Hello Transform Fitness fans!
My name is Selim Tlili. I am a high school science teacher and I write professionally about about science and education. I've been a Transform Fitness client since 2019.
I can't believe that we are nearing the end of summer! That is crazy I feel like I just started getting warmed up!
Summer is always a challenge in terms of what you try and accomplish and what you can actually accomplish. My goal was to get to doing a pistol squat by summers end. That was wildly optimistic! I am closer than I have ever been and I can finally see the possibility of achieving one but I had ridiculously high hopes given how much I am trying to do this summer and how much time I can spend on GST.
Whenever I get annoyed by what I have accomplished I try and remind myself to take a longer term point of view. I have had over 200 sessions with Evan and Dela since I began getting serious about GST in 2019. When I look back on what I can do with my body now compared to what I could have done just on my own it is humbling.
This is an important thing to take stock on every now and then - how much personal progress you have achieved with help versus on your own.
I have a membership to the NY Sports Club and still use the gym there in addition to my weekly training sessions. But the amount that I accomplish when I am working out with a trainer compared to on my own is just night and day.
I suspect that one session with Evan or Dela equals at least two hours of what I would accomplish on my own. Between my longer rest sessions and lower level of actual work per workout on my own I think it is fair to estimate that I would need at least two hours to accomplish what I can accomplish with the help of GST.
But that doesn't really do it justice. Yes I could work out more intensely on my own but how would I go about figuring out how to properly isolate my glute muscles in order to sustain my weight on one leg?
I could probably accomplish simple goals on my own like "build up my bench press to 215 for three sets of ten reps" because that is a matter of doing the same workout and gradually increasing weight or repetitions until I can achieve my goal. But how I could figure out the integration of my nervous system to activate muscles that are mostly dormant in order to get them to perform a movement that they have never done before? How could I do that safely on my own?
This simple step up might not seem like a big deal for most people but it is for me. I had knee surgery around 2005 which completely removed the cartilage from my right knee. Most of the time when I try and walk more than a single step up my knee is completely wobbly. But thanks to the work I've done this summer the muscles around the knee are finally active and I am able to perform the step up!
So even though I am a bit disappointed that I haven't gotten the pistol squat under my belt I can see that I am making such important progress in my body that I can say that this summer has seen tremendous personal growth and improvement in terms of understanding my body and compensating for weaknesses.
I just need to remind myself that Gymnastics Strength Training is a commitment. I am committing to understanding my body and learning to use it to its full potential. That is a lifetime journey. While it might be fun to try and sprint towards a goal for a set timeframe ultimately this is a lifetime pursuit.
I hope you enjoyed this third newsletter! I love the fact that I am stronger and better in tune with my body in my mid 40s than I ever was in my entire life! If you enjoy what you read down the road I invite you to check out my website. Most recently I wrote an essay about how I am compensated for my writing.
I am thrilled to share that I successfully finished principal photography on my movie as of August 17th! Fingers crossed I will be inviting you to the premiere of my short film, Tabula Rasa, sometime in the spring! Check out some behind the scenes footage here! Also if you'd be so kind please subscribe to my YouTube channel (that would be a huge help) so I can continue to share what I am doing. |
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