ZACH EVEN-ESH

Our own resident psycho David Kelso has come bearing gifts. In this issue of the Shitfighter profile we are extremely privileged to have the Little Lion asking questions from one of true greats of fitness, training and personal development, Zach Even Esh. There are so many great quotes in this interview I suggest you print some off and paste them on your wall.

For me, Zach’s emphasis on freedom in training as a means of both finding and losing yourself strikes a chord with the heart of Brutal Training.

Take it away Kelso…

I recently got the awesome opportunity to interview someone who in my eyes is already a true legend in our hardcore fitness and warrior’s world, Zach Even Esh of http://www.undergroundstrengthcoach.com and http://www.realmanfitness.com. Zach is not only an awesome trainer, writer and athlete in his own right, but he is also an extremely helpful, genuinely nice guy, a true warrior, in mind, body and spirit, one of the last Spartans of this world. He has influenced my own training greatly. Enjoy the interview psychos!

Hey Zach it’s great to be doing this interview you with you, could you first tell us about your training and athletic background?
David, thanks for the opportunity brother :)
My background began way back when I was probably 10 or 11 years old. My older brother was into working out and was wrestling so I would always read the two most popular magazines around: FLEX and Muscle & Fitness!

I didn't work out, but I read the magazines cover to cover and learned about using proper technique when lifting weights. Back then, bodybuilding was the only way I knew (and 99.9% of the world) to improve performance.

When I started working out at age 13, I followed the workouts in Arnold's Encyclopaedia of Modern Bodybuilding! I loved that book and loved the black and white photos of these guys that built freaky muscle.

I used bodybuilding methods for 13 years, all the way until age 26! During those 13 years I wrestled through high school, and got involved with grappling. I endured a boat-load of injuries, the last of which was an ACL tear. That last injury motivated me to research "better" ways to train for combat. I was pretty damn pissed off to have spent half my life training so hard with so many injuries and less than stellar performance to show for it all.

But, those years were amazing, because I did fall in love with bodybuilding and working out. In addition, if I never experienced the injuries and the downfalls, I never would be where I am today, helping so many others around the world!

So, this was a blessing, without a doubt!

Currently, my methods are a mixture of training implements, with an overall freedom to my philosophy. I basically train and do whatever I want, with no set program. I am 31, and I need this to be fun. A strict adherence to a program is not fun for me.

My training takes place outdoors as often as possible. When outdoors I'll go to a playground, bring a sled, maybe a kettlebell and a sandbag, or maybe no equipment at all. I'll climb poles, perform tons of push ups, use the picnic table, and maybe I'll have a towel or some thick rope to intensify my pulling movements.

I'll use sprinting to keep my body working athletically and I'll mix in anything and everything I can. If I see large stones I might carry them, clean and press them, squat them or even throw them!
When it comes to training, I throw all the so called "rules" out the window and push myself to a point where I lose myself and find myself. Training is a spiritual thing for me, a meditation of sorts. I am extremely happy to have left the world of training in "gyms". In all my years of training I was only able to find one serious, hard-core gym that gave us full freedom to train however we wanted.

I am definitely jaded when it comes to the state of "gyms" and health and fitness of today.

Thanks Zach. Do you still train for wrestling and grappling or any other sport, or are you simply now training for training’s sake? You mentioned your 'no rules' philosophy; would you say this can be applied to training for a specific sport or is it more for a general development?
My training is still happening with BJJ and Muay Thai, but only once a week. As a new Dad, that's all I have time for. The "No Rules" training methods work great for me because my main goal is to keep increasing work capacity and endurance.

With regards to BJJ, I don't feel my strength is a problem at all, but definitely being able to roll for 30 minutes with power, speed and strength to last can be improved.

Applying this style of training is not the best idea for other athletes unless they have a long history of training under their belt and KNOW what they personally need to work on.

I might focus on power, strength or endurance during a "No Rules" workout - someone else might not have learned or connected enough with their personal needs to understand this concept.

For example, as I train my athletes, who are either (American) Football Players or Wrestlers, they have a program which is always planned out a month in advance. I track progress with them and this allows us to see what works / doesn't work.

But we are still very flexible when training as I am a huge proponent of communicating with them constantly. If they feel weak one day, we back off and listen to what they say. If they feel strong that is going to be a day that they will try to break a personal record.

It's tough to say that on certain days or weeks they will back off and deload, because what if they tell you they feel great and want to train with high intensity that day, do you say "NO"? What if the planned workout was for going very heavy yet they feel like shit, do you force them to go heavy anyway?

In essence, I have the month planned, but flexibility is number one. In addition, I will not allow them to continue high intensity training for weeks on end. Sometimes, you MUST force the younger athlete or less experienced athlete to back off on intensity.

Smart training coupled with hard training is the key!!

Awesome dude, It sounds very much like the instinctive training mindset people like Bruce Lee had; you know instinctively, exactly what your body needs and when.

You touched earlier on how training was as much a 'spiritual' exercise to you as a physical one. Could you expand on that and tell us about the impact this has made in your life, and what you have found out about yourself in the process? Congratulations on the baby girl!! There is some spiritual training right there!
Training is always a test of mental toughness. There are certainly times when I am very exhausted, undernourished, under slept and of course, lack of a posh facility. It's easy to get sidetracked and find your way to a fancy gym once you get older.

Just like what happened in Rocky III. Apollo had to take Rocky back to his roots of old school training in order to get back the eye of the tiger. Losing my edge is always frightening. Especially as a father and a family man, I want to be sure I can protect my family.

Just recently I attended a very tough seminar which was going to be 3 days, I stayed for 1 day because I felt the need to stop doing so much training AND business work and spend time with my wife and daughter.

It felt great to back away, yet at the same time guilt was certainly there. I am always learning, and certainly trying to find a balance somewhere amidst all the training, which is certainly a slight addiction for me :)

I always say, "Training is a place where you lose yourself and find yourself" - everything disappears when I train, and I am in my own world. The more I train, the more I realize training is much more of an internal / spiritual time for me than it is physical. I don't worry about the weights or the movements, I always push and push and love to feel that battle.

I have definitely discovered what my body needs and when it needs it. This "learning your own body" is a critical skill that I feel everyone should focus on. I always made my best gains when I stopped listening to the "experts" and started listening to my own mind and body!

Did choosing to spend less time training and more time with your family make way for your REAL MAN fitness movement? Could you explain a bit about the REAL MAN movement, how it was born? What is it all about? Who is it for?
Yes, without a doubt becoming a true family man spurred me on to begin REAL MAN Fitness. I believe ALL men should be strong and fit, and able to take care of their family.

I have crossed paths with former athletes who literally transformed into flabby weaklings as years passed on and they got engaged or married and had kids. It truly agitates me, to see these men get so out of shape and just allow their body to fall apart.

This shows no respect for self and no respect for family.

I do, however, fully understand how life and all the things we do can easily distract us from training. As I type away, it's 8:10 pm, and I will not be training tonight until 10 pm, which will likely be followed by more work on the business. I'll be awake at 7 am tomorrow with plenty of things to do, but one thing which can not skipped is that of taking care of my health.

If I skip taking care of my health, it has a negative affect on the rest of my life. Without my health, I have nothing. This is why health must be prioritized! This is why REAL MAN Fitness has been created. So the busy man can train at home, using simple equipment such as dumbbells and pull up straps, or no equipment, bodyweight only. There are NO excuses when it comes to your health.

Thanks Zach, I definitely agree, the masses have lost the warrior spirit! I know through your books and your websites you place heavy emphasis on the mental side of training, is this something you have always done? What benefits did you experience once you started implementing a lot of mental training for both yourself and your athletes?
The mental side of training was a normal transition for me after wrestling so much in high school and then coaching wrestling for many years afterwards.

I knew my downfall of my wrestling came through a lack of mental preparation and a lack of belief in myself. I always knew how to work hard, that was easy for me. But, through the years I learned that hard work guarantees absolutely nothing, and that the belief in yourself is the truly limiting factor to success in life.

Yes, hard work must be combined with this belief, but when you add the undying belief in yourself to smart and hard work, you become infinitely more successful than you have ever been!

I always speak to my athletes not only about visualizing success, but feeling the way their success will feel. When you add feeling to the visualization, you have now multiplied the power of visualization 100 times greater!

Just like the Rocky movies, you see Rocky pumping his arms in the air after running the stairs as he prepared to fight Clubber Lang or Apollo Creed, or in Russia when he runs to the top of the mountain and screams "Drago!!! Drago!!" - he raised his arms while doing so again!

When you feel what it's like to achieve the goals and success you want, you are living in the future already, and through these actions you can manifest and attract greater success to your life in all areas.

One place I highly emphasize ALL our readers to go to is http://TheSecret.tv and BUY the movie! It is incredibly amazing! I have passed on this DVD to many people, including professional MMA Fighters in the UFC. It is for everyone and is something that will wake people up to the power of the mind and the ways of the universe!

Check out Zach’s awesome sites and free E-books on offer, which are second to none.
http://www.undergroundstrengthcoach.com/
http://realmanfitness.com/
http://zacheven-esh.com/
http://undergroundcombattraining.com/
http://realmansuccess.blogspot.com/