Issue #19

Do this if you want more power, martial arts x fitness, a question for you, and the secret to consistent progress.

Read time: 3.8 minutes

Hey Warriors,

So you want to be fit, you want to be strong, you want to look like your role model, whoever they might be.

And of course, you want all this ASAP.

I don’t blame you for wishing to get it all now.
Nobody in their right mind would wait to get what they want if they had a choice.

But if you really want to reach your goals as fast as humanly possible, you’re gonna have to learn the art of pacing yourself.

That’s what I’m going to touch on in the next few articles.
The only way to get there is through mindful planning, smart work, and strategic recovery.

Read on to learn more.

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. Do this if you want more power.

Static holds are an amazing way to build strength.

They are widely used in gymnastics, calisthenics, and even martial arts.
They are very convenient when you’re not able to perform many reps of a particular exercise.

But do not get fooled by their simplicity, as these are usually much harder than they look.
If your goal is to do more push-ups, do the exercise above for a few weeks and you’ll be amazed at how much progress you’ll have made.

“Doing more push-ups by just holding a position and not even moving?!” You might think.
Yes, but good luck holding that for more than 15 seconds!

Try it, and let me know how it goes. 💪

Click this link for the full YouTube video and instructions.

2. The Way of fitness.

If I had to sum up Enso Bodyweight Training System in one sentence, I would say:

It is the philosophy of martial arts applied to fitness.

Based on body awareness and movement, through mindful practice and repetition and a systematic and progressive manner, in the pursuit of perfection, while understanding it is all about the journey.

As in martial arts, this method prioritizes strength and skills with performance as a goal or direction.
Well-being, good looks, and self-control being the rewarding by-products.

The gym is not a place where we beat up our bodies, but where we learn, hone our skills, and grow.

This mindfulness is not to be confused with softness.
We work hard and challenge ourselves every day.
We are able to make huge strength and overall fitness gains precisely because we choose to train in a safe and sustainable way.
We don’t go fast so we can go far.

Last but not least, we look the part.
I’ll never say it enough: the best way to look fit is to train to actually be fit.

This is the Enso way.

3. Stop lying to yourself, you want this.

A question for those of you who are brave enough to look in the metaphorical mirror:

Why are you not fitter? That question might seem like it lacks empathy at first, but let’s think about it seriously.

Maybe you think you don't really want it, but that's a lie.
If you met a genie and he told you he could make you fit in a minute, would you say yes or let him walk away?
You’d say yes.
It doesn’t matter how you see yourself, whether you’re an intellectual or a very busy CEO, you would like to get fit too.

Now there’s no genie but the recipe is simple. Eat better, move more, and you get fit.
It’s not really more complicated than that.
And you know it.

Why aren’t you doing it then?
No time? Eating well saves you time and 3 hours to work out every week is not that much.

You do want to get fit.
You do know how to do.
You do have the time.

The question is: are you someone who acts to get what they want or do you let life happen to you?
Now it’s time to choose.

4. Grind less, grow more.

Physical progress is made through practice, not exhaustion.

We often believe a workout is only effective when we sweat a lot and end up completely drained.
I’ve been training for fitness since 1992 and in my experience, this is not how it works.

I’ve always had better, more linear, and sustainable progress curves when I was avoiding exhaustion.
The trick in training is to do a little bit more than what you think you can handle.
Seek challenge, not pain.

This works for cardio, strength, flexibility, and skills.

This goes against recent fitness trends that I won’t name.
But now we see how these trends are leading to a lot of injuries.

I think it’s that hustle culture that has contaminated fitness.
It’s the same culture that leads to burnout and disappointment, and we shouldn’t let it enter the health industry.

Do something hard, not something painful.
This is more sustainable, not only because you recover, progress and avoid injuries, but also because…

Who wants to hurt every time they work out?
Maybe not you. So maybe you’ll give up. This is the last thing we want.

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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