My Take on the Michael Phelps Saga

As the week progressed more of the story unfolded, punishment was dished out, and a statement made, I must say that I thought everything turned out appropriately for Michael Phelps.

I know a lot of pundits have mentioned that “the incident was not a big deal.”  Maybe it is maybe it isn’t I am not here to judge him, all  I know is that the “cons” of being a famous athlete came out.  Along with the fame, glory, and endorsements comes the life under a microscope.  Seems like there are people constantly there to see if you make that one little slip up and they are quick to call you on it.

It is crazy to think that the line of infamy runs so closely parallel to the one of fame, and it is so easy to cross over and hard to come back.  The diirectin your travel beween lines is also predicated by the idea that being one of the best athletes in the world makes you a roll model.  Is Phelps a great athlete?  Yes.  A good person?  Most likely.  A good roll model  maybe, maybe not.

In my opinion I think that if the rest of us were blessed with talent like his and achieved the same success, we would most likely do something that the public would look down upon so Phelps is no different than us in a social setting. When someone is young and thrusted into a situation of extreme social responsibility, it is very easy to live in the moment for yourself and not think about the millions watching your every move.

Much like Spiderman the famous athlete falls under burden of “with great power comes great responsibilities,” and too bad it is forced upon the athlete because even small slip ups can keep you from doing the things you like to do and also cut into you livelihood.

One night out with some extra curricular activities earned him a 3 month ban and his Kellog’s contract done at the end of the month, and what did Phelps do?  He said “it was fair.”  Instead of complaining or make excuses he took his punishment and looks like he is moving on in a more positive direction.

Michael Phelps might not be the best role model in the world but the way he handled the situation suggests that he is on the right path to being one.

Tags: Michael Phelps

My [Mini] Seminar and the 80/20 Rule

Today I had one of my first real speaking experiences outside of college where I could really talk about the area of life I am most interested in, exercise and strength training.

I am not well known in the world of strength and conditioning so I am even more unknown with the group I was to talk to.  I was told to make an hour-long presentation on the benefits of exercise and strength training for optimal health.  OK a little remedial but pretty straight forward none-the-less.

No Quite My Average Client

So I figured that this was not my typical tire-flippin’, box squattin’ crowd but I imagined a room full of eager eyes waiting to soak up all the information I was about to spew out for the hour to come, well I was a little wrong.

The room filled with about eight people and I was assured more.  I was not worried about the numbers but I did need to get the show on the road.  More trickled in late and as I began to speak I assessed the crowd I was dealing with to see which direction I was going to take it.

Go Ahead Bring McDonalds in for Lunch See if I Care

My eager eyes I dream of before were few and far between.  Out of a room of 15 people only three seemed interested and the rest of the lot were either shy, sleeping, know-it-alls, or just there to try and piss me off by walking in late and bringing McDonalds to stuff their faces with.

In all honesty I have learned over the years to work as hard as I can for myself and not to care too much about others.  Like the famous 80/20 rule where 80% of your ______(fill in the blank) comes from 20% of your _____ (fill in the blank).  In my case 20% of the people represented 80% of all the attention, question asking, and personal story sharing that went on this afternoon.

I guess the best we can do in the real game of life is knowing you worked as hard as you could to reach for the elite 20%  that will listen, execute and return the favor by passing it along to others.  If only that were easier said than done.

Tags: 80/20 Rule, Strength, Strength Seminar Reviews

Just a Simple Plan is All I Ask

I still work at a commercial gym a few hours a week to make ends meet and to be with the clients that have stuck with me through thick and thin throughout the years. Today was a holiday (MLK) and I should have thought twice about going into work.

It was 10am and there was not a 10lb dumbbell to be seen. The gym was packed with the usual soccer moms however they brought along their bread winning other halves today and man it was a site to see. I am not one to knock people too much because I feel that just getting into the gym shows some guts, even at an upscale local gym, however I might have to revoke that last statement for some because guts might have been replaced by complete absentmindedness. I am not necessarily talking about the guys who use the squat rack to do their 45lb bicep curls I am talking about the guys, for whatever reason, seemed to have the followed the hypnotic movements of some Lululemon pants or the sounds of the new Brittney Spears tune “you’re a womanizer, womanizer, womanizer” (you get the picture) and ended up lost in a sea of people in the weight room.

This Guy Could Benefit From a Plan

I must have asked three queasy looking guys today “are you OK?” All of them had some answer about how they were lost, zoning out, or thinking about what to do. Just by looking at them I fully understood and accepted their answers.

Too many people just float around the weight room of life without a plan and expect to get something out of it. Sure you might get sore or lucky every once in a while but those things are short lived. The long term results only show when you have a long term plan. The funny thing is, is that these guys know it. I am sure every other part of their lives, especially their professional careers, has a plan and some structure striving towards a goal and that is why they are successful.

So no real powerful insight here just the reiteration that having a plan and sticking to it when it comes to exercise and training can make a huge difference in the results you see and it will also make you look a lot more confident when you are in the weight room.  Remember even if you don’t have a plan at least try to walk around with a confident look like you do so I will not feel inclines to write about you in my blog.

When in Doubt: Fool Them with Confidence

Tags: plans, srength, Weight Room, weights