Iron Legion Strength and Combat puts a ton of emphasis on training our members to be Generally Physically Prepared. Some of you may have heard the acronym GPP – that’s what we do here.
There should be no physical challenge that our members cannot face – our systems and programs are created to enhance GPP at every level.
GPP training touches on a lot of different training modalities. Wizard of Oz style behind the curtains programming with intent that includes progress testing and benchmarks along the way is the road map to success here.
But – We’ve always got that few who want… more.
More. If a little is working – more is better right?
Not necessarily.
If there’s one thing I see a lot of in my industry it is attempts to do – more. More reps, more weight, more skills, more programs, more – more – MORE!
And – it never EVER fails. “More” – always degrades into cherry picking what they like. Every workout they “find” on their mind deprivation device oddly always contains one of 3 of their favorite movements.
And they drill the shit out of them. I’m not here to say they aren’t working hard – they are, but they are consistently picking the same shit over and over. Similar time domains, similar loading, and the exact same skills over and over.
A false sense of confidence is typically created in this scenario. They think they are pushing out of their comfort zone – all the while they are backing themselves into a comfort zone.
This ends up getting tested in the morning when they look in the mirror – or at competitions in the gym and outside of the gym. Member expectations are high for these “more seekers” and their peers get confused when they see them fail or underperform.
Where do they fail? They fail at things they aren’t good at – the things they intentionally removed during their chaotic instagram program research. They’ve also removed themselves from a coached environment – losing the occasional queue and oversight that can help dial in efficiencies and make these guys the actual bad asses they want to be. ( I won’t even go into nutrition and recovery habits – entirely other blog)
I’m not hating on these guys – hell, I can get caught up in this sometimes too.
We are all in this to have fun and be healthy right? So – I still back these guys up. They are still training way harder than any of you reading this on your couch or in your cubicle – BUT:
In this biz there are hobbyists and there are athletes. These “more seekers” are typically hobbyists. Bad ass hobbyists sometimes, but hobbyists nonetheless.
So what is an athlete then?
An athlete does the fucking work. All of it. They adhere to the program as written and under the guidance of their coaches. An athlete does not question the process. An athlete doesn’t whip out their phone whenever the day’s programmed work doesn’t appeal to them.
Could you imagine for a minute a well known NFL QB showing up for training with their team and deciding they don’t like the workout? They just go do what they feel like? And they do this consistently – only occasionally training with their team.
I wonder how well that would go over on their ability to show up 110% on game day with their team?
That QB would be without a job quickly. Healthy and fit – maybe, but an athlete? Nope. Off the team. Good luck being slightly above average in your little pond.
Can you picture Froning or Toomey scouring the internet for a workout they “like” instead of the day’s programming prescribed by their coach(es)? I doubt it.
A true athlete? They grind. Hard. They commit and they stay the course. They follow the program created to make them better than they’ve ever been. And that journey can be from time to time:
Mind numbing. Boring. Humbling. Yep – I said it. It’s not all flash and fireworks folks.
But the results? An athlete knows its worth every second. Good days and tough days.
Example – we have a 45 year old mother of three here at Iron Legion that recently qualified for the quarterfinals for CrossFit.
**disclaimer: a few of you just said “she’s competing in Masters” in a tone that implies it’s “easier”. That thought, or even that statement shows your ignorance of true sport. Some of the most aggressive, most competitive athletes out there are competing at Masters level.
A Masters athlete traditionally has more time to train and a broader level of common sense. Their careers are typically figured out and their kids are grown – translating into well trained animals that can hang with most 20 somethings any day of the week.
You’ll find out soon enough. Time comes for us all.
Anyway, back to our example. 45 year old mother of three, one of them with special needs, a full time dual business owner active in both of her businesses. One of the hardest working people I’ve ever met – and the example that pops in my head when anyone gives me an excuse about “not having time to train”.
How does she train?
Efficiently.
She allocates one hour to training each day. It’s all the time she has, but she prioritizes it. It comes first in her daily planning.
She doesn’t add to it. She doesn’t take away from it. She does what is prescribed in that hour. She simply does not have time for anything more than that hour.
Day in – and day out. She is not known to complain – as a matter of fact she actually appears even more comfortable in the most grueling of workouts.
To watch her work sometimes it appears so – slow. A closer look and you see the definition of efficiency. She is doing her workout – her way, trusting her training. She doesn’t let anyone she’s competing with rattle her. She chooses her pace and never ever deviates.
That hour of training time she has – it’s all she may get. She puts forth every ounce of effort she has to learn and achieve exactly what that hour is created for.
Day after day, year after year. Never cherry picking – I couldn’t even tell you what she considers her favorite movement. She trains whatever is on deck for that day.
Is it effective? Absolutely. She’s qualified for this a few years in a row now. She is an athlete and will always train as an athlete trains. Committed. Dedicated. Never questioning the process.
In summary – there are hobbyists and there are athletes. If you are in your first year of training I encourage you to find a training style that you enjoy first and foremost. If you can’t find any of it appealing – move on until you find something that does.
Once you are over a year into training – understand that “more” work as a hobbyist may be fun, but probably not moving you towards the goals you may have originally had. How can you tell? Look in the mirror. Or sign up for a competition outside of your peer group.
Seek out your weaknesses and address them – or don’t. Small ponds need average fish too.
Life is met to be lived. Your time is precious. Your training time must be prioritized, and programmed with intent if you are looking to achieve anything beyond who you are at this moment.
First and foremost – STAY ACTIVE! Looking to level up and you live in or around Ocala Florida – hit me up. Iron Legion is a 100% non-virtual experience designed to get you to where you want to be physically and mentally.
Yours in Strength and Confidence,
-Coach Ted
Strength over Fear