Training In The Elements & WHY You Need Greater Mental & Physical Toughness

share

Years Ago We Barely Had Anything To Eat Now I Earn More Money And I See Every Opponent As A Man That Tries To Put Me Back To That Poorer Period.

- Fedor -

[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoPzmeh0O_0[/youtube]

When you train, you must train for something Bigger than the Win.

When you work in your job / business, whether you own your own business or work for someone else, you must work with a unstoppable intensity and commitment that goes beyond the money.

I've spoken about this before, it's the essence of discovering your WHY.

When your WHY is deep enough and big enough, your mental toughness and ability to handle discomfort will rise to a greater level.

This video of former MMA world powerhouse, Fedor, describes WHY he always WON and not only did his life circumstances inspire him to WIN, but also training in the elements in harsh conditions helped him soar to greatness.

[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz0KcN5Xa_c[/youtube]

I remember like yesterday driving around town with a few sandbags, kettlebells and a sled or prowler in the back of my truck, hunting for a playground to train at with my buddy. We crushed ourselves during those workouts and never felt better because of it, both physically and mentally.

We would be drenched in sweat training under the hot, Summer sun.

The globo gym allows you to check your hair in the mirror, send text messages between sets, BS with your friends and the local members.... it's "normal" to train like this. I hardly call that training.

That type of environment breeds weakness and apathy, it will do nothing for your physical, mental or spiritual strength. Do yourself a favor, kill the gym membership and train outdoors.

This goes beyond what it can do for your mind and body, but what it will do for your LIFE. The tougher you get and the more comfortable you get working in less than perfect conditions the MORE successful you will become in ALL endeavors of your life.

Live The Code

Z

iron-bull-fat-grips

RussianLionFamilyShotC

8 Responses

  1. Fedor was such a badass. Man – this guy breathed intensity. And he took that drive into the ring. Unstoppable, also because his training was way harder than the actual fight.

    Taking the training outside is such a great aspect. The world can literally be your biggest gym. Stones, logs, hills – you name it. It also trains your athleticism and overall development. What are muscles good for if you cant put them to use?

    Your WHY
    When I get to a point I cant hack it anymore (life, training, whatever), I start thinking of my closest people, my polis (spartans used to say – without your polis, you’re nothing). I imagine that I’m letting them down if I don’t do another lunge, another step, another mile, another work hour. The work then gets done – everytime.

    I’ve been down & out so many times and picked myself up again and again. Because I love life and my family and my polis.
    Cheers

    1. Sven, you and I are cut from the same steel, brotha!

  2. Dustin Maynard says:

    Nice Post!

    Although, this may not strike you as training within the elements, but just last week i started 12 hour shifts. Mentally, this was hard. So i revamped my training, started lifting at 4:45am, even doing th big movements—the funny thing is, it feels like I am training harder NOW—especially with 12 hour shifts. It’s like the harder my conditions are—the harder I train. But I’ll tell you one thing.. once I am done with those 12 hr shifts—I am gonna EXPECT more out of myself especially after a measly 8 hr shifts.

    1. Dustin, true bro, 12 hr shifts are brutal, Def requires a mental edge!! You’re the man for attacking

      U can also train on your lunch break… if U get one?

      1. Dustin Maynard says:

        You know it! I bring my 50lb dumbbells with me to work. Put it in the back of my truck! Come lunch time, I grab the suckers and sart repping away. While every one else considers their 30 minute lunch break a time to relax, I consider it a window of time to gain that mental edge, pack in some volume training, and hopefully inspire my co-workers—-that the body is always caapable of MORE!

        P.S. If I’m not digging the 50s, I crank out old school push-ups/pull-ups/sit-ups.

        Lead from the front.

  3. Intensity. And being comfortable in the uncomfortable. People tell me how they work hard and are always tired, after standing at a counter making sandwiches… I am doing bodyweight bodybuilding, lifting and wrestling on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on call for a labor job on weekends. I complain less after 8 hours of cleaning, pressing, squatting and farmer walking 70 pound canoes up hill than subway employees do after standing at a counter. I refuse to be the norm.

  4. Z, this is why I started following your training years ago.
    No one in our area can match the training we do at my gym, no one else has several years of Underground Strength training to coach from.
    You have made a huge difference in my own training and the athletes I train.
    Thanks again for paying it forward!

  5. Bob Dodds says:

    The first winter I had kb’s I trained outdoors. At some temp I think we can give a guy a pass for using gloves–real thin liner gloves, just to keep skin from sticking to steel. Outdoor calisthenics with improv equipment can also be done with gloves, if you have a really good excuse like skin sticking to steel.

    “The jungle is not neutral”, and your new friend is sometimes the worst enemy of your “enemy”. “Worst” can be quantified to 10% in many instances, which is a big edge.

    Personally I respect training regularly(Dustin Maynard) in spite of other commitments as harder than environment. Environment might include negative expectation, from a negative people environment, like while travelling.

    New mosquitos in Florida are 20x bigger with snouts like saws. “Environment”.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Posts

"Zach Even - Esh is the Charles Atlas of Powerlifting / Weightlifting / Athletic Training. He is a walking inspiration. A kick in the ass for all of us."
- Steven Pressfield, World Renown Author
War of Art & Turning Pro

Get Zach’s Best Bodyweight & Strength Training Programs for FREE!

Become an Underground Strength Insider

I HATE spam as much as you