Trinity: Officially Wrapped Up… In a Toga

Yes we are..

Hephaestus (Out of 17 people who completed the stats):
Pounds lost: 71.5
Inches lost: 85
Average lbs/inches lost: 4.2lbs/5 inches
MVH: Lori De Marco
Most body composition lost: Cliff Crocker (23.5 lbs lost/8.5% total body weight lost)
Most inches lost: Cliff Crocker (24 inches. Most out of EVERYONE. Lori De Marco came in second place with 8.2 inches lost)

Poseidon (Out of 18 people who completed the stats):
Pounds lost: 76.5
Inches lost: 94.8
Average lbs/inches lost: 4.25 lbs/5.26 inches
MVH: Devin Booth
Most body composition lost: Devin Booth (15.5 lbs/5.15% of total body weight lost)
Most inches lost: Tami Larsen (13.1 inches lost. Most on the team! Devin Booth came in second with 9.9 inches lost)

Apollo (Out of 15 people who completed the stats):
Pounds lost: 66
Inches lost: 116
Average lbs/inches lost: 4.4 lbs/7.25 inches
MVH: Kathi Tyler
Most Body Composition lost: Kathi Tyler (Highest composition loser out of EVERYONE with 11.64%!)
Most inches lost: Kathi Tyler (19.9! Art Villareal came in second with 13.1 inches lost)

So, Hulk: Round IX is over. We most certainly are Hulk, and the party on Saturday, March 31st told that story very well. I couldn’t be more proud of every single one of you who showed up and reveled in the work you all did in 2 and a half months that it takes some people a life time to achieve (and I’m talking FAR from physical…)

If you still haven't signed your team shovel, I will have them at the gym this week with markers available 😉

For those of you who weren’t there, I can guarantee you that you were sorely missed. One team, one dream. No man left behind. You plant a positive seed, you get a positive flower. To the Hulksters not in attendance, we definitely watered your flower for you (TWSS). Being a part of the Hulk family means you were a part of our hearts during each and every award. Every picture during the slideshow. Every sound off. Every tear.

Kathi Tyler, the overall winner by losing over 11 percent of her overall body composition! She also lost 19 inches and has one of the meanest bicep flexes I have ever seen. This is her receiving her MVH (Most Valuable Hulkster) award with her beautiful future Hulkster daughter, Bree,

I can say it was an honor to spend so much time with the best people I have ever met. It was my pleasure to share in laughter and tears with all of you, and I already can’t wait for what Hulk X is going to bring just so we can relive the magic that happened at Sally Tomatoes on March 31st, 2012.

Cliff receiving his award for most inches lost. 24 inches in 2 and a half months. He even went on vacation to Hawaii! He was the overall body composition loser for Hephaestus as well, dropping 23.5 lbs. This man is a beast!

When I got there, I didn’t know what to expect… I knew there was a lot of Toga talk, but it’s always interesting to see who put their money where their mouth was. It’s like when 20 people tell you they’re going to show up to boot camp and in reality only 8 people show up, I thought I might see the same thing with Togas… I was WRONG!

Devin Booth was the overall composition loser for Poseidon, losing over 8% of his overall body weight. That was just a fraction of the inspiration and motivation he brought to the table for Hulk. Out of all the Hulksters in attendance, out of all the awesome people there that day, out of all the awards given out... When I announced Devin as the MVH for Team Poseidon, he was the only one to get a standing ovation. I told him them and I'll tell him now Devin, that had nothing to do with me up there with you and EVERYTHING to do with you. I swear the clapping got louder when I walked away 🙂

Everyone showed up decked out to the fullest! Even a couple Hulksters who are doing the next challenge but didn’t do this one showed up in a couple of the best togas there! Thanks Fatimah and Mario 😉

Love these two!!! Cheryl and Lori are a couple of my absolute favorite people, period. Lori was the MVH for Hephaestus and for VERY good reason. I have never seen someone embody "Hulk" BEFORE coming into a challenge quite the way she has. She's fierce, beautiful, caring, hilarious, giving, loving... Lori, you are godsend for us small timers who need a little motivation every now and then ;). You are Hulk. I feel the same about you Cheryl ;). You two are in great company!

Board made by Bobbi and Tye Rivera. Results made by everyone on Hulk!

As everyone strolled in the smiles were amazing and the Togas were even better. The bar was working its magic and people were mingling… Life was good! With music going on, food being prepared, champagne and beer flowing from the cups chalices of many a merry Hulkster, it was time to serve the food….

Tami Larsen trying to hide from the crowd. She lost 13.1 inches! SHE GOT THE MOST CHEERFUL AWARD!!!! Unicorns really DO exist!

I’d tell you how the food was, but I have no idea. I was too busy mentally preparing the intro speech I was going to make, mingling with everyone, and overall just admiring the joyous faces that were everywhere you looked. It truly was euphoric. To put it in perspective, I was approached by 5 people at the end of the party who were there to support loved ones and said “I want in on the next Hulk, what do I do?” You talk to me. You’re in 😉

Lori De Marco is amazing! She brought her wonderful daughter, fantastic man, and adorable mini shovels with an "H" on each one of them! Lori, thank you so so much for these shovels. They will be making a reappearance very soon...

Once we got going (around 3pm) I opened up by talking about Dylan Von Lahr. The importance of a designated driver was highlighted by one of our own from the Anytime Fitness family learning that lesson the hard way. I made sure to let everyone know to keep Dylan in their prayers and that his unfortunate mistake was not in vein. Dylan, we love you.

If you haven't signed the "We Are Hulk" banner, let me know. I want your signature on that bad boy!

Before I got to the slideshow, I spoke on a potential opportunity that I will be sure to fill everyone in on past Wednesday (I don’t want to jinx it!) when I go through an interview of sorts ;). The underlying message though was that Hulk made the interview possible. I’m getting interviewed for this amazing opportunity (that could possibly bring “Hulk” in some semblance EVERYWHERE… fingers crossed!) BECAUSE of Hulk. It’s true. I can only take so much credit.

Mario and Fatimah, future Hulksters! Watch out Hulk X...

I then went on to let everyone know that Hulk is just like “Terminator: Salvation.” I got some blank stares so I decided to explain… “Terminator: Salvation” is about a futuristic setting where machines have taken over the globe. They have standards and ridiculous protocols that have NOTHING to do with the essence of humanity yet they are so powerful they squash anyone that opposes them…

Greek Unicorns! I love you, Cara Elizabeth Jones.

Yet in this barren wasteland of destitute dictatorship, there is a small force… A rumble of humanity that says “We are going to fight for OURSELVES or die trying.” Simple and plain, they were the resistance. They would comb the land searching for ANY stragglers who were lost like they were with the message “Alone we are weak, but together we can accomplish anything. Even fighting for our lives.” With everything going against them and everything in the world providing the little to no hope, they banded together and CREATED hope…

Thank you Jazzy! Jazzy made an AMAZING "Book of Failure" with everyone's worst fears in written form from "Holiday Hulk." She also made the "Trinity Scrolls" with the compliments everyone wrote themselves during the "Which would you choose?" exercise. They complimented each other quite nicely.

Hulk, we are the resistance. Together, we choose to take on this scary world that tries to tell us what to eat, drink, how to celebrate, what to enjoy, who to hang out with, what we can and cannot do, we aren’t good enough, why try… We say NO! Alone we are small… Together, we are HULK.

Justin, Tye, and Carlo sporting their best threads and even better smiles 🙂

Afterwards, I played the 20 minute slideshow. I broke down the slideshow in terms of the first couple weeks are the first 2 songs, the next few weeks where we did the Blacklight workouts and 80’s night workouts is the next song, then the final few weeks of pictures were told through each Team Song. The slideshows will be at the bottom of this post, segmented into each category I just listed. Take a look! I guarantee it’ll pump you up!

She got the "Best Warrior Face" award. She's a lot better at it than I am...

If you don’t know what the team songs are, they are worth a download (or at LEAST a listen to from the slideshow!).

Hephaestus: “The Fighter” by Gym Class Heroes feat. Ryan Tedder
Poseidon: “Shake It Out” by Florence and the Machine
Apollo: “The Believer” by Common feat. John Legend

... We are. My little goddess receiving her "Best Unicorn" award

After the slideshow, I gave a brief intermission for people to use the bathroom, refill their drinks, stretch their legs… Then it was on to the awards!

Jessica LaVenter and Kathi's daughter, Bree 🙂

As you can read at the top, those were the results… and amazing results they are!!!

Everyone chipped in and got me a giftcard for a new phone since mine is so busted! I was rendered absolutely speechless... I had no idea and got that phone ASAP! I can tell you all that your investment will not be in vain! I updated half this post with my new phone! Thank you SO MUCH Bobbi Rivera for coordinating such a thoughtful, sweet gesture that I will be reminded of every time I use my phone, which is every minute, every day. Thank you so much to everyone else pitching in and being so amazing!!!

I can honestly say that my FAVORITE part of every Hulk party is giving everyone their personal recognition awards. It allows everyone their time in the sun while allowing ME a time to recount funny stories, fond memories, bashful mix ups, funny faces, and everything in between! I can ALSO honestly say that I had no intention of doing the presentations shirtless. I learned the hard and fast way that the quality of the pins you use to hold your toga together is VERY important.

We are Hulk...

In the end, I just want to reiterate my thanks to everyone for all the hard work put in to making these last few months possible. It takes a village, and I’d say we have the BEST village. In addition to the slideshows below, I will be making a final slideshow of the party as well since we had pretty much the best photography out there happening while we partied! Between everyone’s cameras going a mile a minute and Mikel Eli photographing up a storm (Click HERE to go to his Facebook page to see all the photos from the Trinity Wrap party as well as other fantastic work he’s done! Please, don’t forget to “like” his page. He’s worth it, trust me.)

I also would like to thank Bobbi, Kima, Cara, and Tammey for all their hard work they put in to making the party a possibility! Without them, the awesome venue and amenities would have been nonexistent.

I would also like to thank Karin Bowhall and Kristie Clay for their FANTASTIC picture taking skills! They were the reason behind about 90% of the slideshow pictures (some was Mikel Eli too!) because they would come on a workout night that WASN’T their team to take professional pictures. Thanks is not enough but it’s all I’ve got at the moment so just know I mean it with all of my Hulk Heart.

I would also like to thank John and Denise Stave. They are the owners of the Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa ave. If 9 out of 10 times a gym owner would turn my zany ideas away and not even give me a chance, they were that 1… Without the freedom they allow and the unrivaled support they give to Hulk, Hulk would not be what it is today. Next time you see them, please, take a few moments and give them a HUGE thank you!

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone’s favorite Unicorn, Cara Jones. When I was worked to exhaustion and so spent I would literally get racked to tears, she was there to rub my back and make me dinner. When I would need input on something I wanted to do for or with Hulk, she was there every second of the way. When I needed help organizing all the before and after certificates, awards, and EVERYTHING else that went into the wrap party, she was there… filing papers, organizing files, and taking care of the business I couldn’t with a smile on her face (when she wasn’t helping Bobbi bake all the goodies everyone had the pleasure of enjoying at the party!). When I finally was able to enact my tradition of watching the slideshow when it’s FINALLY completed at 1am the Friday night prior to the party, she was under my arm just as excited as I was. When I needed ANYTHING, even just a nails on my back or kind words, she was there for me every step of the way. I want you to know I will forever appreciate everything you do for me and for everybody Cara, and I hope that I can someday return the favor the way you have for me. Even through the most trying part of your life, you are STILL a giver. You are a rare breed. You are the only one of your kind actually. You really are the last Unicorn…

Now, before I shut up, I encourage EVERYONE who participated in Hulk to leave a comment (only takes a couple minutes) of what you want someone to know if they ask “So, what makes Hulk so great to you?” I want the scope of this party to fire everyone up… I want YOUR words, not mine, to seal the deal. I’m only one man, YOU are many.

AhhhhhOOOOO!!!!

– Hulk

Go Fit for Dylan

Hulk Helping Hearts Helping Dylan

See that flier? You’re going to be able to see those all over in a bit. Reason being… It’s important. Just a little bit of time out of your day not only gets an AWESOME workout in with two great trainers, but also sends any funds you’d normally spend on such an exciting thrill ride of a workout directly to a good cause. Also, Tye Rivera is using his world class guitar making skills and building a Ukelele to be auctioned off at a local music show upon completion. Full information will be made available about this project so come on by if you’d like to learn more! Lastly, “Dylan Strong” bracelets will be available so grab them while you can because they’re flying! All the info is in the above flier, but the action points are:

Date: April 14th (Saturday)

Time: 12pm – 2pm

Cost: Donation of your choice (minimum $10)

Sign Up: E-mail Josh Cox (AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com) or Heather Muysken (Heatituppt@me.com) or call the gym (Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Ave.) at (707)542-6500. Just say you’d like to be put on the sign up list for the Dylan Benefit Boot Camp and that concludes signing up!

We look forward to seeing you all there! As a reminder of what a community can do, we raised over here at Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Ave. about $10,000 for Jon Michael Martin (click HERE to learn more about this amazing little guy and his family). I posted the slideshow from the Zumbathon we held in his honor, so hopefully you can watch it and get excited for another opportunity to help AND get a little sweaty something in return! Let’s get the word spread y’all!

– Hulk 

Hulk no like break…

We all know the feeling...

Alright y’all, with there being about a month in between Hulk challenges, I’ve been telling everyone I will be offering classes in between to keep everyone’s fitness palate up to standard! I also want to remind everyone of classes going on here at Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa ave. so that the options are endless!

March 28th, April 4th, and April 11th (all Wednesdays) I will be bringing back my BOSU class for 3 weeks! This class starts at 6:30pm and will be $15 per class for the hour. The class will have to be a sign up class since I am limited to 12 people only (e-mail me at AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com to sign up!). I also have to give Anytime Fitness members top priority, so if you are NOT a member of the gym but would still like to try it out you can also e-mail me and I will be sure to put you on an alternate list in case Anytime Fitness members don’t fill up all 3 weeks. Due to the limited numbers, once you sign up you are signed up for the cost. I will need 24 hour cancellation if you’re not able to make it. I can’t wait to bring this bad boy back!

April 3rd and April 10th (both Tuesdays) I will be running Tough Mudder style circuit work centered around building total body strength, endurance, flexibility, oxygen utilization, and variant forms of movement. The class will be at 6:30pm both days and cost $10. It is a very high paced workout with very little break time. I encourage those who sign up (E-mail me at AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com. Limit 25 people due to space) to NOT have this workout be the first time you’ve worked out in awhile ;).

April 5th and April 12th (Both Thursdays) I will be running a Hulk style core workout emulating what a regular “Hulk style” core workout would look like. High paced, high volume circuit work with a focus total core utilization (not just crunches). The times will be 6:00pm both days (right before Zumba at 7:10pm!). E-mail me to sign up (AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com). 25 people limit due to space.

Zumba will be on going! Every Monday at 6:40pm and every Thursday at 7:10pm! I personally Zumba MOST Thursdays, and if you need a Hulk like presence at Zumba on Monday, I’d be glad to go (barring conflicting schedule) if it means you’ll go! If you’ve never Zumba’d before… Then get out of your head you’re going to be a laughingstock and ridiculed. It’s a great workout that coincides with the Hulk mentality… Get out of your comfort zone! ZUMBA!

Every Friday morning at 9:30am I will still be doing Tough Mudder training with the exception of the 20th of April (out of town). I will be announcing additional group led style runs/circuit training within the next week!

Anytime Fitness’ own Heather Muysken also has circuit style boot camps available EVERY Monday and Tuesday nights at 5:30pm! The cost is $10 a class, with punch cards being available at the gym. The last two weeks of April TRX group training will be available in the daytime and evening as well!  E-mail Heather at Heatituppt@me.com to find out more information! Click HERE to “like” her Facebook page!

Lastly, Heather is also running a Foam Rolling Seminar on April 15th (Sunday) at 10:30am. Sign up sheet is at the gym. The cost is $10 and the cost is needed to be put down WITH your signature so as to hold your spot (same story as my BOSU class, limited availability so get your spots held!) Also like my BOSU class, top priority goes to Anytime Fitness SR Ave members first. E-mail Heather at Heatituppt@me.com to learn more!

So there you have it… options to keep you busy until Hulk X runs amok and leaves a big green foot print on Sonoma County! Again, e-mail me at AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com if you have any additional questions! I look forward to Hulk smashing with all of you 🙂

Hulk Helping Hearts – Dylan Von Lahr

Dylan Von Lahr (The one on the right)

Alright Hulkamaniacs, here is a chance where we can flex our “helping” muscles. That chance however comes with an unfortunate story

Above, you will see Dylan Von Lahr. If you have not had the pleasure of meeting this young man, then let me tell you a couple things about him. He belongs to Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa ave. and he is pretty much a staple at our gym. He’s one of the sweetest, caring, loyal, and compassionate people you could ever have the graceful luck of meeting. Working at Anytime Fitness off Santa Rosa Ave, I had the pleasure of seeing him multiple times on a daily basis. Whether on my lunch when I would walk to Trader Joes (where he works) or at the gym listening to him and Alex pump some hardcore death metal through the aerobic room speakers as they work out like champions, I had the pleasure of having many a conversation with him. Whether giving him tips on how to get the results he was looking for at the gym, talking about our beloved 49ers, or shooting the shit at TJ’s, I always enjoy talking with Dylan. He has a brightness and warmth about him that is hard to emulate and even harder to describe. He strikes me as the “give you the shirt off his back” type and I am pretty confident I’m not wrong about that.

About a week and a half ago, Dylan’s light flickered. Details spared, he got in a car accident that has him hanging on literally for dear life. He went in to the ER with a 2% chance of recovery with the hope that he would hang on if taken off life support. Well, I’ve been told he has been taken off life support and is still with us. He’s in a coma, but the word I’m getting is that he’s being the fighter that everyone knows he is.

Where does Hulk come in? Well, we come in with the strength of numbers and power to do good in the community, THAT’S where we come in. Hulk, there are a lot of us. We KNOW we are a force, I want to show it. Trader Joes has done the “heavy lifting” so to speak and created bracelets to sell at $5 a piece with every bit of the proceeds going towards the medical expenses coming from this unfortunate circumstance.

$5. It’s $5. I repeat, only five dollars. I hope to see everyone get a bracelet. Here are the options… Either go to Trader Joes on the corner of Kiwana Springs and Santa Rosa Ave and inquire about buying a bracelet to support Dylan, or give the money to me and I will make big “bracelet runs” whenever I go to Trader Joes. If you’d like to help from afar, e-mail me at AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com and I can set that up. Either way, it is cheap, easily accessible, and helps out a fantastic member of the Santa Rosa community.

Alone we are small, but together we are strong. I have a “benefit Dylan” boot camp I’m thinking of doing (I just need to get in touch with the right people hint hint wink wink if you’re a member of Dylan’s family reading this… E-mail me at AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com). Tye Rivera also has something up his sleeve utilizing his unique guitar making skills in a way that only Tye Rivera could pull off. Rather than summarize what he’s doing, I’ll give you his exact words:

“I am taking a collection for premium materials to make a uke to be auctioned off with 100% of proceeds going to Dylan! I have some material that I have already put work into that will be part of this project. If you are interested in donating to this project let me know. (TyeRivera@Gmail.com) I will be starting a website with pictures showing progress of the instrument to be posted in the next few days. My ultimate hope is to get a local band to play at a local brew co. the night of the auction and gather not only bids for the instrument but donations in Dylans name.”

Thank you for taking the time to read this Hulksters and friends of Hulksters alike. Let’s help out not only such a wonderful human being by the name of Dylan, but his friends and family who can use all the help they can get I’m assuming.

Hulk Helps Hearts. Let’s show everyone just how much…. AhhhOOOOO!!!

– Hulk

Toga Party – March 31st!

Uhhhhhhhh, I Hulk out!

Alright Hulk, unfortunately this challenge is coming to an end. From the date of this post, this is the last week of boot camps before the LAST CHANCE workout held THIS COMING SUNDAY (March 18th) at the park. It will be rain or shine, so dress accordingly! This is something extra I’m doing, so I know not everyone is going to be able to make it. However, every Hulkster is invited and it is going to be the butt kicking of all butt kickings. Lasting an hour and a half (not including time spent getting there and coming back) it will be exactly what the title implies… LAST CHANCE. Lay it all out, go out with a bang. After all, it’s not how you start…

The remaining week is going to be spent doing measurements and fit tests. Hephaestus, your measurement day is Tuesday and your fit test day is Friday (regular boot camp times). Apollo, your measurement day is Saturday and your fit test day is Thursday (regular boot camp times). Poseidon, your measurement day is Saturday as well, and your fit test day is Wednesday (regular boot camp times). IT IS VERY IMPORTANT you get fit tested and measured. Without, it is impossible to give you a before and after certificate. For the measurement day, be prepared to do everything you did the first day (Picture taken, body fat % tested, circumference measurements checked, and weigh-in) as well as doing your best to wear the exact same outfit you did on day 1. Fit test day, well that’s one of my favorite days… That’s when you get the chance to see EXACTLY how much stronger and in better shape you are than 11 weeks ago when we started this whole process that went by waaaaaaay too fast.

To commemorate the process, we are having a fully catered toga party! Since Hulk: Trinity was so heavily Greek influenced, Bobbi Rivera had the genius idea of taking it the extra mile. So, be ready to rock your toga with pride as we celebrate the last 2 and a half months!

Date: March 31st

Time: 1pm

Location: Sally Tomatoes (1100 Valley House Drive  Rohnert Park, CA 94928)

Cost: $20 per person (excluding small children). Either give myself or Bobbi Rivera the money at any point UP TILL the final day of Hulk (Saturday, March 24th). VERY important seeing as how we need to give them the down payment by that date. We are getting the whole place to ourselves. They are giving us a TREMENDOUS deal! Thank you Sally Tomotoes!

What to expect: Fully catered meal from Sally Tomatoes in which you will have a select menu to choose from, including any special dietary needs (just let me or Bobbi Rivera know – Aliveinaphoto@gmail.com!). Signing the shovels. A timeline slideshow of the entire two and a half months (25-20 minutes long). Top body composition losers, top inch losers, and top fit testers announced (prizes included!). Before and after certificates given out as well as a personal recognition award for each individual creatively thought up by yours truly. Pool tables, music, and a fully stocked bar (not included in price) as well. Finally, I will be announcing the details to “Hulk X” which include some awesome new things to look forward to.

Feel free to invite all your friends and family! The more the merrier! If you have struggled with explaining “what Hulk is” to someone this is the PRIME spot to showcase! Between the celebrating, slideshow, shovels. mingling of people, retelling of experiences, before/after certificates, personal recognition awards, and stories shared by me of my special viewpoint of the challenge, you’ll be hard pressed NOT to come away feeling stoked about Hulk!

Again, I must stress the fact that if you are going, myself (Alllevelstraining@gmail.com) or Bobbi Rivera (Aliveinaphoto@gmail.com) must KNOW and have PAYMENT no later than March 24th. If you know of friends or family that are coming, let us know that as well so that we can make sure everyone is accounted for :).

Lastly, I just want to reiterate how proud I am of each and every one of you. This last 2 and a half months wasn’t easy, but anything worth a damn is going to carry some blood, sweat, and tears behind it. I’d say you all DEFINITELY are worth a damn. Come March 31st, we are going to Hulk smash as some of you get Hulk smashed in honor of what you rightfully should be proud of. Until then, we’ve got two weeks to burn this mother down…

AhhhhhhOOOOOOO!!!!

– Hulk 

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.