A few weeks ago, one of my adult members Maureen was exhausted after a tri-set station (when you do three moves in a circuit format, then repeat). She said, "I need more time before I start the next set. That one just got me."
Maureen is a gamer, she brings it every workout. But today she turned it up a notch.
It was the same tri-set workout we had done for the last two weeks. In fact, I started to notice that the entire class was bringing something different this 530am. The intensity was way up. You could see a much different effort in the air.
What was so different?
I challenged them to do one thing that day: #COUNT YOUR NUMBERS.
One reason I don't like using timed intervals is because it's too easy to just go through the motions and work for the time instead of reps. Working out can then become mindless, and when it does, then I firmly believe it isn't nearly as effective.
But in a big class setting, you generally need a timer to keep people flowing. So one thing I do when personally working out in this format, is just focus on my reps and not even worry about the timer. If I'm done early then I stop. If I need to work through the break to finish, then I do. Sometimes I skip the next move because I'd rather focus on more pull-ups on the next set instead of being too tired to max out, for example.
Not everyone does this though, and I've been starting to realize that they need the MENTAL GAME adjusted a little bit.
Let me make a note here real quick, there is a time and place to take it easy and just move through the reps. Sometimes you had a really bad week, lots of stress, sick, just not in the mood....totally get it. Those days you should just "be" and let the kinks work themselves out. You can't go 100% every workout.
But for the most part, if you don't think about your reps, if you don't have something you're shooting for, then here's what happens:
1. You don't do as many reps as you could.
2. You don't use as heavy as weight as you could.
3. You don't challenge your muscles and heart rate as much as you could, which means you don't get as much out of the 1hr session as you could.
So here's all I'm saying, if you do this one simple step, COUNT YOUR NUMBERS, you will immediately gain more from your workouts.
The magic is it brings you into the moment. Now instead of thinking about everything else you have to do that day, you are concentrating on your movement, form, tension, and performance, and you're IN IT to WIN IT.
Another one of my adult members Missy was doing atomic plank-ups (plank to pushup in suspension straps) in our night class. The first set she did 6. The next time she came back to that move I stayed next to her and I said let's shoot for 9. It was no problem. She nailed it with perfect form.
She had a number to shoot for.
MINDFULNESS TRAINING.
It's a secret....
But it's not.
It's not about competing with others. It's not about being the best in the room. It's about challenging yourself to get out of your comfort zone and reach your fullest potential. If you're capable of 10, why would you stop at 5?
You'll never know where you can get until you take yourself there.
COUNT YOUR NUMBERS TODAY.
It will be an absolute game-changer for you and all of your workouts.
It's not about us,
Coach Theo
No comments:
Post a Comment