REWORK; THE ART OF EXPRESSING THE HUMAN BODY

These are two different books, Rework by Jason Fried and The art of expressing the human body by Bruce Lee but they have similar messages only that one is about training and the other is about business. The lessons though, are transferable.  The one similarity in these two books, that stood out for me is the fact that both challenge status quo, and if you know me you know that, that’s my cup of milk (Because I neither like tea nor coffee).  

A couple of lessons from rework that Bruce lee applied and that we should do:

1.  Ignore the real world- the real world is that magical place where everything that’s not ordinary or normal cannot happen. “That would never work in the real world” is an all too common statement. Bruce Lee was able to perform his flying roundhouse kick and his famous thumb&Index finger pushups by ignoring the real world. How many times have you said that  that’s not possible or I can’t do that? Bruce Lee managed to perform 50 1-arm chin-ups without a gym membership and supplements. So  it did happen in his real world. But hold on, before you rush off to try and do that flying round house kick, seek to create your own real world. You want a six pack at the age of 60, create your own real world, you want to carry the 15kg Gas cylinder and you stand at 4ft7inch, create your own real world.

 2.   Small is not just a stepping stone, small is a great destination in itself. And I’m not just saying that because I’m small but well, it helps…. a lot. Bruce Lee was only big because of what he accomplished, but when it came to  stature and muscles he was a very small person. The most important thing to note though is that he did not start by doing finger tip pushups, he worked his way up. Do not be in a hurry to grow or lift a lot more than you can. If whatever small thing  you’re doing is sustainable and it’s working, you don’t have to do or go big. Do small, BUT DO IT VERY WELL.

3.     No time is no excuse. When you want something bad enough, you make the time regardless of your other obligations. The truth is most people just don't want it bad enough. Then they protect their ego with the excuse of time. Don't let yourself off the hook with excuses. It's entirely your responsibility to make it happen. You want to shed off those Kgs, neither slim possible nor Deliberate Fitness can match the power that YOU have. How bad do you want it? Don’t answer that, just show it. Bruce Lee was a martial arts master, a philosopher and accomplished actor & filmmaker, where did he get the time. If you really want to workout, you will. If you’ve been reading these posts and you haven’t started working out then you probably don’t really want it as bad as you’d want us to believe.

4.    Listen to your body. Bruce Lee was able to achieve almost impossible feats with his own body because he would listen to it. He knew when to push and when to hold off.  Jason Fried calls planning - guessing because you have little or no control over what happens around you. I know you have been on that diet for quite some time but if it is not working, it’s time to change. If your workout program says workout and your body is telling you rest, by all means rest. If it’s rest day and you feel you’d like to push your body a little bit, so long as great form is maintained and there’s no pain, just do it. So long as it’s really your body you’re listening to and not excuses, the plans  and programs are not cast in stone. Tweak & improvise whenever it makes sense.

5.    Find something that is At-Home Good. Have you ever bought something that you were convinced it was easy to use, but when you got home it wasn’t as easy.  You felt cheated right? The one thing I admire about Bruce lee is that he embraced calisthenics(Easy exercises that can be done  without equipment) even before calisthenics were cool. The easier it to execute the more you want to do it and the more sustainable it is.

6.    Don’t Copy. The reason I’m talking about Bruce Lee decades after his death is because whatever he did, his style of training had not been done before, ever.  The problem with you doing what has worked for your friend, or sister is that it’s mere copying and has no understanding, and understanding is what produces results. The principle of individuality states that you and I may go through the same workout but we’ll eventually respond differently.

7.    Nobody likes plastic flowers. Find that which you can relate to. Forget the professional, plastic, stiff and boring stuff that the crowd is following.  Embrace those who are not afraid to reveal their flaws & imperfections. The well chiseled abs and perfect body are all awesome but having that as a trainer is not a guarantee that I can help you achieve the same. Although it also doesn’t help if my title says trainer and my body says client..….. Don't be afraid to show your flaws as well. Find that environment that allows you to be. Imperfections are real and people respond to real. It's why we like real flowers that wilt, not perfect plastic ones that never change. Don't worry about how you're supposed to sound and how you're supposed to act. Simplicity is everything. You strip things down and then use what you have. Bruce Lee was all about simplicity, hard work and using only what he had. Feel Free to talk like you really talk and to reveal things that others are unwilling to discuss. Be upfront about your shortcomings. Show the latest version of what you're working on, even if you're not done yet. It's OK if it's not perfect. You might not seem as ideal or a good fit, but you will seem a lot more genuine.

Your Challenge this week is to Express your body the best way you know how to, the above can help provide a head start, but just like Bruce Lee find and define your own path, your own real world. This Week at the YMCA we are in the last week of client appreciation month, Saturday is a big day for Deliberate Fitness, I'll definitely

talk about it  come Monday.

Cheers!