The Pug of Steel – Dog Days of Summer
A couple weeks ago, I came to my personal training studio in Boonton and found one of the dog days of summer art pieces in front of it. I was surprised since in the time I’ve been here, this was the first time it happened. As I took a closer look I saw that it was a dog fashioned as Clark Kent tearing off his outer layers and being Superman.
How appropriate, but maybe not for the reasons you think.
You see the connection between me and the man of steel are obvious. We both bend steel and a stage nickname I had for a while was Last Son of Krypton (it was a tribute to my first mentor New Jersey’s Superman the late Greg Matonick….a nick name, not an official stage name…so don’t come after me DC).
But that connection isn’t what I’m talking about.
Here’s the thing that differentiates Superman from some of the others. Peter Parker started out as Peter Parker and he became Spiderman. Dr. Bruce Banner started out as Dr. Bruce Banner and he became the incredible Hulk. Most other superheroes are like that too. Something happened to them, that gave them powers they didn’t have before.
But Superman started out as Kal El (Superman) and pretends to be Clark Kent, a meek uninteresting wimp…something he’s not. The real him is behind the glasses, and his strength was always there…just hiding.
And I feel like many of us are the same way. The training program methodology I use starts from the standpoint that we already have the power within us to lift a car off of a human, but it’s blocked behind all sorts of protective mechanisms within our mind and body.
What I do, is help them find the power that is already there…the inner Kryptonian and it allows people to be confident in their own skin, and to be themselves.
As an example Tony when I was preparing him to win Mr. Gay USA, the strength he gained in addition to his physique made him confident to be himself which is what made him win. You can read about it here Tony Ardolino’s success story
The other day, a woman popped into my studio with some questions while I was training him. When she asked him about the results he’d gotten training with me, his answer was “I no longer doubt myself.”
That’s what I’m talking about.
Matt was the same way. He was down on himself for how his health had deteriorated but as his physique and strength changed, so did his confidence in himself. You can read about Matt’s personal training success story here.
The same thing with Siddy. The strength carried over into her life so she can feel confident in herself which changed her outlook on life. Read her personal training success story here
I know I’m bragging a bit now, but last success story for this post…honestly. The very first person I trained who’s life is completely different as a result. That person is wait for it…me.
I sometimes lament on what life would have been like if I hadn’t found weight training. I’d probably be weak and lack the confidence to be myself. If you’ve ever heard my story you might know I was picked on and ridiculed as a youth. But weight training gave me confidence to live a life I would have only dreamed about, breaking the locks and chains that prevented me from living life to its fullest.
Eric Moss in locks and chains
Even when I got down on myself from a failed marriage it was strength that got me back on my feet again. I’ve got a fun career that has me showing off and inspiring thousands at a time. I’ve become friends with people I was a fan of. I’m married to a woman that I definitely would have thought she was out of my league. Life is pretty cool and it started by finding weight training and the Kryptonian within.
If you would like to find the Kryptonian within and need help, I have a free trial at my personal training studio in Boonton. Just send me a text at 973 476 5328 and introduce yourself.
UPDATE: Apparently some of my personal training clients went behind my back and collectively adopted this for me. I’m so thankful that they did this and chose Eric Moss Fitness for all their health and fitness needs.
Eric Moss is a personal trainer in Boonton and moonlights as a world-record-holding modern-day professional performing strongman, author, and motivational speaker. 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 live show and speaks on goal achievement for corporations, associations, nonprofits, and government entities 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, Butler, and Parsippany New Jersey.
Q&A How I train my fingers for feats of strength
Being a modern day performing strongman as well as a personal trainer (with a gym in Boonton New Jersey) I sometimes get questions about how I train for feats of strength. Though it may not be necessary for everyone to train hands specifically (it comes into play anytime you do an exercise involving your hands…which is most exercises) and having strong hands can transfer to a lot of different things.
I had started a youtube series where I answer people’s questions with a custom video just for them.
My gym in Boonton has all sorts of unconventional stuff, sometimes you have to be unordinary in order to get unordinary results. I hope you enjoyed the information today and if you are in the area and you want to try it out yourself, send me a text at 973 476 5328 to start your trial membership.
Eric Moss is a personal trainer in Boonton and moonlights as a world-record-holding modern-day professional performing strongman, author, and motivational speaker. 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, associations, nonprofits, and government entities 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, Butler, and Parsippany New Jersey.
Vacation workout or not? My thoughts
Last week my wife and I flew out to Aruba for a nice vacation. A little pricey yeah but I’m doing around 55 hours a week of personal training in Boonton, and simultaneously promoting my motivational speaking modern day performing strongman business. With my modern day performing strongman business, it sometimes involves me having to wait till my kids go to bed to create a custom proposal for the corporate shows I do.
My wife works a lot of hours too, sometimes to the point that I have to tell her to hang it up and go to bed. In other words, we were both due for a vacation where we can kick back and relax.
Now a question I’m often times asked when I have a personal training client that is about to take a trip…”What should I do? What should I eat when I’m on vacation?”
My answer is “enjoy yourself”
Here’s the thing, a week of enjoying yourself isn’t doomsday on your results. Any weight you put on is mostly water, and it can be beneficial to your metabolism. Your lean muscle isn’t going anywhere either…in fact in powerlifting there is a strategy of ‘softening up’ so you can reignite your gains. Taking it easy can give you a mental reprieve as well and when you get back, you go back in hell bent for leather and ready to rock.
Even me, being in shape is part of the job. It’s my job to be strong, and it’s my job to look the part. I’ve gained personal training clients because I walk the walk. And being a modern day performing strongman...I have to be strong for the stage. But the only thing I lift on vacation is 12oz if you catch my drift.
Now my wife on the other hand, also doubles as a BeachBody accountability coach. She wanted to exercise on vacation…because she feels good when she does. There’s nothing wrong with that.
So if you want to workout when you’re on vacation, that’s cool. If you want to take it easy, that’s cool too.
But what you should do, is get into shape beforehand. Yeah, the best time to start would have been years or even just a couple weeks ago…but the next best time to start is today. Trust me it feels good to be in shape, to look good and feel good, not just on vacation but every other time of the year.
If you need help with this, I offer a free trial at my personal training studio on Main Street in Boonton. Just send me a text at 973 476 5328 and introduce yourself.
Eric Moss is a personal trainer in Boonton and moonlights as a world-record-holding modern-day professional performing strongman, author, and motivational speaker. 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, associations, nonprofits, and government entities 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, Butler, and Parsippany New Jersey.