The Program
I sometimes feel as though I stroll through life, guilty of going through the motions each and every day. I get too comfortable with being comfortable. It seems without fail, my mind and body, decide that something has to change. It is as if the universe decides to take control and force a few moments of clarity, which spark a change. I notice that when this happens, I get a rush of motivation, a passion for living life comes back. I feel like for the most part, all of us start projects, diets, jobs, with the best of intentions. The ultimate goal-- happiness.(And you can say, that your ultimate goal is some sort of body image, some amount of wealth, some sort of status…..but deep down, to you, this represents happiness.) Somewhere along the way, however, our road comes to an intersection. Our mind becomes clouded with the trappings of pleasing others, making subtle changes to our plan until our destination is no longer the same. Why do we have this habit of conforming to what people tell us we need, or how we should look, how we should raise our kids, what we should put into our bodies?
Well, I will tell you…. To learn….and that is it. It’s up to you to sift through the bullshit and find the knowledge bombs that will go off in your mind, that will spark this change, or add fuel to your fire of motivation. Listening to people’s journeys or information regarding subjects can be very valuable, however if what they are telling you is in no way helping you get to your destination, guess what, don’t follow that road. Being in the gym, I get approached with a ton of questions ranging from workout programs, to diet, etc. I try to approach all of my answers in the following way:
Diet:
Here are some basics for eating, try to eat unprocessed foods, if it has a super long shelf life, its probably not good for you. If it grows in the ground or you can hunt it, you can probably eat it, and be healthy. Try to avoid sugar as much as possible. Enjoy food, it’s awesome. Absolutely put zero stock into get slim quick schemes, if it promises you weight loss or amazing results and doesn’t mention exercise or physical activity, Its downright bad for you.
Working out:
Do something. Crossfit, Run, bodybuilding, it doesn’t matter. Find something that makes you happy. Once you find what you like, realize, that the longer you stay in this sport/routine, the more advice or ideals you will be given. People will go from offering advice to outright bashing your current program and offering a completely different one. Take peoples advice in the following way: Are they offering help, or are they just trying to validate their current workout regimen? Is their body an accurate representation of what you want? If not, why follow what they are doing? And most importantly be happy.
I have fallen victim to that last statement very recently. Leslie and I began following a program, that was designed to produce amazing athletes, it was well rounded, and covered the bases with regard to strength and cardio. As I followed it, the workouts became too much. We were working out twice a day at least 3 times a week, and taking maybe one rest day. It was working, I was getting results…..but that moment of clarity hit me….in the form of a statement from my wife……..”Brandon” she said, “ This just isn’t fun”……….Such a simple statement struck me like a lightning bolt. It wasn’t fun……it became a task, and ultimately led me astray from my path to happiness……
I have begun to get back to my roots with regard to Crossfit, and I couldn’t be happier. I enjoy coming to the gym, and making something up on a whim…….”You guys want to run?? Good,lets do some 400’s and throw in come cleans…haven’t done those in a while”……Its as simple as that. I use things like social media to say to myself….”look at that workout that girl did…..I wonder if I can do that?” and thus is the workout for tomorrow. I pick odd times to workout, like my 4:30 am bro sessions with Coach Chuck….”Let’s see if we can do 3 Backsquats at 90% of our 1 rm every minute for ten minutes…..” Just the other day, a tree fell down in Chucks yard, and the first thing he thought was, "I wonder if we can do Grace with that"…….The point is, it has begun to be fun again. I have abandoned following what everyone tells me I should do. I still am constantly seeking knowledge and learning from others, but I have found my own program, and the advice that I take is that which will lead me to my final destination…..where-ever that may be.
