As a kid, I was a hyperactive menace. Running, climbing, and playing my way through each day like a tiny, crack cocaine-fueled (read: Frosted Flakes and Pop Tarts) Olympic hopeful.
By the time I was 12, I had made the conscious decision to start training for real. To become as strong, resilient, and athletic as possible so that I could ultimately live a happier, healthier life. I started religiously working out every night in my bedroom; squats, push ups, pull ups, and other basic exercises. Over time that progressed into proper weight training at the local community centre gym. And as I gathered more experience and education, my “workouts” turned into high-performance strength and conditioning using a variety of different training modalities.
Fast forward 13 years later and I can softly flex the fact that I’ve never missed a training session. Ever. There were days I felt lazy. There were weeks when I felt demotivated. There were even months when I was banged up badly with concussions and broken bones. But no matter the situation, I still got after it.
I’m not special though. As a matter of fact, I’m just like you – I savour the highs, I suffer through the lows, and I put my pants on one leg at a time. What fueled my facade of superhuman consistency throughout my last 13 years of training were 3 POWERFUL CONCEPTS that I always kept in the back of my mind; key training principles that softly whispered, “get your ass up and get to the gym, no matter how you feel”, each and every morning.
Below I’ll share those 3 powerful concepts. Use ‘em, or don’t – it’s your life. But at the very least I certainly hope that you’ll read through to the end in order to gain some valuable insight on how to stay on the path of continuous positive progression, no matter how much shit life throws in your face.
#1 – Train consistently to become someone of substance and value.
As a kid, I didn’t like myself. I hated how weak I was, and my inability to stand up to the violence and bullying around me really ate away at my self worth. So I started training to become closer in character to my childhood heroes: Steven Gerrard’s leadership. Georges St Pierre’s strength and humility. The Navy SEALs’ resilience.
Even as a barely self-aware child, I knew that I didn’t have to be “me” for the rest of my life; I knew that I was the sum total of all my daily habits and behaviours… which meant that I’d better workout everyday. If you’re tired of being current-you, make the decision to engage in the daily habits and behaviours that will mould you into the person you want to be!
#2 – Train consistently to be a leader. An honest one.
Throughout my life I’ve been given many different leadership positions… but unfortunately I suffer from a mean case of imposter’s syndrome. So because half of me believes in my leadership traits while the other half of me believes that I’m a phony, I have to work double hard in order to confidently lead others. In order to honestly lead others. I can’t tell you to run a 5k if I haven’t ran thousands of kilometres myself.
I aim to lead from the front, rather than persuade from the back, and you should do the same because here’s the thing: Everybody’s a leader. Even if you don’t have the title of “coach”, “manager”, or “CEO”, you’re a leader. Your homies, your family members, and your co-workers are constantly watching your behaviours and using that as a reference as to how they should behave. It’s unavoidable, just ask the pioneer of psychology’s Social Learning Theory, Albert Bandura. So if you want to make the world a better place, you have to be a leader. Be strong and train consistently because people are watching.
#3 – Train consistently so that you can PLAY.
I never “grew up”. To this day, I spend most of my free time running, hiking, swimming, dancing, and playing sports. I highly recommend structuring your life around physical play because it’s a surefire way to stay strong, happy, and pain-free for life. But here’s the caveat: You can’t play if you don’t train.
I can’t strap myself to a snowboard and rocket down a mountain if I don’t have balance, stability, and the prerequisite strength required to tumble and fall. I can’t play a game of soccer if walking up a flight of stairs turns me into a collapsed, wheezing mess. And I certainly can’t dance without adequate coordination and mobility. All of these fitness variables, and more, can be improved through structured physical training. So if you want to turn the world into your playground and achieve lasting happiness, then train consistently!
Pat Koo
BKin, CSCS