I wrote this regarding running. Hope it resonates with you.
It goes both ways, training is both Easy & Complex. If we are into starting phase meaning we have started any activity we need not focus on zones as our first priority should be- We should have the drive to do it for at least couple of years to see some significant gains in physiology. And yeah at the start every kind of training works as a stimuli, it comes after a couple of months or one can say a couple of years as well when they need to focus on 1% improvement markers. Fundamental is the key meaning putting in the work, nutrition during the workout & for the whole day for months on and recovery in terms of sleep. Sticking to basics does wonders but in this era of information overload & easy access to it, we are focusing firstly to 1% improvement markers rather than 99%.
But even I myself have learned this the hard way, I have read tons of books, listened to almost fifteen thousand podcasts. When I read Scott Fauble & Ben Rosario's book Inside a Marathon, then I got a glimpse of how much of just running people like myself are doing, meaning just running and not training. People want to just run fast in just a couple of weeks or months, but this not how our physiological & muscular adaptations take place. As Kilian Jornet said it takes months and years for your bodies to adapt to the stimuli and our cells and mitochondria to adapt and get the stimulus to get fast and build a huge aerobic base. People don't want to run easy, they just see it on multiple social media platforms and then come to a conclusion I am no where near what people run, I need to run this fast but they need to study multiple coaches from Arthur Lydiard, Renato Canova, Jack Daniels, Joe Vigil, Ed Eyestone, Mike Scannell and others as well.
And isn't mileage just a by product of showing up with consistency to put in the work? Racking up miles is just one form of consistency. Eating enough food through out the whole day to fuel the body while training for any endurance activity needs consistency, sleep also needs consistency, strength & mobility work needs consistency and mental fitness also needs consistency. All these things need consistency and needs to be done in balanced manner, if one thing gets under done- then either the body crumbles or we will not be able to perform at our best level. If we take care of our bodies and listen to it, it will provide us with great performances but if we just keep banging the door w/o listening to it, somewhere down the road it will crumble and then we will think we were more focused on racking up miles which was just a small part of training.
There is one thing told that work harder than everybody else in the room but one doesn't tell it all boils down to mental component a lot as well, what kind of internal monologue goes b/w our ears is a great predictor of either limits or propels our progression, the amount of improvement we can do in any domain/walk of life.
Franz Stampfl, coach of Roger Bannister said-The great barrier is the mental hurdle.
If Roger Bannister's coach knew it 70 years ago, then there is for sure people need to know that yeah mental component is a huge chunk of whether one succeeds or not.
There is one thing told that work harder than everybody else in the room but one doesn't tell it all boils down to mental component a lot, what kind of internal monologue goes b/w our ears which either limits or propels our progression, the amount of improvement we can do in any domain/walk of life.
There is a lot of unraveling that can be done in terms of one's psychology. No one lays much emphasis on this thing b/w our ears. Iga Swiatek might me the first lawn Tennis player to have full time sports psychologist travelling with her. When Madison Keys won Australian Open this year, she was asked what lead her to win her first grand slam, her straight away answer was Lots of Therapy. Francesco Puppi has talked about therapy & Jennifer Lichter also.
Invert is what one needs do once in a while & life is majorly lived by inner scorecard rather than outer scorecard because we are playing it by the rules of other rather our own rules. And looking out for the environment & people around has to be done consistently to gauge where one is & is this where one wants to be, how much of chronic dissatisfaction is because of the immediate environment.
There has been a lot going on about fulfillment, happiness while striving for goals and then there has been a lot of preaching about PROCESS vs OUTCOME. I totally understand there will not be fulfillment after winning any running, cycling, golf, basketball or any kind of thing. But would we be working towards that goal if we would knew that we won't ever achieve that in the future. We hope and preach to our selves that CHOP WOOD CARRY WATER, keep putting in the work and we will do great in future and amongst all of this the whole process gets lost. We stop sometime in near future & then realize we felt bad for not getting under 3 Hour mark or whatever it is for the individual. Isn't running 3:01 while enjoying fully not better than running 3:00:01 and feeling the worst for not getting under the mark. Keep redefining our goals is great for our selves & we must not attach our identity to any number or race. It is all just in our minds.
I tell people weightlifting is the ultimate zen experience because when you’re deadlifting you need focus or else things can end badly. It’s just you and the bar and weight in that lift and nothing else matters.
Great article. After reading it I have to remember what someone wise told me once, compete against yourself not someone else. 95 pounds in each hand! Each hand!!! Sigh.
This was such a great read. I love how you mentioned weightlifting fulfills all three basic needs and it's so true. Autonomy, mastery, belonging. I strongly relate with the belonging part - the gym is where I felt like I finally 'found my tribe.'
I wrote this regarding running. Hope it resonates with you.
It goes both ways, training is both Easy & Complex. If we are into starting phase meaning we have started any activity we need not focus on zones as our first priority should be- We should have the drive to do it for at least couple of years to see some significant gains in physiology. And yeah at the start every kind of training works as a stimuli, it comes after a couple of months or one can say a couple of years as well when they need to focus on 1% improvement markers. Fundamental is the key meaning putting in the work, nutrition during the workout & for the whole day for months on and recovery in terms of sleep. Sticking to basics does wonders but in this era of information overload & easy access to it, we are focusing firstly to 1% improvement markers rather than 99%.
But even I myself have learned this the hard way, I have read tons of books, listened to almost fifteen thousand podcasts. When I read Scott Fauble & Ben Rosario's book Inside a Marathon, then I got a glimpse of how much of just running people like myself are doing, meaning just running and not training. People want to just run fast in just a couple of weeks or months, but this not how our physiological & muscular adaptations take place. As Kilian Jornet said it takes months and years for your bodies to adapt to the stimuli and our cells and mitochondria to adapt and get the stimulus to get fast and build a huge aerobic base. People don't want to run easy, they just see it on multiple social media platforms and then come to a conclusion I am no where near what people run, I need to run this fast but they need to study multiple coaches from Arthur Lydiard, Renato Canova, Jack Daniels, Joe Vigil, Ed Eyestone, Mike Scannell and others as well.
And isn't mileage just a by product of showing up with consistency to put in the work? Racking up miles is just one form of consistency. Eating enough food through out the whole day to fuel the body while training for any endurance activity needs consistency, sleep also needs consistency, strength & mobility work needs consistency and mental fitness also needs consistency. All these things need consistency and needs to be done in balanced manner, if one thing gets under done- then either the body crumbles or we will not be able to perform at our best level. If we take care of our bodies and listen to it, it will provide us with great performances but if we just keep banging the door w/o listening to it, somewhere down the road it will crumble and then we will think we were more focused on racking up miles which was just a small part of training.
There is one thing told that work harder than everybody else in the room but one doesn't tell it all boils down to mental component a lot as well, what kind of internal monologue goes b/w our ears is a great predictor of either limits or propels our progression, the amount of improvement we can do in any domain/walk of life.
Franz Stampfl, coach of Roger Bannister said-The great barrier is the mental hurdle.
If Roger Bannister's coach knew it 70 years ago, then there is for sure people need to know that yeah mental component is a huge chunk of whether one succeeds or not.
There is one thing told that work harder than everybody else in the room but one doesn't tell it all boils down to mental component a lot, what kind of internal monologue goes b/w our ears which either limits or propels our progression, the amount of improvement we can do in any domain/walk of life.
There is a lot of unraveling that can be done in terms of one's psychology. No one lays much emphasis on this thing b/w our ears. Iga Swiatek might me the first lawn Tennis player to have full time sports psychologist travelling with her. When Madison Keys won Australian Open this year, she was asked what lead her to win her first grand slam, her straight away answer was Lots of Therapy. Francesco Puppi has talked about therapy & Jennifer Lichter also.
Invert is what one needs do once in a while & life is majorly lived by inner scorecard rather than outer scorecard because we are playing it by the rules of other rather our own rules. And looking out for the environment & people around has to be done consistently to gauge where one is & is this where one wants to be, how much of chronic dissatisfaction is because of the immediate environment.
There has been a lot going on about fulfillment, happiness while striving for goals and then there has been a lot of preaching about PROCESS vs OUTCOME. I totally understand there will not be fulfillment after winning any running, cycling, golf, basketball or any kind of thing. But would we be working towards that goal if we would knew that we won't ever achieve that in the future. We hope and preach to our selves that CHOP WOOD CARRY WATER, keep putting in the work and we will do great in future and amongst all of this the whole process gets lost. We stop sometime in near future & then realize we felt bad for not getting under 3 Hour mark or whatever it is for the individual. Isn't running 3:01 while enjoying fully not better than running 3:00:01 and feeling the worst for not getting under the mark. Keep redefining our goals is great for our selves & we must not attach our identity to any number or race. It is all just in our minds.
I tell people weightlifting is the ultimate zen experience because when you’re deadlifting you need focus or else things can end badly. It’s just you and the bar and weight in that lift and nothing else matters.
I did a farmer carry for the 1st time ever at the gym today, influenced by Andrew Huberman! 30 lbs in each hand
Great article. After reading it I have to remember what someone wise told me once, compete against yourself not someone else. 95 pounds in each hand! Each hand!!! Sigh.
I would add- it’s a great way to get perspective and inspiration for other areas of life. The “ideas while out jogging” phenomenon is real.
This was such a great read. I love how you mentioned weightlifting fulfills all three basic needs and it's so true. Autonomy, mastery, belonging. I strongly relate with the belonging part - the gym is where I felt like I finally 'found my tribe.'