cleans, dead lifts, etc. The basics establish the API method regarding every athlete prior to increasing speed and weight.”
An average Joe should do Caveman training about three to four days a week at most and incorporate both cardio and strength days. That means that the average Joe would be in a beginner’s or intermediate class and could pull off doing that many training sessions per week.
Pro fighters should be doing a periodical schedule of at least two days per week. And, more importantly, they should listen to the strength and conditioning instructor when it comes to tapering and stopping rather than listening to their technical coaches. Matt elaborated: “That is one of the sore spots that Scott and I have had to deal with—technical coaches overriding a periodical schedule for professional fights. I can’t think of us going to an MMA or grappling class and telling the athlete, ‘you don’t have to work on your strikes because we’ll take it from here up to your fight’ Are you fucking kidding me! It’s a passionate topic that is still pretty raw to both Scott and I.”
Their slogan adorned the walls inside the famed institution, reading “Commit... No Excuses.” It was a simple slogan, but direct and to the point. It came to fruition when both Matt and Scott were training a group while chatting about part-time clients and athletes who had been asking them to train. They kept saying that they would come in but never did, just bullshitting and talking a good game. Matt recollected, “We were both fed up with it, and Scott said, ‘Matt, I want to paint “Commit... No Excuses!” on the wall because I’m tired of these pussies telling us what they were gonna do. Either you commit to it or don’t. The other slogan that we’ve been thinking of and that we like to use a lot is, ‘Don’t fucking tell me what you’re gonna do.... Show me.’ Scott was always the more diplomatic one. But that slogan is the epitome of how Scott and I have looked at training and how to approach all aspects of life. You can talk a big fucking game, but talk is cheap. Run your mouth somewhere else. We don’t care about shit that you may or may not wanna do.”
Scott and Matt came from an inherently dangerous profession. The attacks and ever-changing world of vice, drug dealers, duplicitous informants, bullshit administrative backstabbing, and the pressures that go with it required a real, solid approach toward how to live and how to do a job. How does this translate to training? They go in, set a goal they want to achieve, and they get it done. This is how they want all of their athletes to look at training, a great principle that their students can take with them to their professions and the real world.
API is known to be hard on their athletes, and for good reason, as I asked Matt whether they would baby their athletes. I received the expected response: “Hell no. Life is hard. Training is hard. Sometimes you will get shit on, sometimes you will fail or embarrass yourself, but if you can have the right frame of mind in place from the very beginning, from the very first time you step into API, anywhere around the world, then you are already ahead of the game. When that cage door closes behind you, the only person you can rely on is the man in the mirror. Your coaches and teammates can yell all they want, but the person who either survives or attacks is up to you. Train like the way you fight. Train your brain to push past all that bullshit.”
It takes a really different type of human to make a career out of fighting, and the prima donnas need not apply. People need to be able to push past their perceived limitations to mentally step on the accelerator when everyone else presses the brake; that’s what it took to be the best, and that is the type of athlete Matt was looking for.
“I have personally kicked paying clients out of our Training Center and gave them directions to Crossfit because they don’t have the heart. If you don’t have the competitive juices to push yourself or don’t want to learn, then go somewhere else because I do not want to be held responsible when you quit on yourself.”
Another drastic approach API uses is that if you attend advanced classes and you quit a routine, you leave and do not come back. This seems harsh but it’s proactive, instilling team loyalty in all of their athletes. They did not push people past their physical limitations to the extent that it appeared. All API certified instructors would taper weights for students, and Matt put it best: “Yes, you will suck ass, you will look like shit the first time, but if you quit, then you really don’t want to get better. I would rather have an athlete who sucks ass and chokes but keeps pushing forward than a top athlete who quits because they don’t feel it. It’s pretty simple, it goes back to Scott and I being work partners. We bang down a door on a narcotics search warrant and I’m going through that door first, Scott is right over my right shoulder. We are not going to quit in the middle of the breach; lives are at stake! It’s the same here at API. Your life of being better, your commitment to yourself is at stake. You wanted to come to Advanced? Then prove to us you belong here. Or keep working at Intermediate or Basic. If you commit, there’s no going back.”
Sean Sherk, who was known as one of the hardest training athletes in the world, only had positive things to say about Matt and Scott. “I love those guys. You know I’m really good friends with both those guys. So I think that Scott brought something really great to the table for me, and when he did I grabbed onto it and we both ran with it, you know? I mean, anyone who has seen my UFC All Access, you know.... So you know I think they’ve helped me immensely.”
We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into as we drove up to the monstrous complex and became giddy as we saw the API sign above the doors. We had finally made it, buzzing off junk food and energy drinks, not knowing what was in store for us past those doors.
Once inside, we were greeted at the front desk by Dan Piper, one of the head instructors, and we were then taken on a tour of the facility. We marched through the corridor with rooms on both sides as we were introduced to the massive facility. The inside of the building was just as impressive as the exterior, with a 2,000-square-foot multi-purpose area and 1,000 square feet of strength and conditioning gear. All together, with the adjoined Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, there was a combined 11,000 square feet of fun.
Once I walked into the open area, I quickly noticed tires probably weighing in excess of 300 pounds, the different sizes of sledge hammers, bars hanging off the walls, ropes off the ceiling and on the walls, dumbbells, machines, gas masks, Airdyne bikes, and wheelbarrows, all creating the space known only as “API.” I whispered to my pals, “Wow, definitely not your typical weight room” as we slowly made our way in. I immediately felt a surge of adrenaline as my eyes widened even though we had not slept all night.
A familiar face approached us with a kind smile and a firm handshake. “Hey guys, I’m Scott. I hear you came down all the way from Canada?” I recognized him from the Sean Sherk and Brock Lesnar UFC All Access show, although now he was missing the crazy goatee. He had a warm face and stocky frame with slightly rounded cheeks, with a darkness I could not put my finger on. He was very friendly with a bright demeanor, which was quite the opposite of his image, as he looked like a very tough guy, rugged with a helping of “I will kick your ass!”
There were others present for class who were more punctual than we were, but I noticed that there were no tables at which to sit, and stations were set up along the gym. It started to dawn on me that we had a hell of a night in store for us, and we weren’t going to be burying our noses in the books that night!
During the warm-up, we did dynamic stretches and a little cardio to get the heart pumping, but the truth was that all eight of us were working hard and dripping with sweat, with our hard breathing indicating as much. After a good twenty-minute warm-up, the instructors started preparing the circuit. While we waited, we learned about proper warm-ups and that training cold was a recipe for disaster that could lead to muscle cramps, strains, or worse, injuries. Even small injuries meant time away from the gym, preventing you from reaching your goals in a major way. We were also shown the puke buckets and their locations in case we would need them; we thought it was more for show than anything else.
As we saw the gauntlet
