No one uses the Jacob’s ladder.

I’ve only seen one person ever use this beast in the few years it’s been at the gym.

Now let me just say I’m not telling you that you MUST use this piece of equipment or else your training is not good enough.

As I’ve stated in previous blog posts, you can make your training effective with anything, including just your own bodyweight.

The point is, you need to find what is hard FOR YOU and attack it.

For me, running is the worst. I hate it. Problem is, it hates me too so I had to back off for a few weeks. My knees were very cranky and I’ve learned to heed those warning signs before they get out of control.

So I turned to other forms of exercise that are challenging, both mentally and physically.

I can show up and lift weights a few times a week, no issue. I’ve been doing it so long now it’s a habit. That’s not to say it’s EASY, just a given that I do it without even thinking much about it.

The true challenge emerges in the form of cardio/conditioning and strength endurance training.

Where I’m at in my life I’m not trying to compete in powerlifting. I don’t have any interest in adding twenty pounds to my big lifts.

Who knows, that may change someday For now though, I’m in a different place with my training. Mostly I want my workouts to challenge my mind even more than my body.

For me that means climbing the Jacob’s ladder, dragging the sled, skipping the jumprope, doing high-volume bodyweight workouts, running hills, carrying weight for time..

For YOU, it may be different.

To get the most out of your training beyond biceps and six-pack abs, you need to find what is the exercise or activity or workout that sucks the most for you.

Do that.

You don’t have to do it every day, but at least once a week give yourself that reality check.

I call these MENTAL TOUGHNESS WORKOUTS.

Let yourself be humbled. You want it to be hard to the point where you can only think of one thing: quitting.

That’s where your mental toughness is built.

Doing what you don’t want to do.. pushing a little longer… and a little longer again..

Get outside your comfort zone and step into the pain. Embrace it. Realize you are capable of more.

Yes, you will fail. You will quit. But you will start again. Try again. Overcome more the next time.. building yourself UP more each week.

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