Day 272

Thoughts: Who are you in the face of no agreement?

What if you were told it’s too late, you are too old, too sick to do something that you loved? Would you stop or would you keep on keeping on despite of what others say, do, and what ‘happens’ to you along the path of your dream?

Unstoppable is Bob Balletta. Bob had a heart attack at 43 which restricted him from lifting weights for 4 years, until 47 and then he entered into the world of body building competition.

Bob was 50 years old when he first won his Masters I.P.A World Record!

Today I had the opportunity to train with Bob, otherwise known as 'Grumpy' quite contradictory to his nature! Bob says 'even a broken clock strikes right twice a day - there is no 'bad'" - and is also the foundation in which he has built his life.

Bob says of his experience, “I finally found a doctor who would permit me to lift and I decided at that time not only to return to lifting but to try competing in power lifting. To my knowledge I am the only person in the history of the sport that competed with my type of medical history.”

Bob went on to earn the title of ‘Masters Three World Record Bench Press’. This record was held in the International Powerlift Association. Bob competed in the 220 lb. weight class and broke the record initially three times in the first meet that he competed in. The original record was 365 lb. “My opening lift shattered the record by 20 lbs. I opened with 385lb, went to 400 lbs. and finished with 405lb. I set the record in Pennsylvania, and six month later I broke my own record in Iron Island Gym in Oceanside, Long Island. I set that record at 420 lbs.”

Giving up was not an option. “Later on at the age of fifty eight, I bettered my record with a lift of 425 lbs.”

Life happens and we all have ‘stuff’ that gets in the way of our dreams, and it is how we 'be' in the face of that, that determines who we are. “I had to overcome previously stated medical difficulties. I think that my attitude towards opposition is very positive. I like taking on challenges and try to accomplish things that initially seem out of reach.”

DREAMS and being unstoppable...

Bob was told that he would never be able to lift heavy and that he says “Was my incentive to not only disprove that but to set my sights on a world record. I feel that I was very fortunate and God gave me a little bit of a genetic gift to be able to accomplish what I did.”

Bob believes that perseverance is essential to accomplishing anything. “You must have confidence in the fact that you can achieve your goals and will never give up on anything you believe in. In my thinking there is no such thing as bad, it is simply the way you accept things. The difference between success and failure is simply the amount of attempts that you make.”

Bob explained that when you take on a challenge such as this one, it takes an enormous amount of dedication. “The training regimen was over the top. I once again was fortunate in my training because my trainer (and also my son in law) was owner of sixteen world records. He was the strongest man in the world at the time pound for pound. He trained my very hard and was extremely supportive of my efforts. We made an excellent team with me setting goals for myself and he trained me to reach them.

Anything is possible, if you believe it. “What it meant to me to accomplish this was proof positive that anything can be accomplished if you direct both the powers of your body and mind towards your goal. I never had a negative thought while training and I never had a failure. If I was unable to progress at any given time it was never a failure but simply a goal for my next training session. I feel very fulfilled with my accomplishment and I revel in the credibility that is attached to it. This has enabled me to train many people and bring them to their goals. I find great solace in the fact that people respect me and my accomplishment both.

Bob now trains people at Big Al’s Family Fitness!

“It is a rush to feel that people have confidence in the training that I give them and belief that under my supervision anything and everything is possible for them.”

Be UNSTOPPABLE.
Do the action.
Have anything and everything.

Bob and Dianne Balletta

Challenges: We can even say there is no good. “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” - William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”

Triumphs: All human suffering is an experience based on value judgments of what is good and bad. Reminding my self of this immediately sets me free of the suffering I create.

What I Ate Today:

Food fest 1: A pineapple and ginger juice! The perfect zang to start my morning ;)

Food fest 2: A organic nectarine! My favourite fruit :)

Food fest 3: Raw Brazil Nut Truffles! Yum! A great energy food for before and after a workout - or just anytime ;)



Food fest 4: Some organic cherries.

Food fest 5: Thai Green Curry with Basil & Almond mmm!



Recipe: The recipe for Raw Brazil Nut Truffles and Thai Green Curry with Basil & Almond available on The Earth Diet website www.TheEarthDiet.org (juice recipes coming soon!)

Exercise: My training session with Bob Balletta - a World Record Holder at Big Al's Family Fitness.

93 days to go!!!