"For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it. ~ Matthew 7:14

(Emphasis is mine)

[1996]

My stepfather took me to find my first job.

Our first stop... Golden Corral here in Corpus Christi, Tx (I was 16 years old.).

I ended up getting a job as a dishwasher.

(it sucked, but it built the character of who I am today.)

Catapulting me into a journey of seeking the "HARD THINGS" in life.

Every job I've ever had since 1996 was "HARD."

Whether it was changing oil and rear differentials.

Pulling weeds.

Learning Jiu-Jitsu or...

... going door to door with flyers I made in a WORD Doc to sell memberships to my gym.

(In the dead of summer, that really SUCKED. But I got good at handling REJECTION.)

I naturally gravitated to the "harder" things in life.

Sometimes it served me well.

Other times, not.

But that's besides the point.

To this day, anything I do, I always ask myself.

"What's the HARDEST option there is?"

That's the one I want.

Why?

Because I know it's an opportunity to build my character.

It's gonna challenge me to be DISCIPLINED.

And you know what?

This is the mission God calls us to.

"The HARD life."

The disciplined life.

What most people don't realize is...

Jesus was a HARD man.

Not some effeminate sissy.

You see this throughout the Bible where Jesus calls us to the narrow path.

Exhorting us to avoid the road which is wide (i.e., the EASY path) because it leads to destruction.

But the road less traveled?

Leads to LIFE.

... and "very few people will find it."

Which tells me, we should seek the narrow path.

We should seek the "HARD life."

But here's the thing.

This goes against human nature.

Most of us won't choose the hard life.

"The discipline of the Lord, my son, distain not; spurn not reproof; for whom the Lord loves He reproves, and He chastises the son He favors." ~ Proverbs 3: 11-12

Fast forward 10 years and I find this thing you and I share a love for.

The mighty kettlebell.

And the system, method, and philosophy of strength we apply to using the kettlebell is called, "Hard Style."

(Not EASYstyle 😜)

This resonated with me the moment I heard it.

All I heard was... "HARD."

I resonated with it because...

... it's who I am––my character––and how I choose to live my life (Since 1996 anyway).

It's been the message behind the name of my business the last 12+ years.

It's why I chose to name my gym the "Hardstyle Kettlebell Club" September 1, 2011.

Over the years the name has changed to align to what we teach.

But we always remained, HARDSTYLE.

It's how people know us.

Today the same message of discipline we've been teaching for over a decade is now called... the HARDSTYLE ACADEMY.

After 12+ years, I've taken our Academy online.

And that's why you're likely here reading this now. You share our love for doing HARD THINGS.

Because...

... the way is HARD which leads to salvation.

But salvation from what?

From EFFEMINACY.

Effeminacy is "softness."

An inordinate addiction/attachment to pleasure.

And it's our mission as HARDSTYLE'ERS to build the soul –– through discipline –– to free ourselves from our base passions and emotions (I.e., the "lower faculties").

🛡️ HARDSTYLE MANIFESTO

This is our philosophy.

Our battle cry of each mission we embark on.

"I AM HARDSTYLE!"

HARDSTYLE is not only a method of strength training (although it certainly is that).

HARDSTYLE is a way of life.

It's developing the discipline to purposely choose the hard path and do hard things to attain mastery over our base passions and emotions.

A Hardstyle’er is a new breed of man: Smarter, healthier, Stronger, Mentally Tougher.

Hardstyler’ers wage war against effeminacy… and WIN!

Hardstyle’ers NEVER "workout."

Strength is our skill, and that skill is practiced daily.

Hardstyle’ers train for strength, RARELY use machines, and "training to failure" is a four-letter word.

A Hardstyle’er NEVER trains into pain and puts mastery of skill (and self) before reps and sets.

College textbooks, fitness magazines, PhD’s, and people of the world will tell you what Hardstyle’ers are doing is impossible… yet it’s happening every single day.

I’M A Hardstyle’er

STRENGTH is my skill.

DISCIPLINE is my pursuit.

SELF-MASTERY is my duty.

Hardstyle’ers are motivated knowing that at the end of each practice and each day… we are Stronger and HARDER For Life!

Join our battle cry, #IAMHardstyle

Use this hashtag in your social media posts to help us fight the battle of effeminacy and spread the message of Discipline and what it means to be part of Hardstyle.

Your brother in strength,

hec g.

Btw...

... if you're new to the blog...

Check out our YouTube channel, The Kettlebell Coach.