Strength - How to Get it

Categories: Blog Jul 03, 2016

Having strength just makes life better. It makes everything easier - regardless of your definition of strength. We all want to be strong, even if we don't yet know it.

Below is a simple guide or list for gaining strength. This can be applied solely to gaining physical strength, or the OS definition of strength: Having the ability to do whatever it is you want to do in life, the ability to LIVE. You may already do this, some of this, or none of this. These are just things I believe to be necessity in the quest for real strength.

• Start with your belief. Believe you can be Strong. Believe you will be strong. Believe you are strong. This may be a no brainier, but your body will follow your mind. If you don't believe you can be strong, you won't be. If you believe something, you can achieve that something. Your beliefs can even become stronger than someone else's facts. That is pretty powerful. It was a fact man could not fly. Fortunately, the Wright brothers ignored that fact and held onto their belief....

• Target your goal. Without a goal, it may be hard to accomplish your mission. If you want to become strong at a particular lift, set a goal weight you want to achieve. Then, work towards that goal. You may need to set incremental goals inside of your bigger goal. That is great. Do it. If you want to ultimately bench press 315 pounds, aim for 135 pounds first. Then 185, then 205, then 225, etc... If you want to spider-man crawl for 10 minutes, aim for 1 minute first. Then 2 minutes.... Having a target, adjusting your sights, and knowing where to aim is critical to getting exactly where you want to be. As you become stronger and seasoned at hitting your goals, your goals can become looser, less rigid guidelines to point you down the path you want to go down.

• Reset your nervous system and renew your mind. This is a two for one special here. Reset your nervous system by engaging in the Big 5 Resets daily. AND, reset your nervous system by engaging in REST, sleep and recovery. Sleep and getting adequate rest is essential for becoming strong. Rest and refreshing the nervous system also helps renew the mind and it keeps your thoughts from being hijacked by distraction and disaster. Truthfully, reset and resetting are is essential for optimal living. Pressing reset through movement and sleep is foundational to becoming as strong as you want to become. This is also how you lower your risk for injury - the obstacle between you and your desire. In case you don't know, injury - being hurt, in pain, or limited physically - gets in the way of almost all desires.

• Engage. Every day, discipline yourself to show up. Without consistency, you cannot become strong. This is true for any area in your life. Consistency is the secret sauce to bringing your belief to reality. If you want to be strong, you show up and you work. It is pretty simple.

• Never settle. Refuse to settle for less than your desired strength goal. Refuse to listen to any naysayers. Refuse excuses. Deterrents will come. Detractors will come. Enemies will show up. Friends will appear. Simply smile and wave, and press on. Never waiver.

• Get up. You will get knocked down. You will miss your target. You may stumble. You may get attacked. Get up. Every single time. You were made to rise and stand and move. You were not created to be knocked down, but to rise up. Always get up. No matter how bad it seems or how bad it hurts.

• Tell your story. Tell yourself what you are going to do, tell others what you are going to accomplish. The more you say and speak your mission, the harder you become to stop. Your belief will grow and your obstacles will shrink. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." - The Princess Bride

• Heart. If you are going to succeed at anything, you need to have passion. Without drive, without a burning desire, you have nothing to propel you. In order to be strong, you have to eat, sleep, drink and think "strong." In order to be ___________ you have to eat, sleep, drink and think "________________." Make sense? Burning desire is what will help you hold on to your belief. It is what will help you evaluate your progress and tighten up your aim. It will help you renew your thoughts. It will force you to engage when you don't feel like it. It will never allow you to settle. It will give you the strength to rise up if you get knocked down. It will beg and compel you to tell your story. Heart fuels you.

Again, a simple list. Just incase you missed it, the list actually spells "strength". This is the kind of strength that leads to freedom, or independence. Speaking of which, Happy Independence Day to those of you in the US! Great segue, right? For those of you not in the US, happy strength day! Thanks for reading.

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