Easier said than done. Yet, I admire Pavel Tsatsouline for saying that because some of us really do need the kick in the pants to get going. For me, that’s a lot of things but one of my biggest struggles isn’t hustling, working or even work-related challenges. It’s pushing myself to get through my kettlebell training in evenings.
It’s not exhaustive, to begin with, just 20-25 minutes and I’m done. On a good day. But most days suck. And I’ve come to realize that I’ve been paying too much attention to what I shouldn’t be eating than what I should be to perform well in the gym (with the barbell, my morning training routine) or at the mat in my study with the kettlebells.
I believe that’s a normal thing for all of us to do. We’re obsessed with six-packs, right? Well, it depends. I’m not obsessed with six-packs. I’m doing just fine and have absolutely no desire to have visible abs (meth addicts, chain smokers and cocaine users too have them) like everyone else. However, weight management is a challenge especially when I’m eating carbs in each and every meal. Obviously, I can cut down on my carbs, which essentially impacts my performance drastically under the barbell.
Eating boatloads of carbs help me pack on weight (including muscles) and lift a lot of them too but I really don’t want to look like a refrigerator at the end of the day. Striking a balance is the most difficult thing to do in strength sports.
I’ve been brooding about this for a while and then it hit me like a ton of bricks this evening. All I need to do is have a small pre-workout snack (low in calories but high in carbs) an hour before my evening workout and viola! I could immediately feel the change in my performance in the session. Who knew? Well, I did but was too occupied in the thick of thin things.
Some times a simple switch is all that you need to get moving in the right direction. Sure, you can roll over the bumps and potholes ahead but you certainly do have an option to change the route if it makes your journey a little easier.
Going back to Pavel’s statement, I think he’s quite right. If you’re tired, suck it up! And I would add to think of a better way to resolve your problems instead of torturing yourself with all that negativity.