The Secret Of Mind And Body. Gianluca Pistore

victory’s not important for me. I need the prize of 80 thousand dollars to save my younger brother from the street! My brothers and I were born in a very poor family, like many other here in the favelas of Rio. In our favelas, there’re incursions of the police squads, the death battalions, almost every day. I’m trying to keep my younger brother far from the gangs, but it’s difficult. Our father was died in a police raid, he was killed by a stray bullet which was directed to a drug trafficker who lived fifty meters after us. Our mother, after his death, felt in a severe state of depression and she’s not able to maintain all the family. The Saint Francis Missionaries help us but this is not good. I’m trying to earn money working with a carpenter who was my father friend but the wages don’t allow me to enrol to the gym! Some months ago, my brother is entered in a drug trafficker gang under the control of Ramires, one of the most important and ruthless drug traffickers of our favelas." While he was speaking his eyes become like transparent lights, and I was understanding what his heart was felling. He was the embodiment of the sadness of a story like many others. The fists clenched more and more on his legs "I’m trying to explain him that if he continues to do so he will harm only himself and us who love him, but he ignores my suggestions. I’ve tried to talk with his gang but I’ve received warning to not snooping around and, then, a broken nose!" he closed his eyes remembering those disagreeable experiences. "I want win for him and our mother... I want to bring them far from here! And you’re the only who can help me to achieve this goal, you’re the only who had never bowed to the outrages and who is respected by narcos..."

      He seemed me different from the usual bullies coming at the gym. "Guy, the life is not easy for everybody. You must know that if I will train you, I will make you sweat other blood. It will be the 10 hardest months of your life. Your mother gave you the life, I will reprogram it. I transform the brats in real men, independently from the age. You will become a man but, before, you shall become a child, cry, ask for piety and nobody will help you. You’ll fight yourself before to be ready to fight with the world. There’ll be nobody to lift you up from the ground. You shall do it by yourself. You shall react and learn how to get up on your legs. I’ll teach you that you shall never give up in the life. You shall never let your guard down, never give up, never get soft. Do you understand, ninos? Are you able to resist to all that?"

      "Let’s start!" Answered hesitant Carlos.

      "Well, come here tomorrow earlier in the morning, before to go to work, here, in my arena, and we’ll talk about what will be necessary to do. It’s all for the moment."

      But, little before he would exit from the gym, I stopped him. "In a week, you will have a meeting with a special person who will help you a lot. He’s a mental coach."

      "Is he a shrink?" added immediately Carlos contemptuous.

      "No, it’s worse. For the moment go home and rest you. We’ll see here tomorrow."

      I saw him through the gym windows exiting slouch, he seemed without chest. His head bowed. “There’ll be a lot of work to do” I thought. The first to believe to be successful would be just him.

      

      II

      The day after Carlos arrived in time at the gym. He wore a tracksuit, gym shoes and he drag a great bag.

      "For heaven’s sake, son, what on earth there is in that bag?" I addressed indignantly to him.

      "Beh, I took all my savings and I spent them for the clothes and for that…it’s the last supplement, the weight belt, some books that I brought to show them you and my spare clothes..."

      "Mmh, at first address me as ‘tu’, we’ll share time and emotions together and it’s important that you see me as a friend. Then, I think that this session will be completely dedicated to the explanations."

      "But what, do we don’t start? But we have few time at our disposal!" Said the guy with vehemence.

      "Carlos, Carlos, I’ve trained a lot of people before you. I know the time necessary to become stronger. I know that without a good mental base you’ll be destined to the flop and I know that, right now, you’re plenty of wrong convictions." I pressed immediately him. "At first, I don’t want to see you again enter this gym with these fitness boy shoes. Never dare you to profane this temple. Do you know that the best gladiators and pioneers of our loved sport have fight here? Start to feel their spirits inside you during your training! Wear decent clothes when you enter here. Put these shoes!" I Said throwing at his foot a pair of common work shoes with the iron reinforced point.

      Carlos bended to take them and made a grimace of trouble "Ouch, but what... How are they heavy! What are they for?"

      "They’re for let you back home with your feet! If a 25-kilo disk would accidentally fall on your feet fingers you will be forced to walk on your heels for the rest of your life, and it would not be a good scene to assist".

      Carlos, with his upset face, wore quickly the work shoes.

      "Well, the first lesson will be for the "Releasing of the brain trash". Explain me how do you trained in this period, if you had never done it, how do you supported yourself with the nutrition and tell me about your general life style." I encouraged him to tell about.

      "Yes, I’ve just brought with me some book to show you..." and opened the bag to take some book whose covering didn’t promise nothing good.

      "Mmmh, I see. And, looking at these books I’ll understand how you’ve trained?" I answered promptly.

      "Yes, I followed the program of the super champion Mr. Olympia to get enormous arms, then also this workout sheet, the quantic pumping, of Mr Universe and..." said while he was taking enthusiastic all these magazines from his bag and throwing them up on the table.

      "For heaven’s sake son, stop you. Have I already told you that this is a temple? You’re torturing the spirits of ancient warriors beyond my patience with these chatters! Show me your most recent routine and your nutrition diary." I said completely overwhelmed.

      He searched thoroughly the bag he had brought with him and took out a plasticised sheet on which I couldn’t see how much kilos he had lifted. Moreover, he didn’t know what would be a nutrition diary adding that he had always eat when his instinct let him understand that it was time to eat.

      Resigned, I sighed and said "Let’s see what have you done in the last period." What a fright it almost gave me reading his papers! " Smith machine stretching on the flat bench 6 sets x 10, peck deck 5 sets x 12, cable cross 5 sets x 20, stretching to the press machine 5 sets x 8 reps, leg extension, sissy squat, cable push-downs, French press...it’s better to stop here, today the disappointments have been too much. My poor physique could not support more. Sit down and listen to me, then..."

      "But what’s wrong? The super pumped trainer of my old gym said me that it is just in this way that he’s grew up. The leg extension isolates the muscle and then with the sissy squat I destroy it!" affirmed self-confident Carlos.

      "Carlos, listen, the only thing that you destroyed is your good sense. The leg extension and, then, how can you do an exercise called sissy squat? It’s an exercise for sissies. I’ve just four words for you 'shut up and squat!' The sissy fuck against a good squat 'ass to grass’. Do you understand? Now, I want to be very frank with you. Up to now you’ve only lost your time. This routine is trash. Sit down and listen to me carefully. I will explain you the training lost Secret. That which forged thousands of iron athletes. I will put you back in the men category. Where the beauty was the strength and the strength was the undisputed power on all creatures of the universe. Are you ready? Now we can start.

      

      III

      You must know that I’ve American origins. My origins are very ancient and it’s said that my forebears are descended directly from ancient warriors.