Resolve

John is in round 11 of "The Twelve Rounds of Christmas."
He is exhausted, frustrated, and feeling like he's gonna break...
and two seconds after this picture was taken,
he picked up the bar and kept going.
This is what I'm talking about!

Fitness means different things to different people, and you can read how we define it at QuantumFit here. However, as in many human endeavors, what seems like the most important parameter to one person isn't to another, especially if you're in a competitive sport. We care as much about our mile time as we do our Deadlift, but a competitive Powerlifter doesn't give a crap about his mile time; he or she would need to sacrifice that aspect of overall fitness in order to maximize development in another area.  Now, our view is that if you want overall, lifelong fitness this is not the way to go... but our opinion probably won't change that Powerlifter's mind, and that would be their choice to make. They'll define fitness based upon their goals and passion, and (hopefully) strive to be the best they can possibly be.

What I'm getting at is that, depending upon your specific goals, you may have a path different from ours to "fitness." If you want to maximize your overall fitness, the method we use is excellent. Honestly, there are similar methods out there which could get you good results, too, though they may be more efficient at one aspect and less at others. If you were a competitive athlete, your sport might require you to train in a completely different fashion.

Even with all this, there are some constants; if your training is going to require you to do a Back Squat, you need to learn how to do it properly. If your sport requires you to work in short, intense bursts of activity (as the majority of sports do), then you'd better train along that model or you'll find your body underprepared for the demands you'll be placing upon it.

However you're training, though... however you define fitness and whatever path you take to reach the goal, one thing is a constant.

Resolve.

You must be resolved to reach your goals, and be resolved to the very hard work you're going to have to do to get there. Despite all the times we've heard the phrase "there is no magic pill" in the context of fitness training, still most people seek after it... and it's just not there. There is very little I can think of which feels better than feeling fit. I mean, really feeling fit; not just knowing that you workout regularly and are in shape, but specifically that feeling you get when you've just lifted more weight for a Squat, Deadlift, Press, or whatever, than you ever have before and, better yet, someone in the gym is thoroughly impressed with your strength. Or that feeling when you've just run an 800m faster than you've ever done it before and, better yet, you crossed the finish line ahead of someone who used to outrun you. These are the feelings which make people fall in love with the work it takes to be fit.

Resolve is key. Yeah, some days suck; you don't feel well, you're tired... and when you do tackle the workout, your time isn't as good as your last performance was, or you miss your target weight in your lift. It happens. We have bad days... and you must be resolved to keep going. Don't let yourself get discouraged; if you're working, you're making progress. Always be moving forward! Because, those days you don't reach the immediate goal, you've still taken steps toward the overall goal; becoming as fit as you can be, however you're defining it.

There are a lot of ways to make the journey to elite personal fitness a little easier. Have a coach to guide you (pick me! pick me!)... learning the proper way to execute training movements is essential. Also, have a support community; the folks you train with are a huge help in keeping you focused and motivated! You can get advice on nutrition, recovery, ways to keep training fresh... there are plenty of resources.

But in the end, the work is yours to do, and you've got to be resolved to making it happen. No matter how much it sucks at times, or how impossible reaching your goal of becoming optimally fit seems, I swear to you it isn't.


Everyone can maximize their fitness level, everyone can achieve elite personal fitness, and while one person may ultimately be stronger or faster than another, I guarantee you that the level of personal fitness you can reach will amaze you! And when you start breaking your personal records, and when you've lifted more weight, run faster, jumped higher, been leaner, and felt stronger than you've ever felt before... all that hard work will suddenly have been worth it!

Then, a funny thing will happen... many of the things which sucked before, which made you cringe, and made you think about just skipping your workout... you'll suddenly look forward to those challenges, and that's when you'll be addicted to the life-long pursuit of fitness!

So, when you go to the gym it's no big deal if you forget your stopwatch, or your training log, or your bottle of water... but never come to the gym without your resolve. It is the most important element of training there is.

If you're ready to make your resolution, make it stick! Get involved in our Resolve 2011 Contest!