When you train hard, pushing yourself to the limit or what I call maximum effort, seeing others pursuing fitness as a casual, lumbering past-time is not only aggravating and frustrating but quite often disconcerting.
Maybe it's the work 'pursuing' that doesn't fit properly in that sentence. To persue something requires focus. To persue a life goal demands more than casuality in the pursuit, you have to be single-mindedly relentless or you're doing yourself a disservice.
This picture comes courtesy of a great blog I found recently called
Straight to the Bar, another great resource for articles, inspiration and insight. Another post on the site links to this fantastic clip from a
Steve Cotter kettlebell seminar in Barcelona that you need to check out (note it is a youtube video).
Why would you spend your time doing something in anything less that the least efficient manner possible? Walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes isn't a workout! Balancing on two bosu balls holding 5kg dumbells and trying to squat once or twice is not going to make a lick of difference to that gigantic ass!
There is no secret, if you want to get fitter you have to move, that's all. To get fitter faster, you have to move more of you more quickly. Wow, big secret. Then why don't you do it? Too hard you say? That's the damn point! More effort = more results! If you feel comfortable while working out you aren't working out with maximum efficiency. Comfortable is the worst thing a workout can be.
Efficiency means the best use of each unit of time, maximum effort until you can't do any more! Don't be scared to get your heart rate up, you were built to chase down tigers and carry them over harsh terrain back to the cave to eat!
If you don't push yourself you will never know your limits and knowing your limits allows you to push them further every time you go there. You want to be stronger, faster, leaner, FITTER!! Yes, fitness is a limit too, you need to test the boundaries to be able to smash through them next time!
That brings me to women. What is this mentality of, 'I don't want to lift heavy weights because I don't want to get too big.'? You've just insulted a whole culture of women who train tirelessly for years to get fit, muscular and lean! You think it will happen over night? Hogwash. Read
this, an article from one of the
Diesel Crew guys from their
long list of documents and in words that make it much clearer than I could.
Leisure centres, need I say more? Give me a bar and some iron. Fitness doesn't cost money and in fact you can't buy it. Furthermore, you don't need to pay someone for something you already know! Get outside and move, eat better - you know how! Just do it!! You want to cheat? Fine, but it's you, not the system or your ideal that is being cheated. Don't tell me you don't have time, you don't have any less than anyone else.
I'm going to break it down before ending my rant:
Moving more = good for you.
Eating better = good for you.
Lifting weights = good for you (and you won't get huge, trust me).
Life is short, fitness is cheap. Do it
now and be fit for life!
