06 Jul2018

Lift STRONG Fundraiser 2018: Navy SEAL Foundation + Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Written by zach. Posted in Announcements, Manasquan, Scotch Plains, Training Videos

Since the day I opened the FIRST warehouse location of The Underground Strength Gym (2007) we’ve been holding an annual (sometimes bi-annual) Lift STRONG Fundraiser.

ALL proceeds and donations go 50/ 50 to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society AND The Navy SEAL Foundation.

This event is always GREAT FUN with prices for Top 3 Finishers, Raffles, Shirts and overall, GREAT times.

It doesn’t matter whether or not you win or place top 3.

What matters is we show up TOGETHER to do GREAT for others.

Anyone can come and watch or donate. Of course, we NEED competitors and through the years people have shown up from near AND far!

Here are The Details of Lift STRONG 2018!

Date: Saturday, July 28th

Location: Manasquan Underground Strength Gym

202 East Main St

PARKING: CVS or ACME or Street Parking

Registration AT THE DOOR: 9:15 AM – 9:45 AM

Start Time: 10 AM

NOTE: This event usually runs approximately 90-120 minutes and we are 1 mile from the Beach as well as walking distance into down town Manasquan. 5 minutes from Jenkinsons Boardwalk.

We will try to bring a Grill to have a cook out afterwards! Standby for Updates!

Minimum Entry Fee: $20 Donation but MANY People Donate More.

Cash at the Door or Write a Check to either: LLS Org or Navy SEAL Foundation

The Events & Categories!

The Top 3 in These Categories Will Receive Prizes from our Sponsors:

Middle School (This Includes the 8th Graders who Just Finished Middle School)

High School (This Includes the Seniors who Just Graduated HS)

Mens Open (This Includes Adult Athletes Up to Age 39)

Mens Masters (Men 40 Years & Older)

Womens Category? (Age 16 + Older)

The more people who show up to compete and even just to watch, ALL the donations help.

In the past we’ve raised $3K or more so every year we want to break that record.

Every Year, People donate Well over the $20 minimum so show up with the goal of changing lives and supporting those who need our support!

Here are Videos from the Past Lift STRONG Events!

SPONSORS

28 Dec2017

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.

25 Dec2017

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!

 

04 Dec2017

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

29 Nov2017

The STRONG Life Academy & Showing UP During “Tough Times”

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 Volleyball Training, NJ Wrestling Training, Nutrition, Scotch Plains, STRONG Life Academy, Success Stories, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

I am extremely excited to announce a new movement we’re bringing to the schools and The Underground Strength Gym.

It’s Called The STRONG Life Academy.

You can read all about it HERE.

If you’re a Coach, Teacher, Booster Club Parent, Athletic Director or Principal, you will want to look into The STRONG Life Academy asap.

Now……

Onto our topic for today.

I am a “Success” Junkie. I am constantly studying what separates the good from the great. Not just in athletes, but in all walks of life, all careers, etc.

My heart wants ALL of our athletes to be THE BEST, but, then I remind myself that this is simply NOT reality. If ALL of you are the best, then we ALL get the gold medal, and we all win, and it’s always a tie.

So I was listening / watching a video with Navy SEAL, Jocko Willink where he was discussing character.

In a nut shell, it’s ALL about doing the HARD thing.

“Doing the right thing is often the HARDEST thing to do”

It’s easier to quit.

It’s Easier to blame your parents, blame the ref, blame your coach.

It’s HOW you show up when the chips are down.

When the sports season starts….. Do you quit and blame school or do you find a way?

I look at our best athletes, they are also achieving honors in academics and going to great schools like Princeton, Rutgers, Johns Hopkins, NYU, etc.

They don’t choose 1 thing to be great at, they choose to be Great in ALL areas of life.

Excellence is all encompassing.

Decide now, how will you show up when things are not convenient, you’re busy, etc.

The most successful people keep going while average people quit.

You’re always 1 step away from Greatness.

It’s ALL a choice!

26 Oct2017

The Difference Between Good Athletes VS GREAT Athletes?

Written by zach. Posted in 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, Scotch Plains, Success Stories, Training Videos, Underground Strength Camp, Workouts

From our middle school athletes to D1 athletes, I get to see a LOT of different athletes.

– Varied talent levels

– Varied natural abilities

– Varied Attitudes / Personalities

– Varied work ethic

And then this morning, I saw a GREAT Video based on a boxer who broke his neck and made a come back.

It inspired me to speak about a favorite topic, WORK ETHIC!

This boxer breaks his neck and fights to make a comeback.

How TOUGH is your life?

  • I see kids who are sore and can’t make it to 1 training session?
  • Or athletes who skip training sessions because they need to hang out with friends?

Is that 1 hr of training destroying your life?

We need to get TOUGHER. The training is a privilege!!

The thing is.

It IS ALL SIMPLE, just like the video says. It IS Simple.

Stop complicating everything.

I said SIMPLE…..

It is NOT EASY.

Hence, why so many athletes come and go.

As soon as it gets hard, many will quit.

I wish it wasn’t the case, but it’s the truth.

I watch our most successful athletes from youth to D1, and wanna know what theBEST do?

THEY DO THE WORK.

– proper nutrition

– consistent training, BOTH in season AND off season

– Recovery work on their own

– proper sleep / lifestyle

– great coaching

– great social circles

If you are missing just 1 of the above, you have 85%.

Missing 2 of the above or maybe inconsistent on 2 of the above, you are at 70-80%.

Guess what 75% is?

AVERAGE.

Point being…..

Don’t come and go from The Underground.

Don’t eat junk every day.

Don’t go to sleep at midnight.

Don’t make excuses about your lack of skill, you can train ANY sport with your teammates on the playground, anywhere

Don’t blame the ref, the coach, the bla bla bla.

BLAME YOURSELF.

You’re sore and can’t train?

Getting rid of soreness happens through blood flow, aka exercise. Show Up, do the work. Again, Again and Again.

Sitting home and sulking doesn’t help anyone.

I want to see you be GREAT.

But guess what…..

That doesn’t matter. What I want, what the Coaches want, it doesn’t mean zip.

Your Mom & Dad need to support you.

And YOU, the athlete, YOU have to do the work. Go get a job to help pay and take ownership over your training.

Mediocrity is a choice.

What do YOU choose? Average or AWESOME!? Deep down, YOU KNOW the answer.

Live The Code 365,

Zach and Team

 

24 Oct2017

Did The Yankees Lose to Astros Because of “Core Work”?

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

Yesterday I was watching the Yankees game with my family.

My son loves Baseball and gets into it big time.

While watching the game, or any sport for that matter, I am always looking at how the athletes move, why
one team is better than the next, the mindset, the physiques, the speed, etc.

I watched Aaron Judge make a jumping catch in the outfield and in slow motion you see his forearm
smashing against the wall.

Although the wall was padded, on an untrained athlete, it would have likely caused a broken arm or an injury.

STRENGTH IS NEVER A WEAKNESS.

When that happened all I thought about was how so many Baseball parents get duped by the buzz words of “baseball core work”.

Did Judge sprint, jump and then smash against the wall because of core work or is he Strong, Fast, Explosive because of Training for Performance with Basics?

Sure, he is a Genetic Freak, but is THAT an excuse?

Do all the “core work” you want, REAL “core work” comes from stabilizing your trunk through movement, both loaded and unloaded.

Another Yankee player dropped the ball from his glove, then in a second realized the mistake, he jumped right, grabbed the ball with bare hands and threw to first with lightning speed and accuracy, all from a “Bad Position”.

Did he have this reactive speed and strength from an imperfect position because of “Baseball Specific Core Work”.

Regardless of the sport, the athlete must have great skill.

The sport itself is the ONLY “sports specific training”.

The ability to jump, sprint, transition from position to position comes from being “STRONG”.

When you’re strong, your muscles greater force.

The way we train at The Underground, the athletes develop greater coordination, greater reactive speed,
greater strength from good positions AND imperfect positions……

Why do we train with odd objects and sand filled medicine balls?

Why do we perform exercises on 1 leg?

Because it strengthens the body for the common times ALL athletes find themselves in awkward positions.

When your body is strong all around, you perform with speed and precision compared to the untrained athlete.

Everything we do is “core work” – our training constantly challenges posture and position and we train the athletes to maintain proper technique under the stress.

So you see, a squat is not a squat, is not a squat.

1 athlete doing a squat under one roof is not the same under our roof.

That’s right.

For training, you go to an expert Strength & Performance Coach, you’re here at The Underground Strength Gym.

– Some don’t though. They allow this to be done by the high school coach at school who is likely not an expert outside his / her sport.

– For your teeth, you go to a licensed Dentist, yes?

Or, do you go to the guy up the street who saw a few YouTube videos and read some articles on how the “pros train”?

I hope you go to an actual Dentist for your child, not someone who pretends to be a Dentist!

Keep Living for The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence, being GREAT is a Choice. Do The WORK!

Live The Code 365,

Zach and Team

PS: Follow Us On Instagram:

INSTAGRAM

09 Oct2017

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

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

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.

27 Aug2017

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

Manasquan-Underground-Trap-Deadlift

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.

T Woods competing in first ever LIFT STRONG fundraiser!

T Woods competing in first ever LIFT STRONG fundraiser! Circa 2007!

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

Manasquan-Edison-Underground-Free-Trial

30 Jul2017

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

High-school-StrengthCoach-Tips

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!

 

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.

Manasquan-Edison-Underground-Free-Trial