Training Inspiration

I know it's corny and ridiculous. That doesn't mean it doesn't make me want to go and defeat the evil, cheating Russians. When HBO first had the rights to broadcast Rocky IV, they showed it almost back to back that weekend. I probably watched it four times in three days. I was 11 or 12 years old and thought it was awesome. I've since realized that it's cheesy, but I can't watch this montage without wanting to get up and move. I want to do 180 degree decline crunches. I want to break out the boxing game on the Wii again and throw some punches.

This clip also plays right to my issue with lifting weights. I do lift weights for my health and to look fierce, but I want to use my muscles in daily life. Unfortunately, in my daily life in the big city, it's rare that I get to lift anything other than a big bag of dog food or cat litter. That's part of the reason most people are out of shape; there are few opportunities to challenge their bodies. Unless those moments are created, they don't happen.

Technology has made our lives so physically easy that to make our bodies do what they are able and designed to do, we have to create artificial situations to challenge our muscles. We need to lift weights and run races. At first, it seems counter-intuitive to make our lives more physically challenging, but that's what our bodies want and need. The next time you see a labor-saving device, save yourself the money and keep that natural amount of labor in your life.