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03 Apr2017

5 Traits Among The MOST Successful Athletes at The Underground Strength Gym

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

quote-the-time-when-there-is-no-one-there-to-feel-sorry-for-you-or-to-cheer-for-you-is-when-a-player-is-tim-duncan-53813-e1402253278931-615x236

At The Underground Strength Gym, our athletes are predominantly left to the decisions of their parents.

If Mom / Dad feel Johnny is working too hard, they stop his training.

If Mom / Dad don’t understand what we do and haven’t invested 5 minutes to read our web site, they think the training Johnny does at his high school weight room is exactly what we do.

Success Leaves Clues

The most successful athletes we work with have common traits.

And, unfortunately, so do the average athletes.

I have worked with MANY non gifted athletes who became GREAT athletes because they took the traits of successful athletes and did them for YEARS.

NOT a few months.

NOT just 1 year.

YEARS.

Baseball Player, Chris Lee Remained 178 lbs BUT, dropped from 32% Body Fat to 12% Body Fat
Baseball Player, Chris Lee Remained 178 lbs BUT, dropped from 32% Body Fat to 12% Body Fat

The 2 Negative Traits That Average Athletes Have In Common …..

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIBiBnxxoiQ[/youtube]

What are The TOP 5 Traits / Actions Among Our Most Successful Athletes?

1. They train year round, both off season and in season.

2. Their parents are supportive of the hard work, discipline and dedication. The Average athletes have parents who enable and even create excuses for them.

3. They chase the challenges vs making excuses to validate avoiding the challenges. Average athletes will blame their coach, blame others and find faults in everything and everyone except themselves.

4. The parents take time to understand good vs great. They understand their child is not getting expert coaching when their sport coach says “mandatory weight room”.

5. Successful athletes Believe in their preparation. Average athletes KNOW they have cut corners and in turn, they doubt themselves.

Success is NEVER An Accident

Relentless-DoTheWork

Do You Want Your Child to Achieve MORE Success In Sports AND Life?

Does Your Work Ethic Match That of The Top 5 Traits of Our Most Successful Athletes?

If You Answered YES!, Then Sign Up for a FREE Trial at Any of Our 3 Underground Strength Gym Locations:

– Middlesex, NJ (Inside Full Count Baseball Club)

– Scotch Plains, NJ (Inside Yeti MMA)

– Manasquan, NJ

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03 Feb2017

3 TIPS For NJ Athletes Who Want MORE Success In Sports AND Life

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, Nutrition, Scotch Plains, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

[youtube width=”666″ height=”366″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ-E_79OLnQ[/youtube]

3 TIPS For NJ Athletes Who Want MORE Success In Sports AND Life

The past few years have been the most confusing times for parents seeking to help their kids achieve greater success in sports. There are literally millions upon millions of articles, videos and other content pieces on the internet delivering information on how to train for sports.

The main issue is that very few of these informational pieces are tested or proven to be effective and more importantly, safe. There is little to no filter to determine what gets shared on the internet or not. Before you know it, you are overwhelmed with information and get trapped in fads and gimmicks vs results.

To help your child achieve more success in sports, I’m going to share with you 3 critical tips that will not only help your child achieve greater success in sports, but also in life. Time is of the essence and if you waste time on ineffective, unsafe training methods, your child never gets this time back.

Tip # 1: Be Consistent All Year. Both Off Season AND In Season.

This seems so basic yet it is actually rarely put to use. The athletes who train year round, consistently are those who achieve more success and have less injuries that sideline them during the season.

Look at D1 sports. The athletes train ALL year. They don’t Stop Strength & Performance training in season or Only train the 3 months pre season.

Success Takes NO Vacations. You Must Decide as a Parent if you want your child to be GREAT or just to be part of the team. BIGGER Success requires Greater work ethic and dedication.

Throughout the years I have noticed a BIG decline in consistency for in season strength & conditioning with athletes.

Parents get caught up in over doing the skill work and what ends up happening is the athlete increases his risk for the following:

Overuse injuries. Too much repetition of movement without the required tendon / ligament and muscular strength to handle the repetitive forces increases injuries.

Psychological Burn Out. When an athlete gets no rest or break from skill work not only do they get physically run down and eventually injured, they also get mentally burnt out. The mental burn out leads to doubt, lack of confidence, lack of enthusiasm for training and lack of passion for the sport altogether.

Strength & performance training is best performed year round, having different programs for the off season and in season.

An in season program can be as short as 1 – 2 sessions a week and lasting less than 30 minutes at a clip. Once a week training = 100% more than ZERO training.

If you stop training in season, you can’t expect to improve, let alone maintain strength and power output in your sport. After 2 weeks of skipped performance training, the gains built up in the off season will begin to decline.

The most important time to continue strength & performance work is IN season because the athlete is already performing 6 days a week of skill and competition training. As an athlete and parent, this is a BIG opportunity to get ahead of your competition because the majority of athletes / coaches completely stop in season training and double up on skill work, which is the exact opposite of what successful athletes do.

Commitment to a year round performance program not only develops a more “bulletproof” body against injuries but it also teaches the athlete the commitment required to succeed in life. When the going gets tough and times are busy, you learn how to commit to your training program and you rise above those who quit during tough times or busy times. This is a Lifestyle choice.

An effective strength and performance program will build the mind just as much as it builds the body. A strong mind is the ticket to success in sports and life!

Tip # 2: Get Stronger. Parents and athletes have been tricked into thinking strength is a bad thing. You hear the fallacy of “strength will slow you down”, “strength will add bulk”, “strength training will hurt you”.

Strength Is NEVER A Weakness

If it was so easy to get strong and bulky you would see countless high school athletes 200 + lbs with lean muscle. But, this is simply NOT the case. Success takes Work both in the gym and at home from nutrition to sleep to overall lifestyle.

Injuries comes from being weak and inadequately prepared. Anything done incorrectly (Sports Skills, Strength Work, Speed Work, etc) will hurt you, slow you down and impede your performance.

When strength training is properly performed, the athlete becomes:

– Faster & More Explosive

– Less likely to get injured

– Develops greater speed and power

– Increases confidence and mental toughness

Why do we see 3 – 4 times as many athletic injuries among high school athletes than we did 10 years ago?

The big issue is because they have not developed the strength to tolerate the overuse of skill work.

When you’re body is weak, it will find a way to stop your training if you refuse to slow down. Injuries are mother nature’s way of sending the body messages that something is NOT right.

Through the past few years I have seen countless varsity athletes come to The Underground Strength Gym unable to perform 1 good bodyweight squat, 1 pull up and 10 push ups. We see weak muscles, tight muscles and poor movement patterns.

Things MUST change if you want to Succeed. Calisthenics and proper mechanics are a must if you want to excel in your chosen sports.

No amount of speed & agility work will fix these weak muscles. The development of speed comes from developing greater strength and learning how to move better.

Looking at the opposite end of the spectrum, if your child is among a group of athletes all with a high level of skill, he will hit a wall eventually if he does not get stronger.

To separate himself from the pack, he must develop greater strength which will carry over to better skill and technique in their sport.

Tip # 3. Live The Lifestyle, 365.

At The Underground Strength Gym we teach our athletes what we call “Live The Code 365.” The foundation is built upon honesty, integrity, commitment and work ethic.

This means that every day they are improving and striving for excellence in all areas of your life, every day. Every day, you must improve in at least one area of your life, be it academics, nutrition, sleep, your training, the people you hang out with and even the way you think, the books you read and the movies you watch.

At the end of each day, the athlete should be honest with himself and be able to truly know if he has improved in at least one area in life. Success in sports and life go hand in hand.

To achieve greater success you need to work smarter, not just harder. Achieving goals requires consistency and work ethic. A strong mind will teach you to overcome obstacles and to rebound from setbacks rather than being stuck in a rut.

The most powerful lesson learned through a safe and effective strength & performance program is the ability to overcome the challenges in training, all of which require a strong mind.

Don’t get caught up in the fads or the gimmicks. Don’t get overwhelmed and confused with the countless information pieces you see everywhere. It is the commitment and consistency to a safe and effective program that will help your child take his / her success in sports and life to the next level.

Zach Even – Esh is The Founder of The Underground Strength Gym in NJ with Locations in Manasquan, Scotch Plains & Middlesex.

Zach has consulted and trained athletes from the youth level to the Olympic level using his results proven Strength & Performance methods. To help your child achieve more success, take action Today & sign up for a FREE Trial.

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28 Dec2016

4 Reasons Why Athletes Who Strength Train IN Season WIN MORE

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, 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, Success Stories, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

scotchplains-pushups

Above: Ray Jaz / NYU Wrestling, Bryan McLaughin / Woodbridge Wrestling (Drexel Commit) / John Poznaski / Colonia Wrestling

The Importance of Strength Training for In-Season Athletes

Many athletes and their parents are quite often worried about too much stress on the body during their sports season. They are right to be concerned, but they are mistaken to completely ditch their strength and conditioning program.

When an athlete is trained properly, he / she CAN handle in season strength training. In fact, this athlete will THRIVE and make progress while the competition begins to regress as the season continues.

But, an athlete who eats poorly, is inconsistent with strength & conditioning and has a “good enough” attitude towards training will never succeed at the highest levels.

And who wants to be good enough, right?

Being Stronger, Faster, More Confident & Less Susceptible to Injury is always a BIG advantage for athletes!

A properly designed and implemented strength and conditioning program during the IN Season is key for an athlete’s performance and health throughout the year, ESPECIALLY during the times they are in season.

Here are 4 Crucial Reasons Athletes Should Continue Strength & Conditioning In Season If They Want to Win More:

1) GET STRONGER WHILE THE COMPETITION GETS WEAKER

The Strength base is the foundation for an athletes sports performance: Speed, Explosive Power, Confidence……

Who wants to be weaker than the competition? NO Strength Work in season = Getting Weaker.

When you do not strength train for 2 – 3 weeks, the athlete will begin the process of losing strength, losing flexibility, endurance, confidence and sometimes athleticism & coordination is lost as well (depending on their sport).

Using proper in season strength training with short workouts, 1-2 times a week (some of our highly motivated athletes train more) during the season, depending on the sport being played, will help build upon the athlete’s off season Improvements and can even increase them farther.

An athlete should always be looking to increase their performance in season.

After all, The Season is what you’ve trained so hard for all through your off season.

In College, ALL athletes train year round. College athletes & coaches KNOW that this is crucial for having the physical and mental edge over the competition. But, for high school athletes, too often their parents pull them from in season training and tell us later, this was a big mistake they wish they never made.

Some of our athletes only train once a week for 25 minutes on average.

More is not better. Better is better when it comes to training athletes.

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmDqvm-JdsA[/youtube]

2) MINIMIZE / REDUCE INJURIES

Reducing your chances of injury is something all athletes are paying attention to.

Parents as well. The injury rate of athletes has increased dramatically through the years due to too much sports skill practice and not enough joint / muscular strength.

Almost all sports will cause muscular imbalances that can lead to injuries. Through receiving proper coaching, an athlete can improve their imbalances which improves sports performance. By improving your muscular imbalances you will reduce the risk of injury.
3) IMPROVE RECOVERY

Training in season will improve the recovery of the athlete.

Athletes are bound to get sore and beat up during their seasons. The best medicine for an achy body and muscles is movement to bring blood flow and range of motion. A proper workout will help ease this soreness, and keep the athlete ready to perform.

The goal of our in season strength program at The Underground Strength Gym is to improve your sport workouts / practices, NOT to take away from your sports performance.

Our motto is you’re done before you’re done.

Training optimally in season, NOT maximally. This type of smarter training improves your recovery and improves your performance.

4) BOOST CONFIDENCE

One of the biggest benefits of strength training is not the physical, but the mental strength you will develop and build upon.

In Season Strength Training creates a sense of confidence and mental toughness within the athlete that is above and beyond the competition who is not strength training in season. Training in-season will keep this mental edge and a dramatic leg up on the competition.
As you can see, in season strength training has powerful benefits when properly implemented.

Here is something to remember while wondering if you should come in and train…

“Doing a short 25 – 45 minute in season workout is 100% more than doing nothing to get better.”

If you want to be GREAT….

If you want to Win More…..

If you want the opportunity to achieve your best, then there truly is NO option.

Find the time to train in season while the competition finds excuses.

goodenough-death-greatness

Parents – Sign Your Child Up for A FREE Trial & Athlete Assessment HERE

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14 Dec2016

6 Success Tips for Athletes To Do Outside of The Underground Strength Gym

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

 What You Do Outside the Gym Matters Just As Much As What You Do IN The Gym

Coach Andy Wary

Many athletes and their parents alike think that getting to the gym is the end-all and only way they can get better.

When in reality, the gym is only a small fraction of your overall training. There are MANY opportunities for our athletes in Scotch Plains, Manasquan & Middlesex.

Here are 6 key tips that can and SHOULD be done outside of the gym to become a More Successful Athlete in Sports AND Life:

1. The first and foremost area that should be taken care of to increase an athlete’s performance is eating correctly and getting enough rest.

Follow our Nutrition guidelines from your welcome packet. We’re always amazed how many athletes eat processed foods or skip breakfast altogether.

Dedication takes NO vacation.

Proper nutrition pays dividends to size, strength, and performance. Rest is needed when the body is put under stress to recover and become stronger.

As my friend Joe DeSena says from Spartan Race, “Nothing good happens after 9 o’clock at night”.

If you’re spending endless hours on video games and your cell phone, you’re “grinding” has NOTHING to do with getting better. Get rid of technology in your room and get to bed by 10 PM.

Stress is not only from the gym, but also from practice and even life in general. The stress of technology hinders your overall performance. Discipline yourself to NOT be a slave to your phone.

2. Doing things correctly.

You may ask what things?…. Everything! From something simple as seeing the trash is full and taking it out, to doing homework to the best of your ability etc. Doing the simple things right will carry over to the rest of your life.

“How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything”

3. Doing the extras.

This can be doing extra credit at school for a better grade, bodyweight exercises at home, watching YouTube videos to practice technique… any extra work that will make you better!

This can include mobility exercises as suggested by coaches * hint hint*.

4. Staying mentally strong.

When your body is run down and beaten up, will you go the will you make the decision to sit at home and play video game or perform a short workout at home to make your body feel better?

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tE8kE8IfiY[/youtube]

5. Choosing who you associate with.

Your friends will either elevate you or destroy you, choose wisely.

6. Learn and read every day.

Take every opportunity to make yourself better through learning and creating the right mental mind set.

Doing these 6 things throughout your week will bring about a dramatic amount of benefits to your overall life, not only athletics. After all, the gym is only a very small percentage of your week, why not make the best of the rest of your time?

Strength is a Choice.

Success is a Choice.

Weakness and Mediocrity are Also Choices.

Choose. Decide. DO.

Live The Code 365,

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31 May2016

Winning VS Losing & A Standard Higher Than Victory

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, 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, Success Stories, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

Calvin-Coolidge-Quotes-and-Sayings-meaningful-wisdom (1)

Why do we hold The Lift STRONG Fundraiser I was asked by a reporter

Why choose The Navy SEAL Foundation as another fundraiser, they also asked?

The answer is simple and complex……

Winning & Losing games / tournaments / competitions, etc eventually goes away.

Soon, you take those lessons and apply them to LIFE.

Winning and Losing runs deeper than the points on the score board……

It’s more than just “Winning the damn race”….

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDsjcwfixUM[/youtube]

Below, you see some of our runners, “Winning”.

They will win on the track like some of you Win in Football, Basketball, Wrestling, Baseball, etc.

BUT…..

Are you giving it ALL your heart?

THAT is winning. There is a standard beyond victory.

Re-watch the above Video and let it sink in!

Screen Shot 2016-05-31 at 11.33.15 AM Screen Shot 2016-05-31 at 12.50.18 PM

Whatever sport you compete in…..

You must test the limits of your heart.

Each and every time.

Go further.

Live in the now. The past is gone. Your past score or record means nothing. What you do NOW is what counts.

See you at The Underground!

Live The Code 365

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05 Apr2016

Manasquan & Edison Athletes “Men In The Arena” & Navy SEAL Advice

Written by zach. Posted in Announcements, Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, NJ Baseball Training, NJ Basketball Training, NJ Cross Country Training, NJ Football Training, NJ Swim Training, NJ Track & Field Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Success Stories, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

Manasquan-Strength-Win

Before I share some Great News, I want to share a favorite quote we must start implementing in our LIFE.

Apply these words to your training and your life and you WILL begin achieving more success as you push outside your comfort zone.

We call this getting comfortable being Uncomfortable.

MAN-IN-ARENA-ROOSEVELT

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aurJXD-xdC8[/youtube]

CONGRATS TO THE MEN IN THE ARENA

Manasquan & Edison Underground Strength Gym

Many of you like to stay quiet about your accomplishments and I like that. Stay Humble. Always.

I like that a lot. You don’t brag and you don’t make excuses for your losses either. Many excuse makers quickly point the finger for their losses with “I got ripped off” or “We don’t have our own wrestling room” or “We need turf….”

You must OWN your setbacks, not just your success.

At The Underground Strength Gym, Your success stories will inspire others to aim bigger, both our current athletes and athletes of the future who will train here. I am often sharing stories with our athletes because I want them to see that the blue print is there.

It’s another reminder that it takes HARD WORK and Consistency, NONE of the success stories happen in 6 weeks or 3 months. It is a process. That is The TRUTH.

And because We are a private club vs the type of place that allows anyone and everyone to train here, we set different standards than the norm and we push for greatness and reject mediocrity.

NOT all of our athletes and parents understand this type of commitment just yet.

Some think we’re too serious, but, I see it as loving the hard work and going out there to have FUN, competing at your best ability. Why would you compete and not prepare yourself as best as possible to succeed?

Sounds crazy to me but MANY athletes are competing and do ZERO work in the off season to get better.

Our BEST athletes have Supportive Parents.

– Parents driving them to sports clubs

– Parents driving them to The Underground Strength Gym

– Parents stocking the cabinets and fridge with healthy foods

– Parents who do NOT enable excuses for their son

Making yourself better is about LIFE, not just about sports.

Putting yourself out there, challenging yourself, working hard to achieve goals, refusing to be “normal” ….

THAT is FUN, and, there is PLENTY of time to live a balanced life by training a few times a week. Too many athletes are delusional about what it takes to succeed and they think if they can’t sit at the beach all day or they can’t be at the mall all weekend that their lives will be uprooted.

The thing that is NOT FUN is to show up and giving half hearted efforts.

When you make excuses you are competing to LOSE and be Average at best.

To compete in your sports and not even try to give it your best is to sacrifice your own gift. You will grow old and NEVER KNOW what you could have achieved and what type of success you could have become.

THAT is NOT FUN. So STOP thinking that you have no time when the truth is, we ALL have the time. The difference between Champions and those who don’t achieve success is that The Champion OWNS his Life.

The Champions takes 100% responsibility and accountability for their actions.

It’s always more FUN and rewarding when you go out there, day in and day out doing your best. When you TRULY give it your ALL, you can walk tall for a lifetime.

At the end of the day it’s up to YOU.

==============

All Americans & MEN IN THE ARENA from Manasquan & Edison Underground Strength Gym

– 2 weeks ago Luke Niemeyer took 1st at War at The Shore as a Freshman in the 14 YO Division

– Luke Also became a Freshman All American this past weekend placing 8th at Freshman Nationals at 195 lbs

More All Americans

– 6th at 138: Robbie Cleary (Edison) 

– 3rd at 160: Bryan McLaughlin (Woodbridge)

Congrats to Eric Keosseian of Howell who has been competing like a madman, chasing the challenges and hunting down Gold Medals!

Flo Nationals where Eric placed 8th to become an All American then Va Beach Nationals but unfortunately came down with a stomach bug on his 2nd day. Eric is fired up to succeed. That’s how we must ALL be, fired up and self motivated.

Self Discipline Leads to SELF Motivation.

Advice from a Navy SEAL (Jocko Willink) on Disciplining Yourself……

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tE8kE8IfiY[/youtube]

What You Need Is SELF DISCIPLINE

– Your parents can NOT give it to you, neither can your coaches.

– When it’s competition time, all the screaming, shouting and coaching will not help you “Rise to the Occasion”.

– The TRUTH is, You FALL to the level of your Training.

– Train HARD and Train to WIN and you will WIN more than the athlete who makes excuses. Period.

That’s ALL you CAN do.

Give it your best and Nothing Less. Your efforts are under YOUR control. Do it NOW because time goes TOO fast and before you know it, you’re a senior in high school scrambling to make it all work.

You’ll regret all those excuses for the rest of your life….

Or, you’ll live a life pretending it never mattered.

It DOES matter.

That goes for training, school, social life, academics, work and all other areas of your life.

ALL in, ALL the time.

Live The Code 365,

Zach and Team

Apply For Your Son’s Trial Workout HERE

Only 4 Athletes Are Accepted Each Month

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01 Apr2016

Manasquan & Edison Athletes: Your SELF Discipline Says It ALL

Written by zach. Posted in Announcements, Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, 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, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

Manasquan-Gym-Driscoll

Your self discipline will be the BIG factor contributing to your Success OR keeping you from becoming a success.

When an athlete who is undersized and weak starts training with us, we hammer home and give the guidelines required in nutrition and training.

If that athlete skips breakfast on the regular, eats junk on the regular and has a laundry list of excuses, his lack of self discipline will keep him in the shadows as he remains mediocre at best.

How dedicated are you as an athlete to becoming a Champion?

Your ACTIONS will tell all, not your words.

Parents – Do you support your child AND deny his excuses?

The easy road is the road of “normal” athletes.

Normal = Average

Average = Like “Everybody Else”

Everybody else is the very thing a Champion is NOT.

Advice from Navy SEAL, Jocko Willink

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tE8kE8IfiY[/youtube]

When you make a decision to be a Champion, EVERYONE will know because they will SEE it in your Actions.

DO it.

Live The Code 365,

–Z–

The Underground Strength Gym

Manasquan & Edison

Supportive Parents Go HERE

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25 Mar2016

From Slowest & Weakest, To Strongest, Fastest & Johns Hopkins Football

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

The ORIGINAL #UndergroundStrengthGym Ass Kicker stopped by yesterday! #Edison #Manasquan / Brian “Curls” Pascal has one of my favorite stories: – when I was in elementary physical education teacher he was always the slowest kid who was tagged first during every game – when he got into middle school he started doing calisthenics every day – he played three sports – when he got to high school he focused on football – Curls began training with me out of my garage when he was a sophomore – his records still hold the best for the football weight room in #Squats #Bench #Clean and he graduated 8 or 9 years ago – Curls played football at Johns Hopkins University – he competed for five years in a row in the DeFranco worlds strongest athlete contest, always taking 1st or 2nd – he would lift with his high school football team after school, then he would train at #UndergroundStrengthGym – if the weight room wasn’t open he would be on the soccer field doing pull-ups off of the soccer goal post, push-ups and sprinting up and down the field – he never complained and said he was too busy or too tired from what he did at school – he woke up early and made himself a powerful breakfast and a protein shake – he never blamed anyone he just did the work / Curls’ lifestyle is what we call the #champion lifestyle, he follows through on all our advice and that is why he was one of the most amazing athletes we ever got to work with / #FKMediocrity #NOExcuses #RELENTLESS #UndergroundStrengthCoach #Edison #Eagles #Football #Hustle #DoWork #NORegrets #LiveTheCode365 #UndergroundStrengthBook

A photo posted by Zach Even – Esh (@zevenesh) on Mar 24, 2016 at 6:39am PDT

What a GREAT success story I have to share of Brian “Curls” Pascal.

From slowest and weakest athlete to BUILDING HIMSELF into 1 of the Strongest, Fastest and Most Powerful Athletes I have ever worked with.

I posted this on my Instagram but I want to link it on the blog as “Curls” stopped by the gym the other day and I shared his story very briefly with the athletes.

CurlsTireFlip2

You see, Curls was in 3rd grade when I began teaching Physical Education and I remember him being tagged first during almost every tag game.

He always worked hard and kept his head held high, even as a young kid, he had a GREAT attitude.

Time flew by and although he was chubby and slow in elementary school, he was active and played 3 sports; Football, Basketball & Baseball.

When I transferred to the middle school to teach and Coach, Curls was now an 8th grader.

He was tall and looking strong and athletic.You could see he had muscle on his frame and was growing / building himself UP.

He was getting into sports on a more serious manner and was doing lots of calisthenics on his own: push ups, squats, sit ups and pull ups he told me, every day.

Our most successful athletes are always doing some form of training on their own.

This ownership and self motivation has a BIG carry over to your success as an athlete. The kids who can ONLY train when Coaches or told by others what, how and when to do it never become BIG success stories.

When I began training athletes from my garage, Curls was a sophomore in high school and although big and strong, he lacked the athleticism and agility. He could move big weights in the gym but needed more power and overall athleticism.

We built the speed, agility and athleticism into his overall training and he transformed himself BIG time. His transformation was a result of ALL the things he did, NOT just the training.

THAT is where MOST kids miss out.

They train but then have EXCUSES for poor eating, poor lifestyle choices, lack of self discipline, etc. Too many Excuses and Not enough Reasons or Goals to drive them to Succeed.

Read on and Learn How to Change That…..

Curls-Pascal-RackWalk

1) He would have eggs, oatmeal AND a protein shake for breakfast.

Curls would wake up early and make his own breakfast. MANY athletes blame Mom “didn’t wake me up” or “I don’t have time”. We MAKE time when we WANT something, we make EXCUSES when we don’t want it. WHAT do YOU do?

2) He packed his own strong & healthy lunch.

He made his OWN lunch. NO buying the garbage school lunch that doesn’t support being a strong, successful athlete.

3) He ate a protein bar for snack during school or packed 2 pieces of fruit. Eat Strong to be STRONG!

4) After school he would lift with the Football Team AND then get home and have more healthy food for a post workout meal. This is critical for recovery and muscle building.

5) Then, AFTER training at School he would lift at The Original Underground Strength Gym (Edison, NJ), the garage OR, travel to the warehouse when we opened up! Today I hear COUNTLESS athletes making excuses that they trained at school and now they can’t train at The Underground.

6) If the High School weight room was closed, Curls would hit sprints and calisthenics on his own. Other days he would play pick up Basketball to build speed, agility and overall cardio.

** Your Competition LOVES Your Excuses **

CurlsHill

Here’s some early days footage of Curls from High School:

– Curls would train after school, then, come to The Underground. Often times he would lift after school, then play pick up Basketball at the park for speed, agility & conditioning.

– He was a multi sport athlete through high school. He trained with us Year Round.

– He trained 4 x week at The Underground in ADDITION to his own calisthenics, sprinting, pick up basketball games and high school weight room.

In college he did the same, coming back to The Underground as soon as college finished training through his 3 months of Summer.

So….

As you can see, Curls EARNED his success.

Train like everyone else and you will NOT have the edge. You’ll sit the bench and be Joe Average.

There were NO excuses for Curls, ONLY REASONS to do the work.

He attacked training and lifestyle, Living The Code 365 like a Champion does.

The blue print for success is out there. What Curls has done and what others continue to do at The Underground shows you the way. The most successful athletes here train and LIVE like Curls.

The athletes who struggle or remain average never go beyond “normal” and in turn, they get normal results, aka AVERAGE.

Average Sucks.

Excellence is The ONLY option.

Want Success? Prove it through ACTIONS.

Success starts when you punch your excuses in the face and get dedicated 365.

You can have results or you can have excuses but you can’t have both!

Live The Code 365,

–Z–

The Underground Strength Gym Is Located in Scotch Plains & Manasquan.

Parents – Schedule Your Child’s FREE Intro Assessment Workout Today Before The Competition Does.

Details HERE

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14 Mar2016

WANTED: Hard Working, Dedicated, Hungry & Passionate Athletes Near Edison & Manasquan, NJ

Written by zach. Posted in Announcements, Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, NJ Baseball Training, NJ Basketball Training, NJ Cross Country Training, NJ Football Training, NJ Swim Training, NJ Track & Field Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Success Stories, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

Rosa-Punisher-Gym

Some of our athletes quietly come to The Underground Strength Gym, doing their training with a RARE, quiet intensity. They don’t say much but their intensity speaks quite loud….

Sometimes……

I find out about the success stories of our Manasquan & Edison athletes through following a newspaper reporter on Twitter or Facebook.

Other times…..

I get a text message or perhaps an e mail from the parents or the athlete telling me how they did at a recent competition.

Some of our athletes and parents are private, they don’t want to even tell me about their success stories. They feel as if they are bragging so they don’t tell others.

I understand both aspects…… The quiet intensity AND the pride and desire to tell others about your success.

You fear that if you tell others it will look like bragging, but it is not bragging.

We LOVE hearing your success that comes through your dedication and hard work.

You EARNED your success.

Remember: You Get What You Earn!

This morning, I came across some posts from coaches and parents and saw some great news I want to share with some powerful lessons behind them.

– I saw The Santaniello bros placed In States.

Vincent placed 5th and Anthony 4th.

Santaniello-Wrestling-States

They are both work horses, these 2 boys.

We’ve been working together for a long time now at The Underground Strength Gym. Anthony started in 5th grade and Vincent began in 7th grade.

Weekdays, Weekends…. These boys are here on the attack along with our other middle school athletes.

Often times I give these boys the opportunity to finish their workout and then I turn around and they’re doing what we call “Champion Workouts”.

This is when the athlete trains through his OWN desire. You give them the opportunity to stop or leave and they refuse to stop, they go and train more. Their inner drive guides them to work harder than the competition.

I’ll see The Santaniello bros and the other boys from our “middle school wrecking crew” climbing the rope, doing pull ups, pushing sleds and more.

When I see the extra work, THAT is the difference maker.

We Can’t Make You Do the Extra Work, YOU Must WANT It Yourself.

quote-the-brick-walls-are-there-for-a-reason-the-brick-walls-are-not-there-to-keep-us-out-the-brick-randy-pausch-258548

After seeing the news of Anthony & Vincent achieving All State Honors….

I saw a Facebook Post about 1 of our Edison Underground Strength Gym Wrestlers, Anthony White of South Plainfield.

The post I caught was from Steve Giordano, 1 of the best coaches and athletes I’ve ever known.

Steve was a very big inspiration to me as he was a few years ahead of me in my younger years and I would see Steve in the newspaper or at the local gym tearing the place apart with his intensity.

I STILL remember seeing how intensely he trained at the gym. The memory is imprinted in my mind and that was dating back to the Summer of 1991!

The Post Said….. “Congrats to Anthony White. STATE CHAMP.”

I saw the post around 11 AM on Sunday and I was in shock and also a bit confused for a second because after every training day, my coaches and I check in with one another regarding who trained that day, who skipped their workout, who cancelled, who worked hard, who didn’t work hard, injuries, etc……

And the E Mail from SUNDAY morning says “Anthony White was in and he killed it…..”

I start thinking to myself if we have ANOTHER Anthony White because I JUST saw that Anthony White won the states by PIN yesterday. I’m asking myself how the heck he trained the day after winning a state title?!?!

I’m also thinking and assuming that Anthony would probably be exhausted the day after winning a state tournament and would need to sleep in Sunday morning, especially being it was day light savings AND he probably needed the rest after battling through a state tournament??!!!

So I e mail Coach Rosa to double check and he tells me YES indeed, Anthony not only killed the workout but he also didn’t look the least bit tired.

WOW!!!!

This story reminded me of how Dan Gable went running the day after he won The Olympic Gold Medal.

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beJQAHE6PvQ[/youtube]

Anything more that needs to be said about Anthony’s work ethic and dedication is a waste of time & energy if you don’t understand what this young kid is doing through his OWN motivation and how this applies to your success or perhaps your lack of success.

The Other Side of The Story…

Last week I had an athlete on a JV team tell me he missed workouts because he maxed out in the high school weight room.

If you’re on Varsity and the top recruit on the east coast, OK, maybe you’re busy doing a LOT of work.

But…..

If you’re NOT dominating the competition, WHAT excuses can anyone have that is truly valid? The answer is None!

Let me explain…..

Maxing Out in high school doesn’t exhaust you. We’ve been training Football Players since Day 1 and the BEST always show up even when doing these “max outs”.

And by the way, high school athletes who max out are often NOT technically or emotionally ready to hit their best 1 Rep Max AND use safe, proper technique. At The Underground we test every workout, BUT, it doesn’t have to be a 1 rep max. We push for regular progress but it ALL comes down to doing it right.

When you’re in shape as we train you to be, the training we do does NOT interfere with your sports practice or your lifting outside of here. You CAN handle lifting or sports practice and then come to The Underground.

The Champion wants MORE than the norms. Joe Average will make excuses.

WHO are you?

What type of athlete are you?

The norms are doing exactly what your teammates are doing.

The norms are doing what the competition does.

Do NOT get comfortable because maybe you’re the best kid on YOUR team or the strongest athlete in the weight room. “Big fish in a small pond” scenario.

Or, you live in the past……

The glory days….

Your team USED to be good or USED to dominate. The past is GONE. Stop being delusional and taking pride in how your team USED to be. NOW is what counts. Period.

I’ve seen MANY “Gym Strong” athletes who can bench heavier than everyone else BUT, their training does NOT carry over to their sports performance. When we train you at The Underground Strength Gym, the goal is giving you the edge BOTH physically and mentally in Your Sports.

The training has what is called “Transfer of Sport” so it makes you better in your sport. When you win a Football game, Wrestling match, etc no one asks you how much you bench? You either win or lose.

No one asked Anthony White how many pull ups he can do or how fast his 1 mile run is. He won the GOLD medal and is a NJ State Champ. Results Count!

This is why we don’t give a crap when an athlete tells us “I maxed out at school and Squatted 365.”

Then, the same athletes squats with us, yet he is Squatting 165.

WHY the 200 lb difference?

Because of EXCELLENCE. We do it right. Half reps don’t get approved here.

Technique and Sports Performance, THAT is what counts. The half rep, dangerous technique max outs and round back lifts do NOT aid your sports performance. Period.

Those who dog it in their training, making excuses and avoiding the work, eventually, it catches up to them and the lackluster results show up.

I see it ALL the time in ALL sports. Baseball, Football, Wrestling, Soccer, Swimming, Basketball. The truth catches up to you! You get what you earn.

Now…..

Even though this ad below from Ernest Shackleton is a folk tale, I wonder which of our athletes would apply if this was related to training for sports?

Sounds crazy, and if people wanna call me crazy that is ALL good by me, because the “normal” people never achieve greatness.

I WANT to work with the Crazy Athletes who are hungry to become Champions.

In fact, We ONLY want to work with Hard Working, Highly Motivated, Hungry, Dedicated Athletes …..

THESE are the Young Men Wanted for The Underground Strength Gym of Edison and Manasquan.

ShackletonAd-UndergroundStrengthGym

IF the Coach is more fired up than you are to attack training, you’re not digging deep enough. You don’t want it bad enough. You think you’re good enough.

Good Enough is the Death of Greatness

You’re just “playing sports”….. That’s how many see it. Just happy to be part of the team, not caring about that losing record year after year.

What we do in Sports is sooooo much more than “playing sports”……

It’s a journey you take in life, where you face obstacles and must slay your inner demons, slay the dragons on your back that try to hold you down and conform you to become like “everybody else”.

Anthony White just set a new standard……

Hold the standard or get out of the way!

Live The Code 365,

–Zach and Team–

Apply HERE

To Become A Member ofThe Manasquan & Edison Underground Strength Gym

Hard Working, Dedicated, Passionate Athletes & Supportive Parents ONLY

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26 Feb2016

I’m TOO Old – What’s YOUR Excuse?

Written by zach. Posted in Articles, Athlete Training, Edison, Manasquan, 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, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

creed-rocky

Sometimes I sit down and just stop…..

I get into the recliner and if the house is quiet I just might be able to watch a movie…..

The other night I watched the movie Creed. I pushed back the recliner and kicked up my feet. Although I don’t think Creed came close to what Rocky III & IV did in terms of motivation, I DID get inspired watching Adonis Creed training.

As my feet were kicked up and I laid back watching Creed in training, I realized the BIG difference.

When I DID watch Rocky III & IV I was a young kid, capable of putting my body through the hellish training to prepare for combative sports.

But this time, I realized my time has passed.

I’m 40.

And sure, I can go and find something to compete in but it will NEVER be the same.

NEVER.

The time is NOW. Maybe you can do this in your 30s, but do you have the dedication of a Tom Hruby, driving from Indiana 1.5 hours to Northwestern at 4:30 in the morning while also being a father of 4?

I doubt it.

The truth is most people don’t wanna drive more than 15 minutes let alone 90 minutes.

[vimeo width=”700″ height=”400″]https://vimeo.com/150377804[/vimeo]

So…..

For the athletes of The Manasquan and Edison Underground Strength Gym:

– What regrets will you have at age 40 when you sit back in that recliner?

The excuses I hear now…… They are horrific at best.

And, when parents want to see their child “Dominate the competition” yet you only show up once or twice a week, then every other week you’re MIA, well, you will have a LONG list of regrets when you kick back in that recliner at age 40.

I promise you that.

As always….

You Can Have Results Or You Can Have Excuses But You Can’t Have Both!

ALL in, ALL the time.

Live The Code 365

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