Fitness and Philosophical Topics for a Successful, Happy, and Healthy Lifestyle
Jonny Tsunami
“RIDE THE WAVE”
Picture yourself in this situation, you are amidst a grueling one-hour workout with your trainer. You glance up at the clock on the wall and are struck with the very real fact that only 23 minutes have passed since start time. It is in this moment, when you decide that you are either going to give up and BS through your workout, or push yourself to reach new limits.
We have all been there before, and unfortunately many of us decide at that moment to take a break. Whether it’s stopping to check your phone, to turn to a familiar face and strike up a useless conversation, make a joke to make light of the fact that you are dying, or simply to just gaze off drifting into a world of your own thoughts (usually the most damaging for any workout), it is in that moment when you decide to make the most out of your workout, or the least.
Mental mindset is essential for a positive workout session. Oddly enough many of my clients come into the workout session with the wrong mindset. They have already put themselves into the machine and hit auto pilot before they walk through the door. That is when I slap them with something new, something that challenges them and forces them to wake the fuck up and focus. It is also at this point in the workout that I like to motivate my clients by reiterating very basic universal facts about having a successful workout.
The workout is symbolic for everything we experience in our everyday lives
- “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable” Too many times I have witnessed people leaving the gym with absolutely no change occurring in the process. They drift in, get lost in their world, and drift out. The change never occurs because the challenge is never there. When my clients experience a new skill set or unlock a new move they tap into a deeper understanding of their self-worth. “I didn’t believe I could do that” believe me you can, and you will from now on. All of this stems from the simple truth, if you don’t challenge yourself you will never move further towards your goals. Outside of injuring an actual joint, ligament, or bone, the burning sensation you feel when working out a muscle or muscles is something you need to accept, not deflect. Pain is temporary, and pain is proof that you are alive. Remind yourself every day to prevent yourself from becoming stagnant and comfortable with being just par.
REAL WORLD CONNECTION – When was the last time you challenged yourself in your personal life? How did it benefit you? What did you learn through the process? What did you gain, what did you lose? Chances are the risks you took in life lead to growth, and that growth made you the person you are today.
- “Don’t think, feel” When I receive a new client I always notice that apprehension and over analysis gets in the way of their workout. They spend too much time thinking about the move or wondering if it is working, instead of listening to their own body. Many times, we lose focus in our workout and when this happens our mind body connection drastically decreases. If we up our focus levels during the workout our results will increase drastically. But how does one lose focus, and more importantly how does one gain it back? The answer is simple, leave your frustrations, fears, thoughts, inner dialogue, and ego at the door, the rest will fall into place.
REAL WORLD CONNECTION – We have always had that moment in life where we realized that we should have gone with our gut instinct. Life is usually best traveled when we follow our intuition, and the same goes for the workout. Don’t worry about the numbers, the time, the reps, the minuscule details. Focus on the moment, not the rep count, but the single rep, the one individual rep that matters in that moment alone. If you focus on nothing but the present moment your body will reach fatigue and you would have accomplished your purpose for stepping into the gym.
- “Less breaks! More work!” While I love all of my clients and are genuinely interested in their lives and well-being, I do not let it get in the way of their workouts. Yes, it is important to vent and let your frustrations out so that it doesn’t distract your workout, but if we are talking in-between every set, there is a problem.
Talking, joking, slacking, socializing, phone checking, business calls, professional calls, are all unacceptable when training. When you walk out of a session and feel like you only had a basic workout, ask yourself where you took breaks and how long they lasted. I’ve seen too many trainers talking to their clients, it becomes nothing more than cheap therapy and a shoulder to cry on. Focus on your fitness goals while you are in the gym and let’s catch up on life after the workout or during the recovery stretch. Personally, I would prefer a phone call off hours when we can talk for real. Oddly enough, people would rather spend that time talking during the workout then on their own time. That’s not going to work for you, and it’s not going to work for me.
REAL WORLD CONNECTION – Idol time is never a good thing. Either we make no use of it, or we get sucked into our world of thoughts, keep moving, keep adding new interests to your life, and don’t get caught in the drudgery of the everyday.
Remember to remind yourself that your goals in life and in the gym, are the same. They both require a routine, a personal belief system, and discipline to practice out what you preach on a daily level in some way shape or form. Let the gym be therapy for you because it should be nothing else but that. If your vanity is dragging you in, you are in the wrong mindset and will only get superficial return from it. If you truly seek a place of solace, then let the gym be the place where it happens. Don’t worry about what other people are doing in the gym, don’t stare at someone wishing you had their arms, legs, ass, or whatever else it is you desire. Focus on your goals and your personal growth and change. Drown out everyone and everything around you and focus on no one but yourself. If you want to see the change, be the change.