Athlete Builder: The Blueprint to Build Champion Athletes

Jim Beebe

Athlete Builder

The Blueprint to Build Champion Athletes

First published by Resilience Leadership LLC 2024

Copyright © 2024 by Jim Beebe

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First edition

ISBN: 979-8-218-49858-0

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This is for all those who told me no and for anyone who’s ever heard it before too. This book is how you say, Oh yeah, watch me.

Contents

Foreword

Praise For Athlete Builder

Introduction

1. Seven Levels of Why

2. Building Your Machine

3. Identity

4. Core Values Introduction

5. Integrity

6. Discipline = Freedom

7. Kaizen

8. Teamwork

9. Enjoyment

10. Sisu

11. Inches Assessment Test

12. Mindset - Decisions

13. Mindset - Limiting Beliefs

14. Mindset - Brainwashing

15. Mindset - Confidence and Toughness

16. Mindset - Pressure

17. Mindset - Way of Inches

18. Knowledge – Here’s the Deal . . . .

19. Knowledge - Mentors

20. Knowledge - Mindset

21. Knowledge - Teammates

22. Knowledge - Three Must Know Basics

23. Knowledge - Way of Inches

24. Teammates

25. Teammates - Your Squad

26. Teammates - Leadership Team

27. Teammates - Support Team

28. Teammates - Way of Inches

29. Training

30. Training - Let’s Get After It

31. Training - Way of Inches

32. Nutrition

33. Nutrition - Basics Without Food

34. Nutrition - Basics Round Two

35. Nutrition - Macronutrients

36. Nutrition - Way of Inches

37. Recovery

38. Recovery - Sleep

39. Recovery - Cold Therapy

40. Recovery - Breathing and Meditation

41. Recovery - Trainers and Docs

42. Recovery - Music

43. Recovery - Flipping the Switch

44. Recovery - The Gift of Injury

45. Recovery - Way of Inches

46. The Way of Inches - Annual Plan

47. The Way of Inches - Quarterly Plan

48. The Way of Inches - Monthly Plan

49. The Way of Inches - Weekly Plan

50. The Way of Inches - Daily Plan

About the Author

Foreword

By Zane Fakes

Strength &Conditioning Assistant, Indianapolis Colts, All-Mac and Academic All-American, Ball State University Football

This book is exactly what the title says it is. It leaves no stone unturned regarding a comprehensive approach to becoming a champion. As I was reading through it, I realized how fortunate I was to have parents that instilled many of the ideas in this book. The main point of this blueprint is that there is no substitute for hard work. Anyone can read as many books as possible about how to become successful in various ventures, but without putting the content into action, it is useless. I appreciate Jim for putting his knowledge into a book for everyone to learn. He is not afraid to give away his secrets. I believe this is because he knows his worth and that no one can execute his plan better than he can.Jim is a confident man that is relentless in his pursuit of getting better. If someone reads this book, and puts it into practice, I have no doubt that they will accomplish whatever it is they aimed to do.

I also want to thank Jim for giving me a chance to get my start in the strength and conditioning profession. I believe he helped me look at things differently. He had a perspective that many people I associated with did not have. At the end of the day, we were more similar than different. Jim accused me of being too harsh on the athletes I was training at one point. But once I explained my thought process, he actually agreed with me. I hold myself to a high standard of work ethic and accountability. When I am working with someone, I expect that same commitment. In the instances that I feel the athlete has not met my expectations, I do not take that lightly. It all boils down to a few of my favorite quotes. Nobody cares, work harderIt takes what it takes. That is what this book lays out for the reader, a step by step approach to becoming the best.

Praise For Athlete Builder

"Jim Beebe’s book the Athlete Builder delivers all the essentials to develop the mindset needed to be a highly capable individual. Great book to advance yourself in sport but also in your workplace and life in general."

-Shane Sweatt, Founder of the Sweatt Shop and CrossFit Conjugate

"In Athlete Builder, the foundation of an athlete’s success lies in the power of mindset. Learn how it transforms training into a relentless pursuit of excellence, where every session is a step closer to greatness, and every challenge is an opportunity to grow stronger, both mentally and physically. With the right mental approach, training becomes purposeful, nutrition becomes fuel, and recovery becomes a strategic advantage, all coming together to forge an unbreakable spirit and unstoppable drive. I highly recommend this book for anyone trying to improve in these modalities and get to the next level in sport and in life."

-Jeff Gum, Founder & CEO of Sunga Life / Former Navy SEAL

Jim’s decades of experience, academic learning and coaching all came together beautifully to craft this book. His expertise, passion, and ability to simplify the winning processes and mindsets that it takes to excel at a high level make this book a masterpiece for the high achiever. Truly you will have an edge and advantage on the competition after absorbing this book.

Jesse Dale, IFBB Pro Bodybuilder. Founder of Macro Millionaire

"I have had the pleasure of working with Jim for over a decade. His resilience, attention to detail, and dedication to a goal is truly inspiring. Athlete Builder is a time-tested solution to helping you achieve any goal."

-Dan Brown, USAW National Coach / Founder of Lift Lab

"I highly recommend Athlete Builder by Jim Beebe, an authentic author, life coach, and trainer who truly lives by the principles he shares. Drawing from his own life experiences, Beebe provides realistic and relatable lessons, emphasizing the power of small victories in achieving bigger goals. This book offers a winning formula not only for success in the gym but also in life. It’s an inspiring read for anyone looking to build sustainable habits and personal growth."

-Craig Haggard, Indiana State Representative, Lt. Colonel U.S. Marine Corp (RET)

Jim Beebe has provided a blueprint for athletic success. So many times, athletes and coaches get ideas on training, accountability, nutrition and mental training. This is a blueprint to help develop a better athlete. This applies to those that are in educational settings and the athlete that is bettering themselves later in life. This book is a tool of learned best practices…put it into consistent use and you will be more prepared than your opponent come game time.

-Chad Dockery, Director of Athletics at Reitz Memorial High School, Evansville, IN. 25X State Title Winners.

Jim’ perspective and application on mindset seems to clarify decisiveness, resilience, and resourcefulness for optimal athletic performance and beyond.

-Kenny Bigbee, Former US Navy SEAL / Founder of Dragonfly Martial Arts & Fitness / Keynote Speaker

"The Athlete Builder Blueprint is just that, a blueprint for developing the mental and physical traits to succeed at a high level. Through passionate, honest, and real-life stories of overcoming challenges, Jim answers the how’s to becoming the best athlete you can become. It gives answers while holding the reader accountable to their choices. If you’re a coach looking to help your athletes, an athlete wondering how to separate yourself from your peers, or looking to level up in life, this book is for you."

-Kyle Moran, USA Weightlifting National Coach, Manager of Health and Fitness for Special Olympics Indiana, and the Founder of the Moran Academy

Jim, it’s clear you’ve put your whole heart into this. Personally, I’m a very visual learner. I really like the tables you’ve provided to break down strategies. And I love the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats (SWOT) analysis. I thought it was very useful to see SWOT’s broken out on certain topics. Great work.

-Kristy Follmar, Two-time Boxing Champion and Indiana Boxing Hall of Famer / Co-founder of Rock Steady Boxing

"Athlete Builder empowers athletes and coaches with a structured approach to achieving peak performance, emphasizing core values like integrity and discipline. It provides practical strategies for mindset, training, nutrition, and recovery, making continuous improvement manageable and effective. By focusing on small, consistent efforts, the book fosters a relentless pursuit of excellence, helping athletes and coaches make a lasting impact."

-Rich & Jimi Airey, Hosts of Airey Bros Radio, Ultra Athletes and Coaches.

While I was in high school, I played multiple sports (football, basketball, track/field, and baseball), and I wouldn’t have been half as successful playing them if it wasn’t for Unbreakable Athletics. I was able to rack up numerous accolades (all-state, all-conference, all-city) due to the unparalleled training at Unbreakable. Now as a cadet at the United States Military Academy (USMA), being physically fit is of the utmost importance. Before attending USMA, I was training consistently at Unbreakable with some of the best athletes on the west side of Indianapolis. There was no other place that set the foundation for physical excellence, structure, and discipline. I was always pushed by whoever was training me, and after every workout session I always felt that I bettered myself for having gone. I learned what hard work is like and it forced me to mature quickly; everything is earned not given. Having experienced what training in the military is like, I am so grateful to have the opportunity to train at a gym that holds you to such a high standard. Jim Beebe has been extremely flexible with training and has been able to do remote training. Because of that I am still able to pursue excellence, currently holding a near perfect (598/600) on the Army Combat Fitness Test.

-Timmy G., United States Military Academy, fourth year cadet.

If you want to be at your peak performance by the time you are in high school or college, starting early is essential. Unbreakable Athletics and Jim Beebe help athletes find discipline and work hard. My favorite activities from Unbreakable are training with other athletes, who will push you to be better every day, and meeting new teammates that will hold you accountable.

-Hunter H., Baseball catcher for DePauw University

My favorite thing about my time training at Unbreakable Athletics and Jim Beebe was the culture and camaraderie of our community, from the staff and coaches to the athletes and members. I love how the coaches educate the athletes and teach the reason and importance of specific movements that carry over into their sport.

-Danny N., D1 Football player for Colgate University

Training at Unbreakable Athletics with Jim Beebe has changed my life for the better in several ways. The competitive nature and need to get better is evident in the people who walk in there every day. I can confidently say that I wouldn’t be the same athlete I am without working with him and his team.

-Jack B., D1 Football player for Ball State University

If you know Jim, you know his passion and genuine care for athlete development. He is an exceptional coach who takes a holistic approach in developing the total athlete. His knowledge in developing both the mind and body has not only allowed numerous athletes to prosper in their given sport and overall training goals, but in life as well.

-Dan Wenger, Director of Strength & Conditioning Ball State University Football

"I have been an avid reader since the 4th grade. Early on I fell in love with reading about training and its many aspects. I chased that in my academic life as well as my vocation as a sports performance coach. I have read all the greats and frankly while they deliver the knowledge I found most dry and boring. The Blueprint for Building Champion Athletes is not only informative it is also entertaining. If you are serious about becoming a champion athlete or training champions, I highly suggest you get a copy. IT IS WORTH IT!"

-Chad Coy, Master Coach with the Parisi Speed School and Pro Strongman

Introduction

At the end of the day, I believe. I swallowed the American Dream Kool-Aid at an early age and have believed in it ever since. I’m the guy who bets on Rocky winning the big fight and the little guy going from rags to riches. I’ve lived this approach my entire life, for good and for bad. I’m also in my late forties now, and I have too many lessons to count in my mental databank. And yet, I’m still a believer.

I own and run Unbreakable Athletics Academy in Plainfield, Indiana. My mission in life is to make an impact on my family first and then everyone else mentally and physically. My mission statement is this: I am forging Unbreakable athletes. That means mind, body, and spirit. I’ve come to know that it takes more than you’ve ever considered at this point. It’s true for you, me, or anyone else trying to maximize potential. If you’re reading this book, you’ll see and learn the necessary lessons to work toward your dreams. They are lessons I’ve learned and watched others learn; I’ve been on the receiving end and giving end. And they are requirements for advancement. You will have an exhaustive and Relentless approach detailed for you in your hands. Use this as a manual for referencing every year. There is no destination. There is the journey and the way. In the end, you will have in your hands an amazing, comprehensive process for becoming an Unbreakable Athlete.

There are beliefs I must impress upon you before we advance.

Each section and chapter will have tests, lessons, examples, and points that I’m making to teach you something. Everything works, and nothing works. You must explore the different ideas for yourself. Once you find one that works for you, then you must exploit that idea. You exploit by doing. I teach. You learn. Then you do, evaluate, adjust, and do again.

Here is an example for Training. Let’s take a basic movement and see how overwhelmed we can get and kill our progress before we even start. Let’s look at squatting. I could instruct you to build your squat to help you as an athlete. From here more questions naturally arise:

Am I building my squat for absolute strength?

Am I building my squat to impact my speed?

Am I building my squat to increase my size and mass?

Am I building my squat to impact my muscle endurance?

Is it all of the above?

Then more questions arise:

Which squat do I use? Back squat, front squat, overhead squat, box squat, pause squat?

Which stance do I use to squat? Narrow, sumo, neutral, toes pointed forward, toes pointed out?

There are a lot of bars; which do I use? Straight bar, cambered bar, buffalo bar, earthquake bar, power bar, or Olympic bar?

How do I add resistance? Just use plates on the bar, add chains, add bands?

What is the tempo like? Pause squats, tempo squats, speed squats, box squats, jumping squats?

How heavy? Maximum load, sub-maximum load, for warming up, laddering up, back down sets?

How often? Once per week, twice, three times, heavy one day, light the next?

How does this impact next week, next month, the in-season training, offseason training?

It’s overwhelming. . . seemingly. No, the intro is not about squatting. Here is the point: I am going to give you more good ideas than you can imagine. In fact, you won’t be able to implement them all. You shouldn’t. Please don’t. But for each topic, write them down. Have them in a place and save them. Then pick one or at most two ideas in a section and implement them. Work on those habits for two weeks and see the effects. Then adjust. Maybe you keep at it, maybe you evolve the idea, or maybe you pivot to a different but similar idea. Either way, do not implement all the ideas. Just like you wouldn’t implement every squat variation I listed, just pick one or two and execute. Execute Relentlessly.

Go all in. Whatever you think all in is, you’re wrong. It’s much more than that. I believe in the emotion creates motion mantra you hear from others like Tony Robbins. I do motivational speaking, mindset training for athletes. Each speaking event we start with one set of push-ups. I say, Get in at least a good set of twenty-five push-ups. Then we do one set together. I like to give the test first, then the lesson. I’ll see awesome push-ups, crap push-ups, some done on their knees but absolutely to the best of their ability and some on their toes that are embarrassing. Then I ask for a show of hands, Who almost got twenty-five? Who hit twenty-five? Thirty? Thirty-five? Forty? Forty-five? Fifty? After fifty, I ask, Okay. How many did you get? My guy Lucas Lorian, a strength and conditioning coach, simply stopped in the mid sixties when I was speaking to his Northside High School football team in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The test is telling. Who does the push-ups with Integrity? Who is strong, and who is weak? Who can’t do the required work? Who does the minimums? (Very important insight.) Who goes beyond? Who goes beyond and to the point of failure? Who goes beyond and takes the David Goggins approach of taking souls, reaching such a high level of performance that the opponent mentally gives up? Whose mindset in the group is to go so far that you know you have no chance ever of beating him at anything? If you’re going to do something, go all in. See it all the way through. And smash it. If you’re trying to get to the Statue level (more on that later), then anything but all in won’t even come close to getting you there.

Louie Simmons ran the best powerlifting gym in the world at WestSide Barbell (WSBB) in Columbus, Ohio. It’s still around today. WSBB is legendary. Louie put out so much of his knowledge in books, videos, seminars, and in-person visits to his gym. He was always asked, How can you divulge all your secrets? How can you tell athletes and competitors what you’re doing? Aren’t you worried they will take your information and beat you?

Easy, Louie replied. Almost no one will ever do it. They won’t do all the necessary work to win. They’ll quit because it’s hard.

That’s the deal too. Some of you will read this book, think it has good ideas, and let it gather dust on the shelf. It’s a manual. Keep coming back to it. Write in it. Mark it up. But do the work. Execution is what matters. It’s everything. If you find three things you love and they make a difference for you, then Just Do It (Nike)! Stop reading. Go out and do the work. Get better. If you plateau, come back to the book and look up what to do next. Then Just Do It! The point is to work. Work like this is your only shot. And take the max push-ups approach.

Lastly, here’s a little more about me. I’m well above average and great at some things and pathetically terrible at others. I’ll provide examples throughout the book to illustrate. I’m good at suffering. I’m quite analytical. I read people well. I’m painfully authentic and honest. I have very little fear, and what I do have, I just walk through. On the other side, I am moderately athletic, struggle painfully to focus, have little to no empathy, speak too quickly or even stutter, and I have a quick temper which I must breathe my way through. My approach is simply to keep going until I reach my next target. Then I assess, adjust, and repeat the approach for my next target from now until I pass away.

I grew up like most people. I had a ton of bad breaks and crap dealt to me. And I also had a lot of awesome, fortunate breaks. We had very little money but were wealthy by a lot of other standards. I’ve had huge wins and had much larger losses in my life, personally and professionally. At times, my decisions have been amazing, cunning, profitable, and out of nowhere. And the next day, I’ve been so painfully wrong I wonder what I am doing with my life. I’ve been entrepreneurial my entire life from a young age. I’ve been working with and training athletes the last ten-plus years. I barely graduated with a business degree from Purdue University in 1997. Then in 2009 I was at the top of my class in the master of finance program also at Purdue.

I read daily. I read books by pro athletes, Navy SEALs, business leaders, philosophers, motivational speakers. When I’m not reading, I’m listening to podcasts or watching videos. I put it all together for my business at Unbreakable Athletics. Once their careers are over, pro athletes author books about their lessons and how you can apply them to life. So do the military leaders. The theory is that A leads to B. Football lessons lead to life lessons. Military habits lead to life habits. If that’s true, then the opposite is also true. B can lead to A. Life lessons can lead to football or tennis lessons. Life habits can be examples for military habits. That’s what you have here. You’ll have business lessons, athletic lessons, philosophical lessons, and science lessons compiled for you so you can apply the different ideas to win at sports. In any arena, your plays, games, seasons, and championships will come down to Inches. Small, minute details, habits, and executions will determine winning and losing, life and death. Results are all that matter then. Your Inches add up. Inches accumulated Relentlessly lead to greatness. This book is your process for greatness.

Book Layout

The first part of the book is about you and your identity. We must explore some ideas and reasons why you’re actually here. We must uncover and identify your identity and purpose for competing in sports. In addition, we must set the standards for how we do things. There must be critical components that guide us and dictate our actions. These overarching principles supply the fuel for doing the necessary work. We preach six Core Values throughout this book, at my gym, and when working with athletes: Integrity, Discipline, Kaizen, Teamwork, Enjoyment, and Sisu. The word we use to apply each principle is, Relentless. We will dive deeper into this area and more in later chapters. The point is that as we do more work and accomplish more tasks, we improve our success in the sports arena.

From your Core Values, we move on to Inch Blocks, the building blocks for success. Sports are games of inches. Every inch matters and directly impacts winning and losing. Field goals in football either make it or miss by inches. A bat smashes or misses a baseball by inches. Races at all levels are won by inches or fractions of seconds. Cumulatively, everything matters. Consequently, everything matters in preparation as well. Metaphorically, I maintain that building each of the six critical components requires an additional inch for each side. One side of a block has four lines and four corners, each an inch long. Making a 3D version requires eight more inches. Stacking another block on top of the original requires more inches still. The goal is to keep building more blocks and stacking them on top of each other, thus illustrating the athlete’s progression in one of the areas (in this case, Knowledge). The athlete must do the same thing for the other five areas. The more Relentlessly you build your blocks, the more likely you are to win.

The second part of the book deals with the Inch Blocks associated with your head. The first part is your Mindset. Your Mindset guides your actions and keeps you moving forward. The second part in your head is your Knowledge. Knowledge in this context pertains to the expertise required to play your sport at the highest level you can. It also pertains to the Knowledge required off the field that is also necessary for high-level athletic performance. The third and final Inch Block with your head is Teammates. Teammates is the section dedicated to improving how you perform and interact with different people. Those people include your actual teammates on the court or field, your leadership Teammates (coaches, staff, etc.), and your support Teammates (support staff, family, friends, etc.).

The third part of the book deals with your body and the Inch Blocks associated with it. First, we will explore Training your body to perform at its highest level as an athlete. Next, we will cover what fuels your body in the Nutrition section. Finally, we will work on how you can bounce back and train the next day in the Recovery section.

The fourth and final part of the book brings everything together. It will outline and systemize the processes for improving the Inch Blocks for becoming an Unbreakable Athlete. There will be assessments and feedback. Then there will be the method for constructing a plan and breaking it down annually, quarterly, monthly, daily, and weekly. At that point you will know what to do each day. And as importantly, you will know how to quickly adjust and evolve what you’re doing to maximize your performance. If you improve the different Inches in your life consistently each day, then you must improve as an athlete. And anyone dedicated to doing that daily will learn the different requirements and processes to improve daily in life. We’re only here for a short while, a blink in time really. We don’t have time to wait. We must move forward today. Relentlessly.

1

Seven Levels of Why

Writing and talking about lessons is great. But witnessing and seeing a lesson is better. Of course, living the lesson is best. So do yourself a favor and look up Steiner’s story on YouTube when you’re done reading about him. Let’s discuss the German Matthias Steiner. He competed at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in Weightlifting. Here you will see a man live out his Why on stage at the highest level.

First, what is weightlifting? The sport has two lifts. The first lift is the snatch. A valid snatch occurs when someone takes a barbell from the floor and moves it in one singular motion from the floor to directly overhead. He then stands up with the barbell still securely locked out overhead. His legs, arms, and hips are securely locked out. He has three attempts to lift the most he can successfully within the standards. The second lift is the clean and jerk. Like the snatch, the athlete starts with the barbell on the floor and picks it up. However, unlike the snatch, this is a two-part lift. He picks the barbell off the floor and moves it directly up to his front rack, or on top of his shoulders. Then he stands up with the weight. Finally, he must jerk the weight from his front rack up and overhead successfully. The weight is secure over his head; he’s standing tall with his arms, legs, and hips locked out. Again, he has three attempts to lift the most he can. Combining the heaviest weight he lifted from each lift will result in his total. The person with the highest total in his weight class is the overall winner.

In Beijing, Steiner was in the 105 kg+ weight class. It’s for the big boys. 105+ kilograms is 231 pounds and up. After finishing his three snatches and the first two of three clean and jerks, Steiner was sitting in third place, bronze territory. And he was last to lift in his class. His next lift would be his final lift of his weight class and the entire Olympics in weightlifting.

Before we get there, let’s back up a little. The year prior, 2007, Steiner was training for the 2008 Olympics, and his wife was studying for her degree. They were both young and had their lives in front of them. One day, it all changed. His wife died in a fatal car accident. Obviously, it was a huge setback. Devastating. A collapse. Then at some point, he had a choice. He could pack it in, move on, choose a different path. Or he could continue along his original path to become an Olympic champion.

The original Olympic champion path would be different, of course, from before the accident occurred. There was tremendous pain and loss now. But there was also increased resolve. There was increased focus. There had appeared a new and overwhelming Why to push and pull Steiner along. This Why was no longer just from him and about him. It superseded him. It was beyond himself. It was now in honor of his late wife and marriage to her. That level of force is fierce. Vicious. Singularly focused. Relentless. Unbreakable.

Fast forward to the Beijing Games. Steiner continued his journey