Are you sluggish or sweaty?

Ever had life force you to stop doing something you love?

A couple Fridays ago

We were flying down the Red Mountain Rush trail.

One of my favorite black diamond mountain bike trails in Arizona.

The view from the top is insane.

Mesa, Tempe, and Phoenix sprawl out to the west

And the Salt River snakes through the landscape below.

Pure magic.

3 miles of sheer downhill adrenaline.

Sharp turns.

Jumps.

Rock drops.

Me and my buddy Brad bombing through the desert with:

• giant grins

• pure bliss

• and minimal brakes

It was one of those this is why we ride days.

Fired up and unstoppable, we decided,

"One more lap.”

“Let's hit Big Sister and Twisted Sister.”

“After Red Mountain Rush, it'll be cake."

That's when everything changed.

I launched off the second jump (like I'd done hundreds of times before) and…..

BOOOM

My front tire exploded on landing.

Next thing I know, I'm flying through the air at 20mph...

Slammed shoulder-first into a massive boulder.

Instant agony.

Vision blurred.

Painful grunting.

Five endless minutes passed before I could see clearly.

Collarbone?

Snapped.

Scapula? (a notoriously tough bone to break)

Broken.

But here's the kicker that hit harder than the crash itself:

Before surgery, my surgeon looked me dead in the eye and said,

"Zack, whatever you do—don't sweat for two weeks."

Two weeks!!!

No sweating???

No workouts???!!

No energy-boosting morning routines???!!!

I nodded... but inside,

I PANICKED!

Because for the last year,

sweating every day has been one of my non-negotiables.

It’s how I start my day.

It’s how I build momentum.

It’s how I keep:

• my mind sharp

• my energy high

• my confidence locked in

• and my mood? Always stoked :)

45 minutes.

Every day.

Six days a week. (Sunday is for Jesus and rest)

Breaking a sweat = Living a better life

So when the doctor banned it, I felt like a junkie cut off from his fix.

Not because I’m obsessed with working out—

But because I know what it does for me.

• More energy.

• More clarity.

• More fire.

Not just physically—everywhere.

But here's the problem:

People often think,

"I don't have the energy to work out."

The truth is (and I'm bluntly serious here):

Working out GIVES you energy.

It doesn't take it away.

It's the spark that ignites everything else.

I learned this back in 8th grade.

Made a tiny commitment: 25 push-ups and 25 sit-ups.

Every. Single. Day.

Missed less than 5 days in 3 YEARS.

It became the foundation of my success.

That small habit snowballed into bigger wins:

• Cleaner eating

• Earlier wake-ups

• More reading

• More workouts

• Better decisions

• Bigger goals
  

It's what I call a "spark goal" 

- the one habit that sets off a chain reaction of success in every other area of your life.

You want to grow your business?

Start by breaking a sweat.

You want more confidence?

Break a sweat.

You want more discipline, momentum, drive?

Break a sweat.

Right now, sitting here with metal plates in my shoulder,

I'm craving that morning sweat more than ever.

I'm counting down the days 'til I can sweat again.

Until then, here's my invitation to you:

Pick ONE physical commitment.

Something small.

Something daily.

Something that will spark everything else.

Could be:

• 10 push-ups

• A 10-minute walk

• 5 minutes of stretching

• 20 jumping jacks

What matters is you do it every day.

Just make it a non-negotiable.

Hit reply and tell me your spark goal.

If you want accountability, I’ll hold you to it.

Let's create more energy.

More clarity.

More success.

-Zack "Sweaty" Powell