Book excerpt - Staying the course

Staying the course

In training and in life, sometimes, things are just going to suck. 

The breakup of a romance, the death of friends and loved ones, plateaus in lifting, and a whole smorgasbord of things that will take a toll on you.  I call it the shit Tsunamis of life.

Sometimes life can make you feel like this guy

There are times when it absolutely overcomes you, and you feel like there will be no end to it.  You are drowning in life’s misery and dreadfulness.  There is nothing but black and gray, and not a speck of light can creep through it.  You can't find your way because the sorrow, anger, bitterness, and strife make it impossible to see.  Makes it seem impossible to grasp ahold of the things you use to cling to.  Like being steadfast and patient. 

The parallel here in life and lifting, is that without a code and without goals, you will start to sway and wander from who you are, and what you want to be, or become.  You can one day wake up, and find that you have drifted endlessly for months or even years, suddenly realizing how much time has passed you by without making any progress in either endeavor.  The tsunami shit wave can continue if you allow yourself to be pissed off that you let so much time to go by without accomplishing anything. 

Generally we lose our way because we lose our code, and we stop asking ourselves the right questions.  The latter being the one we are usually the guiltiest of. 

Here is a fact.  The shit tsunami will eventually subside. 

What you do during the time that it is upon you, defines who you are at your core.  There is a saying that goes "hard times don't build character, they reveal it".  And when those hard times pass, you need to be able to look back and say you held steadfast to the things that make you who you are.  And you won't have anyone to blame for your poor decisions during that time.  No one likes to hear someone passing the buck.  You know why?  Because you get all the power over your OWN actions.  So own the shit wave, deal with, and be a fucking man about it.  

 

The whole point of having a code is so that when things are hard, you have a compass.  Things that you know to be right and true and can cling to, no matter how high the waters rise.  Things that say you live your life with strength and honor. 

I got this.....

Training is no different.  When you shit the bed because things aren't going well, and you have no training code, what do you have to get you corrected?

Another "routine"?  Fuck no.  You should always have a training code or philosophy that keeps you on track, and headed in the right direction.  So that when shit breaks down, you can return to the things you know will put you back on track.

“Squat, push, pull, condition.”

“Start light.”

“Set goals.”

“Be patient.”

When you have a code that you adhere to, you seldom get lost.  When you do, finding your way again is as simple as asking yourself one question…..  

  

“Am I staying the course according to my code?”

If you aren't, get back on the course and be steadfast. 

If you are, be patient.  You will be rewarded for doing so.