Mental toughness lifts workouts

Mental toughness, man aren’t we tired of hearing about that topic.

Well, no, not at all. It is one of the most important topics we can talk about.

It ties everything that we work so hard for together. Do you have this “mental toughness” that everyone is talking about?

Well here are some tell-tale signs that you have it or you don’t. Are you a stud (kidding)? I know you all said yes, well let’s see.

Have you put the time and work into something that not many others can say they have, are you a MD, PhD, professional of some sort, own your own business, been at the same job for over 10 years, master degree, sniper, pilot, journeyman, master mechanic, snatch your body weight, composer of music or fine art, etc.? You know, the stuff that takes more than a whim to achieve.

Well shoot, you have it then, and I’m sure you know it. So let’s take and transfer that toughness over to some bodyweight power cleans or a good 6-minute mile.

There you are dripping sweat, music blaring, barbell seems to be getting heavier in your hands as you hold it. Dang, half the class is already done.

You have a dilemma, just drop that bar and call it a day or grind it out. Well welcome to the grind. Stop thinking about the end result and start focusing on the next rep, move that thing, no one else is going to do it for you, and the dude next to you is still pushing because you’re still pushing.

Mental toughness is about embracing the suck. I know its heavy, I know it’s far, I know it’s high, but there’s only one way to move it, and that’s you. Did you forget how you made it through school (and I’m not talking about high school that victory is for your parents)?

I’m talking about the stuff when it was just you, no one else could help even if they wanted to. You had to grind it out. Is that fire still there? Are you willing to push your body and mind to the limit daily, crush those one day goals, one week goals, one month goals?

Talk is cheap, and we all can see you tomorrow I’ll be mentally tough. You have fun with that.

For the rest of us, those that this gets us all stirring inside, let’s put these words to action. When we are coming around the corner on that next 400-meter straight away, lets push just a little bit harder. When we could not make the gym and we have no one there to motivate us, lets drop down and push out 500 pushups for time. When we’re hot and irritated in the garage and the power is out and we have no AC or iPod to motivate us, let’s drop some bars from overhead for some music. Let’s crush it.

Daniel St. Clair is the owner of CrossFit Efficacious in Fallon.