“Compete”…..most people hear that word and they get turned off…especially if they’re talking about exercise.
That’s because we’ve been forced to “compete” everyday, usually against our will, since our first day of school.
Sure…that well meaning teacher or parent may have told you, “It’s doesn’t matter if you’re THE BEST, as long as you’re doing YOUR BEST.” But let’s face it…the rest of the world was telling you otherwise. The best athletes were millionaires, the best performers were world famous, and the best student was getting all the teacher’s attention. We all learned from an early age that doing “our best” was a one-way ticket to loser-ville.
Now you’re a grown-up and nothing’s changed. You’ve got to hop on a treadmill next to “Susie Spandex” training for her next marathon, while you’re just trying to walk fast for 20 minutes without stopping.
So, why the heck would I be encouraging you to “compete?”
It’s because we all have a desire deep down to compete, and it will make all of your workouts much more enjoyable.
But there’s a difference….YOU decide how you’re going to compete…nobody else!
I do this myself, and I do this with many of my clients. At the beginning of a workout I’ll ask, “On a scale of 1 to 5…1 being, you’re exhausted and can barely stand up straight, and 5 being, you really need to blow off some steam….how do you feel?”
Over the course of a given week, I’ll usually have a “1 day” and a “5 day.” I’ll feel “1” if I couldn’t get a good night’s sleep the night before and I’m feeling over worked. I’ll feel “5” if I’m stressed out from work and I hadn’t found the time to exercise for a couple days.
On a “1 day” I’ll either do a circuit of stability exercises or go for a nice easy jog. One of my goals might be to hold a plank for a minute or go for 30 minutes on the elliptical non-stop, nice and easy.
On a “5 day” I’ll either do power super-sets or some high-intensity cardio intervals. On these days, my goal might be to perform 20 kettlebell snatches in a minute, or do 5 complete high-intensity cardio intervals.
So you don’t have to train for the Olympics or run a marathon to compete. YOU can determine the rules of the competition.
Please…take my word for it…set goals for your next few workouts…even if they seem silly and insignificant….you’ll notice a difference, I guarantee it!
