THE ONE TO BEAT by Coach Jim Massaro
The 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City was my first exposure to competitive sports. I remember watching the games on TV and dreaming of being an Olympian. Between games I went out into our backyard in da Bronx and began my quest by tying a rope from one tree to another so I could practice the high jump. As the games progressed on TV, I continued to go out in the yard to try all of the events I had seen. Lucky for me that the TV coverage back then was not what it is today because I might still be in that yard. My parents and neighbors thought I was crazy, but the foundation had been laid for my love of athletics.
Throughout my 30 years of training, as far back as high school, I have always pushed myself to the limit. I can remember coming home from shot and discus practice thinking that one of my competitors trained harder than me. To compensate, I would go outside after dinner and run sprints from telephone pole to telephone pole. On some nights I would race my brother on his mini-bike just to make sure I was pushing myself hard enough. I would also tape out a circle under the streetlight to practice my form work. I live in the northeast, so some nights got pretty cold out there.
I always reminded myself that hard work would pay off. With this work ethic I was able to accomplish all the goals I set for myself by winning all-county track and field honors. Starting from an early age, a positive mindset and hard work ethic have shaped the way I live my life. I constantly strive to be the best and to make sure I demolish my competition, leaving no doubt who they have to beat.
I took this same approach to playing football. I made sure I outworked everyone on the practice field so that when it came time for the game, no one would be more prepared than I was, and the opposing team could not deal with me. When a knee injury ended my football career I found another sport to compete in. Powerlifting: Wow! What a great sport. See who can lift the most weight-what a concept! After years of competing and winning world and national titles I still was not satisfied with my personal best. That's when I searched out help from some of the gurus of the sport. They all told me I was doing too much work. As an athlete looking to gain a competitive edge, I listened to my coaches' advice, even though following their advice went against everything I had practiced my whole athletic life. After two years of doing the prescribed workouts I lost my edge and something else changed as well: my work capacity ethic that I had lived by my whole life was gone. They had me spending less time in the gym but they called it intensity training. The feeling of being the person to beat was gone along with most of my strength!
Consequently, without the hunger for a personal win, I retired. Instead, I came to train others and watch them succeed. I told myself, "Hey, this is great, these are my athletes and they're kicking butt." As rewarding as this can be, there was still something unsettled deep inside me: the desire to be the best myself. And then one day while searching the Internet I came upon this website: Renegade Training. What a cool name. After reading about The Renegade himself, I had to find out more. I called Coach Davies, and after a ten-minute conversation I knew this was a program I needed to be involved with. Presently, I am in the mentor program.
As a strength and conditioning coach, I have recently put my high school football team on the Renegade program and I have seen the team respond with great enthusiasm. They can't wait for their first testing date! Also, I and the power-lifters I train with have embraced Renegade and we have been getting great results. I have recaptured my work capacity and I'm back to my former self as the indomitable athlete. I've come to realize that I've lived The Code my whole life but let it temporarily slip away. Now that it is back I can say again that I'm the one they have to beat. LIVE THE CODE!