Strength is Born from Habit

Categories: Blog Jan 15, 2017

Sixty days ago, I began a simple experiment. I have no reason for my experiment other than like everything else in the world, I have my seasons. Anyway, sixty days ago I began performing a minimum of 100 squats per day (sometimes 200) and 100 pushups per day. The majority of the time, the squats were bodyweight, or close to bodyweight. All of the time, the pushups were bodyweight. They were all done in a variety of ways. Some days I performed goblet squats, others Hindu Squats, some were jumping squats, and Cossack Squats. The pushups were similar; either "regular", Hindu, clapping, and sometimes handstand pushups.

I did this every day. That's a minimum of 6000 squats and 6000 pushups in 60 days. It seems like a lot as I look at it right now. I know it is no major accomplishment. It was just my experiment (still is). And, even though it may seem like a lot, it was really pretty easy. Without rushing, sweating, and barely any straining whatsoever, I was able to do this everyday in about 10 minutes. The real truth is, this was so easy to accomplish, I would find myself sneaking in extra sets throughout the day; padding my numbers.

6000 pushups. 6000 squats. 60 days. Roughly 600 minutes (10 minutes per day).

This is so easy for me to do, It is now almost automatic. I just do it without much though, other than which type am I to do today... One month from today, I will hit another 3000 of each. Will I be huge, swole, jacked, or massive? No. But I don't want to have to buy new clothes anyway, and I can only eat so much. Will I have an efficient nervous system and a strong body? Yes. Which is great, because I'd rather be capable and deceptively strong than swollen. Does it look fancy, sexy, complicated, and technical? No. Is it simple, repeatable, reliable, and sound? Yes.

I cannot tell you how long I will do this. I do cycle through seasons. Some seasons last a few months for me and others last years. Either way, a few months or several years, I am developing habits of strength that are very simple.

Many of us have a notion that strength training is supposed to be hard and challenging. After all, without the right stimulus, how can you get stronger? You do need a challenge, or a stimulus. to develop strength, I agree. But what if that stimulus or that challenge was simply showing up? What if you could get stronger because you were diligent enough to show up and move enough so that your body became efficient and strong? What if heavy and hard stuff became easy because consistency in action was constantly pushing the envelope of challenge inch by inch; where things that would have been difficult are simply not because you've showed up so many times you built a gradual effort level that was always growing without your really even noticing?

This may seem crazy, but I am telling you right now, being strong doesn't have to be hard. If you were made to be strong, AND you were, then why should it be difficult to build strength? If you were made to move, AND you were, then why wouldn't consistently moving on purpose allow you to achieve the strength you were designed to have? It can. If you show up.

Strength is born from consistency, from habit. From habits of thought as well as habits of action. You don't have to live in a gym, studio, infomercial program, or box. You can - and there is nothing wrong with that if you do, but you don't have to. You can become strong by engaging your thoughts and your actions toward your desires.

If you are interested, I've got a new book coming out called Habitual Strength. It has simple RESET routines as well as daily training routines that are easily scalable to any fitness level. It can guide you through a simple way to realize the strength you want to have from the habits you create. The above squat / pushup routine is not in the book - that's free!

For more information, check it out: https://originalstrength.net/product/habitual-strength-book-pre-order/.

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