I am often asked what I am training for or how my training is going ….

 

So, I thought I would fill you in on a couple of successes I have had last week along with some ramblings about me… 

I love training and I primarily train for a few reasons 

 

  • It makes me a better husband, dad and human

If I miss a few training sessions (which happens from time to time) I find that my patience goes out the window. I’m more cranky and I get frustrated easier. There is something about training that brings out the best in people’s relationships. For me, I’m calmer, I have a better perspective and outlook on life and empathy and compassion always level up. 

 

 

  • I want to be as strong and resilient as I can be 

Life isn’t easy. It can often come with lots of joy and happiness but also struggle and pain. I believe that becoming physically stronger makes you mentally tougher. As someone that lives with chronic pain I find training gives me the resilience to continue to battle. 

 

The other day I worked out that I have completed approximately 35,000 hours of training people. Over this time I have worked with athletes to actors, musicians to mountain climbers, CEO’s, models, record breakers and the everyday superhero. And the transformations I love most are the ones of clients who showed up with their heads down looking at the ground, shoulders slumped and a look of defeat on their faces. These clients that within a few months of training realised they were capable of so much more than they thought. These clients that just a few short months after they start – turn up with their shoulders back, heads held high and more than hope, more than belief but a knowing that they can lift the weight, do the push ups, complete the pull ups and essentially do whatever it is that I throw at them. They become resilient, they become bulletproof, they become anti-fragile. My personal gym journey is no different. 

 

 

  • I love movement 

In all forms. Moving feels good. Feel like shit? go take a walk, you will always feel better after. How about dancing…. It just feels good. Having the ability to move through life gracefully with poise, precision and elegance of movement just feels good. For me movement is an expression of art. And I want to master the craft of my art into my old age. My challenge to myself is to be squatting like a 2 year old even in my golden years.

Some specifics for you… 

 

 So far I have touched on some general reasons behind my training but there are specific things I am training for right now. 

 My training BHAG (big audacious hairy goal) is to be able to strict press the 40kg kettlebell with one hand at a bodyweight of 83kg. For me this is a 5 plus year goal. 

 I’m not someone who is naturally strong. I don’t have great genetics, I wasn’t a natural athlete growing up. To get to where I am I can honestly say I have had to work my socks off. 

 Where am I, I hear you ask 😉 

 Well last week I managed to press the 36kg kettlebell for the first time.

Yes, it will probably take 5 years to get 4 more kilos… Maybe it’s this lesson that makes me just a little more patient with my relationships. 

The other success I had last week was a goal I set for myself in January. I said I was going to perform a snatch test with a 28kg kettlebell. That’s 100 snatches in less than 5 minutes. The plan was to get it complete by April but that didn’t happen. I failed!! 

Well sort of.. 

Unfortunately just like life happens.. shit just got in the way. I got the flu, I bulged a disk in my back (being a silly idiot) I had some pretty challenging flare ups. BUT i didn’t give up. April came and went but I kept my eye on the goal. And finally last week I completed it.

 And it was brutal. It tested my limits.

There were many sessions where I asked myself why I am bothering. I remember while I was in the process I just wanted to get to the destination. I just wanted to get it done. But once I completed the test as with many victories of mine I felt flat. There were no tears of joy, no overwhelming feeling of achievement… just flat. 

That said with a little time I started to reflect, and as always with these things it was the journey, the struggles, the lessons learned that made the difference. Without sounding too wanky, it was who I had to become in order to achieve the goal. 

So, there you have it. A little about me and my goals, my struggles and my triumphs