This is an idea I’ve had in my head for a while now and it started with a guest post I made on how to consume content.
I wanted to cap off the post with how I personally consume and implement content (and I still plan on doing so), but the thought process led me to this article, which is how I personally go about my training.
This is an introductory post so I won’t have much to say on the “What I’ve been working on” but rather will focus on my goals and with those in mind
How I plan to focus what I’m learning based on these goals
How I plan to implement them in training [With before and after sparring narrations]
I suppose we’ll start with my goals.
So what are my goals?
At the moment, and largely over the past few weeks/months, I’ve been focused almost exclusively on strength gains. I’ve had a lifting regimen for as long as I can remember but it’s never been focused on a particular goal (and it shows). Further, I’ve never had direction in my lifting and have never stuck around with a coach long enough to see serious improvements (Until recently).
So at the moment I have a strength goal to attempt to maximize my strength gains, which unfortunately has meant jiu-jitsu has taken a back seat.
Truth be told, as the numbers on the barbell go higher, I need more time to recover which has made training hard since most of my students never want to go light —they want to kill me (and I don’t blame them).
In jiu-jitsu, my goals are “complicated” (I hate using that word since I’m a master of over-simplification).
I use that word, however to demonstrate that learning and training jiu-jitsu is not just about me. It’s about my students. And if we’re talking about my students, now’s probably a good time to mention that the development of my students is just as important (and sometimes much more important) than my own development.
This is why it’s hard for a lot of coaches to train during class time (I do occasionally). You’re either training or you’re coaching. So with that said, my goals are focused along the following variables:
What benefits me most (practical learning, or learning because I can immediately implement)
What I enjoy learning most (ideal learning, or learning for enjoyment)
What my students need to learn most
Balancing these 3 is always an immense challenge for the simple fact that I realize that what I give my attention and energy to will result in the most growth. So if I focus on myself, how much energy do I take from my students?
There’s the rub.
No less, rising tides raise all ships so I agree that filling up my cup first also fills my students’ cups and weeks like this week, I’m able to find a balance with all 3 variables. I am currently learning something I can immediately apply, something I’m enjoying AND something that my students absolutely need.
And also, two pints of ice cream each week has been a total game changer in training.
So let’s get into what ice cream has to do with my latest training notes.
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