Change is good, it’s also uncomfortable.
Change is good, but it’s also uncomfortable. The nature of change demands that we move out
of our comfort zone to develop new habits, new outlooks and new internal dialog
that permit us to move from one point in our lives to another hopefully better
place.
3 months ago, I set out on a journey to get as strong as I
could. Admittedly this is a journey that
really has no end because the issue of how strong I can become is frankly open
ended. I suppose once I stop making
progress that would imply I’ve reached my potential, or does it?
Regardless, it really doesn’t matter, because it is the
pursuit of strength both physically and emotionally that is of value. It’s the journey not the destination.
One of the big realizations that I’ve had through this process,
if I truly want progress, I have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
In regards to strength and/or physique changes that means
always pushing. Forcing myself to up the
weights OR do more reps OR do something I just hate doing such as
conditioning/cardio whatever you want to call it. This is not to be confused with steady state
cardio where you get on a treadmill or elliptical or whatever and spend an hour
going at the same speed while you read 50 Shades of Grey, or watch a back to
back episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. I don’t
do that either.
Conditioning is the stuff that jacks your heart rate up for
short periods of time and then when it just barely gets down so that you don’t
feel like you are going to puke, you start all over again. It’s hard, it’s short and it can be downright
brutal, it’s UNCOMFORTABLE.
During my first two months, Mike left conditioning up to
me. It was my choice, the problem, I
hate it and I would find reasons for NOT doing it. I’m a trainer, I know better, I know how
important it is to improving my physical condition but I don’t do it.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it
again, the point of having a coach is it’s not up to me. Coach tells me to do it, I do it. It’s ok to ask why, but AFTER I do it and I
do it.
So after 2 months and realizing I was allowing myself not to
do it, I “MANNED UP” (it’s interesting we don’t have a comparable expression
for women, so I “MANNED” UP and asked Mike to program my conditioning.
You know that adage, be careful what you ask for you might
get it. OH, I got it.
- Monday’s conditioning 10 minute of intervals on the rowing machine: 30 seconds on 30 seconds off.
- Wednesday: 8-400 meter “sprints”. 1x3 work/rest ratio. For every minute I run I rest 3.
BTW: 400 meters = about a quarter mile. So in that the term “sprint” is relative
because it’s obviously not full out but it’s faster than what I would normally
run.
This is where it’s really uncomfortable because A: it’s been
a long time since I ran anything more than 30 seconds. B: seriously 8 rounds
that’s 2 miles and with 3 minute rest in between it would literally take me an
hour to do it all.
Needless to say, 8: 400 meter sprints just aren’t going to
happen for me at this point in my training and Mike cut that down to 4:400
meter sprints. It still sucks but at
least I won’t be there all day.
- Friday: Kettle Bell Tabata protocol. Ok this one looks easy on paper but it’s SOOOO NOT.
Grab a kettle bell and do KB swings for 20 seconds, rest 10 repeat
for 8 rounds. For those who aren’t good
in math it’s only 4 minutes. BUT it’s 4
really really hard minutes. Again, if
you don’t feel like you just want to curl up in a ball on the floor by the ½ way
point then you are NOT doing it correctly.
Actually you can use anything pretty much to do this
protocol. Jump rope, burpees, front
squats whatever. My favorite way to do a
tabata protocol is punching on a heavy bag.
Just do 20 seconds work, 10 second rest, but you absolutely
have to go full out during those 20 seconds.
So who is ready to get uncomfortable?
