Self Motivation
We often are asked whether or not the workouts we run at Black Tusk get any easier and the short answer is no. As movements, weights and skills improve, we inevitably become stronger, faster and more efficient. We learn to become comfortable with the discomfort of working hard.
Memorial Day was yesterday and our neighbors to the South of the border always do Murph on Memorial Day to honor Lt. Michael Murphy. For those of us who are unaware, "Murph" is a workout consisting of:
1 Mile Run
100 Pull Ups
200 Push Ups
300 Air Squats
1 Mile Run
..all for time (ie. as fast as you can)
We know that it is scary and daunting to read that and picture yourself doing that amount of work. Murph is physically taxing but more importantly, Murph is mentally taxing. There will always be customized modifications and scales for the movements in order to be able to execute the workout to its intention. The hard part is mentally preparing yourself for the sheer volume and the amount of "suck" you will experience.
So why do we do work outs like this? Every so often (pretty few and far between) we will program a LONG 45+ minute workout to test our endurance. These workouts test our capacity and force us to push past our comfort zone. The movements themselves are not the limiting factor. With this type of volume and length, we will use little to no weight outside of our own body weight. What will limit us is our mental resilience. We look at a workout like this and want to quit before we even start. During the work out your body will want you to stop and that is when your mind needs to override your body and keep you going.
Obviously, finishing a tough workout isn't the same as battling through some real life issues. This doesn't mean that we can't draw on the same parallels. Starting and finishing a tough deadline, saving up for a down payment, battling through illness. This all takes character and self motivation. Tough workouts are practice for tough journeys that lie ahead. Whatever the challenge is, just start attacking it.