The Conference Finals...

Here we are...opening night of the Western Conference Finals and we are still playing! I'm telling you this is one of the greatest feelings I've ever had. The Denver Nuggets were not on the radar in the pre-season rankings, I mean, nobody picked us to be here. But, through hard work and incredible talent all being guided by the best coaching staff I've worked with, we are here in Los Angeles to battle for a spot in the NBA Finals. We've done a great job thus far, but we still have work to do!

Through the years I continue to learn and evolve as a strength coach. I am blessed to live in a country which allows you to do whatever you chose for a career. I am constantly exposed to people, places and things which allow me to progress as a trainer. As I mature I learn more and more, all while getting more excited as I realize that I'm doing exactly what I was meant to be doing in this world: helping athletes get better everyday!

What is my point here? Nothing comes for free. I know the harder you train the luckier you get. In my 12-year tenure with the Nuggets, my training life has been a longitudinal study where I have seen a lot. The one thing I know for a fact is I have never seen a player, or a group of players, succeed when thy don't train their butts off all year. They either get injured or fatigued, stopping them from finishing strong.

I've also seen athletes kill it in the gym and still not succeed, so understand that training hard is imperative, but it is not a guarantee for success. I am now of the school of thought that if you do not train hard, eat correctly and rest you will absolutely, undoubtedly not achieve your full potential!

Every single player on this Nuggets roster killed their training in the off-season, pre-season and regular season. Everyone worked hard with a common goal and they have put this team in a position it has not been in for a quarter-century: 4 wins from the NBA Finals, and 8 wins from an NBA CHAMPIONSHIP!

All you athletes out there: train smart, train often and follow this simple rule: if its easy its not worth it!

Your life is what you do with it. Every morning when I wake up I make 2 choices: live in the moment and always give everything you have. Love life always!