Hey Everyone,
Two weeks down and all is WELL???
It is easy to get caught up in the whole “Life is a Bummer Right Now” aspect of COVID19. After all – we just can’t “DO” what we usually do. Dempsey (13) packed a back-pack to go “Out for a Skate” yesterday and was 100% annoyed with the answer “Well, you can go as long as you stay in our street…and you are not going to catch up with your friends – that’s what Skype is for”. (Side Note: I’m not hip with the skateboard youth but apparently the app to use for teenage get togethers is called ‘HOUSE PARTY’. Like…what – EVA!). But I am convinced this who thing is making us better.
1/. You are gaining a bit of perspective.
Yes, yes. I know. We can’t training in the gym together. Yes, yes. I know. We can’t use all the same equipment that we usually use. But one thing I have learnt so far is that we CAN all still train ‘together’ and still all share the same workout ‘experience’. It just takes a bit of effort. For us coaches, getting the programming streams (‘At Home Training’ and ‘At Home Strength’) up and running with video support and published on social/website etc has been keeping us pretty busy – and you guys are playing your part by posting pics and videos and generally keeping your training buddies accountable.
2/. You are becoming mentally STRONGER.
So, to give some context, my friend Trevor has a 15 year old going through the AFL talent pathway at Swans. And about 12-months ago I sat down with him and outlined a body weight training program (you know, pull-ups, push-ups etc) for him to complete to assist with building strength without accessing ‘equipment’ (yes, it is possible!). By all reports young Corey has been incredibly diligent in following the program and was reaping some real rewards on-field during the early season talent games.
Trev has been keen to give credit to me and the program – but honestly the credit (and all of it) goes to Corey. Because programs are programs and are a dime a dozen. But having the mental strength and willingness to get out there (most times, by yourself) and battle through a workout 5-7 times a week when no-one is watching? Well, that builds mental strength and mentally strong people are confident in their ability to succeed.
Basically, if you are pushing on and getting these workouts done without a coach looking over your shoulder, when you are able to get back to the gym you are going to see some unbelievable results!
3/. You are learning to IMPROVISE
You don’t always have access to the ‘BEST’ tool for a job. And sometimes, that doesn’t matter. Sometimes the most incredible outcomes have been achieved by people who were forced to come up with their own unique take on something – I think of the legend of Don Bradman hitting a ball into a corrugated iron fence, or Nick Farr-Jones throwing medicine balls through old car tyres hanging off a clothesline in his back year…the outcomes they achieved were amazing because they were training with PURPOSE and they were determined that their makeshift solutions would work.
I know that growing up we had just as much fun playing backyard cricket when we used a rubbish bin for the wickets as we did when we had ‘real’ stumps…we are all learning how to improvised when it comes to our health and fitness right now and we will benefit from this for the long-term.
4/. We are all really (REALLY) learning to appreciate our training partners/buddies.
Social contact is hard right now. Kirei came to the gym on Friday and the two of us enjoyed a 20-minute, socially distanced catch-up that could have gone for 2-hours! Both of us were so happy to see ‘SOMEONE’ else. I can see this interaction online between training buddies – just liking posts, challenging each other to complete a workout, trying to outdo one another. Everyone seems to be really appreciative of the other people in their community and is really willing them to keep striving forward, willing each other to keep doing the things that help make them successful.
5/. We are all taking a LEADERSHIP role in our family/peer groups with regards to exercise.
This one has been so evident. One thing noticeable in the posts on the Round 1 page has been the families training together – setting a great example to their own kids…and by extension to their ‘non-gym’ friends and their kids. I mean, yes, it’s great for us all to be in the gym training together and experiencing that feeling of collective accomplishment – but there is no reason we can’t push that feeling further through the family and influence other members of our family/social groups in a positive way…and so many people are doing that right now – and showing real leadership in so-doing.
6/. You’re SAVING your LIFE!
I mean, you all know this right! Sickness has – seemingly overnight – become an acute problem in our society and people who are physically active are at a lower risk of being impacted. By continuing to stay fit and active now, you are minimising the chances that you will be sick in the future – and to change gears I believe more and more that the programs we run at Round 1 – and the 3x 52 methodology (3x sessions each week, 52x weeks of the year) we espouse are going to be more important that ever when things return to ‘NORMAL’ (whatever the new normal actually looks like).
7/. Food MATTERS!
Well, this is me being presumptuous (somewhat) but we have an awesome challenge running right now that is going to help everyone understand how to eat ENOUGH veggies and fruit every day…and without the gym (and for so many of us, without the burden of travelling to and from work to worry about), we should all have time to really commit to it and dial in our food…a lesson that will last forever. If you haven’t signed up, you can find the info here (and it’s free, so why wouldn’t you???):
https://round1fitness.com.au/the-800g-challenge-starts-monday/
8/. New Knowledge, Future Success
Once upon a time I used to manage a large-ish team at a large, soulless corporate and regularly sat with my staff one-on-one to discuss their progress, their hopes etc. And so many of them were frustrated and jaded (same as me I guess) but I always used to tell them the same thing. Every day when you come to work, you cannot take back the work you have done on the companies behalf. That is theirs to keep forever. Equally, they cannot take from you the experience you have gained or the connections you have established during your time here – and the harder you work, more you challenge yourself, well – you should see that is an investment in yourself because every day the work you do is making you better, more skilled and ultimately more attractive to other employers. The same with the situation we are all facing right now – the more you embrace the challenge it has presented, the more skills you will have in your kitbag at the end of it – and you will have those skills and that experience for the rest of your life!
Stay Safe,
Hope to see you all soon!
Michael.
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