Morning Iron

Morning training starts before the arena even stirs. I stepped off the microfiber cloth, locked my eyes onto a sharpened yellow pencil resting across the desk mat, and marched straight into position. No excuses, no warm-up. I dipped my stance, hoisted the hexagonal wooden shaft across the back of my shoulders like a solid barbell, and gripped the grain tight. Down into a deep squat, holding the weight against gravity, then powering straight back up through the heels. Ten clean reps to set the tone for the day. The People's Champ is locked and loaded.