Ben Booker: Razor Sharp [Insider Preview]

Ben Booker Etches His Physique With Motivation and Determination

Several years ago I was watching a compilation of failed attempts by athletes who then picked themselves up and attempted their efforts again. I vividly remember the sportscaster repeating these words, "There is always a second chance for the determined!" Great athletes, great business people and leaders in every field have the ability to get up after failure, dust themselves off and try again—over and over.

“Remaining humble—teachable—is the key to reaching your true potential, your true strength, your optimal and most efficient self.”

Ben Booker used fitness to overcome alcoholism after breaking his back. Now he’s helping others improve their lives and get a second chance.

DY: Your condition continues to improve. It’s been two years since I first interviewed you. You have a career, a wife and children. With such a full schedule, how do you maximize the efficiency of your workouts?

BB: I still remember my dad saying, "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." And that’s exactly what I’ve done. My unconventional style of training allows me to be in and out of the gym in 30 to 45 minutes. It is efficient, and that’s why I’ve stuck with it over the years. As a working husband and father of three, I try to be the best in all areas of my life, so I’m unable to spend more than an hour working out. I have added supersets and fine-tuned it, but the footprint remains the same!

DY: What forms the base of your workout?

BB: I train three or four ­bodyparts a day with only three to five sets for each one. That means I work the same bodypart twice a week, but I don’t do the exact same lift. I try to vary my lifts so that I do not do the same one more than once every two weeks.

DY: I’ve heard you talk about the four Fs in training. What are they?

BB: These are four Fs I not only train by but I live by—flexibility, form, focus and failure.

Flexibility is first. Knowing your body involves knowing its limits. Stretching before and after a workout helps improve flexibility and will prevent injury to keep you in the gym and not sidelined. Flexibility is also important for your everyday life. Unexpected events occur that get in the way of your goals. You must be willing to prioritize and have some flexibility to rearrange the day and not allow the outside world to change your goals. Have plans A, B and C each day that enable you to hit the gym no matter what!

DY: What about the next one, form?

BB: This is a key component for efficiency. I’ve trained for more than 12 years using the same style and form combined with proper flexibility. Those are two major reasons I’ve been able to train solid with virtually no injuries. In your everyday life form is how you carry yourself, what you believe in and how you begin to mold the new you, a better you, that pushes through barriers. By sticking with the basics in terms of form, you can really begin to mold the new you inside and out.

Focus is next. This is where you start to learn the mind/muscle connection, which sends your results and training to the next level. Know what bodypart you’re working and why. Understand your body and learn what makes it tick. Focus in your everyday life can bring productivity to a new level as well. Once you dial in your priorities by focusing on what truly matters, you become a better husband and father and the kind of friend people want to have.

DY: What about the last F?

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