You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone."

Rant and Tip October 26, 2011

Quote: "You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone."
- Percy Cerutty

Oh man was I in a cranky mood yesterday. I hadn't slept well the night before and I am sure that was my issue. After that every little thing just seemed to bother me. I did get my workout in and after that I was in a better mood. I was able to get the endorphins flowing and just felt better afterwards. Mind you not 100% but definitely better. The lifts went well and I decided to go for a new PR which was not the best idea yet. While I need to have a general idea what I need to push for the meet on the 12th, I need to start letting my joints heal and the next couple of weeks are going to be really crazy and hectic.

I would like to talk about the stabilizing muscles. These muscles are the secondary muscles that are used in a lift. For instance many people when they work out will concentrate on a specific muscle and isolate it by using a machine. When we do this we neglect the stabilizing muscles and we rob ourselves of truly getting stronger. Don’t get me wrong, machines definitely have their place and yes I do use them. However, there really is no substitute for cold hard steal, or in the case of many gyms today rubber coated steal. When we lift a dumbbell or free bar for squats, benching or deadlift we hit those stabilizing muscles as well. If we stand or sit on a ball while doing our biceps curls we can hit our abdominal muscles as well. I guess what I am saying here is don’t be afraid to break away from your comfort zone.

Have a great workout!

Tip of the day:
   Comfort zones are just that a place where we feel comfortable. Well your muscles know that and they need to be pulled out of that zone to grow, just like you.  Several of you came here having never worked out with weights before. You left your comfort zone and tried something different. Do that to your muscles to. Try heavier weights one day and maybe do a couple less reps. Then go lighter and do more reps. Don’t be afraid to leave that comfort zone. You have done it once