About
You’re reading the blog of a former skinny-fat ectomorph turned athletic physical culturist. It’s all in the name of being Built With Three. You can get the free PDF, 8.4.X: Eight Essential Exercises For the X Physique, by joining the Sacred Realm (it’s free). Otherwise, here’s a quick glimpse of my myself and my philosophy.
The Built With Three ideal meshes performance and physique. It’s for those that want to look seriously well built, do insanely cool shit, and become more mindful of themselves. Let athletic physical culture to seek into your pores and fundamentally change who you are as a person—build yourself into something you aren’t embarrassed of.
The body has been a symbol for a long time ago. Physical fitness used to matter. Old time Greek philosophers believed that the body and mind were connected. Thales, who pre-dated Socrates and Aristotle, is famous for his saying: mens sana in corpore sano. A sound mind in a healthy body. Plato thought perfection was a harmonious balance between the mind, body, and psyche. (Who has the cojones to argue with Plato?)
The Ancient Greeks revered athleticism. Physical feats were considered a showcase of not only physical capacity but also mental and moral stability. Athletic bodies in motion became the subject matter for many statues.
This all smudges into athletics, aesthetics, and the resultant effect the journey has on your mind. These are the Three. They are a consequence of my skinny-fat background and my dive into tricking.
What do you want from a lifestyle of athletic physical culture? I need you to dig deep and actually think about this. Most of us are searching for meaning. We have demons—either personally or socially—that prevent us from being the person we truly want to be. You’re going to fail if you aren’t following a philosophy that jives with your true desires.
So think about. Come to terms with what you really want. And then don’t let anyone talk you out of it.
Hey there. My name is Anthony Mychal. I’m a philosophical meathead with athletic ambitions. To fully appreciate The Built With Three Ethos, you should know my upbringing.
I used to wish I was someone else. I’d look at others and say, “I want that.” I didn’t like what I looked like. When I was in 9th grade, a chick told me I had “girl boobs.” It was an emotional burn. I wanted to change. I promised myself that in between commercials of Dragonabll Z I’d do push-ups. Something. Anything to break free.
Never happened.
Then I found a website called Tricks Tutorials. I dove into the world of acrobatics, gymnastics, and tricking. Jon Call, known as Jujimufu, continued to write and freely give information and direction to lost souls like myself on Tricks Tutorials. He refused to run ads. He just wanted to help people and share his ideas.
Years passed and my tricking interests seeped into general fitness interests. I broke free of my skinny-fat bounds thanks to Jon Call and his website, eventually going to school for physical training and becoming a teacher, coach, and writer.
I’ve gotten featured in some pretty cool places: T-Nation, Schwarzenegger.com, Elite FTS, My Mad Methods, Greatist, STACK, LIVESTRONG.com and some cool friend’s fitness blog’s.
When I look back on it all, the course of my life was altered when I found Tricks Tutorials and dove into physical fitness. I reimagined who I was through physical capacity. And Tricks Tutorials was the cayalyst.
I figured that if I could help one soul as much as Tricks Tutorials helped me, then I’d all be worth it.
This may just be a blog, but it’s my blog. It houses my ideas. It matters to me. And I want you to feel like it matters to you. This entire journey of mine changed my life forever. It can do the same for you too.
Built With Three | The Three
Gymnos translates to “naked.” You have to be comfortable in your own skin. You can’t be embarrassed. Despite how “vane” or “useless” some say this goal is, admiration for the body and muscular beauty is ancient. Just go check out some Hellenistic artwork.
Most art and sculpture in Ancient Greece showcased the aesthetic beauty of the body in athletic pose. They put value in this blend athletics and aesthetics way back then. It still holds today.
Aesthetic value is totally individual, which is why I chose “gymnos.” It’s about how you feel in your own skin. But because of my skinny-fat past, I have a pretty direct physique, aesthetic, and “look good nakie” goal that Built With Three is founded upon:
I’m all about questing to an X shaped physique. The X shaped physique is an old time physical culture ideal that symbolized an “ideal” shape. Broad shoulders. Lats a stingray would be jealous of. A narrow waist. Legs fit for any task. Well developed calves.
My view on physique is that it’s all about proportion rather than absolute muscle mass.
Sthenos translates to “strength.” In athletic physical culture, strength usually is used to define how much weight you can lift. But when it comes to being Built With Three, strength represents having a body that enables you to do whatever it is you want to do.
Because of my tricking past and love for athletic physical culture, I prepare the body to be fit for hoping, twisting, and flipping around like a madman. Lifting weights too. And playing around on gymnastics rings. Basically the general adaptations of a strength and power athlete sandwiched between acrobatic skills. I’m a firm believer that everyone should at least dabble in acrobatics. Basic tumbling and gymnastics isn’t optional.
You know the kind of body you think about when you hear the phrase, “bigger, faster, stronger?” Yeah. Just think that. Only better.
Axios means “worth.” From my experience, most of the people that get into fitness are searching for worth, meaning, and matterfulness. They’re searching for personal renewal within their physical capacity.
Most people fail because they don’t recognize what holds meaning to them. What’s going to make you feel “worthy” and “whole” once accomplished?
Part of being Built With Three is embracing the effect this journey of physical renewal has on the mind. Embrace the mental side of training. Expanding physical capacity is one in the same as expanding the concept of metal capacity.
It takes more than a motivation for “burning calories” because you have to be willing to fail, adapt, and try different things all in the name of growth. It’s way more than physical stress. Anyone can burn a calorie.
What separates the people that “get it” from the people that “want it? The mindset.
The mental struggle that blooms from continually pressing physical tipping points is something that infuses into your soul and seeps into the deep fibers of your being. It’s all a fight against resistance, which builds character.
Perhaps you’re more of a visual learner
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Or perhaps you're a fan of the informal lulz and randomness...
Anthony Mychal...
Grew up as a nerdy skinny-fat ectomorph. (If you’re skinny-fat check this out.) He found his refuge in Dragonball Z, Mountain Dew Code Red, and Andy Capps Hot Fries. (With the occasional video game splattered in there somewhere. And what that means is if there was a new Zelda or Super Smash Brothers game, he was first in line at the store.)
Stumbled across tricking and Tricks Tutorials in 2001. Jujimufu quickly became a virtual role model, which inspired him to trick, train, and eventually maintain a semblance of a healthy lifestyle.
Worked with athletes as a physical preparation coach and taught numerous fitness classes in college. Eventually he graduated with a Masters degree and lived as a teacher and coach for a while.
Started writing, thinking that if his philosophical, somewhat incessant, mildly incoherent ramblings could help one soul as much as Tricks Tutorials helped him, then it would all be worth it.
Wants the Built With Three philosophy to change your life. He wants you to wake up, love who you are, love the life you live, and love what you’re capable of doing—never letting your body become a limiting factor be it mental or physical.
Knows that success lies beyond the minutia of sets, reps, and programs. Training has to touch you not only physiologically, but also psychologically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.
Understands that there are thousands of other places you could be and thousands of other things you could be doing. You don’t understand how much he appreciates you being here, so he encourages you to introduce yourself. Comment on posts. Join the Sacred Realm. Get the free Ethos eBook..
Loves Injiinji toe socks, and wears them daily.
Thinks watching Goku go Super Saiyan had a profound impact on his life.
Knows you can’t beat him in Super Smash Brothers.
Sub-consciously shows favor to those that mention an equal love for Dragonball Z, Zelda, and other randomness in their introductory e-mails and messages. He’s sorry he’s not sorry.
Considers himself one of them there eccentric introverts.
Broke his foot in five places not long ago, and has pinching nerve pains in his foot as a result.
Can eat a lot of food. A lot.
Enjoys the occasional glass of Cabernet or pint of Guinness.
Used to have debilitating chronic knee pain. He doesn’t anymore. An Athlete’s Guide to Chronic Knee Pain is why.
Writes for some magazines and other websites. You can read all of it here.
Is a fan of ping pong and thinks he can beat you.
Loves heavy metal. His favorite bands are Trivium, In Flames, and Disarmonia Mundi.
Dreams of his travelling the world to visit and train with both tricksters and hardcore strength facilities worldwide while also sampling the local cuisine.
Los timeline...
2001
Ninth grade. Eight period. Math class. A chick told me I had “girl boobs.” My skinny-fat self then made a commitment: I’d do push-ups during the commercials of Dragonball Z. Didn’t happen. But my interest in fitness was solidified.
2002
Found Tricks Tutorials. Dove into a world of self taught acrobatics, martial arts, and other crazy stuff.
2003 to 2005
I continued living rather unhealthy, but I was tricking. I secretly wanted to be Goku.
2006
After eating pizza and pop tarts in my college cafeteria, I hit a breaking point. Motivated by Jujimufu, I made a change. I switched majors in college and dedicated myself to fitness by getting into training and finally breaking free of my skinny-fat chains.
2008
Regularly woke up at 6:00AM to train athletes at my college.
Early 2009
Did a full internship with two of the best performance coaches in the country. Both of which have a radically different view than the majority of coaches in the West. Graduated shortly after.
Late 2009
Went back to school for a Masters degree in teaching and coaching. Was a Health and Physical Education teacher for a while.
Early 2011
Broke my foot in five places when tricking. Cruched around school, teaching mostly in the weight room.
2012
Upped my writing game and got featured in a bunch of places.
2013
Takes half naked pictures of himself to put on his website.
