The First 3 Steps to Becoming a Hybrid Athlete
We’re constantly inundated with advertising nonsense that talks a big game but says nothing of substance. It’s almost as if the whole world of entertainment has become about who can get your attention and keep it for as long as possible. So you’re told things that make you feel good emotionally and others that appeal to your sense of self. All in an effort to take your hard earned dollars and put them in the pocket of someone else without ever fulfilling the part of you that was provoked in the first place.
But for fuck sake! can someone just be honest with me for ONCE and tell it like it is? Is it so hard to just put the bells and whistles to the side and shoot straight? Isn’t it clear to everyone that despite the billions of dollars made by the clothing/fitness/supplement industries marketing their asses off about getting into shape, having a sexy body and being super healthy, adult obesity has more than doubled worldwide since 1990, and adolescent obesity has quadrupled. It seems to me that high intensity exercise, the newest fashion trend or whether or not you take athletic greens isn’t the fucking problem.
The problem is confusion. Deliberate confusion on the part of those who want you to buy their shit because they know something you don’t. Well here’s the thing; I have nothing to sell you, I don’t care whether or not your shoes have a swoop or stripes and I could give a shit about whether or not you do or do not eat meat (although you should probably eat meat). All I want to do is give you the tools necessary to be in good health, than great, than OH MY GOD I DIDN’T KNOW THAT WAS POSSIBLE health.
And for that you have to know where to begin.
The First 3 Steps to Becoming a Hybrid Athlete
#1. Start way slower than you think.
Doing too much too soon is a story as old as time and one that is all too common in the fitness industry. A lot of us were taught to set goals and go after them with vigor. And despite that fact that there’s positives in that line of thinking, you have to earn the right to set goals. And that comes from slowly but surely ticking off one box at a time.
Instead of thinking about the 30lbs you want to lose or the marathon you want to run, let’s try to get better at organizing our lives around fitness and really setting ourselves up for success.
Grocery shop and prepare healthy meals in advance to fuel your performance and curb poor eating habits.
Go to bed on time and wake up early enough to get out on the road for your morning run.
Focus on a few exercises in the gym and really get good at lifting before you push too hard too soon. The result is that you’ll make gains AND be much more prepared to progress forward in the future.
#2. Training is about recovery management
It’s misleading to think that gains are made in the gym. The gym is where we put in work but if we want to continue to progress we have to make recovery our #1 priority.
Sleep is the most important recovery tool. 8 hours a night with the same bed and wake up times, 7 days a week. A tough ask for some but the closer you can get to this benchmark the more likely you are to make real and lasting improvements in your fitness.
#3. Play the long game
Serious people don’t look a week into the future, they look 10 years into the future. They don’t DO the thing, it’s who they ARE. If you’re serious about your health than exercise has to be so deeply integrated into your life that it becomes indistinguishable from who you are. And while that’s not easy, here’s how you start.
Act like the person you wish to become. If your fit future self would make the time and effort to make this happen than you need to as well.
Rushing the process just makes you fail faster. If you really want lasting results, both inside and out, than you need to treat where you are with respect. Even simple exercises can hurt you if you push too hard too soon so play it safe because there’s nothing that will halt your progress like a nagging injury.