#7 Why 4am?

Why?

People think I’m trying to act sweet when I say that I’m getting up at 4am. I can assure you that it has NOTHING to do with that. Why do I get up at 3 and train at 4am? It’s for the love of the weights. It’s for the love of what I do.

I highly value uninterrupted training time because of the positive mental health benefits, because it’s one of my main hobbies, because it’s my job, because it’s my passion, and because I still fucking compete in bodybuilding and powerlifting.

Get the Most

Am I the best bodybuilder or powerlifter you’ve ever met? I am not. Do I get every fucking ounce I have out of myself when it comes to my genetics, my understanding of sports nutrition, my understanding of diet, and my understanding of training? You better fucking believe it.

I learned from Arnold Schwarzenegger, members of Westside Barbell, Dr. Mauro di Pasquale, and Dr. Serrano, among many others. I have applied what I’ve learned from these icons to get the best out of me at a drug-free level.

Uninterrupted Time

Having uninterrupted time is what allows me to continue pushing myself. Having multiple businesses and multiple kids keeps my hands full almost all the time. If I told myself that I was going to work out at 5pm because that’s what I do, it would never work. I would never be able to push myself. The 4am used to be 7am. Over time I was forced to change it because of what I want for myself.

Here’s What I Want

I want to be able to compete for as long as I’m healthy. I love the preparation, the butterflies, and the big moment to step up on game day. I don’t want this to leave my life because it’s too important. To have those things and still be able to train, it’s just what it is.

I was not willing to say, “I can’t get up at 3:00am.” I even had someone tell me in the past that when the business reached a certain level that I might not be able to work out. To be straight, I couldn’t even understand this statement. I said, “I don’t think you understand. Working out isn’t something I do on-the-side. It’s me. It’s what I do.” Getting busier won’t deter me from working out. I’m going to do what’s necessary. If I have to cut a little sleep-in order to train, that’s what I’m going to do.

My Question to You

Are you willing to do what is necessary to push the needle? When that alarm clock goes off at 3am, I’m getting up to do something that I love to do. I’m willing to do it at any fucking time that I have to. I don’t care. I don’t care what happened the night before. I don’t fucking miss. It doesn’t matter how great I think I am. It all comes down to the process. I don’t do anything special, I just don’t fucking miss.

If you’re here, I’m going to help you. That’s what I do. If you’re not, I can’t help you. If you want to get better, don’t miss. It’s literally that simple. It’s the way I operate. I’m on the pursuit to get every ounce out of myself that I have. That’s it.

Push the Needle

Ask yourself what it’s going to take to push you to a new level. Map out what you have to do in order to get there. Doing so sets up everything. Ask anyone that’s close to me. If I miss workouts, which almost never happens, my mental health suffers, I’m not as creative, I’m not as positive, and I’m just not myself.

I value whatever that time has to be so much that I could care less about the time I have to get up. That is why I train at 4am.