I'm 37 years old, I've been at my job ten plus years— my children are damn near grown and recently it hit me like a ton of bricks, It's almost over. Now I don't mean life, training, living— even though my entire life I've always believed I'd die an untimely death, what I am referring to while saying "it's almost over" is my prime.

One, two, maybe three good runs at a monster total, hell I feel three is pushing it, but this FACT makes me realize that if I'm going to do this, I'm going to need to pull out all the stops. My whole life I've had a terrible time asking for help, I'm stubborn as fuck, and wouldn't be caught dead letting anyone see that I needed them or their help— fuck that, that's weakness, right? No that's complete BULLSHIT!!

I've worked my ass off to be in the position to have great people around me— that when asked would be willing to help me. I've also lost some great people around me to be in said position, to not use these people to help better myself would be absurd. I attended the Strong(er) Business Summit the weekend and even though I rolled my eyes and had my typical asshole attitude I, who never intends to be a business owner had a takeaway.

Seven out of the seven speakers all had several things in common during their presentations, mentors. Successful people, asking someone for advice, asking someone for help, having a second set of eyes seemed to be the mainstay topic of the day. I had someone close to me say, stay open minded these things can apply to life and training, not just business, she was right.

It's October 23rd this morning as I write this approximately 18 weeks away from the Arnold Classic. I feel I owe it to myself and those around me to swallow my pride and ask for help. I've already reached out to Derek Wilcox at RP to help me with my nutrition.

I've got Swede Burns in my corner, not that I haven't, but if you ask him, he'd be the first to say I'm a stubborn prick. When it comes to tweaks, small injuries, hard times with things I just work through them never telling him— when he should know everything that is going on, that to will change.

I have someone with some significant knowledge in supplementation at my disposal and will be taking that aspect of things with a much more "controlled" approach this time around. I'd be an idiot not to optimize every controllable part of my prep. With so many uncontrollable variables in training as it is it would be pretty counterproductive not to minimize the shit that can go bad.

I can't go into numbers, it's not my style what I will say is for the next 18 weeks I will do everything in my power to have the best meet I've ever had to date— and if I shit the bed, I can at least say I gave it my all.

See this is where It gets deep, no one walking the earth surface is promised tomorrow. We're all on a giant rock that's been floating around in space for like four billion years if you think your (if you're lucky) 100 years here is a long time you are sadly mistaken. Time waits for no man and the sand in the hourglass of life halts without a speck of notice. So go all in, 100% or whats the point, love, training, work, all of it.

I find myself being anxious thinking of all the what if's in my lifetime, fuck— I WILL NOT have anymore what if's. I will lay on my death bed if I'm lucky enough to live out an extended life and say well motherfuckers — I'm out of here, I don't want to lay there a frail, dying soul wishing I would have done things differently.

Taking regrets to grave is my biggest fear in life, so keep your fear of being average, keep your fear of failing, all I want is to die knowing I kicked life square in the dick, in the end, no one makes it out alive anyway.

Do yourself a favor, and think about the thing you want most in life— and attack it like every day will be your last chance, hard work bears fruit. Yes you'll hurt, you'll cry, you'll feel like it's all over at times, but when it is all over you can die knowing it was all fucking worth it.
No retreat, No surrender, No regrets