9 miles in Pt. Reyes (with a LOT of help from a Unicorn).

For this weekend, I am scared shitless. Wondering why? I’m not.

This weekend, including the Pt. Reyes run, Tough Mudder, and any of the spring lake/Annadel runs I did with anyone BEFORE Tough Mudder (and NOT including any runs I will do this week) will mark about the 10th time I’ve run for any “remarkable” amount of time in my entire life. You see, I never was a runner and never thought I would be. I still don’t think I am. I’m someone who the mere THOUGHT of running sends me into “mini-anxiety” mode. Not because I don’t think I can do it but because instinctively that’s how my brain has ALWAYS been wired.

For me, running is associated with pain and humiliation. Emotional, physical, and mental pain and humiliation that is really hard to shake. I’ve always had chronic shin splints from being so heavy most of my life, and for the first time in my life, they don’t exist… I credit that in large part to my lifestyle, changes in training (BOSU is my BABY!), and consistent commitment. I got the “shins splints always held me back!” out of the way because that is the least of why this 8k this weekend scares me shitless.

You know how someone who is claustrophobic can be absolutely fine until they get into a confined space? That’s when the cold sweat, increased heart rate, heavy anxiety, and nausea sets in. Often times it’s the equivalent of kryptonite to a persons superman. Mental fears can cripple the most able of people. I am one of those able people who has more allergies to kryptonite than most people know.

My heart beats faster when I remember what it was like to be told “we’re running the mile today!” in PE and getting so physically sick that sometimes I was able to get out running it all together. There is nothing more physically degrading than trying as hard as you absolutely can, digging with everything you’ve got, feeling your joints explode and grind with the wear and tear of your obese body chugging along with all the might it can muster, and still running a 13 minute mile. As a prepubescent child who can’t physically do what other kids my age could do, I found out really quickly they never let you forget it. Not in a nice way either, in the cruelest of ways. I’m not the minority though, I’m the majority as far as knowing how that goes. I want to change that…

Whenever I think “I’m going to run” I follow it with “and be humiliated” out of instinct. It was all I ever knew. On top of the emotional humiliation, I always got to look forward to my body feeling like it was going to drop dead of a heart attack, stroke and brain aneurism. A child should never feel that way. Ever. That’s how bad off I was.

So when I got the e-mail that I was actually REGISTERED for an 8k (Pacific Coast Trail Run for those in the curiosity department), my heart dropped and the pit of my stomach flared up with the weight of a dying star. I understand that sounds a little dramatic, but when my brain reverts back to the paragraphs above every single time I know I’m about to run, I don’t care if you think I’m being dramatic or not. Truth be told, there will never be words to describe the anxiety, but you’re going to get my best absolute effort to do so.

Cara is the one who registered me for the 8k, and she has been my running inspiration (along with Tye) for quite some time. The 9 miles we ran together wouldn’t have been possible without her. She doesn’t know it, much like most people don’t know it who I have run with before, but I was terrified. Especially at the end of our run. The final 1.5-2 miles brought back all the familiar feelings of how running USED to make me feel. I felt bogged down, tired, tight, and like I was failing. Trying so hard, yet failing a little harder. That was when I exploded…

“I don’t like eating your dust” Cara tells me.

“I had 2 options… I could have faded away or I could have exploded. I chose to explode” is what I told The Unicorn.

That final mile and a half, I chose to impress myself. I felt the familiar feelings of failure creeping up towards my soul, starting at my toes. I didn’t let it get any farther than that. I reminded myself “You are not who you used to be, and you’re better than you wanted to be” and set out to stay true to my word. I used to fade away, but on Christmas Eve in Pt. Reyes I took that fear that had crippled me for a lifetime and I literally ran with it. With each step I increased the pace. I could feel my hips firing like pistons and my quads taking a lactic acid bath as my strongest muscle, my heart, took over. With each step I ran away from the debilitating anxiety and towards what I have always known deep down… That I can do anything.

In that moment, I chose to live. It wasn’t easy, but I did it. I chose to embrace the fear rather than disgrace it. My fear has made me fearless. I don’t hate fear, I respect it. Because of that, I don’t even fear “fear itself.” I don’t even fear failure. The only thing I fear is forgetting where I came from. I think we all know that will never happen…

In the end, I am scared shitless for this 8k. However, I will embrace that fear and Hulk smash the hell out of this Pacific Coast Trail Run. I will leave a big, green imprint in the dirt as I stir up more dust for others to eat. I will embrace the love of the Unicorn who is my guiding light in this whole process, and hold my shirt up high at the end with a “tell me I can’t do something” shit-eating grin on my face.

Take that failure.

– Hulk

PS I chose to make my most personal “Hulk Talk” ever, public. I have more than 75 people entrusting me during “Hulk: Trinity – Round IX” so the LEAST I can do is leave no stone unturned with me. If you have 17 minutes to spare and would like to get a VERY personal account as to why I don’t accept “I can’t” then click the links below… Merry Holidays y’all!

I Can – Part 1
I Can – Part 2

Hulk Toy and Food Drive – Round 2!

This last Saturday was so successful, I'm doing it again!

Well, I must say… This last Saturday was a complete success! For a 1 hour boot camp, Hulk Helping Hearts managed to collect an OVERFLOWING barrel of toys as well as half a barrel of food. Not bad if you ask me… Even though you didn’t, I’m still going to tell you! With Christmas fast approaching I thought I’d be insane NOT to do another 1 hour Hulk Helping Hearts Toy and Food Drive boot camp! Without further adieu…

THIS WEEK!!!!

THIS SATURDAY!!!

DECEMBER 17th!!!!

It’s time to get into the giving spirit and help Hulk help hearts once again! By now, most of you should know I’m into the whole “helping people out” thing. Well, on December 17th, this Saturday, I have a boot camp I’m running. The cost? A toy (Must be new and unwrapped) or 2 bags of food. Or both. Bring whatever amount you deem necessary, there is no “minimum” so don’t feel like I’ll turn you away ever! Bring what you can, as much as you’re willing, and let’s partake in making some families holiday season just a bit better this year!

Date: December 17th

Location: Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Ave, CA (Click Here)

Cost: A toy, 2 bags of food, or both! As much as you can! Toys must be new and unwrapped!

Time: 10am – 11am

Please let me know if you are planning on attending so I can keep track. I top out at 30 people, so I gotta know! A simple e-mail to AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com will do the trick :).

Once again, we have the barrels here that will be getting picked up and dropped out to Redwood Gospel where the toys and food will be dispersed (Special thanks to Chris Keys!!!!).

Also, you don’t have to do the bootcamp to show up and drop stuff off! The more, the merrier!

– Hulk

 

Best Christmas Song Ever 🙂

Gameday.

Fair warning… This post is all about me. Yup, like you don’t get enough of me… This post is to help you understand the psyche I carry behind Hulk. My mentality before every workout that started the “train leaving the station” saying way back when no one really knew what Hulk was…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

You see, I approach every single Hulk workout like it’s the Superbowl. Yes, that intensely. Not because I’m so high on myself that I’ve lost all sense of reality, but because… well, why shouldn’t I? To me, Hulk is my baby. I’ve been kicking, screaming, and raising this little guy since he was entered into this world 3 years ago. I fed him, washed him, taught him the tools necessary to be as great as he can possibly be, and gave him enough love for 3 back-to-back lifetimes that to know anything BUT would be an impossibility… That’s when he grew. Hulk grew up into a beautiful monster. A Frankenstein unlike anything the world has ever seen, nor will it again at the rate Hulk is consuming everything it gets its hands on…

Enter: Gameday. I spend all day thinking about Hulk. Every minute it is on my mind in some capacity. From who said they aren’t going to be there to the people I know need to be there the most. From the workout I’ve got designed for the evening to the approach in which I want to make it. From special “audibles” that need to be called from time to time to the faces I can’t wait to see contorted in beauty.

Every Hulk workout is an opportunity to say “I’ll be damned, I really AM amazing!” or “I had no idea I was capable of this kind of hard work…” right on down to “I’ve worked out, but never like THIS.” Not all, but to many, this is a game changer. This is a life changer. When I say “this” I’m not referring to my challenge, I’m referencing the moment when you’re on the ground doing a plank or in the thick of the most push-ups you’ve ever done in your life and a small whisper creeps up behind you saying “I know this is hard, but you can do this” and ending in a primal internal scream bellowing at the top of your souls lungs saying “I AM DOING IT.” It’s that very instance in which you can subconsciously grasp on to that one moment when you thought you were a loser, and you were the greatest you’ve ever been. Your brain will NEVER forget that. Nor will your heart… What are the two things success listens to the most? See where I’m going with this?

I reference how life is one big Hulk workout, and I’ll stand by that forever. Life is not pretty, and life is anything but easy, but when you are hit with that moment of “I can’t handle this…” you do. You handle it. You have to. You have no other choice. Do you want to lay down and “settle” or do you want to rise up and battle? I want to battle…

My intensity is born through years of being meek. My screams are the voice of many, and everything from the lighting to the music needs to be perfect. In the House of Hulk, in that very moment, I am king. You are king. We are all kings. Why should the championship game be reserved for sports stars? In the House of Hulk, we’re a team taking on insecurities, vulnerabilities, low expectations and the paralyzing vision of failure constantly dancing on our retinas. We are the underdogs with the bookies stacking all the numbers they know against us. We are the Rudy’s. We are the Rocky’s. We are the Bad News Bears. We are a rag tag assortment of individuals that come together under the lights and will stop at nothing to grab that championship shovel, hoist it high above our heads, and let the look in our eyes say it all… We won.

Wanna know why I’m so intense? Because every single day is the Superbowl. That’s why.

PS I swear on all that is holy I have never seen this video in my life. I created the Hulk chant on my own, sitting in my room. I think Drew Brees knew a good thing when he saw it…

49ers!!!

the 49ers are Hulking out for SURE.

 

So a couple things… My 49ers are rad. I will let it be known that I have been a fan since childhood. I remember celebrating in 1994 when the ousted the Chargers in Florida. Since then? There have been flashes… flashes that literally the last DECADE have not only been non-existent, but made us one of the leagues laughing stocks. We were the easy win on every other team’s schedule. Well, the last decade I have stood by. Rooted. Cheered. Never gave up hope, just figured it had to get better sometime…

That sometime is now…

Anyways, I want everyone to know a food and toy drive is in the works! I plan on having a big even in December, so be on the lookout for the date and what to expect this week. I want to put out there that we have this many people in positivity’s corner, we might as well use us! If Hulk is a movement the way it’s been project, well let’s move some people ;).

Great job on the evening weigh ins everyone! Pretty sure nobody died and everybody smiled so let’s chalk it up to a success ;). Next week I will start posting results, but for now let’s just get geared to get through (like we are currently) this holiday season with as little misery as possible!

Love y’all!

– Hulk

PS Jessica is back! That means Zumba too! YAY!!!!!!!