“What are you training for?”

“What are you training for?”, this question popped in my mind the other day after I had finished my exercise routine for the day and while enjoying a sweet-dish delicacy of Haryana state called “Choorma” ( prepared by my mother).

Whenever any new Client approaches me for PT services, I am very curious to know their “WHY ?” or the real reasons behind their Training Goals. This is very important as the more clear you are of your “WHY ?”, the better are your chances of achieving Success in those Goals. Your reasons could be made up of a combination of emotional and logical reasons.

I have been training daily with my favourite tools, Kettlebells and Pull-up bar since March 2020, when Covid lockdown first began in India and gyms were shut down. So, what motivates me to train daily without a miss? I list below the reasons regarding the same:

1. I believe that our body is a God given Temple to us and it’s our duty to look after it and maintain it well.
2. I train for long-term gains like being Strong and Able in my old age to be able to move well and perform daily activities well on my own.
3. I train to gain better mobility because as we Humans age and due to prolonged sitting and modern day lifestyle, we tend to get less mobile in Ankles, Hips and Thoracic Spine mainly.
4. I train to get Stronger in various Human Movement Patterns so that when real life situations throw any challenge to me, I will be better equipped to deal with it.
5. I train daily to make my Immune System more robust.
6. I train daily as it helps me to alleviate any kind of Stress which creeps in my system.
7. I train daily to “Walk my Talk” as often my Clients have heard from me on the importance of daily Movement and Strength Training.
8. I train daily as it helps to maintain a positivity and youthfulness in my System.
9. I train daily to be in Great Shape and hopefully inspire my younger Generations in my family.
10. I train daily to help avoid several health issues which are so common these days in our Society not only in older Generation but even youngsters as well.
11. I train daily as it allows me to eat well, digest and absorb my food well. Sitting for prolonged hours can ruin our digestive systems.
12. I train daily as I want to become very Strong, fast and Powerful so that in case of any attack on myself, my family or any weaker sections of Society, I can respond fast, and powerfully.
13. I train daily as it allows me to work on finer points in different movements which I am able to understand better only by practicing these and this allows me to then help my Clients.
14. Training daily helps to develop a Self-discipline which then helps in other areas of life.
15. Training daily helps to develop a Strong Will Power.
16. Training daily for me has been made largely possible by Kettlebells and the Strength Training Principles taught by StrongFirst.
17. Training daily doesn’t mean training for hours endlessly but focussing on certain Key movements I plan to do on a particular day even for 30-40 minutes or sometimes less.
18. When I train daily, I am able to master my basics and Basics are the key to a Strong foundation and Success.
19. By training daily in an Outdoor environment, I am able to adapt to different weather conditions and that has value in life as well.
20. By training daily, I learn the importance of daily habits rituals so very important for fulfilment and Success in life.
21. I had back pain history in the past and by training daily, I have worked on and still working on making my lower back and other muscles associated in back pain, more Stronger.
22. Training daily, I have seen a big increase in my Grip Strength. Scientists have found a direct relationship between longevity and one’s Grip Strength.
23. Training 30-40 Pull-ups daily, I have seen my big muscles of the back chiefly Latissimus Dorsi or Lats for short, get Stronger. This muscle had been one of my weak points over the last many years.
24. Training outdoors in my Balcony space surrounded by lot of greenery and different varieties of birds, Squirrels and sometimes monkeys is another added benefit. Gives me a chance to observe the nature closer and even more.

These are some of the reasons why I make it a point to train bodyweight exercises and kettlebells daily. Please share with me what your top reasons are, what movements do you mainly practice in your sessions, do you workout at home or in a gym environment, by Self or under the supervision of a Fitness Instructor. I would love to read about your journey in the comments below.

For support with your training and learning tools like Kettlebells, TRX, etc, kindly email me at [email protected].