Stop Being So Sensitive & Get STRONGER

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, Middlesex, NJ Baseball Training, NJ Basketball Training, NJ Cross Country Training, NJ Fat Loss, NJ Football Training, NJ Swim Training, NJ Track & Field Training, NJ Volleyball Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Scotch Plains, STRONG Life Academy, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

The Battle Against Mediocrity is at an all time high.

I had NO clue that you get made fun of for working hard. So these kids are saying it’s cool to be average? It’s cool to be a follower? I can’t accept that.

Perhaps the easiest thing to do is see what all the average people are doing and then you can do the opposite.

Fridays are for my boys…..

• Instead, you train on Fridays, then you hang out with your friends.

9 AM workouts on the weekends. I used to LOVE weekend lifting, the gym I went to opened up at 6 or 7 AM and I loved being there first. I felt pride that I was training before the majority.

9 AM is too early, man…..

•  Stop staying up so late at night, then, after training you get a power breakfast and weekends are an opportunity to sneak in a nap, which is great for recovery and making strength / performance gains.

Yes, I HEAR these things, even at the college level. Which reminds me exactly why YOU must be better than the majority who have the “common” excuses.

Do NOT be the common athlete. Be The UNcommon athlete.

The world is too sensitive. That sensitivity and entitled feeling of always being offended comes from lack of strength. Lack of strength comes from lack of struggle.

• Tell someone to work harder in the gym, practice or at work and they shut down and can’t move forward. We need to be open to feedback and let the feedback inspire us, not weaken us.
• Tell someone else to pick up their dog crap off of YOUR lawn and they look at you like you’re the bad person. I was 5 years old with our first dog and I KNEW back then without my Dad telling me, you do NOT leave dog crap anywhere, especially on someone else’s lawn.

I have adults older than me who are too busy to get off their cell phone and pick up their dog crap. These are all lessons of strength. STRONG people follow through, they do all the little things.

#STRONGLife TIP OF THE DAY 👊👊🔨🔨

A post shared by Zach Even – Esh (@zevenesh) on Feb 17, 2018 at 8:14am PST

How you do anything is how you do everything.

Listen, do you want to be a successful HUMAN, not just a successful athlete? Then be GREAT, work harder, show up early, stay after practice late and just DO MORE WORK.

Less talk, MORE action.

I see high school coaches getting fired on the regular because parents and athletes complain behind their back and say “He’s too mean”.

Does “too mean” actually translate to the Coach wants athletes showing up on time, being disciplined, working hard, not allowing excuses? I think all of that sounds GREAT because it makes you a better person, NOT just a better athlete!

Ironically, I’ve seen athletes defend their coach who leads the team to a losing record year after year after year. The kids are actually defending mediocrity and taking pride in it.

Is losing 75% of your games / competition even considered mediocrity? That’s called FAILING. I see Coaches like this being in charge year after year. Would you be happy if your child achieved failing results from The Underground?

No. You want excellence from us and I LOVE that. I do not fear the high expectations and I push our Coaches to love it as well. Good enough is not tolerated from the Coaches, I tell them all the time, be great, there is NO other option.

Below is a Video with Mark Ironside, a 2 x high school state champ and 2 x national champ from Iowa under Coach Dan Gable. I used to watch him wrestle when I was younger myself.

There is MUCH to learn here, regardless of your sport! Listen, Watch, Learn & APPLY!

What do you do on your OWN?

• Get a job helping a landscaper or construction worker over the Summer
• Enter Road Races and run a 5K a few times
• Pick up Basketball, Baseball, Football, Wrestling at the park? I have NEVER seen this!

If the Coach is more motivated than the athlete, there is something wrong there.

The Underground is NOT going to lessen our standards. Keep fighting and training to be Awesome. There is no other option!

Oh you want easy AND effective?? / Not here. / @glenn_pendlay @donny.shankle / #undergroundstrengthgym #manasquan #scotchplains

A post shared by UndergroundStrengthGym (@undergroundstrengthgym) on Feb 16, 2018 at 3:29pm PST

The “short cut” is by doing ALL the right things, the tough things!

Don’t be delusional or sensitive. Hard Work is what it takes!

Live The Code 365

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Zach Gets Interviewed by The Asbury Park Press!

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, Middlesex, NJ Baseball Training, NJ Basketball Training, NJ Cross Country Training, NJ Fat Loss, NJ Football Training, NJ Swim Training, NJ Track & Field Training, NJ Volleyball Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Nutrition, Scotch Plains, STRONG Life Academy, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

I had a blast getting interviewed by the crew at The Asbury park Press.

LISTEN HERE:

Think about it.

At The Manasquan Underground Strength Gym, the parks and rec department gave us  ahard time for playing Ultimate Football on a random basis at a desolate park.

In 8 years, I have NEVER seen kids playing Football at this park.

The Basketball courts are empty or maybe have 2 kids shooting hoops.

Do we not play on our own?

Baseball on our own?

Football?

Kill the man with the ball?

STOP treating your child like he / she is a fragile snowflake.

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Find a Way to WIN vs Finding Excuses

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, Middlesex, NJ Baseball Training, NJ Basketball Training, NJ Cross Country Training, NJ Football Training, NJ Swim Training, NJ Track & Field Training, NJ Volleyball Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Scotch Plains, STRONG Life Academy, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

I always have this echoing voice in my mind from a Navy SEAL program where the instructor told the boat crew who kept losing, “Just find an Excuse to WIN!”

Normally, we find an excuse to quit.

Excuses are everywhere, how about we find a bigger WHY, dig deeper and find a REASON to fight and WIN.

I promise the pain of regret will haunt you for a lifetime.

This week while you’re on break from school, that’s the ticket.

FIND A WAY.

Let the competition find an excuse, you must dare to be great and that always means your path will be different.

Another tip……

I was listening to an interview with world bronze medalist wrestler, Nick Gwiazdowski, who was a college national champ as well.

He spoke about how his goals kept evolving in high school and the big change was when he placed in states, he realized it wasn’t as big a deal as he once thought.

He realized that if he’s going to states, he might as well go there to WIN.

Prepare, Perform, Prevail.

Train to WIN.

Some of you show up and I can tell,  you’re just there for a “workout”.

You’re NOT “training”.

TRAINING has a specific goal and you’re training for something, to achieve something.

A workout is what you do with no real goals or intentions of achieving something GREAT.

We will see you this week!

FIND A WAY.

Live The Code 365,

Zach and Team

PS: In Season or Off Season Training?

Well, this is NOT a commitment to The Underground Strength Gym.

It’s REALLY a commitment to yourself.

When you look at your training at just a sometimes thing, or a convenience thing, well, your results will
always be up and down.

Work hard enough and become GREAT, that’s how this investment pays off.

College Scholarships and more.

Get after it. Success is Not an accident.

PPS: Forward this blog to Coaches and Parents of athletes.

Your support in spreading the word means the world to me!

 

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Lessons from Pat Tillman

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, Middlesex, NJ Baseball Training, NJ Basketball Training, NJ Cross Country Training, NJ Football Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Nutrition, Scotch Plains, STRONG Life Academy, Success Stories, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

This story on Pat Tillman is beyond inspiring, ALL of our athletes can learn from this Hero.

Look at his traits:

• Hardest Worker in the Room
• Modest & Humble
• Responsible
• Loyal
• Patriot
• Stood for MANY things greater than himself (Team, Family, Country)
• Gets cut from Varsity Baseball and instead of blaming the coach or making excuses, he hits the weight room and sets more goals!

The Underground Strength Gym stands for so much more than your sports success. The TRUE Strength is when your strength applies to ALL other aspects of your Life.

We’re in a strange world nowadays where I sometimes fear if I am too intense for kids.

Am I too passionate for the parents?

It’s crazy, because that means that hard work and passion are negatives. Come on, NO way.

I thought HARD WORK is the GIFT!

Please share this Video with other athletes, parents and coaches.

This is amazing. I am inspired to keep pushing The STRONG Life Message from The Underground Strength Gym!

RELENTLESS, 100%!

Live The Code 365,

Zach and Team

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Baseball Strength Training TRUTH + Are YOU Training to be Good or GREAT??!!

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, Middlesex, NJ Baseball Training, Nutrition, Scotch Plains, Success Stories, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

I put together a LIVE Video on our Instagram to discuss the common fallacies behind Baseball Performance Training as well as the mindset behind what it takes to be GREAT at your chosen sport (s).

Unfortunately, the over abundance of information or misinformation rather, has confused players, parents and coaches and often times scared these players into being fragile, scared athletes.

Watch this video as I discuss the TRUTH about Baseball Strength & Performance as well as the mindset Coaches, Parents and Athletes must adopt if they plan to do anything beyond “good enough”.

In the Video Below, you see Ethan Diamond squatting 255 lbs, he will train 3 days in a row to get in his training before traveling for his weekend Baseball Tournaments.

Ethan constantly talks about how he feels more powerful hitting, running and throwing when he trains consistently, including in season.

Success is NO accident.

Some Quotes to ponder……

Strength Is NEVER A Weakness.

There is No Such Thing As Weak & Successful.

If You Act & Think Fragile, You Will Be Fragile.

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Navy SEAL Foundation & Hurricane Harvey Fundraiser at Scotch Plains Underground Strength Gym

Written by zach. Posted in Announcements, Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, Middlesex, Scotch Plains

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — Yeti MMA’s Underground Strength Gym will host for a day filled with strength competition, food, fun and philanthropy on Sept. 16, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The Underground Strength Gym will Donate 50% of All Proceeds Directly to the Navy SEAL Foundation and the other 50% to JJ Watt’s Houston Flood Relief Fund (Details HERE).

REGISTER HERE for The Fundraiser!

There will be Awards and Prizes for top three finishers in each division and one grand-prize for the Combo Parent/Child Division. 

We will also Raffle off Kettlebells from http://IntekStrength.com.

Prepare for a FUN time! ALL of our fundraisers create an experience that encourages all to have fun and do their best for a great cause! It doesn’t matter how strong you are, what matters is we all come together to benefit those who need our support!

ALL are welcome, Participants need not be a current member of Underground Strength Gym to enter and participate.

In the past, we’ve had participants travel from all around NJ, NY, Ct, Del. and even Mass.!

The Underground Strength Gym has held a fundraiser EVERY year since opening in 2007.

The early fundraisers were all benefiting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Once the Manasquan Underground Strength Gym opened, we began holding fundraisers for Military Non Profit Foundations  and this is our 2nd event benefiting The Navy SEAL Foundation!

 

The Fundraiser Will Have Four Divisions:

• Middle School boys / girls 
• High School boys / girls 
• Adult male / female (High School Graduates)
• Masters Adult (40 yrs old+) in male and female categories 

  Each division will consist of 4 events, and points will be awarded for each event.

Prizes for the Top 3 Place winners in each division with a male / female category.

A combo Parent / Child division takes the cumulative score of parent and child in their respective divisions.

The Four events for the High School & Adult Division Are:

• 50-100 lbs medicine ball shouldering for max reps in 30 seconds
• Bench Press for Max Reps of a given weight
  
• 1 rep rising bar max out on the trap bar deadlift, and…..
• a mystery event!

Middle School Competitors:

– max reps of a dumbbell clean and press in 30 seconds 

– medicine ball shouldering for max reps in 30 seconds 

– sled drag for time

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NJ Football Player Transforms Himself, Here’s How!

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, Middlesex, NJ Baseball Training, NJ Basketball Training, NJ Football Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Nutrition, Scotch Plains, Success Stories, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

In the video below, Travis, 1 of the original Football players who began with us out of the garage is another example of what happens when you FOLLOW THROUGH!

Travis used to struggle on light trap bar deadlifts, I had to keep him lighter than 185 until we strengthened his back and legs. The other guys in the garage were HAMMERS, deadlifting 405 and 495 for sets of 3 – 6 reps.

Travis was off in the corner of the garage, staying the course, never giving up and always doing the work. He weighed around 150 or 160 when we began training him.

Travis stayed the course, he ate the way we recommended, he trained with us 3-4 x week AND at his high school. None of this “I’m too busy” or “I’m too tired” and his parents never said “Is it too much?”

When you’re in high school or college and living the lifestyle, you CAN run through a brick wall 50 times a day! MOST kids do NOT live the lifestyle, they don’t follow through on nutrition and in turn, they struggle.

You get what you EARN!

Here’s a Video of Travis his Senior Year in high school, the photo above was before his Sophomore year, you can see the tremendous transformation AND his levels of Strength.

– Travis is Benching 275 for reps

– Bodyweight Around 225 lbs (Approx 65 lbs gained in 3 years)

– Tire Flip 600 + lb Tire

– Explosive Bodyweight Training Demonstrating Relative Body Strength & Speed

– Full Range Pull Ups for reps

– 60 lb Triceps Roll Backs

Strong is STRONG. No such thing as weak AND fast.

I understand the common fads and gimmicks nowadays are convincing kids and parents in avoiding the HARD work and thinking one gets explosive and fast by avoiding hard and heavy training, it’s a FAD. A Gimmick.

Hard Work on the basics is the way.

** NOTE ** Our Members should have printed out the welcome packet, 2 copies; 1 for parents and 1 for the athlete.

Follow through on the Nutrition Guidelines.

Live The Lifestyle and stop lying to yourself; It’s too much for me to train here and at the high school.

Our best athletes ALWAYS did both, train at The Underground AND on their own / at high school.

You can have Excuses or you can have Results but you can NOT have Both.

Destroy those excuses and BUILD yourself into a CHAMPION.

____________
ATTN Supportive Parents of Hard Working Athletes

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Why High School (ALL) Athletes Need Experts In Strength & Performance Training

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, Middlesex, NJ Baseball Training, NJ Football Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Nutrition, Scotch Plains, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

WHY Your Child Needs EXPERT Training

Many of our HS athletes and parents come to us and tell us about Mandatory high school weight room
workouts.

I LOVE seeing our athletes doing BOTH, train at The Underground AND at their High School Weight Room.

I hear about the need for camaraderie but the bottom line is, NOT every kid in the weight room is attacking their training. If you want MORE for your child AND your child wants to go above and beyond “normal” then you need to do what your competition is NOT doing.

Questions for Parents to Consider with Their Son in the High School Weight Room…..

– Is The Coach running the weight room an expert in Sports Performance?

– How many kids are in that weight room at once? 20, 30, 40 or more? How much attention is your child getting?

– Is the workout tailor designed for your child, or is EVERYONE doing the SAME thing?

– How is the atmosphere and environment? Is everyone truly working to their MAX capacity?

Are ALL the athletes working together and striving for excellence?

– Is there a different workout for beginners / intermediates / experienced lifters?

– Is the speed training specific to your child’s sport? Why are Baseball players running long distance? Why do Football Players “Max Out” every 4 – 6 weeks when technique is NOT perfect?

– Are injuries / muscular imbalances / weak areas addressed properly?

The Bottom Line, Your Child Needs and Expert. And, your child DESERVES an expert because they do NOT get to go back in time and do this over again.

Regret can be painful so start doing it right from the get go!

Are you ready for sports or do you have to get ready? Preparation VS desperation 👊👊⚔️⚔️💀💀 / #UndergroundStrengthGym #LIVEtheCode365 #FootballStrong #ScotchPlains #Middlesex #Manasquan #Speed #STRONGLife

A post shared by UndergroundStrengthGym (@undergroundstrengthgym) on Jul 30, 2017 at 6:01am PDT

 

What works for your child may or may not be what works for the next.

– Technique must be aggressively addressed, as incorrect technique leads to injuries, imbalances, and, a false sense of progress.

Training at The Underground is an investment.

Not just a financial investment, but a time, energy and effort investment.

We take YOUR investment in us very seriously but YOU must follow through as well:

– Nutrition Guidelines from our Welcome Packet / PDF should be followed

– Practice of YOUR sports skills must be done on your own

– Proper Sleep and Recovery Protocols at home (Mobility, Stretching, Nutrition, etc)

– 1 Extra Workout each week on your own to develop self reliance and accountability for your own success (or lack of!)

We’re ALL in, ALL the time to make your child better.

Mediocrity is a Choice that we want NO part of.

See you at The Underground!

— Zach and Team

PS: Not a member yet?

Get signed up for a Trial Workout & Assessment HERE.

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YOU Are Capable of GREATNESS, But….

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, Middlesex, NJ Baseball Training, NJ Basketball Training, NJ Football Training, NJ Swim Training, NJ Track & Field Training, NJ Volleyball Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Scotch Plains, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

YOU Are Capable of GREATNESS, But……

You gotta do the work.

I say it all the time, and, as I type this, I am 1 hour away from Manasquan at a packed Tennis club.

I drive up here 3 x week, 1 hr each way, all Summer for my daughter.

There is an investment of time, money and energy.

Then, my daughter must forth the work.

These are full day camps, 6 hrs of training.

So when I tell parents and kids “what it takes”, I LIVE this.

I find a way.

I don’t seek out what is cheapest or most convenient.

I wanna see the athletes of The Underground crushing it!

You see, I just can’t relate to accepting average and losing.

It bothers me because ALL kids are capable of GREATNESS.

You must find a way, otherwise, you will find an excuse!

Make sure your ACTIONS match your words.

I hear it ALL the time from athletes, they TELL me how great they want to be but they have a laundry list of excuses. I am not sure where these acceptable excuses come from but it’s BS if you want my opinion 🙂

Be a worker.

Otherwise, you will be average at best. Excuses help no one.

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GREAT Athletes Have This 1 Thing?

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Manasquan, Middlesex, NJ Baseball Training, NJ Basketball Training, NJ Football Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Nutrition, Scotch Plains, Success Stories, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

BIG Success Stories come from the kids who work HARD, train consistently, have GREAT Coaches, Supportive Parents, Are Relentless in Achieving Excellence….

See some of our success stories here.

They do a LOT of things right. It’s a TEAM effort.

THAT is the 1 thing they have, a TEAM.

WHO is the Team?

There are MANY parts to that team, here are SOME of those parts:

– Supportive Parents, this is often the BIGGEST factor. The most successful athletes we see have very supportive parents who invest MUCH more than money in their kids. It’s TIME. LOTS of time & energy.

– Great Sport Coaches. Great athletes have GREAT skills.

– Supportive Social Circles. Is your team about winning or being average? Your “normal” might be very different than someone else’s normal if your team always has a losing record year after year.

– Consistency in training. The yo yo training effect comes from those who ONLY train when the extra work is consistent. Convenience and excellence are never found on the same road. Winning is HARD!

– Hard Work. This is so Basic but so many athletes and parents miss this. These same kids who avoid the work are quick to say “I got ripped off” or “The Coach doesn’t like me….”

Lorenzo Norman, State Champ & War at The Shore Champ

Do you have Questions?

Feel free to ask us easily and quickly via e mail, twitter, instagram, etc.

http://Instagram.com/UndergroundStrengthGym

http://twitter.com/zevenesh

LOCATIONS:

Middlesex / Scotch Plains / Manasquan

Stay RELENTLESS!

Live The Code 365,

Zach and Team

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