This summer was supposed to be the ‘best-shape-of-my-life summer’ 🏖️
Just 6 weeks ago I was on the cusp of new PRs.
I was pushing 95kg for 5 reps on the incline bench.
Chin ups were going up too and finally close to 40kg for 5 reps.
My fat loss journey which I start every year around mid-February was also on track.
Then it happened.
It was nothing to do with the gym.
I was doing this move called a ‘crab ride’ in jiu jitsu and hurt my neck which sent nerve pain down my right arm.
For a whole month, I was unable to lift and a few days ago I returned to the gym.
I knew I would have to work back up slowly but I wasn’t expecting what happened:
I could only do 2 reps with 60kg.
I had lost 30kg and 3 reps from my previous session.
I was discouraged to say the least.
Thoughts started going through my mind like “wow I lost all that strength and muscle.”
“It’s going to take ages to build that back up.”
“F*ck this sucks. What’s the point?” 🤦♂️
But quickly I calmed myself down (This is an important skill). You must catch your thoughts when they are spiralling you downward and stop it.
I pulled out my phone, opened the notes app, and wrote down ‘incline bench 60x2’
This small move reset everything.
I told myself “just beat this next time.”
A new baseline was set and all I was going to focus on for the coming weeks, was to improve on this session.
This is the mindset you want to adopt after every setback.
Instead of comparing yourself to all those past peaks and what could have been…
Track one workout and set it as a new baseline. 🗒️
Focus on beating that next time.
When you do (and you always do) - you will feel a sense of progress and become motivated again.
It’s so simple. But it works. This is what I get my coaching clients to do whenever they experience a setback or fall off track for a few weeks.
Just do one workout. Track that workout. Beat that workout.
You’re back. 💪
If you’re reading this and you feel discouraged that you are not where you want to be - try this 3 step method to get yourself in the right mindset.
Wanhee
P.S For those interested in why the strength drop was so significant - this is apparently what’s called ‘muscle guarding’ and nerve protection wherein the brain actually stops you from exerting maximum force to protect you. In other words, I haven’t lost 30kg of strength. I haven’t lost a ton of muscle. It just takes time to build back after injury. And remember there is a thing called ‘muscle memory’ - you will always be able to regain muscle/strength that you have gotten in the past. So don’t freak out if you’re going through something similar ;)
414 - 13
Today marks 1 month since my neck injury.
I've been unable to lift weights properly or train jiu jitsu.
I've been stuck to rehab/mobility exercises and let's be honest, it sucks!
If any of you are struggling with injury or other health issues - I feel for you and want to tell you that setbacks are PART of the process of achieving the body that you want.
It's easy to stay consistent when everything is going well.
It's easy to stay persistent when there are no big setbacks.
Ask yourself how many setbacks you've had to overcome to become successful/proficient in your career/sport/hobby. There's usually a direct correlation between how much you overcame and how much you've been able to achieve.
Draw lessons from that and make sure you come back strong, whatever the setback.
This is real consistency.
P.S I did my first proper jiu jitsu session again today and it feel great 💪
429 - 18
Ask me a question... (Q&A video coming soon)
177 - 56
What kind of content do you want to see more of going forward?
533 - 103
What DIET advice would you give your younger self?
Pic: Roast chicken with crispy rice.
374 - 60
When you look at your body, what is the thought/emotion you feel?
128 - 67
Do you guys wanna see vlogs on this channel?
I actually have a couple filmed but not sure if people actually want to see it here.
Each time I post, it gets a smaller number of viewers.
808 - 81
Thank you guys for the support on the recent vids.
What kind of videos do you want to see next?
Are you interested in videos outside of fitness (if so, on what topic?)
782 - 76
How many of you have been injured in your training journey and how long did it take you to recover?
69 - 31
Every year around this time I start to think about getting lean for summer.
I love this period. It’s not always easy but I always look forward to this time of year -
When I can start to shred the pounds I gained over the cold months.
But this time, I want to do it together with everyone.
We can get lean together for summer 2024 and get in the best shape of our lives.
The collective effort and accountability can make us achieve something even more remarkable than if we did it alone.
If you want to do this with me, join 'ROAD TO SUMMER' inside my free community (Minimalist Training Club):
www.skool.com/minimalist-training-free
See you inside ;)
Wanhee
1K - 25
Hi! I’m Wanhee. I make videos about fitness, relationships, and mental health.
I lived half my life in Korea and half in Europe.
My mission is to help young men and women who are trying to improve themselves in health and relationships.