Posts written by Michael J. Mahony

Scale weight:  I went from 240 pounds to 208 pounds in 300 days.
Body fat %:  I went from 25% down to 12% in 300 days
Deadlift max:  I went from a max deadlift of 225 lbs. up to 425 lbs. in 300 days
Squat max:  I went from a max squat of 200 lbs. up to 395 lbs. in 300 days

As far as some highlights of some mental changes I've gone through:

My mental intensity is the highest it has ever been
My mental focus is the highest it has ever been
My mental toughness is the most it has ever been

It has honestly been an amazing journey, but it has all been about the Experiment of One that I've mentioned before.  Yes, I've got plans that have worked well for me, but who am I to say they will necessarily work for you?  The concepts are universal, the results are not necessarily universal.  Think about it.  You are one person and I am another.  Individual results may vary.  The process is pretty much the same. 

I took this to heart today and had an awesome lifting session.  I simply love how pumped I get from a great workout like today's workout.

At the same time, it is important to start your week right in other ways as well.  I strongly believe that Monday just plain sets the tone for the coming week.  You can run into problems, but the way you handle them will determine how well your week goes.  Get stressed by every little thing and you are sure to have a very stressful week.  Take things in stride and nothing can upset your week.

Here are these young people who have dedicated their entire lives to the pursuit of a dream.  They put everything else on hold in their life to reach the goal they have.  Even those who have spouses/girlfriends/boyfriends tend to be with other Olympic-type athletes.  I believe the reason for that is obvious.  Who else would be able to put up with the extreme amount of time and dedication that is required to reach the level they are all at?  They say that is why alot of Hollywood actors and actresses end up together–they understand “the lifestyle” better than anyone else.

This got me to thinking about the passionate pursuit of anything in life.  It reminds me of when you see something that you want and you just get these intense unadulterated feelings about going for it.  You are willing to climb over the highest walls to get to where you want to go because you have intense unadulterated feelings about your destination. 

I was watching an episode of Monk yesterday that represents just this very thing.  Monk is a detective from San Francisco who lost his wife to a murder.  He was so deeply in love with his wife that he just can't move on so he keeps her stuff intact.  He also has an issue with germs.  He cannot touch anything unless it is wiped off or he uses tissue to touch it.  In this particular episode, Monk is friends with a heavyweight boxer.  The boxer is in trouble and being threatened because 5 years earlier, at a time when he was at the top of his game, he threw a title fight so that his manager's child could get a life saving operation.  They bet against him and he threw the fight.  Now someone wants him dead as a result.  Monk and the boxer have a tight relationship.  Monk has to pass a physical fitness test (something that is impossible for him) and so the boxer trains him.  You see Monk trying to do pull ups.  You see him running stairs.  You see him jumping over the lower pillars of the bleachers.