My 6 yr. old son who has been in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for close to a year now has been starting to show a little bit more of a competitive spirit of late when it comes to sparring (and other avenues of life as well). And given the fact that he’s always been one that has sought out validation from his loved ones (in particular my wife and I), and constantly worrying about what his performance in comparison to who he sees as his “competition”, I recently had to have the talk with him regarding who his TRUE competition is… “It’s YOU versus YOU, buddy…Always has and always will be!”…. The truth is, and I explained this to him, that from this point forward in life, the only competition he will ever face is himself. It’s a daily fight between the part of him that has a high standard of excellence, is disciplined, and yearns for self improvement, against the part of him that wants to just mail it in and be lazy… It’s a choice that he has to make, a choice that I have to make, and a choice that YOU have to make every moment of every day between now and the moment we all breath our last breath. When you adopt this mindset, which can be tough, because by definition it requires you to take complete ownership of your outcomes and ditch any excuses you may be making, it has a way of clearing your path for success. So moving forward, know who you’re up against, dig in, and be disciplined enough to make the tough choices that result in you notching more and more wins…YOU GOT THIS! Hands Up…KEEP FIGHTING!!!

As much as many of you think I may be ALL about kettlebells, the truth is I’m actually all about what works…And when it comes to implements that offer a big bang for your buck, sandbags fit the bill just as much as kettlebells do. Let’s check the stats… They boost size, strength (REAL strength!), explosiveness, and overall conditioning, and they do so without costing you an arm and a leg. Bottom line, they check all the boxes that every single one of us is looking to check! Now, out of curiosity, would any of y’all like for me to weave in more sandbag work to my existing kettlebell content? If so, let me know. Also…The owner of the company that makes the sandbags I use has set up a sweet little discount for all of us here. So if you wanna stock up on them, then head to their website (https://freedomstrength.us/) and type in code “CoachMandler” for 10% off… Hands Up…KEEP FIGHTING!!!

I had been a week behind in starting the 30 day challenge but now almost finished the last week 💪

Nothing keeps a workout going like the right music! What’s your go-to playlist when swinging kettlebells? 🎧

The laundry list of uncontrollable variables in our life that directly impact the daily march towards our goals is huge. Our genetics seem to be one of the biggest one of these.But honestly, for the most part, they’re not the biggest influence on what determines our success. Thats why in the grand scheme of things, I tell all of my clients to focus instead on the “TNT”…These are the things that “take no talent”. And at the top of that list are your “EFFORT” and your “ATTITUDE”… If you can focus on facing EVERY decision and task (no matter how big or small) with honest effort and a winning attitude, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the cumulative effect it will have on the big picture. Remember this “TNT” approach and keep plugging away, brother! YOU’VE GOT THIS!!! Hands Up…KEEP FIGHTING!!!