ON BEING RAMBO

ON BEING RAMBO

By Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner

MFF’s Godzilla Geek, Die Mighty Creator, Master RKC,

Master DVRT, OS Lead Instructor, Strength Faction Mentor.

Let’s face it, win or lose this year’s election process drained, saddened and angered a lot of us. For me, the election results were more disappointing than surprising. Someone had to win. Someone had to lose. I am not judging anyone’s political view here. This isn’t about politics.

This is about standing up for what you believe in and being a voice for your community.

STAND FOR SOMETHING. OR DIE FOR NOTHING.

-JOHN RAMBO

There was a post recently on social media discussing whether or not fitness professionals should post about politics. The point of concern was that political discussion would potentially alienate and/or limit the market they may be able to reach. Spreading fitness to the largest audience possible was the greater goal over voicing an individual’s personal political point of view.

I respect that where that opinion comes from. I also completely disagree with it.

In any business, you should aim to have the most loyal customer base and not the biggest customer base. You will not be able to deliver the best product or services if you try to be everything to anyone. You run the risk of being generic, bland and being lost among your competitors.

There are thousands of online coaches and fitness personalities. How does one standout from the crowd? PERSONALITY. INDIVIDUALITY. HONESTY.

For better or worse, successful fitness professionals and entrepreneurs are themselves. They speak in their own voice regardless of what the greater population may think. Fully being oneself to the public is scary. The glory is stepping forward despite the fear.

THE MORE SCARED WE ARE OF A WORK OR CALLING, THE MORE SURE WE CAN BE THAT WE HAVE  TO DO IT.

-STEVEN PRESSFIELD

What you will find is that a number of people will deeply relate to what you’re saying. And yes, others will be turned off. You will connect with those that relate and they will want to hear more from you. What’s equally important is that these connections will be the EXACT type of person you want to work with. You will have already established a common ground. This is how tribes are grown. This is how business flourishes. This is how we build trust and community. This is how we learn to lead. Don’t shy away from expressing your point of view. Embrace it. Others will heed your call. Remember to BE RESPECTFUL to others. My opinion is only greater to me than yours because it's mine. Your opinion should be more important to you because it's yours. Letting folks know where you stand doesn't mean you have to be a dick in the process. Be respectful. 

IT’S ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF THE CONNECTION AND THE MEANING BEHIND THE UNIFIED PURPOSE, NOT THE NUMBERS.

-SETH GODIN

Aside from on online presence, let’s look at an even bigger need to be vocal on sensitive topics: YOUR COMMUNITY!

Regardless of being a coach, business owner or friend; as human’s we have a responsibility to stand behind our community. We need to support our tribe! My role as a trainer goes far beyond programming, counting reps and cueing a bench press. Our tribe allows me to do what I love. Help people.

Staying quiet to avoid disrupting some unknown masses has NEVER lead to anything good in this world. I want the people I train and work for to know I support them. We may not always agree and that is absolutely fine. However, they will know that I will share my opinion, discuss and back them when needed.

The world has enough videos on how to do kettlebell swing. There are times when we need to take a platform on bigger things. Now I'm not saying that everyone should go out and start writing because I said. I'm saying is that if you feel strongly about something you should share it. And we in the fitness community shouldn't judge you for it. I'll also add that being strategically quiet is different than being silent out of fear. 

Freedom comes from realizing we don't have to agree all the time. Open yourself up to that fact and let the world know where you stand. 

I hope this resonates with some of you.

I’m prepared if this turns some of you off.

Either way, I wish you all the best.

-Fury out

#diemighty

Along with creating Die Mighty, Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner is a trainer at Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC and is an Original Strength Lead Instructor, a Master RKC Kettlebell Instructor and a Master DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training Instructor. Through his leadership roles, Fury travels throughout the U.S. and internationally to teach. Fury has also written for Mark Fisher Fitness, the RKC, DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training, Bodybuilding.com, Details Magazine and his own website.

He’s also a big Godzilla fan. Duh!

Want to dive deeper into Die Mighty? Fury is available for online training and is teaching workshops.

Follow me at: coachfury.com, FB/coachfury, IG@iamcoachfury/, twitter@coachfury

You can buy DIE MIGHTY SHIRTS and HOODIES here: COACH FURY: DIE MIGHTY GEAR

SEEING PASSED THE PARADIGM

Hey everyone, 

Though we haven't seen each other in about 20 years, our next guest writer, Brian VanNostrand and I had remained in loose contact on Facebook. Every now and then, he would send me a message about he appreciated my writing. 

Knowing that Brian was always very smart, literate and funny I held his praise in high regard. When he decided to sign up for the Die Mighty online training program I was beyond thrilled. I was extra excited when I received his blog. 

We can all make change. We can all grab the sword. We can all Die Mighty. We just have to break the paradigms and barriers we can spend years building for ourselves. 

Please comment, like and share if you relate to this or think it can help inspire someone. 

Ladies and gents, here's Brian's guest manifesto. 

-Fury

#diemighty 

SEEING PASSED THE PARADIGM

A Die Mighty Guest Manifesto

By Brian VanNostrand

English Teacher

I was never good at sports – at least that’s the way I remember things. I wasn’t some kind of cliché; bespectacled and clumsy and always picked last for kickball at recess, but I wasn’t very good either. I suspect my ineptitude at physical games was the result of being overweight as a child, and my tendency to fantasize about the origins of Star Wars characters when I should have been paying attention to what was flying at me in right field. My classmates and (especially) my teammates were always quick to point out my mistakes in the oh-so-gentle way children have of criticizing each other, so naturally I started to shy away from physical games pretty early on.

My parents encouraged me to join different league sports – soccer, baseball, football – I tried them all and dropped them all pretty quickly. I just wasn’t the “athletic type”. 

Now, what I was good at was academic pursuits. As early as I can remember, I was praised for my grades and my ability to comprehend things passed my age. I was highly imaginative, and loved to draw and make up stories, and many of the adults in my life reinforced this by commending me on these pursuits. Because of all this, somewhere along the way, I unconsciously decided that this was what would define me.

I was creative, an intellectual.

Physical activities just weren’t for me. 

Some people were sporty and others weren’t. I knew where I belonged. This pattern, this paradigm, dividing people into these two groups (the physical and the intellectual) unconsciously dominated my thinking for decades. 

Oh, there were a few moments of defection. I briefly played football in the 8^th and 9^th grade, and lifted weights for awhile in high school, but I really did these things to try and impress girls, and didn’t ever take either very seriously. No, for the most part, I worked on developing my mind and neglected my body. 

And this way of seeing the world persisted for decades. Here and there, I would try and get on a “health kick”, but I always ended up quitting and returning to a sedentary life of bad food and plenty of beer.

I got married, had kids, started a career, and bought a house. These were all good things, but they also made it easier for me to ignore my health.There was never enough time to exercise, I was too busy to diet; the excuses were very easy to come by. 

Then, a few years ago I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. I started taking the medication and just kept going, eating and drinking like a sailor on shore leave. My doctor would suggest exercise, and I would agree (“I really should, but there’s never any time…”). Meanwhile a little voice in the back of my head would be muttering, “Exercise? That’s for jocks! Can’t she see we are an intellectual?” 

The high blood pressure diagnosis was soon followed by high cholesterol and another pill I had to take everyday. Still I kept going, pushing on, ignoring what my body was telling me. I would exercise for a little while, then drop it, the old subconscious paradigm still nagging me. 

A few months ago, just before my forty-third birthday, I was prescribed my third and fourth daily medicines. I was despondent now, I thought of myself as an unsustainable organism. I would look at my wife and kids and imagine what their lives would be without me. How would my children remember me when I died of a stroke or sudden heart attack? Something needed to change. I realized I needed to change, but I wasn’t sure how to go about it. 

After reading the first few blog posts from Coach Fury, I saw a way I could help myself. I could take charge of my physical life in the same way I had always taken charge of my intellectual life. I needed to see that old paradigm as just what it was – an old thought that I had been thinking for too long. I had repeated it to myself so many times over so many years, and used it to define myself within such narrow parameters that I dragged myself into disease and danger.

I started to see beyond that old perspective, and realized that I could be better; better for myself, better for my wife, and (most importantly) better for my kids.

I want to be healthy for myself, sure, but I also want to show them that the only limits we have in life are the ones we put on ourselves. 

I want to show them that these self-imposed limits are artificial, just a thought we had and have been thinking too long.

We humans are not defined in only one way or the other – we can be all things at once.

I want them to know that I’m in this life for the long haul. 

I’m going to die mighty.  

-Brian

Along with creating Die Mighty, Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner is a trainer at Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC and is an Original Strength Lead Instructor, a Master RKC Kettlebell Instructor and a Master DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training Instructor. Through his leadership roles, Fury travels throughout the U.S. and internationally to teach. Fury has also written for Mark Fisher Fitness, the RKC, DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training, Bodybuilding.com, Details Magazine and his own site.

He’s also a big Godzilla fan.

Want to dive deeper into Die Mighty? Fury is available for online training and is teaching workshops.

Follow me at: coachfury.com, FB/coachfury, IG@iamcoachfury/, twitter@coachfury

Show the world you chose the sword with I WILL DIE MIGHTY shirts!

Order here: teespring.com/iwlldiemighty

HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY

Hey everyone, 

I present you the first Die Mighty Guest Manifesto! This is incredibly special to me because what the writer, Evan Ganz, doesn't mention is that we've been friends since high school. We spent years skateboarding, collecting star wars toys, seeing movies and going to concerts together.

I'm not going to give any spoilers away, but you are going to hit a very powerful statement in here. When you do, you'll see what Die Mighty is all about. We defy letting ourselves go by taking action!

Please read, like and share. 

Please email me (coachfury@gmail.com) if you'd like to share your Die Mighty story. 

Now without further ado, I present you Evan's guest manifesto. 

-Fury

HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY

A Die Mighty Guest Manifesto

By Evan Ganz

Store Manager at Barnes & Noble

I want to start this out with a little background on how I got here. About 9 years ago I was diagnosed with all the things that men don't want to hear about. High cholesterol, high blood sugar and overweight. I started to treat it with medication, but a move caused me to not find a new doctor and stop taking my meds. 2 years later I had heart failure and was pretty down.

That's when I noticed that Coach Fury was changing his life and using these things called kettlebells so I reached out to him and he guided me through how to properly train. Unfortunately while doing this, my doctor's felt it was best that I have a pacemaker installed. After my surgery, Steve was the only person who reached out to me and inspired me not to give up.

Once I healed I started hitting the kettlebells again, but my range of motion wasn't the same. I decided I can't quit and started running. Within 3 months I ran my first 5k, astonished my doctors by my recovery, and started training for a 10k.

Then I injured my knee and was told to lighten up on the exercise and heal. I made several attempts to get back into training, but just could never get back into the groove.

Then I moved again.

This time I got a doctor right away so I didn't slip. I tried running, but just couldn't get it going. On top of that, I had a terrible year and work and started to feel like I was spiraling into oblivion. Nothing seemed to be going my way and I was feeling down. I was just hoping that things would get better.

Then once again, Coach Fury finds a way to inspire me.

I noticed that he was making some kind of announcement about taking his training to the next level. This couldn't have come at a better time for me.

"Die Mighty" was the call and the kick in the ass I needed. I needed to stop hoping things would get better and start doing.

No Ganz male in my family has made it out of their 40's and I need to defy those odds.

That day I realized I was happiest when I was healthy.

I was happiest when I was running and getting strong.

I was my best at work and in my personal life when I was strong.

Since Steve's call to action, I've started training for another 5k that I plan on running on my 44th birthday. I’m doing it right this time. I know what my limits are and how to properly avoid injury.

I will now be strong!

I will now #diemighty!

-Evan Ganz

Die Mighty shirts are available again! Order now:

https://teespring.com/iwilldiemighty

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

A Die Mighty Manifesto           

By Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner

OS Lead Instructor, MFF Coach, Master DVRT, Master RKC

Skateboarding provided me with the gift to view my surroundings with a fresh and different perspective. Where most would see an empty parking lot or curb, we skaters would see hours of endless possibilities. The curiosity, creativity and freedom skating engrained in me, also pervades my interest in fitness.

Though fairly common now, kettlebells were not widely accepted as safe and effective implements when I started. However, I knew there was something to the cannonball with the handle as soon as I picked one up. I saw hours of endless possibilities. The same gut reaction I had to kettlebells would lead me to Ultimate Sandbags, Original Strength, TRX, Indian Clubs and back to barbells among other things.

Curiosity. Creativity. Freedom.

RESULTS.

Here’s the thing most “fitness” folks don’t want you to know:

You don’t need much to make progress.

What you do need is a smart plan of attack, intensity and, most importantly, consistency.

With Die Mighty, I meet people with three main factors in mind: What do they have access to? What can they realistically commit to? Can they approach fitness with a fresh perspective?

It doesn’t need to be fancy. It doesn’t need to be pricey. Give me the equivalent of an empty parking lot and a curb and I will design a program that works for you. Could you achieve better results with some gear or a gym membership? Maybe, but ask yourself how many gym memberships or fitness dvds have you left unused? Do you still have a VCR hooked up for those Tae Bo tapes?

As always, I don’t aim to shame. However, we need to be realistic when we get started. You need to be in this for the long haul. We want to DIE MIGHTY! Not have a fairly mighty summer.

Let’s start simple. Let’s start with what you CAN commit to. We can look into gear once you have several sessions under your belt. Let’s dive in and actually get started instead of prepping for a well intentioned future start date. Make no mistakes about it, my approach serves the purpose of excuse removal. Time and money are hot commodities for anyone, especially parents. I do my best to minimize excessive need on either. Excuse removal. No retreat. No surrender!

Hopefully you’ve read some of the other Die Mighty Manifestos by now and you are getting sense of who I am, where I come from and what I have to offer.

Going forward, here are some concepts to ponder as we start training with a fresh perspective.

1.    Running can be great but it’s not the magic bullet to renewed health and fitness that most view it as.

2.    You don’t need to sit in machines to get strong.

3.    What you eat will account for the vast majority of your waistline.

4.    Pain is not weakness leaving the body. Pain is your body telling you you’ve been a dumbass.

As simple as those concepts seem, many people will bash my take on them. That’s fine. People used to think it was cool for Doctor’s to leech folks too.

What will we focus on in Die Mighty?

1.   Breathing well.

2.   Moving well.

3.   Eating well.

4.   Sleeping well.

5.   Being awesome!

It can be that simple. Not easy. Simple. 

Will you approach your fitness with a fresh perspective? Will you find the time? Will you stop making excuses?

Will you choose strength? WILL YOU DIE MIGHTY?!

I am here to help you.

Please like and share if you get the message. 

Thanks for your time. 

-Fury

#diemighty

Along with creating Die Mighty, Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner is a trainer at Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC and is an Original Strength Lead Instructor, a Master RKC Kettlebell Instructor and a Master DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training Instructor. Through his leadership roles, Fury travels throughout the U.S. and internationally to teach. Fury has also written for Mark Fisher Fitness, the RKC, DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training, Bodybuilding.com, Details Magazine and his own website.

He’s also a big Godzilla fan. Duh!

Want to dive deeper into Die Mighty? Fury is available for online training and is teaching workshops.

Follow me at: coachfury.com, FB/coachfury, IG@iamcoachfury/, twitter@coachfury

HOW TO BUILD A BEASTLY KETTLEBELL PRESS

Do you want to build a heavy kettlebell press? Check out my article for my bodybuilding.com.

Read on:

HOW TO BUILD A BEASTLY KETTLEBELL PRESS

Thanks!

-Fury

HOW GODZILLA MADE ME A BETTER DAD

A Die Mighty Manifesto           

By Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner

OS Lead Instructor, MFF Coach, Master DVRT, Master RKC

The Die Mighty philosophy and my life as a coach wouldn’t exist without my kids. My daughter and son are the reason I train. I train to keep up with them. I train to live long with them.

I train to be a role model for them.

My kids know that strength is important on a bigger scale than muscle growth or fat loss. Being strong is a state of being, a philosophy and way of life. They see that lifestyle in me and that makes me very very happy.

How do you think your kids see you? I don’t ask that to shame or judge. Hell no! I ask because I believe as parents, we are obligated to continually better ourselves for our kids. Is there something you want to change? Well then, what are you waiting for? Now I don’t mean we need to be perfect, I’m a galaxy far far away from perfect, but I do believe we should never settle, always be curious and always progress. We should always strive to be STRONG PARENTS!

By now you know that Godzilla is my spirit animal. My all-time favorite Godzilla film is 1967’s SON OF GODZILLA.

This film is packed with Kaiju (giant monsters), scientists messing with the weather and takes place on an exotic island. Most importantly, the movie has a few choice parenting lessons of Godzilla teaching his son Minilla (also known as Minya). The scene of Godzilla teaching Minilla how to breathe atomic breath struck such a chord with me at a young age and resonates with me to this day. Godzilla demonstrated how to perform a skill and let Minilla try on his own. Finally, offering some tough love, Godzilla stepped on Minilla’s tail triggering him to nail his first full-on atomic breath. Godzilla rewards his son and then promptly takes a nap. Solid parenting!

Godzilla also seemed to instill a sense of independence in Minilla. The son of Godzilla would often have to fend for his own but dad was always there when things got rough.

At the end of the film, Godzilla holds Minilla close as snow overcomes their island. That scene still makes me teary.

I know it sounds crazy, but I apply those lessons to how I teach my kids.

   •I try to teach while letting them learn for themselves
   
   •I’m teaching them to be independent.

   •They know I love them and I'm there when they need me.

In turn, my kids are bright, caring, well behaved, curious and respectful.

Of course there’s much more to parenting than watching a Godzilla flick, but inspiration is inspiration. Simply by reading this, you’re already invested in being a better parent. Sadly, we have all seen some mediocre to crap parenting from others. I ask again, is there something you would change?

I want to live an incredibly long and healthy life. However, I take comfort in knowing that if I were to die tomorrow, my kids will already be far greater than I ever will. I take pride in my role as a strong parent because I choose to make changes. I choose to be strong. I choose to DIE MIGHTY!

How about you?

Happy Father’s Day to all of my fellow dad’s (and mom’s that rep the dad role)!

Thanks for your time!

-Fury

#diemighty

Along with creating Die Mighty, Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner is a trainer at Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC and is an Original Strength Lead Instructor, a Master RKC Kettlebell Instructor and a Master DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training Instructor. Through his leadership roles, Fury travels throughout the U.S. and internationally to teach. Fury has also written for Mark Fisher Fitness, the RKC, DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training, Bodybuilding.com, Details Magazine and his own site.

He’s also a big Godzilla fan.

Want to dive deeper into Die Mighty? Fury is available for online training and is teaching workshops.

Follow me at: coachfury.com, FB/coachfury, IG@iamcoachfury/, twitter@coachfury