Happy Belated Labor Day, my fellow denizens of the American chaos-scape (and those reading this outside the US who just want an excuse to grill meat and lift heavy anyway).

Back in 1894, the suits in Washington declared the first Monday in September a national holiday — a “pause” for the working class.
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In reality?
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It was probably an attempt to toss a bone at the factory hordes before they burned the whole industrial complex down.

My version of honoring this day?
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I had planned a masochistic upper-body beatdown in the iron temple. The kind of session where dumbbells clang, sweat pools, and death metal rattles your mitochondria until they start filing OSHA complaints while blasting Morbid Angel, doing dumb stuff for no reason other than it felt good. Doooooode Bro lifting = therapy session.

However, I got sick and so that session has not happened.....yet.
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...But my mostly non-upright day allowed me to watch between red watering eyes and a massive sinus headache - one of my favorite bands - Tool!

Tool isn’t just a band.
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They’re progressive-metal shamans. Sonic architects of labyrinths where every riff is a trap door and every lyric is a hallucinogenic breadcrumb.

Maynard James Keenan doesn’t just sing.
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He summons.
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His words aren’t lyrics — they’re incantations that drag your psyche through a Jungian swamp and leave you staring at your reflection, wondering why your triceps are sore and your soul feels rearranged.

A few years ago, Maynard dropped a series called Do The Work. And honestly? That’s the most Labor Day thing you’ll hear all week.

Because whether it’s:

• Grinding out one more set when your pecs scream mutiny,
• Dialing in your sleep so you’re not lifting like a hungover frat boy,
• Or actually learning physiology instead of reposting TikTok bro-science…

…it all comes back to the same meathead gospel: Do the work.

That’s the through-line. The iron. The riff. The discipline.

Here is the full article and videos below.

>> Why Do Hard Things << full article

Note- even if you don't know of Tool, this details his thoughts creating wine, doing BJJ, songwriting, and more. I love his outlook on things.

Here is my fav quote from it - think of the gym here as that applies in place of the mat too.

“The vineyard suffers if you're not present, right?
Same thing on the mat.
If you're snoozing, there's somebody that's gonna put you to sleep.

You're walking in the door as a white belt, you don't know anything.

So every day that you go there, even though you might make some small progressions, it's about you really digging in and self-evaluating and understanding exactly what humility smells like.

...'cause that's, it's a tough road from white belt to black belt. It's a long road and it requires you, nobody else can do that, but you have to put the time in.

You have to progress, you have to do it.

No one can do it for you if you have that belt.

By the time you get to a black belt you've earned it.”- Maynard
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​You can easily sub in your lifting goals for BJJ above.

>> Why Do Hard Things << full article

Much love,

Dr. Mike

PS- here is another great quote

““But if you're doing your job and you're doing it accurately enough and you're expressing from the heart, from the core, from your experiences and your intuition, other people are going to resonate with that.

It's gonna resonate with them.

They're gonna get something out of it.

Their day might go better because of what your true, honest approach to what you're doing. You're gonna help other people.

You're gonna help yourself.

You're gonna help your family.

But just understand, at the end of the day, nobody owes you as an artist, any kind of accolades.

You don't owe them anything.
They don't owe you anything.
You're just doing.”- Maynard

PPS – Stay tuned for a ton more updates coming to you this week!

_____________________

Mike T Nelson CISSN, CSCS, MSME, PhD
Associate Professor, Carrick Institute
Owner, Extreme Human Performance, LLC
Editorial Board Member, STRONG Fitness Mag

Mike T Nelson is a PhD and not a physician or registered dietitian. The contents of this email should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.

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