It has been awhile since I reflected on my thoughts. Like I told you in the previous post I have read something, thought about it. But sometimes you can't fully understand it until you give it enough thoughts, or just when it comes to you naturally. I've thought of blogging about this like on Wednesday but I don't have the time to do it - heck, it is the laziness of me and the stupid time management of mine - most of the time I am doing something that I don't know.
I also got about of things to talk about in my trainings. I think I shall recap on that first.
Been quite a good day for strength training on Monday and Wednesday where both of them I felt really strong. Today wasn't alike, I missed one rep for the 81kg squat which is really stupid, I now see that I'm not at all capable of squatting the amount of weight yet, I have serious alterations to do for my squats. I've been aiming abit too high, haven't been listening to my body. Wasn't the best of sights for me at all, because on that last rep, after realizing I will not go anywhere if I were to force my way up, so I had to ditch the attempt, but I can't throw it back so I rounded my back to place it on a bar (not really, someone helped me to carry it up), and that kinda suck. What a mood spoiler after two good days. But I have realize I've been overestimating myself after that day, 80kg x 5reps with a spotter. If I didn't call for a spotter, I don't think I will be doing this for this 2 weeks. Pullups, Benchpress and Deadlifts are still improving, I will be focusing alot on them and hoping to reach 60kg for benchpress soon.
I realize there is no rush for me to get the doublebodyweight squats, I mean it isn't even quarter of the year over, and I mean so what if I don't get it by this year. I am already squatting 150% of my bodyweight which is quite a feat already, so why hurry. I could settle for 180% squat or something of that sort because really, fast progression doesn't mean anything. I still got a long way to go. I want to lower the weights in this routine because I do not want it to be counterproductive, and I don't want to fuck my tendons and ligaments up. Whatever it is, I am still quite confident of getting the 2xBW squats by this year. I'm focusing alot more on strength training this year, so there is no worries. Moreover, a goal is just a goal for you to work hard towards, at least you have worked and progressed towards your goal, it really doesn't matter whether you achieve it or not. The journey matters much more then the destination.
This goes for my OACs and Handstands and some flips as well, although I am seriously lazy to train my handstands.
My flips have improved quite well, especially my sideflip. I can land it quite consistently but of course there are many things that can still be improved on. I should be happy with what I have, but never too happy. Backflips are getting higher and better landed, frontflips are still on and off but nevertheless still good especially when I got it right. I also want to practice roundoffs and such, trying to get more height and tighter tucks in flips. The fear in my backflip is almost completely gone, which is very good but I shouldn't push too much yet.
I want to practice them whenever I have the opportunity now, after school before heading home, for just 45 minutes or less, aiming to get good 10 fronts, backs and sides. This will be a good way to improve, moves will be imprinted in my muscle memory, and I only train on those 3 flips because I believe those are the 3 most basic flips that will lead to the harder variations. I wanna get really strong fundamentals and from there I will work up to combos and the such. Things will slowly get worked on from there.
Movements training are still abit impactful. Still have the habit of not putting proper focus before doing a movement, merely just 'whacking' and hopefully land it. There are many attempts in my training, failed attempts that is. Just really bad I think for your muscle memory and of course confidence, also not forgetting the impact from the fall and how badly your land before it.
I want to place alot more emphasis on
- Repetitions, (for muscle memory and it is indeed the best way to improve)
- Aiming for perfection for every move and, (so that bad attempts wont be imprinted, and also less impacts - this also means training only around 90% of my max)
- Jump with a clear mind. (full focus, and no stupid anyhow whack, doing movements that I confident and comfortable with, be careful.)
Those are the most important things to take note of in my trainings.
Enough of blaberrings. Lets start on the main thing I want to discuss about.
Conclusions upon reflections
Before I continue, this is what I've read, written by Capo di Tutti Capi of the 3run Forums, a really deep thinking and experienced traceur.
"Definitely the most insightful and meaningful thing i have ever seen you come out with Matty, i'm glad you are finally starting to learn the true meaning of Parkour and what it implicates by calling yourself a 'Traceur' is something way beyond a person that just leaps from roof to roof.
I think this journal is a horrible idea, simply because you should never ever set yourself targets like this because it builds hype around specific movement. I myself was like this for the first pretty much 4 and a half years of training, constantly like ' i wanna get 5 new things today ' ' i wanna do this by next week ' and all that rubbish and seriously bro all your doing is limiting yourself.It took me months to get Ryan to understand this and now he is finally on his quest of learning he's been giving you the same talks and encourage that i gave him which is truly inspiring to see that Danny shown me the error of my ways, i passed what i had learnt to Ryan and now he has passed it down again to you. I hope with that, you will educate the guys around, Smitton, Rob, Kezo etc.
People who put specific difficult to a move will never truly master the move, i never look at anything and think 'impossible' because quite simply i know it's not. 4 years ago the jump at the top of the methidest was impossible, i mean like we we're like 'david belle couldnt even do that' then a year later Danny ran and jumped it, a year after that i ran and jumped, a year after that Danny precisioned it. But i know for a fact we we're capable of making that distance the first time we looked at it, 4 years ago i could have done that but simply because i had been looking at it for so long i had built up this image in my mind that the jump was so so big when it really wasnt. I know if i went to a new area now and the exact same jump was there i would think nothing of precisioning it, simply because there is no 'hype' around it and i know im capable.
The more pressure you put on yourself to do a move the worse it will get, if you give yourself a time limit to do a certain move your building pressure, because even if you do the move within that time scale you will not have truly taken in the moment, you have to feel ready not force yourself to be ready. Hyping up for moves is also bad, adrenaline may make you stronger but it locks out your sense of awareness completely and in the rare case that you baill and your pumping with adrenaline you will badly hurt yourself. You have to be aware at all times, you have to constantly be aware and acknowledge the moment you are in so that you truly understand each aspect of the movement and you are calm and controlled enough to react if something goes wrong.
'I want to do this precision a 0.42 on this video' why? Will it truly make you miles better? Will it genuinally increase your precision by a foot if you do it? Is there some kind of prize? The answer is no Matty, you will benefit 100 times more by doing 10 sets of a precision you can already do rather than 1 precision that you have never done before.
You have to drill everything you have previously to the extent that the move will feel as natural as walking, when you see you trying precisions like the methidest or g evans at the side of the jump knowing you are truly nowhere near ready to attempt it i think why is he doing that? He knows he cannot make it, why is not doing the jump behind it which he can do to help build his precision for the day when he is ready to attempt the bigger jump? Why does he not see the logic? Why is everything to this guy ' bigger bigger bigger winning winning winning '
I know you want to be the best bro but this is truly the wrong approach, winning is not important, being the best is not important, bettering another traceur is not important, doing a precision you have never done before is not important, what is truly important is that you move with absolute freedom and jump with a clear mind. Get rid of hatred, anger, compeition, sadness...any of these emotions that you feel when approaching, attempting and even failing a jump. You must be in the same state of mind constantly.
Live for the moment, live for now, move for yourself.
Took me near 5years to learn this brother, i hope you see the error of your ways quicker than i
Peace" - from here.
As you can see, some of the thoughts that I wrote in my trainings above is also partly concluded from the post above. I hope you guys took some time to read and decipher the text, because although long, it is a meaningful read.
I've seen myself and many other traceurs trying to push their limits too often. Well. Why attempt something that you are not ready for? Or even not fully confident. Doesn't it make sense = when you are not confident, that means you are not ready yet. I could recall a few big moves that I've busted and only to bail or sprain my ankle badly. It is really dumb to think of it. Also for big precisions that it super impactful for the joints, and the running precisions/cranes as well. It might be fun, the adrenaline rush to nail something of such level, but think about it long term, how detrimental would it be to your joints? Your body?
I'm pretty sure most of you have been into some point of your training, where you know roughly where your standards are, what you are capable of, and how big the jump it is to you. So if you know it isn't something that you can do well, even if it means you have done it before. We should keep our training only at 90% of our maximum and lower of course. If we keep drilling our movements of that range, soon you would be able to do the moves in the past which is considered to be 100% of your max quite easily, which means you've improved. Pure semantics.
Like said about my strength training earlier on. I think there is no point having to set a time limit of your goals. Goals are always good, there's something for you to work towards for. But there is no need to force yourself to get it. Of course it is smart to set realistic goals so it is easier to achieve it - achievements are always satisfying and a confidence booster, and smaller goals are like stepping stones to reach your ultimate goal or something. But when you are nowhere near your goal, there is no need to rush, as you know yourself that you aren't in any competition or chase, there is no reward or extra benefits to nail something by this year or next year. Slow progression means much more then fast progression. Theres nothing really fancy about being able to nail big stuffs but with no control, consistency and ease.
It is OK to push our limits. It is a good thing to improve, after all it is only subconscious goal, the reason why we train is to improve ourselves, mentally or physically. In my opinion, you should attempt bigger moves only when you are ready. Keep things low, keep drilling the smaller stuffs until it gets really easy. I think we should only attempt like maximum precision jumps once in awhile to note progression. But have self-control and stop attempting when you know it is a really maximum effort. There are still many other days in the future where you can try to nail your jumps. Like mentioned many of times - we are not in a hurry, rushing progression is only detrimental. And also, it is not about whether you can nail it anot, but rather whether you can nail it properly or not.
And of course regarding the point about getting rid of bad emotions. A big problem for me. I get really frustrated after a bad day, either in strength training or in flips, and after I bail, things like that. We all have to admit it sucks to be have those, but remember, such things will inevitably happen because well, nothing is ever easy. Will it still be fun if we have no challenges, that everything that we train for is easy? What are we, invincible? Of course not, bails and bad days will happen, and it is another challenge for us to get over those bad days, and treat all of those as training processes, and we learn from our bails and mistakes. Frustration and disappointment will lead you nowhere, the rest of the day will also be cocked up due to your state of mind. It is always best to have a clear and fresh mind, and treat everything as something to learn from.
And to recall the post - Thoughts crawling on my mind in November.
" I think it is really that I have a deep passion to move, I just love movements, they are just so fun. To not be restricted by anything, is just freedom to me. To overcome any obstacles, including my mental barriers, and to do anything that I want, to be able to do movements that I've never thought of doing before, is truly freedom to me. Moving gracefully through the environment is just a wonderful thing. To achieve full body control and to continually break the frontiers of my limits is just amazing. Controlling my every movement, to move the way I want to, are just stuff anyone would dream for. Its only a sad fact that they don't have the heart to work hard for what they want. Through this discipline, its amazing how far I came from, how much blood, sweat and tears I've put in, and how much improvements and learnings I've experienced. I now definitely move to live, and live to move. To constantly improve myself is my neverending goal - to achieve it is purely optional, but to work hard for it and having fun in my quest to 'perfection' is mandatory. "
Have my thoughts changed? Not in general. My thoughts could really be simplified - I just love moving, and the freedom it gives. Really.
More pointers to self.
- Progress on your own comfortable pace.
- Do not overpush yourself.
- Never let bad emotions get the better of you.
- Attempt new moves only when you are ready.
It is how we appreciate ourselves, our world, our life. There is nothing more in the world then to be satisfied with whatever we have and savour it. Treasure what you have before it is gone, long gone. Respect our bodies, a quality life will result in a longer life. Respect ourselves as with each other. With a clear mind, and clear path, things will only get better. There is no stopping of you if you are truly passionate and disciplined. Time is the test of our perseverance, effort is the test of our determination. With time and effort, we can redefine impossible.
My other lifelong goals is to be able to travel around the world, and to be an successful filmmaker. But happiness must never be compensated, for it is the main value of life.
I want to change for the better now.
Heads up.
Live in the moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment