How’s your week this week?
I have seen some folks have a doozy of a week and I have see others absolutely conquer the week!
It’s a true testament that life is going to happen when we are trying to win, but you have the power over your reactions.
Being happy is a choice. It is not always an easy choice but nonetheless a choice.
When we started these last 6-Weeks in our programming I was all fired up with deadlifts until one workout I thought I seriously did something. My body seized me, glutes locked up to protect, and to be honest it left me a little rattled.
I worked through lots of soft tissue: muscle activations, heat, ice, massage and worked with a chiropractor. To be brutally honest it was awful.
The one movement I felt like an absolute beast with failed. I felt like I failed. Then I got scared.
But I did not let this cripple me. I lowered my weights (literally used a 40 lb. kettlebell vs warming up with 135!), worked through my soft tissue, chiro, etc.
I did find out that my pelvis was twisted; most likely from after giving birth, things just did not go back exactly they way they were before, and it caused lots of dysfunction. Once I started to load the dysfunction, I quickly became aware of the problem.
Ever start pushing hard at something and you keep hitting road blocks? You try to do everything in your power to get the results you want but something keeps holding you back.
This was what I was feeling.
Those first few weeks back at the “bar”, deadlift bar, I was nervous, scared to feel that same feeling. My trust started to waver, but I kept going back and appropriately navigating the movement. (Along with lots of muscle activations, hot bath, massage/stretching, ICE and chiro)
The thing about soft tissue work is it has to be done daily; its not when you feel like it, it is not only when it hurts.
Have you been here before? Are you here now?
I am a firm believer that we are going to struggle, and it is absolutely part of the process.
Giving up is easy. I wanted to write off deadlifts, but with my background I understand how foundational this movement is. We “deadlift” so many things in our everyday life! But I also believe in doing what is best for your body given what’s going on. (Side note: Deadlifts are not always appropriate for everyone.)
Slowly over these weeks I have regained confidence and strength in the movement. It also felt right. I was able to engage my core properly and the movement just felt good.
Now today was the last day for this programming. Sure, when we started I had all kinds of cool thoughts of the numbers I would put up, I was hoping for somewhere between 175-200 on my 4-rep deadlift.
I did 155 for 4 reps.
But the huge lesson for me was I left that bar satisfied. It was enough. Sure, I will always want to do more, but just a few short weeks ago I was deadlifting a 40lb Kettlebell. Perspective.
We are all going to struggle.
It is part of the process and is an opportunity to learn and grow.
I am a huge fan of Mother Teresa. She said, “Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.”
Take your struggles and look at them from a bird’s eye view, not down playing anything because sometimes we are in true crisis, but when life is giving it to you, choose your reaction.
Heal and grow through each struggle and choose to win.
Find out everything you need to do to get through the struggle and consistently do what you need to do. Nothing ever is a one and done and your are cured, I wish!
Winning will look different for each of us, but define that win!
I encourage you to look back at this week and see what was good about the week. Evaluate what was not so good. Look at next week and define what it means to win each day. Write it down.
Keep pushing my friend… it will be worth it!
Have a great day and if you need help, simply reach out .
