Learn how to crack your challenge eggs and see what’s inside. Then watch your concerns become toast.

Facing a challenge invariably requires

courage. Some challenges require so much courage that we back down from the challenge rather than facing up to it. Those challenges can almost always be broken down into parts, each part being within our grasp. Eventually, we can combine parts, and put the entire challenge together. This is the very nature of fitness training. Bit by bit, we get better at what we practice.

The odd thing about most fitness challenges is that people tend to build the size of the challenge into something immense, in their head, while in reality there is nothing much to face at all. Should we actually face a challenge, after the fact we have the experience of “see, that wasn’t so bad,” and then we know that if the same challenge comes up again, we can easily rise to the occasion. At this point we are ready to face an even greater challenge.

Health and Fitness Week

So, back to courage. In tennis, basketball, and many other sports where relatively equally talented people compete, the winner is usually the person or team that “wants it more.” If you have the courage to take the win away from your opponent, the win is yours. In some sports, the mere act of training is scary for some people, and they won’t even start. People allow their fears to get the better of them. They build their fears into monsters. They get scared of failing, of being made fun of, of getting hurt, of the unknown, to the point where they cannot begin. Like every journey, all that needs be taken is the first step. Often enough, once the first step proves successful, the fears melt away and all is well.

Still, courage is required again and again, due to the progressive nature of sport. At first, running a mile seems impossible, but with courage, we master the challenge. Then we start running the mile against the clock. The 10-minute mile is conquered, but the 9-minute mile seems out of reach. The 9-minute mile is conquered, and the 8-minute mile becomes the next obstacle. I’ve lost track of the number of people who told me they could “Never” deadlift their own weight, only to do so after about an hour of training. We must be willing to alter our perception of what is possible. We must be willing to grow. We must be willing to face our fears, to be fit, and to be healthy, no matter what fears that means we must face.

Health and Fitness Week

Additional Resources

Articles, Blogs, and Vlogs:

• Training in “No Man’s Land” brings mediocre results, at best by Dr. Graham
• Importance of Biomechanics : 3 Factors to Physical Performance by Dr. Graham
• Try Training Triceps by Dr. Graham
• Persistent and Consistent by Dr. Graham
• Meet the Man Behind 100 Squats a Day : Ted Carr Interviewed
• Competing at the Southeast Classic Powerlifting Competition by Dr. Graham
• Go Easy On Me, It’s My First Time
• More Fitness Articles

Retreats:

Amp Up Your Fitness

Practical Skills To Thrive

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Self-Study Materials:

Raw Athlete’s3 Book Combo

The 80/10/10 Family Membership

80/10/10 Bootcamp How To Live 80/10/10