Unlikely Weapons

Everything is useful. Everything sharpens you. Everything can be a tool.

What’s Your Walk In Song?

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If you had a walk in song (similar to a walk out song for a fighter) every time you entered a room…

What would it be?

Not your favorite song. Not the most meaningful song. Not the one with sentimental memories.

The one that says:

This is who I am when it’s go time.

A walk in song implies something most people never think about:

Presence.

You don’t shuffle into a room. You don’t apologize for being there. You don’t need to explain yourself.

You arrive.

And that song is the energy you carry with you.

This question cuts through all the noise.

No bios. No resumes. No humblebrags.

Just vibe.

Because nobody picks a walk in song that doesn’t feel like them.

The guy who picks classic rock? Steady. Grounded. Old-school. Hard to rattle.

The guy who picks metal or hardcore? Intensity. Edge. Controlled aggression. Ready.

The guy who picks rap? Swagger. Dominance. Rhythm. Confidence.

The guy who picks cinematic soundtrack music? Mission-driven. Main-character energy. Purpose. (Bonus points if it’s the Terminator 2: Judgment Day theme song.)

The guy who can’t pick?

Still figuring himself out.

Here’s the sneaky part.

The music you train to is usually your walk in music.

The music you play in the car when you’re feeling locked in?

Walk in.

The song that makes your posture change when it comes on?

That’s the one.

You don’t need to tell people who you are.

If they heard your walk in song…

They’d know.

Mine?

Sad But True — Metallica.

Slow. Heavy. Inevitable.

I don’t enter rooms quickly.

I enter them deliberately.

What’s yours?

My Top 5 Favorite Movies Are from 2 Franchises That Involve Time Travel

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From the Brickyard | Subject: Brickwall’s interesting top five

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So here’s something kind of wild I just realized.

If you ask me for my top five favorite movies of all time, here’s what I’ll tell you:

  1. Back to the Future (Part 1)
  2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  3. Back to the Future Part 2
  4. The Terminator
  5. Back to the Future Part 3

Yep. That’s three Back to the Futures and two Terminators.

Apparently, I’ve got a thing for DeLoreans, cybernetic assassins, and timelines that make your brain hurt.

But maybe there’s something deeper going on here.

Both of these franchises mess with time. They wrestle with regret. They chase the question: “Can we change what’s already happened?”

And maybe that’s the draw.

Because let’s be real—don’t we all wish we could jump in a time machine now and then?

Go back, fix the thing we broke. Say the thing we didn’t.

Lift the damn weight we skipped. Eat the meal we should’ve made. Make the choice that would’ve set us up better now.

But here’s the kicker, brother:

You don’t need a time machine. You need right now.

What you do today can rewrite tomorrow.

What you build this week can fix what was broken last year.

You can’t change your past.

But you sure as hell can change your future.

(Sidenote: Anyone else ever get lost for hours on IMDB clicking through movie trivia? I could write a thesis on the BTTF hoverboard scene alone 😅)

Also—shoutout to the legend who made a fan mash-up of Back to the Future and The Terminator. It’s honestly so good, it’ll make you wish there was a crossover movie where Doc Brown and Sarah Connor team up to save humanity.

Think about it:

Marty + Arnold vs. Skynet + Biff

I can’t even fathom the epicness.

But enough about movies. Let’s bring it back to you, right now.

The DeLorean isn’t coming. Skynet isn’t hunting you. There’s no sequel where you get to redo the reps you skipped, the meals you blew, the choices you dodged.

There’s only this timeline.

The one where you either show up today or you don’t.

No time machine. No reset button. Just now.

Learn from the past. Anchor in the present. Build the future.

Brick by brick.

-Brickwall

Being a Rock Star

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Being a Rock Star

From the Brickyard | Subject: A lesson learned from an improbable dream

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Who hasn’t thought about being a rock star?

If you love music, it’s only natural.

You hear a track that hits just right and suddenly you’re on stage—lights in your eyes, crowd moving with you, whole room bending to your rhythm.

Then reality taps you on the shoulder.

I don’t play a single instrument. I took guitar lessons as a kid, scratched the surface, learned a few chords, and walked away. My voice is deep and quiet—not exactly arena-ready.

And the final nail in the coffin?

I don’t have the thousands of invisible hours it takes to practice, rehearse, record, and bleed for the craft.

So the rock star fantasy goes back on the shelf—somewhere between pro basketball player and movie star. 😂

But here’s the thing.

It’s not the music I actually want.

It’s the becoming.

The late nights. The practice reps. The mastery earned when nobody’s watching.

That’s the real rock star fantasy—not the lights, but the forge.

So I’m shelving the guitar dreams.

Not because I can’t be a rock star—but because I chose a different stage.

The gym. The websites. The work.

Same hunger. Different instruments.

Brick by brick.

-Brickwall

What Actually Is “6-7”?

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What Actually Is “6-7”?

From the Brickyard | Subject: Humanity’s weirdest obsession: making nonsense go viral

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I didn’t want to.

But, I had to write about it.

Somewhere out there, in a middle school hallway, a kid just yelled “6-7!” at full volume.

Nobody knows why.

He doesn’t even know why.

But now ten other kids are yelling it too.

And that, brother, is what we call…the internet in real life.

The Origins (Probably. Maybe.)

Depending on who you ask, “6-7” either:

  • Came from a rapper named Skrilla,
  • Is the height of NBA star LaMelo Ball,
  • Or was just two random numbers that caught fire.

No one can confirm.

No one cares.

And that’s exactly why it blew up.

The best memes don’t mean anything—they just sound like they do.

Like the universe hiccupped and Gen Alpha decided to chant it for eternity.

A Trip Down Viral Meme Lane

Let’s not act like we’re above it.

We’ve all fallen victim to the madness.

  • Remember “What are those!”?
  • Planking?
  • Or the dark age when every human on Earth said “YEET!” at least once a day?

Yeah. We’ve all been there.

Each generation gets its own language of nonsense—a way to bond through shared absurdity.

The only difference now?

TikTok made the nonsense global…and loud.

Why We Love Dumb Things

Because deep down, it’s kind of beautiful.

A meaningless sound can unite millions of people across the world for a couple months.

It’s primal.

It’s tribal.

It’s digital campfire energy—minus the warmth and plus the screen glow.

But it also shows how fragile our focus is.

A billion-dollar tech industry can make half the planet scream “6-7” before breakfast.

The Builder’s Take

You don’t have to hate it.

You just have to see through it.

Laugh at it, sure.

But don’t let your brain get rewired for meaningless loops.

Because while the world chants numbers, you’re out there stacking bricks—numbers that actually count.

Sets and reps.

Now those are numbers worth repeating.

Brickpile Lesson:

Memes fade. Muscle lasts. Laugh at the noise—then get back to the work.

Brick by brick.

-Brickwall

Brickwall’s Best of Gunna

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From the Brickyard | Subject: A playlist to float to

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It all started when “on one tonight” (sic) came on in a random Spotify mix.

Ever since, I’ve been hooked on Gunna’s sound.

Cloudy. Dreamy. Silky. Melodic. Cool as hell.

So cool I had to coin my own term for it:

Float Trap.

This playlist is my personal best-of—the tracks that hit the hardest, float the smoothest, and keep me locked into the moment.

Great for long gym sessions.

Great for deep work and late-night missions.

Great for cruising with your lady.

Throw these on…and float.

What Is Otter Mode (And Should You Go Otter Mode?)

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What Is Otter Mode (And Should You Go Otter Mode?)

From the Brickyard | Subject: Otter Mode…a look that’s not for the faint of heart

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You’ve probably heard the term “Otter Mode” floating around the bodybuilding space.

But just what the hell is it, really?

The Breakdown

Otter Mode isn’t trying to look like an actual otter (but whatever you’re into, brother. I don’t judge 🤣).

No, the name comes from the sleek, functional, muscular build of swimmers—streamlined, aesthetic, and performance-driven. Like otters, they move with power and precision.

We’re talking:

  • Visible abs
  • Low body fat (7–10%)
  • Athletic proportions, not bulky
  • That “ready to dive into the ocean or the club” look

Otter Mode certainly turns heads when the shirt comes off, but…

The Reality Check

Otter Mode isn’t exactly easy to maintain.

You’ll need:

  • Discipline with diet (high protein, high fiber, no fluff, no junk)
  • Dedication to both weights and cardio, with lots of incidental movement
  • Excellent sleep hygiene.
  • Saying goodbye to alcohol (which you should do anyways)

Most guys can dip into Otter Mode for summer, a photoshoot, or a short “mission window.”

But staying there year-round? That’s a grind.

Should You Go Otter Mode?

If your goal is to turn heads, feel light, athletic, and look razor-sharp—go for it.

It’s possible as a Musclebuilder—but it takes precision, consistency, and control.

Just know: it’s tough.

And it’s not for the faint of heart.

Either way—keep building, brother.

Brick by brick.

-Brickwall

Brickwall’s Favorite Christmas Movie

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From the Brickyard | Subject: It didn’t win any Oscars, but it won my heart

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You can keep your classics.

Your black-and-white tearjerkers.

Your Hallmark specials.

Give me Jingle All the Way.

Arnold. Sinbad. Turbo Man.

Peak 90s chaos. Pure childhood adrenaline.

It’s not the “best” Christmas movie.

But it is the one burned into my DNA.

The mall fights.

The Booster slander.

The mail bomb scene they somehow let slide in a kids’ movie.

The Minnesota landmarks sneaking into half the shots like a cameo.

This movie is Christmas to me.

It’s nostalgia.

It’s simpler times when all you needed was hot cocoa, snow falling sideways, and Arnold getting into hilarious hijinks all to get a toy.

Every year it hits the same spot:

That warm, goofy, chaotic, childhood-core feeling.

Call it what you want…

You can hate it.

I don’t care.

For me?

And it’s not Christmas until Turbo Man takes flight.

Like your physique, the Christmas spirit is built, not found.

Brick by brick.

-Brickwall

Hit With Passion: Turn the Switch All the Way Up

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From the Brickyard | Subject: What true passion actually looks like

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Sometimes something just slaps you in the face and says:

“This is what life looks like when someone gives a damn.”

That’s what happened at the last concert I was at.

I wasn’t expecting enlightenment.

I was expecting good music, a solid night, a cool vibe.

Instead?

I got hit with passion.

Not the fake kind.

Not the Instagram-aesthetic kind.

The real deal:

The singer fully alive. The band fully in sync.

Everyone up there pouring themselves out like they didn’t have anything to save for tomorrow.

It wasn’t polished.

It wasn’t plastic.

It wasn’t perfect.

It was real.

And that honesty has a force to it.

It makes you ask questions you haven’t asked in a while:

  • When’s the last time you poured your soul into something?
  • When’s the last time you showed up all the way on?
  • When’s the last time you cared enough to lose yourself in what you were doing?

We all talk about “passion” like it’s a personality trait.

But watching those guys up there…it hit me:

Passion is work.

Passion is reps.

Passion is practice until you disappear into the craft.

Passion is showing up on a random Tuesday and deciding:

“I’m going to be excellent whether anyone notices or not.”

That show reminded me of something:

Most people are living on 30%.

Dimmed.

Muted.

Running safe settings.

But the ones who turn the switch all the way up?

You feel them from across the room.

You remember them.

You leave changed.

That’s the kind of life I want to build.

I’m going to keep building, building until one day someone sees me in my element and thinks:

“Damn… that man is ON.”

Building it.

Brick by brick.

-Brickwall