Post Olympic Stress shows up in a lot of different ways and a lot of different places.

Look around and you’ll see it: the blank stares that won’t be satisfied with anything BUT live Olympic action.

People are on a quest – a quest to find something to fill that Post Olympic void.

But what’s harder to see is the ECONOMIC void left behind by the Olympic Games…

The Olympic athletes are often the first to feel the crunch. Even with sponsorships, the cost of competing in the Olympics can be ENORMOUS! There’s gear to buy, coaches to hire, specialists to see, and the travel costs can be astronomical.

“Real jobs” get put on hold, savings accounts bleed money and (especially if you come home without a medal), people aren’t just lining up to give you money or help pay off the mountain of debts you’ve accumulated.

Sidebar from Rhadi Ferguson:  I’m a living witness. I’m here to tell you right now that I racked up a HEAP of debt while training for the Olympics.  And the running joke, “If you’re not willing to go into debt then you’re not willing to go [to the Olympics].”   Unfortunately, going into debt is “par for the course” for the smaller sports out there. I’d had to think about how much is costs to do Equestrian.  Because I know that horses are expensive.

Sidebar from 2-Time Olympian Taraje Williams-Murray: Debt?  Ha!! I stopped talking about debt a long time ago. I don’t think about the money, I just think about winning. There will be enough time to get depressed thinking about the money I spent later.  I have to focus on the training so at least I can get some joy and satisfaction from being at the top of the medal stand.  But, oh boy, when you come back home to a mountain of debt after the Olympic Games, that is a super sobering experience.  And a sad one.

As a two-time Olympian, I’ve been there – believe me! Once the Olympics are over, you come back home, wondering what you’re going to do with life NOW.

Nothing feels the same, but time stops for no man (or woman). There were bills to pay, a job to go to, a family to care for…

Taraje’s going through the same thing even as we speak. Less than a month after the closing ceremonies, “real life” is waiting for him – whether he’s ready for it or not. While he’s trying to work through the stress and depression of coming back down to earth from Mt. Olympus, he’s busy scrambling around trying to raise money for tuition at Boston University so he can continue his post-graduate studies.

The pressure can be SUFFOCATING!

And it’s not like we’re along in this. It doesn’t just affect us, and it doesn’t just affect athletes. Post Olympic Economic Stress can be felt everywhere, by everyone.

Take China for example… Host cities are historically the largest beneficiaries of the Olympic Games. If you take a look at the past six Olympic hosts, you’ll find that in EVERY case, the stock indices went on the rise. These rises are attributed to a number of factors – the slowdown of industrial production, decreased inflation and lower bond yields.

Unfortunately, though, the confidence of Chinese investors is already on shaky ground. While Beijing’s investment of over $40 billion is paying off now, in the short-term, the long-term forecast is ANYONE’S guess.

Then, there’s Australia, perhaps the most vocal Post-Olympic Stress sufferers.

When Sydney hosted the games in 2000, they expected a massive influx of cash to flood their economy – but it didn’t happen. The flood they expected barely turned out to be a trickle.

Businesses struggled to return their productivity to pre-Olympic levels. HR professionals worked tirelessly to find ways for employees to deal with the lingering affects of chronic withdrawal. And, of all possible people, taxi drivers felt the biggest effects, and they felt them first.

They had spent all of this money hoping for a huge return and not only were they let down mentally, but they were wrecked financially

While it may take WEEKS for the reality of Post Olympic stress to really set in, that’s where we are right now.

The point is going for the Gold is anything BUT cheap. The costs are far-reaching, no matter how deep your pockets may be!  But the Olympic “bug” (or drug) is so strong that one “hit” can suck you in and make you a “user” for life.

Post Olympic Stress Disorder?

You’re probably asking yourself if such a disorder even exists, or if we’re just trying to be funny.

Take it from us: it most certainly does, I don’t think you’ll find any mention in the latest medical and psychological journals! And it can strike in a number of different ways and places.

If you’re a serious athlete, there’s no greater or loftier goal than landing a spot on the Olympic roster. The desire to transform your dreams into reality is a force to be reckoned with. It becomes an addiction – an undeniable need… And, just like an addiction, that need doesn’t just magically disappear – even after the medals have been won and everyone heads back home to pickup the pieces and move on…

Because even when it’s over, it’s not REALLY over!

We’ve been there, and we’re here to clue you in on a little secret: it happens to everyone!

It happens to the “Hopefuls” out there, with the drive and desire, and sometimes little else to go on. It happens to the Hopefuls that suddenly find themselves Olympians. Some of those will go on to become contenders, others merely pretenders.

And – believe it or not – it happens to the big winners, too!

When you really think about it, it makes sense…

Think of the training – the YEARS of grueling mental, physical and emotional demands an Olympian puts themselves through.

Hours upon hours upon hours of learning your limits and then plowing through and past them to new and greater heights…

Days, weeks, months spent with coaches, pried away from husbands, wives, parents, children and friends…

The financial demands of the training and traveling, and time spent away from your “real” job…

And like other forms of stress disorders out there, there’s no “right” time for the distress and depression to set in.

Before you can make it to the Olympics, you’ve got to make the cut in the trials. If you wash out in the trials, the depression typically sets in IMMEDIATELY!

But, if you WIN the Olympic Trials, that’s when the REAL roller coaster ride begins…

The pride of achievement, the culmination, the heightened expectations… you’re on top of the world!

It’s hard to imagine anything better. You’re unstoppable, unbeatable - damn near supernatural.

And, just when you think things couldn’t possibly get any better (seeing yourself on the News, hearing your name on the radio, the cheers, the support, the superhero status…), the opening ceremonies commence!

Until this point, you only THOUGHT you were addicted. From here on out, you’re a bonafide JUNKIE!

Take it from us – there’s nothing else like it. You think sex is great? You think gambling (and winning) is great? Driving in fast cars? Skydiving?

None of that can light a candle to the thrill of that torch, to the sense of fate, destiny – being a part of something so BIG, universal. You are on stage and the WHOLE world is watching YOU!

The only thing better is the weight of a gold medal hanging around your neck as the crowd goes wild.

But the higher you make it, the harder the fall…

Mind you, not everyone leaves with a medal, actually the MAJORITY - of us walk away empty-handed.

And at some point, the pain sets in. It may set in as soon as the competition is over, from the minute you start your mental instant replay and begin berating what you did and didn’t do. Or, you may feel find for weeks or months before it happens…

“Is this it?”

“I put myself through hell and raised the stakes as high as I humanly could, and this is my reward?!”

Everything seems sickeningly mundane. Ordinary life is a LOT different than viewing the world from the lofty vantage point of “Mount Olympics”. Back out here in the real world, NOTHING feels like it can ever “go back to normal.”

Relationships are affected…

Finances feel the pinch…

Careers (both “professional” and athletic) can suffer…

While post Olympic stress disorder sounds cute, even colloquial, the reality is that it’s anything BUT!

I’ve been there, Taraje’s been there… Across history, multitudes of us have!

Looking back, POSD is a given… Interview Michael Phelps in a few and even he’ll have his own story to share…

It’s what you do NEXT that separates the wheat from the chaff, the champs from the chumps.

You’ve got to ask yourself a big question, with an even bigger answer –

“Where will you go from here?”

Well, I can tell you where you can go if you want to know more about this topic. You can go Beyond The Rings at http://www.BeyondTheRings.tv

===========
Closing
===========

Thanks for all of your support during the Olympics and the Olympic Trials. It was one heck of a roller coaster ride. So much so that I am in the process of writing a book with 2X Olympian Taraje Williams-Murray on Post Olympic Depression and Post Olympic Syndrome. I can tell you right now that the Olympic journey puts you at the highest of highs and then it drops you down to the lowest of lows. You feel so low you could sit on a penny and swing your legs. Because this feeling is so strong and right now there are no Athletes who are making this phenomenon vividly visible to the press and the public, Taraje and I are taking it upon ourselves to educate the masses, the media, fellow athletes, supporters and fans about the roller coaster ride the Olympics takes us all on.

One more thing…

We are going to have a Q&A portion in the back of the book. If you would like to submit some questions to get your questions answered, please do so at http://www.AskRhadi.com Take care and thanks.

Sincerely,

Rhadi Ferguson
*** GOOGLE ME!! ***
2004 Olympian
4X National Judo Champion
World Class Strength Coach

==========
Introduction
==========

If you are a human being and are alive and breathing, it is a pretty safe
bet to assume that you are watching the Olympic Games. They are quite
captivating. I’ve really enjoyed the Games thus far and have really had a couple of eye-opening experiences as a coach and some epiphanies as a former athlete.

I’ve really learned a great deal and I would like to share one or two of the points that I have learned with you.

So, if you’d allow me.

Here we go!

==========
Luck Counts
==========

To the uninitiated, the silly and downright ignorant; hard work equals success. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hard work DOES NOT equal success. There are a lot of factors that contribute to success; and hard work is one of them. The hard core truth that some people don’t want to recognize is that hard work does NOT cause success. Currently I am reading this book which is entitled “Fooled By Randomness” and this book clearly states this point. I’m sure many of you have seen “the best and most skilled” athlete not win at the Olympics. And this happens because as you increase the amount of chance in or within an event, skill becomes less of a deciding factor of who is going to win. Case in point, 110 meter hurdles where two of the Olympic favorites where out of the race. Or in judo and wrestling were World Champions and former world medallist were knocked out in the first round. When you “inject” a great deal of chance via rounds, refs, judges, and competitors into the mix, skill becomes LESS of a deciding factor.

Now that does not mean that skill is NOT a factor. IT IS!! But it is only part of the cornucopia of ‘things’ that aid in the tilting of the scale of victory in your favor.

The problem with many of us is that we want to say that the Olympic Gold Medalist or the winner in many situations “worked the hardest” and nothing could be further from the truth. You can’t even say with any degree of certainty that the person who “won” was the best. Nor can you say that the person who won was “the best” on that day. Because that would mean that the deciding factor of who is the best is based upon who wins and who doesn’t and that in and of itself would be a false assessment (but MANY MANY DUMMIES do this). All you can say with any degree of certainty is that the person who WON, did in fact win and the person who medaled, did in fact medal and that they did a great job in competiting and exemplifying and illustrating “their skills” in the environment of play.

This is a tough concept for some people to understand and it probably will be hard for the non-scholars to accept and those who just like to say that hard work equals success. But I’m here to give you the truth. Hard Work
DOES NOT EQUAL SUCCESS. And the early bird does not get the worm (the fastest one, who was blessed enough not to get injured does)

If there was one thing that was sooooo clearly evident about the Olympics, is that the greatest thing about the Olympics, as the creed states, is to take part. Because the rest of it is really just a competition based upon probability and chance. And that’s what makes is soooo great. Everyone has a chance.

This is why:

Japan CAN beat USA for the Gold Medal in softball and; Why the USA Can actually get disqualified in both the men’s and women’s 400 meter relays, and; Why Lolo Jones, who was the gold medal favorite can clip the 9th hurdle and not medal, and; Why Taraje Williams-Murray can beat the medal hopeful in Japan in the first round of the Judo competition, and; Why some of the best conditioned runners who run the marathon, didn’t even finish the race.

This happens because at the Olympic Games, more so that any other event (because of the randomness based upon the amount of competition) - ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. ANYTHING!!

And this is why Michael Phelps will go down as one of the greatest athletes ever. Because his SKILL was soooo great that it really helped him tip the scales of fate in his favor.

My next point….. (and I know this won’t go over well, but here it is)

One of the main reasons, in my opinion, why the United States is not doing well in Track and Field is because of USADA. That’s right. The United States Antidoping Agency tests U.S. Athletes more than any country is tested within their country. And I don’t care what anyone says, if you run the biomechanical analysis of the stress that is placed on the ligaments and tendons at a sub 9.80 100 meter dash, you will readily agree that a natural human being CANNOT withstand such stresses at such speed. If you don’t believe me, well that’s okay (this email is supposed to be controversial, not “right”), maybe you’ll believe Kelli White
–> http://reform.democrats.house.gov/documents/20050615105348-72046.pdf

The reason why it is not an issue within Track and Field is because the playing field amongst them all is level.

So USADA, congratulations. You did a great job. While the other countries are using their monies to construct new training methods and new ways to get better, we are using our money… not to feed the homeless….. not to build better labs…. not to build more training centers or facilities….. but we are using our money to COLLECT BLOOD AND PISS!! Excellent!! Just great.

Why not just let the World AntiDoping Agency do their job and we do ours, which is to support our athletes. Now I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT CHEATING. Cheating is wrong!! What I’m saying is that we need to invest and use our resources more wisely to provide our athletes with an opportunity at success, not treat them as if they are a bunch of banchees running wild without any restraint.

That’s just my .02!

I’m looking forward to your comments.

=======
Closing
=======

And my final note.

If you are a personal trainer or a coach and you have not gone to this website yet, then all I can assume is that you don’t want to increase or enhance your business. And I certainly hope that’s not the case because I’m trying to help you to tilt the “success” scale in your favor –> http://rhadi.com/trainingbiz/

Thanks,

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
4X National Judo Champion
World Class Strength Coach

=============
Introduction
=============

I’ve lifted more weights than I car to remember.

I’ve run more sprints than I think my body allowed.

I’ve logged more miles than the average human being should attempt.

I’ve trained hard and studied even harder.

I’ve prided myself on being strong, explosive and in great shape.

I use to find comfort in knowing that there were very few human
beings alive at my weight who were as strong as me.

And then my bubble got burst.

In my first trip to Europe to practice judo, I could not believe
the strength disparity between me and some of the other
competitors.

Not many of them, but a few of them.

To that point, I had never been man-handled in my life. I mean,
I’ve been beat on a couple of football plays and have been caught
out of position, but I’ve never had a man line up in front of me
and dish out an utter and complete @$$ whipping and there was
nothing that I could do about.

This happened to me in 1998 in Tata, Hungary at a judo camp.

I can remember walking off the mat in utter disbelief. So much so,
that I had to try and fight this guy again.  The second time was
worse than the first. The second time sent me to the hospital in
Hungary, followed by an immediate trip home, and then another trip
to the hospital, followed by several doctor’s appointments, MRIs,
x-rays and follow-ups for a wrist injury that put me out of judo
for 3 months and severely limited the flexing and extension of my
right wrist.

I truly am “wearing” that @$$ whipping that I took that day.

================
What I Learned That
Day…
================

I learned that there was MORE to sports. I learned that there was
more to study, more do to, more that I had to learn about training,
more that I had to learn about supplementation and more that I had
to learn about conditioning.

So I pursued everything in all the areas and I found out that
genetics plays a huge role in success and so does the acquisition
of knowledge and then I discovered that when you couple those two
things with spectacular doping practices, that Gold Medals are
possible.

Now I AM NOT SAYING THAT ALL ATHLETES THAT HAVE GOLD MEDALS USE
DRUGS!! LETS GET THAT STRAIGHT.

What I am saying is that there is a very high percentage of
athletes who have won medals at the Olympic (especially gold
medals) who are (how can I say this……let me use a biblical
word….)  unclean.

Some are unclean.

And knowing what I know now, when it comes to playing 17 games of
football a season and you (the fans) expecting your favorite
players to play and to be at the top of their game every week -
that is just UNREASONABLE.  But YOU expect it, just like I do.

We expect athletes to get banged up, knocked around and to get back
out there because they are getting “paid to do a job”. The one
thing that we don’t want to admit sometimes is that the job that
they are performing requires some tools in order to do it.  That’s
where we have a problem.

Quite honestly, I don’t really have a problem with drug use. Nor do
I call those people cheats. Just like I don’t call people who
believe in abortion “killers” or “murderers” - THAT’S NOT MY PLACE.

My job is to live my life as I see fit, set a stellar example for
my son and for my clients, to operate in such a fashion that “The
Man Upstairs” will be satisfied with my work, labor and efforts and
to make my wife happy so I can watch football on Saturday and
Sunday. That’s it.

I’m not a finger pointer, a snitch or a tattle teller.

If I’m supposed to have something, the man upstairs will make sure
that I get it.

My job is to position myself to be able to receive it.

I’ve NEVER complained when I’ve lost to a “needle leaner” because
those people have a problem that I’m glad that I don’t have.

They have self-esteem issues and they will NEVER know how good they
actually are or aren’t because they will lean on the needle for
success.  In life a “needle” or a quick fix pill or a get rich
scheme will not be available.  You will have to wake up at 5:30 am,
strap on your running shoes, put on your headphones and pound the
pavement as the pavement pounds you back.

That’s just the way it goes.

==============
Now On Another
Note
==============

Winning, ALL THE TIME, comes with a price. You must realize how
much you are willing to pay and invest in order to win and how much
you aren’t.

And you must ask yourself, if the risk is worth the reward.

These are just facts.

==============
The Bottom Line
==============

You all provided some great comments to yesterday’s email and post
and your thoughts were provoking and interesting.

Out of all the emails I received, I wanted to share this one with
you:

“Coach Ferguson, I think many people do understand that you can’t
ride 100 miles a day for a month without drugs. However, many of
these same people believe that they can achieve a muscle magazine
worthy physique by following the routine inside. I have two boys
who are extremely athletic and I hate the fact that they will be
faced with some of the performance enhancement “choices” that will
exist in the next decade.”

===============
The Key Here Is
Choice
===============

This reader understands that he has to prepare his sons to make a
QUALITY decision about their lives and about their possible
sporting careers.

Drugs aren’t good or bad.

If drugs are sitting on a table, they don’t have a voice, a
personality or an opinion.

What is bad is making a BAD DECISION about how you want to live
your life.

Understand what you stand for and what you believe in and stick to
that.

Don’t let circumstances and/or situations turn you into a CHUMP!!

http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

===========
Introduction
===========

I ran across a quote this week that I would like to share with you
that rings out true in many areas of life:

In relationships
In sports
In career choice
In financial decision

and many other areas.

The quote is the following:

“They average player would rather play than watch. Those who don’t
play can’t possibly appreciate the subleties of the game.”
- Bob Toski

This rings out so true because there are SOOOOOOO MANY
MotherChumpers in life who are “backseat drivers” and people who
are not “invested” in your life, nor do they understand the
subtleties of your situation, NOR have they ever played “the game”
which you in, BUT they are soooo quick to offer advice.

You know what we say to that?

“Chump ‘em”

“Chump ‘em all!!”

They are Chumps. Now that doesn’t mean that they don’t have good
things to offer or that they can’t give advice, but it does mean
that they can’t “appreciate the subtleties of the game” and they
need to understand that. But the problem is, or I should say, the
disconnect is this — those who don’t play the game DON’T
UNDERSTAND that their are subleties in the game that they cannot see.

For example if you are in a relationship, you REALLY don’t have any
business giving married people advice. I mean, yes, you do
understand relationships, but NO you don’t understand the subleties
of being married. So you can say some good stuff about sex,
romance, dating, etc.,. But DON’T offer advice about finances,
joint bank accounts, birth control options, etc.,. Because there
are some subleties that you don’t understand.

For example, you may be a GREAT High School Basketball coach, but
you don’t have any business coaching in the NBA. I mean, yes, you
do understand what a 3-2 defense is and you do understand man and
zone, and you even understand the game at the highest level of
“your” understanding, but their are some subtleties that you just
don’t understand.

You have to understand There are some SUBTLETIES to the game and
to the sport and to life that YOU have to admit that you just may
not know or be aware of and with that you need to temper your
advice with the wisdom of quietude and ask questions before
offering it.

==============
Now On To The Real
Deal
==============

In the upcoming weeks, the Olympic Games will be upon us once again
and we will don people as heroes, name some as cheat, make some
into champions and reduce some to a disgrace.

But whatever the case, we will do this based upon what we expect
from the competitors and from the Games.

I think that one of the biggest issues surrounding the Olympic
Games is the drug use.

And my question to you is - “Do you really care if people use drugs
to enhance their athletic ability?” And the reason that I ask is
because soooooo many people want to see extraordinary feats by
human beings and to be quite honest with you, the companies that
back, support and sponsor the Olympic Games only do so because
people watch the Games. And I really want to know if people would
watch the Olympics if the people on the television looked like and
had the athleticism of their next door neighbor?

I think people pay to see freaks and that’s what the world delivers
to them.

My conversation is not about fair. I KNOW THAT DRUG USE IS UNFAIR.
That’s not my argument nor the topic of discussion that I’m
proposing. My question is this “Do you really CARE if people use
drugs to enhance their athletic ability?”

I know many of you are smart people. And with that being said, I’m
sure you don’t REALLY believe that that many people can do the Tour
De France without a significant amount of drug use.

So please provide your input by replying to this email or replying
to the blog post at http://www.CoachFerguson.com

Thank you. And we will have a hearty discussion on the topic for
the next 3 to 5 days.

Ole Coach is very interested in your position on the issue.

=============
Closing
=============

STOP CHUMPING AROUND — http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

And GET IT TODAY!!

D@mn! What are you waiting for? Get with the program. >:-|

Ole Coach.

http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

===========
Introduction
===========

Look, I’ve done it all.

I’ve walked up to women and asked, “So when are you due?” thinking that they were pregnant and damn near got beat to death.

The crazy think is that I was trying to be nice.

Who knew that they were carrying so much ‘extra’ that they looked like they were pregnant.

I’ve also been on the cell phone in the airport talking and said, “You know, I just believe that being over-weight is a sin.” This statement didn’t sit well with the people listening in to my conversation.

I’ve also been on several airplane flights where the person next to me had their whole body ‘overflowing’ into my seat and they were sweating profusely to the point where I was getting their ‘juices’ on me. NOT COOL!.

Now, I must admit. I’ve made some mistakes and been in some situations where my I couldv’e certainly been “smoother around the edges”. I’m not saying that I don’t make errors.

I certainly have.

I certainly do.

And I will probably again.

But I can tell you this.

What I KNOW THAT I HAVE IS PASSION!!

Many of you know of health concerns that the individuals in my extended and immediate family have suffered from and many of you are aware that their problems have been doggone near eliminated through the elimination of fat!

My father went from 265 pounds to a right and tight 224 pounds and he’s planning on finishing doing his 3rd half marathon this year.

My mother completed her 1st half marathon too (I’d like to tell you how much she lost but good ole mom won’t tell me how much she weighs)

Last year at this same time I weighed 241 pounds and now I’m chilling at a right and tight 220 pounds. (And I’m working at getting to 212. (when I get down there, I’ll be sure to send pictures).

What I’m saying is this……

==============
Do Yourself A Favor
==============

Many people are dying unnecessarily because they refuse to impose healthy eating habits.

We are ALL going to die. That part we can’t control, but we can control how we live.

Let’s not live life huffing and puffing to walk up a flight of stairs or live life breathing heavy before after and during sex and worse yet, not being able to perform with your mate at all.

Let’s not live life loathing the times when we have to bend over to tie our shoes.

Let’s not live life where we have to eat so much that its necessary for us to unbutton our pants so that we can BREATHE!

Let’s get it together good people.

Let’s stop walking around with these “kangaroo pouches” and start walking around with our six packs. we’ve got ‘em. All we have to do is show ‘em.

So whaddya say?

===============
But, Rhadi, it’s so
hard
===============

Yeah, I know its hard, but its harder making your loved ones watch you suffer from diabetes, heart disease, and ailments that are directly and indirectly related to your weight gain or lack of weight loss, healthy eating and exercise.

So PLEASE help me help you. I want you to get the help that you need. If you need someone to talk to, please give me a call or send me an email and set up a phone consultation.

If you are ready to go right now and start on the path of getting in shape today then let me tell you what to do:

=================
If you are a BEGINNER
=================

If you are a beginner, you NEED to start out with The BackYard Workout ( http://www.TheBackYardWorkout.net ). This product comes with a free 1/2 hour consultation and it comes with the world’s easiest d~iet. This is where you need to start and what you need to do to start getting of that Kangaroo Pouch and start working towards that six-pack

==================
If you have some workout
and resistance training
experience….
===================

If you have workout experience you really need to use my workout called “Working Out With Rhadi: The At-Home Workout”

This is the ULTIMATE No Space, No Money, No Time, No Equipment workout. It is f.r.e.e. and you only pay for shipping. You can get it here at http://www.TheBodyWeightWorkout.com

==================
For the Novice to the
Expert
==================

If you want a workout that you can do at home and you have some equipment at home or you enjoy working out at the gym then this is the workout for you. This is also the workout that you want to get if you are a personal trainer or coach. You can really have your team and/or your clients rockin’ and rollin’ with this one and its dynamite for personal use too. This is the TOTAL BODY WORKOUT! You can get it here at http://www.TheTotalBodyWorkout.com

=================
If you want more strength
and more flexibility then
this is the one you want…
==================

If you are looking for more functional strength and more active flexibility then Maximum Dumbell Training is what you are looking for. Also is you are a BIG FAN of Kettlebells, then this is the DVD for you. The same exercises that you use for the Dumbbell you can use for the Kettlebell. So if you are looking to spice up your Kettlebell workout and gain more flexibility then this is what you need –> http://www.MaximumDBTraining.com

=======
Closing
=======

So please, take a stand today and make a decision if you want a Kangaroo Pouch or a Six Pack?

Make a Great Decision Today and Get A Better Looking (and more healthy) body tomorrow.

(if you don’t do it for me and if you don’t do it for yourself, please do it for your family. Please?)

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
World Class Strength Coach

P.S. I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to read my emails and provide me with some great feedback. I absolutely love helping you and serving you. If there is anything that I can do for you or if there are any questions that you have, please visit http://www.AskRhadi.com or please reply to this email and let me know your concerns. Thank you.

========
Introduction
========

For those of you who don’t know, I have a 2 year-old son and he goes to a pre-school slash daycare type facility and every once in a while I poke my head in there to see what’s going on.

I don’t call, I don’t say nothing. I just buss up in there and observe.

One day, the lady at the desk said, “Uh, Mr. Ferguson, we would appreciate it, if you would give us a heads up before you come, that way we can get prepared.”

I told her, “Ma’am, that’s precisely the point why I don’t call. I don’t want you to get prepared, I want you to BE PREPARED at all times.”

Y’all know that you gotta walk up in there sometimes to make sure they’re treating your kid alright.

And for those parents, who just don’t pop up at the school or the daycare center, please make that your BUSINESS to do so. A half-a-day off of work is worth you looking after your most important investment.

Can I get an Amen?

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Now, Onto the
Matter at Hand
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I am sick and muthachumpin’ tired of the the Itsy Bitsy Spider (also know in some circles as the “Eensy Weensy Spider”. At this particular point, I couldn’t give a sh—if that lil’ muthachumper went up the damn water spout or not.

I canNOT take another line of that song. Or I think that I can’t.

That is until my son hollers out, “Daddy!!!!” with is two thumbs and his forefingers together ready for me to begin the song – ALONG with the choreography.

And don’t act like you don’t know the choreography.

Without the choreography it’s only half-a-song!!

So, instead of fighting the “eensy weensies” I decided to take hold of the experience and since I’m writing my dissertation, I thought that I’d just go on ‘head and get Doctoral with it and break down this “eensy weensiness” as is needs to be.

So I imagined myself in front of a room full of people giving a speech and here’s what I said……..

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The Eensy Weensy Spider:
An Examination In Readiness
=====================

Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen:

This evening I come to you not with pomp or circumstance, nor will arrogance or conceit.

I come to you not to tell you of the medals I’ve won, the accolades that I’ve acquired or the ribbons that have been pinned to my chest. I’m not here to tell you about the teachings of Aristotle, Pythagoras, Akhenaten, Dr. King, Ghandi or Buddha.

I’m here to tell you about something that you may, as I thought at one time was beneath me. Something so small that I missed it and now that I’m older I can see it.

I’m here to prove to you that the mountain to the climber is actually clearer from the plain and that after we step back and away from a thing, we can actually see what that thing has to offer.

I’m here to talk to you today about the message that I received from a Spider.

A spider with no-name, but whose name is known all over the world. I’m here to talk to you about……

(and I would sit here for a moment and pause parenthetically to have them on the edge of their seat as I provide them with a cognitive form of foreplay and then I’d say….)

I’m here to provide you with a lesson from a spider that you know very well, but its not Spiderman, it’s the EENSY WEENSY SPIDER.

You see, the “eensy weensy spider went up the water spout, and as he was traveling he encountered some rain in his life and it damn near wiped him out, and then the sunshine came out and it dried up all the rain and the eensy weensy spider, went up the spout again.”

Now when I sat back and I looked at this thing I thought to myself, “How many times have we tried to climb the ladder of success only to have a rain-type situation come and wipe damn near everything out?”

Many of us have. And we know plenty of people who have been washed out and subsequently washed away.

Every four years at the Olympic Trials, I see people who think that their dreams are going to be realized on that day of the Olympic Trials and their hopes are dashed out and washed away. And they don’t understand that their sun, isn’t going to come out “tomorrow” as Annie said in the great musical.

You see, that is a farce. Sometimes, you gotta hang in the cut, and wait for the sun to come out when it gets ready and then you have to wait for the terrain of life to ‘dry up’ so that you can get your footing and then you have to proceed with – with your climb. A lot of us think that the “sun with come out tomorrow.” But that’s not the key ladies and gentlemen.

The lesson from the eensy weensy spider is that the sun will come out, but you got to wait on it and your job is not to try to rush the sun (oh, I know my church folks are with me) – your job is to be ready when the sun “dries up all the rain.”

You can’t be hanging around the corner with your lips locked onto a bottle of Maddog 20/20 or cupped around some weed, because you are going to miss your opportunity to be ready when the “sun dries up all the rain.”

And you can’t be around talking and bullsmithing, because you will miss your window of opporunity when, “the sun dries up all the rain.”

You can’t be half-stepping, shuckin’ and jivin’ and playin’ attention, instead of paying attention, because you won’t be ready when, “the sun dries up all the rain.”

And you can’t be focusing on your rained out experience and because you’ll miss the sun when it comes out and you won’t be ready when, “the sun dries up all the rain.”

Because I KNOW YOU’VE GOT SENSE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL RAIN AGAIN!!!

The issue is to make sure you can get to the top and beat the rain, and to understand that if you don’t’ beat the rain, it’s okay because you now have another opportunity to work on your climbing ability.

Okay, now, “Out came the sun and dried up all the rain and the eensy weensy spider went up the spout again.”

Bad things happen.

It rains.

It doesn’t rain forever – (and from what I understand, never in Southern California so….)

Stay in the “climbing mindset” and as the good book says, “Be ye also ready” because you just don’t know when the son is coming out (for my church folks Matthew 24:44).

And that my dear friends is the lesson that we completely ran past from the “Eensy Weensy Spider”.

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Closing
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I guess that’s what I’d I’ve learned about the “Eensy Weensy Spider”. And I think I had to get into it on that level to know that I wasn’t just nor am I just singing a nursery rhyme to my son. But what I’m doing is hammering home a life lesson to him that will lie dormant in his mind as the lesson of the “eensy weensy” spider laid dormant in mind until I had my personal awakening experience.

So now, I am no longer tired of the “eensy weensy” spider, because I am not tired of learning and I understand that one of the keys to success is REPETITION.

Now, just like you ran past that lesson, I guarantee you that you ran past many lessons by not picking up Chump Repellent. If you know that there is power in having an “eensy weensy” experience and you need to make sure that you are “also” ready.

Because you do understand that the use of the word “also” implies that somebody else is already ready!! So don’t’ let that person get the edge on you. Get Chump Repellent right now. It’s a very inexpensive way to learn some expensive “eensy weensy” life lessons.
–> http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson (a.k.a. “Coach Ferguson)

P.S. Please don’t hurt yourself, help yourself and get Chump Repellent today — http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

Today is one of my favorite dates.

I also really dig when my digital clock reads 12:34

I’m not sure why, but I am sure why I like 7/11

I reminds me of the craps table in Las Vegas!!

Have you ever just stood around the craps table at a casino?

If you never have, I’d encourage you to do it.

It has to be one of the funniest things ever.

Why?

Well let me tell you.

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Don’t Pass Off Luck
As Skill And Vice Versa
==============

If you’ve ever been on at the craps table, the funniest thing that you will see is people setting up the dice before they roll them.

Why is this silly?
Well, they actually believe that this is going to some how affect the parametrics of the probability tree of the dice. There is no “luck” at the craps table, only people who understand probability and respect possibility.

But you will see people there who actually think that they can ‘beat’ the game.

The only person who wins in Craps is the house (meaning the hotel).

You can get “lucky” but there is no skill in craps. There’s only skill in understanding probability.

And the probability that you are going to win each and every time that you play is VERY low and the possibility is very unlikely. But the HOUSE wins each and every night.

So what in the hell does this mean?

This means – STOP GAMBLING!!!!

Many of you are gambling with your lives, with you careers, with your families and with your sport.

Stop gambling.

If you NEED to eat 5-7 small meals a day to keep your diet on point, the damnit – do that. Don’t try, do it! Otherwise you are gambling with your career.

If you NEED to be at work at 7:15am then leave your house early, and act as if you know there will be a traffic jam, that way you can greatly reduce the probability of showing up late.

If you NEED to spend more time with your significant other then do that, because if you don’t – BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE GAMBLING!! (please take that piece of advice as being soooo serious)

If you NEED to drop a few pounds so that you can get back in those skinny jeans, then please do that. Because risking your life on a Donut, a Hot Pocket and a piece of pizza just ain’t worth it.

Stop Gambling!

The probability of you being a champion in every area of your life is high if you can invoke disicipline in your life. If you can’t invoke discipline, then you with be forever relegated to the realm of CHUMPITUDE!!

Don’t be a Chump.

Champions do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.

If you have something that you REALLY need to do, do me a favor…….JUST DO IT!!!!

Take care Chumps and Champs (you know who you are),

Rhadi Ferguson (a.k.a. “Coach Ferguson”)

P.S. Remember what I said, “Being ignorant is really not a luxury at all. There is nothing better than knowing more so that you can apply more to your life. Learn more about yourself, your life and how you can do better, be better, and get better today by eliminating the Chump Moments out of your life”

–> http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

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Introduction
==============

YOU ARE DUMB!!!!

Get that through your skull you numb nut!

And the sooner you recognize this- the better off you will be.

As I get older I have to admit that my parents seem to get ‘smarter’. And it’s only because now I see how much I really didn’t and still don’t know.

One of the keys to becoming more learned and more intelligent is accepting the fact that there are some things that YOU JUST DO NOT KNOW!

And in accepting that fact, you understand the importance and infusing some diversity in terms of thought to your behavior processes. I spoke about this on the blog post 2 days ago in my post “Diversity Is Not A Choice”.

It seems that many of us want to continue to walk around with this homogenous thought process by sitting down, around and amongst people who are think like we do and are really just as *DUMB* as we are.

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Get Some Perspective
==============

The next time someone has a disagreement with you or the next time you run into someone who really doesn’t like you. Ask them two simple questions:

(1) Why don’t you like me?

And (2) Do you REALLY know me?

And if the answer to question number 2 is no (and most often it is), then tell the person, “How can you say you don’t like me and you don’t really KNOW ME!?!?”

What they probably mean is that they don’t like some of the stuff that you do because IT’S NOT WHAT THEY WOULD DO, but that is because in their mind they have assumed and taken a cognitive supremacist posture of RIGHTNESS and have likened their thought processes to the “TRUTH” and have relegated how you think to being “incorrect”. And *they* can do this when they are in the majority and you are in the minority.

This is why I spoke to you in the blog post titled “The Luxury Of Ignorance” about surrounding yourself with good quality people. So not only do you have to surround yourself with GOOD quality people, these people need to also have some diversity in their thinking so that you can be clear in your actions, exemplary in your behavior and outstanding in your deportment.

You see good people… Ole Coach wants you to be better today than you were yesterday and better tomorrow than you are today.

That’s only possible if your accept change as a possibility and become a change agent as well.

So there is no Luxury in Being Ignorant and Diversity Is Not An Option, if you want to be successful.

Only the CHUMPS hang around the same people, who think the same way, and believe the same thing they do and think that it’s okay.

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Obama And McCain
=============

Only the idiots watch one candidate and just catch snippets of another one on CNN and Headline News.

Look you MUST watch Obama just like you watch McCain.

You MUST read Ann Coulter and Michael Moore

You have to listen to Farrakhan and O’Reilly

You DON’T HAVE TO agree with everyone, but if you do DISAGREE (and I’m begging you) PLEASE AT LEAST KNOW WHAT IN THE HELL YOU ARE DISAGREEING WITH!!!

Do Not Assume a position of rightness without the right information.

You Do Not Have The Luxury Of Being Ignorant.

That, is a luxury neither you nor I can afford.

It is a LUXURY for CHUMPS!

Ole Coach wants you to be around for a long time and the only way to do that is for you to get on the right track and off the wrong one today.

Living In The Lap Of Luxury,

Rhadi Ferguson (a.k.a. “Coach Ferguson”)

P.S. Remember what I said yesterday, “Being ignorant is really not a luxury at all. There is nothing better than knowing more so that you can apply more to your life. Learn more about yourself, your life and how you can do better, be better, and get better today by eliminating the Chump Moments out of your life”

–> http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

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Introduction
===========

People who have read my blog for months on in say that I too obsessed with obesity and weight gain, but to be honest with you, I’m really not.

However, I do find it socially irresponsible (in many instances) to be overweight.

How and Why?

Well I’m glad you asked.

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First, It’s Selfish
============

Look, when I’m on the airplane and your @$$ takes up all of your seat and half of mine, that is just irresponsible and barring a serious medical issue – you can fix that.

And…… .you, most likely have loved ones who are going to miss you being around because you are unnecessarily taking years off of your life because you are STILL stopping at Taco Bell, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and In-and-Out Burger.

Stop thinking about yourself and think about others. We want to help you. The question is – “DO YOU WANT HELP?”

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Second, It Just Isn’t Healthy
============

You can listen to all the PLUS SIZE models you want baby.

You can go to Monique’s website and listen to her talk about being pleasantly plump.

You can go wherever you want and read whatever you want to read that will make you feel good, but HERE’S THE TRUTH –

THE NUMBER ONE PREDICTOR FOR LIVING LONG IS BEING LEAN!!

Period.

Write it down. Take a picture. Do whatever you want to do.

The bottom line is being overweight is not healthy.

I want to help you, but that is only if you want help. If you want help, the first you need is NOT a diet, or a workout plan. You need some resolve to stop being a motherchumpin’ CHUMP!! You gotta get real and understand that you need to make two changes from the neck up.

One is in your thinking and the other is in your eating. Period.

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Third, It Is Not
Sexy!!
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Believe me when I tell you that a human body drippin’ with Crisco is not sexy. At all!!!

Yeah, I know some people like ‘em thick. But if I there’s a difference between Prime Rib and a plate full of Fat.

The Prime Rib has a little bit of fat next to the meat to make it tasty and it has some good nutritional content.

Not even a dog will eat a plate of fat.

I don’t want you to be skinny or get skinny. I’m not saying that. What I’m saying is that I want you to get healthy and to be socially responsible.

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Fourth, But Not Least
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Although you don’t recognize it. It is a hindrance in your relationship.

Believe me.

Lose a couple of pounds and watch your sex life skyrocket and your appreciation for your partner increase.

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Want Some Help?
============

The Total Body Workout – http://www.TheTotalBodyWorkout.com

The BackYard Workout – http://www.TheBackYardWorkout.net

The BodyWeight Workout – http://www.TheBodyWeightWorkout.com

Get it and go for it!!!

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Closing
============

Ole Coach wants you to be around for a long time and the only way to do that is for you to get on the right track and off the wrong one today.

Sincerely,

Rhadi Ferguson (a.k.a. “Coach Ferguson”)

P.S. Remember what I said yesterday, “Being ignorant is really not a luxury at all. There is nothing better than knowing more so that you can apply more to your life. Learn more about yourself, your life and how you can do better, be better, and get better today by eliminating the Chump Moments out of your life”

–> http://www.ChumpRepellent.com