Mentally Tough!!

     I firmly believe that  the difference between success and failure is in your head.  Take a good look at the best athletes in the world.  What is one key element they all share?  Mental toughness, confidence and a never quit attitude are just a few.   Notice I did not say pure talent.  Of course talent plays a major role but that does not mean we can not succeed beyond.

     I often hear questions like "You're not a professional athlete so why do you often feel the need to train like one" or even better  "Why do you take you training so seriously if you aren't even training for anything".  For me that is an easy answer.  I hate to fail!  I want to be the best so I train that way.  When I train hard and push my body to the limit it gives me a satisfaction I can't describe.  It also helps me train mentally to push harder and outlast the other guy.    With each training success I gain the confidence to push farther.  For me being mentally tougher than the next guy means more than anything.
     So how do you train for mental toughness?  I am sure there are many answers out there, but these are just a few of my ways.  With each training session I work on building confidence, skill,  resiliency, composure, and motivation.

Confidence:   Without confidence we are weak!  This is something that can build with time, so start slow.  Lets take for example you want to hit 100 snatches in 5 minutes.  Break it down!  Build your confidence by consistently hitting 20 + reps in a minutes times.  As you get stronger add more time to the clock or decrease your rest.  Your confidence comes by knowing you have hit the numbers in previous training sessions.
Skill:  This should be a given.  If you want to excel at something you need to actually practice it.  Each training session should be focusing on improving the skill.
Resiliency:  This might be something everybody needs to look at.  I used to live by  old saying "Your only as good as your last race".    The problem with that is it lead to a lack of confidence.  If I had a bad race or lost to an opponent it would plant a seed in my head.  This is a bad thing.  Learning to bounce back from a poor performance was key to my success.  Everybody has a bad day.  It is what you learn from that bad day that separates you from the rest.  Learn to put the past event behind you, learn from your mistakes and use that to excel the next time.
Composure:  For me this was learning how to stay calm under pressure.  This is learning to control your emotions and be confident in your skills.  I have always felt the best way to find your true composure is during competition.  Stay calm and you will automatically fall back to you training.
Motivation:  Everybody needs to find what motivates them.   My motivation is to be able to work harder and longer than the next guy.  Your motivation may be different.  Find that inner drive and make it work for you, because if you aren't motivated to work....you won't! 

     I hope for some of you this helps.  These are just a few things I have learned over the years.  In the end, for me, mental toughness is all about not quiting and not giving up.  Please understand I am not telling you to push each training session to the limit.  I am referring to setting a goal and following through.  This goal may be a short term (as in completing the 5 minute snatch test) or long term (as in completing 10,000 swings next month.)  Both require a kind of mental toughness that can only come with hard work.  Good luck in your journeys!!

Please feel free to share your ideas and thoughts on building mental toughness. 

Choosing an appropriate weight.

Earlier today before I began my training session, my 6 year old asked if she could do what I do. She then proceeded over to the corner and picked up an old 10# kettlebell and said "see, I can pick this up". At that point I felt as if I had no other choice.

Now I am not the kind of guy to force my kids into an exercise program. I don't believe they need one at a young age. I am a firm believer in letting kids be kids. The best exercise any kid can do, in my opinion, is to go outside and play. At the same time if they express an interest in something I am all about teaching them. Getting side tracked from my original thought I have just one simple request. Be an example for our children. Childhood obesity is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. If you have a child and he or she spends more time in front of the TV than they do playing...this is a problem. Do your kids a favor and force them outside, teach them that riding bikes, running and jumping is fun.

Let's get to the point of this posting...

When it comes to effective kettlebell exercises, a 10 pound weight is nothing. So many articles and videos I have seen talk about how you can tone your body with kettlebells. While they are correct to a point, they fail to point out that you must use an appropriate size weight. I hate to inform some of you but a 10 or 15 pound kettlebell is not appropriate for an adult. When I first teach most adult females they learn on a 12kg or 26# KB. They quickly move up to a 16kg or 35# Kb for swings.
If you are looking to start a new kettlebell program don't be influenced by popular magazine articles. Just think about my 6 year old daughter swinging the same weight as that fitness model. If she can move a 10# weight with little difficulty...it is too light for you. My suggestion is find a local RKC or HKC instructor to work with. Let them teach you with an appropriate weight. This will also give you an opportunity to try a few sizes before you make that first purchase.

To find a local instructor visit http://www.dragondoor.com/instructors/

Please feel free to any question or comment you may have.

Just My Opinion!

    Overtime I have began to noticed many trends among friends, family, co-workers, training partners and clients.  Some are good while some are not.  This is simply a small list of things I have noticed, along with my own personal opinion.

If you want to lose weight you need to spend more time focusing on your diet than your workout.
     This seems to be the most common thing I see.  Each month I hear people talk about how they need to shed a few pounds.  So, what do they do?  They start a new exercise program and expect it to work miracles.  What they tend to neglect is how they eat.  I can't tell you how many times I hear "I earned this meal today".

Make a commitment to yourself.
    If you are going to start a program, then do it.  I have seen many people spend hard earned money on diet plans, boot camps, exercise equipment and more.  Many of these same people never complete what they set out for because it was to hard.  Growing up my parents never let me quit anything once I started.  To this day I still live up to this.  How will you ever find you full potential if you never give yourself a chance to succeed.  Not everything in life comes easy!

Get active in life.
    6 am comes around and you knock out that morning workout.  Good for you!  What happens next?  Let me tell you what I think should not happen next....A full day in the lazy boy.  If you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle then you need to be active more than just during our morning workout.  You should be using your spare time to take a walk or play with your kids.  There is more to life than a sweaty gym. Set an example for others.   If your morning workout leaves you to sore and exhausted to move the rest of the day, maybe you should scale it down a bit.  Down and dirty...get out of the house and off your butt!

Less talk and More action.
    I think as a society we talk way to much.  Stop telling me about what you are going to do and start showing me results.  Lead by example.  If you are overweight and eat garbage all day, what do you think you are teaching your children.  If the majority of your day is spent watching TV or playing on the computer then welcome to the new age.  Just don't question why your children won't go outside and play all day.

No Excuses!
    Quit making excuses.  Everyday I can find at least a half dozen temptations to skip out on my training or eat poorly.  And yes, being human we will all bow to those temptations occasionally.  The idea is to be consistent with what we do.  If you consistently make excuses about why you eat poorly or don't exercise then you will fail.  The same hold true for the other side.  If you consistently get the job done and eat right, exercise and stay active then you will see results.

No your limits.
    Knowing when to stop is a good thing.  Learn what your body is capable of doing.  Understand the difference between quiting a workout because your mind tells you to,  or stopping because your body says to.  Make the focus of each session about quality.  Sometimes the problem I see with a group fitness class is that people feel the need to compete.  Don't look at the guy next to you and base your kettlebell  (for example) weight on him.  Choose the size and weight most appropriate for you.  Fighting through a workout with poor form because you chose a weight that was to heavy will not make you better.