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Last Friday I was exhausted with stress. I was not sleeping well, didn't have my normal meals and it was the end of a high stress week.
I always tell athletes how emotional stress is much tougher than physical stress. I was eating my own words but as a Dad, I was also embracing it. When there is a job to be done, I focus on putting my feelings in my "back pocket" and serving those who are in front of me.
My problems are my own. No one else needs to help me through them.
That Friday morning while driving to work, I had it in my mind that I would Deadlift 500 lbs.
I needed to train to de-stress but most of all, I needed to prove to myself that I can perform under sh-tty conditions. I always hear all these excuses from athletes and adults of all ages. I did NOT want to fall into the same excuse making category as them.
It was 10:40 AM and I warmed up a bit but not as much as I wanted to or should have. Of course, I truly knew that I should have done more warming up but the clock was ticking. I loaded the bar plate by plate.....
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135, 225, 315, 405, 455, 505
I snuck in some small accessory work between each set of Deads but I already played the "movie of the mind", I KNEW I was going to pull 505. No Belt. Hook Grip. At 11:02 AM, 505 went up easily.
A few pull ups.
A few hanging leg raises.
Some 1 Arm Rows.
5 reps here, 5 reps there.
As you get older, if you're an experienced lifter / athlete, you have a solid grasp of the power of the mind. You know that you can harness the mind to overcome lack of sleep, lack of food, stress, etc.
At 11:05 AM, I headed to my office, got my Strength Class organized and ready & 10 - 15 minutes later, we were back in the weight room. I had left 505 on the bar as I planned to strip down the bar when we returned.
I started taking off the 25s and did some rows with the plates and then some side bends. Then, one of the kids asked how much I could Deadlift when 405 was on the bar. It was not proving anything to anyone but myself.
I am 49, my days of being stronger than my 20s and 30s are just not there, but, I do like to know I still can move some weight and get a job done when I need to and / or want to. This is the essence of Dad STRONG - We train hard but we never destroy ourselves into exhaustion. We want to be able to have energy for life, family, work and anything else outside of the gym.
After an athlete asked me how much I can Deadlift, I wanted to prove to myself that under all the fatigue and stress from last week, that I could get the job done. I know that the mind drives the body and it was time to push myself to perform under imperfect conditions.
I began another warm up with some Deads and a few other exercises and built back up to 505 again.
No Belt, Hook Grip.
I believe as a Man and as a father, you need "Strength on Demand". You must be Strong without perfection.
Everyone else needs some exotic warm up, "I need my song" before I lift heavy and bla bla bla
Athletes want everything perfect and in the toughest of competition, nothing is perfect. Nothing.
I want performance under sh-t conditions.
This is why I believe Men, specifically, DADS, MUST BE STRONG.
This inspires me with my program Dad STRONG.
You Must LIVE it!
Men have a duty and an obligation to be STRONG.
Make it happen.
Live The Code 365,
Z
7 Days FREE - Dad STRONG
Short Workouts for Busy Dads
