A while back when I was still an up and coming performing strongman, I get a call from a guy named Bud Jeffries. He’s someone who I’ve cited to my personal training clients as examples of different aspects of fitness. He’s a bit of a phenom, having dead squatted 900lbs, swinging a 53lb kettlebell for about an hour straight (losing 120lbs progressing up that), doing full splits, and nowadays a bunch of random crazy stuff like pulling a truck while throwing axes that are on fire at a moving target.

Bud Jeffries at the time was working as a full time performing strongman, living out of a suitcase, and traveling the country doing strongman shows. He knew I was an up and comer and called me up to invite me to go and see how he runs a strongman show, which helped me structure my shows that I do for colleges, schools and corporate entertainment/motivation before the pandemic occurred.

So awhile back, Bud Jeffries’ son Noah who by the time he was 16 had already done some amazing things in the strength world was killed in a motorcycle accident at 21 years old, prompting his parents to start a foundation called Noah’s army which raises funds for a variety of noble causes.

He set up a virtual fundraiser since live shows aren’t really going on right now, and asked a bunch of us to contribute something. I contributed my signature feat and thought it was mostly just strongmen. But over the weekend as I watched the telethon there was a rather eclectic group of performers, including a guy who’s personal fitness routine is set up building massive sandcastles. Like I said, eclectic.

And that guy’s topic was something I’ve been mulling about since I saw it because it reaffirmed something I often say to my personal training clients and the people who chat with me after my strongman performances.

The mind and the body are not separate things. They are all connected. The mind controls the body, but the also body influences the mind. The brain lives within the body. If you don’t take care of the body, you’re not really taking care of your brain either, and mental wellbeing is something we all need to take seriously.

One of the things that I also talk with my personal training clients is that our fitness is intended to make life better. You should be strong enough to live life on your own terms, not shackled by the locks and chains that come with weakness and poor health.

Life should be vibrant, and enjoyable and that is done when you are of sound mind and a healthy and strong body.

And the thing is, when you train correctly, you get a bit stronger and a bit healthier. That helps you feel better about yourself. There is a chemical cascade that comes from training that helps you feel better. When you feel better about yourself it builds your confidence. When you build your confidence and get more energy it spills out into other aspects of your life. It’s like a chain reaction of making life better.

I’ve seen it time and time again with many of the personal training clients I’ve trained over the years.

One of the reasons people train with me is not just for the strength aspect, but also for mental well being. That’s why I had added the life coaching aspect to my business as a way of adding value to my personal training services.

Because at the end of the day everything you do should be about creating a better life for yourself.

If you need my help with this, I have a free trial membership at my personal training studio in Boonton. Though I don’t have anymore availability in the mornings, I have some in the afternoons. Just text me at 973 476 5328 and introduce yourself to see what time slots I have available if you are interested.

2020 may have been a mess and hopefully I don’t get shutdown again, but we can get a head start at making 2021 healthy, strong and confident.

Eric Moss is a world-record-holding modern-day professional performing strongman, author, motivational speaker, and personal trainer. In the tradition of the strongmen more common during the turn of the century, he performs feats of strength such as bending steel and breaking chains as part of a show and speaks on goal achievement for corporations, nonprofits, government as well as for schools and universities. His personal training studio is located on Main Street in Boonton New Jersey, and is close to Mountain Lakes, Denville, Montville and Parsippany New Jersey.