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When I first started doing pull-ups, I could barely get ONE.

And I didn’t start when I was obese. I started wayyyy back in the day at the age of 14 or so (or perhaps earlier) when a doorway chinning bar (a “Bullworker” if I recall correctly) was installed in my doorway.

Of course, there was no push to exercise when we were young. At least not in my house.

So while I did once see my dad hang from the chinning bar for a grand second or two before flopping down with a “oooooh!” that was the extent of it.

I still remember asking for football shoes to wear (Soccer!) when I wanted to play soccer at the age of (9, I believe) and being made to feel guilty for that.

“He can’t play soccer!” (So said my dear Mother . . . with NO attempt being made to actually TEACH me how to play soccer as opposed to the other kids).

Same thing for when I saw other guys working out with bullworkers (for the chest) – and as a kid, of course the one thing I wanted to do was to build a massive rippling chest, and so I asked for the Bullworker.

Sneer! There’s no point giving you that! You’ll never do it!

Anyway, I could recant plenty more such instances including the infamous “he thinks he’s so strong” comment that stuck in my craw for years, and will probably never go away.

But it’s funny. Looking at me now, doing pull-ups, pushups and more at the age of almost 40 in a manner people HALF MY AGE couldn’t even begin to dream of doing . ..

Ah well. Point made. Mini rant over!

But that wasn’t the point IW as trying to make.

Point was that with my shitty genetics, zero encouragement in terms of physical training (the opposite, actually) and flagging confidence as a young kid (except, and this is strange given the uber macho environment I grew up in the exact OPPOSITE in terms of confidence with girls! ?) it didn’t come easy.

Charles the China tom tommer, for one, thinks that “I have great genetics and could always do pull-ups”.

He doesn’t look at the years of effort that went into this though . . .

He doesn’t look at the years of effort it went into sculpting muscle memory that will revive QUICK even if I don’t do pull-ups for years . . .

And he certainly doesn’t look at the effort it take to write books, take pictures etc. And more.

And of course, according to him “my fitness information is useless”.

And according to him (in his own words) when I make sales to the tune of 500 GBP and more in a single DAY no less (I know, that doesn’t sound like a lot, but remember, this was back when I first started 0 Excuses Fitness – brand new site and all) – “WOW! That’s a good steal!”

The effort that went into all that behind the scenes?

Nah. Let’s not take a look at that.

I still remember him telling me when I first started my tea biz years ago.

“That’s just 75 kgs you’re shipping”, he said. “That ain’t shit! That doesn’t qualify you to make any sort of assumptions about the industry in China!”

Hmm.

Fair enough, perhaps from a certain standpoint (I disagree, but lets let that point stand).

But compare that to Charles who never did much at all to improve his own life other than singing ABC in front of a bunch of gaggling schoolkids (and believe me, ESL in China is so far apart from the REAL DEAL that it ain’t even funny) despite having the skills to do so.

OK, perhaps not writing. Perhaps not fitness. But he has other skills that he’s just too lazy to buckle down to brass tacks and do.

Instead preferring to try and bring down those that actually DO.

His response to that was something that shocked me though. Even from a guy like him, I didnt expect a comment along the lines of “I was zero before, I’m zero now, so I didnt lose much”.

Thats what he said!

If there was EVER a comment that classified one as a complete . . . ah, but I digress. But you get the point, I’m sure!

I mean really, Charles.

You said there were no prizes for being right. I’d counter by saying there aren’t any or many for being wrong and I’d rather be on the RIGHT SIDE of things when the smoke and dust has settled.

And I’d rather be the guy that tries, fails, is OPEN about his failures and the mishaps etc that occur along the way as opposed to someone that is content with the status quo.

Has nothing to do with “whether you have the right to do it”. Of course you do! We all have the right to live our lives the way I want, but hey, that is how I personally choose to live MINE.

I’d rather support and help – not bring down! But then again, you ain’t alone in that regard, so take heart. 😉

Brings to mind a comment a friend of mine (and he didn’t mean this in a bad way, actually) made about my fitness biz not succeeding “before 10 years”.

Hmmm ….

I don’t think so my friend.

But therein lies the nub of why I keep saying its best to keep your plans PRIVATE. Never tell anyone, especially NOT Friends and family, as believe it or not, the “crabs in the bucket” mentality comes out in a most searing manner from the very people you’d expect it NOT to despite them (sometimes) not wanting to.

And remember this, my friend.

Nothing comes easy in life.

As the saying goes, “nothing worth having is EASY”.

And when I say “not easy”, I mean often times YEARS OF STRUGGLE are required to get to the point you want. YEARS of innumerous hardships, many experiences that would probably “kill” the average person, and then some.

As Napoleon Hlll said in Think and Grow Rich, there seems to be a “hidden guardian” that very zealously gurards the doors of true success.

Sometimes, it seems that men have to go through all sorts of heartbreaking disappointments, failures, and repeated “success failures” to get to where they truly want to be!

And he was dead on right.

Sometimes, that guardian will throw you a few “chunks” of success.

You may think you’ve “conquered the toughest obstacle” and are finally past it.

But remember one thing my friend.

As Claude Bristol rightly said, success is a matter of never ending application. Pause and rest on your laurels, and there it goes, flying away . ..

I am paraphrasing here, but the point stands.

And to me, I’d rather talk to the guy that has gone through the numerous disappointments or IS going through them now. And is FACING them like a man should. (or a real woman for that matter).

I’d rather talk to and help the guy that understands that these are but temporary obstacles on the path to success at whatever he wants.

I’d rather be friends with the guys (and believe me there aren’t many) who understand the value of PERSISTENCE!

As Marc the African Silver back Gorilla rightly said once.

“75 kgs will turn into a tonne before you know it!”

And so it has, my friend. So it has.

Same thing in terms of fitness. Keep at it bro.

If all you can do is 25 pushups, and every workout is a struggle, well, keep at it. I’m here to tell you it will get easier – and it WILL be all worth it at the end of the day. Nothing worth having is ever “easy” and remember that if it is – it is fleeting.

It won’t last!

That’s just the nature of the Universe my friend.

And on that note, I’ll leave you be. Take this for what you would – up to you!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – Here is where you can pick up the best damned course on pushups – Pushup Central.

PS #2 – Once again, I cannot say ENOUGH good things about the current web host I’m using. Thank you – SO MUCH – from the bottom of my heart, guys!