“I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” –Theodore Roosevelt
Fitness is more than just a workout. This is not just a slogan, this is the nature of self-improvement. Our bodies are inextricably linked with our mental state, you cannot improve one without the other. Here at Recast & Reforge we tackle both. Control your mind and your body will follow. Decide that the moment of pain is worth more than the life of pain.

Genetics In Running, Genetics In Strength Training, And Genetics In General Don’t Matter
Genetics do play a role in athletic performance, but they are not as big a factor as you believe. In the world of made-up percentages, I would put genetics at about a 10% difference. The remainder being proper training, time in the sport, and nutrition. Genetics in running, genetics in strength training, and genetics, in general, don’t matter. Let’s stop blaming our failings on the boogie man and buckle down and get to work.

The #1 Reason You Fail At Making Lasting Change
Making lasting change is frick’n hard. It’s why New Year’s resolution almost always fails, it’s why we are fatter than we would like to be and it’s why we don’t look like Hercules, or are near as cool and collected as James Bond is under pressure. These are things many of us have tried to be over the years but failed. There is a way to get to where we want to be but to do that we have to stop treating this like most Western Medicine treats disease. We have to tackle the cause of the problem and not the symptom. If you want to make lasting change you need to know the why before you can change the what.

Rock Solid Motivation To Train
“Motivation” in the training world is a gimmick for the uninitiated. In real life, motivation is built block by block into a habit. A habit that will drive you into the gym every day, year after year. Your rock bottom moment may help along the way, but it’s your decision to train every day based on sheer willpower and habit-building techniques that will truly build into your motivation to train.

What Does Being Jacked Even Mean?
Being Called Out I got called out by a comedian the other day. “Guy in the back, you are jacked”. We had a quick back and forth and then he went on with his skit. Which was mostly about him thinking he might be gay. No conclusion in case you were curious. But, besides obviously […]

Break Your Lack Of Focus
Focus is a habit. It’s what makes your life worth living, it’s what determines if something is worth doing or not and if you will get anything out of it. Whether you are training or attending a conference, if you want to make yourself better and live a better life learn to focus on the task at hand and learn to care about what is going on around you. Break your lack of focus.

Without Purpose Hard Work Gets You Nowhere
Without purpose, Hard work is nothing but hard work. Don’t brag or be proud of the hours you spent. It’s not the act of hard work in itself that is admirable, it’s what you are working to achieve. Hard work only means something when it’s directed at what you believe in.

Forget The New Years Resolution and Change Your Life
Every year people create New Years resolutions in an attempt to improve their lives, and every year they fail. At the end of the day, a New Years resolution is just words with little meaning unless they are tied into something that drastically affects your life. If you want to change your life, great, but do it when you notice the problem and have a clear-cut way to fix it. Chances are, noticing that problem is not on the 31st of December.

Keep It Stupid Simple And Learn How To Stop Being Indecisive
Knowing how to stop being indecisive is an important step to taking control of your life. We all face decisions and most of them don’t matter as much as we think. By creating a system that makes a default choice for us, you will not only stop wasting time and limit your stress, but it will give you a plan to adjust off of. When you haven’t moved down any path in life due to indecision, anything you do equates to forward progress.

Surviving A Royal Screw Up | Panic At 18,000 Feet
Everyone screws up, whether that’s at work, at home, or by yourself. Regardless of how disastrous your screw up turns out to be, the only choice you have is to learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen again. In this case, it’s a lesson in the importance of not being afraid to ask questions. You won’t look as dumb as you think and it can stop small problems from becoming huge issues.

The No Hesitation Lifestyle, Stop Being Average
The No Hesitation Lifestyle is about realizing that only you can say no. Stop hesitating to live the life you choose. It’s all in your mindset. The only thing that holds you back from living the life of your dreams, is yourself. Most people claim that you already have the ability to empower yourself and be successful, but that is only part of the story.
Jerks Might Not Finish Last, But They Don’t Finish First
People want to help out those they like. And, no matter who you are or what experiences someone has, they can’t know everything. By being friendly and making personal connections with those you meet, you learn about opportunities that are not available to the rest of the world. And Jerks? Screw em’.
Get Out There And Do Something With Your Life, Literally Anything
I wasn’t looking for them to find a life purpose, or find their calling in life. It was to get them away from their computers, away from their phones, and break the humdrum routine that gets them nowhere. I want them to get out there and just do something with their lives. Even, if that was learning some dumb card trick. That might even get them something, maybe even free drinks, which is more than watching “insert your favorite TV show”. The thing is, almost anything is considered forward momentum when you are comparing it to zero.
Embrace Pain And Embrace A Better You
While it’s normal to avoid pain, it’s within your power fight the urge and embrace it. You have the power to choose what pain you feel. I’m not saying go stick your hand on a hot stove, but if you want to become better, smarter, or stronger you have to be willing to take the pain necessary to get there. Embrace the pain, force an adaptation, and embrace a new and better you.
Nerves of Steel. Or, Maybe I Need Some Social Anxiety Help
In your journey to finding yourself and your independence, you can’t let anything hold you back. This includes the ability to confidently talk to others regardless of the environment you’re in. Lock in your public speaking skills, overcome your fear, and unlock doors you didn’t even know existed. My stomach was literally quivering. As I waited, I was trying to decide if I was shaking more or if the tent was. All around me the canvas of the tent was whipping back and forth as the sandstorm blew across the desert.
5 Ways to Relax and Stop Being Stressed Out. Just Let It Burn
This is the next article on the journey of the author to develop a more independent life. To catch up, head to the last article “Schedules are for Losers, And Me”. So, we left off with a decision to start selling t-shirts and writing a blog. Boy was I in over my head (to clarify, I still am). I once heard someone say that the problem with younger generations, is they are always trying to do everything at once. I don’t remember where I heard it, but I remember thinking how great advice it was. Great advice that I promptly ignored.
The Power Of Leadership: Are You Actually A Servant Leader?
“What is a Servant Leader?” the Officer asked. He was teaching a class on leadership at the Marine Corps’ premier six-month-long leadership school called, The Basic School. And he was currently trying to get the Marines to pay attention to what would one day be a pillar in how they carried out their lives.
Cut To The Chase And Give Me The Fish
Your time is one of the most valuable things you have, don’t let people waste it because they suck at teaching or they are trying to show off. No need to sugar coat it, don’t hesitate to be blunt and tell them to cut to the chase.
“God Dammit! Give me the fish”. It was my first week or so in the Marine Corps and a fellow Lieutenant had just launched on a diatribe about how the Marine Corps supply chain works.
Unapologetic American
Give Me The Fish (GMTF): Be unapologetically American, take pride in what you do and who you are. “I got dropped from my last job,” Joe told me as we drove down the highway. Joe was my Lyft driver and he had just picked me up from a hotel about five minutes before. Joe was […]