The mental side of training is one that is often given lip service.
Usually focused on the "feeling the muscle" aspect, this
glossing over of the mental side will leave you lacking. The true
mental side of training is the key to unlocking some of your latent
potential.
Mason's article on the "want" involved in your training
is an excellent example of the true mental side of training. "Want"
will direct your training efforts. And as stated in the article,
you give power to what you focus on. Intent, want, focus, drive
are all aspects of training that lead and direct our results.
Do yourself a favor and read this article and determine - What is
your want?
Also, check back over the following months for more articles
on the mental side of traininig.
-Brett Jones, CSCS, SRKC
It is important in life to use our lessons learned for further
progress. Many people reading this are kettlebell junkies, enthusiasts,
and addicts. There is not a day that goes by where one of us has
not had a new personal record or substantial progress in our lifts.
We are on a journey of accomplishments. There are many reasons
for our achievements. We could say it is the Forum, a hot insight
from Pavel, trial and error. Though, none of these are wrong,
the real reason is because of our true want for the outcome and
it is the result that makes us feel good. This definitely tracks
on the psycho-babble path, but follow me for a moment.
Let's take the 2-pood military press, for instance. In my quest
to get that blasted thing above my head did I ever think about
why I wanted the lift. No. I just set out to get it done. Guess
what, it happened! Sure there were many steps and tweaks to my
form and questions that I asked to get to the end result. Yes,
they are significant, but only to the effect that none of if it
would have mattered a damn unless I wanted it to happen. It made
me happy! That is all there is to it. I had a goal in mind and
accomplished it. Simple.
Wow, great Einstein. Let's ponder the alternative. I need to
lift that thing because Billy did, or Rob Lawrence did…I
don't want to drop it on my foot…I want to be stronger (because
I don't want to be weak). These alternative desires are counter-productive.
If I worry about what Brett Jones, Mike Mahler and other mutants
can do-I no longer have true want-just envy. That mindset isn't
going to lead to progress.
We can all come up with a concrete what (objective goal), there
are a million hows (training routines), but here is the kicker
why (it only comes from within-the want).
This is why we gireviks are successful day-in and day-out with
our own progress. We see phenomenal milestones made by others
and these milestones help motivate us. However, when it is just
you and the bell, focus on staying true to your own wants-and
you will succeed. Your why and your intent is very powerful.
This really doesn't have to be drawn-out into a huge philosophical
dissertation. Kettlebells are great and effective not only for
the exercise factor but in the life-lesson. They don't allow us
to contemplate the negative. We just do and do some more until
we accomplish the mission. Other facets in life make it easy to
play the comparison game, or the should-be game, or the masking-game.
I don't see that in my fellow gireviks, some days are better than
others but progress is always universal.
Here is where the crossover comes. Kettlebells model life. They
are really no different than a job, house, or relationship. They
are all just things--objects. But we don't usually approach them
the same internally-but intent is everything. Whatever your inner-self
wants is what it gets. Good, bad or ugly. You give power to what
you focus on. So focus on your successes just as you would for
a kettlebell session.
I can do different kettlebell lifts or variations until the cows
come home and get better--everyday. There are a limitless number
of small success you can find. If you know what your gut is telling
you about the reason and it makes you feel good on its own merits,
that success is yours. Power to you all, now go train.
