Exterp from "Secrets to body transformation" (John Berardi)
The 6AM Test
I still remember the fateful day. I was at the gym, struggling away on the leg press machine. There wasn't much weight on the machine but it sure felt like a heavy load. With a few reps to go and my strength diminishing, one of the gym owners, Craig, came over to offer a spot.
Now, let me just say this. Craig wasn't just a "gym owner". At my height and over 230 impressive pounds, he was also the guy that every guy in town wanted to look like. We had never spoken before but after I racked the weight and got up, he offered me a few tips on improving my body.
For a few minutes, we discussed our goals, talked about our training programs, and he shared some valuable wisdom. I was determined to give his advice a try - after all, it worked pretty well for him.
About a week later, Craig approached me again during one of my leg workouts. He told me that he noticed I was taking his suggestions and putting them to good use. Then, surprise of all surprises, he actually invited me to work out with him the next day!
"What time?" was my only question.
At this point, he busted out with what I affectionately call, the "6 AM test."
Craig said he'd be training legs at 6:00 AM the next morning and I should meet him at the gym around 5:50 AM for warm-up.
Uh, oh. My head was swimming with excuses. I had just finished a leg day. And besides, I hadn't been up before 9 AM in a long, long time! There was no way I would be feeling ready to train with this guy.
But I pushed the excuses outta my head and I told him I'd be there.
The next morning we trained legs. It was harder than I had imagined it would be. Yet I did it. Limping out of the gym, Craig mentioned that I could work out with him the next day if I liked. However, we wouldn't be training at 6 AM; that was just a little test. And I had passed.
Mentorship and Commitment
I truly believe that the right people are placed in our paths when we need them most. Yet only if we remain open-minded and willing to learn can these mentors help us reach new levels of development.
Now, I'm not just talking physique development. This works in business, relationships, and any other endeavor.
Seriously, if a great mentor comes along, shut the ego down and listen - you might just learn something important!
Craig turned out to be an important mentor in my life. Heck, in that first workout alone I learned something very important. Lots of people say they want certain things from life, they say that they're interested in specific goals, yet they're unwilling to make the commitment to really go after those things, to really accomplish those goals.
In the case of Craig's 6 AM test, he had posed it lots of times. And lots of people failed the test. I wasn't going to be one of them. From that day on, I realized that there's a difference between interest and accomplishment. People say they're interested, but that's often all talk. Those who are chasing accomplishment get up at 5:30 so that they can be squatting by 6:00.
Full article here.
I still remember the fateful day. I was at the gym, struggling away on the leg press machine. There wasn't much weight on the machine but it sure felt like a heavy load. With a few reps to go and my strength diminishing, one of the gym owners, Craig, came over to offer a spot.
Now, let me just say this. Craig wasn't just a "gym owner". At my height and over 230 impressive pounds, he was also the guy that every guy in town wanted to look like. We had never spoken before but after I racked the weight and got up, he offered me a few tips on improving my body.
For a few minutes, we discussed our goals, talked about our training programs, and he shared some valuable wisdom. I was determined to give his advice a try - after all, it worked pretty well for him.
About a week later, Craig approached me again during one of my leg workouts. He told me that he noticed I was taking his suggestions and putting them to good use. Then, surprise of all surprises, he actually invited me to work out with him the next day!
"What time?" was my only question.
At this point, he busted out with what I affectionately call, the "6 AM test."
Craig said he'd be training legs at 6:00 AM the next morning and I should meet him at the gym around 5:50 AM for warm-up.
Uh, oh. My head was swimming with excuses. I had just finished a leg day. And besides, I hadn't been up before 9 AM in a long, long time! There was no way I would be feeling ready to train with this guy.
But I pushed the excuses outta my head and I told him I'd be there.
The next morning we trained legs. It was harder than I had imagined it would be. Yet I did it. Limping out of the gym, Craig mentioned that I could work out with him the next day if I liked. However, we wouldn't be training at 6 AM; that was just a little test. And I had passed.
Mentorship and Commitment
I truly believe that the right people are placed in our paths when we need them most. Yet only if we remain open-minded and willing to learn can these mentors help us reach new levels of development.
Now, I'm not just talking physique development. This works in business, relationships, and any other endeavor.
Seriously, if a great mentor comes along, shut the ego down and listen - you might just learn something important!
Craig turned out to be an important mentor in my life. Heck, in that first workout alone I learned something very important. Lots of people say they want certain things from life, they say that they're interested in specific goals, yet they're unwilling to make the commitment to really go after those things, to really accomplish those goals.
In the case of Craig's 6 AM test, he had posed it lots of times. And lots of people failed the test. I wasn't going to be one of them. From that day on, I realized that there's a difference between interest and accomplishment. People say they're interested, but that's often all talk. Those who are chasing accomplishment get up at 5:30 so that they can be squatting by 6:00.
Full article here.