Failing (at fitness) sucks. There’s no two ways about it.
When you try and you seem to get nowhere or even go backwards, it’s extremely discouraging. And then all the negative thoughts swirling around in your head are never-ending.
Like the never-ending story.
If it’s the never-ending story, why is there 3 parts? BOOM. But I digress.
Where was I? Yes, failing.
But most people meet obstacles at one stage or another during their fitness quest, except for the genetic freaks and those who give up completely for a life of leisure.
The question is what you do about it when you’ve been knocked down.
As the great poet, Chumbawamba, pointed out:
“I get knocked down
But I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down.”
You have two choices. Which one will you choose?
Around 9 years ago
I fell in love with the barbell deadlift, but I had no idea on how to do it properly.
Not only as a regular gym goer but as a certified personal trainer also. So, (in hindsight) It was only a matter of time until I hurt myself and shit it was a doozy.
One fateful day while attempting to deadlift 275 pounds, something went snap, and it wasn’t my sanity. It was my L3, L4, and L5 parts of my lower back that I had herniated, one bad, two mild.
Those who you who’ve had lower back pain know the feeling but for the rest of you who haven’t experienced it, I was in agony. Sciatica pain and back spasms were my way of life for what it seems like forever.
It affected my work, my personal life, the ability to be a father and everything in between. It sucked.
But then I made a promise to myself when I got healthy (which happened eventually) I wanted to deadlift twice my bodyweight.
Okay, enough of my sob story
Well, not quite.
The thing with lower back injuries is they’re always there to remind you. Over the years while trying to deadlift 2X my bodyweight there have been setbacks.
Lower back pain, spasms and strains. Each time stopping me in my tracks and almost putting me back to square one.
You might be thinking (at this stage) I’m banging my head against a brick wall and if I stopped trying to reach this goal, all my back problems would go away.
But (in my opinion) you’d be wrong.
Most of my lower back dramas have come from activities of daily living, like picking up a pencil from the floor and not from deadlifting. At my advancing age, it’s damned if you do or damned if you don’t.
And I’d rather do.
Well, have I reached my goal yet?
Aren’t you dying to know? Probably not but you got this far so hang on.
No, I haven’t reached my goal that I set several years ago. My current max is 325 pounds. I need to add another 25-30 pounds to my deadlift.
So, what keeps me going?
What is this forgotten factor in fitness?
Persistence.
I made a promise to myself and it’s a promise I intend to keep.
Some people give up on their goal, even though they’re so close they can touch it. They don’t show enough persistence. Then after they give up, it becomes a regret.
And I have enough of those already and I don’t plan on adding to them.
Do you?
Wrapping up
The only way to fail at most things you want is to quit. And quitting is the easy out, especially when it comes to your health and fitness.
With the world screaming at you that’s it’s okay to sit on your butt, eat what you want, and you’ll not be judged, be a little different.
Show some backbone. Show some persistence.
Your quality of life will improve because of it.
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