New World
Stubborn To A VirtueBy Donny Shankle“Thanks to God that he gave me stubbornness when I know I am right.” - John Adams I admit I can be stubborn at times. Heck I can be stubborn a lot of the time and...
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Show A Little SwagBy Donny ShankleWhen you walk up to the bar, roll your shoulders back and pick your head up. A snatch or clean and jerk does not begin at the pull. It begins with your approach to...
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Sex and SleepBy Donny ShankleHave sex. The benefits of a positive and loving sexual relationship improve your performance in the gym. Sex does bring an increase in strength. It keeps the testosterone...
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Understanding CultureBy Donny ShankleThis is something I’ve learned from my travels. The world is full of so many different types of cultures. Some are better than others and some are difficult to...
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Show a Little StoicismBy Donny ShankleI’ve admired the Stoic philosophy and its principles since my time in the Marine Corps. Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic is a book I brought with me to Iraq. In it...
View ArticlePeripherals
Sense Of AwarenessBy Donny ShankleAfter being in the gym so many years, I’ve noticed my sense of awareness is improved. I’ve always had good peripheral vision but now it’s even more amplified.Never...
View ArticleHere and Now
Avoid ComplacencyBy Donny Shankle Stay away from comfort zones. The best way to do this is to avoid complacency in your training. No one is ever completely satisfied with their performance and this is...
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Bold OpenersBy Donny ShankleI’m not a fan of starting the competition with a lift very near your best. The first lift sets the pace of each lift to come. You do not have to start too light but set...
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Addition to AcceptanceBy Donny Shankle Acceptance applies to the here and now. For the weightlifter, it’s when you take the bar in hand. The now refers to an act of volition in this moment. To either...
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The BridgeBy Donny Shankle Quite often the personal record you are going after is already within your reach. You are well trained. You are strong. You are ready to lift the weight in front of you....
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Exception, Not The NormBy Donny Shankle Citius (faster), Altius (higher), Fortius (stronger). - Olympic mottoAthletes relish the chance to compete. They love getting together with other athletes to see...
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EgoBy Donny Shankle“Man does not live by bread alone.” - Mathew 4:4 Man cannot live without an ego and weightlifters cannot win without it. How many times do you see weightlifters in competition walk...
View ArticleSub Ex # 86 & 87
CarryingBy Donny ShankleCarrying is a great exercise. It strengthens so many muscles at one time especially your upper back, legs, abs and grip. I’ve carried everything from tires, pallets, logs, hay...
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Do Your Chores Part 1By Donny Shankle This is mainly for the young weightlifter but if you're older you may also get some use out of it. I truly believe the person who can speak about their passion...
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Avoidance Of The HardBy Donny ShankleWhen I was a little boy I had this toy made up of two horseshoes connected by a chain with a metal ring around the center. The idea behind it was getting the metal...
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The AnimalsBy Donny Shankle “The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” - Charles Darwin“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell...
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Active RestBy Donny Shankle Instead of taking an entire day off from the gym it is better to move around and do something. A weightlifters training is typically year round and advanced weightlifters...
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Strong Is HappyBy Donny Shankle I have this light olive green t-shirt which Eleiko sent me with the phrase “Strong Is Happy” written across the front. It’s definitely one of my favorite shirts for its...
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Dive MasterBy Donny Shankle During my trip to Indonesia in and around the Islands of Komodo, Labuanbajo Flores, I did some SCUBA diving and loved every minute of it. I did 11 dives over the course of...
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RiceBy Donny ShankleGrowing up I ate a lot rice. Louisiana is a rice eating culture and I grew up eating jambalaya, red beans and rice and gumbo. Plus there is a large Vietnamese population in...
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13 lbsBy Donny Shankle I first started weight training at the age 13 with a 13lb. dumbbell. I think my father picked it up at a flea market and it eventually found itself at the foot of my bed. The...
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Perfect CastBy Donny ShankleLast week I did some trout fishing in Colorado with friends. I haven’t gone fishing in a long time and this was my first time to fly fish. I had a really great time even...
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The Power SnatchBy Donny Shankle I know I have made reference before on the importance of commanding yourself to move in training. Of all the lifts, the power snatch certainly will find the person who...
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Wondrous WhalesBy Donny ShankleI’ve seen whales up close on two separate occasions. Once in Alaska and the other time in Antarctica. In Antarctica, I was a mere arm distance from a pod of Humpbacks....
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Gym PersonaBy Donny ShankleThe gym is full of all types of different personalities. I’m not really a people watcher but it’s impossible not to observe people in a place you spend a lot of your time....
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