If you are like me, then you try to mix it up between active living workouts and the “real” workouts. If you don’t know the difference, then my guess is your workout schedule is very lopsided and includes only active living workouts (which is better than nothing, so don’t stop on account of my ranting today). How do I know this? I know because anyone who actually engages in “real” workouts already knows they are not fun and therefore would know the difference! Let me clarify something – I do actually enjoy them… immensely, but I also enjoy pain…a lot of pain! 
So for some of us, the only real difference I guess is what kind of “fun” we feel like having on that particular day.
Life is tough and so are “real” workouts
I really dislike the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” You’re probably wondering why because I am one tough SOB myself and would embrace such nonsense. The truth, however, is this somehow implies that at times life is not tough. I am going to relate this to real workouts since it is the only thing I am capable of doing well.
There seems to be some misconception as to what it takes to be extraordinary. Screw extraordinary! Let’s just say what it takes to be healthy and in shape. Individuals who have never pushed the envelope in their lives often are overwhelmed at the discipline and pain people go through to be healthy. They also like to use the copout that this “pain” is what is holding them back from achieving their New Year’s resolution. Sadly, these individuals will NEVER achieve their goals.
It’s pretty simple really. Those who fail are the same ones who believe “when the going gets tough…” This is an automatic set up for failure. If you approach a challenge believing at some point it will get tough and you must push through at that point, then you inevitably believe the challenge will start out easy. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that if it were easy and pain free to get into shape, then I wouldn’t have this blog. Nobody would need encouragement. It’s not hard to convince people to do something fun. You don’t have to enjoy pain, but you do have to realize that without it you will never get to the next level.
Here is a quick little story about TTH guy. TTH guy watched an Ironman one day. The next day he ran 5 miles (very slowly). It was painful. Four years later, after multiple Ironman finishes himself, TTH guy ran 5 miles (approx. 4mph faster than attempt #1). It was painful. That’s the whole story!
1,460 days of working out, and 5 miles is still hard. It doesn’t get easier. My legs are more toned, my abs look amazing, and I feel better than ever, but…I still know that when I enter the gym or head out the front door, it will never be easy. Realizing this will allow you to start with the correct mindset and complete any challenges you feel are worth pursuing. Unless of course the challenge you want to pursue is climbing the corporate ladder, in which case you need a whole new skill set that requires the ability to be an ass kisser (which is another way of saying sell out, not being yourself, or better known as a waste of a free mind). Actually, that’s pretty painful also, so I take it back…every challenge is painful!
For a better understanding of this subject read The Pain Scale.
Always tough and always going,
TTH Guy
