Listening to the Body

When we make the real resolution to find the eye of the tiger, we tend to go all out. Eating right (whatever that may be for you), working out hard, going all out. These are all symptoms of having the Eye. However, before we go overboard with the Eye, we need to be able to understand and listen to our bodies and minds. The Eye, unleashed and unchecked, can destroy you. 

80%

BGame taking it easy

I know, because the Eye messed me up some months ago when I was doing some strength work. Some months ago I was doing sets of dead lifts at 135#. 5x5. Nothing crazy. I was doing some other movements, too. We would do that before our met con work at about 80% or whatever we felt was good. During my last set, the bar was feeling heavy and I was struggling, for some odd reason. 135? I thought. That is not too heavy!! Against the advice of my friend, who normally tells me to find the Eye, I decided to finish out the pulls. Noooot good. I felt my back seize up on the right side as I went to pull the bar and it all went to hell.


I was laid up for a good five weeks. After that, I still had to be very careful, and I was even scared to try lifting. All because I did not have the patience to listen to what my body was saying and what my workout partner was telling me. It was all the ego bolstered by the Eye that day. 


That is when I realized that I needed to find the delicate balance between going all out at a good clip and doing what was best for my body, without listening to a worried or scared mind. Of course we want to work out hard and see results; when we see that is the important part. Results, strength, balance, agility, or weight loss do not happen overnight. Those things need to happen over time, so that they are a part of the body and soul, not a temporary high that comes on fast but dissipates just as quickly. Good things come to those who wait, something not encouraged in our society. We are a culture of now now now. Except now now now will get you nowhere nowhere nowhere faster than you think.

This week I was weak in the body and the mind. Knowing that, I was more careful and deliberate in my workouts. I assessed whether or not it was just mental. Then I pushed myself physically to the point where I felt I worked hard but still felt good. When I woke up sore and exhausted one day, I took the day off. It was great. Once I understood that I was not simply wimping out or losing out on something, I was able to enjoy the rest and come back the day after my rest day. There was no guilt. I felt great. Most importantly, my body felt much better, and I might even have saved myself from an injury had I gone in to the gym.

Next time you are about to work out and you are not feeling it. Check out what it is. Is it all in your head? Is it in your body? If it is in your head, can you overcome it? If it's in your body, do you really need to work out? Listen to your body. Allow yourself some time to recover. If you don't go balls out, that is perfectly fine. Just because you go balls out one day does not mean you will wake up the next with all your goals realized. Practice some patience and you will be rewarded.

*thanks to BGame for allowing the photos*