Random Person of the week

Random Person of the week-- Bono from U2!
I know this guy is a big activist for world peace...one bad ass dude....here are some cool quotes!
"There is a root arrogance in any writer; a hugely arrogant assumption that anyone is going to listen to them."
"Perspective is the cure for depression."
"I do understand that singing about peace, love and understanding right now will lead to a certain f***-off factor."
"Being one can be great, but respecting differences can be greater."
Music is the language of the spirit anyway. Its first function is praise to creation -- praise to the beauty of the woman lying next to you, or the woman you would like to lie next to you."
"Innocence is much more powerful than experience.
"You put on the leather pants and the pants start telling you what to do."
"The truth is that you are many people at the same time and you don't have to choose. It's like Edge describes me - as a bunch of nice guys"
"One must be political at times, but sometimes you have to look beyond that, to just the state of the human spirit."

Arrive Early

Sunday Secret to Success: Arrive early...it always pays off!

Friday Training
Stick and Vibration and ankles
Accel Warm Up/ Ground based mobility and activation
quick stretch
Quick to ankling to high knee x 3 x 15 yards
Runner machine/accel wall
Acceleration Drag 15 yards/ 2pt sprint 10 yards x 6
Sumo Pull 3x8,6,6 154,205,255
RFESS barbell 3x 8 @ 95,125, 145
45 Glute Ext 3x12 @25,50,60/ 1 Leg Slideboard Leg curl 2x8
Low abs

Saturday Training
Stick and Vibration and ankles
NX Level Wup (xtra mobility drills)
quick stretch
single leg barbell hip thrust x 8/lunge series
rope chopsx 7/ snatch complex bar 10, green, yellow
Line Hops and box taps 6 x 10 second variations
Chin Up 5x 5@25, 4@50, 3 @75, 2 @ 100, 1@120 1 x max @ 35
Vested Barbell Push Up 3x30 seconds /Lat Pulldown 3x10 heavy
Band Piston Pushdown 3x12/Swimmer Complex 2x15 w/2.5
Woodway 15 second sprint/Slideboard lunge 6x w/5's/ sprinter or spread eagle

Thursday Training
Eliptical 10 min. hard
Abs 10x16
Stick and stretch

Enthusiasm is the most important thing in life -Tennessee Williams

Stick and Vibration
NX Full Warm Up (Dynamic, ground based/activation, lunge matrix, rev hyper 2x10 @4,8)
Quick stretch/ankles
Lo to hi 8, 7/Clean Complex bar +10/greens
Hang Clean 4x4 @ 154, 176, 199, 221
DB Bench 3x 5+ @ 60,80, 100 (9)
Ladder Drills & Quick Decel star drill x 1 (10 minutes of work)
Inverted Row 4x 10,10, 8, 8 / Face Pull w/ external rotation 4x12 (abs 10 reps leg raise, 20 reps ball sit up)
2x12 Front Raise/ 2x 20 Band Pull Apart
Gun show than Pallof Press

Stick Roll and vibration
Acceleration Warm-Up
Ground Based Mobility and Activation
Box Jumps upto 48 inches
Back Squat (really poor technique) 5x135, 3x225, 1x295, 1x345, 1x405, 1x450 on to 30
Quick Accel: 4x Lunge to Rope Pulldown/ Accel Wall / Prowler/ Get Up sprint
Natural Glute Ham Raise 3x6 @ bw,25,25/
Core Chops and Hip Flexor Pullins

Starting the Paleo Diet @ 207...toooo much talk about it from hansen and dequaine...
Day 1 down...lets see if I am truly disciplined enough to keep processed foods out of my mouth (btw I am still taking pre and post workout shakes with some maltodextrin/dextrose : )...)...this is me typing a day later...it is damn near impossible to feel full without a little insulin spike and monetarily im afraid this will be a pain in the rear

Weekend Update

"Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion."

Training Recap
Friday Off
Saturday
Eliptical 10 min
Abs 300 reps (big focus on my lower abs)
Vested Inverted Row 3x15/ Low Face Pull 3x12-15/ Rev Hyper 3x10/ Rope Chop Variant3x8
4x 2 min. Mobility Drills/ 4x Force Treadmill sprint 10 seconds (awesome piece of equipment)
Sunday
off

Just created a new youtube page which can be found under NXLevel1...awesome shots of our NFL hopeful and all around great guy Chris Maragos...you can also check out videos of myself and our trainers which I will be uploading under the favorites section of the page.

“The greatest prayer is patience”- Buddha

I had a conversation with Someone Important tonight and it reminded me of a particular virtue...I think virtues will be a hot topic for me down the road...If you are alive and breathing you surely have practiced patience at one point or another in your life. I am a patient person, unfortunately sometimes I am not patient for a long enough time...Doesn't that make me impatient : )??? We sometimes find ourselves in an uncomfortable or frustrating situation and we just want out. This is a lot like being 90 seconds into a plank hold or tightening up in the 4th set of 60 yard sprints. Really digest that previous scenario. Think about the extreme discomfort you felt and actually put yourself their now...its easy to give yourself to much credit, but believe me when I say that if you can find me someone who hasn't quit early, I will surely pray to him at night. I have made myself victim at one point or another to the "It won't hurt me" or "I shouldn't feel to uncomfortable" type of mentality. I'm telling you that willingness to give in didn't make me better, it has only made me worse. Be patient, sacrifice a little to gain a lot. If it means falling or cramping up than do it, push through the frustration or the uncomfortable...you will thank yourself later. I'm challenging you, I'm challenging myself to be patient, to keep holding on and to keep churning those legs.

“Patience can't be acquired overnight. It is just like building up a muscle. Every day you need to work on it.” -Eknath Easwaran
-As for goals, I don't set myself those anymore. I'm not one of these 'I must have achieved this and that by next year' kind of writers. I take things as they come and find that patience and persistence tend to win out in the end.
Paul Kane
Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience.” Rashaski
“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.”
Buddhist Proverb
“Patience can conquer destiny”- Irish proverb
“Patience is the companion of wisdom.”-Saint Augustin
“He that can have Patience, can have what he will”-Benjamin Franklin
Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength”
-Edward G. Bulwer-Lytto
There art two cardinal sins from which all others spring: Impatience and Laziness
-Franz Kafka
If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention, than to any other talent.-Isaac Newton
All men commend patience, although few are willing to practice it.
Thomas Kempis

Thursday
Stick
NX Warm Up
Ground Based Mobility and Activation
Ladder Footspeed 2 min.
KB Swing 6 @ 60, 80,90 (dont like these) / Broad jump x 3 (best of 9'7 in shit shoes)
Deadlift up to 3x3 @ 383/ DB Jump Squat 3x6 60,40,20
Chin 4x 5 @ 35, 3 @ 70, 3 @105, 1x12 @ 45
Step Up 2x5,185,225/ Power Skip 15 yards
Prowler Hi 15/140/ lo/90 x 2

Monday
off
Tuesday Training
Stick and Vibration
2x35 barefoot strides & ankle bands
Dynamic Warm-Up
Ground based Mobility and Activation
Neuro Drills
Bare foot 5/10 & 5/15
Straight leg bound and box hip lift x 2/
standing 20, 30, 40
Chain Bench 2x6@105,155, 3x4@210, 185, 210 /DB Push Press @ 40's 60's 70's / Medball throw x 8
Chest Supported Row 4x8 @ 70 /Band PullApart 4x15/ Strt Leg Hanging Leg Raise 4x10
DB Fly 2x10/ DB Shrug 2x12/ Decline Plate Sit Up 2x15

Wed.
Eliptical 16 minutes
Abs 300 reps
Stick and stretch...knee to knee stretch a must do

True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes."

Though I don't like to admit it...On the rare occasion I feel a little worn down, and tonight was one of those nights. I was tired, a little crabby, and than I got to listen to the words of Jason Roe...to make a long story short I was humbled-- in most every case someone has done more than you, someone has experienced worse, and someone has grinded harder. I think, although sometimes a bit frustrating, it is good to have people around you who can humble you with their knowledge and experience. I'm surrounded by family, friends, and co-workers that when I think hard enough; can humble me in some way, shape, or form. J made this quote seem most relevant," True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes." ~Edward Frederick Halifax

Neural overdrive and complexing

Stick Roll and vibration
Acceleration Warm-Up
Ground Based Mobility and Activation
Chain Box Squat (4 chains) 2x6 @205 & 315, 3x4 @ 355/:45 Seated Box Jump x 3 w/2vests on to 30 :45/ 5 hurdle hops to stick rest 3 min...
Quick Accel: 4x Lunge to Rope Pulldown/ Accel Wall / Prowler/ Get Up sprint
Glute Ham Raise 3x6 @ 45,55,65
Core Chops and Hip Flexor Pullins

Sunday Secret to Success # 3 and Morning Prayer

For those of you who are not followers, interpret these words as words of wisdom rather than religion.
2 Corinthians 12:9
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong"
I like this passage because I can relate it to my life and most likely your life as well. Weakness, thats a word nobody ever wants to associate with themselves (especially in this business). Whether it be your weak points as an athlete or as a human being, sometimes we are afraid to recognize those chinks in our armour. I'm trying to challenge myself (and maybe you) to accept those weaknesses and try and change them...and if you cant than learn to be the better for them. I have two weaknesses that come to mind...as an athlete I have mobility and tightness problems all over my body that I kind of shied away from because I was getting sick of putting in so much work for only a little bit of a reward...sometimes you have to bite the bullet and take a step back in order to take two steps forward. For instance, I liked to box squat as much weight as possible...but for some reason I could never correctly do it. Troy assessed one of my weakpoints in the tightness of my adductors, so I took a step back worked on flexibility and squatted with less weight (and boom my squat went up). On the flipside, I can sometimes be too competitive and maybe even a jealous person. I'm trying to abolish those traits...I guess only me and one other "being" will know when they are gone.

#3 Obey those who are older and wiser

If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience. ~Robert Fulghum

Weekend Update

Wednesday
1st session with Lindy, our Massage and Acupuncture extrordinair!!!! She worked my traps, erectors, levator scaps, sternocleidomastoids,coracobrachialis and more...basically I'm just a flat out ball of tightness throughout my torso...she performed some accupuncture with electro therapy and than I got a deep tissue massage..I thoroughly recommend you see her and get work done asap

Thursday
vibration and stick
nx level warm up and mobility drills/ activation
chop series/ reverse hypers/ glute ham raises
ladder drills/backwards runs, etc
Vested pushup 3x 20 seconds/ Band Chin Up Pulldowns 3 x 20
Light guns...cant remember if i did any abs
stick and stretch

Friday
eliptical 15 min. (i love our eliptical)
abs 10x15
stick and stretch
trap therapy

Saturday
off...starting back up a strength-speed complex ala bulgarian block method tommorrow

Life Explained

Great story my mom forwarded me from my Uncle Rich Schroedle

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist
complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and
asked how long it took him to catch them..
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his
needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta
with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my
friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I
have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help
you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell
the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger
boat."
"And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second
one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of
trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then
negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your
own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico
City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct
your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting,"
answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big,
you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the
coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a
siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying
your friends."
And the moral of this story is: ......... Know where you're going in
life... you may already be there.

Tuesday Workout
Stick and Vibration
Lateral Ladder/ NX Warm Up + mobility drills
2x reverse hyper 10/ slideboard lunge series w/5's
lo to hi 8,7 #7,11/clean complex and snatch complex w/ greens
ladder drills, deceleration and change of direction, back pedals
Box Squat 2x5 @135, 225
Medball Throws x 5 (bwd, horizontal push, fwd granny, squat jump throw, overhead slam)
2 x Pin pull from single leg squat 10 sec./ Band Row 2x20
Single leg Leg Curl (emphasis on slow eccentric) 2x12 45/DB shrug 120lb x12/ YTW 10lb x 10
Band Pushdown 2x20/ Barbell Curl 2x 10 (done in the rack, no one was looking)
Barefoot Strides x 4 and 1x20 Straight leg raise

De-Load Week

Monday
Eliptical 15 min.
Abs 10x15 (150 reps)
Mobility Drills (a shitload)
Stick Roll and Stretch

Failing...but so much more resilient from it!

I think we've all heard that familiar Apollo 13 quote, "Failure is not an option." Though the context was a matter of a life and death situation, that famous quote has been popularized and taken quite literally as a mantra for many success driven people. Screw that, I say! To often we want to be blind to the idea of failing. What a boring life? I'm looking back at things like my football career, girls, school, many situations...the list goes on and on. Things didn't quite turn out the way I had wanted or imagined, but I know that I am where I am supposed to be at this very moment because of what I did or didn't do. I am responsible for me, for where I am at. I don't want failure (like my car failing this morning) nor do I necessarily welcome it. However, we all need to realize that with those unhappy moments in which we are frustrated a bit or have strong feelings of discomfort, we will inevitably LEARN and improve. When the time comes and you stumble or slip, bounce back. Learn to embrace those failures, big or small, and I guarantee you will be happier and find that you are a stronger, more resilient person.
I leave you with two quotes that equally swallowed me whole:

"There are no failures – just experiences and your reactions to them"

"A man may fall many times, but he won’t be a failure until he says that someone pushed him."

Saturday
Recovery/ General Strength
Jump Rope 2 minutes/ elliptical 2min
(Push Up 30, Press x 15)/ (Chin x20, Pull Up 15)/ (Upper back Band Pull 20, Swimmer 10)/ (Hamstring SLRDL w/cable, Rev Hyper 15)/Rope Chop x 2
Gun Show and Shoulders (quick pump)
Mobility Drills (every drill you could imagine)
Stick WRRRolll and quick stretch

If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself- Confucius

Friday
stick and vibration
Accel Warm Up
Ground based mobility and activation (runner/rope)
Badger Neuro/Accell Wall/Fast arms
Walk to 15 yard sprint, 30m sprint (3.9+... :( )
3 bound hops x 3 (31 feet)
Sled Sprint 3x25 yards @50,25,10 lbs
Free Sprint 30y, 20y, 10y
Hang Snatch 4x 4,2,1,1 @ 95, 137, 163x2
Hang Clean 2x4,2,@ 199,226...felt really fatigued so called it off

Long day...grinding away

Eliptical 14 minutes
Abs 10x25
Stick Roll and maybe some mobility and flexibility
Had a 15 hour day at the gym with about 10+ being with clients...didn't want to finish my night with anything but a carbohydrate crash...but I knew their had to be someone out their in my same shoes...I just wanted to make sure they didn't pass me by...

“He lives the poetry that he cannot write. The others write the poetry that they dare not realise.”

Oscar Wilde quotes

Take a Risk....

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.”

William Shedd

Milestone Vertical Jump- 36"

Wednesday
Stick and Vibration
NX Level Warm Up and ladder drills
Vertical Jumps x 5 32.5,33.5,35.5, 36"
Chain Box Squat w/3 chains 225x3, 315x3,365x3, 405x3 (Thanks Jake)
Speed Pulls 3/ Snatch Grip Shrug 3 263-345 6x1
DB Swings 1x12 & 1 leg Slide Board Leg Curl x 8
(5min shit bag, Face Pulls, YTW's, shrugs, arms)
Prowler

Today's workout was a real feel good for me. I don't know if I can honestly say I would ever thought I would've jumped this high. Just coming into the workout I felt really good. It's funny now that I'm looking back, I think I'm going to write down everything I did before hand (including helping Jake unload boxes) and include it as part of my new pre-workout routine. My first jump was about 33 inches and right from their I hit about a 34 plus on my second jump, low and behold the 4th one yielded 36". I will share no more secrets...expect my vertical jump e-book to come out soon...psych!

AdvoCare--The link to a faster, stronger and more recovered you!

Fella’s- About three days ago, Brad approached me with a sales pitch that would allow me to supplement my lack of cash flow by selling supplements for a company called AdvoCare. AdvoCare stands alone in respect to their guarantee of quality and results. They are backed by handfuls of top level strength and conditioning coaches (John Dettman of the University of Wisconsin, Jerry Schmidt…who was Adrian Petersen’s coach at the University of Oklahoma, and Eric Lichter who is Ohio State’s Football strength coach, etc.), athletes (Drew Brees, Wes Welker, Thomas and Julius Jones) and a world renowned kinesiologist (William Kraemer, for you young geniuses that’s a guy who knows a shit ton about the body)… the list goes on and on. The amazing thing about those aforementioned dudes is that none of them get paid to endorse the company. They are advocates of the products because they know they work and produce results. The quality of the brand and the products is hands down above and beyond any other. Aside from the possibility of making money, the reason I am confident in undertaking this opportunity is that I know the quality is unmatched by most everything out in today's market. AdvoCare tests each products quality and ensures each of their products pureness through an agency in the U.K. that used to belong to W.A.D.A (World Anti Doping Agency).
I will begin taking these supplements as soon as I get my first bulk order. I know you guys train like me and being that I was an athlete (give me credit I still am haha) this shit will help your strength, speed, and most importantly your recovery between workouts. As I alluded to before we are going to be fading the Champion line out and selling AdvoCare products at NX Level; Brad has been nice enough to let us have free reigns and dibs in hooking you guys up with these unreal products. Think about this: If you want to put your body through the best method of training, won't you also need the best nutrition and supplementation to match that?
Included below are a couple of steps to take if you are interested in obtaining great results in your strength and speed numbers:
1. Hit up my blogspot…http://giffmestrength.blogspot.com/ and click on my AdvoCare link or just go to https://www.advocare.com/1002849/LogIn.aspx?restricted=Y&ReturnURL=/Microsite/Office/default.aspx
2. Check Out what I would recommend as must haves for you performance athletes:
a. Catalyst – Contains Amino Acids and body fat destroyer’s used by U.S.A. ’96 Wrestling team…these guys recovered like no other
b. AdvoCare Spark Energy Drink—Pre-Workout drink that’s has absolutely no bloat and actually provides you with sustainable energy
c. AdvoCare Muscle Fuel—pre workout with proprietary blend of creatine and d-ribose, etc…
d. Post Workout Recovery—Used after your done working out you meatheads…protein, maltodextrin carbohydrate
e. Meal Replacements—In between classes or right before lifts
f. Arginine Recovery—L-Leucine and L-Arginine two of the most crucial amino acids that will put your body in an anabolic state
g. Night time Recovery—knocks you out and aids in your sleep cycle and recovery
3. Shop away & obtain results fast
Regardless of your choice, hit me up on the fbook and keep working your tails off men!
-Giff

Training Update

Last week of Speed-strength block
Saturday
Recovery/ General Strength
Eliptical 12 min
Abs 10x26
Push/ Pullup/ Upper back/ Hamstring/Rope Chop x 2
Gun Show and Shoulders (just want to feel an Arnold like Pump)
Mobility Drills (every drill you could imagine)
Stick WRRRolll and quick stretch

Sunday
Light Stick

Monday
Stick and Vibration
Accel Warm Up
Ground based mobility and activation
Plate Lift/Accel Wallx2/Neuro Series
Kneeling Barbell Jumps into squat jump 4x3
Hurdle Hops x5 into 10 yard sprint x 2
4 Bounds into 10 yard sprint x 2
2x20 yard 3pt start
5-10 agility drill x 2
DB Squat Jumps 2x5/5 30lbdbs than free
Medball throws 3x5/5 (kneeling chest throw/overhead slam)
Chain Bench 6x2 @155 (2 chainsx2, 3chains x2, 4 chains x2)/ DB Chest Supp Row 5x5 @75

Day Late Sunday Secret to Success

Yeah, I know I missed the boat on this one (being that I'm a day late), but now is better than never!!!!!
"Surround yourself with people who are only going to lift you higher."-Oprah Winfrey
If you want to be successful it is crucial that you pattern yourself after those who do it best. Whether it be in your training, your social life, your spiritual life, or your career; the people you choose to hang around with usually rub off on you. Your friends, coworkers, and family bleed into your thoughts and actions. For instance, if happiness was my goal I would surround myself with people who value life, who can laugh, and who can love. If I had a goal to become stronger, I'd surround myself with athletes who lift big, have a wealth of knowledge, and train hard. The point is that although you can do a lot on your own, you sure as hell can't do everything alone. A positive environment well surely influence your success and well being. Have people in your life who you can turn to, who can make you better, and who can guide you in your journey.