Time to Put the Book Down
and Get to Work
Let’s say you are browsing in an airport bookstore, happen to come across this book, and skip all the way to the last few pages, thinking you will lifehack your way to the answer. Well, I will boil it down for you one last time, but trust me, nothing in life comes as easily as flipping to the end of a book!
If you take one thing away from this book, let it be this: you want greatness, big or small? Work damn hard at it. And just when you think you are working hard…WORK HARDER. Work hard in all things, so that when life gets tough you are ready for anything. Make things good now with your hard work, because they might not always be so good.
Understand your motivation, and know your why. Focus on the things you can control. Shift gears when the situation calls for it and re-evaluate after both success and failure. And work hard, from beginning to end.
I have seen so many people work hard for a few weeks or even a solid stretch of a few months, only to drop off. This is the peril of the impatient. The sustained effort is too much for them. Don’t be one of those people. Keep working, confident in the knowledge that your relentless commitment and consistency are the keys. Incorporate what you have learned here for as long and as hard as you can.
In the end, the more work you put in and the longer you do it, the better your life will be and the safer your future will be. That’s a promise.
It doesn't matter whether or not you are a professional athlete, or already at the top of your game. This works for everyone.
Now it’s time to act. Go out there and crush it using the AMRAP Mentality!
Appendix
My friends, welcome to the end of this AMRAP. In many ways, it is just the start of your next one. You are now armed with the tools you need to optimize your life. Whether you start by tackling the pile of dishes in the sink, turning up the intensity of your workouts, or diving deeply into your why…the important thing is that you start. Step one is always the most difficult, but I would encourage you not to waste any time. Get right to work.
I am immensely grateful for your consideration and interest in reading this book. I love helping people, and I love seeing them improve their lives both in and out of the gym. I sincerely hope that you have found something that you can use and apply it toward developing and living your why in a great and impactful way. If this book helps even one person better navigate their life or align toward their true north, then it will be a tremendous success.
I will leave you with this...life will get hard, that’s an inevitable truth. Life can be a challenging and unpredictable road. There will be times when you will feel beaten down and defeated. It may feel like the entire universe is conspiring against you and that you are destined for failure. Trust me…you are not. You are absolutely capable of greatness. And in those hardest of times, when others might fail or falter, you can rise above. Hold tight to the AMRAP Mentality, remember your why, and focus on what you can control. Then, when you’ve got your why locked in…look yourself right in the mirror and say, “Absolutely, I will continue.”
I. Recapping the AMRAP Mentality
The AMRAP Mentality is a high-performance mindset that embodies five major components. It is the tool I use day in and day out to accomplish goals both large and small. This mindset is a major contributing factor to the success I’ve earned in competition and in business. It was also one of the most important approaches my wife and I took when figuring out how to manage Ava’s battle with leukemia. I hope that you find it meaningful and powerful in your own life. Below you will find a short recap of each facet of the AMRAP Mentality.
Know Your Why
Your why is the foundation of the AMRAP Mentality. It’s the deeper meaning and purpose that drives you. Your why guides your actions and keeps you on course. More than just fuel, a strong why demands intimately knowing and understanding who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Your why may change over time, but one thing remains constant—without a strong why you can get lost, distracted, or end up chasing the wrong things.
Focus on What You Can Control
In life, business, and competition, things can generally be divided into two categories—what’s in your control and what’s not in your control. When you boil it down, there are only a few things that are in our control. The good news is that these few things are some of the most powerful: your mindset, actions, reactions, preparation, hard work, and perseverance, among other things. When you take your valuable energy and move it toward focusing on what’s out of your control, things can go badly, and fast. This is a weak mindset. You’re at the mercy of other people. When it comes down to it, you will be more successful (and happier) by focusing on what you can control.
Work Hard
Hard, smart work is the currency of the AMRAP Mentality. If you are not ready to put in the work or if you’re looking for shortcuts, this mindset is not for you. Roll up your sleeves, ditch the excuses, and start grinding. There’s no better way to accomplish your goals than to work really hard. It sounds simple, but a lot of the time we need to stop talking and start doing. So, let’s go.
Shift Gears
Shifting gears in the AMRAP Mentality really means being invested and active in the present. When you’re at work, be at work. When you’re at home with family, be with your family. When you’re working out, work out. Don’t be one foot in and one foot out. This is the connection between your body and mind…be all in to your current activity, and when it’s time to shift gears to the next thing, be all in there, too. When you’re thinking about one thing but doing another you will not achieve optimal results.
Re-Evaluate
Moments of re-evaluation in the AMRAP Mentality are those times when you need to take a step back to re-examine your why and your focus. These are major milestones, and they usually occur around big changes. Having the ability to re-evaluate is essential and shows a tremendous amount of self-awareness. Over time your goals and your why may change, and that’s okay. It’s important to stay connected to the world around you and not stay locked into something that no longer is right for you. As the saying goes, timing is everything. It’s no different in the AMRAP Mentality…your why when you’re twenty may be very different than your why at thirty. Take the time to honor your why by re-examining it over time.
This mindset is not gimmick. It’s not a cheap trick, hack, or shortcut. I am not telling you that the AMRAP Mentality will magically transform your life while you lay back and sip frozen margaritas. You will need to work. And for this thing to really fire on all cylinders you will need to be the hardest worker in the room. But you should want it that way. When you learn to enjoy the labor, the success is even sweeter because you’ve earned it.
II. AMRAP Mentality…In the Gym
One of the best ways to practice the AMRAP Mentality right now (not tomorrow, not the next day, not on Monday) is through fitness. Fitness plays a huge part in my life. It is a daily ritual for me whether I’m home, on the road, or anywhere in between. I have literally worked out everywhere. In addition to keeping my body ready for whatever life throws my way, it keeps my mind sharp. It helps me gain better perspective and channel my energy. It doesn’t matter if you’re ten seconds into your fitness journey or a ten-year veteran…you can learn something every time the clock goes from 0:00 to 0:01.
I’ve put together nine of my favorite workouts below. They are organized both by category (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) and location (at home or hotel). These are places where you will be able to go after it with little to no equipment. If you have access to a gym or if you’re lucky enough to have a home gym with more equipment, you can find more workouts by following @nc_fit or @amrapmentality.
Each workout below follows the AMRAP style format. Complete as many rounds or reps of the workout in the allotted time. Please make sure that you respect your current physical condition and warm up properly. If you need to scale or adjust the workout, please do so. It’s always
better to start off a little slower and work your way up.
Beginner AMRAP Workouts
Home AMRAP x 10 minutes 10 air squats
5 knee push-ups
10 knee tucks (lay on back, pull knees to chest)
Hotel AMRAP x 10 minutes 1 minute on the treadmill or bike (moderate pace)
10 DB press (light)
5 up/downs (no push-up burpee)
Intermediate AMRAP Workouts
Home AMRAP x 15 minutes 20 alternating lunges
10 burpees
20 sit-ups
Hotel AMRAP x 15 minutes 1 minute on the treadmill or bike (hard pace)
10 DB thruster (moderate)
10 DB burpees
Advanced AMRAP Workouts
Home AMRAP x 20 minutes 20 jump squats
15 handstand push-ups
20 weighted sit-ups
Hotel AMRAP x 20 minutes 1 minute on treadmill or bike (incline sprint)
10 DB squat cleans (heavy)
10 DB ground to overhead
For more workouts and workout tips, please follow @amrapmentality and @jasonkhalipa, both on Instagram. To keep up with what we are doing at NCFIT and to check out some of our class workouts, please follow @nc_fit on Instagram or visit www.nc.fit to learn more. If you’re ever in San Jose, drop into one of our gyms and say hi! As always, train smartly and have fun.
III. AMRAP Mentality…In the Kitchen
We didn’t dive into nutrition in this book, but I wanted to touch on a few quick points regarding food. Nutrition plays an extremely important role in my life and my family’s lives. Not only is food the literal fuel for our bodies, but it also provides an opportunity for us to share, bond, and celebrate. It brings us life, joy, and happiness. Focusing on high quality nutrition not only allowed me to excel on the competition floor but also played an integral role in Ava’s treatment.
Food can also have a dark side. I can tell you from experience that food can sometimes be used and abused. Sometimes we use food to cope with or hide from our problems. It can be a very dark and lonely spiral. Unfortunately, many people struggle with their relationship with food and will never realize the amazing benefits of sound nutrition.
Nutrition can often be confusing. There’s a lot of noise, fad diets, and snake-oil salesmen that get in the way of the truth. The truth about nutrition is powerfully simple. For more about our stance on nutrition, please review NCFIT’s Nutrition Philosophy at www.nc.fit/nutrition and follow Ava’s Kitchen on Instagram @avas.kitchen.
IV. AMRAP Mentality…For Life
For those more interested in applying the AMRAP Mentality to other types of tasks and goals, there are additional ways to develop the mindset. Here is an example:
Test the AMRAP Mentality on various tasks. Perhaps you need to get a report done at work—one that requires critical thinking and analysis. Rather than peck away at it over the course of an entire day, find a period—say, two hours—when you can lock your door, turn off all distractions, and do it. See how much more quality work you can get done in that single time frame. When the timer goes off, shake it off and recharge by taking a break, such as going for a walk. Then reset the timer for another session.
Apply this exercise to your relationships, to work, to studying for a final exam, even to shoveling the driveway. Each time you do it, you’ll get a little better at it. Apply the AMRAP Mentality consistently toward long-term goals, and you’ll be unstoppable.
For workouts, podcasts, social media links,
and more information, visit
JASONKHALIPA.COM
Acknowledgments
To everyone who stepped up big when Ava got sick, including my family, my friends, and our team at NCFIT, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You made a very challenging situation much easier with your support.
To Mom and Dad for providing me the best examples of commitment and integrity.
To Ashley for always encouraging me to reach my potential. Everything amazing in my life has been because of you.
To Ava and Kaden, you bring a clarity to my life I never had before. Your smile is what I live for, and always will.
To Austin Begeibing for introducing me to the program that changed my life forever.
To my business mentors, including Joe, Minh, Mike, Jerry, and Paul, your support has been unwavering and more impactful than you can imagine.
To all of our current and past NCFIT team members, thank you for being the best group I could ever ask for.
To coach Chris and Adam for the impact you have made on my training and life.
To our NCFIT community for allowing us to do what we love for a living. Thank you!
To Matt Walker for stepping up more times than I can count, you've been a great friend and business partner.
To Matt DellaValle, I’m proud of what we did together on this book. Thank you for all of your help.
To everyone who took the time to read this book, thank you!
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