Hello there friends and welcome to another exciting episode of Indomitable.
This is a very important episode today. We’re going to talk about dealing with adversity and fitness.
What it probably feels like
I think that what we will say here can ring true for taking on any mountainous life altering endeavor but since today I do not yet have millions or a gold spaceship we will stick within the realm of fitness. I’m going to share some stuff from the origin story that is my life in an effort to aid you in your quest. It is also September. A very pivotal month. It is the month of my arrival to this planet aka my birthday- September 29th – and the month of my life altering surgery. This was surgery #5 of 6 within a span of twelve months. The big one. The amputation of my right foot on Thursday September 4th, 2008. The whole ordeal was very tough to say the least. However despite it all, I am thankful that I am at least alive and can use my powers and experience to help others. So we’re going to draw parallels from that to help you in fitness and ultimate kick the heck out of life. Hey, I might even inspire myself so thank you for reading. We may jump around a bit.
Patience
Patience is probably the greatest tool you will use. Patience combined with foresight will ultimately see you through.
Patience in time management: For many of you, you’re greatest adversary is time. You may not think, “I would workout but I can’t find the time to commit to it for results.” Start with what little you can and go from there. If you had one serious strength training session a week, could you see results? The answer is yes. Yes you can. However your diet would have to be on point. You are literally making deposits into a bank that you will one day withdraw from. And from one hardcore day a week, you will eventually find a way to increase that to yield greater results.
Patience in technique: Many movements you will learn will be technical. You may at some points feel mentally overwhelmed when it comes to getting your squat right, if you are working by yourself. Don’t quit. It’s all part of the game. If something is troubling, break something down using reverse engineering and attack it in pieces. In fact, as you progress in your quest for strength and excellence, you will find an even greater need for technique knowledge.
Speaking of squatting, if you haven’t read my articles on squatting, then click this link here to do just that.
Patience from “Being gone” aka “I’m trying to get back.” – No one really cares what you used to lift unless you actually have the trophies and the positive knowledge to pass onto others. If you’re “break” was due to laziness then chalk it up, and start over. We don’t really care. In fact, why in the blue blazes were you away? No we’re not talking about legit reasons like injury you cur.
Patience from an injury: Take your time. Don’t quit, you were progressing smoothly and everything went to hell. Are you alive? Can you walk? Good! First things first you’re still here. One thing at a time. The lifting world is full of warriors who got injured and came right back. Rehab, recover, retry and believe. You are not dead. Valhalla has no need of you yet.
From the Gospel of personal experience: I’ve had numerous bouts with patience. There was a time when it literally took me two hours (yes…two hours) to get out of bed each day, because of the rushing, crippling pain that would ensue after sudden movement post inactivity. I went from that to using a walker and crutches, relearning how to walk and later learning to get acclimated to my cyborg leg brace (it’s not really robotic, it’s just cool knowing that I’m 8% Cable from X-men) to physical therapy to walking to the gym with a cane. There was a lot more before, during and after, that I will eventually talk about or have kind of talked about in various interviews. Each of these steps required some kind of patience.
I want you to do a character study of great people who you think needed to undergo a huge degree of patience. I remind you of the man who once became emperor and amassed control of great territories long ago. His reign was brutal but yet absolute. It took him years to set up the foundation in which he would rule. Look him up. His name was Sheev Palpatine.
Resolve: Be a Warrior.
Resolve is an interesting thing. Once one has set their mind to something and is determined it is hard to stop that individual. Every piece of matter came from the resolve of a human being, whether it was a drinking glass, a shoe, a computer, anything, it all came first from resolve. Someone or a group of individuals decided that something was going to happen, so it happened. Resolve is continuous, resolve grants you momentum. I had resolve before and after the surgery. It wasn’t even the surgery that made me throw myself into fitness. It was a lifelong goal as a child. The surgery just intensified it.
If you are sincerely going to do this thing, throw yourself into it. Put your soul into it. Move with so much passion and ferociousness that people mistake you for a savage tiger in the gym.
What does this mean Bill? Well when you exercise, don’t just try to “get the movement so you can get home and get this over with. Each rep is designed to make you are better human being. You are literally making deposits into your own personal bank of excellence. Be excited. Does this mean you have to show off? No. Not at all, but be present. This is your life itself! Do battle. It’s not enough that you arrived there. You might be there and still be mentally at home. BE IN THE ARENA. FIGHT OR DIE!
The resistance within.
The biggest obstacle with me was myself. No not in the metaphysical you can do it sense. That’s not really a problem. Working out is literally fun to me. Actual physical pain. If it ever looks like my foot hurts, it probably does. Early on as I said before, I walked to the gym with a cane. Fortunately most gym floors are padded with that odd black mat material that gyms are infamous for. That made moving about so much easy vs the terrain outside.
Many times I worked out dealing with pain. And then there are sometimes you get tired of being push around, even from your own body! The stuff I could tell you would astound you. Many times the first thing I feel when stepping out my door is pain that often has to just fade away after a while with each step!
There was a time in 2016, when it took me 30 minutes to put on socks! SOCKS! I had a foot ulcer and there was a leftover sutra in my foot. It sucked.
I knew once I would hit the padded floor in the temple (gym) I would be alright. For me the pain of not being able to workout was far greater than the physical pain itself. I literally push through with prayer and seething rage. I’m not saying you should risk your life but sometimes we will be forced to deal with a type of discomfort. You’ll know what it is for you. Sometimes, controlled anger may be the best ally you can find.
If you’ve ever read Pyscho-Cybernetics (the updated version with Dan Kennedy) there was a few incidents where people used their own anger to motivate themselves to action. If you’re going to be angry, put that rage to use and conquer. It may be doing an exercise that you fear, or just not being a wuss about it all in general. You may be a “I’m bout’ to” or an “I need to” person. Your resistance may not be as intense as mine and that’s cool. The point of me mentioning this is to just to provide you with some type of perspective and celebration of life period. Your resistance may just be an army of personal bad habits and thought processes that inhibit your progress. It may be an injury or anything physical like awful mobility. Whatever it is, it will be there.
I will leave you with a statement I said on one of my annual Facebook posts.
“Life will try it’s best to throw you curve balls, and all types of obstacles daily. It will suck. It will hurt. There will be pain. All I can really say is it’s better to face them head on with steel in your hand than anything else. Sometimes you just got to get a little bloody, just make sure most of it is not yours.”
Good luck!
Bill Walker is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), one of the top recognized agencies in the country. He’s also a Youth Fitness Coach in Washington DC. To set up an appointment or inquiry contact him at [email protected]
Instagram: @BilliusMaximus929
