What every Coach/Athlete is thinking but doesn't want to say

We are experiencing one of the most unique situations in the past decade. We have had our day to day lives shook in a way like never before. Our priorities have been re-arranged whether we know it or not.

In the matter of training, we have had our most basic idea of training re-aligned into a more "archaic" style of training. Our ergonomical tools have now been, for the most part taken from us. The Gym Building is now an abandoned structure. The sounds of plates clanging on a barbell are silenced.

We have been told, "It's ok, this is a great opportunity to build upon things that we have been neglecting. Let's make the best of it and push and evolve further into our training. When this is all over we will come back even better than before!"

What we want to say. Athletes and Coaches alike is...

“Fuck this.” 

Let's break it down. 

The obvious
For the most part, we have no external load. We have been using bodyweight movements to elicit stimulus unto our body. Some of us have kettlebells, dumbbells, or even resistance bands. But for those who don't have a garage gym it's back to the basics. Frankly, this kinda sucks...no, it really fucking sucks. If we loved doing push-ups and bodyweight squats we probably wouldn't have joined our gyms to begin with! No one cares how many bodyweight squats you can do. We want the sexy and it's not going to be bodyweight lunges. We miss the mental battle before a max effort variation.  Feeling that challenge, the looming fear of failure. It has defined alot of us for so long. We want something heavy. We want something to defeat. 

Conditioning work sucks

If I have to do another AMRAP, For time, or Interval Circuit I'm going to fucking throw up. Not because I just finished it but because I am mentally over it. I understand it's important. Our General Physical Preparedness drives up so many markers in our overall fitness. It helps recovery, vitality, reduction of fat, etc. etc. Yes, I understand. But seriously, I don't give a fuck. I'm a grown up. My main course has always been my strength work. It's my meat. That shit excites me. Throughout my day I'm looking at my training app drooling over what squat, bench, and deadlift variation I have on the agenda.  I'm not doing the same for my GPP. That's the shit I got to do before I leave. I'm okay with doing that because it creates the glistening sweat on my chest and shoulders after I got that amazing pump. If it wasn't for that I wouldn’t do it. Now it’s like some fucked up dinner. I have to do my "warm up shit" as my main shit. My "have to do shit" is now my everyday shit. It’s a a dinner I didn't order but I have to force feed.

Training alone is bullshit

I like training. I like training around people. I can honestly say that when other people are watching me hit a heavy top set I push even harder. Call me a narcissistic ass. Call me whatever you want. I like that. It fuels me. Do I need other people to be around for me to work hard. No I do not. But you know what? I don't need wet wipes to wipe my ass. But it still works better. Give me back my training partners. They never worried about what my personal life was like. Al they cared about at that moment was all of us getting better. We battled through every rep together and when the smoke cleared we finished. Thats what mattered. I want to lift heavy shit with dope ass people. 

To be honest, There are alot of people I would have no problem Social Distancing from. But most of them don’t go to my gym. 

Let’s be positive

If I learned one thing during my stint in the military it was the art of building a "Shit Sandwich." Top bread is Positive things to say, Middle portion is the Negative or Constructive things to say, The bottom is Positive once again to rear back the motivation and reassurance that we are in this together. No matter how much shit is in the middle. I have been absent of the uniform for a good amount of time so my “Sandwich Making Skills” are out of touch. During this I have given more of an Open Faced Sandwich but I will do my best to finish strong. 

If during this Pandemic you have wasted time, you have let your diet go to trash, you have barely trained at all. I'm here to tell you.

IT'S FUCKING OKAY. 

No one cares if this guy over here trained everyday and read 100 books on self improvement. Good for him. If you didn't that's perfectly fine! You have the undeniably right to react anyway you want. It's your life and your time. I'm confident that anyone that really loves training will be back in the gym and back on the train of progress. This time didn't define you. Honestly, no one is much better than you because their perception of productivity is above yours. The only opinion that matters is yours. Don't beat yourself up for not getting all those home projects done or not losing that 20lbs that you said you were. Training in a lifetime is a Sine Wave. It moves up and down. Things happen and we do the best we can. That is exactly what is going on now. So hold your head up and relax. 

The one take away

If you could pull one lesson from all of this. I hope with everything in me it's

"Don't take anything for granted and enjoy things thoroughly."

So...

When doors finally open to those places you couldn't go. Walk through them a little bit slower. Smile a little bit wider. Enjoy it just a little bit longer.

Always in Strength,
​Dan