“The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself...Read More

Chicago traffic sped by. We weaved through cars and accelerated through cross streets. We’d stop at traffic lights and the L clamored by, protesting against patience along with the car horns and people shouting out driver’s side windows. I sat in the backseat, enthralled. “That’s it, honey. You can’t just take up space. You gotta...Read More

This isn’t the typical weight loss article. There are no before and after photos, and I won’t tell you how much weight I lost. I won’t say, “Here’s what you need to do to lose 10 pounds in a month,” or some such bullshit. I lost the amount of weight I wanted to lose for...Read More

Picture, if you will, 14-year-old me blaring Pantera through the stereo. I’m in my room getting my lifting clothes on so my mom can drop me off at the Juniata Valley YMCA. I plan on being there for at least two hours, doing some kind of Westside Barbell-inspired powerlifting workout. I bang my head, breaking...Read More

Many people search for something transformative. They want to look different; they want to feel different; they to grow to be something more than they currently are. A lot of folks get lost as they search. On the way toward something meaningful, they get sidetracked by another thing that looks like it speeds up the...Read More

You check the clock. It seems like the numbers are slowly creeping down. You tap your foot. You look around, then you pace for a second. “Screw it, hot stuff, let’s do it,” you say to yourself. Then you grab the weights, and you do your next set. But it’s only been 30 seconds. You...Read More

Chris and I met at a commercial gym in State College, Pennsylvania. He flirted with me, and I was interested. Now here we are. And while you’d like for that to be true, it isn’t. But we’ve all had fun now, haven’t we?     The actual reason I’m talking about the gym where Chris...Read More

The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it. -Jordan Belfort (Yes, I realize that I just quoted a con artist. But the sentiment rings true. Let’s carry on.)   I want you to reminisce on a time when everything...Read More

Ladies and gentlemen, there’s no fluff in this article. It’s for those of you that love competing with yourself and want a few reminders on how to approach it. It’s also for those of you that are trying to figure out how to compete with yourself. It’s quick. It’s dirty. It’s actionable. Read it before...Read More

We have a unique training system at Beyond Strength. One that you seriously won’t find anywhere else. There’s one big difference that really sets us apart from other gyms. We test our members. Right now, we’re in the middle of testing week. Our members are jumping, rowing, lifting, and biking. They’re learning the truth about...Read More