Andy Fortuna
The MOST important day to train | Dont Skip this moment!
I'm not talking about a specific time of day or day in the week that will reap the best results, although I will talk about that in another video. I am referring to the particular moment in life where you are going through adversity.
What I have noticed in my training is that it is crucial for me to show up and train especially when I'm going through something challenging. Whether I may be upset, angry, sad, stressed, pensive , you name it, for me this is the most important time for me not to miss a training session.
Here's why:
1. Life should not dictate the care that you give yourself.
I myself have given the excuses of “ I'm having a bad day/week I need rest” “I'm too stressed out and I don’t want to overdo it with training “ “ I have too much to do , and don’t have time to train”.
Input any excuse and you will find a reason to avoid showing up because as the saying “goes misery loves company”. The reality is that when you're feeling bad its easier to feel sorry for one self then it is to move forward against adversity.
Just cause you're having a bad week doesn't mean you should give up everything you have been working on, especially your health. Instead, fight to be more intentional and purposeful. Even if it means you work a little slower or do a little less , focus on doing the best that you can and keep moving forward (even if its 1 millimeter at time)
Which leads me to my next point.
2. Intentional training is among one of the best stress relievers you can find.
I'm not talking about killing yourself in the gym and calling it “relieving stress”. Beating yourself up in a training session out of frustration, I find to actually can lead to building more tension and physical stress on the body then actually helping you cope. Its like fighting fire with fire.
It's more about getting the mind to focus on a skill or attribute you are training and not the stress.
Think of it as a form of mediation, a movement meditation. Where each exercise, repetition, and moment in your training is a chance to build self awareness, mental clarity, emotional balance, as well as physical attributes.
3. Prioritizing the time to focus on yourself and do something positive: fight a negative with a positive.
Having a consistent training routine , I believe, is one of the most powerful self builders you can have. A good training session can heal injuries, improve your mood, build self confidence, and improve physical capacity among other things.
You may be going through hard times, but sticking to your training can give you the positivity and encouragement you need to get through.
It's like Bruce Lee said “ Be water”.
Be adaptable to the situation like water can mold to any container poured into.
Be resilient to adversity like water in a stream rushing around the rocks and boulders in its path.
So for me, when life is challenging or even spinning out of control, staying consistent with my training is one of my greatest tools to stay level headed, focused, and even more important stay mentally and physically healthy.