Beyond Failure Training (BFT) a.k.a. Demon Training

[Matt Cena]

Synopsis Of Trevor's B.F.T. Training From July-August 2002

The following are snapshots of my training from the last 6 weeks. Although I have been under a tremendous amount of stress and aggravation during this time period, my training has jumped to a new level of strength and intensity. I increased my strength by 100lbs. in certain pressing movements (and we are talking post pre-exhaust movement pressing...not pressing while fresh and rested) and I attribute this to the fact that due to scheduling changes, I was forced to train by myself....which has always been my preferred way of training as I do not like having anything disrupt my concentration or focus and I like all of my energy and focus to go towards myself...basically I am very selfish with my training. Although I am overly giving when I am training someone else.
So without further comment, here is a recap of the last 6 weeks of my training

Chest and Calves: (Mondays)

Pec Dec Flyes For Pre-Exhaustion....here I am using 540lbs. The Following week, I took it up to 560lbs., but after analyzing things I think it would serve me best to use less weight and do this exercise Zero Momentum Style. Of course, this set was done B.F.T. style with a quadruple drop and 3 Extreme Forced Reps before I moved onto Incline Bench Presses

As I said, my strength went through the fu&*ing roof during this training cycle. I am now starting my post-pre-exhaust B.F.T. set of Incline Presses with a legitimate SEVEN 45lbs. plates on each side (675 pounds)
..

As you can see....there is just enough space left for 1 more 45 pound plate for my goal of 765lbs. as the starting weight for my post-pre-exhaust B.F.T. set of Incline Presses. You have to think big to be big!

The set begins with spotters ready to assist when needed and to strip the weights

The hardest part with an amount of weight like this is unlocking the latches....christ it feels so heavy in that top position....but aside from that it went up smooth...but it was not easy by any means.

First drop.....2 plates off


This pic was taken in between the second and third drop...as is evident by the fact that the spotter on the left has yet to take the 4 plates down to 3

Spotters getting ready for the fourth plate strip...down to 225lbs. (*note the spotter on the right keep putting both hands spread out on the weights throughout the entire set.....which actually made the 675lbs. feel like over 700lbs when I started the set.....but hey, he was nice enough to spot me so I cannot complain...although I would like to.

Down to 225lbs....which, at this point, feels just as heavy as the 675lbs.

Finally strip....down to 135lbs.....this is where I throw in what I call "Impossible Negatives"...but I will explain those at another time....or you can come out and have me train you and experience them first hand.

[Matt Cena]

Synopsis Of Trevor's B.F.T. Training From July-August 2002 Continued...
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After that set of B.F.T. Incline Presses I was pumped to say the least
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Another shot post set....My weight hit as high as 380lbs (guestimate). during this training cycle....although at any given time I can fluctuate 10-12 pounds....especially if it is a hot day and I haven't drank enough. But give me a day where I consume 2 gallons of fluid and all you can eat sushi, and the 400lbs. mark rapidly approaches. Truth be told, I have no way of knowing once my weight goes past 370lbs. I basically go by feel as I don't have a scale that goes that high.
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Finishing up my Monday workout with calves on a squat machine. Since I have to use so much damn weight and the machines in this gym cannot hold enough....I wind up doing things like Extreme ZMR's.....where the positive and negative part of the rep take 30 seconds each (sometimes 60 seconds each) and I hold it in the stretched position for another 30-60 seconds.
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Calves are nice and pumped post set...although I do need a better tan

Shoulders and Triceps (Tuesdays)
........

Pre-exhaust for shoulders begins with an overloaded lateral machine..the stack plus four 45's (2 plates...2 dumbbells)
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First drop after 3 forced reps.....90lbs. comes off
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Final drop occurs.....another 90lbs. is dropped and the forced reps begin when failure sets in
......

Next....onto front presses. I loaded the bar with 545lbs. and to my surprise it felt like child's weight....so I would up doing extra reps rather than my normal double. However, the following week I was using six 45 pound plates (585lbs.)....unfortunately nobody was available that day to take pictures
....

The set begins....5 reps with 545lbs.

First drop....down to 405lbs
...

Down to 315lbs.
...

Down to 225lbs. (Remember after failure is hit with each of these drops, 1-2 forced reps are given by the spotters
...

The Final drop....135lbs.....which is when the afore mentioned "Impossible Negatives" will commence

[Matt Cena]

Synopsis Of Trevor's B.F.T. Training From July-August 2002 Continued...
......

Finishing up shoulders with 1 straight set to failure on the rear delt machine

Triceps are next.....one set utilizing Z.M.R.'s and E.F.A's...The entire set will take close to 5 minutes to complete

Elbows wedged against the pad and hands together to simulate a dumbbell triceps press.....learn to think outside the box...machines are not perfect as they were designed by men

Back and Biceps (Thursdays)...due to shortage of film...I did not record an biceps training...sorry

Hammer Pullovers for pre-exhaust....my strength went up 90lbs. in this exercise as well

As failure starts.....the forced reps begin

First drop....180lbs...and still struggling through the set...THAT is pre-exhaustion....if you have a lot of energy left after your first and subsequent drop sets....YOU ARE NOT PUSHING HARD ENOUGH ON YOUR FIRST SET!

The final drop...another plate comes off....failure is damn near immediate! The set is over after 3 agonizing forced reps
.......

Next, onto Hammer low-rows. Due to my explosion in strength, I have had to modify the machines so I can get extra weight on them. This machine normally only holds Five 45 pound plates.....but I figured out a way to add another 90lbs. in dumbbells with some duct tape....truth be told though, it is still not enough, and the owners of the gym are not too happy with my modifications.
........

One set to failure....with 3 Extreme Forced Reps. This is all that is needed when done correctly. *Note the position of my legs and hips. This will allow an even deeper pull and thus allow more contraction and stimulation of the back muscles.
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Left Side....same thing. Notice the elbow! Tight to the body and dragging along side the torso. Do not "pull" with the biceps, but rather "drag" with the elbow to maximally stimulate the back.
.......

I really like these "bench-rows" as they take all stress and strain off the lower back and place it on the lats. Here I am using a rather light weight, but it feels like a ton because I am doing the set Extreme Zero Momentum style. This means, in this instance, 10 seconds for the positive movement, 10 seconds for the negative movement, 10 seconds in the stretched position and 10 seconds in the contracted position.
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Another shot showing the 10 second hold in the stretched position for the positive part of the movement begins, Z.M.R. style and taking 10 seconds to reach the fully contracted position.

[Matt Cena]

Legs (Fridays)
.....

My Kingdom for an old Nautilus Leg Extension machine! The leg equipment in the gym I am currently training at just cannot accommodate my needs....I cannot add enough weight to the stack, so I have to do lots of other things to get the intensity where it needs to be.

B.F.T. leg extensions bring on a pain like nothing else....people think B.F.T. is "just drop sets and forced reps". To these people I say "Yes...drop sets and forced reps with the addition of Trevor". If you are one who doesn't think this makes a difference.....come out for a session

This guy I got to spot me turned out to inadvertently give me a great spot....by only using his index fingers (thinking he was superman) he wound up making me go through Extreme Forced Reps.....I could barely move after this second and final B.F.T. set for Leg Extensions. (*Note the stack is on like 70lbs. and I can barely move it at all...True failure baby.....or should I say true Beyond Failure)

*Warning! DO NOT TRY THESE! Due to the abnormal amount of power that I have in my legs, and the fact that no machine in the gym I train at can accommodate them, I am forced to do extensive pre-exhausting with Leg Extensions and also single legged Leg Press. This movement is very dangerous which is why I have a spotter counterbalancing me and I have both hands stabilizing my knee. One straight set of 10 reps (the weight is 1000lbs.) for each leg is all I do.

Finishing up with the left leg
.......

Finally...and at this point I am near death and sucking wind like nobody's business...I finish my quads off with one set of Smith Machine squats....a movement that I have not done in years to be honest and do not fit very comfortably into the machine as I feel like I am being crucified, my arms are too close together, and my wrists are going to snap. The spotters are there not to help with stripping the weight...but to help insure the eight 45 pound plate on each side won't fall off--which has happened before--even though I have them taped together.
8 grueling, knee killing reps and I am ready to meet my maker.


After 15-20 minutes of recuperating, I finish off my already torched hamstrings with one triple drop set of standing leg curls. Z.M.R. style and holding for a count of 5 seconds in the contracted position. The trick to this exercise is to try and make your heal touch your ass and then hold it there and squeeze like hell.
.......

The moment you never think will come during leg day....the last exercise and the last set. At this point I collapse on the floor for another 10 minute rest as I cannot make it out the door right away.

Well, there you have it.....a week in the life of Trevor Smith during an all out B.F.T. cycle. As I review these pictures I am amazed at the progress I made during this time. To say I was dealing with a lot of stress and a lot of psychic vampiring would be an understatement. I did so, so many things wrong, yet the one thing I did consistently is stay focused when I walked through that gym door. I shutter to think the progress I will make on my next B.F.T. cycle if I can keep stress to near zero levels and keep negative energy out of my life. These are the sessions that I will want to capture on film. From this point on, it is all about me. This doesn't mean others cannot come along for the ride, however, it does mean that if they get in my way or suck any of my energy, they will quickly be discarded. Like I said, from this point on, it is all about Trevor Smith.
It is my goal during the next 4-5 weeks down time to complete my gym so that I can have my B.F.T. video ready before the year is up.
I promise you this much....it will be well worth the wait.

Train hard and stay focused and thanks for the support

[Matt Cena]

My BFT Experiment

By Mike Shay

My name is Mike Shay and I'm a 43 year old writer/personal trainer living in Sedona, Arizona. Last summer, while on vacation on Cape Cod with my wife and daughter I happened upon a great gym, R&R Fitness in Hyannis, Ma. The gym had great equipment and the hardcore, dungeon atmospher that is all but gone from today's "fitness parlors." The gym had posters up for a seminar with Trevor Smith, founder of "Beyond Failure Training" and Nuclear Nutrition. I'd heard of Trevor, but to be honest I don't read the muscle magazines, I just love to train. I signed up for the seminar and the owner of the gym's mom, Linda, gave me a copy of GEAR UZR so I could read about Trevor and his philosophies. I was intrigued and impressed. We had a lot in common including a background in martial arts and a love of animals. Not to mention the fact that he carried more muscle than any human I'd ever seen!

I decided to sign up for a personal training session with Trevor. My wife was against it. I charge $125 per session for personal training, and she couldn't picture anyone knowing more that me. (Don't you love wives?) Anyway, I had to wait almost two weeks for the day to come. I was his last scheduled appointment that day and my wife told me to prepare myself to be disappointed. (She's not usually so negative.) She said even if he's huge and knowlegable, he's never going to see you again and he'll probably just go through the motions. My gut told me differently. I'd decided from the beginning that I was going to have Trevor train me on legs. They're my strongest bodypart performance-wise, but probably the least impressive visually. I've had eight operations on my left knee, including a total reconstruction (hockey) and the leg doesn't bend or straighten all the way. There's nerve damage so I have a hard time getting that quad pumped or sore, even though I can squat 700 for reps.

Finally the day came. I showed up for my session jacked on caffeine and ephedrine, I was already soaked with sweat and shaking like a leaf. Jamie, the owner of the gym, introduced me to Trevor. Holy shit! He was even bigger in person! I told him I wanted to train legs and he smirked. (I found out later that the last guy he put through legs puked halfway through and couldn't finish.) I didn't know what to expect, but I planned on showing him that I was a lot stronger than I looked. Trevor noticed the scars on my knee and I told him, "Don't worry, I can go hard." I've been training close to 30 years and I've tried just about everything. In fact, about the only things I'd never done were pre-exhaust and Zero Momentum Reps, which is exactly what Trevor had me do. &n p; Now, there are a lot of personal trainers out there. Most of them suck, they either don't know anything or they don't care, or both. I knew that Trevor knew his stuff, but a small part of me was prepared for him not giving a shit. After all, he was used to training pros. Was I wrong! He was all over me, yelling, spotting, soaked with sweat. He explained his theories and applications between sets. When we got to pressing and squatting movements he knew to spot on my left without me telling him. He was TOTALLY PRESENT throughout the session.

When the workout was over, he answered all of my questions concerning training and nutrition, even though most of them would be covered the next day at the seminar. I had used less than half the weight I would normally use, yet my legs (even the left one!) were pumped in places they'd never been before. There was no swelling in my knee and my quads were sore for a week! I was sold. When I got back to Arizona I e-mailed Trevor to thank him again for the great training session, and to ask him if he'd be interested in personally coaching me after I got my feet wet applying his principles on my own. I told him that I wanted to give myself six weeks to learn his system and use his supplements, then do eight weeks of personal coaching with him. He e-mailed me back and said that he enjoyed training me, and yeah, he'd be happy to personally coach me. I wanted to gauge my progress, so I weighed myself and tested bodyfat at the start of this experiment. I was 217 at 8.0% bodyfat (I'm 5'8") not exactly a pencilneck, but nowhere near as big or as lean as I'd have liked. A lot of people, even some "experts" would say I'd reached my potential, especially given my age and how long I'd been training. I'm not one of those people. During the six week "learning phase" I trained with medium intensity. All reps performed ZMR style, no forced reps or drop sets. My diet was in the "comfort zone," about 3500 calories per day, but I immediately felt a HUGE difference in absorbtion by switching from the protein powder I had been using to Ultra Pro 7. At the end of the six weeks I weighed 224 at 7.95% bodyfat. Pretty good gains in a short amount of time. Just as important, I now had a pretty good idea of what Beyond Failure Training was all about. Now for the fun part! Trevor mapped out my exact training and eating for the next eight weeks. I'd be adding in forced reps and drop sets. I'd be performing some of my exercises explosively. He had me increase my protein intake. He had me DOUBLE my carb intake. I was very excited. The training was brutal. At times, the eating was even harder. If I had a question, I'd e-mail Trevor, and he'd get right back to me. I don't have a problem with motivation, intensity or consistency and I didn't need a cheerleader or a babysitter.

At the beginning of the training cycle I told Trevor that my goal was to weigh 240 at 7% bodyfat at the end of the cycle. A pretty lofty goal, I thought, but something to shoot for. I could go into great detail about all the pain I enjoyed/ endured, or the food I choked down while my eyes watered, but all you really need to know is this: I weigh 252 pounds at 7.7% bodyfat. I gained 35 pounds in 14 weeks and lowered my bodyfat percentage! Not bad gains for someone who's been training 30 years. I couldn't have done it without Trevor's guidance. As I often say to my clients, I'm in the results business. Combining Trevor's system, Beyong Failure Training, with his supplements brings results that are nothing short of astounding. As astounding as my gains were, there were still some things I could have done better. I should have stretched more, I should have focused more on working the muscle and less on lifting the weight, and I should have drank more water. I plan to take this week off from training and then train with medium intensity for the next eight weeks. Then I'll be ready to hit it hard again. bsp; If all goes well I hope to make it out to Vegas for a few torture sessions during my next heavy training cycle. What better way to spend my 44th birthday?!

[Matt Cena]

Pics from 2000 USA Championships, Las Vegas
Nancy and Trevor Smith taking a quick break at the Nuclear booth




Trevor Smith handing out free samples while Milos Sarcev pines for another photo opportunity.....Hey Milos what is that, your 10th sample of M.R.P. Factor 2??

The man himself....Mr. Olympia great, and king of the hard-core training, Dorian Yates with I.F.B.B. Pro Milos Sarcev with a sunburned Trevor Smith

Trevor, Dorian and Milos exchanging training ideas..



Flex Senior Writer J.R. (Jim Rosenthal) with Theresa Hessler and Trevor Smith

[Matt Cena]

Pics From Power House Gym, Fullerton CA

Here are a few candid shots from the Powerhouse Gym party
held at Milos Sarcev's Powerhouse Gym in Fullerton , California this July


Robbie Robinson--fresh from the Masters Olympia discusses
the wonderful I.F.B.B. judges with Milos Sarcev and Trevor Smith


Shawn Ray, Robbie Robinson and Trevor Smith at Powerhouse
Fullerton, California.....Shawn just got his new Diablo...
And there it is......Sugar Shawn Ray proud as a Poppa with his
new wheels.

[Matt Cena]

Pics from the 2000 Olympia

From L to R: Trevor Smith, Jen Doxey and Ian Harrison. Jen is Trevor's protege and came to him 4 months earlier weighing 175lbs. wanting to do a show! Nobody took her seriously, but with and Iron Clad will and Trevor's Guidence she finished 2nd in her first two shows and qualified for the Nationals...which She is competing in on November 11th!! Way to go Jen....you are an inspiration to us all. Look for a complete story on Jen in an upcoming issue of Gear U.Z.R., the website and in an upcoming issue of Women's Physique World!


Ian talks with a fan at the Nuclear Nutrition booth.

Trevor, getting to meet one of his inspirations, and truly one of the greatest strongmen to ever live: The Great Bill Kazmier!

Trevor and Nancy Smith at the Nuclear Nutrition Booth

Trevor stops by to say hello to Mr. Consitency: The Great Shawn Ray...who should have taken third at this years
Mr. O


The Nuclear Nutrition Booth.....Yes, the very same one a certain little dwarf is going around claiming credit for....too bad he didn't claim the $4,500 bill for it as well

The sexy, the sultry and super feminine Tatiana Anderson, whose beauty is surpassed only by her wonderfully sweet personality......Trevor is just hoping that nobody invents a camera that can take a picture of the perverse thoughts that were running through his head at that moment....

[Matt Cena]

Pics From 2000 Mr.Olympia Part 2

Trevor Smith stops by the Chemical Nutrition booth to see Mr. Hard-Core himself, 6 time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates......Me thinks Dorian would like the back of Trevor's T-Shirt a lot!

Trevor Smith trying to convince Lee Priest that Pro-Lab really won't mind if he starts handing out copies of Nuclear Nutrition's Gear U.Z.R. Magazine at their booth

Trevor Smith and the 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist in Greco Roman Wrestling, and the man who beat the seemingly invincible Alexander Karilin: Rulon Gardner

[HeavyDutyGuy]

Great post! BFT is brutal- toughest way to train. Too bad Trevor was taken from us so soon RIP BIG guy.

[Matt Cena]

Great post! BFT is brutal- toughest way to train. Too bad Trevor was taken from us so soon RIP BIG guy.

HeavyDutyGuy, I completely agree with everything you posted above. By far the most intense and mentally challenging workouts I have ever done.
He was taken soon, this is true, it is my hopes by posting his thoughts and training philosophies that he will continue to influence others positively as he has been a huge influence to me.
Thank you for checking out the thread and for you reply.

[Matt Cena]

And now some of Trevor's writings:

Four Demons By Trevor Smith

Here is something that I learned in my years of Martial Arts training. It is an interesting little Zen story that applies to everyone, and to everything when pursuing a goal.
Training is not something that should be taken lightly. Each moment in the gym is a gift from the heavens that allows you to focus on yourself and supply yourself with much needed introspection. It is akin to meditation. During your workout, the outside world should not exist. Your concentration should be at peak levels. Mentally, physically and spiritually connecting to every fiber in your body and harnessing all your energy for the task at hand.
Sadly, so few take this opportunity. Yes, they may go into the gym, but for a staggering number of would be bodybuilders, the gym is a place to garner accolades and attention from everyone around them. They walk into the gym in matching outfits, carefully put together so that they are noticed. They stop and talk to 5 or 6 people before they even pass the front counter of the gym, and when on the floor, they talk to another 5 or 6 more. Their focus is split into 80 different directions. For them the gym is a place to impress those smaller or weaker than them, to get people to notice their arms or their legs, or to get people to notice how much weight they can bench. Every girl who walks by in a revealing outfit is approached by these guys, for the gym is more of a social club than a place of sanctity.
When I see these people I laugh to myself. Fools often have no idea what it is they are missing and it is quite entertaining to watch them in action. To me, the gym is no different that the Dojo and there is certainly no bullshit going on in any Dojo that I have trained or taught in.
Beneath all suffering lies the beauty of opportunity….. That saying came to me after a grueling training session in Jiu-Jutsu and as everyone else was heading home to rest their battered bodies, I was faced with the un-welcomed task of heading to the gym for my scheduled workout. I thought to myself what the Zen masters always knew…..that no matter how harsh the situation there is something to be gained..something wonderful….hence I wrote "Beneath All Suffering Lies The Beauty Of Opportunity" and I headed for the gym to complete my workout.
When I am in the gym, I talk with no one, pay attention to no one and basically shut out everyone around me. People do not approach me as they ass-u-me (which makes an ass out of you and me) that I am an asshole or that I am mean. While this never boded well when I was single, it did not matter to me (Truth be known this does not bode well for being married either as I often do not notice, pay attention to and ignore my own wife who, after countless explanations, finally understands that it is not personal). The gym was not a place for me to score dates…..all that existed was myself and the weights. The rest of the world did not exist until my workout was over. I can honestly say that I never saw anyone in the gym that trained nearly as hard as myself which is the reason I was able to get over 300lbs before ever taking a drop of gear. It is very difficult to keep up this level of focus and intensity and sometimes I almost wished I were able to take the approach of others who went to the gym to "play". They seemed so relaxed—as well they should because they trained like pussies---as I would get nervous, anxious and scared before my workouts as I knew the pain and "suffering " would not be pleasant. For those of you who train like this and wish to train like this you no-doubt have experienced times when you just wanted to stop doing it and it is for you that this article is catered to. For those who use the gym as their social life go surround yourself with little boys as the following is intended for men.
In the quest of any goal you without question will be confronted by the 4-demons. In fact, they will be in your face daily. The first step in defeating these demons is to know they exist and to recognize them when they come.
The first Demon that one typically meets along their path is the DEMON OF TIRED. The DEMON of tired is most apt to strike when other events during your day have caused you stress or you are pre-occupied with something else. Sitting on your shoulder he quietly whispers to you that you’ve had a long day and it’s ok not to train balls out or better yet not to train at all. I am amazed at the number of people that succumb to this DEMON and justify their actions by stating "I don’t want to overtrain". Understanding that the body is capable of dealing with massive amounts of physical stress helps you differentiate from being actually burned out a bit and overtrained and under-rested as opposed to looking for an excuse to be lazy.
The Second DEMON that you are destined to meet is the DEMON OF PAIN. This DEMON manifests itself right towards the end of a set. Of course he always appears during your perceived moment of failure rather than your actual moment of failure. We’ve all seen this demon at work in the gym. You watch somebody doing a set of bench presses and they just "STOP" for no apparent reason other than the fact that the set started to become uncomfortable. "Fatigue makes cowards of us all"….this has been proven by Pavlov and a whole slew of scientists. However, where the DEMON OF PAIN is concerned, with a lot of people "The thought of fatigue makes cowards of many" Actually taking a set to true failure is a foreign idea to most because it is HIGHLY PAINFUL and UNCOMFORTABLE. They have already surrendered to the DEMON OF TIRED before hand. "Bending over" if you will, before even trying to fight back. Most people who do this also seem to confuse the idea of being injured with the idea of being in pain. They are not one and the same. If one is injured, they often experience pain, however if one is experiencing pain this does not necessarily mean they are injured. The DEMON OF PAIN blurs the line between injury and pain so that you can rid yourself of any guilt for training like a pussy.
The third DEMON is the DEMON OF CONCENTRATION. There is a famous story of a martial arts instructor and one of his students that I would like to share because it applies equally to bodybuilding. A martial arts instructor welcomes a new student into his dojo. This student was very excited and very eager to learn, so after the first class he approached the instructor and said "Sensei, how long will it take for me to be your top student?" To this the Master replied "10 years!". Disappointed, the student then asked: "What if I train every day and never miss a class?" To this the Master replied "15 years!". Further let down, the student quickly responded: "Well what if I train twice day for 8 hours a day and never miss a class?" To this the Master replied: "20 years"….Finally the student asked: "Sensei, I do not understand. Why is it that every time I tell you I will train longer and harder, the longer it will take me to be the best student?" To this the master quietly responded: "With only one eye on the path and one eye on your goal of being my best student, you will never find your way." In simple terms, this means that you cannot partially concentrate on what you are doing in any given moment and expect to get to your maximum potential. In the gym, the only thing that matters is the workout at hand and in particular, the exercise you are currently doing. The DEMON OF CONCENTRATION has his way when you are distracted by what someone else is lifting, what someone else is wearing, what someone else is saying of what someone else looks like. I fully appreciate that for men in particular, the advent of thongs and lycra spandex can make battling this DEMON difficult, but knowing the ways in which he operates goes a long way to defeating him. If you feel your concentration lapse, quickly pull yourself back to the task at hand. In the long run you will understand that there is a time and place for everything and you cannot have it all at once if you expect to excel in anything
The final DEMON is the most powerful and most difficult. It is the DEMON OF CONTINUE. Day in and day out you will be faced with the afore mentioned 3 demons only to realize that you have to get up and face them all over again. This realization is the DEMON OF CONTINUE. Here is where the "I’ll train tomorrow’s" and the "I’ll eat good tomorrow’s" start playing in your mind. Anyone can stay structured and focused for one month, even three months or six months. But can you stay focused and on your path and face the DEMONS everyday for the REST OF YOUR LIFE? That is the question. This is where you can gain ground on those that are seemingly so far ahead of you now. They won’t be able to beat the DEMON OF CONTINUE. But trust me if you do, you will surpass them very quickly. A few years ago people would have laughed at the idea of Ronnie Coleman being Mr. Olympia…..now it appears as if nobody will beat this guy and he will be the best Mr. Olympia of all time in terms of his physique. The same can be said about Nasser. He competed in 30 pro shows before his constant battling of the DEMON OF CONTINUE paid off in one of the most massive physiques to ever step on a pro stage.
In short, understand that you are given an opportunity that many people will never have when you step into the gym. There will be a lot of factors playing against you, many distractions. It is all in your hands whether or not you make the most of your time and subsequently your physique or if you wind up another could have been with your destiny in the hands of one or all of THE FOUR DEMONS.

[Matt Cena]

Staying On One's Path By Trevor Smith
Conceive....Believe....Achieve. This is the basic equation for all creation. Everything that man has every created, built, constructed, postulated, has all occurred through the use of this simple formula. It seems so ridiculously simple doesn't it. Too easy to actually work, but understand that it does and you have the ability to achieve anything.
We are going to take a look at each part of this equation and see how we can apply it to our lives and in particular to our bodybuilding goals. My hope is that when reading this, you understand and take away from it the practical applications for everything in your life. My martial arts instructor used to say...."Do not forget to take a diamond from jewel mountain" This simple means that look at all things as an opportunity for you to grow spiritually, mentally and physically. Don't go through the wasted effort of exposing yourself to new knowledge, only to forget it the second you walk away from it. How many times have we all read a book only to be unable to recall key points in it a few days later?
Understanding this equation above will equip you with the ability to control your own destiny, so let us dive right into the first part, which happens to be the easiest part.....CONCEIVING. Everyone does this, in fact most are doing it right now. They are creating a vivid imagination of something that they would like to have happen. So detailed are these images, that the body actually has physiological responses to them. The heart-rate increases, adrenaline is released, endorphins flood our systems. We just thought of something that we would love to create or have happen. We can taste what it will be like if it occurs, we get so excited that we tell our friends or family, and that is where the process ends.
"Dad, I want to be an champion Bodybuilder." Dad's response: "Do you realize how impossible that is to become, and why on earth would you want to waste your time doing such a thing, there is no money in it. If I were you I would forget about those stupid pipe dreams and focus on a realistic goal." Sound familiar? Or better yet, before you even go and tell someone, you yourself have the exact same conversation like the one above except instead of your mother, father or friend telling you to get real, you tell yourself to. That's right, you cut your own legs out from under you, and why? Because you start to realize that it is a little more complicated than just conceiving an idea. Well I am here to tell you that it is not complicated at all, that the process is so simple that is scares everyone into thinking it is too good to be true and therefor too hard.
You can conceive of ideas or dreams or goals all day long, but if you do not take them immediately to the second part of the equation, they will die just as fast as you created them. Believing, and in particular belief in ones self, is the second part of the equation and it is the most difficult part. It really shouldn't be a difficult part at all and inherently it is quite simple, but we live in a world of expectations....expectations of society, family and friends, and these are constantly at odds with what you wish to believe about yourself.
If you ever get the chance to read some of the works of Joseph Campbell, do yourself a favor and read. Joseph Campbell had a love for all things in mythology, he conceived of a world in which he could make a living learning and teaching about mythology, he believed it when everyone else was wondering why on earth he would want to be a mythologist and were even wondering what the hell a mythologist was. It did not deter him from his path and until the end of his life, he continued to achieve world renowned greatness in the field of mythology and in the field of spirituality. He was truly a Master that walked the earth. He once told of the tale of King Minos and what it really meant when everything he touched turned to Gold. What was being told in that myth was that if you fail to follow your calling and do not believe in yourself, even if you manage to achieve great wealth and monetary possessions, it will be useless to you because you will be dead inside. Forever wondering what your life would have been like if you would have only listened to your calling and followed your dream and most importantly believed in yourself in spite of what others thought you should do or wanted you to do. Joseph Campbell also went on to say that this would not be an easy thing to do because of society and family pressures, but that things have a way of happening and opening to you if you choose your own path, one that is uncharted and specific to you, no matter what it is. He taught that everyone receives a calling which causes us to conceive a wonderful vision of what our life could be. The unfortunate thing is that most of us ignore this calling becoming yet another tragedy of life.
Therefore, the first thing we must do is learn to say "Fuck You" to everyone in our life who does not support or believe in what you have decided your calling is. Life is not about money, it is about creating and one of the things to realize is that if you are doing what you love, you will have happiness and bliss no matter what...rich or poor, but if you are following money all your life you may acquire it, but will still feel empty inside, and if you lose it or fail to acquire enough of it you are really left with nothing.
The strange thing is, is that when you follow your love, that which drives you the most, money has a way of finding you. Now I don't want anyone to think that this process happens overnight. For myself, I decided I wanted to be a bodybuilder and move to California to pursue that when I was 16 years old. Everyone thought I was crazy and didn't take me serious. As the years went by, I went to College and always gave the same answer when people asked what I was planning on doing with my life: I was moving to California to pursue bodybuilding! "Is there any money in that? They would ask. I would say: "I don't know and I don't care!" After College, when everyone was settled into there jobs and livings, they would brag about how much money they were making or would be making and when they would ask me what I was doing, my answer remained the same. More years went by as I continued to achieve my goals in Martial Arts, and yet my answer remained the same whenever the question was asked on what I was going to do with my life. My path was and is not a short one, it was rather long and arduous. I watched many people achieve monetary success and have nice things while I still struggled on my path, for money was not my focus. I could have easily stayed in New York, opened my own Dojo with my friend and made lots of money teaching Martial Arts. But I stayed true to my calling, as I stay true to this day. The first two years of my life in California were hellish to say the least, and it would have been very easy to put my tail between my legs and go back to where money would be secure and pressure would be less. But that would have been the seemingly easy way that would turn into the hard way. No I stuck it out, even when my wife and family questioned me, and what has happened? I have a business that is steadily building, I have met and befriended many or the bodybuilders I read about and looked up to in the magazines and I have gained their respect as well. People come to me for help and I get to give it to them and change their lives for the better. I wake up everyday knowing I get to do what I love to do, living in beautiful weather in a nice house 5 blocks from the beach and 2 minutes from the most famous gym in the world. I believed in me and my dream, even when my life was at it's lowest and seemingly hardest. I was alone and it did not matter, I would not cave, and I still will not cave. I know there are even greater things out there and all I have to do is stay on my path and believe in myself. In doing this, everyday I achieve something else new and wonderful. Which brings us to the third part of the equation.
Achieving is as easy as conceiving, but it is the believing that makes everything possible. When you set out on your path, whether it is bodybuilding or something else, the day you stop believing is the day you stop achieving. People make the mistake of looking for a final result from this equation of Conceive, Believe, Achieve, but there isn't one. It is an infinite equation, one that brings you amazing treasures and gifts each and every moment if you only open your eyes and look for them. The beauty lies in the process. ....And when he snatched the jewel from the mouth of the Dragon a profound sense of sadness filled him....... So he tossed away the precious stone, for he realized that the true gift lie in the process.....
Stay on your path, no matter what and you will achieve everything you could ever imagine and more, but most of all you will achieve inner peace because you listened to yourself and stuck it out no matter how hard things got. Don't make the mistake of comparing yourself to others....only compare yourself with yourself If bodybuilding has been calling you, you must follow the call, it may not lead you to becoming a professional, but you will be very surprised where you can wind up, and in the end you will know that you posessed the heart of a true champion...a true hero. For a hero is not someone who laughs in the face of adversity, a hero is someone who despite being terrified of what lies ahead, forges on, and stays the path no matter what may lie ahead.

[Matt Cena]

Embracing Failure

by Trevor L. Smith No…No…this is not an article about why Beyond Failure Training should be the method of training for all bodybuilders. In fact it has little to do with bodybuilding and yet everything to do with it. Often times when I would be teaching my students in the Dojo, the look of frustration and disappointment that washed over their faces whether they were 10 years old or 40 years old would force me to stop that days lesson for some much needed clarification. You see in every facet of life, it is always easier to be on the outside looking in. My students would watch me demonstrate an advanced self defense concept and watch the way I moved and executed things and then compared the way they were doing the same move to that and invariable the would become completely deflated.
Men and women of huge accomplishment, whether they were heads of powerful companies, in charge of 100 employees or even if they were in charge of protecting the president of the united states, would all turn into frustrated little boys and girls that came down harder on themselves then a brick wall when they perceived they were failing with the task at hand. I want it, and I want it now and if I cannot do it perfectly right away, I will not do it at all. This is what was written all over their faces, simply because they felt out of control and felt they were failing at the task at hand. My solution was simple. First I would point out to them, that the ease and efficacy with which I performed was due to the fact that I lived on the Dojo mat. I spent many, many hours training and teaching, but yet still there were thousands of things I did wrong and in many cases, had an even harder time grasping the concepts that were plaguing them.
The point was simple. Do not fall into the habit of comparing yourself in a situation unless all other things are equal, and even this is a problem, because all other things are never equal since no two people are alike, much the way no two snowflakes are alike. Taking this into the realm of bodybuilding, an inordinate number of people make the mistake of comparing their physiques and accomplishments to those they admire and because of this wind up getting impatient and trying to circumvent the "failure" that they perceive they are experiencing It is important to understand that "failure" is a wonderful thing. It is what allows us to succeed.
The point was simple. Do not fall into the habit of comparing yourself in a situation unless all other things are equal, and even this is a problem, because all other things are never equal since no two people are alike, much the way no two snowflakes are alike. Taking this into the realm of bodybuilding, an inordinate number of people make the mistake of comparing their physiques and accomplishments to those they admire and because of this wind up getting impatient and trying to circumvent the "failure" that they perceive they are experiencing It is important to understand that "failure" is a wonderful thing. It is what allows us to succeed. Imagine how boring and un-eventful and un-challenging life would be if everything came easy to you. You would enjoy nothing, for you would know nothing but ease and success and success without failure is not success. It just is! To my little students I would say, "You cannot truly appreciate ice cream until you know the foul taste of asparagus" But it goes even deeper than this. Once while training with Benny "The Jet" Urquidez—perhaps the greatest full contact kick boxer that ever lived—he said something very interesting to me, while I was getting pissed off because I kept screwing up a particular sparring sequence. "Why are you getting angry because you are missing it?" "You should be having fun and laughing everytime you screw up, because that means you are getting one step closer to mastery." And he was totally correct! All "failures" and "mistakes" should be viewed as little "coaches" that point out to you along the way where you need to focus your efforts. When looked at in this manner, one comes to embrace every failure as yet another chance to improve. Each bitter taste of "asparagus" will only make that bowl of ice cream taste that much better.
Bodybuilding, just like everything else in life is about the journey, not the destination. I was having a discussion with Ian Harrison last weekend about this very thing. We sat in my back yard and Ian informed me that he knows he could do well in competition, but that he was burned out from trying to please other people in terms of what his physique should be. Because of this, he lost the passion and had to step away from the sport. My response to that was to ask him to recall the passion he had when he was 16. Back then, the only thing that mattered to Ian and to most of us was the workout. The training, the journey, that is where the magic lay hidden, awaiting for us to discover it by pushing past the pain and leaving nothing left in the gym. There was no thought about what the judges would think. Who the fuck cares?! The beauty lies in the journey along the way and the mistakes and "failures" that come with it. Realizing this, Ian now has a totally different outlook on bodybuilding, and one that will pair the 16 year old Ian Harrison, who did odd jobs to pay for his gym membership and supplements just so he could get a chance to train, with the 300lb freak that will step on stage for nobody but himself.
Bodybuilding, just like everything else in life is about the journey, not the destination. I was having a discussion with Ian Harrison last weekend about this very thing. We sat in my back yard and Ian informed me that he knows he could do well in competition, but that he was burned out from trying to please other people in terms of what his physique should be. Because of this, he lost the passion and had to step away from the sport. My response to that was to ask him to recall the passion he had when he was 16. Back then, the only thing that mattered to Ian and to most of us was the workout. The training, the journey, that is where the magic lay hidden, awaiting for us to discover it by pushing past the pain and leaving nothing left in the gym. There was no thought about what the judges would think. Who the fuck cares?! The beauty lies in the journey along the way and the mistakes and "failures" that come with it. Realizing this, Ian now has a totally different outlook on bodybuilding, and one that will pair the 16 year old Ian Harrison, who did odd jobs to pay for his gym membership and supplements just so he could get a chance to train, with the 300lb freak that will step on stage for nobody but himself. It is our "failures" that make everything possible. Once you realize this, you will start to achieve your goals faster than you ever thought. Now before I end this article, I would like to point out the other thing that I would tell my students when they would compare their abilities to mine in utter frustration. That is, that each of us shines in different ways. Everyone that is reading this article does something much better than I do and if you put me in their environment I would be the beginner, fucking up left and right. There is nothing wrong with this. You must simply understand that everyone has a gift and shines in a particular way and the arena’s in which we shine are interchangeable and matter not. Often times they are a function of the era we live in. Do you think being good at Golf meant jack-shit 500 years ago? Yet today the media holds up Tiger Woods on a God like pedestal and shits all over bodybuilders. Does this mean that Tiger Woods is better than Dorian Yates or Ronnie Coleman? The point I am trying to leave you with is that if you are getting frustrated in your bodybuilding or life goals, simply take the time to understand two things:
1: Each "Failure" is a gift that if embraced will take you one step closer to your goal
2: Each one of us is a master in some particular area when compared to others. If you look at Dorian Yates and say you can never be like him, that he had it much easier than you, then think again. Because there is something that you can do that he cannot do quite as well. If it is needlepoint then so be it, but understand that you can take the same effort that you applied to needle point and apply it to bodybuilding and then you will be like Dorian and the results that have been alluding you will be just around the corner. What one man can do, another can do…….

[Matt Cena]

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Mr. America’s Gym 1986
by Trevor Smith


The year is 1986. The month is June, June 24th to be exact…my birthday. After a couple of years of walking 2 miles to a bus station to take a 35 minute ride to a racquetball club that has a weight room, I had finally proved that I was serious about lifting to my father, who had agreed to buy me a membership at the local bodybuilding gym in my town.
Now this wasn’t just any gym mind you, it was the famed Mr. America’s gym in Farmingdale, NY. That’s right, the very gym owned by Mr. America and lunatic trainer Steve Michalik. The very gym that John DeFendis spoke about each month in his Intensity or Insanity articles in the now defunct Peak Training Journal. This was the big time as far as I was concerned. A real fucking dungeon with a reputation that was just as bad. I had to prove to my father that I was going to be serious enough to warrant entering such an insane asylum, hence my two years of time spent at the pansy racquetball facility across from the Sunrise Mall in Massapequa, NY.
Mr. America’s had the reputation of being without question the most hard-core bodybuilding gym on the planet. Inside, the walls and equipment (which was all hand made) were painted black to keep with the hard-core, dungeon motif. The rules were simple: Train Hard, or don’t train at all. Michalik cared little about earning any money with his gym and certainly didn’t give a rat’s ass about appealing to the fitness craze of the 1980’s. If anything, he tried to dissuade people from joining. Now my father was/is an imposing man of few words. The fact that he was a police chief made sure that I was always a bit on guard and nervous in his presence. When we walked through the fogged up double doors, the acrid smell of sweat poured over you like a breeze blowing over a landfill. Pure nastiness, and I immediately new I was home.
Now at this point, I knew little of steroids, as did most people. The only thing I knew is that they were bad for you and that I would never, ever use them, so when we reached the front counter to speak to the manager about a membership, both myself and my father were a bit freaked out by the fact that the sign in pen was a 3cc syringe with a ball point pen shoved in it. I also remember being perplexed at the dozens of milky white vials (which I now realize was gold old Winstrol) that lined the back of the small refrigerator that was used to keep the sports drinks cold……"I’ll take a cold Gatorade and 2 vials of winstrol please"….sounds fucked I know, but it is the total truth.
Now my Dad could give a shit about embarrassing me, so the first thing he did was tell the guy at the counter that he did not want his son exposed to Steroids...as he called them. The second thing he did was lean over the counter and ask this monster who was sitting down (well to me he looked like a monster, in actuality, I shit bigger than that guy now and he was a total dick-head) whether or not this gym would be a good place for his son to work out in. I cringed knowing that my dad would never see any of these jerk-offs again, while I would have to walk by them every damn day.
It was right around that time that my Dad turned to me and asked "Now are you sure you are going to use this membership?" I nodded my head as I was still speechless from embarrassment and he plopped down the 225 dollar membership fee. I was then given an appointment to be taken through a workout. At this point I was all excited figuring I would be trained by the legendary Steve Michalik. The king of lunatic bodybuilders! However, that feeling soon faded when I realized I was given an appointment with his brother Pauly. Now you have to understand that Pauly was the complete polar opposite of Steve. A complete geek who soaking wet weighed 135 pounds. My father, deciding I had not been embarrassed enough looks at Pauly and says. You don’t work out, how the hell are you going to show my son what to do…he’s already bigger than you! Looking back on it, it is funny as hell, but at the time, I figured he just signed my death warrant especially when a visible annoyed Pauly looked at my father and said "Believe it or not sir I have been working out for 10 years" as he then washed down his cheeseburger with his 2 liter bottle of cherry Pepsi cola.
If memory serves me correctly, my appointment with Pauly was set for the following Tuesday, and since we were all paid up, I had nothing left to do except go home and wait for my "brutal" session that no-doubt awaited me…(I am being sarcastic in case you cannot tell)

So Tuesday comes and I drive my Redline BMX bicycle up to the gym (also about 30 minutes from my house) in eager anticipation of doing some "serious" training.
Pauly, about as excited as a blind man at a laser light show, greets me at the front desk and asks if I am ready. I thought I was, but clearly I was not. What followed over the next two hours was the biggest waste of my time I had ever spent in a gym. This guy didn’t know jack about shit and constructed a routine that didn’t even include training calves. When I asked him about this he stated. That will come later when you get more advanced.
It was at this point that I knew I was on my own, so I finished up my "session" with Pauly and went home knowing I would have to learn things on my own.
Turns out the only thing I really did know was that I could focus and push myself harder than anyone else in that place—except maybe for Steve Michalik, but at that point it was a rarity to actually see him train as his time was over. I was actually doing more harm then good. I would watch what the other big intimidating guys were doing and would simply copy it for no reason whatsoever. Train long and Train hard…that was the motto of the day. And for the next 18 months that is exactly what I did and I grew very little because of it. I would train until I was sick…go into the back room, puke up in the toilet—all the while noticing the plethora of syringes in the waste basket—then go back out and finish my workout. Then I would go home, and lay down without eating because I had gone way the fuck over-board. Not exactly the smartest thing in the world to do, but hey there really wasn’t all that much information out there, and there certainly weren’t any 300 pound monsters walking around. Back then if you were 260lbs you were a freak of nature and there were only a handful of guys in the country that were that size—except powerlifters of course.
Next time we will continue with my training days at Mr. America’s and how a tragic event in my life resulted in a 30 pound weight gain in less than 2 months! Drug free of course!