Two People that Really Get Me Pumped!

First of all, I hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas with their family and friends. Things went pretty well down here in Peru. I haven´t slept much because my wife and I have been so busy visting with all of our friends and family. It´s been great though.

The trouble is that visiting here means partying. Partying here in Peru means drinking. A lot. And smoking. A lot. No, I don´t smoke cigarettes but some of you probably know that I indulge in a cigar once a week. I don´t want to hear any shit about it either. If Wayne Gretsky, Michael Jordon, and Oscar De La Hoya can, then dammit I can too! On the other hand, that plus a few bottles of wine, whiskey, some pie, pancakes, empanadas...

It catches up fast and it doesn´t take long before I´m fed up and ready to get back to some clean living. It´s just a waste of good training time. I spend all the time thinking of ways to get the most out of my body and then spending that 20-45 minutes of actual torture time working out. Then, in two bad days...GONE!!! It´s like it never happened. Of course, I don´t notice it until I go to work out and everything doesn´t work as well as it normally does.

I get help from other sources. In this case, there are two fitness peeps out there that really make me want to get going. I read their comments on Facebook, look at their pictures and videos, and (most importantly) read their blogs. 95% of the time, they´ve got 50 lbs of TNT to throw into the fire in my heart. They never fail to get me going.

Kicking it off is Pauline Nordine.
She´s done some seriously hot photo shoots in black and white. Some of my favorites, actually. It´s fitting for her personality because when she writes, that seems to be all she sees or cares about. There´s eating right, training hard, and having a body that´s off the charts and there´s just distractions and setbacks to that goal. It´s hard. Deal with it. That´s the price to pay for the life that you lead. There´s few I´ve read who put it so as bluntly and have the results to show it off.

For sheer, balls-out energy and enthusiasm (but waaaay less sex appeal. Sorry,Z!), you just can´t beat Zach Even-esh. The first time I came in contact with Zach´s stuff was years ago when he wrote an article for T-Nation. It was all about getting strong using unconventional and improvised strength equipment. It doesn´t seem like he´s changed that much to this day. I admire an infectiously-positive and creative guy like him. It´s what I strive to be like. I don´t care how much or how little stuff I have to get into shape, I´ll find a way. Zach´s stuff is a great reminder for me to keep that spirit alive.

So, if you´ve slacked off during the holiday season, then these two badasses´ blogs are required reading. If you´ve got Facebook, then add them as friends too. Check them out, and best wishes for a great, and powerful, New Year!