I have always been a big fan of Harry Selkow. I'll never forget meeting him for the first time. Harry is larger than life. He is full of energy, exudes positive vibes, yet like General James "Mad Dog" Mattis, has a plan to kill everyone in the room. I knew we would hit it off immediately.
At one of the EliteFTS Compound gatherings, in the fledgling stage of Operation Be Less fat, Harry saw me and couldn't have been more complimentary. He asked to see me abs. I didn't have abs yet, but Harry has a way of making you feel great about yourself. How can you not love a guy like that.
One time a bunch of team members all went out for lunch and Harry doesn't know it, but he changed my life that afternoon. I was probably eating keto at the time and I remember Harry ordering a burger and a beer. Huh, this guy who is lean and jacked is eating a burger and drinking a beer. I stored that in the back of my head. There can be balance, but you have to get to your destination first.
Being into my forties, my hope back then was just to get into shape for my age. But as I was sitting there seeing Harry with his traps bulging from his shirt and the veins rippling from his forearms, that all changed. Harry, who is 10 years my senior, isn't just in good shape for his age, he's a specimen at any age. Screw being in shape for my age. That was a cop out. I then decided I was going to get into great shape period.
During my journey to be less fat, I struggled knowing the peak of my powerlifting tenure was coming to an end. For good or for ill, it's been my identity for a very long time. Then Harry appears before me. He looks like he could squat your car, go run a few miles, and then come back and choke the life out of you. Now that's bad ass and it's what I have been aspiring to ever since I have met Harry.
Not only has his mere presence fueled me, he has given me such sage advice over the years. I have reached out to him many times for training advice and he has never let me down. If you have heard him speak, he often says "Eat like Meadows and train like a linebacker." That's about the simplest most effective road map to getting in shape you can get.
One thing that has resonated with me more than anything is when I asked Harry about conditioning. He told me "Condition like you bench press." Wow, I work really hard at benching, but I never thought of conditioning that hard. Now I get it. Conditioning like your life depends on it is brutal, but it will get your juices flowing. It will also help you get into killer shape.
With Harry's words in mind, I challenged myself to diet like I bench. Yeah, why not put that much effort into the most important aspect of getting into shape. It made perfect sense. When I busted ass and followed my training program, I accomplished all of my lifting goals. That's why I don't cheat on my diet. It's irrational not to follow a plan that will get you to your goal. I now diet and condition like I train. That's a winning triumvirate for getting lean.
I don't know if I'm as in shape as Harry, but damn I have come a long way. I am happy where I am now and am finding that balance I mentioned earlier. Harry, you are a great friend, an awesome coach, and a huge inspiration brother. Muchas gracias Jefe.
