A Goal Met!

Hey, if you're not regularly meeting goals in your training and life then something is wrong. Either you're training, or your goals, or motivational environment is set up wrong. Be thinking about that and about what you should be doing about it if it isn't working.

I hit a goal that many think would be impossible, especially for a 325lb man. I performed 100 handstand pushups in one workout. Actually this is the first part in several related goals, as all your goals should be - Small goals building on each other toward bigger ultimate goals. It is very easy to demonstrate in the physical world, but really this applies to life, money, intellect, education, you name it.

Start with the basics, build a bit at a time, keep your eye both on the short and long term. To see it physically, you start with pushups. Build up to some respectable reps. Add some decent barbell or dumbbell overhead training. Add more reps in advanced styles of push ups and dips. Make sure your abdominals are strong as well as your lats. You should also probably increase your overhead supporting strength through partials.

Begin walking into and hold the handstand position. Start some partial reps there. Build up your range of motion. Then build into a full regular handstand pushup. Then build to multiple reps and multiple sets. Then build up the reps per set. Make sure your total conditioning keeps up with the load. Here you can start adding range if you want to. Keep adding to your total sets and reps until you make the goal.

Voila! There you have it. An easy to see picture of the multiple steps and smaller goals along the way to a big goal.

Interested in adapting varying styles of push ups into your strongman, kettlebell or powerlifting routine? Check out our Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning series - "Training with Push Ups." Over 100 different styles of push up for new angles, and some cool things you may not have thought of… check em out - http://strongerman.com/ubc/push_ups.html

Epic Bravery

I think all guys tend to like movies that show a character in an epic struggle and displaying radical courage. I think man is called to it. I think that's why movies like "Braveheart," and its like are so popular.

It strikes a deep chord in man, deeper than just entertainment. Real-life requires courage, although if you live in America it is rarely tested on that life-and-death dramatic scale. For those serving in our military and our brothers in some other countries they can and do find themselves in these situations - having to face real issues of war, mettle and courage.

I think that courage is one of the reasons men are drawn to hard strength training. The courage to push harder or heavier than before, to push through the pain and build yourself into something that has the physical ability to do something with that mental strength and courage. It's why Pavel talks about the old Red Army having kettlebell gyms on bases and calling them "Courage Corners."

Not every training session needs to be a lesson in bravado, but take advantage occasionally of the iron's ability to enliven your courage. Push the limits of your endurance, your totals, you goals. Understand that for the most part when we think we're at our breaking points - there's actually another level of tough just beyond that. We rarely push ourselves to it, but it's there and I encourage you to step up to it.