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Other/Mixed Priorities

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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TravisDirks

TravisDirks

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A little note to self:

Astounding things come from sustained, consistent, goal directed training. Nothing in training is as important as this: Never stop.

In 2.5 years of consistent training I've seen some really great results. That's all the time it took to be stronger than 99.9% of people in this world. And it's really back loaded. The first 6 months no one noticed the change but me. The first 1.5 years I was just trying to get to where I'd be if I had a normal (evolutionarily) life that required more than thumbs. 2 years in people started to notice. In the past 3 months I'm getting things like "Jesus how strong are you?!". 2.5 years. On the scale of strong people, I'm not that strong... yet. What happens in 10? or 20? Nothing if I stop. Incredible things if I don't.

If you've got attention and energy left to ponder your training, ponder this: If I'm not training in the future, what is the most likely reason? Attack that.
 
A friend gave me that advice a while back. He used to be quite active, but weight and age have really overtaken him. He said, whatever you're doing, just don't stop. It really stuck with me.

Remember that thing I said about two components to success -- 1) knowing what to do, and 2) doing it? #1 I get from pretty much doing what Al C. tells me to do, haha. #2 I get from just being consistent with training. I can't believe how far I've come, and how far there is yet to go! It's just like you described, Travis...
 
@TravisDirks let me try to illuminate the "reason"... in my observation of folks through their training lifespan, there is often an event that causes them to cease training. Its not usually an evolution but a distinct point. This could be a physical relocation; new job; etc. So if there was something to attack, it is the changes in our life.

Moreover, goal-oriented training is sometimes the problem. E.g, if the goal is a 500lb bench press, and you do not genetically have it in you, you will eventually stop training. However, if the goal is to maintain fitness, you will be more likely to overcome any of the aforementioned life changes in stride. Its sometimes difficult to balance arbitrary physical goals with a sustainable active lifestyle. If I can offer any wisdom to this forum: "it is ok to not chase arbitrary numbers in search of fitness".

@Anna C I remember, not too long ago, telling you that the 8kg is too light.
 
"And in those simple beautiful movements I remembered what was really important in training; that consistency trumps intensity; all the time. That intensity is born from consistency. That one cannot force it, one has to lay in wait for it, patiently, instinctively, calmly and be ready to grab it when Grace lays it down in front of you."

this is the motto of Mark Reifkind's blog Rifs Blog
 
aciampa said:
@TravisDirks ... in my observation of folks through their training lifespan, there is often an event that causes them to cease training.....
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very true- another way I've heard the same thing put- "It takes years to get it, but only a minute to lose it."
 
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Steve, I read it in some book few months ago, I will try to find it.

But anyway, how can you have more then 1 priority? :) Some people have a list of 10 priorities, haha.
 
@Steve Freides

„The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years. Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about priorities. Illogically, we reasoned that by changing the word we could bend reality. Somehow we would now be able to have multiple “first” things. People and companies routinely try to do just that. One leader told me of his experience in a company that talked of “Pri-1, Pri-2, Pri-3, Pri-4, and Pri-5.” This gave the impression of many things being the priority but actually meant nothing was.“

- Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.​
 
I wonder if being mediocre at everything can be a priority? Being a jack of all trades rather than a master of one. If partial success and improvement at many things is by design, I suppose it's ok - as long as there is no expectation of improvement of many things at the same rate/level as if devotion to a single priority. I think Dan Johns quadrants are applicable here; the catch is, you can only be in one quadrant. Maybe I need to go back to improving at kickball, the monkey bars, tag, cartwheels, dodgeball, etc. (enjoyment being the priority to attack).
 
Thanks @Pavel Macek ! I'm gonna quote your quote to my bosses tomorrow :)

Maybe they are like @Bro Mo said, prioritizing mediocrely... maybe I'll quote that one too :cool:

Unfortunately most people fail to understand this simplicity and go for being "jack of all trades, master of all", kind of like being in quadrants 2 and 4 simultaneously... we all know how endeavors like this usually turn out...

In recent months I'm amazed every time how much lesson we learn from practicing Strength are applicable to, well, everything... people at work seems to be fed up from my training analogies. Probably since these are good analogies... ;)
 
aciampa said:
@TravisDirks if there was something to attack, it is the changes in our life.
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Thanks for this. I've experience this with changes to the way I eat. I go on a road trip and suddenly all the old habits are back. Recently we added a puppy to our family. No training for a week. I had enough positive experiences in the "bank", and I'd seen enough to know why I felt stiff and cranky and luckily I was called back. But if this was 1 year ago, or if my training hadn't been going really well lately... who knows.

aciampa said:
Moreover, goal-oriented training is sometimes the problem. E.g, if the goal is a 500lb bench press, and you do not genetically have it in you, you will eventually stop training. However, if the goal is to maintain fitness, you will be more likely to overcome any of the aforementioned life changes in stride. Its sometimes difficult to balance arbitrary physical goals with a sustainable active lifestyle. If I can offer any wisdom to this forum: "it is ok to not chase arbitrary numbers in search of fitness".
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I think the biggest danger to me used to be that I didn't have the habit. For a long time I noticed afterwards that when I train I feel better. Then much later I knew in my head beforehand "if I train I'll feel better" but I didn't know it at the body level. My body still said "Ugh no not today you won't". Now my body wants to train.

Now that I can see myself going after "big" goals, I can see how this would be a danger. I've been wondering about the balance here lately. I've spent a Ton of time working on my swings, and presses. The progress there is a slower now. In the past 2 months I've been working on heavy partials and the progress has be crazy. It seems like there must be some balance to pursuing things that take you in roughly the same direction, but not getting stuck on one road.

But maybe this is a side point. Perhaps the more important one is when you get knocked back, locate your identity and your pride in being one who works to get better, not in being better.

Pavel Macek said:
@ Everybody: Did you know that until late 19th century, the word "priority" did not have a plural?
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Pavel this hit me like a Mack truck! (...can't...resist...) or should I say a Macek Truck!
 
aciampa said:
Moreover, goal-oriented training is sometimes the problem. E.g, if the goal is a 500lb bench press, and you do not genetically have it in you, you will eventually stop training. However, if the goal is to maintain fitness, you will be more likely to overcome any of the aforementioned life changes in stride. Its sometimes difficult to balance arbitrary physical goals with a sustainable active lifestyle. If I can offer any wisdom to this forum: "it is ok to not chase arbitrary numbers in search of fitness".
Click to expand...

I agree. It might be since in the current state of western civilization quantity is the measure of success.

Most people fail to understand what the fine people in this forum understand, that quality is more important than quantity.
Since I've been recently educated that priority does not suppose to have a plural form, than quality is the priority.

In the word of @Iron Tamer : "I'm not interested in how heavy, how quickly or how many times you can do something poorly"
 
Bro Mo said:
I wonder if being mediocre at everything can be a priority? Being a jack of all trades rather than a master of one.
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I think that could fit under "being healthy and enjoying an active life". After all, you don't need to be the best power lifter or the best marathon runner to be healthy and active.
 
Pavel Macek said:
The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years. Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about priorities. Illogically, we reasoned that by changing the word we could bend reality. Somehow we would now be able to have multiple “first” things. People and companies routinely try to do just that. One leader told me of his experience in a company that talked of “Pri-1, Pri-2, Pri-3, Pri-4, and Pri-5.” This gave the impression of many things being the priority but actually meant nothing was.“
Click to expand...

Interesting. This may also have something to do with "multi-tasking" that people do :)

As for the plural for it, it could be a language thing too. Some languages are more precise.
 
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