YinvsYang

Working out is one my favorite stress reducing activities. To train in BJJ, Muay Thai, and with MMA fighters, you have to be in good shape. One of the problems I had when I first started training was learning how to push myself using my mind instead of my body.

I used to lift pretty heavy in a gym like most other gym rats before I began Jiu Jitsu. I thought I was pretty strong for my size and in excellent shape. Jiu Jitsu changed my whole perception. If you think you are in shape, think again. You see, it is one thing to push yourself in the gym to do another exercise. It is quite another to be out of gas while someone is trying to choke you! You learn how to push yourself pretty quickly.

One of the keys to pushing yourself actually starts before you run out of gas. I mentally prepare myself for running out of gas by controlling my breathing. As I talked about in a previous blog, your breathing can keep your mind calm during intense exercise, making it last longer than you ever imagined. But what happens when you reach that point where your body screams ‘STOP!’?

As we always say at YinVsYang, the mind is a very powerful tool. When those thoughts of quitting start to creep into your body, only your mind can make them go away. It takes fortitude, because all those thoughts are….are thoughts. I like to counter the thought of quitting by thinking to myself the simple phrase ‘Real Winners Make it Through This’. For some reason, this thought allows me to push my body further and further each time.

Try any positive thought that works for you, as it may be a different phrase that gets you going. Think of yourself as that marathon runner, mountain climber, or track star relentlessly pursuing the finish line no matter what. The funny thing about the body is it can go much further than your mind initially thinks. Each time, I am amazed at what point I thought about quitting. Sometimes I can literally train for an hour longer, just on the positive energy I get from knowing I am pushing my body when most others would not.

One other little trick to understand about how your body works takes place in your lungs. Whenever you start to exert a lot of energy, understand that you will have to blow out your lungs before you can really start to train. What does this mean? Blowing out your lungs refers to losing your breath for the first time. It is why fighters train so hard before they come out to fight. They break a sweat & lose their breath at least once before getting in the ring. This allows your lungs to prepare for the limited oxygen it will receive during your workouts. By blowing out your lungs, your breaths will be deeper as your lungs will expand to adapt.

So don’t worry when five minutes into your jog, you are out of breath. That is the first step. Just keep on going. The rest is up to your mind. Try to understand and learn about how your body deals with fatigue. This will help you understand how to keep pushing so you can get the most out of your workouts, and not focus the whole time on when your going to quit.

Try this little tip next time you workout. I guarantee you are amazed at the results your mind can have over your body.