Issue #33

1) The first step to proper dips.
2) Mindful training, forever progress.
3) Why it’s good to train alone.
4) Balance is the key.

Read time: 3.2 minutes

Hey warrior!

Do you know what Power Balance bracelets and the Atkins diet have in common?

The answer is nobody’s talking about them anymore.

And do you know what else we won’t talk about anymore in a few years?

Whatever fitness trend or popular diet you’re thinking of trying right now.

How do I know? Because it’s always the shortcuts that enjoy the most popularity.

And shortcuts don’t work, shortcuts don’t last.

If you have a clear goal and no time to waste, you’d better start learning what really works.

It’s usually less fancy and doesn’t promise fast results, but it does get you there.

Now here’s the good news.
If you want a true, realistic, and effective roadmap to get fit and strong, you’re in the right place!

If you need any help with your training, please let me know by replying to this email and I’ll share my answer with everyone.

Now let’s start! 💪

1. The first step to proper dips.

Following our series on shoulder health, strength, and mobility, here’s another chance to apply what you’ve learnt about the 4 basic shoulder positions.

This exercise is another magic trick from the calisthenics and gymnastics toolkit.

Scapula pushes will:

• Increase your dips and pushups strength.

• Correct your posture.

• Build a solid foundation for your handstand.

• Improve your shoulder mobility.

• And more…

Please make sure you can comfortably hold a 30-second straight arm hold before attempting this exercise.

Otherwise you can also start getting some of these benefits by doing scapula pushes on the floor in a push-up position.

Click this link for the full YouTube video and instructions.

2. Mindful training, forever progress.

Avoiding injury is something I’ve always put first in my practice.

Because if you never overdo it, never overtrain yourself, and never get injured, when you look back after a few years of training, all you’ll see is a beautiful and constant progress curve.

It’s a bit like a stock trader who bases their strategy on limiting losses, and wins big in the end.

On the long term, nothing can take you further and make you fitter than patient, paced, and moderate exercise.

Don’t take chances with your health.
We all want to get stronger or leaner as fast as possible, but rushing things almost always ends up in a setback.
Whether it’s physical or psychological.

Then you have to stop training and waste time.

And guess who ends up getting the results you dreamed of before you do?
Anyone who is patient and trains safe.

You don’t have to learn it the hard way, you can choose to be that person now.

3. The benefits of training alone.

Training alone is not easy, but learning to rely solely on yourself does so much for you.

Life is training.
Everything that challenges you makes you better at something, and every obstacle is a workout somehow.

Training alone is the rawest form of you vs you.
That’s tough.

But when you can’t count on anyone else to push you to finish your reps, when nobody’s dragging you to the gym, you have to learn to become self-accountable.

You learn to work and do what’s difficult when nobody’s watching.
And that carries over everything else in your life, and turns you into a very independent and driven human being.

You’re only a beast when your mind is a beast too.
So if that’s your goal, learn to train alone.

4. You don’t need motivation, you need balance.

Instead of chasing motivation, strive to achieve balance.

Motivation can’t be manufactured.
It’s mostly an emotional state and if you rely on this to train, you’ll never work out regularly.

Balance in your life, on the other hand, is a state you can build, maintain, and perfect.

It becomes a frictionless environment where excuses and actual obstacles to working out are removed.

It sets a smooth path for training and makes consistency possible.

Create balance by setting rules and simplifying your routine. This teaches you to train in a calm and constant mood, without the need for any kind of rush or high.

When you reach this kind of balance, you’re able to form a routine, which becomes a habit, and in turn becomes a lifestyle.

And you turn your life around, without any “motivation”.

I hope you found some useful tips and motivation in today's edition.

Please share your feedback and help me improve my content for everyone!

A great way to do this is by replying to this email with a personal question you have about fitness.

Thanks for reading and see you next week!

- Nico

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