#63 Jerzy Gregorek: The Happy Body Program

In the 63rd episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest the world-renowned weightlifting coach and creator of The Happy Body Program, Jerzy Gregorek will talk about his origin story, the Happy Body program, the mental side of strength, five different voices that we communicate with, the master vs. the fatalist mentality and more.

Join us in this insightful and captivating talk! 

In this chapter you will discover: 

(0:20) Jerzy Gregorek Interview - The Tim Ferriss Show @timferriss

https://youtu.be/61ZJWehdbGE 

(1:10) Introducing our special guest the world-renowned weightlifting coach and creator of The Happy Body Program, Jerzy Gregorek Facebook: @hardchoiceseasylife

(3:15) Shout out to Tim Ferris @timferriss

(3:30) “Sometimes going to philosophy, writing or poetry you can actually find the answers to what you're looking for on the other end.” - Michael Kurkowski @mike_strength_connection

(3:45) The craft of knowledge

(5:35) “You don’t need to read or write a thousand poems  in order to sink into that gift of what poetry gives to you.” - Jerzy Gregorek Facebook: @hardchoiceseasylife

(6:40) Body communicates with us

(8:05) Olympic weight lifting: an antidote for bullying

(8:50) Getting on the weightlifting team

(11:05) About Jerzy’s weightlifting team

(11:30) Jerzy’s team’s weight statistics

(12:15) First experience with weightlifting

(12:20) Love for gymnastics

(12:30) Weightlifting vs gymnastics: the similarities and difference

(13:30) Jerzy’s weightlifting coach

(14:05) “Flexibility prevents the body from talking to you.” - Jerzy Gregorek Facebook: @hardchoiceseasylife

(14:55) Importance of speed in weightlifting

(15:05) Talking to an Olympic weightlifter

(16:20) Snapping in athletics

(18:00) The job of your spine

(18:45) Importance of spine: volleyball example

(22:25) The flexibility of Chinese weightlifters

(22:55) “You are not skillful if you are not flexible.” - Jerzy Gregorek Facebook: @hardchoiceseasylife

(23:40) Absence of flexibility training in America

(28:10) Micro-progression: definition

(29:15) A Russian coach about micro-progression

(29:40) “You have to have an accumulation of repetitions. The body adapts to all the movements and everything becomes easier, more fun.” - Jerzy Gregorek Facebook: @hardchoiceseasylife

(32:30) “Once you have a goal it makes you humble right away.” - Jerzy Gregorek Facebook: @hardchoiceseasylife

(33:35) Unbreakable system

(33:45) Talk with a Zen master

(34:35) Unbreakable body analogy from the Zen master

(37:55) The Happy Body Program: mental side of micro-progression

https://thehappybody.com/the-happy-body-program/ 

(40:10) Stoicism: virtue and its side effects

(41:00) Different voices and the constant mixture

(42:15) Fatalist and the master

(42:55) About creating 5 different voices

(45:10) About creating 12 scenarios and their responses

(46:00) How to outwit the fatalist

(50:10) Exercise to understand your voice

(51:20) “Once you get into the debate with the fatalist, you will never win.” - Jerzy Gregorek Facebook: @hardchoiceseasylife

(52:20) “The wisdom of life is to fall in love with something that you don’t like but it is good for you.” - Jerzy Gregorek Facebook: @hardchoiceseasylife

(54:05) Watch your words!

(55:10) “Awareness is created in your mind of those voices.” - Jerzy Gregorek Facebook: @hardchoiceseasylife