Tag: fit

Ways to improve your physical health

As we approach the new year, and with it , New Years Resolutions, it’s time to think about how you can improve your physical health. I’m a firm believer that you have to think of the body holistically, and to be the healthiest version of you mentally, emotionally, etc, that you need to be the healthiest version physically as well. But where do you start? Here are a few thoughts…

Start with natural movement. What do you do in everyday life? Squat (like when you’re going to sit in a chair or on the toilet), deadlift (like when you’re picking up groceries), do farmers carries (like when you’re carrying those groceries inside), overhead press (like when you’re picking your kids up over your head), do sit-ups and Turkish getups (like when you’re getting up off the floor), etc.

Change the variety, volume, and frequency of your movements. Sometimes do light weight (or body weight) for high reps. Sometimes do heavy weight for low reps. Change how often you’re working – whether that’s changing rest periods in between sets or occasionally throwing in a second workout for the day. Keep your body guessing – but don’t do things on a whim. It should still be structured/be according to a plan.

Change your movement types. Jump, crawl, run, hang, push, pull, twist, walk, run, climb, carry, improve your combat/self-defense skills, and practice swimming or being in the pool.

Be barefoot outside. Get dirty. Workout in cold weather and warm weather. Work out for functionality, not just for aesthetics. Work out for utility and longevity.

Strengthen your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and neck.

Do yoga (isometric holds, stretching, balance).

Do an obstacle course or make your own version…practice on the balance beam, monkey bars, and agility ladder. Use 5-gallon buckets for carries, go over short walls to hurdle or flip over, tall walls to climb, have a sprint zone, a bear crawl/crab walk zone, 5-cone agility, pull-ups, squats, pushups, handstand holds/pushups. Go ruck in the woods.

Lastly, to make sure your body has enough energy to do all of this, get enough quality sleep, drink enough water, and focus on eating a good/clean diet.

Pain is subjective: How to get comfortable with the uncomfortable

“The reason his fights look so easy is because his training was so hard.” – Paraphrased from Joe Rogan when he was talking about Floyd Mayweather.

Train to make the uncomfortable not phase you. If that is your baseline and you’re used to facing obstacles, it will become your new normal. But to someone who hasn’t faced those same difficulties, when they suddenly are thrown into a tough situation, it will be harder for them mentally, physically, and emotionally.

How do you get comfortable with the uncomfortable?

A huge part of it is mental fitness. Mental fitness is more than just being mentally tough. Being tough (or being able to endure) is just one aspect of your mental fitness, but being able to understand concepts, to think outside of the box, to have a good memory. and to be flexible in a changing environment all contribute to being mentally fit.

The other part (the “easier” part) is physical fitness. Again, you want to be physically tough and able to hold up to pressure, but physics fitness also includes strength, endurance, flexibility, mobility, balance, coordination, having a healthy heart and joints, etc.

If you are mentally and physically fit, it will be easier to overcome challenging situations. So what are some things you can do to become fit?

Train your body consistently to lift heavy weights for low reps, to lift light weights for high reps, to sprint short distances at fast speeds, to walk/run/bike long distances at slow speeds, to occasionally work with very little sleep, to occasionally work with very little to eat, to think fast and make quick decisions, to analyze and think slowly, to deal with the heat, to deal with the cold, to read/write/draw, etc. These are just a few examples…

There are so many ways you can train your body and mind at the same time. Do a difficult task daily, one that pushes your existing comfort levels, because the more difficult you make your training, the easier your life will be. If your training is harder than the actual event, you’ll remain strong physically and, more importantly, you’ll remain strong mentally and emotionally. This will give you the edge you need over your competition.

Pain is subjective – it changes based on the perspective of who is going through the experience. Running a mile at a sub 6-minute clip is easy for those who do it consistently, but for the untrained person, this will probably be very painful. What will you do today to increase your fitness and increase your pain threshold?

Talent isn’t everything

Everyone loves talent. Everyone loves natural ability. It’s enticing. “Think of everything that person could do! If they applied themselves, their potential is limitless!”

It’s easy to get caught up in hiring very talented individuals, even if their track record shows that talent doesn’t necessarily equate to performance OR when there is someone else who is nearly as capable, gives better effort, but is less talented. Why does this happen? Because they appear to have a much lower ceiling for what they can achieve. In fact, they may already have “overachieved” based on their talent profile.

But that kind of thinking is where we get it all wrong. Effort, attitude, and fit is what you need to look for when hiring someone. Let’s review why hiring for these three qualities will lead to a better team/company in the future.

Regarding effort…When you hire someone, you want to know that they will try to work their hardest, not just to suck up to you, but because that’s who they are as a person. Look at other actions they take in their lives. Do they do what they should be doing, even when it’s not what they want to be doing? Are they ok performing the mundane, yet necessary tasks, that need to get done to succeed? And are they performing those tasks well instead of just going through the motions? Consistent, high quality effort will take an individual far.

Regarding attitude…What good is hiring someone who is talented and gives good effort, but they have such a poor attitude that nobody on the team wants to work with them? They’re an individual superstar, but to the team they are a cancer. Not only does their poor attitude affect people’s mood and behavior when they are around that person, but sometimes it can suck the energy out of the office just with them in the building. Instead, look to hire people who are optimistic, who are curious, and who are looking for feedback. They should be willing to accept criticism and not allow themselves to get into a bad mood when things don’t go their way.

Regarding fit…Would you be ok spending 40 hours per week with this person? Do they fit into the culture of the team (or can you see the possibility of them fitting in)? If you try to fit a round peg into an oval hole, you might be able to make it work for a little while. But to have the best fit, where there are no gaps and no places that overlap, you need to find an oval peg for that oval hole. The harmony (synergy) in your office will translate to better production because when people try hard, have a positive attitude, and like each other, their co-workers will pitch in when needed and they can all help each other (and the company) grow/succeed.

Talent is great. I’m not saying to not hire talented people. In fact, if you can find a supremely talented individual who also has a great work ethic, positive attitude, and fits with your team, you just hit the jackpot. But what I am saying is that talent is only part of the equation, and too often it is too heavily weighted when making a decision to hire someone. Next time you go to make a hire, don’t be overly impressed by their resume, but instead take the time to interview them, to get to know them and their work ethic, and see how they fit with your team. If they can check off those other boxes, hire them. Talent is overrated. As long as you have a good training system in place, work ethic, attitude, and fit can overcome many obstacles.