Category: Business

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I Hope You’re Struggling Right Now!

You’ve been hit hard?

Life got you down?

Covid affected your job or business?

Are you overweight, broken, depressed, lonely?

Good ….

Fucking GOOD!

The struggle you’re currently facing is an opportunity.

It’s a test designed to make you stronger.

To force much-needed change.

You know you need to lose weight.

You probably didn’t like that job or career anyway.

Maybe you knew your business had to change? (this one was very tough for me – but so damned true)

Ask anyone who has recovered from adversity – addiction – heartache.

Hitting their bottom was necessary for them ( for me) to finally get better, make changes, get clean, get sober.

When you’ve finally had enough of being overweight & broken, lonely, or broke, you end up doing something about it.

For things to get better – they have to suck ass at first.

A life without adversity has no chance to blossom.

I wouldn’t be in the best shape of my life at 53 if I hadn’t finally braved the struggle of being almost 400 lbs – obese – and an alcoholic who required help from https://confidentialrehab.co.uk.

The incredible rewarding and purpose-driven life I am creating and the business brands of Iron Hos Gear and The Iron Will Program could never have been created had I not struggled through the adversity of past failures.

From the clouds of pain and uncertainty came the clarity and light of my true passion and purpose.

To help 100,000 men and women transform their own lives and become the very best versions of themselves.

Struggling and persevering through my own bottoms and failures has created this amazing new reality.

My epic journey has and continues to forge the incredible life of happiness and purpose that I have always wanted.

I needed the challenge.

I needed the pain.

The suffering is what finally drove me to:

  • Struggle
  • Persevere
  • Succeed
  • Inspire.

My journey is far from over. There will be more:

  • Pain
  • Struggles
  • Challenges

But I now know they are a gift and the crucible through which I must pass to fulfill my destiny and help others along the way.

Whatever your struggle is, it’s your chance at real happiness and purpose.

A life well lived needs adversity.

It wants challenge.

Rise to it!

This is your invitation to become better, become stronger, become wiser.

This is your chance to create your own Iron Will.

Be grateful for your struggle.

Now pick yourself up and let’s fucking go!

Curd “Iron” Hos

Struggle-Persevere-Succeed-Inspire

Ready to make a Transformation?

The Iron Will 28-Day Reboot is a four-week, step-by-step weight loss transformation program for men & women 35 & over, that includes a clean meal plan, personalized supplementation, fat-burning & body-changing workouts, and daily inspiration to help you feel STRONG & CONFIDENT, look AMAZING, and have much more ENERGY to do the things you really want to do!

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You’re wearing your shirts too tight!

curd arms barbell curl

This is a message that was sent to me last night after I posted this picture just after I finished my back and biceps workout.

“You’re wearing your shirts too tight…”

I shit you not. And this person who has been a Facebook friend and lifter for years – was serious!

Initially, I responded with “LoL” truly believing he was busting my balls for fun – as a lot of us guys do.

Then he came back with, “No man, I’m being totally serious!.. In fact, a lot of people are laughing at you behind your back!”

I wasn’t surprised–OK, maybe a little from who this was coming from–but not surprised about the comments.

I just responded with “Hey I get it, probably the same people who laughed at me when I was almost 400 lbs and my shirts were even tighter – just around my gut instead of the chest and arms.”

He went quiet after that, the conversation was done.

The truth is, there will be people in your life who will have a problem with you when you start to succeed.

They will have something shitty to say or they won’t comment at all when you post something showing the progress you’re making (funny because they will comment or “like” your post about kittens in a tree you shared the day before)!

When someone uses the empirical statistical number of “a lot of people” that’s just more bullshit being made up to try and make their negative opinion seem more legit.

But that’s how this goes

First off, we shouldn’t be doing anything in our lives for any else’s approval.

But, we are still human after all, and a negative comment can sting a little–or a lot–depending on where you are on the self-confidence scale. 

When people say they have a problem with what you’re doing in regards to your transformation goals, life achievements, etc, they are really demonstrating that the problem is with their own internal dialogue and feelings. 

It’s really not about you, at all.

One of the very first things I talk about with my new transformation clients is exactly this issue.

There will be people who do not want you to succeed.

They feel it reflects poorly on them, this is an internal reaction they have because they aren’t happy with themselves.

It’s just easier to point those feelings outward on you – rather than inward on themselves.

But there will also be people in your corner.

You also need to be aware that when someone does say something positive, that’s something you should really appreciate.

Use that as positive reinforcement, but don’t rely on it. 

As I said before, you should be working on these transformational life changes for you, and for you only.

After all it ONLY matters what you think and believe about yourself.

For me…

I really just take all this negativity as a compliment.

And…

I’m expecting a shit ton more of these “compliments” as I keep evolving and continue to create the superhero version of myself!

Ready to make a Transformation?

The Iron Will 28-Day Reboot is a four-week, step-by-step transformation program for men & women 35 & over, that includes a clean meal plan, personalized supplementation, fat-burning & body-changing workouts, and daily inspiration to help you feel STRONG & CONFIDENT, look AMAZING and have much more ENERGY to do the things you really want to do!

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Where the hell is Curd?

Where the hell is Curd?

So this week was my birthday week.

I turned 53.

I unplugged from most things and it was time to reflect and take stock.

I always take this week to reflect on everything going on in my life.

My physical health,

My mental health,

My relationships health,

My business health.

Then I decide on new goals and objectives for the next year.

For the last few years what I saw wasn’t very good – neither was my work on setting new goals and objectives to improve going forward.

This year was different – very different!

 

curd hos transformation

 

The physical

This year not only did I lose 120 lbs – but I am in probably the very best shape of my life.

My physical energy and endurance is through the roof.

The mental

This is the area of the most improvement.

I decided that I would live my life by 4 non-negotiable daily standards or rituals.

  • Food mastery
  • Exercise
  • Personal Presentation
  • Mindset programming

My relationships

Here I worked on deepening relationships with the people most important to me.

My wife.

My kids.

My inner circle of influence – which I made much, much smaller (friends – training partners – business partners).

I also stepped away from negative or draining relationships. 

I didn’t unfriend anyone, I just adjusted my energy spent and expectations.

My Business Health 

This one was tricky for sure this year.

Rebuilding after closing my training facility. 

Growing the Iron Hos Gear brand amidst the Covid craziness severely limited our capability to run meets and events.

Working on some very exciting new partnerships and projects for the brand.

Creating the Iron Will Reboot Transformation weight-loss program, brought about by the huge transformation I have undergone. 

Which led to many people being inspired and motivated to do the same for themselves!

Am I Bragging?!

Nope, not at all, but I am taking inventory of the wins and taking the time warranted to appreciate them.

Has it been easy?

Fuck no!

I have wanted to quit many times as old feelings of inadequacy and poor self-esteem reared its head many times in the beginning.

At the start, I was physically and mentally tired and broken.

Then as I started to make real progress the old “Imposter Syndrome” started to appear.

Who was I to think I could do this?

At my age?

I was too fat.

I had used up all my chances.

There wasn’t enough time left.

These were hard feelings to keep at bay. 

My mindset had to become very strong. I had to develop and MAINTAIN an Iron Will.

Taking a break 

I also took a break this week on my diet. 

I did keep my daily weigh-ins going, but didn’t freak out with my weight coming back up a bit.

I didn’t go crazy with food, but rather ate closer to a maintenance level and had a few cheat meals along the way in celebration of my birthday.

Having spent much of the last year in a daily calorie deficit, and especially over the last 60 days or so where I dropped over 50 lbs, it was time for a little “diet break.”

I kept the workouts the same and increased the length of my outdoor walks.

The added calorie intake gave me a nice boost of energy in the gym as it allowed more overall muscle recovery to happen.

Now it’s time to set new goals and get refocused!

What lies ahead in 2021 – 2022

 

Weight Loss and Physique

My next goal is to get down to 250 lbs and to decide which bodybuilding show I will do in 2021.

I am so happy that my passion for working out has not only returned but is now at a level I have never ever held before.

Business 

I have some exciting projects that will be coming to fruition in 2021. 

Additions to the Iron Hos Brand of apparel and accessories.

Opening an ultra-private training facility and retail location for Iron Hos Gear.

Running strength events as soon as the Covid climate and regulations allow us to do so.

Continue to help men and women make amazing transformations and discover the very best versions of themselves with the Iron Will Reboot transformation program and the Iron Will Academy.

Relationships

Create more time and space for quality time with the people that matter most to me. Do what I can to help enrich their lives.

Hopefully, get back to some travel once we can do so again.

Mindset

Here is an area I want to really explore and push myself in the coming year. 

I want to go deeper than I ever have in training and strengthening my mind.

I plan on doing this with daily rituals and mental and physical challenges designed to increase my Iron Will.

I have come to realize that ALL real change happens in our minds and how we think about ourselves and the world around us.

Stop yer grinnin’ and drop yer linen!

One of my favorite sayings, meaning it’s time to take action and move on to the next level.

I’m excited.

I’m grateful.

I’m ready.

 

Let’s fucking go !

 

Struggle – Persevere – Succeed – Inspire

 

Curd 

 

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Naked and Crying

 

Naked and Crying

I found myself in an all too familiar state this afternoon.

At times in life many of us have found ourselves in a moment of great despair, pushed to a point where we break.

Often it hits us when we are all alone, overwhelmed we let it out, tears flowing, body shaking, feeling naked and alone (sometimes we’re actually naked in bed or coming out of the shower) and it hits us square in the face.

The truth of our sadness or unhappiness can’t be hidden anymore.

Something in our life is making us miserable

Our body.
Our mind.
Our relationships.
Our business or career.

One or all of these areas can suck for us.

I know for me over the years I have found myself at incredible low points or “bottoms.”

Points at which I had to let it out – I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Food – Sex – Booze could no longer mask my feelings. Usually these things were making it worse and were causing even more issues for me.

I remember one time in particular I was in the shower – openly crying, just letting the water run over me as I was overtaken with emotion. I knew I couldn’t continue living my life in the manner I had been.

Something had to change.

I also knew that only I could do anything about it.

The next day I gave up drinking and got sober ( 6+ years now at the time of writing this).

The great thing about hitting bottom

These “bottoms” were usually followed by me taking massive action, picking myself up by my bootstraps and forging ahead.

I have done this during:

Business failures,
Relationships ending,
Loss of life close to me,
Deciding to no longer live as an obese and weak person.

However, there have been times (albeit more rare) that I have been this emotional in times of great happiness!

The birth of my children.
Business successes.
Achieving great results competing in the bench press.

Today I once again found myself naked and in tears.

This time it was one of joy and celebration.

As I stepped on the scale naked I weighed in and saw these numbers flash,

2-7-9

279 lbs.

I had done it.

 

From 398 lbs – obese – weak and broken mentally – unhappy with my current levels of business – my mindset – the quality of my relationships

Now 279 lbs – feeling 1000% better physically and mentally.

My business and relationships have improved dramatically (even in the midst of this crazy covid world).

I hadn’t been this light in 30 years!

I got very emotional.

There I was naked and crying.

Not gonna lie, this ‘Naked” version looked much better ..lol!

This is definitely a good version of naked and crying.

It was great to just sit there and take it all in.

Appreciate how far I had come.

Look at what amazing things had changed for me.

See what exciting new opportunities now present themselves to me.

Acknowledge and respect all the hard work I had just accomplished (something we don’t do enough with ourselves and our accomplishments)

All this as I turn 53 in a few days.

At 398 lbs I felt that time was running out and I would miss out on so much.

At 279 I feel like there is so much that can and will be accomplished with the time I have in front of me!

Struggle – Persevere – Succeed- Inspire

 

 

 

 

 

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From Fat – Broke and an Alcoholic to building a Kickass Training Facility

what success really looks like curd hos
A Dream come true….

 

Everyone has dreams and goals. Anyone who knows me, knows I have 100’s and that’s being conservative.

I have worked hard all my life. Always working on the next thing. I have had some great successes and some near fatal catastrophes.

At the basis of all that I have done, the very part of me that’s makes me truly me is weightlifting and powerlifting.

I have owned a few gyms over the 25 + years. I liked them, but I never really LOVED them.

 

Up until I started Hostyle, I built businesses purely for the $$.

 

I never really dared build a business the way I truly wanted it to be.

 

The way I wanted to be.

 

Partly out of fear of failure – what if nobody likes it?

 

Mostly out of not really knowing what I really wanted – I didn’t really know enough about me at first.

 

I never took the time to ask those deep questions – what really makes me tick?

 

It wasn’t until I went from 5 Fitness Warehouse supplement stores down to 1 location back in 2009.

 

My business world had imploded.. I fucked shit up.. no matter what people or anyone say, I was responsible for all of it.

 

Not doing the things I knew deep down I should have done. I listened to the wrong people – only because they were saying what I wanted to hear at the time.

 

Anything to drown out the voice in my head that was shouting at me to make changes much sooner.

 

I knew then I wasn’t really being “me” anymore.

 

Rebuilding business

 

So I sat there in my Orleans store in 2009 and decided to really quiet my mind and listen to that voice.

 

I began to write things out, What did I want?

 

I knew I was going to stay in the Health and Fitness field. Question was how?

 

I was broke
My Business failed
I was fat – almost 400 lbs
I was an alcoholic
I was so fuckin broken and sad

 

I sketched out a list of things that I would have to do to create the life I truly desired.

 

It was long and really, really, really daunting!

 

Imagine Me – A fat guy running a fitness bootcamp.

 

Many people thought  I was crazy, after all they just saw me fail at a huge level.

 

Some people thought I would pack up and move away.

 

what success really looks like curd hos hangar hostyle
Looking back I can see that’s where and when Hostyle was born.

 

I started it in that small 1500 sq ft store..

 

I knew if I focused on helping others, others like me that needed to rebuild themselves, I would have something special and unique.

 

They laughed at me in Berlin..

 

Some of my competitors told people that I was a joke, how was I gonna be able to build a bootcamp business when I was fat.

 

One of my current members who used to train at another gym, told me of the day that owner walked in and said to him that this “Curd Hos” guy is opening a bootcamp in Orleans and that I was gonna fail coz I was over weight.

 

Another personal trainer took one of my first videos and posted it up on his facebook account with a message that said… “who would ever get trained by this guy (me)”

 

see video below

WTF

 

I didn’t even know these guys.

 

I took the high road – but I never forgot that shit.. It became part of fuel, my drive to succeed.

 

It made me realize that if I’m going to do anything I needed to be 100% true to myself.

 

That’s the only way I would be able to shoulder the huge work load ahead of me.

 

I always gave myself goals that were challenging.

 

Once I decide to do something – get out of my way.

 

Maybe that’s what they were afraid of –

 

They saw that in me when I didn’t see it at the time

 

fuck those guys….

 

We grew, we stumbled, I kept going.

 

a little over 3 years ago I moved into the location I’m in now. A former gym 5500 sq feet.

 

We grew, we stumbled, I kept going

 

2 years ago I took over the wine making place growing our space to 7500.

 

We grew, we stumbled, I kept going

 

This summer we took the rest of the basement another 6000 sq feet –

 

the hangar gym
The Hangar Gym was born.
We have a total of 13,500 sq ft.
The Hangar Gym is the next installment
I wanted a Kick Ass Training Facility with
  • the best equipment
  • great coaches
  • the best clients
  • an amazing atmosphere
  • an amazing team as my staff
Finally a gym that I am truly proud of – one that’s as serious as you are..

 

I’m still kinda fat – but fuck I’m happy and stronger than ever.

 

Curd
people of the hangar gym
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Wholly Shit Hostyle is 7 years old!

Hostyle BBQ

Can you believe it?    7 Years!!!
We started with 1 Tuesday Nite class at 6 pm in a 2000 Sq ft Retails Store.

3 years ago we moved and expanded to 6000 sq ft and 18 month ago we added another space for a total of 8000 sq ft!

From my first client Jojo (who is still crushing it here 3 x week) to over 150 current members and hundreds more who have been through these doors!

Pretty cool considering some people said it would last..

Hell I remember 1 asshole from the Ottawa area on Facebook using one of my early videos trying to promote his personal training studio by

posting “why would you get trained by this guy” making his sales pitch based on me being overweight.

Or the dude who left a review on yelp saying I was fat and lazy…..

I have only used that as fire in the belly to keep building my brand and working on delivering great workout experiences and results for my clients.

Those doucebags are far out weighed by the incredible journey this has been for me and my awesome clients at Hostyle

Seeing the men and women transform their bodies, their minds and their lives is truly a gift to be a part of.

I am truly thankful to be able to do what I do at Hostyle, the hard work is paying off and we have created something truly special.

Now Its Time to celebrate all that we have accomplished at Hostyle!

It’s the 7 th Anniversary BBQ Party

Saturday May 14th from 3 pm to 6 pm we are having a Chicken Bar B Que!

It will be an afternoon of

We are also making an amazing Announcement That you will not want to miss!!

I have been working on a crazy exciting project that will be revealed during the BBQ.

Those who will be at the BBQ will

Ready to get your BBQ on?

Click here to get your Tickets ==> FEED ME Chicken and Excitement <==

I am looking forward to celebrating with you guys on the 14th 

Curd