Can You Pass This Test?

Are you giving yourself the best opportunity to succeed at whatever you choose? Check out this test by Martin Rooney to find out.

Can You Pass This Test? by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

The Price of Greatness

Two summers ago I had an incredible opportunity to work with some of the elite NFL football players, including Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and LaDainian Tomlinson. What impressed me the most was not their sheer athleticism or the drills they were doing, but their attention to every detail during those drills. Drew Brees really stood out to me in this area, especially during the fieldwork. Even when he was only working with one receiver, I could see him checking other routes that would normally be run and defenders that would normally be there before he threw the ball. I could see him taking into consideration each element of a game with every rep that summer. Not surprisingly, Drew had an incredible season following that summer. He played so well, in fact, that the Saints won the Super Bowl and he was named the Super Bowl MVP. The following season, Aaron Rodgers went out and did the same thing, winning the Super Bowl and collecting MVP honors.

Every time I think about these events, it all comes back to the attention to detail. Without question, these men have been blessed with incredible physical characteristics that have allowed them to be very good at what they do. But what separates the very good from the great? What separates those who play from those who win?

Every year at the NFL Combine you hear stories about men performing record-setting feats and others who completely flop. What these athletes are being tested on year after year does not change, minus a few rule changes here and there. Coaches are well aware of the best techniques for performing the tests and giving their athletes the best possible chance to perform at their highest level. Yes, some guys are just flat-out more physically gifted than the rest of the field and will get drafted reasonably high even with a sub-par showing. For most, though, screwing up at the Combine or on your Pro Day could mean screwing yourself out of millions of dollars.

The 40-yard dash is the biggest "make or break" test at the Combine.

With that much weight put on those tests, how is anybody able to function well? The answer is that those who succeed have done the drills over and over and over again and have them completely mastered by the time the Combine comes around. There’s no thinking; their body just responds. Why? Because they had extreme attention to detail in their training, which allowed them to become great at performing these tests.

Being an economics major, I’ve learned that there is a cost to every action, namely an opportunity cost. If I am spending my time doing one thing, it means I lose the opportunity to do something else with that time. The opportunity cost of such extreme attention to detail that you are able to achieve greatness at some level is that, instead of screwing around or going through the motions when it is time to work, you cut the crap and put your best foot forward to create great actions. Then you repeat those actions until they become great habits. Then you repeat those habits until it is completely automatic, becoming part of who you are.

Let me ask you this: In what area of your life are you striving to achieve greatness, and what is driving you to achieve greatness? We are all meant to be great at something, but that something is rarely a sport and isn’t necessarily an occupation, either. In fact, most of us shouldn’t be striving for greatness in those fields right away, anyways. Instead, we should be striving for greatness in our relationships with others because, I tell you what, if there were more great moms and dads in this world raising more great children who turn into great adults, the world would be a far better place. But most people who strive for greatness in other fields fall drastically short of being a great human being. Once you become a great human being and those everyday actions become automatic and part of who you are, you can begin focusing on other endeavors in which to achieve greatness. But it starts with your attention to detail in providing a consistent effort to improve the experiences of others on a daily basis as well as a consistent effort to improve your own well being.

In the game of life, how is your attention to detail? Are you practicing empathy, finding happiness and peace of mind, and bettering the lives of those around you just by being yourself? Are you just playing the game, or are you winning?

Here’s to faith, strength, and passion.

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

Why Monster Trucks Shouldn't Be Driven in the Express Lane

This article could be re-titled, "One Reason of Many Why Cross-Fit Sucks For Your Body", but alas, the chose the higher road. Check out this article by Coach Joe to find out why.

Why Monster Trucks Shouldn't Be Driven in the Express Lane by Coach Joe

Get big or die tryin'.

Hardgainers: The Big Three for Recovery

I used to believe in foam rolling and stretching for recovery, but now those modalities take the back seat. Instead, here are my Big Three for Big Gains when it comes to recovery.

1. Get Your Sleep Right

Anywhere between 7 and 9 hours of sleep both the night before and the night after a training session are a must. You cannot out-exercise a bad diet, and you cannot out-eat bad sleep. Prioritize this as #1 and see the massive results you have been wanting.

2. Pinpoint Nutrition

I gave guidelines in my earlier article, "Recovery 101: Nutrition". You can follow these if you like, but what I am really talking about here is following a pre- and post-training diet that is designed exactly to what your body needs and can use. If you can't metabolize carbohydrates, carbo loading before or after will only make you sick and bloated.

3. PMA

Positive Mental Attitude. Exercise is a stress on the body, and the body is unable to differentiate between physical and emotional stress. Because all stress is cumulative on the body, you need to make sure you keep a positive mental attitude in and outside of the gym. Minimizing unnecessary stress will allow your body the greatest opportunity to be in an anabolic state with greater testosterone and growth hormone production, allowing y0u the results you desire.

While what you do in the gym is vital to reaching your goals, everything you do outside of it trumps all that is done within. If you can't make the commitment to positively changing your lifestyle outside of the gym, don't expect positive changes to happen to your training and physique.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP’s. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

Training Speed to Get Strong

I've been posting some articles about speed work and accommodating resistance lately, but how do they all fit together? Check out this article by Eric Cressey for a great overview into speed work.

Training Speed to Get Strong by Eric Cressey

Get big or die tryin'.