La Carolina.
The name of Quito’s “central park” and one of my favorite spots in the city.
For years, I’d walk an hour and a half from our foundation in Old Town to this park to train.
On a good day, I’d also walk back after finishing my session and clock in at a whopping 25 K steps.
Why walk and not take the car or public transportation?
Because I love it. Walking through the city is one of my favorite pastimes. Not even the narco war and skyrocketing crime rate this country is facing will change that.
In the heart of La Carolina is a beautiful calisthenics workout area, fully equipped with everything you need to strengthen and chisel your body.
If you’re a regular on my YouTube channel, you’ve watched me train there numerous times.
There’s always a handful of people there banging out push-ups, pull-ups, dips and the like, but the vast majority are out running on the many trails the park offers.
I hate running.
Never enjoyed it. Never believed in it as a valid form of training until 2 years ago, when I started doing the Navy SEALS physical standards test (PST) every month with one of my clients and realized..
I was wrong.
Running is a MUST if you want to maximize athletic performance and much more importantly.. mental fortitude.
It will take you to places inside your mind you never knew existed.
It will also give you a rush that is hard to obtain without recreational drugs.
Looking for a powerful mood boost?
Research shows that running can be as effective as antidepressant drugs, without the side effects.
After every run, I get high (better even than the stuff they sold me in the dark alleys of Medellin back in the day).
The effects last quite a bit too. But don’t get it twisted, I’m not talking about light jogging here.
Run hard.
Do intervals, switch up the pace, run up and down hills..
PUSH YOURSELF!!
Everything else is a waste of time. And even with that said..
No matter how much or how hard you push, running will NEVER get you the body you want (=RIPPED).
Look at the people who are always running in a desperate attempt to get in shape (ie. marathoners, the folks at your gym and neighborhood park).
They spend hours every week on the treadmill or the track. But do they look strong? Do they look powerful? Do they look capable?
The answer is no.
Their bodies are critically low in muscle mass. They’re (somewhat) lean but they’re not sharp.
They look frail and flabby, not strong and streamlined. They’re skinny fat.
And it’s not for a lack of effort.
Listen..
If you want to have an impressive physique, powerful, chiseled with crisp muscular definition, you gotta step down from the treadmill and hit your push-ups and pull-ups.
You have to prioritize building muscle and cutting excess body fat.
Running will never get you there. And neither will your “balanced” diet.
There’s this “Hybrid Athlete” trend making the rounds online, where buff dudes start running and telling the world how great it is.
What they don’t tell you, however, is that their physiques are not the product of running but years of progressive resistance training.
You gotta get strong.
You gotta be able to bang out one-arm push-ups, weighted pull-ups and dips, walking lunges with your partner on your back, 2x bodyweight squats for reps.. [Watch this]
You gotta get strong.
And what you’ll notice along the way (given you learn how to eat) is your body becoming leaner, more muscular and powerful looking.
Strength training combined with proper nutrition will give you the results you always wanted to use running for.
Stop wasting your time.
Stop spinning your wheels and use running strategically to supplement your strength training and nutrition program.
V
Build a body that performs, looks and feels incredible.
For life.
No more guesswork. No more gimmicks. Only a clear personalized system that works.
If you’re done playing games and ready to get serious, hit me up.
