Jamaica Stole my Heart

Jamaica Stole my Heart

My wife Emily Drew and I got home from Kingston, Jamaica last Wednesday May 22^nd. My friend Phil Tremblay, CEO of Stronger Experts, arranged this entire trip with the help of one of our experts, Coach Jae Edwards. I went there to help the Jamaican sprinters and to learn from their program that has ruled the world of sprinting for the last decade and a half. However something else ended up happening while we were down there. I fell in love with the country and the people of Jamaica. I have been to a lot of places around the world at this point of my life, but I have never been homesick for a country that I have visited until now. I can see the faces of those young sprinters every time that I close my eyes, and I just want to go back.

Phil working with the athletes

I’ve heard my father-in-law, Pastor Rick Taylor, talk about God calling people to various ministries. He talks about this calling as if it’s something that is irresistible to the point that the person can’t do anything else. I have always felt called to coaching, but nothing else on this planet has ever grabbed me more than those people in Jamaica. I write this with a massive lump in my throat as I think back to those smiles and those looks of determination. Those folks aren’t ‘trying sprinting’ like we might here in the United States. They are going all in with hopes of changing the circumstances of not only their lives but also the lives of their entire family.

Yohan Blake, the world’s current fastest man in the 100m sprint, joined my friends and me at Barbell Shrugged for a podcast that I won’t soon forget. I found myself staring at him while he talked with my mouth wide open in disbelief.  Every once in a while, I would ask a question, and then I would immediately return to my position of listening. His story might have very well changed my entire life because I will never be the same. There is no way to hear his story, and walk away unaffected unless you have no soul.

Podcast with Barbell Shrugged and Yohan

Yohan grew up in a one room, not one bedroom, one room home with seven other siblings and his mother and father. Food was scarce, and money was even scarcer. He started his athletic career in the sport of Cricket, and then he was convinced to try sprinting. Right away he was faster than most other people, and then boom all of a sudden he was faced with a glimmer of hope to not only change his life forever but also the lives of his entire family.

Yohan Blake warming up

He explained to us how he prayed that God would grant him speed, so that he might change the circumstances for his family. Obviously God was listening because he started crushing it right away. Now he is the fastest man on the planet, and the second fastest of all-time. You probably think that the government of Jamaica pours all of their resources into their sprinters. That’s what I thought, but I was wrong.

The government doesn’t give them a dime. They practice on local high school tracks, and they strength train in local gyms. They have subpar facilities, but they have state of the art hearts and mindsets. That’s where they defeat everyone in the world. Heck Yohan and Usain Bolt put more funds into the young up and coming athletes than the government.

I actually hung out with one of the countries best coaches, Jae Edwards, and he does more than just about anyone in the country for those athletes. He houses them in a pretty cool dormitory that he had built in his gym. He also coaches them for free and feeds them. However there is so much more that the athletes of Jamaica have to offer the world.

I can honestly say that God has convicted me with so much that I want to do for those athletes and that beautiful country. Those athletes rule the world of sprinting without any of the advantages that the athletes in America enjoy. Imagine what would happen if Jamaica received money for awesome facilities, equipment, coaching, stipends for living, and healthy food. They would do things in sprinting that have never been though of.

Right now, they simply out work the rest of the world. It’s not what they have that makes them so unbeatable. It’s what they don’t have, and by that I am talking about them not having other options or distractions. In America, if we fail at something, we always have back up plans and other options. If Yohan had failed at the sport of sprinting, his entire family would have suffered in poverty of the rest of their lives. Yohan didn’t have a choice, so he put his head down, performed the work, and became a champion.

What about the young ones that don’t quite have the talent? I worked with six athletes while I was in Jamaica. All six are amazing, but probably only one, maybe none, will make it on the International scene. All of them would be good enough for a scholarship in America to any D1 Track Program, but they don’t have those opportunities in Jamaica. I want to provide them with opportunities. So here is what I want to do:

·      Develop an exchange program where they can take their talents to American or possibly British University Track Programs in exchange for scholarships.

·      Develop an identification process for other sports like American football or even weightlifting. That way they can maximize their potential for the sport that best fits their genetic traits. Hopefully I can recruit my friend, Andy Galpin, to develop the identification process.

·      Provide funds to their coach, Jae Edwards to improve their living circumstances both in their dormitories and nutrition.

That’s it for right now. Luckily, I already have a 501c3 nonprofit for at risk youth, so I can start raising funds for these youngsters right away. I plan of getting with Phil, CEO of Stronger Experts, Coach Jae Edwards, and my friends from Barbell Shrugged to come up with fundraising ideas to get these youngsters headed in the right direction and therefore improving Jamaica one athlete at a time.

If you have never been to Jamaica, I highly recommend it. I am not talking about going to one of those all-inclusive resorts, hanging out, and then flying home. I am talking about experiencing this glorious country and the beautiful people of Jamaica. There is something about those people and that majestic country that will leave an imprint on your very soul for the rest of your life. I am sitting here right now, and I feel like I am being pulled to the Caribbean.

If you want to be an early partner in this new endeavor, you can donate to these young men at:

è https://www.mashelite.com/youth/

I will send 100% of the proceeds to Coach Jae Edwards. This is just the beginning, as I intend on discussing fundraising ideas with my team at Stronger Experts and Barbell Shrugged this week. God has put this on my heart as a ministry. As of this moment I can say without a doubt that I will work with this astonishing country for the rest of my life. I hope that at least a few of you will partner with me in changing the lives of these beautiful people.

I want to at least mention the beauty of this treasure of a country. I have been to more countries throughout the world than 99% of most adults, but I have never seen beauty anywhere like there is in Jamaica. I first visited Jamaica in 1994 during break from Appalachian State University. When I stepped off of the plane, I literally thought that the scenery was props for a movie. It is so beautiful in Jamaica that it doesn't even look real.

Somewhere that Jae took us in Jamaica

No matter how beautiful the country is, the people are even more beautiful. I just want to make the lives of those boys a bit better. I won't stop in this pursuit. I set out to be the best powerlifter in the world, and I did just that. I set out to be the best weightlifting coach in the world, and I am at least on the way with 22 Team USA athletes since 2014. When I set my mind to something, it's going to happen. I hope that you guys will join me in making this a reality for these incredible young people. If you are a coach, check out: https://www.strongerexperts.com/projectstrongerjamaica and come with us the next time that we venture down to the incredible country. I think it will be sooner than later for me. 

Coach Travis Mash 

P.S. If you are a coach, I recommend that you check out the world's best coaching platform, Stronger Experts at www.mashelite.com/strongerexperts and learn from the absolute best experts in strength and speed.

Everyone Needs a Voice

Everyone Needs a Voice

A few years ago, I attended my wife’s art professor, David Faber’s art opening. He’s an amazing artist, but it wasn’t his art that inspired me that night. It was his words, and now I am passing those words on to you. He gave a short talk to all the attendees, and it was there that he told us that every person should either create art or write. He said it was a way of communicating with the future generations of one’s family.

It struck me right away. My father passed away in 2005, and I still long to hear his voice and to know his thoughts. I would give anything to talk to that man just one more time. Can you imagine if he had written blogs or books that I could pick up and read at my leisure? I would love to know his thoughts about life, love, religion, and me. Can you imagine? It would be like talking to loved ones past the grave forever.

When I want to talk to God, I just pick up the bible and read. God wrote everything down for us that he wanted us to know. That book is a lifetime of reading. I would love to have the same from my dad and my grandmother. It’s too late for them, but it’s not too late for all of you and me.

The whole reason that I started this personal blog was for my children and my wife. I want them to have all of my thoughts. Lately I think that I have swayed off the path due to worrying about what people might think. I have a business to run, so I have to consider what I say. However I am done with that on this blog. You guys can always go to mashelite.com and read my articles and listen to my podcast, but this blog is for the people that really want to know my thoughts while on this earth.

Since I was young, I have had a desire to win. At first, it was a simple desire like a lot of kids, but that simple desire grew. It grew in stages, and now it’s something not quite so normal. In seventh grade, my mother met the man that was about to become her third husband. This guy taught me to win. Sound healthy? Probably not, but it took. I learned to win, but I didn’t learn how to lose. No matter who you are, eventually you will lose at something. Losing should be something that you learn from. It shouldn’t be something that defines you until the next time you have a chance to win.

I remember the first time that the concept of winning really took with me. I was playing basketball in 9^th grade. I was pretty good, but my friend started in my position. I was happy for my friend, and I didn’t really mind. One day my stepdad came to practice. On the way home he told me something profound. He said that I could still be a friend with someone even if I took his position. He said that if someone had to earn a starting position, why not me? It was a question that no one had ever posed to me.

It seems like a simple question, but it changed me from the inside. From that point on, I decided to be the person that earned the starting position. This feeling was cultivated inside me, and it grew as time went on. By the time that I became a powerlifter, that feeling had become more like an obsession. No longer did I just want to win, but I wanted to be the best in the entire world. Most would think that this desire was a good desire. If one could remain balanced, I would agree. However that desire had taken over my entire life to the point that nothing else mattered. Guys that was wrong!

Last night I watched “A Star is Born” with Lady Gaga. It’s been out for a long time, but I still don’t want to be a spoiler alert. In the movie someone kills himself or herself because they are struggling with their career, and they feel like they might bring their loved ones down with them. I just thought to myself, “How sad!”

Life is like a roller coaster for most of us with a series of peaks and valleys. Athletically I peaked in my early thirties winning the world championships and breaking multiple world records. It was nothing like being a star musician, but I definitely could relate to the Jackson Maine character. My entire body hurt during the pinnacle of my powerlifting career. It was hard to focus on anything outside of my sport like family or work. I became real familiar with my doctor as she tried to help me through this moment with the promise that it would soon be over.

At that stage in my life, I believed that nothing could exist outside of my sport. You were either helping me win, or you were a distraction. I pushed my entire family away including my daughter. I pushed friends away. Just like the characters in the movie, nothing existed outside of becoming the best.

This is all a lie though. This is coming from a coach that works with some of the best athletes in the world. There is so much more to life than dominating your chosen field or sport. Each night I come home to a beautiful family with a wife and two sons. I am working on my relationship with my daughter Bailey, and I have a little girl that is due to grace us with her presence any moment now. No championship or world record even compares to that feeling I get when I come home at night. Sometimes at night, I work late and my boys sleep with their momma. I come to bed when they are all asleep. Sometimes I pull up a chair and just look at the bed filled with my loved ones for hours. I thank God for gifting me with these amazing people. My heart swells with love during these moments.

I used to talk about leaving a mark on this world with my athletic accomplishments, but now I know that is small potatoes. I know that I will be defined by the way I love my wife. I will leave a mark by raising young men that know how to be men, and raising young women like royalty teaching them what to look for in a husband someday. Coaching my athletes to succeed in a balanced way is much more important than the things I did when I was an athlete. My relationship with Christ is the anchor in all of this.

Out there right now is a struggling athlete, actor, or musician that thinks they are defined by how many likes they get on Instagram or by how many people watch them perform. Look you are not a circus monkey. If you want to really leave your mark on the world, then love your significant other so much that everyone around you will notice. When people see others truly in love, they will begin to long for amazing love instead of settling for just whatever. You can also coach in a way that teaches your athletes lessons about life. Coaches touch so many young men and women in ways that will echo throughout the lives of those athletes. Just yesterday I received this message from a former athlete:

“Hey Travis - I hope you and your beautiful family are doing well! I’m in the throes of wedding planning and it’s come time for ----- and I to figure out who we’d like to marry us. I want that person to be someone who has impacted my faith. To this day, my memories at your gym remain so dear to my heart. The environment you created afforded me the opportunity to become better physically, mentally and most importantly, spiritually - your gym made me light on my feet for basketball and even lighter on my feet for running with endurance the race set before me. Your gym gave me a village of people who lifted me up, like iron sharpening iron. One of those people who sharpened me was Poppy. He was the closest thing I ever had to a youth pastor. The talks he and I shared challenged me to dive to deeper depths in my walk with Jesus. He truly walked with me, shaping my walk with Christ in a time when I needed it most. For that reason, I couldn’t think of anybody I’d want to marry Chase and I more than Poppy. If you don’t mind, I’d love to get his number so I could call him and reach out to see if that’s something he’d be willing to do!”

I miss being an athlete, but nothing compares to the life that God has given me now. Someday when my little ones grow up, I hope they read this and understand the thoughts going on their dad’s head. I hope they know the immense love I have for them that I carry with me throughout this crazy life. I hope my beautiful bride knows that I still look at her beautiful face when I pray at night thanking our Creator for this amazing woman before me. I hope that all of you will experience the same love, and more importantly that you recognize the blessing being granted by such love. Sadly, a lot of us don’t recognize until it’s too late. Please don’t be that person.

I want all of you to go out and chase your wildest dreams. However along the way, I want all of you to love the people around you like there is no tomorrow because someday there won’t be. Death is always a sad part of life, but the beauty of death is the light that it shines on your loved ones still on earth. Win the race, but don’t forget to inspire the world around you during each step of the way!

I encourage all of you to find your voice. Whether you want to write or create art, don’t waste one more day. Your children and grandchildren will thank you one day. Also it’s never too soon. I wish I had written more during my younger years because I can’t even remember that person anymore. I’d like to look back and try to understand some of my thought processes. Don’t waste another second! Find your voice today!

One thing that I am trying to do is work on my Youth At Risk Program. If this blog was inspiring or encouraging to you and you feel the desire to give back, check out our Youth At Risk Page to learn more about what we are trying to do:

https://www.mashelite.com/youth/

Click on to Learn More

Recovering from Total Hip Replacement

Recovering from Total Hip Replacement

Exactly six weeks ago I had my right hip totally replaced with an anterior approach (FYI I highly recommend an anterior approach). My surgeon was Dr. Howe of OrthoCarolina, and I can say with 100% confidence that Dr. Howe is an absolute magician. I interviewed three different doctors that all came highly recommended. I decided on Dr. Howe because he seemed the most up to date on the research. He really pours himself into his craft continually reading and going to conferences, not to simply mark off his continued education, but to get better at his job.

Six weeks later and I am Clean & Jerking, squatting, deadlifting, and lunging. Some of you might think that I am going too soon, and I respect your thoughts and concerns. However, I feel confident in my approach, and I trust the people that I am working with on designing my recovery program. There are a few parameters that I am staying within:

·      Full range of motion and proper movement is my main concern

·      I’m staying at a 7 or less RPE

·      I’m trying to strengthen my hip in multiple ways: flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction

·      Squatting is high frequency, since this is the movement that I want to continue with for the long haul.

Kelly Starrett reached out to me shortly after my surgery, and he's been a big help with my recovery. Him reaching out really showed me how special our industry really is. He didn't have to do that, but he saw me as a colleague trying to further the cause of strength, health and fitness in a time where the world desperately needs it. He also sent me a Marc Pro that was instrumental in the speeding up of my recovery. That machine is a miracle for controlling swelling, and killing pain. During the first several days, I could only rest comfortably while hooked up to my Marc Pro. Now I use it everyday for recovery, and I will never be without one ever again. 

https://marcpro.com/

I have no way of knowing if my approach will work for you. Maybe it would hurt some of you, but without a doubt my hip seems to be improving at a rate faster than other people. There is absolutely no pain now. The movement in my surgical hip is better than my good hip. The main thing that I am keeping in mind is that I want all the ligaments and tendons to strengthen around the new hip, so that my new hip is stable.

So far my X-Rays show my hip way ahead of schedule, so I am confident that my approach is the way to go for me. The goal is to spend the first 4 months strengthening my hip joint to a point that I can start pushing things a bit more. One thing that most of you have to remember is that everything is relative. Yeah I might be front squatting 300 pounds, but that’s less than 50% of my best front squat. Heck most people that get total hip replacements can barely squat their own body weight, so they are going 100% days after the surgery. I have over thirty years of weight training, so my hip/body is used to a bit more than the average person.

Here’s the good news that I can tell all of you. I am playing with my children more now than I have in the last four years. I am getting down in the floor with them. I am running in the back yard with them. It’s like a second chance at life all over again. I have to tell you that things were pretty bleak those last few months. Imagine doing something for 34-years, loving that thing, and then all of a sudden not being able to do it. That’s exactly what happened to me. I didn’t want to train anymore because it hurt so badly.

Not working out for some of you might now be a big deal. For me it’s a really big deal. It’s a part of me. My career and my hobby have been centered on weight training my entire adult like. I was lost as a person unsure of who I was. It was sad to say the least. I am ‘me’ again thanks to Dr. Howe. So now what?

Someone like me has to have a goal to chase. I don’t know any other way, so I’ve decided to compete at the end of this year. The goal is a Super Total. Now I am not expecting massive numbers, but I don’t want to get embarrassed either. The goal for August is:

·      115kg/253lb Snatch

·      145kg/319 Clean & Jerk

·      250kg Back Squat

·      170kg/374lb Bench Press

·      275kg/606lb Deadlift

I feel that I can hit these fairly easy without losing any fitness because I want to start focusing on my cardiovascular as well. I am going to figure out a Row or Bike goal in the near future. I also want to drop down for all of this to the 198lb Class in powerlifting. This puts a fire in me to focus on my nutrition, which is another goal I have. Mainly I want to be strong, fit, lean, and mobile for my wife and children. That’s the real goal y’all.

Here’s a look at my initial workout that I started this week:

Day 1 Monday	Wks 1-3
Warm Up	Leg Ext+Leg Curl+Air Squat
1a. Front Squat	3RM (1st Rep Paused)
1b. Bench Press	5RM
2a. Lunges	3 x 8ea leg
2b. Chest Press Machine	3 x 10-15
2c. Rows	3 x 10-15
3a. Abductions	3 x 10
3b. Pushdowns	3x10
3c. DB Triceps Extension	3x10
Day 2
Warm Up	Sled Drag, Belt Squat, and Reverse Hypers
OH Squats	5RM
Clean & Jerks	5 x 2
Cardio	15-30 minutes
Day 3
Warm Up	Leg Ext+Leg Curl+Air Squat+Lateral Lunge
1a. Deadlift	5RM
1b. Breathing Paused Front Squat	1RM Paused 3 Depp Breaths
2a. Standing Strict Press	3 x 5
2b. Hyperextensions	3 x 8
3a. BHN Snatch Grip Presses	3 x 5
3b. Plate Raises	3x10
3c. Biceps Curl	3x10
Day 4
Off
Day 5
Warm Up	Leg Ext+Leg Curl+Air Squat
1a. Back Squat Wide Box Squat	5RM
1b. Closegrip Bench Press	3RM, then Drop set AMRAP
2a. Lunges	3 x 8ea leg
2b. Incline Hammer Strength	3 x 10-15
2c. Rows	3 x 10-15
3a. Adduction	3x10
3b. Nosebreakers	3x10
3c. Pullovers	3x10
Day 6
Warm Up	Sled Drag, Belt Squat, Rev Hypers
OH Squats	3RM
Hang Clean & Jerk	5 x 2
1a. Pullups	3-5 x submaximal
1b. Belt Squats	3-5 x 10
1c.  Bike or Row Sprint	3-5   30-60 sec

As you can see, it’s pretty basic, but that’s what I need right now. I will add volume, when my hip allows. Right now, it’s all about consistency and frequency. I will update each stage along the way as the plan advances. For right now this is what I need.

Am I crazy? Maybe! However this is who I am. I have been this person my entire life, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Nothing makes me angrier than when someone compares me to other people. For example someone was comparing me to Dave Tate, and his recover process. No offense, but I am not Dave Tate. I have never been concerned about what other people were doing because I knew that I was going to do more than them. Is this the right approach? I don’t know, but it’s who I am y’all.

I’m not sure that God gave me the best genetics. He gave me some good ones minus height that is lol. However, he gave me one quality that has allowed me to beat most of my competitors, and that is determination and drive. I don’t like limits. Why do you think that I won three world championships and broke multiple world records? Why do you think that my Olympic weightlifting team is dominant in America?

I started training at my original gym “Jack King’s Gym”. Not to be cheesy, but there is something to going back to one’s roots. The very smell of the place reminds me of the desire that I had as a young man. I will be training at 5am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Jack’s Gym. I will train at the Mash Compound Tuesday and Saturday. I will take Thursday and Sunday off to hang with the family.

How far will I take it? Man I don’t know, but I can promise one thing: “I will die doing what I love, and I am ok with that.” 

P.S. We have a new section on our website about our At Risk Youth Program, so go check it out please:

https://www.mashelite.com/youth/