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Sharpening the saw: competitive spirit
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I had an interesting talk with a client the other day I thought I’d elaborate on in an article. It’s no secret that fitness attributes diminish if they are not used.
If you don’t lift weights for a while and you get weaker. If you don’t run for a while and you lose your lungs. Just to give some perspective this gentleman used to be a highly competitive powerlifter, and he’s never really known recreational fitness. In fact, to him you can’t really “do” fitness without some goal to go after.
Aside from college athletics and individual sports (triatholon, running, etc) the competitive nature of many guys' lives dies after high school save some collegiate intramural sports. There are leagues here and there we can all take part in, but often many of these are better characterized by a brotherhood dedicated to Wednesday night drinks (shameless justification for a mid-week sip!).
What’s the goal with general fitness anyway? To stay healthy? Not look bad? What have you really challenged yourself to do recently?
If you have something to aspire to—a goal, a personal record, whatever—perhaps you can rekindle the competitive spirit that led you to pursue new heights in your life.
One of the hardest barriers to working with clients is inspiring intrinsic motivation. If someone sets a personal goal for themselves it becomes a standard to which they measure themselves against, and progress becomes much easier. The starting point is usually the most difficult becasue it's not easy to ascertain what you really desire to achieve.
The competitive spirit in all of us needs to be stimulated every now and then. It’s fundamental to self-improvement. I think this is something buried in the pit of every guy. Get out there and use it, don’t lose it.
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