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Mental Toughness

1/31/2018

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What does it mean to be “mentally tough”?  There are times that we know we are able to lift a certain amount of weight or crush a WOD time, but something stops us.  I’ve often used the expression “it’s in my head” to convey what I feel is stopping me from achieving something that I think is doable.  At Flow, we engage in activities that toughen us up physically, but becoming mentally tough is just as important for our success.  Here are a few tips for becoming “mentally tough” and going after those goals you’re setting for yourself.  

1) Decide what you want to do and COMMIT to it — This may sound simple, but it’s tougher than you think. In fact, it can be one of the toughest things you’ll do.   Once you say you’re going to do it and fully commit to it, you have to make a change. What’s that common saying?  ”You’ll only go as far as you let yourself go”? Many times we know what we want, but we don’t want to commit because we know that there will be sacrifices. It’s easier to just want something instead of committing to it. So decide what you want and COMMIT to doing it. Once you get going, there’s nothing that  can stop you.

2)  Every decision you make, make it with the intent to become a better person — Be it at Flow, with your family, work, etc. When you make a conscious effort to follow through with your intentions, you’re setting yourself up to become a better version of yourself.  And that in itself should be our ultimate goal.

3)  Surround yourself with people who want to better themselves — misery loves company…but then so does success! Roadblocks will stop appearing as weaknesses, but rather as stepping stones to your goal. Stop looking at things like a burden, but rather a key to unlock the next door to your goal.

4)  Have fun! – When you begin to develop that mental toughness by committing to your goals and becoming a better person, be sure to have fun. Without fun, there’s no point to it.

Wolfie
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CONSISTENCY

1/17/2018

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My Dentist's warm-up weight is probably your max.
Brushing your teeth for 2 minutes does absolutely NOTHING.

Brushing your teeth for 2 minutes, twice per day, EVERYDAY for the rest of your life pretty much ensures that you won't have any dental issues (there's even a link between good dental hygiene and heart health).

Do you still need to go to the dentist?

Of course... for regular check-ups.

But the only time you really NEED a dentist, is to patch up a cavity or perform a root canal.

But the 2 issues above can be avoided IF you brush your teeth everyday, twice per day, for 2 minutes.

It's the CONSISTENCY of habit of brushing your teeth everyday that will always prevent the need for the INTENSITY of having to go to the dentist for a root canal or a cavity.

And the INTENSITY is only necessary if you weren't consistent... if you didn't establish the habit.

Because... CONSISTENCY > Intensity

So you can train with balls-to-the-wall INTENSITY everyday for a month...

But try to sustain that intensity for longer and you'll probably burn out, lose motivation, get sick or get injured.

Achieving lasting results will only come from your ability to be CONSISTENT with your training habit over the months and years.

That means having more days of taking a workman's approach to training by working the plan doing "punch-the-clock" workouts knowing full well that if you need to, you CAN train balls-to-the-wall...

...but only when it's called for.

Like going to the dentist.

Can you miss a day and still get results?

Sure.

Missing a workout isn't a big deal because it's about playing the long game.

Because... CONSISTENCY > Intensity

"Consistency is the key to long-lasting change. Short term bouts of high energy will actually change nothing in the long run. They will create an influx of self-fulfilling feelings about what we've achieved, but the achievement won't last."
-Simon Sinek
​

Consistency and forming a habit isn't sexy...

...but it is necessary to achieve your goals.

And it's in building that strength habit...

...or that meditation habit;

...or drinking 1/2 your bodyweight in ounces of water everyday habit;

...or that early to rise habit;

...or that gratitude habit;

....That make the biggest difference in your life.

Wolfie
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Training for Life..

1/9/2018

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I've been training longer than most everyone in this group. In fact, I've been lifting weights for 35 years and participated in a myriad of intense activities since I was in college. How do you maintain longevity? Simple. I'll explain it to you. Do you remember the first time you tried to touch the flame of a candle when you were a little kid? Of course you don't remember. It hurt like a mother fucker so you instantly knew "never touch fire cuz it hurts." We lose that common sense as as we get older. Many newbie athletes are completely clueless. It's very easy to learn good technique with a good coach. You will also see some really big PR's quickly if you take your training seriously. The problem comes when you stop hitting the easy PR's and the real work has to start. Peeps don't lift smart. They think of adding weight only in 5# and 10# plate increments. (When I am strength training, I think of increasing loads by percentages and often its only 1-2%.) New people keep adding more weight, then when things hurt, as of course they will, they still continue trying to lift or train beyond their capability and want to find some easy fix to make the pain go away. They keep sticking their finger in the fire. I don't know anything about you *****, but my guess is you are lifting weight beyond what your knee joints are capable of AT THIS TIME. Take a few weeks off from squatting movements. Then, take a big amount of weight off the bar and see if you can squat without pain. If you cannot, go have your knees checked out to make sure there is nothing seriously wrong with them (unless you have tears, most knee injuries are not too bad). If you can squat the lighter loads pain free, increase your loads SLOWLY OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. It's all about patience brother. Patience and being smart enough to not to stick your finger in the fire.

​Wolfie
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Why I Train

1/2/2018

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Yesterday someone asked me why I train. Caught off guard by the magnitude of the question, I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn’t. It wasn’t that I didn’t have the answer, it was that I had too many.

 I train to become better. Life is too long and too short to settle. My body is whole; it doesn’t come in pieces. My body is my physical, mental, and emotional self. There is no separation. We come intertwined in an intricate meshwork where there is no end and no beginning. Anytime I improve in any facet of my being it’s only going to better the others. Unfortunately, vice versus… If one suffers, the rest of me suffers as well. 

I train for proof that I am alive. As I lay on the black mat sucking wind, I value breath, I value life, I value that I have a life where I have the luxury of being able to focus on physical excellence, not just physical survival. I sweat and bleed by choice, I am lucky.

I train for challenge. I have no sport, no competition, no impending judgment day. In fact, I continue to seek avenues just to use my training. Challenge is the best way to figure out what I’m really made of. During strife, I lay every strength and weakness before me, my arsenal of weapons. Yes, even weakness can be a weapon; it’s a signifier for my focus. By knowing my weaknesses, I know where to improve, before something or someone can use it against me first. Challenge in the gym I can control, the gym is my training ground to learn how to deal with what may happen outside of its doors.

I train for accomplishment. At the end of the day, at the end of the week, the month, the year, my life… I want to know that I did work. We’re only guaranteed this very moment right now, no more, no less. I want to maximize every single one. Somehow 60 minutes on the elliptical doesn’t seem like a wise use of my ever fleeting moments, nor an accomplishment. Because if I’m not proud of me, it doesn't really matter if anyone else is or not. 

I train for fun. I wish I knew the exact moment in life where movement goes from reward to punishment. If I could pinpoint this time, I’m pretty convinced the cure would be squats. As children we run, jump, throw, and climb, with no purpose other than to move. Movement = Play. In adulthood we grudgingly succumb to movement for our health and aesthetics. We have forgotten that this stuff is fun. If you’re not having fun, make changes to your program, make changes in your attitude. Don’t think about exercise as a necessary evil; something you have to do. Think about it as something that you get to do. Find the type of movement that’s going to bring you joy. I’m also convinced that there’s something out there for everybody, Flow or not. 

As the moments lingered while I paused to formulate my answer, something became apparent. All of my reasons were not why I train, but why I train at Flow. For this answer, I knew the recipient was not ready. I reduced my answer to simply “Because I can…” And saved my true response for all of you.

​Wolfie
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