Minimum Standards
“I’m not motivated, I’m disciplined”
“Discipline keeps working when motivation runs out!”
You’ve heard phrases like that I’m sure.
I may have said something similar over the years.
And you know what, it’s pretty much bullshit.
Here’s why.
The only people that train all the time, I mean going hard all year, while on holidays, hating when they must take time off.
The only people who do that are amateurs.
The professionals, the people who compete at any level, the guys and girls who genuinely push test their limits, they understand that all training ebbs and flows.
They understand that you cannot go all out all the time, but rather you build, you peak, you back off.
That you spend most of the time developing a baseline of fitness and capability, something I like to call a minimum standard.
When I use the term “minimum standard” with a lot of guys, I get push back, surely I mean maximum, surely I mean PR’s and fist bumps?
Nah, I mean MINIMUM standards.
ie the lowest level of performance you would expect of yourself
The level you will not drop below if you take a few weeks off.
The level that you can check yourself against after a peaking plan and event.
Minimum standards can be simple, like touching your toes or a certain hole in your favourite belt.
It can be a 10k time, a squat or deadlift, a number of kettlebell snatches in a given time with a given weight
It could be pull up or push up related.
It’s a solid baseline that you can springboard up from to any goal that comes your way.
What’s this got to do with discipline or motivation?
Well, I was away on holiday with my family, and did not train. When I got back, I got floored with man flu, another week of not training.
Then a few days catching up and helping the missus who also got sick.
Over 2 weeks of no training.
Was that a lack of discipline?
Should I have been more motivated?
Nah, I focused on relaxation on holiday and recovery when ill.
And when I got back on my feet, I checked in on some of my minimum standards, and I was delighted to not just hit them but exceed them.
You see this is what we train for.
We train for the times when training is not appropriate.
That may be a competition, where you are competing rather than training, and you will need a recovery window afterwards.
Maybe the season has just ended and you want a break before looking at rebuilding yourself in the off season.
That may be holiday time, where you are looking to relax, eat good food, enjoy your time with your family.
It maybe just a busy period, with kids or work or whatever.
If you train sensibly, progressively, you can afford to take this time off.
And if you have set yourself some minimum standards, then you will know exactly where you are when you get back and what you may need to work on to get back to standard.
I don’t think of this as either discipline or motivation, it’s merely having a sense of what you should be capable of.
Have a think about what you would expect from yourself as a minimum standard.
That being capable to hit these standards means you have the strength, mobility and endurance you think is adequate for the things you wish to do.
I would be interested in what you come up with
Simple
Not Easy
Dave Hedges
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