Just as I mentioned in my last post I LOVE to bust it in the gym and discipline myself with the food choices I make to achieve a goal.  I do this 7 days a week 24/7  for an intense period of time until I  reach my goal. Then what?  The sense of accomplishment last only a few hours; then back to the grind? Grind day and night without letting up?

Work with no vacation is not the type of life I want to lead! I watch too many people get  a little too obsessed with the grind to the point it borders on a disorder. It’s a slippery slope in the health and fitness industry. Working out is healthy and fun, working out 6 days per week is admirable, two a days are impressive, packing all of your meals, eating chicken while everyone else is mowing down on pizza shows dedication. Where is the line drawn as to what is healthy and what is unhealthy? This is so subjective. Have you ever seen the quote “You call it obession; I call it dedication?”….this may be true for two individuals. My normal “chill mode” may be crazy intense for someone else. I guess the individual can only know the truth.

I have worked with many clients over the course of my 15 years of training. Each person reaches a threshold at different times where its not fun anymore to push. That is how you know you are approaching an unhealthy relationship with your fitnesss regime. When you truly have hit a brick wall and are reaching mental and physical fatigue with the grind; but you keep pushing to reach no immediate goal.

Now, let me clarify, for EVERY significant goal I have ever achieved I was tired of training, dieting, or just simply adhering to the regimen necessary for success. I push through the fatigue and achieve the goal. That is what separates quitters from achievers. What about the disorderly? Where do they fall? They continue to maintain their exhausting pace after their accomplishment to the detriment of friendships, relationships with family, and career. They harbor a fear of letting up their exhausting pace.

The disorderly ALWAYS finish behind those who have balance.  Why? They develop mental and physical burnout. Physically they develop syndromes, tendonittis, fasciitis, they injure themselves. Also, a diet that is too restrictive will lead to overuse injuries because the body does not get what it needs to recover properly. What else do these individuals lack? The drive of balance that fuels their motivation. Who wouldn’t love to grind and then celebrate their accomplishment with their friends and family? Cut loose a little and have a beer and some pizza (or cake and martinis for me)! Just as we count down the last 30 seconds in a hard WOD and anticipate the relief of rest at the buzzer, we need relief from our grind in life. The joy we experience during the relief will drive us when we are grinding once again.