Who We Were And Might Become

I haven't trained anyone since 2017. That summer I was training Jason Momoa for the Aquaman movie (very shortly after we finished Justice League). About halfway through the project I realized I was unhappy. The friendship Jason and I shared wasn't enough to shield me from the pressure and tension that attends some Hollywood productions, and that I wasn't the man who could stand up to those demands any longer. When I told him what was going on he said, "Yeah, it's not like working with Zack, is it?" then gave me his blessing to go find what I needed and said he would miss me. I handed the reins to my assistant, Stuart Walton, and caught a plane home.

As I reviewed the trajectory of my relationship with training myself and others — from being coached during my climbing career to training military personnel to starting Gym Jones and eventually ending my involvement with it to training actors for movies to starting NonProphet — I realized I had learned all that I could from it as the man I was in that moment. While "300" and "Justice League" sometimes seemed like the hardest jobs with the best results, I was most proud of being chameleon enough to train Gal Gadot for "Batman vs Superman" in 2014 and the 30+ Amazonian warriors for "Wonder Woman" and "Justice League". Those jobs took everything I had technically and socially, and were incredibly rewarding as well. Who I was in 2017 couldn't learn anything new and going through the motions just for the paycheck did not appeal so I quit.

Since then I have been invited to do several different training gigs, some big, some small, some real and some quite fantastical but each time I said, "No, thank you", and focused on writing, making photographs, and publishing. Last February that changed. I wasn't looking or even open to the idea of training someone but Blair asked if I would meet with a friend's husband to hear about an event he wanted to do, and the training guidance he sought. The man I was that day said, "Why not?"

Carl Kuschke played rugby in South Africa as a junior and later tennis, which he did well enough that it brought him to the U.S. and college where he met his wife. As work and family occupied more time he focused on working out in the gym, some bodybuilding, and some functional training. He followed the Space Program off and on and began working through the program outlined in the Endurance Manual once the wild idea of an obstacle course race lodged in his mind — one of the events on his so-called "Stupid Shit List". Despite those resources he realized some personal guidance would be helpful so he asked Sawyer, his wife, to ask Blair to ask me to sit down ... because it never hurts to ask. We drank black coffee and talked about life and family, who we had been, who we are now, and who we might become. It was one of the most satisfying meet-and-greets I've ever had and if we had never talked about his sports plan I would say exactly the same ... but we did and I decided to help.

That day I recognized that we are all running out of time and when offered the chance to spend some of it with people we enjoy, maybe helping them undertake something outside of their routine, something uncomfortable, that makes them nervous, well, we should say, "Yes." Besides, it would be rare if we didn't learn or experience something equally powerful along the way.

I asked my usual questions:

What is the event?

Why can't you do it right now?

Have you identified specific deficiencies?

What do you avoid in training, and why?

How much time per week can you train?

What resources are available at your gym?

How long do we have until race day?

Then we talked about communication, data capture, a bit on diet and recovery and I explained a few concepts which I would detail in written correspondence. We started with some testing, trying to identify the power output and duration that would stress current limits of VO2 Max and (continuously) adjusted training sessions based on results. I researched the obstacles he would encounter to figure the weak links and write sessions to address those. We talked and joked a few times a week and I threw in some "fun" workouts that weren't specific to the goal just to keep him on his toes, and to learn more about his psychology — it turned out that he was enthusiastic and willing to try anything. The notorious Bulgarian Split Squat Test, the 100-rep Squat Session, 30-30 Push Press and its variations, he did them all and rewarded me with some choice words, always delivered with a smile and a laugh and respect. It was a fucking blast to become friends, to work together, to socialize with our families, and — for me — to realize that the beauty IS in the everyday, the every hour, and the when-you-least-expect-it.

When race day arrived Carl was fit and psyched, and we drove out to the course to watch him. It was fun to see him mud-covered and smiling and easily handle all of the obstacles but more importantly we witnessed the love and support given by his family who were all course-side and at the finish line. Of course, our tears were the joyful kind.

The man I've become understands that the human connection makes life and living it worthwhile. The friendship Carl and I grew into gave our training relationship real, deep value, and reminded me to greet life thirstily. Easton, our young Scottish Deerhound, appears to wake up and say, "I wonder what friends I will make today," and I embrace this in ways I couldn't have when I was younger. To his lesson I would add, "I wonder which old friend I might see again today."

When I moved more belongings north three months ago I brought a big print of Jason to hang in the home gym, something to remind me of all of the work we did, drinks we drank, and fellowship we shared. I figured that his career meant we wouldn't see each other again for a while. Little did I know that three days later he would move north, that he would buy property, that his band would play and Blair and I would photograph the show. Who knows what we will do in that gym where the print hangs or in the mountains rising all around? I do know we will hike up some hills, climb in the rock gym, make some art, and share family time because that's what the men — the friends — who we have each become are meant to do together.

Check out the podcast with Carl here.