Monday, August 24, 2009
...that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield
This is a quotation from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem Ulysses, which tells the story of the character of Ulysses (Odysseus in Latin). The poem talks of Ulysses' discontent with life as ruler of an island, and his restless wish to return to the sea where he made his name.
Ulysses knows that his death is approaching and wants to make the most of the rest of his life - 'Some work of noble note, may yet be done', rather than dying idly in bed. The last few lines reflect this:
So at its most basic, this quotation represents not giving in to a quiet death marred by unfulfilled potential - that you should make the most of your life.
I love this quote, because at the heart of the message is the real lesson that life must be lived in the moment. And that message is especially important when you're working out at your very hardest and trying to see improvement.
In every intense workout will come those moments where you are being supremely challenged and your mind will be the first to send a limiting (poor me!) message, to exaggerate the hurt, to entice you to slow it down or take a break.
It's in those moments that you need get real and ask yourself this question: "Am I stopping because I WANT to stop or NEED to stop?"
Stopping or slowing down a workout to keep from getting injured is one thing. Backing off because your internal dialogue (ego) is spewing some "stinkin thinkin" is another thing entirely.
99% of the time, you will find that you are capable of pushing harder and going faster than you ever dreamed possible...IF you are willing to leave your comfort zone and challenge yourself.
Why should you want to do that? Because that's where the golden egg is; the fat loss, muscle gain, personal bests, faster metabolism, sexy body and a more resilient you.
To access all that and more you'll just have to remember this one concept; "To go where you've never been, you'll have to do what you've never done."
It's a mantra, a mindset...an attitude. Try it on for size every workout for the next 21 days and watch what happens; I'm betting it'll change your body...and your life.
Live With Passion,
Roy
PS Thanks to everyone that showed up for my "Stop Dieting and Start Living" nutritional seminar this past weekend, it was a great success! For those of you that missed it...no worries; you'll be able to purchase the whole thing on DVD within a couple of weeks.
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Lud the stud, laying the hammer down!
Workout Of The Day
"Cindy"
Warm-up:
50 Double Unders
50 KB Snatches (25 each side)
Then...
AMRAP in 20 Minutes
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Air Squats
Then...
2 Mile Run
Paleo Recipe
Poached Chicken Lunkowski
four boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup sliced scallions
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon ground cloves
4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground saffron (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon red wine
In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add scallions and cook until lightly browned (about three minutes). Add garlic and cayenne pepper; cook one minute. Add tomatoes, red wine, bay leaf, cloves, saffron and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Place chicken on top of sauce; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until chicken is tender and opaque.
Quote Of The Day
"Weak and scattered thoughts make weak and scattered forces. Strong and Concentrated toughts make Strong and Concentrated forces."
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Tags:
personal best |
intense workout |
muscle gain