One of the things I’ve noticed about people in general is that they’re too darned hard on themselves. I see so many good people who don’t even know how good they are. They carry bags of guilt with them, filled to the brim, day in and day out, expending precious energy. Their internal dialog is critical far to often. I said if you talked to your friends the way you talk to yourself you probably wouldn’t have any friends!

Negative thoughts and feelings are ‘baggage’ and like pounds of unhealthy bodyfat, it can weigh you down. We need let go of the baggage in order to move upwards and onwards. The process of breaking free involves forgiving. Forgiving others, and most importantly, forgiving yourself.

Perhaps you haven’t cared for your body the way you feel you could have or should have. Perhaps you’ve broken self-promises. Perhaps you’ve let yourself down. If so, you’re not alone. Virtually everyone has felt like that at some point. But you don’t have to let that stop you. The past does not equal the future if you don’t want it to. The key is to forgive and let go of what might be holding you back. Resolve to learn from the past and vow to do better… start by taking good care of your health right now and on into the future. Drop that baggage and move forward! ~Bill Phillips

I cannot emphasize enough that my programs and fitness challenges are not simply about weight loss. Unlike virtually all the popular diet programs that basically measure your success by how much less space you take up on the planet, my programs are different: It’s about gaining energy, increasing strength, renewing health, and decreasing bodyfat. So please, don’t make the mistake of measuring your success each day, each week, or each month, by the amount of weight a scale says you have lost. Measure your success by what you gain, not by what you lose. Gaining strength. Gaining muscle. Gaining energy. Gaining self-respect. Gaining self-awareness. Gaining self-trust. Gaining self-esteem. Gaining back control of your life! This is what Body for life, Transformation, and Back to Fit are all about! ~Bill Phillips

This past weekend, our company, MusclePharm, held a special 3-Day Camp for 160 youth football players. MusclePharm CEO Brad Pyatt, who played high school football here in Colorado and went on to play in the NFL, brought in some of the best current and former football coaches and players to help mentor the kids.

Super Bowl Champion David Diaz Infante, who blocked for John Elway at the Denver Broncos; Zerick Rollins who helped coach the Seattle Seahawks for nine seasons; and Tony Graziani, who played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, were all there at the MusclePharm Camp to share their knowledge and their experience with the kids as well as to give their support and motivation. I got to talk about the importance of nutrition, proper exercise, and vitamins with the coaches and players which is a topic I am so fired-up about I could have gone on for days! =)

Brad Pyatt called this event the “3D Football Camp” — the 3 D’s refer to what he believes are the absolute essential keys to be successful in any area of life: Desire, Discipline, Dedication.

Recent Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel, also stopped by and spent some real quality time with the kids, talking to them openly and honestly about how much work it took for him to succeed as a college quarterback. Experts said he didn’t have the right skillset and that he was too small to make it. Many of the kids could relate to what Manziel was sharing with them and they really perked up and got fired up when he told them that if he could do it, so could they! It was very inspirational and motivating!

Manziel then talked to us about the adversity he has faced as he tries to make it in the NFL. He spoke about what he is learning from some of the mistakes he’s made and how his setbacks will not be the end but rather the beginning of new motivation and determination. These are important life-lessons of course and that’s one of the things I love about sports and teamwork — it creates an opportunity to learn and grow in all aspects of life.

As youth football camps go, this MusclePharm 3-day event was first class all the way but, unlike other such camps around the country which are only available to kids whose parents are affluent enough to afford the enrollment fees, this one was completely free for the families. MusclePharm very generously covered all the expenses which allowed many aspiring young athletes to participate who normally might have had to miss out on such an elite event. This is one of the reasons why my wife Maria and I are proud to lend our experience, energy, and support to the MusclePharm mission — we’re not a company that is just about selling supplements — the mission is to inspire and lead people of all ages toward a healthy and strong way of life.

Co-founders Brad Pyatt and Cory Gregory (who were both at the Camp to help coach the kids) are committed to giving back and making a difference. And I guarantee you, right now, there are 160 kids who got to attend this event for free, who are on their way to becoming better athletes and better young men because of what they learned at MusclePharm’s 3D Football Camp this past weekend. As I see it, that’s what it’s all about.