(unedited rant)

I don’t know if things have always been this way… but it seems to me that NOW more than ever people have been talking about the DOOM and GLOOM of our future.  Not only here in America, with our over-extended empire building efforts and collapsing currency, but worldwide.

It if isn’t about the wars and economy, its about the “2012 Dooms Day” or how sick, sad and stupid we are all becoming because of the devitalized foods and drugs we are all ingesting.

So, what the hell do we do?

Personally I have invested way too much time in reading articles and watching videos that do nothing but make me more upset about the world we are creating for our children.  And make no bones about it… things will only get worse before they get better.

I don’t say that to be pessimistic.

I say it to be realistic.

It’s the way that nature works.  You have to breakdown before you build up.  This the case with building muscle or making an omelette… just as it is with the evolution of humankind on this planet.

We’ll have a period of darkness for sure… but I am just as optimistic about the period of light that will follow, as I am that morning will always follow nighttime.

When the sun goes down at night it doesn’t totally disappear.  Although we can not see it, it’s still lurking right around the corner waiting for its next opportunity to rise.

That is exactly how things will evolve with humankind on Earth.

Although we are obviously entering a time of “darkness” and challenge, the Sun will continue to shine… right around the corner.

In this analogy I use “darkness” to represent all of the immature paradigms that no longer serve humankind in our evolution.  It is these paradigms that causes us to cling to the Fascist regimes of our patriarchal hierarchy and keep us all imprisoned by their greed and our ignorance.

I won’t divulge what I believe to be the foundation principles of these paradigms, but it is clear that they are failing.

I use “light” or the rising of the sun as an analogy for what I see as the foundation principle for the new paradigm that will usher humankind into a new and exciting time in our evolution.

This principle is FREEDOM!

Personal freedom or liberty is at the heart of all that is LOVE.

Love doesn’t seek to control, nor does it want to be controlled.  Love is free!

The type of freedom that I am talking about here has nothing to do with politics or any government policy.  That type of freedom gives strength to the oppressor in the form of opposition.  “That which you resist, persists.”

Instead of “freedom from ____.”  I am talking about freedom to_____.

Freedom to become The Strongest Version Of Yourself!

In order to remain strong, The Dark Side (any person, institution or IDEA that hinders our ability to grow stronger) has to keep YOU weak.

You and I have been taught, from a very early age, that we are to SHUT UP and GET IN LINE.

Any behavior that may have been creative or individualistic was quickly squashed in order to train you in the way of “society”.  That is how this patriarchal system works,  you are always under the foot of someone higher up on the food chain that you.

And in your rejection of this attack on your uniqueness you either tuck your tail under, shut up and stand in line…. or you become a rebel.  And most rebels don’t make it in our system, they either go crazy or end up in jail.

But times are changing and rebels have now have a voice.  And because of the internet more and more people are being exposed to the lies and tyranny of our mental oppressors and are choosing to rebel.

The problem with most of their rebellion is that it is in reaction to the oppression.  When you first discover that you are being imprisoned, the immediate reaction is to try and fight the oppressor.  You’ll be fighting for “freedom from.”

Then one day you discover that you are fighting against yourself!

As an adult, well trained in the way of society, you are no longer able to act in the creative and individualistic way that you did as a very young child.  You have been conditioned so well that you are usually not even making your own decisions.  You are behaving and THINKING the way you have been taught to.

Your parents force fed you their neurosis, that they adopted from their parents, their religion, their teachers, their friends, their government and the television set.

To think that you actually have “free will” is an illusion!

Everything you say and think has the neurotic stamp of society on it.  In fact, even the way you LOOK has been deformed by society.  Your fate is sealed!

No matter how much you hate the ugliness you see around you, there is no escape.  Especially since the ugliness is in YOU!

That is why I am not interested in changing the world.

The world is just the way it should be.

It is an expression of the “collective unconscious”.  Basically, we’ve all collaborated to bring us into the age that we now occupy.  There are many things that are MAGICAL about this age, and there are things that need to be destroyed.

But each advance towards the light, and every step away from darkness, takes place not in society as a whole… but within each person, one-by-one.

That is why Becoming The Strongest Version Of Yourself is the most important and unselfish thing that you can do.

If you want to change the world, begin with yourself FIRST.

This is no easy task and we will never be perfect… but I have created a system that may keep the sunlight shining in the background as we move towards a time of darkness.

My system is not perfect.  But it is a simple system that we can all personally use to become stronger.

I call it STRENGTHOLOGY, and it all revolves around The 4 Layers Of Strength.

When you work on developing your Physical Strength, Physiological Strength, Psychosomatic Strength and Presentable Strength…. You will be happier, healthier and more able to share your love with others.  In this way you’ll invite them to become stronger and they will join our mission.

To help you achieve that I have created this blog for sharing ideas, I will be creating more books and videos for you AND I have created the STRENGTHOLOGY Certification Workshop for you to work face-to-face with me and the others who are committed to our vision of strength.

We have another workshop coming soon and I’d be honored to meet you there.

Here are the details: http://strengthology.net/strengthology-coach-level-1/

In the meantime I would like to leave you with some additional resources for you to begin your journey.  CLICK THIS LINK to see my recommended reading list… I will be updating it again soon, so get started as soon as possible.

Darkness is inevitable.  It’s the way of nature.  There could be no daytime if the contrast of night did not exist.

We can say that this is bad or good, but it really doesn’t matter.  The fact is, that it just IS.

Together we are NOT fighting against the darkness of our time, that would be madness!

Instead we are working towards becoming the strongest version of ourselves in order to keep the light shining in the background.

Each one of us are considered tiny little photons that group together and create magnificent radiance.

Together we grow stronger, and together we’ll pass on the light!

With Strength and Love,

Elliott Hulse

This post is the follow up to the first “Fly On The Wall” post featuring scenes from the March 2012 STRENGTHOLOGY Coach Certification.

To be honest, there are two reasons why I think these “fly on the wall” posts are so important.

1. Because I am SUPER proud of every single coach, trainer and “strength geek” who invests their time and resources into this workshop.  Words can not describe how grateful I am to be able to work with these extraordinary folks, and I look forward to offering updates on their success.

2. To motivate YOU!  If you happen to be sitting on the fence; still not sure if my STRENGTHOLOGY Coach Certification is right for you then I hope these stories will help you make a decision.

These folks are JUST LIKE YOU, and if they can do it — so can you!  (The next workshop is coming soon, you can join us here.)

Here is a picture of veteran strength coach Zach Marcy coaching Taylor (who you met last week) on how to properly foam roll his lower leg.  Through his assessment, Zach discovered that Taylor suffered from “flat feet” due to over pronation.

This type of Muscle Virus is often the root cause of medial rotation of the femur, which may lead to knee pain (or a ton of other orthopedic problems).

When designing the corrective stretching protocol for Taylor, Zach decided it would be very important for him to foam roll the muscles on the outside of his lower leg.

Zach has been a trainer for several years and is also the co-owner of a gym in Miami where he mostly trains athletes.  It was refreshing to have such an experienced and motivated coach as Zach with us during the workshop.

If I had to award “Top Student” it would be given to the man pictured above.  Like myself, Dave Hall is a voracious reader, writer, coach, therapist and has an insatiable appetite for knowledge!

In this picture you’ll notice Dave taking notes as one of the other student presents his program design case study at the front of the classroom.

A large part of the STRENGTHOLOGY Level 1 Workshop is the exchange of ideas between coaches.  Especially amongst those who have been training for a while.  Dave offered tons of insight during the workshop, and yet he takes notes when others are speaking (the hallmark of a successful man!)

Dave is totally committed to the first part of the STRENGTHOLOGY Mission, “to FIRST become the strongest version of ourselves.”  He is constantly working on himself so that he has more to offer to his clients, friends and family.

Check out Dave’s extensive (4 part) review of his experience at out workshop on his blog.

When I set the dates for the first workshop lots of my friends were baffled by the fact that I held it on St. Patrick’s Day.  They thought that attendance would be low due to the holiday.

Well, imagine leaving Ireland ON St. Patrick’s Day weekend to attend at workshop in St. Petersburg Florida! — That is exactly what Kevin Sheerin did.

Besides the fact that he left Ireland, on what is possibly their biggest holiday, Kevin is not even a coach (yet).  His main reasons for coming to the workshop are to work on himself first, and then help some of his friends who want to become the strongest version of themselves.

If I had to award “Most Interesting Student”… Kevin would be it.  He not only has a strong interest in becoming physically stronger… he seems to have firm understanding of topics as various as human nature and politics.

In this picture you see Kevin doing a “Thomas Test” assessment on Dave Hall.  This test is designed to discover tightness on the hip flexors and quads… it can also double as a stretch for each of those muscles as well (its a VERY painful stretch, if you’re found to be tight there).

Finally, there is the student that you see above (me).  He’s listening intently to the suggested training protocols designed by Chis Barnard (the taller dude)… who also happens to be the head coach at the gym!

I am the first to admit that I don’t know everything; and I make a concerted effort to consider the ideas of ANYONE who wants to offer their insight.

That is how I created the STRENGTHOLOGY Certification, and it is how I intend to carry forth our mission.

Nothing that I will teach you is brand new. Although much of it is based on my personal experiences and education.

Most of what you will learn from me, I learned from someone else.

And when you and I meet each other, the amount of impact we share is mutual.

I seek to learn from you, just as you learn from me.

Together we become STRONGER.

And as students on the same mission, we’ll work on the mutual goal of helping others become the strongest version of themselves!

Looking forward to meeting you at our next workshop!

 With Strength & Love,

Elliott Hulse

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to be a “fly on the wall” at my gym, Strength Camp, then you might enjoy this post.

Of course, every single day is different… but what you’ll find below are snapshots and descriptions from one of the most action packed days at the gym.  The STRENGTHOLOGY Level 1 Certification workshop.

First of all, you’ll notice that in the majority of these pictures that we are half naked.  If you get excited at the sight of our manly bare chests… great! But we didn’t strip for your entertainment.

The reason why we all have our shirts off (and ladies would wear a sports bra) is because it’s critical to SEE your clients body while making an assessment of the type of unique Muscle Viruses they may have.

In this image you’ll notice me offering some insights about how to complete the Muscle Virus assessment sheet to our youngest STRENGTHOLOGY Coach, 19 year old Taylor Locke from Maine.  Taylor was an incredible guest and he is on his way to becoming one of the best fitness coaches in his community.

Taylor is a young dude who “gets it”. Unlike many of his peers, Taylor understands the type of focus and commitment required to become a successful coach.

Two things that Taylor shared with me that impressed me most are…

First, Taylor first discovered me and my training methods by using my Lean Hybrid Muscle Reloaded system to lose over 100 pounds in less than a year! (that is a lifetime achievement in itself).

Secondly, Taylor worked full time at McDonald’s in order to save up enough money to register and travel down to Florida in order to take The STRENGTHOLOGY Certification!  And he tells me that it was MORE than worth the sacrifice, in fact he is ready to come back down to work with me again!

In this image you’ll notice Chris Barnard behind the plum line as I share some insights about Chris’s Muscle Viruses.

Chris and I have a long history together.  First, Chris is an ex-client of mine.  About three years ago he came to Strength Camp in order to gain mass, strength and speed to play college football.  Chris was by far one of the most dedicated and talented athletes I’ve ever worked with (you might search some of my old YouTube videos to see him working out with me back then).

Once Chris graduated college, where he studied Exercise Science, he came to work at Strength Camp where now HE trains the majority of aspiring, young football players who train here.

As a multi-talented phenomenon, Chris is head coach at Strength Camp, my personal assistant (if you ever e mail me, it’s usually Chris who writes you back)… and is officially a STRENGTHOLOGY Certified Level 1 Coach who uses all of the assessments we learned in order to support other young athletes looking to make it big!

If you’ve been reading my e mails or following my videos for some time you’re well aware of my tendency towards tangential rants.  I tend to steer off course with my conversation as I get hooked on one particular statement or idea.  In person, I am no different. 

As we were on the topic of Muscle Viruses, the idea of “psychosomatic strength” came up.  The idea that each person physically carries their psychological character structure in their bodies, in the form of muscular tension, was first introduced to me though the work of Wilhelm Reich.

In this picture you’ll see me holding a book from my resource library that offers pictures and descriptions of what each of the most common “character structures” look like.

Directly across from me is new Level 1 Coach, Alex Villegas.  Alex possesses a very expansive and creative imagination that allows him to be open to new ideas and methods for helping his clients (he and I are very much alike in that way).  Not all students are as interested in learning about the deeper physiological and psychological roots of weakness and dysfunction as Alex is (and that’s okay).

I am excited to have Alex as a part of The STRENGTHOLOGY Movement and look forward to sharing working with him through the deeper layers of STRENGTHOLOGY.

At the end of Day 2 we had each learned about what Muscle Viruses plaque each participant and used that information to design corrective stretching and exercise plans for each person.

This part of the workshop is where we get to see the new information be put to practical use.  It begins with the stretching session but usually ends with everyone flipping tires, loading stones or pressing kegs!

In this picture you’ll notice my long time friend and new Level 1 Coach, Steve Ashton.  Steve and I met at the same Strongman Training workshop held by one of my mentors Tom Mitchell about 4 years ago.  At the time Steve had just opened his CrossFit Gym and I opened Strength Camp.  Both of our businesses have grow since then and I am proud to have him join us in the STRENGTHOLOGY Movement.

Steve’s extensive background and history in the fitness industry has graced him with a myriad of methods to use at his disposal.  Here he teaches Alex how to increase thoracic extension with the use of a few Yoga postures he uses with his clients.

STRENGTHOLOGY is less about what Elliott Hulse thinks is right and good, and more about bringing together ideas to support each other, and our clients, to become The Strongest Version Of Ourselves.

I am the first to admit where my vision was shortsighted or where I acted out of ignorance… I am far from perfect, but have no problem sharing what I think is helpful.  That is why I am committed to offering these workshops on multiple levels and empowering graduates to offer their insights as to how we can make the movement stronger.

In the near future STRENGTHOLOGY Coaches will be teaching these workshops to other aspiring professionals, as well as offering axillary workshops that provide more unique insights and methods for becoming “Stronger”.

If you’re committed to becoming The Strongest Version Of Yourself, you are already a part of the movement.

And if you’re ready to accelerate your results and support others to join the same journey… then I invite you to join us for the next workshop in June.

Here are the details:
http://strengthology.net/strengthology-coach-level-1/

I have a few more pictures to share with you… see ya tomorrow

With Love & Strength,

Elliott

First, I want to share my gratitude to all of our newly certified STRENGTHOLOGY Level 1 coaches

(I’ll be opening enrollment for the new class soon.)

As much as I enjoyed every moment we spent together, my favorite moment was when I helped our youngest student, 19 year old Taylor Locke, instantly KILL A MUSCLE VIRUS that had been plaguing him.

Apparently Taylor had been avoiding the barbell back squat for several months due to a tight and painful right shoulder.

During one of our application sessions I asked Taylor to get under the bar as if he were going to squat.  He then revealed that he “couldn’t do it”… THAT is when I decided to show him some Muscle Virus Magic.

First, it was clear that Taylor’s right upper trap, leveator scapula and medial rotators of his upper arm were SUPER tight…. just by looking at him.

But since we had performed several muscular-skeletal assessments prior to this session, we knew EXACTLY what was wrong with Taylor’s shoulder.

As I always suggest using “corrective stretches” BEFORE training (as opposed to so many other “gurus”) I sat Taylor down on a bench and showed him how to stretch ONLY the muscles the right side of his neck and shoulder.

The entire corrective stretching protocol took us about 5 minutes.

Then I asked Taylor to approach the bar, as he did before, to try a back squat.

Not only did he have the ability to get under the bar, which he could not do just 5 minutes earlier, he presented a glowing smile and remarked that “my shoulder feels like it’s brand new!“

In the course of 5 minutes we took a kid who may have avoided one of the most important strength and muscle building exercises for the rest of his career… and gave him the power to begin using it again!

Like magic?

Hardly!

There is nothing magical about developing The First Layer Of Strength (physical strength).

But it DOES require that we pay close attention to the following, often overlooked, things:

1. How The Nervous System “Communicates” With The Muscular System (more on this later)

2. Muscular-Skeletal Balance and Joint Articulation

3. Development of Movement Strength (as opposed to isolated muscular strength)

4. Functional Strength and Power Production

Becoming the strongest version of ourselves is LESS about how big our chest muscles are and more about how well we carry ourselves.

ONLY a strong, vibrant and vital body is capable expressing the radiance that lies within all of us!

Think of your body as a vessel that carries the most precious cargo on Earth.

With Strength & Love,

Elliott

PS – I’ll post videos and pictures from our STRENGTHOLOGY weekend later this week.  I’m waiting on the photographer to get back to me.

Talk to you then!

A few months ago I created a YouTube video and blog post I called The 4 Layers Of Strength.

The purpose of this video was to share my idea that “STRENGTH” goes far deeper than how much weight you can lift, or how big your biceps are.

You can read a full description of the significance of all 4 Layers, as well as my vision for STRENGTHOLOGY on the about page of this blog.

The last of the 4 Layers I call, “Presentable Strength”.

The idea behind Presentable Strength is that each of us has a unique talent, gift or faculty that in some way, large or small, can support others in becoming the strongest version of themselves.

It is not only our right as creative human beings to be able to earn a fair living through the “presentation” of our gifts… it is our RESPONSIBILITY.

It is up to us to discover, magnify, develop and offer our gifts to people who are looking for them AND employ methods to feed ourselves and keep a roof over our heads.

If the world is willing to pay you millions for your gift, great!

If the world is only willing to pay you enough to live comfortably, this is great also.

Our purpose is NOT the chasing of dollars for mere accumulation, or so called “security”. 

Our purpose in building Presentable Strength is to earn the FREEDOM to continue developing our gifts and discover more ways to share it.

Discovering your gifts is a life long process, as you mature so do your gifts.  Also, as you gain wisdom you’ll uncover personal layers that will reveal gifts that you didn’t even know you had!

Together we learn how to “present” our “presents”

Here is an interview I did last week for a blog dedicated to building businesses around your gifts and talents called The Rise To The Top.

I dropped lots of interesting little nuggets that may be of support to you! Enjoy!

With Love and Strength,
Elliott Hulse

PS – Our small community of men and women dedicated to becoming stronger and sharing our strength is growing.

We already have over 2,000 members reading this blog!

To say I am shocked and excited is an understatement.

Continue on the journey, and spread the word by sharing this blog post

Thanks!

In college I became good friends with another football player
from Long Island named Richie.

Richie’s parents were from Trinidad, a small “Wess Indy-ahn”
island country in the Caribbean.

Since he and I were both raised in neo-traditional, West Indian
families, we had a lot of jokes and experiences in common.

Richie and I would often laugh about how our parents would
host huge parties where they blasted Soca or Reggae music.

At these parties, that would sometimes go on for 2-3 days, all
of the adults would spend hours dancing, laughing and
sometimes crying.

The children would run wild in the neighborhood playing games
or holding our own little “mock adult parties” where we would
sometimes do the things we saw them doing.

There was always lots of excitement! The atmosphere was
filled with happy sounds, delicious scents and vibrant
sexuality.

I was very young but I remember my mother and her sisters
dancing with each other in a very provocative manner. There
was no shame in their celebration of sexuality.

After the song they would all let out a vibrant belly laugh that
caused their entire bodies to pulsate and explode, often bringing
tears to their eyes.

Then they would sigh out loud, then go back to cooking food
and drinking punch.

Today I am probably about the same age that my parents were
when they used to host these “orgastic” parties.

But our parties are very, very different.

Mostly, our parties look like a cadre of half-interested, slightly
awkward, tightly-wound bodies holding cups of beer while trying
to engage in superficial conversation.

Occasionally a few of the women will form a circle and attempt
to dance by swinging their stiff hips from side to side.

If the excitement builds and the men decide to join, they’ll
contribute a series of awkward hip thrusts towards their woman’s
rear end that looks as if they are stabbing their woman in the ass with
their dick.

This scene is very different from the vibrant energy and fluid
pulsation I observed oozing from the bodies of my parents,
aunts and uncles, at their sweaty, orgasmic celebrations.

What is the difference between two cultures, that allows one group
to express such fluid and beautiful elation though the vibration of
their bodies… and another, to become so tightly wound that to
dance requires the same effort as fixing a flat tire?

One culture, the one I live in, is focused on building intelligence in
the head.

While the other trusts and ALLOWS the intelligence of the body to
carry them.

In the United States and most “civilized” cultures there is a split
between the brain in the head and the brain in the body.

We have become so detached from our bodies that many scoff at the
idea that there is even a “brain” in it.

Most people point to their head when asked where their brain is, but
never consider that over 90% of the activities that they are currently
engaged, is being carried through by their subconscious mind.

The subconscious is the master of our Autonomic Nervous System.

This is the branch of the Peripheral Nervous System that is responsible
for doing all of the things that we don’t think about.

Things like the beating of your heart, the moving of feces though
your colon, and your sympathetic response to stress is governed by the
ANS.

According to many experts, as well a ancient martial arts tradition, the
seat of the subconscious mind lies within the body itself (which is evident
by it’s control of the body via the ANS).

Just like we point to the brain to symbolize “brain thinking”, pointing to
the heart or belly would symbolize “body thinking”.

In a way we all know this is true… if you ask someone to point to where
their “self” is, they will most likely point to their chest or belly.

When you were a child you allowed full control of your body to the
ANS. When you took your first “suckle” of milk from your mothers
breast, it was the intelligence of your subconscious via the ANS that
“told you” how to suckle.

When you had to poop, the sphincters of your anus would simply
open and poop came out.

Then as you grew older, and with the help of your parents, you began
to develop your ego, which is governed by the “conscious mind”.

This was good because it gave you the ability to delay feeding until
a more appropriate time (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and control the
muscles of your anus to poop when and where it was appropriate.

But it didn’t stop there! The chasm between the intelligence of your
body and the ego control of the head-brain continued to grow… until
they began to seem like two separate entities.

(I’ve got some theories about WHY we’ve been conditioned in this way, but
I’ll leave that rant for another day!)

Now many of us have become so far removed from the brilliance of
our bodies that we can’t even dance!

What should be a normal bodily expression of grace and sexuality, governed
by the ever-amazing subconscious mind, requires a considerable conscious
effort from the head-brain.

Our bodies have become so rigid with ego control and constraints
that e-motions such as sadness and joy, which would would normally
evoke sobbing or laughter, aren’t even available to us.

What a sad state of affairs when mankind has been so conditioned that
we literally and figuratively enjoy only a shallow dose of  laughter, dance
or joy in our lives!

The answer is to LET GO.

Learning how to break the physical shackles of chronic muscular
tension, from our assholes to our eyebrows, will allow the room needed
in our vessel for the expression of the vitality trapped inside all of us.

Here is your challenge for the next few days….

Dance.

I don’t mean go get drunk and engage in that dick stabbing move or
the awkward butt shaking I mentioned before.

I mean turn on some soca or reggae music (or whatever)… then sway,
twist, wave and feel your body.

Shake out all of the tension trapped in your ass, your belly, your shoulders,
your neck, your legs, your arms and your face… let is all go loose!

Rub your hands all over your body like you’re making love to yourself; massage
your face, your belly and even your sex organs if the desire arises.

At first this may feel weird, but what is weird about bringing awareness
and love to the parts of you that beat, digest, pulsate and vibrate to
keep you alive and sensitive… without your thinking about it?!?!

Let go.

And dance.

** If you’re feeling brave, record yourself dancing and if you want to share it
with us, post the video below (no pressure).

Also, you might write about it in a journal and if you want to share that with us
also, post it below (no pressure) **

With Love and Strength,
Elliott Hulse

You might be interested in why someone would include the idea of
God (or god, if you prefer) on a website dedicated to personal development.

The fact is that you, me and about 99% of the worlds living population have
been greatly affected by the idea of a god.

In fact, our physical bodies have literally been shaped by the IDEA of a god,
(more about that in a minute) weather you like the idea of god or not.

Since the dawn of man we have been involved in the pursuit of knowing the
“unknowable”.

Whether we honored the elements of the Earth, the stars in the skies, the
voices in our heads, or treated other men as divine… it has always been
the same.

Human beings are always far more interested in what we don’t
know, than what we DO know.

It is this great curiosity that leads us to question, investigate and dissect
the world around and with in us.

These questions have led us through great doors of discovery and have
also led us to the conclusion, today, that there are far, far, FAR more doors
to be opened than we may ever get time to try!

Before men found the keys to open the “solar door”, we concluded that the
Sun was a god of sorts.

Since we didn’t understand it, we created and choose to accept a
STORY about it.

Before men unlocked the doors of nature, questions about how the weather
works…

Why do we get thunderstorms?

Why does earthquakes and blizzards happen?

We created and choose to accept the story that each of these “disasters” was
an individual angry god taking its frustration out on mankind (or any one of
thousands of wild imaginings).

The fact is that we will NEVER know everything… and for each of those
things that we don’t know there will continue to be a story about a god or some
“scientific theory” for us to lean on in comfort until we actually figure it out.

To be frank, I actually like the IDEA of a God.

For me it is comforting to entertain the idea that I am not alone.  It makes me
feel good to use the IDEA of a fully supporting, unconditionally loving God that
wants me to grow stronger through the challenges that he gives me in life.

This story has been resourceful for me.

I have used it as a tool to get me though tough times, especially when I felt
alone on my journey.

Like any tool it can be used to construct something new, fix something broken,
or simply put away in toolbox never to be used.

You might call me weak or foolish for using this idea as a crutch… and that is
fair.

You might also call me a heretic for not using the name YOU use to describe
this idea.  You might like the name Jesus, or the name Allah… and you might
be upset with me because I didn’t use that name.

But personally I am not attached to names.

If you’d like to call “it” God, Jesus, Tao, Universe, Buddha, White Buffalo or
Butt Head, it really doesn’t matter to me.

In New York they call long sandwiches “heros”, in Boston they call them
“grinders”… either way, its a long loaf or bread with meat and cheese in
between.

God is an idea… take it, or leave it. 

And ideas are tools.

We can use this tool to help us or to hurt us.

We can also use them to manipulate, punish and control others.

A few years ago I met a man named Dan.

Dan was a 35 year old devout Christian.  As a Christian he made a
vow of abstinence.

Dan was 35 and never had sex with a woman.

Dan could not keep a girlfriend, much less consider having sex or getting
married… so naturally Dan was depressed.

The reason why he came to see me was because he had HORRIBLE low back
pain.

Dan wanted me to show him some exercises and stretches that would keep
him from having to undergo yet another back surgery.

When I discovered that Dan was sexually repressed by the IDEAS imposed on
him by his religion… mainly that sex was in some way an evil thing, I knew
exactly why his low back hurt so much.

He has chronically tense muscles in his low back and hips from “holding
back” his sexual instincts.

In fact, if you looked at Dan’s hips, they seem as if they are literally “held
back”.  His hips are in a severe anterior tilt and his adductors are extremely
tight… as if he was pinching his thighs together.

I ask you… is Dan’s idea about God healthy?

Is Dan using the “tool” in a manner that is resourceful for him? — or is it
making his life miserable? — giving him severe back pain and depression?

I am not against God, and I am not against religion… I am against BAD
IDEAS!

Ideas literally shape our character and our bodies.

When an idea becomes pathological it can destroy the spirit, dull the mind
and cripple the body.

If you like the idea of God and it is resourceful for you… then I invite you to
continue to use it.

But please be mindful.

If you don’t like the idea of God, that is great also… but I invite you to remain
sensitive and open.

If there ever comes a time when the idea of a god would be useful, then maybe
try it out.

If you like it, keep it.

If you don’t like it, then put it back in the toolbox.

With Love and Strength,
Elliott Hulse

As promised “the gloves are coming off” and I’m coming out swinging!

Lets go.

From time to time I will be DROPPING THE AXE with some of the ideas I offer.

My objective is not to alienate, ostracize, demonize or proselytize.

It’s simply to share an idea on a topic that is often divisive.

In this way, the idea I share may “bring the axe” to separate those who are truly offended, from those who are intrigued, from those who are fully enrolled in the entertainment of the idea.

To those who are offended: I invite you to explore your feelings.  Notice what happens in your body when you read or hear things that stir emotion.

For example, I’ve noticed that in the instant that I am being verbally attacked (either written or spoken) my body’s initial reaction is to tighten or pull up my anus while causing my breath to become shallow.

In this way you may become more aware of your subconscious conditioning.

Our very initial reaction to ideas, words or events that press against our conditioning often cause our bodies to “replay” the trauma that embedded the conditioning.  The dissonance between our conditioning and the imposing idea will first cause physical discomfort.

For me, I experience the physical manifestation of FEAR as a response to the dissonance.  In fear we tend to stop breathing.  It has been suggested that as primal man we needed to hold our breath as to not be heard when a predator was near.  I’m really not sure if that is true… but it’s an interesting idea.

Also the tightening of my anus may represent one of two things… First, it may be the human expression of the animal-like reaction to “tuck the tail between the legs” in fear.

It may also be, as Sigmund Freud suggested, the remnant of suppressed memories from one of the first, most traumatic, experiences in a child’s life — potty training!  According to Freud there is much sensitivity and emotional dysfunction surrounding the muscular control of the anus in “civilized” cultures.

The point is to remain detached.  Feel your feelings – then watch what happens! 

The worst thing to do is react.

In reaction we bypass rational, objective thinking and attack straight from our most base emotions… like fear, anger, jealousy, etc.

But, if the pain becomes to much to handle… I won’t be offended if you choose to leave.

To those who are intrigued: I invite you to look away, then look again.

In my experience the greatest awareness and most precious forms of creativity come from the blending of seemingly opposite ideas.

I once read that genius is the ability to see how everything, no matter how contradictory, is connected.

When you can see how hate is inextricably linked to love.

When you can see how good can not exist without evil.

When you can see how science and spirituality are both saying the same thing, with different languages.

When you sense the winter season in your life, yet understand that it too will pass and spring with burst forth in all of its glory and pleasure, just as it does in nature…

YOU ARE A GENIUS.

But the only way to earn this type of sensitivity is to openly explore opposing ideas.

If what I say here speaks to you, then accept the good feelings and move away.

Move to another place where the words I speak are challenged.

Then come back and re-read my words from a newer, more experienced perspective.

To those who are fully enrolled: Do not believe anything I say.

I invite  you to become sensitive, a thinker.

Someone who believes has no reason to experience.

What they believe is not their own.  It belongs to the person, religion, political party, cult, family that gave it him.

I invite you to EXPERIENCE.

All real knowledge comes from experience.

To know is to experience.

To believe is to have faith.

There is no need to have faith in any of my ideas, even if you like them.

What is needed is experience.

If you meet an idea that speaks to your heart… try it.

Wrestle with it.

Question it.

Make love to it.

Eat it.

Digest it.

Let it pass though the digestive tract of your mind, extracting all of what is good for YOU, RIGHT NOW.

Let it become a part of who you are; your DNA.

In this way you will have experienced these ideas instead of merely believing in them.

And in your experience you might find that I am full of shit.  You may discover that what I am saying is nonsense.

But it will be YOUR choice.

You will be acting from a place of freedom and responsibility.

Only through freedom and personal responsibility can we become our strongest selves.

With Strength & Love,

Elliott

This is really something that I should have done a LONG time ago.

But finally it’s here… a brand new format to share advanced ideas about becoming “stronger” with a community that appreciates creativity and self expression.

My main objective with the creation of this platform is to get closer to the people who deeply enjoy discovering, learning and sharing deeper concepts, philosophies and methods for personal development.  I want to know WHO you are and what draws you to these ideas.

This blog is about YOU and your personal journey in strength.  As such, there will be plenty of opportunity for you to share and participate.  I will either create a forum or add plugins that allow users to personally embed videos or post articles on this site.

The primordial spirit of this blog is to “become the strongest version of ourselves” and support one another on our journeys.

The main categories for discussion are the cultivation of Physical Strength, Physiological Strength, Psychological Strength and Presentable Strength (meaning how we “present” the gift of ourselves to the world).

If you’re familiar with my HulseStrength.com blog and Yo Elliott YouTube Channel please be assured that I will continue to serve my readers and viewers with the best strength training information I can deliver via those formats.

This new platform is an expansion of some of the more creative (out of the box) ideas I’ve briefly shared in the past.  Here I will “take off the gloves” and offer a 100% genuine expression of The “Sorta-Weird” Elliott that you’ve experienced glimpses of in the past. — I will hold nothing back, and I invite the same type of participation from you

One more thing… here is a link to an additional YouTube Channel that I’ll soon be uploading several of my more out-of-the-box ideas in video format.  http://www.youtube.com/elliotthulse  (videos coming soon)

With Increasing Love And Strength,

Elliott Hulse