I read about the loss of bodybuilding legend, powerlifter, and two-time Mr. Olympia, Dr. Franco Columbu. I hardly need to go into the impact he had on bodybuilding. His life was a life well-lived, one with a deeply personal and meaningful purpose.

As I close in on turning 50 this next March, I admit that death has had a much more profound impact on me, to the point of almost making me dwell on it… and taking a 3,000-mile-long trip to spend time with my mother-in-law who has stage-4 cancer didn’t really help much, either.

Sometimes, I have to remember I am not Superman. I remembered how I have been feeling, sleeping, and how much I have been working. So I took a break and slept in… and managed to get this article done, too.

If we all sat inside a cage and didn’t go anywhere, we would certainly be safer with less chance of injury or death. But what kind of life would that be? No one cares what you think, so shut up.

In a week, my girlfriend and I went from the APF Women’s Pro-Am in Cincinnati to taking our dog an Intro to Herding Class in Nova, Ohio. I didn’t know what I was getting into, but I learned a lot about dogs, sports, and life in general.

When you tuck the ball and fall for a yard, and when you get rolling, take three steps forward and get pushed back two, remember: you still fell forward one step.

Fear is not something to be avoided. Do not run from one of the most powerful human sensations. Embrace it and use it to your advantage.

Screw calorie counts and macronutrient tracking.

Some will argue that it isn’t our “job” to be a friend, parent, or mentor. But I disagree.

His advice may be short and quick…but it carries a lot of weight.

What’s consistently surprised me is how coaching is such a microcosm of the real world.

Life is what you make it.

Since you faced cancer and survived, how has it impacted your view on life and what is really important to you?

Anyway, this is what’s been working like a charm for me. If anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to clarify whatever you need.

We often need to be put into a new and bigger or more competitive environment to continue to grow as a person.

But then, as we say, “Life Happened.”

I wage a war against the iron like no other.

I will not be the same person I was before Dad passed.

I became acquainted with Bob Youngs well over a decade ago when the internet and lifting forums were still in their infancy. Like many aspiring lifters, Bob served as my guide when I was somewhat lost in the dark, weightlifting wilderness.