Last-Minute MMA Fight Training

Recently in this forum thread, somebody asked a question that I see somewhat regularly from fighters that are getting ready for their next MMA fight. And that question is (more or less):

"I only have 2-4 weeks left before my next fight. What sort of workout should I do to help prepare?"

Oh man.

The answer is one that they usually don't want to hear - by this point, what workout you do isn't going to matter that much.

You see, when you're only 2-4 weeks out from a fight, you pretty much waited until the last-minute to address your strength and conditioning needs, and now it's about too late.

You see, at this stage of the game, if you were doing a full MMA Workout leading into your fight, you really wouldn't be still developing your strength, cardio, endurance, etc.

Rather, you'd be adapting it.

You see, this close to a fight, it's virtually too late to develop more strength or conditioning. (Well, that's not entirely true, but I'll get into that in a minute.) By this point, you want to be taking the S&C you have, and 'molding' it toward the specific needs of MMA.

Instead of just being strong, having good cardio and endurance, etc., you need to be a good fighter. That means doing more and more skills training, sparring, hitting the bag, drilling, etc.

All this skills training does two things:

1 - It makes you a better fighter. Duh.

2 - It gets you in better shape. Sure, you might have good wind, and think you're in shape. But can you throw punches non-stop for minutes on end? Can you keep scrambling on the ground? Can you still shoot in for the takedown when you're tired?

And more importantly, can do any of these things intensely? Or, after your first hard minute or two of activity, are you just flailing around like a big rag doll?

That's what skills training can do - help take you from being in 'good' shape to being in 'fighting' shape.

Remember when I said 2-4 weeks wasn't really enough time to get any stronger, improve your cardio, etc?

Well, that's not completely true.

You can make S&C improvements in 2-4 weeks - people do it all the time. But as a fighter, it's not necessarily a good idea.

To make those kinds of S&C improvements, you're going to have to do some intense S&C training. (Makes sense, right?) Well, that's not what you want to be doing this close to a fight.

First of all, it should go without saying that skills training comes first. That means that everything else comes second or less. That also means that your skills training should be the most important. If it's the most important, then that means that your recovery abilities should be reserved as much as possible for your skills work. Doing intense S&C work will take away from that.

(Again, remember that had you been doing S&C workout for your MMA Training all along, though you'd be doing intense S&C work, you wouldn't really be trying to develop new levels of S&C. You'd be making the S&C capabilities you had developed by this point more MMA-specific.)

Next, because intense S&C work is what would be needed, it can set you up to be overtraining or worse yet, get injured.

Intense S&C training is not only tough on your physically because it breaks your body down, but it can also be very demanding on your CNS, which is already likely getting taxed pretty heavily from all your skills work.

Then there is the idea that while you might build more S&C capabilities, you still won't have time to adapt them to being MMA-specific. Now, that's not to say that being stronger or having better wind won't still be helpful, but you'd have been much better off had you started early on, and been able to prepare properly.

Ultimately, it's the "skills that pay the bills". This close to the fight, you're best off by trying to be the best fighter you can technically, be that being a better striker, improving your ground game and submissions, learning how to stuff takedowns, or whatever. All these will help you win a fight much more than adding 20-30 lbs. to your bench press 1RM.

That isn't to say that a good MMA Workout Program isn't important. It just means that you have to start far enough out from the fight for it to be done right.

In the end, you need to focus on what gives you the best chance of having your hand raised at the end of the fight.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - If you haven't waited too long, and still need a good MMA Workout, then, being the self-promoting shill I can't help but recommend the "Working Class MMA Workout Program"...and if you get the "Championship Edition", you even get a month of "Power Trip" workouts and all the extras...FREE!

Goin' Fishin'

I don't necessarily watch a whole lot of TV, but there are a few shows that I have to keep up with. One of those is "Deadliest Catch".



In case you don't know, "Deadliest Catch" is a show on the Discovery Channel that documents Alaskan crab fishing boats, and everything they go through in a 'season' of crab fishing.

(Oh, by the way - according to this site, fishing at sea is one of the very deadliest jobs in the world. It takes a certain kind of guts to do this sort of work...esp Alaskan crab fishing, which is done in the Bering Sea, so now massive cold weather is also an issue fishermen have to contend with.)

ANYWAY...as fans of the show will know, the newest season recently started back on the Discovery Channel.

I'm actually a little bit behind, and was watching the 1st episode of the season last night. (Thank goodness for DVR!)

The shows follows a few different crab boats, and one of them is the Northwestern. It's captain is the Norwegian, Sig Hansen.

Prior to the beginning of this season, the captains of many of these boats all gathered together to share some last-minute camaraderie and wish each other good luck. While talking, the guys eventually began discussing how they were brought up, and things they experienced in their early, formative years of fishing.

Sig Hansen talked about how a family member used to run the boat, and was always really super hard on everybody. But, he was quick to point out that it (and I'm paraphrasing here) "made a man out of you" and how it "built character."

(By the way - Sig is known for working the hell out of his guys.)

Sig said something that was just cool as all hell, and I wanted to share with y'all - it's something that I hope y'all take to heart:

"He was hard on us, but it built character. And if you don't like my character, you can kiss my ass."

Said by a true hard-ass.

The next time you get tired, and want to give up early, or worse yet - quit, take a look in the mirror, and ask yourself what kind of character YOU have.

Could you tell other people to kiss your ass if they didn't like how hard you worked?

It just might help you keep yourself in line.



Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - Have you taken advantage of this kickass sale yet? If not, get on your horse, b/c it's comin' down next week.

Save tons of moolah here - http://tinyurl.com/d67noo

The "One True Way"

This post is gonna be short one - I just wanna take a second to make a point.

In the fitness industry (especially anybody trying to sell MMA Workouts), almost everybody is trying to sell the "one true way". They are all trying to tell you how their workout better than everything else out there, and how their system is the only real way to make gains and get better.

It's almost as if using their system is the way to untold fortunes, true happiness, and a gateway to the heavens.

Uh....no.

Listen up, 'cause I'm gonna only say this once...

THERE IS NO 'ONE TRUE WAY' TO EXERCISE.

Yeah, I said it. There is no 'one true way' to train for strength, power, conditioning, cardio, work capacity, fitness, or whatever. Truth be told...lots of things work.

Do you hear that? Yep - that's the sound of your mind being blown.

You mean that there isn't a "best" way to work out? Am I crazy? I've got to be. After all, isn't there a "best" way to do almost everything?

Not this time, there buddy. Sorry.

Now, it might not make a whole lot of sense for me to be saying something like this...at least not good business sense, anyway. Because I know there is at least one of you out there in internet-dom saying something like, "But Wiggy, if there isn't a 'best' way to train, then why do you sell workout programs? Even better yet, why should I buy your workout programs? What makes them better than anything else if everything works?"

Yeah, you're right - I sell workout programs. And they're pretty damn good ones, too - especially for MMA training.

(If you don't believe me, just check out the testimonials on my site - everything from UFC/MMA stars and camps like Joe Rogan, Leigh Remedios, and American Top Team - to celebrity trainers - like Scott Sonnon and Scooter Honig, LL Cool J's trainer - to regular folks like you and me.)

But go back and look at the products I offer. "Working Class Fitness - The Programs" is actually 6 different programs (each 8 weeks long). The "Working Class MMA Workout" is completely customizable. Even my old "Singles & Doubles" stuff that went from sandbags to barbells. Each are completely different in their own way.

This is because there is no "one true way" to work out. Different things work for different people, in different situations.

Look at it this way - do you remember being in school, and being told that different people learn in different ways? That some people learn from reading, others listening, others reading, etc.?

Well, exercise is the same way. Different methods are needed for different goals at different times.

Does that mean that certain methods aren't any better than others? Of course not. If you're trying to build upper body strength, a good 5x5 or pyramid type of workout with heavy pressing movements will work much better than just cranking out endless sets of pushups. But, at the same time, that 5x5 or pyramid program won't (potentially) work as well for muscular-endurance as cranking out a couple sets of high-rep pushups will.

And neither one will do much for your cardio.

See what I mean?

There is gonna be at least some hype behind pretty much every fitness program. Whether we like it or not, it's a necessary evil in the business - it's what gets the bills paid. (And past experience tells me that paying bills on time is a good thing.)

But watch out when the hype gets too big...when it claims too much. When you've got one program (and I see this all the time with dudes trying to sell the latest MMA workout "flavor of the month") that claims to be better than everything else for everything, then you might wanna watch out.

After all, you know what they say about "If it's too good to be true, it probably is."



Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

Crutchmaster's Documentary

Remember my post a couple weeks ago about my good buddy, Duane "Crutchmaster" Stevenson?

In case you don't, here's the quick rundown - this guy had tumors in his spine at the age of 3, and he lost nearly all use of his legs, and has been on crutches almost his entire life.

But, that has not stopped him from grappling, competing, training fighters, or even training law enforcement. He also designs MMA workouts for fighters, and runs conditioning classes.

A documentary has been made about my buddy Duane's life. Check out the trailer below.



I know I said it before, but we could all learn something from Duane.

"...and I suggest you give me 100%, or you're gonna get knocked out or gonna get hurt."

Keep kickin' ass, Duane!

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

How To Get Good

Everybody is always looking for 'magic' workout programs.

I hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as 'magic'. (Heck, they even have those shows on TV to show you how guys like Criss Angel and David Copperfield pull off their 'tricks'.)

Now, this isn't to say that you don't need awesome workout plans - esp for your MMA training. But an awesome workout isn't all you need.

To become a great MMAist (or, to really achieve any of your fitness goals), you need three things:

-hard work

-consistency

-a kick-ass workout plan.

(Yeah, I know I talked about this not all that ago in this post. Get over it - I'm talking about it again.)

I was fortunate enough to spend a couple days this week with my good buddy, Andy. Andy runs his own sports performance gym in Thomasville, NC.

By the way, if you're ever in North Carolina around Asheboro, High Point, Greensboro, or the surrounding area, you OWE it to yourself to contact Andy about coming by for a workout...trust me when I say you won't regret it. In fact, tell him Wiggy sent you... ;-)

ANYWAY....

While up there at Andy's gym, I was able to meet one of his 'superstars' (as he puts it) - a kid named Zach.

Now, Zach has been training with Andy for roughly two years. Andy has put him through a ton of TOUGH training sessions over those two years, and spent a bunch of time training Zach on proper technique, training, recovery, etc.

Zach has been there every step of the way, busting his tail, and absorbing everything Andy has been trying to teach him....like a brand new sponge soaking up water.

Zach has been a true example of what can be done when you work hard, are consistent, and have a great workout program.

Zach is a sophomore in high school - only 16 years old. At roughly 6'1", he's roughly 175 lbs. - and solid as a freakin' rock. Because his limbs are fairly long, his upper body stats aren't necessarily anything to write home about. He benches 205-215 (which is still more than his bodyweight), and the other day when I was up there, he cranked out 3 sets of chins, averaging 8-12/set. Again, not too shabby, but not earth shattering.

But then you get to his lower body, his power, and his jumping ability. Oh. My.

(Remember - this kid is only 16, a sophomore in high school, and only weighs about 175 or so.)

He squats 455 (and that's ass to grass type squats). He deadlifts 450+. The kid has power cleaned 245...and that was at the end of a workout....and after having done heavy lower body training at school earlier that day.

He also jumps up higher than most people have a right to. Here is a video of him jumping up onto a 42-inch box...while wearing a 40 lbs. weighted vest:



Now as impressive as all this might be, consider this - at the risk of repeating myself, the kid is only 16! What's he gonna be like when his body really starts to mature when he graduates at 18, or even into his early 20s? What if he gains another 20-30 lbs.? What kind of numbers will he moving then? Barring injury or the like, the sky seems to be the limit for this kid.

It should also be noted that Zach is a good student, going to school full-time, plays sports (he is a virtual lock to 'start' as a running back on his high school's football team next year), and works a part-time job. It's not like all this kid does is train.

As impressive as all this is, though, Zach isn't really anything special.

Zach and I chatted some the other day, and he started to tell me how what he's been able to accomplish has been because of his training with my buddy, Andy.

I told him he was only part-right.

"There are three things you need to get strong, fast, powerful, in shape, and all that - you need consistency, hard work, and a great program.

Any two without the other won't get you where you need to go.

Working hard on a great program won't do you any good if you just show up every now and again. (You think the Orioles would've even let Cal Ripken have the chance to start over 2600 games in a row had he not worked his tail off day in, and day out?)

You can have the best program in the world, and do it every single day, but if you half-ass it, all you're getting better at is wasting your time.

And you can consistently work your tail off, but if you have no idea what you're doing, and are just working in circles because your program sucks, well, you'll get a little better (simply because you're putting in some work), but you won't be getting the best bang for your buck with all that effort.

It takes all three."

And it does.

Are you putting in all three? Hard work, consistency, and a kickass program?

If not, you might wanna re-think what you're doing.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - re that kickass workout program...not everybody knows enough to put together their own program. And that sucks...mainly because they'll be like that 3rd scenario I just posted...working their butt off for minimal rewards.

If this is you, head to http://tinyurl.com/d67noo and get some kickass workout programs that will make sure your consistent, hard work doesn't go to waste.

YES...You Need Strength

I can't stand cliques. Or groupies. Or fads. Or trends. Or popularity contests. Or any of that kind of junk.

Especially in the fitness and strength & conditioning world.

Why?

Because too many people end up being concerned with what's "cool" than with what works. And that's just stupid.

Me, I could care less what anybody thinks. I'd rather look good when I'm bigger, stronger, and faster. I think it looks much more cool to win and have my hand raised in victory, than to be the guy standing in the shadows (or sitting behind the keyboard) saying how the winner could even be better if he did XYZ Program instead.

You'd think that with as many people in the world that don't train, don't work out, don't try and be healthy, that the fitness community as a whole would try to band together and be one solid unit. Join forces, go out, find the undertrained, weak, fat, and lazy, and whip them into shape.

You'd think so. But, you'd also think wrong.

Instead, you've got every faction in the fitness world pointing the finger at each other, trying their darndest to convince everybody why what they do is "right" and what everybody else is doing is "wrong".

And I'm not kidding. Powerlifters don't like Olympic lifters, and vice versa. Both can be kinda "iffy" when it comes to strongman. Throwers can be all over the place. Nobody likes bodybuilding. HIT trainers don't like Arnold Schwazenegger's books. "Athletic" trainers don't like isolation moves.

Ugh. All these people need are a letterman jacket, and a locker combination, and they'll be ready to fight over who gets to take Betsy-Sue to the dance on Friday night.

I see this a TON in MMA.

Now, MMA is a sport that has A TON of physical needs. It is very likely the most physical demanding sport there, if for no other reason, that it has such a wide array of physical needs. It needs strength, power, cardiovascular endurance, muscular-endurance, strength and power-endurance, work capacity, flexibility, etc.

But, some people seem not to think so.

In fact, I can't tell you how many times I've seen supposed "experts" on the internet (you knew that everybody on the internet was an "expert", right?) say that strength is vastly over-rated for MMA, and needn't be targeted.

You're kidding me...right?

Now, to think that the strength needs of MMA are moreso than the various conditioning and endurance needs of MMA would be wrong. I know that. You should know that. (If you didn't, now you do.) But to think that strength isn't needed to the point that it really doesn't have to be trained? C'mon, man.

Let me give you a few reasons why strength is vitally important in MMA.

1 - Power. You need power in MMA - power is what will give you (as long as your technique is up to snuff) powerful punches and kicks, quick takedowns, the ability to slam your opponent, etc.

All power is, is strength applied quickly. In fact, strength is the ultimate capability of power.

If squatting 500 lbs. is strong, and squatting 500 lbs. in less than a second is powerful, then ain't no way you're gonna be powerful without building the strength. You can't squat 500 lbs. in less than a second if you can't squat 500 lbs. in the first place.

2 - Speed. This is kind of an offshoot of power. Speed can be looked at in various ways - in a straight line (who can run 100m the fastest) or who can move the quickest? As in who has faster hands - Floyd Mayweather, Jr. or Tim Sylvia?

It takes a lot of control over your body to have this kind of speed. While coordination and natural athleticism play key roles, so does something called "relative strength". All this means is how strong you are for your size/weight.

The stronger you are (especially with increased skill training), the better control you're gonna have over your body. The better control you have over your body, the better speed you're likely gonna have.

3 - Confidence. I don't care who you are, or what situation you're in. If you're getting into a physical confrontation with somebody (which is kinda the point with MMA), then knowing you're stronger than the other guy gives you a confidence you just won't have when you're the weaker dude.

4 - Endurance. Everybody thinks MMA is all about endurance, endurance, endurance. While on some levels it is, if you don't have any strength to back it up, then what good is it? You can teach a guy to shadow-box all day long, so he has the endurance and conditioning to throw punches like a Joe Calzaghe. But if he never hits the heavy bag, how do you know if he can hit hard? More importantly, how do you know his zillion punches he can throw will have any effect on his opponent?

Now, sometimes, you can get to the point that you can build enough strength that you can work on maintenance and conditioning more, because strength isn't as big of a priority for you. Guys like this might be Sean Sherk, Matt Hughes, Brock Lesnar, or other such dudes.

Hate to break it to you, but you aren't Sean, Matt, or Brock. Sorry.

That means you still have to work your strength.

And when the skinny dude that looks like he just jumped off a MMA message board shows up and tells you you're doing it all wrong, take him down, and hold him down...and tell him that strength you don't need is about to make him tap out.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - If you know you need to have strength in your program, but aren't quite sure how to fit it in with everything else, then this can help you - and eliminate all the guesswork in the meantime: http://tinyurl.com/d67noo

New MMA Weekly Article

My new article, "Use Your Head" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it out:

http://tinyurl.com/czcyex

Let me know what you think.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

Even More Crap...

Remember my blog post, "What a Load of Crap" from last week?

Well, it's time for "Part Deux"...or "Part Two"...or "II"...or whatever...

I'm sure by this point in your life (unless you've been living under a rock), that you've heard the old adage, "Everything in Moderation". Some people really need to learn this.

Just because something is "good", doesn't mean you can run wild with it. You've read a thousand times that when doing your workouts, "more" isn't always "better", right? Well, just because something is "good", doesn't mean too much of it can't be "bad."

I see this all the time with people's diet, eating habits, and especially their training workout plans.

I guess the fitness world is no different than any other culture, but there seems to be this odd disconnect between knowledge, research, helpful hints and tips, and plain old common sense.

Too many times I see people who read or hear about how "XYZ" food is good for you, or that eating at "XYZ" time has great benefits to your training, or that "XYZ" type of training can be so much more beneficial, etc.

(I kinda touched on that last one lately - remember my articles and video on not screwing up your interval training? That's a perfect example - just because interval training is such a great method to use, doesn't mean you can half-ass it and still expect to see results.)

Diet is another biggie I see this happen all the time in.

The other day, I was talking with a buddy. We hadn't seen each other in a while and were more or less just catching up.

Now, this guy is a great guy and all, but he's honestly probably 150 lbs. overweight. I mean, he needs to lose A LOT of weight, and he needs to get on his horse about doing it. If not, he's really putting himself in a position for health risks or worse yet, a premature heart attack (he's only in his early 30s).

Anyway, as we kept on BSing, he told me that he was going on a diet, and was cutting out all the excess crap out of his diet - sugar, starches, chips, etc.

He went on to tell me that he was gonna start eating nuts instead of chips and the like. They had protein, good fats, and seemed to be a part of all these good "paleo" type diets that were just meat, leaves, berries, and such (i.e. - no processed foods).

He was really excited, but he had never really eaten nuts that much before, and didn't realize how much he liked them. In fact, he had found that he LOVED almonds. (So do I!!) He liked them so much, that he went out and got a couple cans of them to keep at work, and he just snacks on them throughout the day.

He was so happy that he felt happy and good about eating - he'd found a food that he liked, he enjoyed, that was "good" for him, and most importantly of all, he could eat on his diet, and still lose weight.

I got worried.

I asked you before about the saying "everything in moderation". Well, ever hear of the one that says "if it's too good to be true, it probably is"?

Well, here was case in point.

I asked him just how many almonds he ate in a day. He said he didn't know - that he'd just grab a few here and there throughout the day.

I told him to cup his hands together...as if he were making a snowball. I then asked him if all the almonds he ate in a day would fill up the space in his hands. He said, yeah - maybe 1.5 or even 2.

Uh-oh.

I told him I had bad news. He looked worried.

(I really hated to tell him this, as this guy has struggled with his weight for years, and it was great to see him excited about his diet, but I couldn't let him sabotage himself.)

I told him that everything he had said about nuts before was completely true. BUT, they are still very, very high in calories. In fact, if we estimate the amount he could hold in his hands as a cup, then according to this site, he was eating some 1000+ calories per day...in just almonds.

I told him that at that rate, he'd actually be better off having bought one of those snack-sized bags of Doritos (like they make for kids' lunches) and eating that. It wouldn't have been healthy, it it'd have been a fraction of the calories.

Here's the take home point in all of this - you can be eating the most healthy foods in the world, but you still can't ignore the basics of nutrition. And one of the most basic of the basics of nutrition (and in turn, weight loss) is calories in vs. calories out.

You could be eating nothing but grilled chicken breast, fruits, nuts, and veggies all day. But, if you had a desk job, didn't work out, and got little physical activity in, and your diet (even made up of all good stuff) was 6000 calories per day, you know what?

You're still gonna be a fatty. And on the healthiest diet, to boot.

Use your head folks - sometimes, it's the most common sense things that do us the most good.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - If you haven't check out the sale I've got going yet, then hit up http://tinyurl.com/d67noo and Save 40%.

PS #2 - I want to wish all of you a very Happy Easter, and I hope that you can spend some good, quality time with your family, friends, and loved ones.

I'm getting rid of your EXCUSES

Hey y'all,

Sorry about the rant last time - didn't mean to "go off" like I ended up doing.

But, I must've hit a chord with y'all - b/c I think I received more feedback on that one email than I have on anything I've EVER sent out.

(Guess I'm not the only one who is sick of people bitching and moaning while they sit on their ass and eat twinkies.)

Some of y'all might not have like the rant...and maybe that's b/c it all sounded a little too familiar. Maybe it sounded like I was talking about you? Maybe you're
one of the guys who can "talk the talk" but never even tries to "walk the walk". But, it's Ok (at least YOU think it is), b/c you have 'a really good reason'. Right?

Uhhhhhh....NO.

I'm about to take any and all excuses you think you can come up with away from you. By the time you're done reading this, if you don't feel like a cad for making excuses
for not working out, then you might as well as quit reading my emails - b/c I can't help you.

I wanna tell you about a buddy of mine - Duane Stevenson. Duane is from Houston, TX, and coaches not only MMA, but submission grappling, and also puts together his own cross-training workouts for fighters. Duane has competed in submission grappling himself, has his own gym, and is putting together his own fight team.

So what makes Duane so special? What makes his case any different than anybody coach who does the same thing?

Maybe you've seen Duane posting around some of the MMA message boards - he goes by the screen-name "CrutchMaster".

You see, Duane is disabled. When he was only 3 years old, he had tumor in his spine. This affected his lower body, and now only has 70% use of his legs. He has to use crutches full-time...hence his nickname of CrutchMaster.

Most guys in Duane's situation would just accept defeat, and concede the fact that there are some things that they just won't be able to do.

Not Duane.

I remember when I first met Duane - it was some 5 years ago or more. Duane was looking for some workout advice, and he hit me up.

The thing that I always admired about Duane was that he never thought he couldn't get better. Nothing was off-limits for him.

In the past, other trainers had told him to stay away from trying to train his legs due to his condition. That wasn't good enough for Duane.

Together, we put together a program where he was not only working his legs, but was doing whatever it took to do it.

For you and I, hill sprints means great conditioning. For Duane, it was just about climbing the stairs in his house. He couldn't do much at a time, but by the end of the day, it was 20+ trips.

For your and I, dragging a weighted sled or pushing a car is something we see in strongman events or we do for metabolic conditioning. For Duane, it was about just trying to build some semblance of strength. And unlike you and I, he couldn't
walk with his sled. For him, he was literally crawling on his hands and knees like a baby. He didn't care how it looked or that nobody else was doing it - he just cared about getting stronger, and getting in better shape.

For Duane, it was about being better at the end of the day than you were when it began.

And little by little, my buddy the CrutchMaster gets better - each and every day.

How much better? Well, his story has been featured in fitness magazines, TapouT magazine, and Duane is even having a documentary made about him and what he's been able to accomplish.

And this guy can't even walk without help.

Tell me - what's YOUR reason for not getting anything done today?

If you don't have one (and you probably don't...and even if you do, it's probably not a very good one), but need a shove in the right direction for what workouts to do, then check out the deal I've got going here - http://tinyurl.com/d67noo

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

Look in the F@CKING MIRROR

Hey y'all,

Fair warning - I'm kinda fired up today. I'm feelin'
a monster rant coming on. If you don't like rants, or
a little bit of harsh language, then maybe you'd better
just go ahead and close this email.

Don't say I didn't tell you.

I don't know about you, but I am getting SICK AND
TIRED of 'deflectors'.

What's a 'deflector'?

A deflector is somebody who spends all his time bitching
and moaning about all his problems, pointing the finger
at everybody and everything else as the reason why he
can't get ahead...but won't get off his lazy ass to do it
himself.

I got a clue for you, here people - the world can really
suck. It will beat you down, hold you down, kick you
while you're down, spit on you, and laugh at you while
it does it. And when you try to get back up, it runs back
at you and does it again.

Know what? That's life. That's fact. Ain't nothin' gonna
change it.

Sure some people have it easy. So the hell what. They're
the exception - not the rule.

And know what else? More than likely, you're part of the
rule - not an exception.

Get over it.

Here's the thing - you have to deal with it. So do I. So
does almost everybody.

The question is whether or not you can find a way to win
in spite of everything....b/c we all have to do it.

What pisses me off is instead of finding a way to win, too
many people spend their time looking at every reason why
it's not their fault they fail.

And that sucks.

Recently, I had a guy email me looking for workout advice.
We traded a couple emails back and forth, and he finally got
to the point where he was ready to put a program together,
which he asked me to do.

I told him I couldn't put him a program together, as I sold
programs on my site. Not only would it be shooting myself in
the foot from a business sense, but it wouldn't be fair to all the
good people (like many of y'all) who've plunked down their
hard-earned cash to buy my products.

(And to those of you reading this who have bought my stuff
in the past, let me again say "thank you" - as I really appreciate
it.)

How did the guy respond? He starts to go off on me, saying
I'm just out to 'line my own pockets' and am 'screwing people'
and that my stuff 'isn't that good anyway'.

Yeah, sure buddy - that's why I've gotten the 'thumbs up' in
recent weeks from Scooter Honig (LL Cool J's celebrity
trainer) as well as fighters from one of the best MMA gyms
in the United States (American Top Team Boca).

(And incidentally, the programs they're raving about are as
cheap or cheaper than anything else you're gonna find like
it on the market - see more at http://tinyurl.com/d67noo)

What this guy's real problem is, is that he's really looking for
somebody to point the finger at. He's not in shape, and me
not giving him a program is just another in a long line of excuses
why.

I've seen this sooooo many times - people griping b/c they
don't have money, or don't have time, or don't have equipment,
or don't have good genetics, or what-the-f@ck-ever.

But here's the thing - if you wanted to get in shape bad enough,
you'd figure out a way to f@cking do it.

I know b/c I hear from and see people every damn day that do it.

You know the old kids' saying "For every finger you point at somebody
else, there are three more pointing back at yourself"?

That is oh-so-true.

The next time you're gonna complain about why you can't get the job
done, take a second and look in the mirror - maybe the real reason
you're not going anywhere is...you.

Have a good weekend, folks.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com