Description

Imagine Who You Could be in a Year from Now…

Healthy. Strong. Muscular. Courageous. Confident. Calm. Resilient. Antifragile.

“Sow a thought, reap an action;

sow an action, reap a habit;

sow a habit, reap a character;

sow a character, reap a destiny.”

The goal? To fulfill nature’s or God-given potential – your human potential. To be a better human being. To enjoy a better, fruitful, and exciting life. A star on the horizon to follow. You will never reach it, but that’s not the goal – the road is the goal. Progress, not perfection. 

Famous clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology Jordan B. Peterson says:

“You must determine where you are going in your life because you cannot get there unless you move in that direction. Random wandering will not move you forward… Imagine who you could be, and then aim single-mindedly at that… Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens.”

You may need a map. GPS. Time tested step-by-step progressive system. Fellow traveler. Guide. Somebody who has been there and done that – and is still doing that.

I am here to help.

Your Guide

I was the proverbial smart, but sick and frail kid- all As, but an F from physical education (ask my classmates).

But I did not give up. I wanted to be like the heroes from the adventure books I read and the movies I watched: Tarzan, The King of Jungle. Spartan warrior. Jedi Knight. The Batman.

I didn’t give up.

Fast forward a few months: not F, but B, and then straight As.

Fast forward a few years: Asthma? Gone. Training combat arts 3 times a week (in a school), and the rest of the week with my friends. Winning a European championship (Germany, 2000) and finally a world Championship (China, 2004) in Chinese martial arts.

“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.”

― Dr. Steve Maraboli

Establishing successful martial arts and strength conditioning school with multiple affiliate schools. Becoming the Team Leader, Senior Instructor, and finally one of the 15 Master Instructors in the world, leading certifications for the most prestigious school of strength – THE School of Strength, StrongFirst.

Learning > Practicing > Teaching… Learning > Practicing > Teaching… And continually trying to walk the talk and leading by example, because there is no other way. My students are not doing what I say – they do what they see I do.

Trial > Error vs. System > Success

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

– Winston S. Churchill

To paraphrase JBP:

“Can you imagine yourself in one year if, instead of avoiding the things you know you should do, you actually did them every single day?”

You may or may not know what not to do (smoke, eat garbage, sit all day, waste your time on social media) – but you may be also confused about what things you should do. So much information out there. So much conflicting info out there. And now what?

I know you did try – many times, over and over again.

The new exercise programs. The latest diet. Biohacks and high tech gadgets.

One eager step forward, three steps backward. Fall. Fail.

But this time, failure is not an option.

Enter The Forge – Your Ultimate Transformation Program!

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

– Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy, 1926

“Excellence” (arete; Greek: ἀρετή) is the fulfillment of purpose or function: the act of living up to one’s full potential. “The root of the word is the same as aristos, the word which shows superlative ability and superiority, and aristos was constantly used in the plural to denote the nobility.” (Werner Jaeger)

The Forge introduces a full year’s program of personal development physical and spiritual exercises, covering breathing, mobility, movement, strength, endurance, diet, voluntary discomfort. 

Since a human being happens to be neither soul alone nor body alone, but a composite of these two things, someone in training must pay attention to both.

We will train both soul and body when we accustom ourselves to cold, heat, thirst, hunger, scarcity of food, hardness of bed…

Through these methods and others like them, the body is strengthened, becomes inured to suffering, and strong and fit for every task; the soul is strengthened as it is trained for courage by enduring hardships and trained for self-control

–Musonius Rufus, Lectures, 6.5

A few minutes a day (daily habits), or 30-45 minutes 2-4 times a week (practice sessions), plus occasional challenges every few weeks or months. Four lessons a week, one cluster of habits every month, step by step to a better self.

Some will be very simple, some a little more challenging, but all practical and useful, with excellent transfer to improve your health, mobility, strength, resilience, mindfulness, and overall well-being. Small changes, great results. The keyword is a compound effect: 1+1=3.

Features

• Life hacks + lifestyle!
• Easy to implement
• Minimum time commitment – from a few minutes a day (daily habits) to 30-45 minutes a few times a week (dedicated practice sessions)
• Minimal equipment or no equipment needed
• Detailed step-by-step instruction
• Select what you need/want, mix & match – follow the full program, or select the most beneficial habits and exercises for YOU
• Morning, daily, or evening habits, weekly or monthly challenges
• No rush, no race: “Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.” (JBP). Perfection? Nope, progress! 

The best time to start was 20 years ago.

The second best time is NOW!

• Enrollment: Monday, December 21st, 2020. Special launch discount $499.00$249.00 ends on Saturday, January 2nd, 2021!

• Start of the Program: Sunday, January 3rd, 2021, when you will receive the first instructional video.

• Follow-up Lessons: New lesson unlocked every week!

The Forge: Modules and Instructional Videos

Morning Recharge

• Arm swings
• Chinese Breathing Exercises
• Entering the Silence and Energy Flow
• Standing Zen and Facial Massage

Youth Restoring Calisthenics

• Hindu Pushups
• Hindu Squats
• Thoracic Bridges
• Dynamic Stretching

Diet

• What to Drink
• What to Eat
• Intermittent Fasting
• Prolonged Fasts

Resilience

• Cold Exposure
• Breath Holding – Sitting
• Breath Holding – Walking
• Sleeping on the Floor

Kettlebell/Dumbbell Lifting 1

• Kettlebell Deadlift
• Two-Arm Kettlebell Swing
• One-Arm Kettlebell Swing
• Dumbbell Swing

Kettlebell/Dumbbell Lifting 2

• Kettlebell Clean
• Kettlebell Press
• Dumbbell Clean
• Dumbbell Press

Move-Prep & Body Maintenance

• Foam Rolling
• Resets
• Fast & Loose Drills
• Hanging Exercises

Morning Rituals

• Warm Lemon Water with Salt
• Flexible Steel Joint Mobility Minimum
• Negative Visualisation
• Reading

 

Strength & Conditioning for the Traveling Warrior

• One-Arm Pushups
• Single-Leg Squats
• Crawling
• 100-Up Running Exercise

Throughout the Day

• Sitting Positions
• Movement Snacks
• Going Offline
• Walking

Evening Habits

• Journaling
• Flexible Steel Stretching Minimum
• Sleeping Habits
• Breathing Exercise

Combatives

• Stance, Guard, Footwork, Strikes
• Kicks, Takedown, Sprawl
• Combinations
• Heavy Bag Drills

Mindfulness & Meditation

• One Mindful Breath
• Sitting Meditation – Posture
• Sitting Meditation – Counting the Breath
• Mindfulness Throughout the Day

 

“It is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit. But you cannot see that, if you are careless; for it will not come of its own accord.”

–Xenophon, Memorabilia, 3.7.8

 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: When does the course start?
• A: After you enroll in the transformation program, you will get access to the first intro video right away. The other 3 intro videos will be unlocked in the following days. The first instructional video will be unlocked on Sunday, January 3rd.

• Q: I am really out of shape/recovering from an injury/old/with 0 experience… Is the course for me? 
• A: Yes madam/sir! Our motto is “from zero to hero”, step by step. We will start with really easy (but highly beneficial!) exercises and habits, and we will progress from there.

• Q: What is the daily or weekly time commitment? 
• A: Some habits are literally a few minutes a day. As for the specific practice blocks (let’s say strength training or stretching), a few times a week (2x-4x), usually around 30-45 mins/practice session,

• Q: Is the course for ladies as well? 
• A: Yes madam, absolutely! “The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved. Women who live bravely, both tender and fierce. Women of indomitable will.” (Amy Tenney)

• Q: Do I get access to all lessons right away after enrolling in the course? 
• A: “Enrolling in the course”, exactly – not purchasing 52 videos that you will just randomly go through, and not do any of the exercises or not incorporating any of the habits. So no – you will get 1 lesson every week (every Sunday). You will be informed by email (if you don’t receive it, please check your spam box and add our email to your address book).
• Q: How can I access the course – from my phone, iPad, laptop, desktop computer? 
• A: Yes! And please come regularly back, because we will regularly update the lessons based on your feedback.

• Q: Can I see a sample lesson before I decide to enroll?
• A: Yes – please click here to see the intro video and here to watch a sample lesson.

• Q: What equipment do I need?  
• A: Most of the lessons require just a few square feet, and that’s it. The weight training lessons would need either a kettlebell or a dumbbell. A pullup bar and a foam roller would be handy – but not necessary. So in short – more than 80% of the program does not require any equipment whatsoever.

• Q: Do I need to follow all the exercises and habits?
• A: No. The program will give you many options on what drills and habits to choose, and how to incorporate them into your lifestyle. Try them all, or most of them, but then select what you need/want.

• Q: If I have some questions, will you please help me? 
• A: Yes, I will! You will get access to our SIMPLEXSTRONG Facebook group and you can post any questions you have right there – videos as well – and I will do my best to answer and help.

“The iron ore thinks itself senselessly tortured in the blast furnace. The tempered steel blade looks back and knows better.”

What Are You Waiting For?

Enter The Forge!

 

• Enrollment: Monday, December 21st, 2020. Special launch discount $499.00$249.00 ends on Saturday, January 2nd, 2021!

• Start of the Program: Sunday, January 3rd, 2021, when you will receive the first instructional video.

• Follow-up Lessons: New lesson unlocked every week!