Stage 1 – Pre Workout
No, I’m not talking about pre-workout as in drinking some magic juice that makes you go boom. I’m talking about those couple of minutes before the 10s countdown timer starts. Those minutes when everything the coach just said flew right over your head and you are looking at the whiteboard like some seasoned athlete deciding on strategy and pacing. Yes, that’s me, standing there deciding on the best strategy to attack the workout. Just before the timer starts, I always tell myself don't “Usain Bolt”, don’t “Usain Bolt”.
Stage 2 – Usain Bolt
In my 8 years of training, I have yet to listen to the advice I give every single person I train daily. And that is not to Usain Bolt in the first round. What does that mean you ask? Simply put, it means do not jump out of the blocks like Usain Bolt and try and complete the first round as fast as you can. You will regret it. Lucky for me I have the perfect response after the workout when I undoubtedly get comments for how quickly I started and how badly I finished. This one is for free and you are more than welcome to use it. Just tell them: “I wanted to show you how fast I can go but pulled back on my pace because I don’t want to make you look bad”.
Stage 3 – The Round 3 train has arrived
Usually by round 3 I get hit by the train and hard. The train of exhaustion, realization, introspection, self-pity, talking to yourself. Exhaustion is part of any workout, that is the idea. The realization that for the 800th time I made the same mistake in starting too fast, that I never will be Matt Fraser and that there are still 5 rounds left after this one. Introspection, self-pity and talking to yourself all happens at the same time. Why did I eat cake Sunday, why haven’t I done the mobility exercises I’m supposed to do, have I answered that email yet, I wonder what’s for dinner, why is Herman running so fast?
Stage 4 – The 2nd Wind
Now some people are a lot fitter than me. Some people have incredible engines and can just keep going at a certain pace for what seems like forever. I’m not one of those. I rely on the good old 2nd wind. You know that time during a workout when all seems lost and you are just barely hanging on and suddenly there is a spike in adrenaline, and you feel like you have your energy and strength back and now you are going to destroy the rest of the workout. Yes, that 2nd wind. Mine lasts for about 2 seconds and then we are back to the “world is indeed ending” feeling.
Stage 5 – The light at the end of the tunnel
We are just finishing up round 7 and the end is in sight. The relief is almost there. The self-pity is waning, we are almost there. This is my favorite stage of the workout. Sometimes I even get a 3rd wind and start the 8th round fast and try and crush the last round for a strong finish. Sometimes the workout kicked my ass so hard that I just manage to get across the line. But all that hard work and all those reps lead us to the last stage.
Stage 6 – The end
It's over. The workout is done. The relief is indescribable. The sense of accomplishment. Self-pride. Even the odd thought, “I could have pushed harder” creeps in post workout. And for those who trained with me would know I have a list of workouts. The “that was the worst idea ever I am never doing this again” list. Occasionally a workout will make that list.
One thing you will notice is that the thought or idea of quitting was never mentioned. That is something I try to reinforce in my coaching style and when I train with fellow gym members. We can always scale down our workout. We can always take a breather. But we never ever consider quitting a workout. You will regret it I promise you that.
**PS. If you are injured then you are injured, it doesn’t make you a quitter.
Share with us the stages you go through during a workout.
Have an awesome week and stay safe
Coach F
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