And what is the obsession with skulls, anyway? The other day I saw a guy in a video swinging a kettlebell shaped like a skull. All I could think of was "Isn't the symbol for poison a skull?" Let's face it, all this skull stuff got popular after American Sniper, but I don't see how it relates to improving your wellness. In fact, I don't think any of this death star nonsense has any business in the fitness world because it encourages activities that are at cross purposes for making real progress. In short, they don't encourage the use of SMART goals.So do you remember the SMART goals? C'mon, at some point in your academic or professional career somebody trotted these out and made you learn them. I can almost guarantee that in some class you had to memorize these things for a test. Well, since my focus is on executive wellness, and we're executives, let's use this as a construct for proving that all of the "badass" stuff is irrelevant for the C-Suite Athlete.
SPECIFIC: The concept of specificity is important. If your goal is to become a better golfer you don't train like a bodybuilder or Crossfit competitor. You do, however, have to train more in the transverse (rotational) plane, right? I have NEVER seen a "brutal" workout be effective in this context. "Brutal Golf Workout"? Ask Tiger how that worked for him.
MEASURABLE: I guarantee that all of you Type-As will be obsessing over your workout logs. That is, however, if you have programming that gives you the data to do so. Notice I said "programming". This means variation, overload, and progression, not "insanity". You can't manage what you don't measure, and some, certain workouts currently in use are about movements, not progress. Progress doesn't mean pushing the limits of your physical
ACTION-ORIENTED: So why are you training, exactly?Candidly, I do it because it makes me different, and I feel physically superior to those who don't. Is that "bad-assery"? No, it's self-confidence, and the healthier and fitter you are the more self-confidence you will have. It will also help your professional career. When people see you as fit and healthy they assume you have extra capacity to achieve.
REALISTIC: The two most common reasons for a middle-aged person to engage with a wellness coach are (1) to modify body composition - either because they want to or they have been told to; and (2) because they have had a health-related incident or diagnosis that forces them to make lifestyle changes. Frankly, it doesn't matter. What does matter is the realization that the changes take time, are incremental, and get more difficult as you get older. "Incinerating" body fat by using a fad diet and going overboard with cardio is not realistic. You will never maintain it and it might make you unhealthy...and even kill you. Here's what I tell people...at your age you will not become a professional athlete, a special operations commando, or an elite powerlifter, bodybuilder, or fitness competitor. So don't train like one. Train so you can be the "elite' version of YOU.
TIME BOUND: Why have I spent soooooo much time writing about programming cycles? Because I know that the C-Suite Athlete is a planner and an organizer. This is how you have achieved what you have achieved professionally. I'm doing the same thing with your wellness. I'm sure you have an annual plan for your business, department, or business unit, so I think you should also have an annual wellness plan. You probably are incentivized for achieving the goals in your annual plan. The incentives for an annual wellness plan last a lifetime.
So I'll jump down off my soap box now and focus on what's important: helping you achieve your SMART goals.
Be well, my friends.
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