John

Ten years ago, I wrote a blog post called “The 42 Things I Have Learned Leading up to 2013″ Since then, I have learned a lot more than I care to admit, and much I would choose to forget. Having lost loved ones and gained many more, I realize that receipts for a life well-lived are not counted with the possessions we collect nor the shit we amass, but the influence we have on those around us. The stories of our lives are told on the hearts of those we hold close, and through the marks those individuals leave on us. I like to believe I am a better person than when I sat down to pen that 42 things in 2013, as my goal each day is to grow and improve. I always feel the best version of myself is in the future, and I strive to meet him each day. Enjoy the follow up with another 42 Things. And here a few of them for a preview. 13. Never wear flip flops to a bar, unless that bar is on the sand or you can hear the waves while drinking a tropical drink with an umbrella. Always dress like you might have to fight your way out the door. Hard to fight in flip flops, and if you wear a hoodie throw it in the trash at the first sign of trouble. Hoodie is a liability in a bar fight. 22. Craft a saying. Have a mantra. Believe in something so fiercely that it inspires others to make shirts with it and paint it on a wall like a mural. “Training, and life, is like moving a large pile of dirt. Somedays you get a shovel, some days you get a spoon, but as long as I am moving dirt each day I am moving towards my goal. Move the dirt.” 28. “I don’t believe in the Gods’ existence. Man is the master of his own fate, not the gods. The gods are man’s creation to give answers that they are too afraid to give themselves.” – Ragnar Lothbrok Men that sail wooden ships into the most hostile storms just to shake their fists at the Gods have always fascinated me. I would have liked to have met Ragnar and seen his madness. #powerathlete #bethehammer #eattheweak #dragonslayer (at Faaborg) https://www.instagram.com/p/CrWmwBgPO_I/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Yesterday @flograppling posted up a video of the training we have been doing with @victorhugojj and the six blades crew. I got several questions - one asked why we lift heavy weights with our fighters & another asked about the use of submaxmial efforts for training jujitsu players (I am paraphrasing here). - For some background, I have worked with 10s of thousands of athletes and was very fortunate to put out free programming on CrossFitFootball dot com then travel the world meeting the athletes doing the programming through the CFFB seminars I taught - for almost 10 years we traveled the globe. I learned a lot in those times and had conversations and mentorship from some of the best in the field of human performance. During that time the information supported what old man Zangas told me many years in his garage in Palos Verdes when asked a similar question, “If light weights made us strong, why would we lift heavy weights? Lifting heavy weights is work - it takes time, effort and focus. You can’t just phuck around and lift heavy weight. Everyone should lift weights, but lifting heavy weights isn’t for everybody.” Let me give you an example from Zatsiorsky - A person curls 30kg dumbbell causing the following to occur: (a) maximal number of Muscle are recruited; (b) the fast MU, which are also strongest, are activated; (c) the discharge frequency of motorneurons is optimal; (d) motoneuron activity is synchronous. When a 15g dumbbell is lifted, (a) only a portion of MUs are recruited, (b) the fastest MUs are not recruited, (c) the frequency of neural stimulation is not optimal and MU activity is asynchronous. The intramuscular coordination is different between the two - 15kg load cannot improve the intramuscular coordination required to overcome a 30kg resistance. Are sub maximal loads useless? No…not if you use compensatory acceleration and reference Dr. Fred Hatfield’s work. We can leave that for another day. Here are few videos I had on my roll. Me floor pressing 500+ a while back. PA coach & HAMR Bill Williams squatting a heavy 2.5. Vic’s ME unilateral work on the wheck boards. @arash_soofiani hitting triples. #powerathlete #sixblades #bjj (at Hill Country) https://www.instagram.com/p/CrOHkkdLWkY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Finally released @powerathleteradio Episode 698 with @jimwendler. We decided to reboot last year’s experience with Jim at Mikey's Late Night Slice in Columbus, OH. Mikey’s has a speakeasy style bar downstairs from the pizza joint with a great vibe. Always enjoy my time with Jim and love hearing about the work he does training the local high school football players. Click the link in the bio to give it a listen. #TheArnoldClassic #Ohio #531 #wendler531 #PowerAthleteRadio #premierpodcastinstrengthandconditioning #PowerAthlete #eatthweak #bethehammer #johnwelbourn (at Mikey's Late Night Slice) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq0zMhSv9gJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Years ago, I sat next to a guy on a flight that had unique and engaging energy. I usually sit down, put on my head phones, close my eyes and listen to music. I try to relax as I hate being stuck in a metal tube being hurdled though the sky breathing recycled arid air. And this pre-flight ritual allows me the disassociated from the experience. But as I sat down to start my pre-flight ritual, the overly inquisitive dude sitting next to me immediately engaged me in conversation – not the usual banter like, “you are a big dude. Play football?” - Something different & thought provoking; shocking I know. He asked, “if I knew the secret of life.” Thinking he was a Billy Crystal fan, I held up one finger. He laughed and said it is more than one thing but a series of steps towards contentment. He said, “in life you can either make more or want less”. He thought the majority of the world’s unhappiness & angst stemmed from unaligned expectations of output versus intake. If you want a lot of nice stuff you have to be willing to work extremely hard & have the capacity to manage it once you do have it. Or you can simply want less and choose to invest your time in people & experiences like travel and excellent food with a clear focus on health and fitness. The true flex in life was living a healthy streamlined life that was not high speed & low drag. The pressures of endless amount of possessions subtracts from a life full of experiences. I laughed bc at Berkeley I read a lot of Jack Kerouac. I just happened to have lived a few streets from where he lived in Berkeley & frequented the City Lights Bookstore in SF - epicenter of beatniks. Kerouac said, “if you own a rug you own too much.” Happiness was living a life full of experiences & memories. Most never really live; we just accumulate a lot of stuff that someone has to throw away once we die. We mistake our stuff as receipts of our lives rather than a living a life of adventures & learning. - I tend to believe this traveler was heavily influenced G.K. Chesterton, an obscure but impactful thinker who said “There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more & more. The other is to desire less.” (at Hill Country) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqQgoSNOVXa/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I guess 2 years in a row makes a tradition of crushing drinks and podcasting with my homeboy Jim Wendler at Mikey’s Late Night Slice in Columbus, Ohio. Last 2 years we have come to the Arnold and coaxed Jim to come chop it up on Power Athlete Radio. Always a chance to fill my cup. #powerathlete #powerathleteradio #thearnoldclassic (at Mikey's Late Night Slice) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpRiYNWOnAp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Some repost love - @mcquilkin Mikey's Late Night Slice for Power Athlete Radio Jim Wendler 2 1/2. When in Columbus, talk to strong people. #TheArnoldClassic #Ohio #531 #wendler531 #PowerAthleteRadio #premierpodcastinstrengthandconditioning #PowerAthlete (at Mikey's Late Night Slice) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpRhqg7OvIB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I have a shortened version of this quote as the Lock Screen on my iphone. “Ask yourself at every moment, ‘is this necessary.’” It helps to put things in focus and identify priorities. - I woke up this morning at 5:15am for training. Was it necessary? Yes, because my training partner will be there at 6am and I got a packed day. Training has to be a priority. - Tomorrow I have to cut/mulch the rest of the oak trees in the pastures. If I don’t start cutting it won’t get done. It is necessary? Yes. But there is also open mat at Six Blades BJJ at 11:30am. Is this necessary? Without a doubt. Going to try to make it all work. - Had a great podcast with @danhollaway today on his @citizenpod. Was it necessary? Yes without a doubt. Taking the time to have engaging and thought provoking discussion is always necessary. Avoidance of being dull is always required. - Stay gold, Ponyboy. (at Hill Country) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpEpiQBu0tU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Had the pleasure to sit down with my BJJ coach Xande Ribeiro on Power Athlete Radio Ep 692. For those of you not in the know, Xande Ribeiro is a two-time World and legend in BJJ community. He shares his journey from athlete, to coach to entrepreneur with the starting of his Six Blades brand here in Austin, Texas - the new epicenter of Jiu-Jitsu in the United States. LISTEN NOW - LINK IN BIO #XandeRibeiro ##BJJ #BrazilianJuiJitsu #JuiJitsu #NoGi #CombatSports #MMA #MixedMartialArts #BJJtraining #PowerAthlete #Podcast #powerathleteradio @trainheroic (at Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu Austin) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpDKQIVuLlr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Cars need service. Machines need maintenance. Humans need both - maintenance and service. But sometimes when the body gets broken so badly you have to visit the factory and see Dr Craig Buhler [@craig.buhler.5]. I first met Craig in 2010 after a decade in the NFL - I was broken and Craig’s work unraveled my laundry list of injuries and gave me back me - truly life changing. If you aren’t familiar with Craig and @amitmethod - take some time to dig in. #powerathlete #eattheweak #bethehammer (at Kaysville, Utah) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpBG1-Xvep6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Me & DJ tore my rad flatbed blue K30 Cummins ranch truck to pieces for parts and started cutting up this K30 crew cab to make a kid friendly 4 door 140” WB crawler in May 2020 - not sure if it was out of boredom or insanity during COVID lockdown but it began with cutting 24” out of the frame, back half’n it and boxing from nose to tail. Next came the Cummins then king coilovers & links front/rear. With 3 years peaking around the corner we are in the final stages of wiring and interior. Today was a small victory getting my OG @starlingear slickster in place. Backstory, I have banged gears with Ryk’s shifter since I was a young NFL player in more than a few trucks over the years. Hopefully, this is the last one. And a new addition - a Glow-In-The-Dark Lego head for the ORD magnum box. - If you have been to Power Athlete HQ for a Block Test, maybe a few Collectives or to bang weights and trains you have seen the large Hawaiian Blue K30 on 42s and Walker Evan’s holding down the bendpak 2 post and wondered, “Da phuck is that?!” - I have thought the same thing many times over the last few years but seeing the OG inspiration for the CrossFit Football & Power Athlete skull in place makes it seem much more clear. #cummins #crewcrawler #k30 (at Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu Austin) https://www.instagram.com/p/CotNSQJOBiD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

How did everyone feel about the Super Bowl last night? I like seeing a competitive game and was pulling for Jalen Hurts after reading about his journey to SB LVII. Getting benched at half time in the College National Championship game. Transferring his senior year and losing in the LSU in the same game. Second round pic to the Birds and playing himself into one of the top young QBs in the league. Playing behind a monster offensive line is always helpful & advisable. But the kid can play and deserves to be in that conversation of top QBs. On the other hand, hard to beat Mahomes and Andy Reid anytime. Let alone in the Super Bowl. The holding call at the end of the game would have been more palatable had they been calling it the whole game. But to throw the flag in Q4 after letting it go for the other 3 quarters is SUS. Congrats to both teams on amazing seasons. Having played for both teams I wanted to see the Birds win to get Philly and that young QB some vindication. But glad to see the Chiefs win another Super Bowl after losing a ton of players last year and everyone talking about it being a rebuilding year. (at Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que) https://www.instagram.com/p/ConBFmTuD9A/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

@victorhugojj sent me this after training on Friday. I am not sure who created it so tag the owner for me. But brings up a good point that is not just lost on BJJ but applies to all violent sports. This was true in pro football, the same it was in college and for most of my competitive life. I learned this lesson from my brother @edwelbourn as a young football player who never loved “being in shape”. But once I realized that a high level of conditioning was my superpower, I made sure I never went to the fight unarmed. You don’t have to go very far to find a quote by a great athlete or coach on conditioning. Vince Lombardi famously said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” - Muhammad Ali “The possession of muscular strength and the courage to use it in contests with other men for physical supremacy does not necessarily imply a lack of appreciation for the finer and better things of life.” - Jack Johnson “If you cheat on your road work in the dark of the morning, you will be found out in the big fight under the bright lights.” - Joe Lewis Having a high level of conditioning makes an athlete more durable and coachable. They are able to learn more because they are simply more available. I remember discussing GPP and its application to sport with Louie Simmons. He asked me how many times a week I trained. I told him 4-6 times. He said he trained 18 times a week which meant he was doing 3 times the work. And thus 3 times the opportunity to improve. And the only way that happens is with a high level of conditioning - I needed to up my conditioning. I wrote a blog shortly thereafter called, “Do I have to be in Shape?” Click the link in bio to read it. I am putting the touches on the conditioning program I have been testing on our fighters in collaboration with friend Tom Newman. I am going to push it out to a few of my space monkeys for testing. I will keep you posted. (at Hill Country) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoQ5UALOnX1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

February in the Texas Hill Country has turned wild over the last few years. The mix of draught this summer and freezing rain this week has taken down a few 100 plus year old Oak trees. Needless to say I am pretty sad - my favorite Oak in our main pasture took it hardest. I will have my work cut it for me cleaning this one up. One bright spot is at least it came a few weeks early so I can make it to @sorinex’s #winterstrong this year to see my Sorinex fam. #eattheweak #movethedirt #powerathlete #icestorm2023texas (at Hill Country) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoIQbHrO-0m/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Went up to train at @powerathletehq at Zero Dark Thirty. Walking back down to the truck in the light I spotted some icicles on the #3rdgencummins. Welcome to Austin, Texas in February. (at Hill Country) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFan3tux--/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A bit of repost from my boy @arash_soofiani after training this morning @powerathletehq. The amount of distance these killers have covered since ADCC is rad. Glad to see the @sixbladesjiujitsu seeds grow and the 6B mafia strengthen. Don’t mind Felipe - he is flexing up for the competition this weekend in ATX. #strengthtraining #power #powerathlete #sixblades #sixbladesjiujitsu #athlete #jiujitsu #judo #wrestling #grappling #movethedirt #thirdmonkey #weightlifting #strongman #powerlifting #bjj #jiujitsulifestyle #bethehammer (at Hill Country) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn2txf6Oo_s/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Check out the latest Power Athlete Radio Ep 682 with Dr Kirk Parsley - Sleep Habits & Hormones. Don't snooze as we get into the remedy for an elusive 8 hours a night and learn why Doc is big on sleep. Click the link in my bio. #PowerAthlete #Sleep #SleepRemedy #DocParsley #Hormones #Testosterone #Cortisol #MoveTheDirt #PowerAthleteRadio #Podcast (at Hill Country) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnpN0gJO3F0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Episode 676 of Power Athlete Radio with Rudy Reyes was seriously rad. We discussed mental stress, mindset and the move the dirt mentality. Some days you get a shovel, some days you get a spoon. This episode talks mental toughness; taking your darkest moments and utilizing them to overcome self imposed limitations. CLICK THE LINK IN BIO TO HAVE A LISTEN!!! #RudyReyes #PowerAthlete #WhoDaresWins #PowerAthleteRadio #Special ForcesTheUltimateTest #Podcast #NewYearResolutions #MentalToughness #MoveTheDirt #SpecialForces #Resilience @trainheroic (at Hill Country) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnAuc2COL5w/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=