Commitment…does that word scare you? I’m not talking about relationships here.
Let me tell you a story. I was with a girl friend lifting at her gym and it was chest/shoulder day. After warming up with the bar, we started our first set with 25′s on each side. I went first and got 15 reps then it was her turn. Before she even tried she said “Erin, I can’t do this.” Of course I reply, “yes you can! I’m not that much stronger than you”
She unracks the bar and began, she got one rep out and stopped saying it was too heavy. Ok, thats fine. At least she tried, so we dropped the weight and she finished her first set and we moved on gradually adding weight to each set and losing a few reps. By the 4th set she decides that the 25′s were only a total of 10 lbs heavier than what she just did for her third set where she pushed out 10 reps. SO we put the 25′s back on. I was right there to spot her and guess what happened?
She got 8 reps with no assistance.
REALLY???? You couldn’t get 2 full reps on your first set and you just got 8 on your last? What was the problem before? She didn’t believe in herself. That last set she finally committed her mind and body to the weight and became a beast.
Lets tell another story or three. I once decided I wanted to snatch a 70 lb. kettle-bell. My first two tries I chickened out, by my third attempt I was already worn out from my previous failures. I finally decided to stop being a pansy and commit. My third try my right hand and a 70 lb. kettle-bell went up over my head with ease. Switching to my left hand (weaker side) I tried and got it up on my first attempt.
Last week, I decided I wanted to take a picture of myself in the mirror standing with the olympic bar over my head to send to a friend. Well the only way to do that was to have my phone in my left hand and push the bar over my head with my right arm. I didn’t even THINK about what I was doing. I just knew that was the only way this would work. So without hesitation I cleaned the bar off the floor and pressed it over my head where I held it for over 20 seconds while trying to take a non blurry picture. Later I realized, not only did I push 45 lb. over my head with one arm, but it was easy, and the weight distribution of a bar makes it harder than if i had a dumbbell or kettle-bell, but it was easy because I committed to the act.
The mind is a powerful thing. If you think you can’t do something, chances are you will fail when you try.
I took a physical test once where I had to walk on a stair-mill for 3 min 20 sec wearing 70 lb. on my shoulders without holding onto the rail. It was the longest 3:20 seconds of my life but I knew I had to do it, and not only that but I had to finish the rest of the physical test AFTER that event within 7 minutes. I finished it in 6. I saw grown men fall off the stair-mill and a few pass out at another event before finishing. Oh, did i mention I threw my back out 5 days before the test, and 8 months later I’m finally getting over that injury? I did not want to take that test, but I committed to it and by golly I was gonna finish if it killed me. TOOT! TOOT!
Geez, I feel like I’m tooting my own horn here. I’m not, well maybe I am a little bit 🙂 but my own experiences are the only thing I have to go by…oh my point.
There is power in both thinking positive and thinking negatively. It’s basically up to you, if you pass or fail. I’m not saying, load up the squat rack with 225 lb. but be realistic and safe. Just don’t underestimate your strength or stamina or both.
Same thing goes for dieting. As you start going to Christmas parties this winter you can’t think “I don’t know if I can pass up the cookies, fudge and alcohol.”
You’ll probably give in and eat a bunch of crap that probably wasn’t worth the calories and hate yourself the next morning, thinking “why didn’t I just stick to the veggie and fruit tray? No one else was reaching for that platter. I’ll probably get sick from the germs on the ham croissants that everyone was reaching for and I’ll never eat a beanie weenie again. My eyes are still swollen shut from all the sodium. Guess I’ll have to go run it off. Oh wait! I can’t! I don’t have that kinda stamina. I’m just gonna stay home on the couch and waller in my self pity.”
Instead of that big drama fest you just played out in your head, go through this season thinking “I’m not gonna gain 10 lb. this winter. I’m gonna lose 10 lb. I’m gonna wake up everyday and make the conscious decision to make healthy choices for my body.”
Please enjoy thanksgiving and christmas dinner. Just don’t pig out everyday from Thanksgiving till January 1st, then decide to make a New Years resolution to join the gym and starve yourself to get the weight off, and quit (no commitment) in February.
Commit yourself to a healthy life style of eating clean and exercising regularly. Your mind, along with your body will grow stronger. I know you can do this.
Commit today, not tomorrow and NOT on January 1st. How cliche and normal. Who wants to be normal? Not this weird girl.
Think positive yall! xoxo
