Why Should YOU Train Like A Warrior?

Upon hearing the name of my gym, Warrior Fitness Gym, and my 30 year martial arts background, many people become hesitant and ask me, “Do I need to be a martial artist to train with you?  Do I have to be a warrior?”  The answer to the first question is no and the answer to the second question is yes.

You do not have to train martial arts to join my gym, in fact the majority of the clients who train with me at the gym are not, but yes, you DO have to be a warrior!  The definition of warrior that I am using here is –  “One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict.”

Your activity is fitness training.

Your cause is to be the strongest, healthiest, best version of yourself you can possibly be.

Your conflict is fighting against mediocrity, laziness, and the pull of simply going along with the herd.

Good enough is NOT good enough, good is the enemy of GREAT!

If you are not a warrior, don’t worry.  I’ll make you one.

Why should you train this way?

Quite simple.  You are dissatisfied with the status quo.  You want something different, better, more effective, and quite frankly much cooler and more kick ass than traditional boring fitness workouts.  You want to walk tall and stand out from the crowd, not be lost in the masses as another wall flower.  You want to become the most powerful version of yourself possible and you will fight hard to do it.

Warrior training is the essence of fitness.  Remember that sports were created as a way for warriors to practice and hone thier skills in times of peace.  Almost all physical training that has stood the test of time was once warrior training.  In essence, training like this will bring you back to the root of what fitness training really is – training for battle.  Yes, even if you never engage in combat, this type of training will prepare you to face any challenges life may throw at you.

My recommendation?  Train with me.  Train like a warrior.

Jon Shizen

 

Why Eating Bitter is so Sweet

The Chinese martial arts have an expression, chi ku, which means to “eat bitter” or “eating bitterness”.  It is frequently used by the master to express to the students training under him the fact that if they want to become masters of  the art in their own right, they must suffer first.  The training is often very rigorous, both physically and mentally demanding.  It can also be extremely boring and repetitive sometimes as the trainees must perform the same movement patterns and work though the same solo exercises over and over again in order to burn it into their nervous systems so it becomes part of them.  This is the only way to do it.

Certainly this type of training is not for everyone.  Yet for those with the physical and mental fortitude to endure the long years of training and hardship, the harsh realities of becoming great, the rewards are vast.  The students develop formidable body skills and enourmous amounts of mental toughness.  For those that make it, they realize the training was intense, but they made it through.  They are now the masters.

As Jim Rohn famously said – There are only 2 pains in life.  The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.

It’s your choice.  Suffer a little now, endure the training, endure the hardships, endure the life adversity, and then look back knowing that you have walked through it and achieved your goal on the other side.

Or, be afraid of the hardship and pain and decide to back off and stay where you are.  The pain of discipline is avoided, yes, but what you don’t realize is that the pain of regret weighs much, much heavier and is in fact the greater of the 2 pains.

Eat bitter now and be able to endure physical and mental hardships in training.  Endure hardship and succeed.  The rewards are so sweet!

muhammad-ali

 

I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit.  Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’
– Muhammad Ali

Stay The Course

Stay-the-CourseOver the past few early January 2013 evenings I’ve been thinking deeply about my mission in life.  Some of my thoughts formed themselves into the lines below as I sat writing in front of my computer.

My goal here is to reach out to all those people who never quite manage to keep their resolutions and to help them.  They begin an exercise program, a diet, a martial arts class with the best of intentions, but somehow lack the ability to Stay the Course.  This is my advice to them, and to you too.

I haven’t really written any poetry since college when I took a few poetry courses, so bear with me!

 

Stay the Course

The road is hard and fraught with pitfalls,

Stay the course.

Intense effort, concentration, and focus are sometimes required,

Stay the course.

You will fall, get distracted, wander off the path every once in a while,

Stay the course.

The greatest part of it all is the journey, not the destination, revel in it and

Stay the course.

Redouble your efforts, push hard, live like a champion and,

Stay the course.

Do not allow your will, momentum, or motivation to falter,

Stay the course.

Seek guidance from others farther along the path than you.  They will assist in helping you to

Stay the course.

Do the work, reap the rewards.  Consistency is the key,

Stay the course.

Know that difficulties and doubts will arise along the path, keep moving, they will evaporate as you

Stay the course.

Understand the rhythm of your own body – some sessions breaking limits, some days moving lightly,

Stay the course.

Open the body. Breathe deep.  Stretch.  Feel your life force pulsing inside.

Stay the course.

Results come from constant effort, you must

Stay the course.

Nothing comes from quitting.  All that effort is wasted.  All steps in vain.  Therefore always

Stay the course.

 

I don’t think this poem is quite finished yet, there’s still more percolating around in my mind on this subject.  I have a feeling that I will be adding lines to this over the next few weeks as the thoughts crystallize.  But for now, it is an unfinished work in progress that I want to share with you.

Let me know what you think – drop a comment below or hit me up on the Warrior Fitness Facebook page!

Don’t quit.  Keep going!

If you need help, ask.  Whether you are local to Hainesport, NJ and want to train at Warrior Fitness Gym or you are far away and need online coaching.  Ask.  That’s what I’m here for.

 

 

7.5 Steps to NOT Achieving Your Fitness Goals in 2013

How to NOT Meet Your Fitness Goals for 2013….

I hope you all brought your sense of humor with you into the New Year.  Here are my 7.5, obviously tongue in cheek, suggestions for NOT meeting your fitness goals in 2013.  If you read carefully you may find hints as to how to properly go about it… :o)

missed-targetStep 1 – Move from workout program to workout program like a sugar addled child in a candy store.  This will insure you do not do one thing long enough to see an actual result.

Step 2 – Spend inordinate amounts of time boring yourself to death on cardio machines while tranquilizing your mind by watching TV while doing it

Step 3 – Make sure you do not change your diet to match your new found training regimen.  Eat all the carbs and processed foods you like.  Nutrition makes NO difference if you are exercising.

Step 4 – Do it yourself!  With no discipline, accountability, and support structure in place you are guaranteed to fail.

Step 5 – Hire the cheapest trainer you can find cause they have the LEAST amount of experience

Step 6 – Whatever you do, do NOT lift heavy weights!  You might accidentally challenge your body and engender a metabolic response.  Careful!

Step 7 – Do NOT initiate proper warm-up and cool down protocols in your training, they are for sissies!

Step 7.5 – Make sure you go as hard as possible at EVERY session.  Do not give your body a chance to recover.  C’mon, it’s not like growth happens during the recovery process or anything!

Happy New Year from Warrior Fitness!!

Top 10 Warrior Blog Posts of 2012

Who doesn’t love Top 10 Lists?

 

waynes-top10-list

Earlier in the week when I began looking back over the Warrior Blog 2012 to put together my Year in Review post, it occurred to me that I should also do my very own top 10 list.  Why not?  It’s a great way to review and recap the most important and impactful posts of the year, plus it’s a lot of fun!  So I scoured the year for the 10 posts that I think represent the very best of Warrior Fitness for 2012.

What do you think?

1) To Stretch or Not To Stretch

2) Fitness or Fatness, Your Choice

3) Preparing Ninja for a Mission

4) Why I Hate Working Out

5) Is Your Workout Really Enhancing Your Martial Art Training?

6) What’s Wrong with Men Today?

7) Muscle Confusion Got Ya Confused?

8) Breakfast, The Most Overrated Meal of the Day

9) Why Do You Do That?

10) This is Dangerous to YOUR Training

 

And one more bonus post just because I think it’s important….

10.5) The Top 4 Strength Training Myths for Women

 

So there you have it, my picks for the Top 10 Warrior Posts of 2012.  How about you?  Any favorite Warrior Blog posts that didn’t make the Top 10 list?  Let me know!

Stay tuned for more exciting things coming your way in 2013.  You ain’t seen nothing yet!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Year in Review

As we begin to turn the calendar page and close the door on 2012, I wanted to look back and share with you some highlights of the year for Warrior Fitness. Although it was a very busy and prouctive year all around, a few major accomplishments really stand out in my mind.

Here are a few of them in pictures….

Warrior Fitness Gym opened in January

WFG Pic

Several Bujinkan Martial Arts seminars were co-taught with my best Buyu, Josh Sager (more coming in 2013!)

jon and josh

I was named Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for VX Global and even got my own channel on VX TV!

VX Coach

First Ever VX USA Certification Seminar held at Warrior Fitness Gym (more coming in 2013!)

 

VX Cert

 

I was certified as a VX Coach Level 1

 

VX Coach

 

Released the Dad Strength Program for Father’s Day, 2012

Dad Strength Cover

Ran the Tough Mudder in October with my brother, Dave and best friend, Jason (who’s up for another in 2013?  Team Warrior Fitness!)

 

ToughMudder1

 

Held the first ever Flippin Awesome Tire Battle at Warrior Fitness Gym!

Released the Evolve Your Breathing Program in December

EVOLVE_SPOT-1 (2)

1st Seminar at Warrior Fitness Gym with my good friend, Craig Gray (more coming in 2013 – see HERE!)

Jon and Craig

Oh Yeah, and I turned 40 in December… Shhh… don’t tell anyone!

40

 

Wishing a Happy, Prosperous, and Strong New Year to all my family, friends, clients, and followers locally and around the world – thank you for all your support, it’s an honor to serve you!

Keep a sharp lookout on 2013 – more awesome and amazing things are coming your way from Warrior Fitness!

Next year – The Year of the Warrior!

Bye bye 2012…

2012

 

Resolutions Are Bogus

I’ve had it with the whole New Year Resolutions thing.  I’m done.  I’m getting off the bandwagon and actively choosing to NOT participate.  The whole concept is bogus nonsense anyway when you think about it. Continue reading

Why You STILL Don’t Breathe Properly

I know, I know.  You’ve been breathing your entire life so how could you be doing it wrong?  You practice all day, every day, right?  So you’re thinking – Pretty simple stuff here – in through the nose, out through the mouth, what’s so difficult about this?  How could I possibly be screwing it up?  I mean, it’s an automatic process for goodness sake!  Doesn’t my body know what it’s doing? Continue reading

The Myth of the Impossible Workout

Strap in, Warriors.  I have something I need to get off my chest.

This has been on my mind lately and it drives me absolutely crazy.  It’s the idea running rampant in the fitness industry that to have had a productive, effective workout you must lying in the fetal position in a pool of your own sweat and vomit at the end of it.  This is ridiculous. Continue reading

Improve Yourself Every Day

“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

The potential for greatness lies within us all.  We just need to cultivate it.  But cultivation requires 2 things: effort and consistency.  If you want to pursue your own innate greatness you must DO something every day to bring it closer.  Daily effort sharpens the focus, polishes the shine, bringing you one step closer ever day. Continue reading