It All Begins Here

Lessons From Getting Beat Up

Anything that I’ve ever accomplished physically had first been accomplished within the mind. It had been trained for many months and years in advance

The first time I ever started to visualize the things that I wanted was as an amateur boxer.

I was already 0-1… a rough start to my short 4year career as an amateur boxer. I was with my coach driving to a city outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for my second bout with the roads covered with snow. At this time, we were running late… and to make matters worse I would be the first bout of the night. I’m sure I had felt anxious energy long before this… but this was one of the first times that I experienced, or at least recall experiencing, being very anxious… it felt like the situation was outside of my control. Or to better say it… It felt like the moment that could be coming would be too big for me. I wanted to prove to myself, to my coach, and to my teammates at the gym that I could fight… I was also terrified… My first amateur bout was in Golden Gloves, and I had fought a kid who had to be over 6 foot tall, a southpaw, in the 135 pound weight class…. All I remember from that fight was seeing the white of his gloves make contact with my face over and over and over and over again. I don’t even know if I threw a punch.

I remember my coach looking over to me saying, “If we make it on time, I doubt we’re going to have any time to get warmed up.”

And he was right… we made it “on time” and the very second I walked into the old community center where they had turned the basketball court into a boxing ring for a packed house of attendees… I had to walk right onto the scale to get weighed in. I had cut weight (only about 6-7 lbs) but remember being very hungry and thirsty and wanting to eat and drink since it had been all day that I hadn’t. But that wasn’t even in the cards.

I looked over and saw the guy that I’d be fighting that day who was hitting the pads… I thought to myself, “He’s too big to be 135 lbs.” My mind wanted to make excuses and complain and be the victim.

The fight promoters and organizers were upset with us for showing up late and holding up the whole show. I remember feeling pressure from that as well. I was thinking about absolutely everything except for the fight. I was hungry, thirsty, afraid and already feeling like I was letting people down.

Immediately… after weigh-ins, my coach started to wrap my hands. I remember him saying some gibberish but at this time I was already frustrated with him as well because we had left too late. I remember distinctly tuning him out… laser-focusing myself on what was about to happen. My world got very small… there was only one thing on my mind… it was that guy who looked way too big to be 135 pounds. I played back the punches I saw him throwing on the pads. I visualized those punches coming at my face and my body and how I would react to them… I began to visualize how it would feel to be hit by him… I was realistic with knowing what was coming, and I was prepared for what I was about to do next. I had trained for this moment.

Ding ding… round 1. I’m in the ring. And… I shit you not… it’s not even 30 seconds into the first round when this guy throws a haymaker to the side of my face and puts me on the canvas. A voice that feels very far away is saying “4-5-6.” I make my way back to my feet.

“I didn’t visualize this” 😂

But I was expecting the pain… and I was in a whole lot of it. Whether it was physical or my ego or my pride. I felt in that moment, absolutely terrified, I thought this guy was gonna kill me… and to make matters worse I’d be letting down everyone who was there to support me. I’d also be just a “wash” My coach was telling everyone I was good… but lying on my back on the canvas, I didn’t feel like I was doing too good.

I got back up… a true Rocky Balboa style moment. And he came with an onslaught of more punches. I remember distinctly ducking and weaving and blocking and parrying. I remember putting some footwork to use. The most primal version of me took over.

I was doing things in the ring that I had only practiced on the bag or was able to accomplish in sparring if I was working with somebody who was not quite as good as me.

Yet, here I was in the moment, and what felt like total survival mode… falling to the level of my Training. Doing the things I had visualized just moments prior.

This guy spent a lot of energy that round trying to beat me up… but I was moving really well and avoiding a lot of the danger.

When I made it back to the stool that first round a confidence filled within me, one that I had never felt prior to that, it was almost as if I had earned my stripes, even though I had lost the round. My coach could see it in me and told me I did a great job and to go out and do the same thing, but this round start throwing some punches. 😂

Round 2 starts! And this guy comes out with more of the same trying to knock me out with his big haymaker throws! I’m blocking them and throwing a stiff jab back at his nose. Every one of my punches is landing. The round continues and I leave that round unscratched… scoring a ton of points doing what I was trained to do. His nose was bleeding and so was mine. It was 1-1 going into the 3rd.

Round 3 starts! And it’s more of the same as round two. Except for now he’s very tired. And I am not. I had trained for that very moment and had visualized that very moment. I knew that I was in phenomenal shape and I prided myself on being in the very best shape of anyone inside of the ring as an amateur boxer. Out of ALL the boxers in our gym I was in the best shape. Even in better shape then most of the pro’s on the local scene. On that night, I was prepared for many more rounds then I would need to fight. As he grew weary and his hands got heavy, I became sharper and more confident. Landing big shots one shot after another. I started to mix and match my punches. What I thought I could do in my mind began to happen in my physical reality.

Round three ends, and that is the end of the fight… it’s three 3-minute rounds for amateur boxing. It goes to decision and the unanimous decision came back. Blue corner (me) WINS THE FIGHT! My coach is so pumped… My mom is in the stands. She’s so pumped. I feel like I’m 8 foot tall and bulletproof!

This was a highlight moment of my sporting career… I had gone on to set world records in powerlifting, won New York and Kentucky Strongest Man. I’d even won more Golden Glove boxing bouts and made a decent name for myself in the sports local scene. But nothing compared to that moment of the second fight. Peeling myself off the ground… choosing to not quit even though everything in me wanted to curl up in a ball… everything in me wanted to be weak.

But I had not trained myself to be weak. I had trained myself to be strong… to be in phenomenal shape. I did not visualize myself being weak. I visualized myself doing the things that I trained myself to do. I did not live in a fairytail dream state when I was preparing and visualizing the fight. I was mentally and physically ready for pain and hurt. Its a good thing I was…

In life, we will be knocked down… if this taught me anything, it is not that we rise to the occasion… but rather we fall to the level of our training. And our training at first begins in the mind.

I am leading a 7 week Mindset Cohort Called “Mental Game” it’s where physical training meets mental preparation. I will train you to visualization and act on doing the “impossible” in your life. It does not matter where you’re at or how much you’ve accomplished or not. This cohort is about going to places within yourself that you’ve never been. The first 10 homies who sign up get early bird discount at $299 after 10… the price is $500.

Join the cohort today. 7 WEEK MENTAL GAME COHORT

With Love

Zach