Feats of Strength (of Character) guest post by Piers McCarney

I think we all love to see a good physical feat of strength, almost as much as we love performing them. If we didn’t, we probably wouldn’t be here on Adam’s blog (though I imagine it’s gaining popularity for those looking to relieve pain and get stronger through biofeedback).

However, it is very easy to get caught up in the quest for your next badass grip stunt, box jump, bottoms up press or KB snatch record and forget about the other kinds of strength we could cultivate.

I’m going to put to you a few challenges that are all simple to perform and available to all of us, yet may be something you don’t see or include too often in your own life. I suspect that by trying to action some of these you may both discover some interesting elements about your own state and display a more interesting and awesome behavior to your peers.

1. Share a strongly held opinion with someone wh

Stay true to your needs

o is likely to question it.

It’s easy to tell something to someone you think will agree. “Yes Men” are a much recurring phenomenon around those who have gained power and reputation. You know what else they are? Near on goddamn useless.

An unquestioned opinion is unchallenged and an unchallenged opinion is likely untested. The process of being questioned is often uncomfortable, but never moreso than when your attempts to justify your position are ripped asunder by another with a superior argument.

Putting your opinion to a skeptic will force you to evaluate your ideas with another’s critical eye and may expose flaws or opportunities for improvement that your own assessment would have missed. Brave the risk of embarassment and think of these conversations as someone “proof reading” your work, rather than a blow to your ego. Like Adam said in his ways to make your life more awesome, you’ll never get to be someone more awesome than you, so your ego should be more resiliant than this situation can destroy.

A hallmark of Gym Movement’s successful formula is to question everything and to seek better questions. Let the critical imagination of someone else be a useful tool, rather than a thing to be feared.

2. Inform your boss/superior that you plan to disobey a specific directive and justify why.

The important part is that you have a justification and submit it. Don’t just go behind their back and do whatever you think; people do that all the time and there is no courage in it because you are attempting to once again go unchallenged and, even worse, unnoticed.

Pick a time when you believe you are being directed to do something without critical thought or due to that action being the status quo and politely state why you believe you have a superior option to put forward. You have only 2 real outcomes:

A. Your argument is accepted and you have a shot at improving a process (plus taking the credit for it). Obviously a positive outcome.

B. Your argument is countered and things remain the same. This may happen for a variety of reasons, be they good or bad, but either way the risk of feeling humiliated is there. How you endure this situation will be a good test and stimulus to your character development, making this whole scenario a win/win for your progress (in all directions).

3. Sacrifice something you like for a higher personal priority (happily).

Many people will tell you how important goal-setting is to progress in both physical training and life in general. Many people however manage to fail at organising their activities around a true list of priorities.

Hitting the gym is awesome and makes you more awesome, no shit. You know what makes you even moreso? Skipping TV/Xbox or whatever other bullshit time to care for your kids, treat your spouse right, reconnect with friends or just take care of business.

These are my examples, but that’s because these are the highest ranked items in my life’s priorities. Figure out what yours are and endeavour to <b>never see them as work</b>. If you choose them as important to you, treat them as such, don’t bitch about carrying out your own decision instead of sitting on your arse.

We all need downtime. Figure out what you need most though, do it, THEN wind down.

Teach yourself that caring for the important people in your life is hard work and it will be. Your loved ones don’t (usually) want you to have to work at caring for them and if you do, maybe you should reevaluate their true position in your list?

I’m sure I could come up with some more options. The fact is that, for most of us, even displaying these actions on a consistent basis will be a feat in itself. Remember, density, intensity and volume can be tracked in near on all actions and all of these are actions and habits, so if it’s too easy or too hard, ramp up or down, just aim at better.

You think this is wrong? You think these things aren’t better? I think I’m right and I associate these things with a better standard. Hit me in the comments, I’m all up for Action 1 on this.

“Piers McCarney is an aspiring physical trainer in Perth, Western Australia. Once an exclusive fanatic of Kettlebells; using Gym Movement protocols to test and employ any method to move toward better in all directions is now a consuming passion. A website is a work in progress, just like life itself.”