The whole Seizing the Training Day Thing
Long gone are the workout days when my body let me do whatever I wanted without holding me back.
I was young, ambitious and hungry for building my body the way I envisioned a Frank Zane like physique, but as a woman.
My young self looked down on people who listened to their bodies.
To me that was a real sign of a weak mind! Nobody gets strong with a weak attitude, that was my motto.
Compared to many I took good care of my body, and yes, I did, but on many conditions.
Nutrition, stretching, body work to heal my aches and pains were all part of my routine.
I trained with good form, the gym crowd always complimented me on my dedication.
Yes, I was always training, I never quit, I kept up my discipline, practiced the daily fitness and bodybuilding lifestyle for years, decades.
But if I ask my body today about what its master was like it would be "she never let me rest, she never quit, she kept taking out her lack of dietary discipline on me so it was hours of training for months in a row with no pause at all.
She just expected me to be there and talked about me like I was worthless, unwanted, never good enough. When I needed her love she got mad, she was going to prove to me who's the boss...I was not allowed to BE a body with any needs. That is how I felt".
-Signed by my physical body from my younger fitness life era.
Today I listen to my body since I know I can not replace it, it is the only real home and asset no money can buy and time can't rebuild back later.
When I say I must seize the training day no matter what it truly means exactly that.
Instead of destroying my body or overtraining I focus on quality and keep my true motivation for doing so close to heart:
I want a strong body that feels good to live in for as long as I live.
That is why I expect myself to train accordingly.
I expect myself to show up to train at the level my body permits and find a way, not get discouraged comparing myself to my younger body self or to others who can train harder, longer or are stronger than I am.
It is hard to stay motivated and train to gain strength with physical limitations and body restrictions, that drive and energy to go hard and give it all fades away when you can't do it without risking injuries.
However, the way I choose to see it is this is the real test of character.
I choose to be grateful for everything my body lets me do instead of assuming I can do it all.
This mindset has transformed my training philosophy for the better.
I will never take my body for granted again, this insight has given me the greatest love for training I've ever felt.