Limitless Athletes by Crazy Muscle

Maximus here, and today is the day you and I put pen to paper and take dreams from the Sleep realm, to where they belong: into reality! As promised, last week I told you I'd share with you some questions you can ask yourself to get into the mindset of achieving more. I recommend you print these out, grab a pen or pencil and sit down in a quiet place where you can think, and answer these without rushing or distraction. Maximus’ Questionnaire If you desire to change the world where would you start? What holds you back in this life today? What can you do about those things that hold you back in your life today? Write down 10 things you would do if you had absolutely no fear? ...then pick one and do it! What kind of person are you? What is your comfort zone? When is the last time you failed? And what did you learn? If you had absolutely no limitations and could confidently know everything you attempted would be successful what sort of person would you be in 1, 5, 10 years? (3 part answer) Download a PDF version here to print out. These sorts of questions are meant to drive creative thought, get you thinking about your blind spots and shortcomings, and show you a path to overcome them. Putting pen to paper is how you’ll get something out of this exercise. Simply answering the questions in your head doesn’t have nearly the same level of psychological effect. In closing, I'll leave you with an idea I got from Steve Chandler who, along with many other books, wrote, “The Prosperous Coach”. While it's written to a coach audience, this quote applies to athletes and weightlifters and humans in general. Think on this: The struggling *person* has huge dreams that overwhelm them. The professional *person* has huge dreams and takes tiny steps every day.” (I substituted “person” for “coach”) May you be inspired to take action today like never before!

Wanna get more shit done? I do. Want 3 powerful strategies to “create” time and get shit done (GSD) in your day? Okay, but before I do...this is how I think about productivity: Working on tasks is USELESS, Completing tasks is EVERYTHING. That idea speaks to my enduring disdain for “Being Busy.” You probably know plenty of people who are “always busy” and never getting anything COMPLETED. If you see yourself in that statement, here are those three tactics to end “the busy,” and get MORE done... 1) STOP TRYING What does “try” even mean? Trying is not the same as doing. What is the difference? Remember that feelings drive actions. “I will TRY to do that” is not the same as “I WILL do that”. Think about how each of those different sentences drive different feelings and emotions, which will likely yield different results. 2) STOP DISTRACTIONS A distraction is an agitation of your mind. A distraction is stopping what you're doing to do something else and not get what you were doing, done. Distractions pull us away from progress and since our minds are all naturally lazy they would much rather rest. It takes a conscious effort to ignore distractions and keep our brains working. One of the easiest ways to minimize distractions is to make them harder. I’ll give you one real life example for me. When we started REALLY growing on Amazon, I developed a habit of checking my phone every 15-20 minutes to check for new orders. By simply putting my phone on the other side of my office, I didn’t have easy access to it so that habit was broken after a couple weeks. 3) STOP MULTITASKING There is no such thing as multitasking. Accept this reality right now. Trying to do more than one thing at a time means getting less done because it takes time to shift from one task to another. Getting closure in one task before moving on to the next typically yields much MUCH better results in the long term because you generate momentum, which frankly is the secret to productivity. There you have it! Three of my most effective tactics for getting shit done. Hopefully one or more of those resonate with you, and you will take Massive Action today to implement the ideas into your routine and get better results than ever before! Have a GSD-filled day!

Today I’d like to address some very common thinking you might relate to, what I call “past-thinking.” “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi I think this is also mentioned once or twice in one of the Rocky movies. Many well-intentioned people say to our customer service team: “I’d like to get back to my high school weight,” or “I’d like to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.” Today I suggest to you this is counter-productive. See, the problem with wanting to go back is that many of us have been trying to attain those goals, and have been met with failure. When we define our goals by some point in our past, I think many humans include the failure, regret and frustration not attaining those goals represents. It can be easy to become discouraged and feel hopeless about our current goals. What I recommend instead is to accept my past exactly as it should have been. Perfect, even. From here, I choose to move forward, toward the future, applying my energy into the NOW and what I might become. It’s much more productive for me this way. After all, the past is gone. There is no going back! The good news is, you and I can OWN our future. We can, starting right now, create a future that’s better than our past. We do not have to be defined by who we used to be! If you ever find yourself saying things like: “That’s the way I’ve always been.” “That’s how I’ve always done it.” “I’ve never been good at that.” Those are clear signs that you’re being defined by your PAST. Your past does not have any more control over you than you give it! --->Right now, and every moment, you have a choice to refuse to be controlled by your past! --->Right now, you can take charge of your NOW and create a future based on what you want, rather than what you’ve done. It’s time to look to the road ahead, to create the future you want. Your past set you up to be the person you are today, and right now it’s time to get excited about the future. You got this!

In 1989, the overall #1 pick in the NFL draft was a young player from UCLA. His 12 seasons as the starting quarterback for a team in Texas was a star-studded career... He was selected to the Pro Bowl six times He led his team to three Super Bowl victories ...and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. This man was Troy Aikman. During Troy’s career, the Dallas Cowboys were so feared, most teams went to the stadium with the expectation of LOSING! Why? I would argue those teams were way too deferential. They feared their own inferiority. Or both... Fear is unhealthy and one of the worst things you can fall into. Fearing your opponents, who or whatever they might be, automatically makes those things seem bigger, faster and smarter than they really are. Thus, there is a great advantage to be found in being UNIMPRESSED. Take a look at current presidents, kings, so-called titans of industry, celebrities and billionaires; you can easily find plenty of reasons to be completely unimpressed. Don’t fall into the intimidation trap. Refuse to be easily impressed. Rather, see your own talents as impressive. Remember to notice the reality of “Exalted Ones”; they’re just like you and me. They might have an impressive talent, but we’re all a mixed bag. No one is better than you, no one is more “valuable” than you. There’s no real reason other than the ones we create in our heads, to be intimidated or deferential. Be unimpressed. Notice this in the DNA of every underdog story… you too can cultivate the fine art of being unimpressed. Remember, courage isn’t the absence of fear--it’s the ability to ACT, despite the presence of fear. Try this out, and let me know if you don’t find yourself winning more than ever. Be brave!

I don’t hang out in bars, but I was having a drink with a good friend while I was on a business trip and I literally heard two groups of people more or less say the same thing. Let me paraphrase it. “So I finally got a new client, they wired me $X in my bank, so order anything you want.” What I processed was this: “I’ve been flat broke, but the second I got some money in my checking account, I found a way to spend it here today.” I see this EVERYWHERE and frankly, whenever someone asks me how to become an entrepreneur, I say this to them... Say you wake up tomorrow with $10,000,000 wired into your bank account...paint me a picture of what your entire day would look like. If at ANY point, they mention something about buying something beyond their means, I will literally stop them in their tracks and say they’re not mentally ready. You might be wondering now... What’s that got to do with lifting big ass dumbbells at the gym? Stick with me for a sec…. What’s the number one stressor most Americans worry, lose sleep and divorce over? MONEY. That’s right. Your financial security, by this logic, has a considerable impact on how relaxed and stress-free your gym workouts can be. Now, I’m no dummy--I know talking about money is taboo. And I wouldn’t bring it up, if the statistics weren’t so troubling. According to a Careerbuilder study, 78 percent of American workers report they are living paycheck to paycheck. 40% of Americans, according to CBS can’t cover a $400 emergency out of pocket. I truly hope you’re not one of them. If you are one of the 4 in 5 who’s worried, here are NINE tips I developed when I was $65,000 in debt, had 4 credit cards maxed out with only $92 in my bank account that you can use today, to ease the burden: 1. Make More Money - If you work for someone...pick up a copy of Seth Godin’s book “Linchpin” and become a freakin’ monster at your job to the point where they can’t afford to lose you. 2. Snowball your way out of it-- List out all of the debts you owe from smallest to biggest. Focus on knocking out the smallest debts with ALL of your excess money first while making the minimum payments on everything else. 3. Sell crap you don’t need-Have a garage sale or list them on Craigslist. 4. Negotiate with your bill providers-there’s services like BillCutterz who will hound service providers you’re using to negotiate lower rates. 5. Stop shopping at convenience stores-- It's the little things that add up to the big things. 6. Eliminate subscriptions-- Get rid of your cable subscription and go to the library; drop your Amazon Prime membership and build patience with 3-day shipping instead of 2. 7. If you’re going to shop online, be smart about it- Use apps like Honey to scour the internet for discounts. 8. Commit to saving- Be intentional, set a goal and save. 9. Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses-- This lies at the root of most people’s money problems. Here’s the crazy part. I STILL DO MOST OF THESE THINGS!!!! As hard or as crazy as this might sound, making money isn’t the hard part. Holding onto it is! Here’s to your financial health--and less stressful workouts, moving forward.

Have you ever heard someone talking about “making really good money?” Do you make “good money?” I always crack up when I hear that phrase, because of how subjective this is. $15 an hour is “good money” (a lot) for some, and $150 an hour is “bad money” (not enough), for others. But the hard numbers leave out what I see as the crucial metric: Do you ENJOY what you DO for money? Beyond the dollar amount you earn, what’s really at stake here is the life you’re creating through the actions you take each day. Now, I don’t know what you do personally, or if you’re happy doing it. What I hope to give you in the next 2 minutes are a couple things to think about, which absolutely changed my working life. --->First, (predictably) a story. This one comes from a book called “Delivering Happiness,” A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose. (It’s by Tony Hsieh, founder of Zappos, the giant online shoe company.) I highly recommend the book, for reasons which will be obvious in a moment… First, the story: A Zappos employee’s husband passed away in tragic style, back in 2007. The wife’s first call was to her manager at Zappos. The manager, hearing the devastating news, “showed great compassion and gave me sound advice to calm me. She assured that I shouldn’t be concerned with anything else but to take care of myself and family, and that--day or night--I should call her if I needed anything. After she gave me every single one of her phone numbers, I knew she meant it.” Further the manager reassured her she shouldn’t feel pressure to return to work, and offered to cater the funeral. Robin’s visiting family heard about this stuff and couldn’t believe these kind of gestures were given by a workplace. Robin said, “Wonderful. That’s what Zappos is.” Wrapping up, Robin talked about her “extended family” at Zappos who supported and showed friendship, was her “refuge and healing place that gave me everything I needed to continue with my life.” (paperback, pp. 178-9) Wow. You might be thinking, my job’s nothing like that… Or, I wish I had a boss like that… --->Well, I’m here to express the idea that you can experience something like Zappos, if you’re willing to put the work in, first. While most people complain about their jobs, their co-workers, their clients and customers (not to mention their bosses), you can be Crazy. You can be different, and I guarantee you, your results will be that much better. Today’s email is meant to inspire you. To motivate you. To supercharge your creative juices and enable you to find, or make your workplace into the best it possibly can be. Remember, you don’t have to accept things the way they are. Here at Crazy Muscle, for instance, we talk about each other as if we’re a big family. Because look... that’s what we are. From each team member, to our partners and our customers… we’re simply a dysfunctional family who wants nothing but the best for one another. And sometimes it can be bumpy (soooo like a family) and challenging. But we stick together, because we have a clear mission… To support you in achieving your biggest, crazy goals--and making *truly* good money while you’re at it! Here’s the thing… If you EVER need anything, I along with my entire team are here for you...SERIOUSLY! All you need to do is ASK!

Last week’s email was all about how to get better sleep. And a lot of you said you loved the tips… but this week, it hit me: I left something really important out! I purposely didn’t give you one GIANT piece of the puzzle... something that transcends the little tactics--it’s an overarching strategy that counterintuitively impacts the whole process. Before I dive into the secret, let me tell you a quick story about a man named Ivy Lee. He was a productivity consultant who helped Charles Schwab’s executive team massively improve their productivity in 1918. Requesting a 15-minute interview with each of the executives, he went over a dead-simple process with them that many of them probably scratched their heads thinking “...then what’s next?” I’ve adopted the “Ivy Lee method” and it’s critical to my day. I know, a planning process doesn't sound sexy, or even like it has much (if anything) to do with sleep, but if you’ve ever gotten in bed and realized you were thinking about something you had to do the next day, there’s a great chance it impacted your sleep. And not in a good way. So here’s my decidedly UN-sexy daily planning process which, if you’re not already using some version of, will absolutely help you in your quest for great sleep. Step 1: Write down no more than 6 things you need to get done tomorrow Step 2: Rank these 6 tasks and their numerical level of importance Step 3: Know that when you wake up, do your morning routine and get to work, you know exactly what you’ll be doing By having tomorrow planned to the hour (some might prefer even more scrupulous time segments), I find that I am able to drift off to sleep much more peacefully since I know exactly what I’ll be doing when I wake up in the morning. I’ve gotten everything I need to do, off my mind, and am able to easily, quickly slip into dreamland. SUCCESS! Another day starts with bountiful energy and a clear plan. Try it for a week and email me your results! To your best night’s sleep AND your most productive day!

One of the best, yet least-commonly heard pieces of advice I know is this... “If you want to experience a terrific quality of life, remember: you’ll spend almost your entire life in two places: Your BED Your SHOES So don’t bargain shop on either of those items!” One of the most common pitfalls that high achievers make is with their sleep. Are you doing everything you can, to ensure the very best sleep possible? Many are not... In fact, we as a group tend to push a little too hard, for too long. Among the Hustlers of the World, burnout is insanely common. I’ve experienced it more times than I care to admit so I did something about it. I hired a performance coach who taught me things I honestly didn’t believe at first.... But because of what I learned (and experienced), I’ll never handicap myself with a bad night of sleep ever again. Here’s the crazy part. You might even be able to fix the problem simply by adjusting WHEN you workout: The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research did a study which showed definitively that lifting weights in the morning helped subjects fall asleep about 45 minutes faster, while lifting in the evening improved the quality of sleep. So, if you’re finding yourself short on time to rest, consider working out in the evening. If you’re tossing and turning after lights out, stick with the morning workouts. And hey, if you need both, faster and better sleep--and aren’t into two-a-days--another study suggests adding some walking, or medium-intensive cardio to your daily routine. Walking has been tied to achieving both, falling asleep faster and better quality sleep. While there are about 2.6 billion (seriously) articles online about getting better sleep, here are a few I’ve personally adopted into my own routine: Take a short nap in the afternoon Don’t look at screens 45 - 60 minutes before bed time Replace your light bulbs in your room with halogen bulbs instead of modern LED bulbs Don’t drink alcohol or limit it as much as you can Have a nightly wind down routine Use an app, like Sleep Cycle, which tracks your sleep quality and tells you how long you were snoring and how long you actually slept Try using a sleep mask or putting covers on any windows so it’s pitch black if you struggle to stay asleep And here are two strategies to get started if you’ve never been intentional with your sleep: For 2-3 weeks, I’ll simply go to sleep when I get tired and wake up naturally. This will help you determine or recalibrate how much sleep your body needs (because this can change over the years) and what your ideal sleep/wake schedule is (everyone is different). Turn off all electronics at least 90 minutes before bed and spend time doing something offline (Tim Ferriss likes to say “the bedroom is for sleeping and sex… no electronics!). While writing about sleep is incredibly subjective and you might NOT benefit from any of these, it’s my opinion that springing for a quality mattress, some really nice sheets and pillows will make a difference that’s a terrific multiple of the investment. In closing, remember that your longevity has been clearly linked with regular sleep patterns, so if at all possible, try to use these tips and establish a consistent daily schedule.

Are you one of those perfect people who never hits the snooze button, never has a bad attitude or never misses a workout? Really? No complacency? Never been in a rut? If so, you can skip this message… Obviously, nobody is going to skip this message so read on because this email is for you (and especially me)! Since you’re still reading, I’m assuming you’re like the rest of us humans, and subject to distraction, fatigue and stale routines. We’ve all been there, and even the best of us occasionally need a change of pace or a new twist to an old routine. That’s why, in today’s message I’d like to gift you with 10 strategies I use to break out of the funk and get reinvigorated for my next workout. Surround Yourself with Motivation - for me, I live and die by my calendar. In fact, this is the first question I get as soon as I wake up. “Are you going to do what it takes to become the man you need to be to support those who believe in you?” Literally can’t go 1 hour without a reminder as to why I should be doing what I’m doing. Get Your Clothes On - My wife would argue that ALL of my clothes are “workout clothes”, but since she ain’t writing these emails, you get to hear my side. Okay yes, it’s true that I only wear Nike Dri-Fit shorts and Nike joggers but t night, the idea is to put your workout clothes on (including your socks). The trick to making a good habit stick is to reduce friction and make it as easy as possible for you to say yes. Bargain with Yourself - Here’s a powerful tool--I don’t love running, but going ONE MILE is no biggie. So… I bargain that I’ll just run one mile. Sometimes that’s all I get and that’s okay. Other days, I WANT go further, sometimes I go much further...but that would never happen if I didn’t start with the one mile. Visualize two versions of yourself, the one you are today and the one you believe is capable of CRUSHING your current goals in their sleep. Ask yourself what is that other person doing behind the scenes to effortlessly do the things you’re struggling to do? Create Reward Systems - We’re wired to desire rewards. Instead of telling yourself you’ll get a huge reward after dropping 20 lbs, breaking that big reward up into 10 mini rewards will give you momentum. Get an Enthusiastic Partner - This can be a challenge, but worth a couple efforts to get right. Most collaborations I’ve encountered result in a multiplication of effort, not addition. In other words, 1+1=3! Our Limitless Athletes community on Facebook is a GREAT place to find accountability partners. Change it Up - New gym, new route to drive there, strawberry shakes instead of vanilla… tweak and change your routine and find new energy available to you. Revenge… I know this is childish, but if your ex called you fat, why not use that as a motivation to say, look at me now! Revenge doesn’t always have to be confrontational. I myself was severely bullied until I picked up a dumbbell. Stay Youthful! Especially if you have kids, imagine how you’ll look in 10, 20 or 30 years. Will you be able to play with them, or will you be in a hospital bed, or worse? Remember, the more you do something, the easier it becomes so I’d encourage you to do more of whatever it is that makes you feel ALIVE. Compete EVERYDAY - track and compare PRs, supplement your individual heavy sessions with a weekly visit to the crossfit gym. Just remember, the only competitor that matters is the one staring back at you in the mirror. What's getting you going?

Do you know anyone who doesn’t act their age? Most of us do, and usually it’s a bad thing… not so, with Josephina Monestario, who started bodybuilding at age 59. Instead of following the herd, and letting gravity and time take their toll, Josephina has spent the past 12 years taking care of her body at a level most of us won’t achieve, at any age. How’d she achieve such incredible results? Here is Josephine’s “recipe”: Seven days a week she rises at 3 am. 90 minutes of prayer, meditation and Bible study Then she walks and runs six miles Then she does yoga and a sunrise swim (she lives in Vero Beach, Florida). Notice the emphasis on spirituality and being outdoors preceeds the screen activity and indoor gym activity. The afternoon portion of her “recipe” includes: Journal writing Working on her second book Followed by another 2 hours in the gym. Every day. “My workout is sacred… I keep a very tight schedule so I don’t lose track of time, Josephina says. What I like most about her approach isn’t the workouts--which are amazing--rather, it’s the little things she refuses, which, in my mind, are what really gives her the ability to separate herself from the typical senior. For instance… Josephina won’t take the senior discount in stores. “If I concede, then it means I believe in the system… I pay my full amount, and continue to live the way I want to, regardless of my age.” Continuing, Josephina said: “One of the things I’ve been thinking … is that we should never give up on ourselves… Give yourself the opportunity to fail. Don’t let fear be stronger than the excitement of being yourself and winning!” Amen to that! It’s no fun playing small in life--or accepting what life throws at us! We’ve got to expect things to go wrong, and it’s OK. Look, nobody will live a perfect life. Everybody falls at some point, but the ones who succeed are the ones who try to understand how to not repeat the mistake and get up at least one more time than they get knocked down. I hate how movies and the media portray entrepreneurs as being in their 20’s and having huge $100 million dollar exits driving around Lamborghini’s and living in high-rise penthouses. It’s EXTREMELY rare when first-time entrepreneurs knock it out of the park with their first business. The average age of an entrepreneur who makes a big exit is 47. I’ve never met an entrepreneur or someone who is in crazy good shape who doesn’t have a treasure chest of battle scars and failure stories. I’m telling you right now… you’re going to fall, maybe multiple times but we’re here every step of the way to pick you up and help you figure out your next step.

Last week I shared a Grumpier Old Men clip about a man who drank, smoked and ate copious amounts of bacon… and lived to be 95. Just a reminder to don’t follow that advice. Instead, let’s talk about what you could accomplish… if you could just get “caught up”! These days, so many amazing dreams and big goals die because people spend their lives in minutiae…I freakin’ hate minutiae. Look, everybody has 24 hours in their day between midnight to midnight. POTUS, entrepreneurs who run multiple million dollar companies, stay at home mama’s… Ask any of these folks if there’s ever enough time in the day to get everything done and they’ll all tell you “NO”! So then how do certain people get so much more done in the same 24 hours than the rest of the population? The answer is this… It’s HOW you START your day. Would you like to enjoy a 26 hour day? Consider this story: Almost sixty years after his death, Earnest Hemingway is still well-known in high school and college literature courses. He was also infamous for being a very heavy drinker. I only mention that fact, because despite his wild, carousing evenings …he was disciplined to wake up between 5:30 and 6:00 in the morning. Hemingway had this to say: “I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool and you come to your work and warm as you write… you may go on until noon or be through before that. When you stop you are empty, and at the same time never empty but filling, as when you have made love to someone you love. Nothing can hurt you, nothing can happen, nothing means anything until the next day when you do it again. It is the wait until the next day that is hard to get through.” Wow. {{ first_name|default:'Friend' }}, your day, regardless of when you hit the gym, is WON in the morning. By getting up early and doing specific things (outlined below) your life will change, very quickly. There’s a quote I absolutely love and believe it down to my core from Sir Richard Whately… “Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it.” Just last week, I had almost had a completely productive week except for Thursday. I woke up and didn’t do my workout because I didn’t feel like doing it. My entire morning routine was thrown off and I ended up literally getting NOTHING done that day. Whatever you’re doing, you can do more--with this simple shift in your routine. (Simple, not easy) Richard Branson gets up at 5am no matter where he is in the world because it gives him a head start on the rest of the world.​ Apple CEO Tim Cook gets up at 3:45. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is in the gym by 4am every day. I personally have been getting up before 5AM every day, for the past 2 years. I do this because by the time the average American wakes up, I’ve already gotten half my work done for the day! If I’m 100% honest with you, I could never run Crazy Muscle without my morning routine... There’s more time in the day to do things I want to do. Things I would’ve previously said “I’m too busy for that.” And even if you consider yourself a night owl, I guarantee you getting up at 5 or 6 for a couple days will cure your late nights. So, if you are a brave soul, and you do want the benefit of having an extra two hours per day (the “26 hour day”), what will you do specifically, before dawn? --->I recommend a strict routine you follow each and every morning. While your best routine will be one of your own creation, the most successful people on this planet typically include some combo of these elements: Gratitude Reading Exercise (cardio) Meditation​ Hydration One element that’s not on ANY early riser’s list? Electronic devices. Checking email or responding to texts or “just a minute in Facebook” is definitely not something to get out of bed for. How you start your day sets the tone for the entire

One of my all-time favorite movie lines comes from Grumpier Old Men. In it, Burgess Merideth reveals his “secret” to long life: (Speaking to his son) “Last Thursday I turned 95 years old… and I never exercised a day in my life… every morning I wake up and I smoke a cigarette, and then I eat five strips of bacon, and for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich, and for a midday snack? Bacon! … a whole damn plate of it! And I usually drink my dinner! (takes sip of beer). It’s a hilarious scene, yet sobering to think how often we humans often take our cues from what we see others do. Jim Rohn (a prolific motivational speaker) said we are the average of the five people closest to us, and I believe that is so true. Of course, Jim lived in simpler times. Today he might edit the saying to read: --->You’re the average of the 5 people whose Facebook posts you read, or emails you study… The point is, a long healthy life isn’t something we stumble into with a side of bacon hanging out of our cheek. It takes careful planning, determination, discipline and the courage to be different from the rest of the world. It takes something that looks...well, a bit CRAZY. And that’s why we take the time to send you these messages each and every week. There’s much thinking required to achieve anything good in the physical realm… In closing, here’s one last quote (which I love) that drives all of this home: Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions,, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes destiny! Here’s to your CRAZY awesome legacy!

Today’s email is NOT about bodybuilding. It’s not about diet, mindset or goals… and yet, I would argue, this message is more important than any of those things. It’s about suicide. Here’s the story: You know me by now, and you know that my brain (hopefully like yours) is a sponge for wisdom! Recently, I was watching some TED talks and I came across one given by a decorated police officer of nearly three decades… During his career, Kevin Briggs worked in the area surrounding the Golden Gate Bridge in California. Sadly, that spot is one of the most common places people who take their own lives, jump from. (he said people actually FLY INTO California to die here.) I’m including the link to the full talk below, but one thing REALLY struck me, which I want to share with you now: Now, we all know someone who’s struggled with depression, or worse. Some of us have even known someone to have commit suicide. And what’s always struck me is that those who knew the person often didn’t see it coming. But there are signs, and there is a single question one can ask that, according to Officer Briggs, just might save their life. Here it is: “A few people suffering under comparable circumstances have taken their own lives. Is this something you’ve considered?” That single question, asked without judgement, without condemnation, just might turn things around for your friend, family member or co-worker… or stranger! So, today’s message is somber, but consider this: Life on this planet is precious, and we at Crazy Muscle all believe that sending this email is worth it… Sharing this might just save someone’s life. Mental illness afflicts so many around us, but few are aware of what’s happening, while many others are embarrassed or ashamed to reveal what’s going on in their minds. --->Let’s be the positive force for good today. Let’s pay attention to others, and let’s pay things forward, in gratitude for all we have, as we do our best to make the lives around us even better than before! --->You’d be surprised how much power an intentional smile, an unexpected “hello” or a random high-five can have on a stranger who just might have needed that smile, “hello” or high-five today. I trust this message finds you well--and if not, let someone know! You’re always welcome to hit reply and talk to us. We’re here for you.

Last week I bemoaned the ridiculous level of advertising you and I are barraged with. My goal was simply for you to be aware of what these companies are trying to do: Distract you, derail you, prevent you from completing the mission you are on earth to accomplish. Don’t fall prey! If you truly want to win this battle--and make no mistake, this is warfare--what’s required is introspection. Asking yourself hard questions (the right ones)… and, with an honest assessment of yourself, having the courage to make tough adjustments to get across the finish line. Sound good? Great… let’s do this!

I’m constantly amazed by the advertisements shoved in my face. Maybe you can relate? It’s always “Easy to do” this or “Done for You” that… While that might not be appealing to you or I, this lazy, entitled sense of getting maximum stuff for minimum effort, appeals to the bum inside all of us. And the part that makes me sad...is that those ads actually work. Most people want to learn the magical, secret 7 step formula that will give them instant results or make them an overnight success. I believe shit like this is what hampers and ultimately destroys human potential. When people are backed into a corner, tremendous feats of human possibility emerge. Grit happens. And when grit happens, shit gets done, confidence gets built, progress is made and people become unstoppable. I’ll give you a real life example. There are a hundred and one Amazon seller gurus out there who claim to have a proven system to turn anybody into a million dollar seller. I’ve listened to a bunch of these courses out of pure curiosity and I’ll tell you that most of what they share are short-cuts at best that could potentially leave your account suspended. The way we exploded our growth on Amazon wasn’t by following those BS strategies… We earned the #4 best-selling creatine brand spot on Amazon in a little over 1.5 years by implementing this simple 7-step process: Realize you don’t have any brand recognition or financial resources to start from scratch and compete against huge brands like ON, BSN or MP. Get knocked down when the big brands decide to unprofitably & aggressively outbid you on all of your ads so your products don’t show up anywhere. Mentally decide you don’t have what it takes to compete in this hyper aggressive industry and nearly throw in the towel once a week for the first year. Pick yourself up, make sure there’s still some time left on the clock, figure out your next move and EXECUTE, EXECUTE, EXECUTE. Suffer more ass-kicking and accept that you’ve been pinned up against a wall while your opponent is still hammering away. Decide that you can only move forward from here and that you’re not going to go down without a fight. Get up, wipe the blood off your face, dust the dirt off your shoulders and get back in the ring. Keep trying something new everytime you get back up until something sticks. Focus all of your energy and resources to becoming the best at that one thing. Maybe you have a huge goal that you want to achieve with your fitness. A goal that you may not believe is possible (and I sincerely hope you do!)... There aren’t any real shortcuts in life, and we relish the opportunity to delve into the sweat, pain and tears required to accomplish something meaningful. We embrace the soreness and the aches and pains, ice packs, groaning and limping (you know what I’m talking about after a heavy day of squats)! The Magic Bullet that takes away the pain and delivers the reward simply does not exist. Look, I get it… Other websites might have better content than we do, but that’s not our focus. Our mission is to help you figure out your next step on your journey towards crushing your limiting beliefs.

Hey {{ first_name|default:'friend' }}! Today I’d like to talk to you about the most critically important element of your life. It’s not your food, your exercise, sleep or even your supplements. It’s water. We can make it for about a month without food, but we’ll be dead within a week without agua... And did you know that if you’re just 1%-2% dehydrated, you’ll probably experience reduced concentration and energy, greater fatigue and mood changes? “But I don’t really like water,” is something I hear from MOST people who aren’t drinking enough. Don’t worry, I’ll give you a hack for this in a moment… right now, remember: Getting your share of water is vital, because water regulates your body temperature, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, cushions joints, protects organs and tissues, and removes wastes. Water is a big issue because nearly 97% of it is salty and undrinkable. On top of that, another 2% is stuck in ice caps and glaciers, leaving only 1% available to you… And, you gotta share that 1% with the other 7.6 billion people on the planet! So, the answer to your problems? Often it’s as simple as drinking more water. Too simple? I’m always a huge believer in the concept of making good habits easier to do. One of the strategies I do every night before I leave my office is to fill a 40oz HydroFlask with ice and water so that I have 40 oz of super-chilled water waiting for me when I get to my computer. I also have 2 separate alarms that go off throughout my day to refill so I’m chugging about 120 oz of water during my day. A good rule of thumb is to drink about half your body weight in ounces per day, but I’m drinking more than that recommendation because frankly, it just makes me feel better. Here are a few simple guidelines to know you’re getting enough water: Go for clear Pee! Avoid “thirsty” - if you regularly get thirsty, you’re not drinking enough. Ideally you drink a steady stream, so you never get thirsty. Avoid cramps - these are a sure sign you need to better regulate an increased volume of water. Follow these tips, and remember to try and avoid gulping water by seeking a slow, steady intake level that prevents thirsty, cramps and results in clear pee. Now, raise a glass of H2O to your health!

Hey {{ first_name|default:'friend' }}! Maximus here, and I’ve got good news and bad news in this email. First, let’s get the bad news out of the way. If you’re eating junk food, you’re stunting your crazy growth. Ok, you knew that: junk food is bad, but it tastes soooooo good, right (sometimes)? Here’s the good news: fixing it is easy, when you’ve got the right motivation, combined with a crystal clear understanding of what junk food is (hint: it’s more than you think). First, let’s consider: What’s your motivation for avoiding your favorite snacks (mine are donuts, seriously...I have a huge soft spot for quality donuts)? Is it how you’ll look in the mirror? Or being able to add another 2 ½ pound weight to your bench every week? You definitely know all getting all processed foods and sugars out of your life make way for all the good stuff: Live a better (and healthier) life Have a happier (and flatter) tummy Be a great example for your partner, wife, husband, kids, parents… Not to mention increasing your chances of NOT getting diabetes, clogged arteries, etc... We all know that Junk in, junk out… So, if you’re doing everything right in the gym and for your diet, why would I still be talking about junk food to you? Well, I’ll put it to you this way: Not all junk food goes in our mouths… a lot goes into our ears. Truth is, I see so many otherwise intelligent people, getting great results, disciplined in the gym and their work, just gorging themselves on intellectual junk! That’s why I’m bringing this up… to help you curb your intellectual junk food cravings. Convinced? Try out this book recommendation below, and keep reading these emails. It WILL make a difference. And I’ll hold up my end of the bargain and keep feeding you “wholegrain emails” every week. Until next week! Maximus PS: Here’s a book that changed my life: Principles by Ray Dalio...if you want a paradigm shift, this is the book that’ll do it.

Hey {{ first_name|default:'friend' }}, Today I want to share a way to quickly level up your workouts, and your life... ...but first, a quote: “The man who does not read books has no advantage over the person who can’t read them.” --Mark Twain Now, another quote: “If knowledge is power, reading is a SUPER-power.” This came from Jim Kwik, who went on to say, “Reading is not a skill we’re born with. We have to train.” Since you’re reading this email, I’m assuming you like superpowers, training and knowledge. So, why’s it so hard for most of us to read... even when we know that more success, more wisdom, more achievement and all the good stuff is found in books? According to Jim, it’s down to two primary problems many of us unconsciously suffer from: “Learned Helplessness. Jim says, “Learned helplessness and telling yourself I’m a poor reader are self-fulfilling prophecies.” Subvocalizing. Reading and “saying” the words in our head slows most people down to the point they often end up telling themselves they’re… you guessed it, poor readers. The good news for you comes from the top of this email (were you reading carefully?): reading is not a skill any of us are born with. In fact, Jim Kwik had a traumatic brain injury he had to overcome on his journey to becoming a memory and speed reading expert! Since we’re all into building muscle and training hard, I thought it would be useful to share this message with you. Just by applying your existing grit and determination that you have in the gym to your reading, you can quickly improve brain function and capability. As much as I love me some audiobooks, you’re not going to get the same impact from listening to a book as you will from actually reading the words on the paper. If you’re a slow reader (like me), so be it. Just don’t let that stop you. Kick butt! Maximus P.S. -- Sometimes a disdain for reading simply comes from having read the wrong books, or remembering a horrible one you read in high school. Try a biography. Or a novel. Even a romance novel! Whatever you choose, give your brain a workout today!

In the 2016 summer Olympic games in Rio, Damir Martin of Croatia and Mahé Drysdale of New Zealand found themselves literally NECK AND NECK rowing to the finish line on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Martin was clearly in the lead but in the last 500 meter stretch, Drysdale started making the comeback of a lifetime...inching his way closer and closer to Martin as he eventually caught up at the finish line. Both men crossed the finish line with a time of 6:41:34. The race clock didn’t even have the capability of measuring any further so the judges had to review several finish line photos to see who the actual winner was. One centimeter. One thousands of a second. In the end, Drysdale was awarded the gold medal by simply crossing the finish line 0.001 seconds faster than Martin. One thousands of a second is a TINY measure of time. One centimeter is a TINY measure of length...at least it is to you and me. Try asking Damir Martin and he might have a different opinion about how BIG 0.001 seconds or 1 centimeter actually is. You’re on a path that so few humans ever dare tread... Working (and sweating) as tirelessly as you do means you’re in competition to be the *very* best you can be. And there’s a great chance you’re one of the best in your gym. BUT… At the top of any scale, the difference between first place and second is almost indiscernible--except to you. So how do you squeeze in that tiny last bit of excellence and put 2nd place where it belongs? Details. We love to sweat the small stuff. Obviously I have no insight into the training regimen for either athlete, but I honestly wouldn’t be too surprised if it turned out that the winner had an insanely detailed ritual for every aspect of his training. I compiled a short list of rules you can use to make sure you don’t miss any details that might cost you 1st place of whatever game you’re playing. Check it out: Teams -- if you’re lucky enough to have a workout partner, that’s great. For many of us, working out with another is distracting and counterproductive. But if you know the value of accountability, it can be worth another look--even if you both just walk in and out of the gym at the same time. Knowing you’ll be sharing your workout results on the ride home can be enough to ensure you don’t cut corners. Processes -- if you’ve been on the weights for any length of time, there’s a chance you hit some complacency, one time or another. One way this happens is by working your routine by memory. Stick it to paper, and write in the reps, sets, weights and check off each item as you go. This can be an invaluable tool for precision. Reach High -- understand that most of the time, the goals we set shouldn’t be hit. That’s because the purpose of a goal isn’t to hit it...the purpose of a goal is to become the kind of person who is capable of achieving that goal. Reach higher and shoot past what you feel is “reasonable” and push yourself harder to hit that crazy goal. Get Fresh -- have you been going to the same gym, in the same outfits, with the same gloves and the same hour for a long time? You get the picture here… switching up these (and 100 other details) can give you the mental edge to avoid mistakes. Be on the lookout for new music, spend a little extra on nicer workout clothes, reach out to a friend and ask if you can join them in one of their workout sessions. Stomp Distractions -- too much sensory input reduces focus and increases your likelihood of making mistakes. Consider leaving the phone in the car, working out at a low-traffic time (assuming you work out at a gym), and keeping conversations to a minimum inside the gym. All are vital to you becoming the best version of you possible.

Maximus here to serve up a cautionary tale, but first...a quick quote from the legendary Gene Hackman. The difference between a hero and a coward is one step sideways. Your life, my life, that dude’s life walking across the street is seeping out of each of us. Dissipating, dissolving, deteriorating, moment by moment. Each day you and I have a choice. Be brave or cowardly, assertive or timid. To step out and take a risk, or stay inside and be comfortable… Whether you finish what you’ve set out for yourself to achieve, or you give up your future to other people’s agendas IS UP TO YOU. No one else. What (almost always) seem like temporary circumstances--are actually permanent circumstances. Maybe you feel like the season of depression or overwhelming stress is just a season that’ll eventually pass, but if you do nothing about it, those feelings ain’t going anywhere. Life happens. Conditions aren’t always fair. Normal is a fabricated concept. Stop making excuses. Stop accepting delays. Get shit done. TODAY. The world wants to intimidate you, push you back, make you hesitate, stop, surrender. Failure is eager to whisper “wait, you’re not ready” and plant self-doubt, causing you to keep your bold ideas to yourself. Patience is not the same thing as procrastination… You can take action and be patient for the outcome, but if you procrastinate, you leave no room for action. But remember this: Everyone experiences this. Not just you. You’re not unique. I’m not unique. Dwayne Johnson is not unique. We all go through this stuff. The fighters (like you and me) make it work, despite the noise. So identify the noise, push through it and claim your VICTORY! Go get it, TODAY...not tomorrow. Maximus

Every day, week, month, it seems there are more and more things pressing in, vying for my attention. Trying to wrest my focus and steal my time. Everyone around me seems to be repeating, “I’m so busy, I’m so busy.” This is a load of BS. And busy is for the birds. Derek Sivers (you know, the guy who created CD Baby) talks about the idea that “busy” is a construct people make up, an excuse and default mode many of us willingly place ourselves in. Too often “busy mode” is filled with the mundane; reading emails watching Netflix “I’ve got to catch up on my shows”) and getting the unimportant done, at the cost of the really big things worth doing. Damned Procrastination. How to overcome all that? Well, using the simple method I taught you last week helps, but even more is ACTION. Research shows that when we take fast action and get rapid results, then we are more likely to make these results permanent. This is true for losing weight, making more money, and improving any habit. If you decide to do nothing, you’ll remain in the same painful, frustrating, and vicious cycle of working hard, getting frustrated, doubling down and working harder, and only getting more frustrated, and then… well, then what? There’s no happy ending if you decide to avoid action. So, if you’re finding yourself stuck in procrastination creek, here are a few surefire ways to dig out and get moving down the river: -->There is a direct correlation between how quickly a person takes action on a new idea and how likely it is they will ever take action. -->Once that person takes action, their chances of success go up exponentially! Because you know how few people reach their full potential, and you don’t want to be one of them, the best thing you can do is TAKE ACTION NOW! For some of you, it’s not getting in the gym on schedule… Maybe it’s starting that side hustle Quitting your day job to grow a side business Asking that girl/guy out on a date Asking for a raise at work Or risking leaving your “safe” company job to start a new career Whatever your biggest dream is, here’s the rub: Most people overthink (and don’t take action) because they’re afraid of making a mistake. NEWSFLASH: Making mistakes is CRITICAL to achieving success, and… The most successful people make the most mistakes--they just make them quicker than most. And when they make mistakes? They learn from them, dust themselves off, and quickly relaunch in a new direction. I'll leave you with this quote that I heard on a podcast today. Dream BIG. Start SMALL. Act NOW. Maximus

Life coach Brooke Castillo has a term for procrastinating I absolutely love… “Buffering.” She defines it as the things we do to avoid feeling pain. One example Brooke uses to describe this process is this: “say you come into a room, flip on the light, and discover it’s an absolute mess--a disaster. The natural thing to do is to turn the light back off!” That’s buffering. Avoidance. It can take all sorts of forms--eating, drinking, cleaning--anything to avoid addressing the mess in the room. We all do it, to one degree or another, but there is a way out. A terrific way to minimize how much you and I buffer each day. In fact, if you do what I’m about to share, I promise your life will improve. Why? It’s simple: planning your day carefully leaves little time for buffering. Time management guru Brian Tracy says each minute you spend in planning saves as many as ten minutes in execution. FURTHER: It takes only about 10 to 12 minutes for you to plan out your day, but this small investment of time will save you up to two hours (100 to 120 minutes) in wasted time and diffused effort through the day. --->Right now, I’m only going to ask you to spend five. So what is this magical process and how do you do it? This evening, sit down for just five minutes and write out everything you need to do to reach your goals. I recommend you use a big blank sheet of 8.5x11 paper. Then, after you’ve put everything down, you need to prioritize your list. I recommend using a scale of one to five, five being the most important, one being the least. Having done this activity, you should now have great clarity on what needs to be done first, second, and so forth. Stick to it! It doesn’t have to be perfect and it’ll probably change. In fact, it absolutely will change as you start to develop momentum, which will greatly increase your confidence. That’s it... Now go crush your day!

I happen to know a guy who survived a death sentence. Literally, a living hell. Jesse had been going through a bad patch in life, and got caught up in addiction, and the lifestyle of dealing drugs... In Asia. Bangkok, Thailand. For the uninitiated, dealing drugs is bad, but in Asia? Getting caught, in most Southeast countries can mean being executed. Well, this guy was no angel, so when they put him in jail, he found himself on death row. This is where most of those sad stories end. But not this one… Jesse said: “After landing in a dirty cell with 50 people and just ONE TOILET, I was shocked to see where I’d taken my life.” The dirty cell and rough prison life quickly woke him from his self-destructive pattern. As weeks turned into months, he thought about how he’d thrown his life away, and decided to make some serious changes, despite the fearsome outlook on his life expectancy. He began working out. Running. Lifting. Quit smoking cigarettes. Quit dealing... Added reading. Learning. Teaching… Jesse said, “the pivotal change came when I read a quote from Bo Lozoff’s book “We’re All Doing Time.” It said: “Don’t serve time, make the time serve you!” And so he did… --->Rather than feel sorry for himself, he recognized his mistakes. Learned from them. Corrected course, and re-invented himself. Over the next five years, and in some of the most infamous prisons in Asia, Jesse worked hard to master speaking the Thai language. Reading the funky, 66 letter alphabet… Talking to everyone he could, failing and failing to succeed. And, eventually he began writing a monthly letter, Shawshank Redemption style, to the consulate. After five years of this, he eventually persuaded his Embassy to ship him back to America! (By then, he’d gotten the death sentence reduced to a life sentence.) Today, he’s released, and making a good living helping businesses with… you guessed it, WRITING. How did Jesse find the strength to get up each day and put in the long hours to work as hard as he did? His answer was profound: “My Dad wrote me a letter right after I was sentenced. It said a lot, but the thing that stuck with me was this: ‘Jesse, you eat an elephant the same way you eat an apple… one bite at a time!’ Reading my Dad’s words, I looked around and realized a lot of guys in prison simply lay down and wait for death. To most, the task is simply overwhelming. I figured, I’m still breathing, so there’s still hope!” --->So, what’s your big, ugly task that might look like too much work to even begin? Are you procrastinating, or letting fear get the better of you? What small steps can you take today, like just one or two bites of your “elephant?” --->Remember, most people overestimate what they can do in one year, but VASTLY underestimate what they can accomplish in five or ten! Jesse wrote his way out of a life sentence, in a foreign language he learned in prison… what can YOU do, if you just start today?

Welcome back. Maximus here with what might be the most counterintuitive success secret I’ve ever learned… And if you’re paying attention, you’ll remember last week I promised to tell you how to improve anything and everything you apply this to, by 68%. So here’s what you do: STEP #1: Just find a ONE PERCENT improvement, over last week. Simple, right? STEP #2: Do it again, next week. STEP #3: Repeat, for life! Simply by achieving a 1% improvement each and every week, for 52 weeks, you’ll be blown away by the cumulative transformation... You’re probably thinking, “Hold on, Maximus… that’s 52%!” You’re right--but, you’d be forgetting the magic of compound interest. Yep, sorry, but it’s a math lesson (or “maths” for you Brits). So if you improve one percent each week for 52 weeks, you’ll be 68% better. Sounds good, right? Well, my friend, that’s just the beginning… If you continue this pattern for two years, you’ll be 181% better! You can imagine how ridiculous it gets after that… 10 years of 1% weekly improvements? 17,565% better! 20 years? 3,120,433% better! 40 years? 97,377,241,444% better! All that from just a measly 1% weekly improvement. You can see why lots of highly successful people talk about “hitting singles consistently, rather than going for the giant home run swing. And this is how you become one of the exceptional people on this planet, fast! It’s not usually extraordinary luck, natural skill or talent, but simply consistent, hard work and small improvements, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. It’s all about tiny, continuous actions. If you want to be truly exceptional in the gym, at work, in your relationships, and in life--today I hope you’ll keep your eyes peeled for the small things you can improve, today. To Your Ridiculous Success! Maximus P.S. - If you haven’t already joined us on Facebook, search for Limitless Athletes and ask your questions, share your victories and make new battle buddies. This group is dedicated to helping you crush goals you never thought were possible. We have athletes, certified fitness coaches, ex-military, scientists and most importantly...people who are trying to live to their full potential in the group. We’d love to have you join our community!