Life’s Only Neutral Ground: Training

Training is simple. It’s a dose of stress that elicits a response. That’s it. That’s the message. 

Now, living in the human experience with an ego, things can get complicated. We know that. It’s common, for example, to turn training into some sort of test or comparison or judgment of the quality of your character. (These things seem silly when written down, but somehow are quite logical when kept in your head.)

You might say, that’s easy for you to say. 

Consider the alternative. What if going to the gym wasn’t a relative experience by definition. What if it was a test? Super fit guy goes to the gym to re-prove that he’s the strongest guy in the gym, only does the amount of work that would show that fact, and then leaves having “won” the fitness test. How many times would you go to the gym to prove that you’ve got a pretty “normal” amount of fitness for the fitness test? 

It’s a bizarre reality. 

Well, the absurdity is neutralized when we say it so explicitly, but many people suffer from the comparison game. If this is you, remember that the gym is a place to train (intelligently) at the edge of your ability. Period. 

Fitter, stronger people just have a different edge than you. Yet, there they are training vulnerably to move the need on their ability. 

If you’re actually training, you’re doing the same vulnerable thing as everyone else. Remember, training is a relative pursuit no matter who you are!