What impact did Gardening had on my “Strength Practice”?

Last year I decided to work on building up my terrace garden. Little did I know how much it will benefit not only my physical and mental health but also my “Strength Practice”.

Why do I call it as “Strength Practice”? Because after coming to know about “StrongFirst”, the School of Strength in year 2017 and learning the Strength Training Principles from StrongFirst Master Instructors, Shaun Cairns and recently in March from Master Instructor, Fabio Zonin, I have become a “Student of Strength for life” and understand now that “Strength is a Skill” and like any other Skill, it requires “Practice”.

If you too would like to learn more about StrongFirst, do visit this link www.strongfirst.com. Currently I hold two Certifications from StrongFirst which are SFG 1 (Certified Kettlebell level 1 Instructor) and SFB (Certified Bodyweight Instructor). Both these Certifications are not easy to achieve and require a lot of work. Understanding the Strength Training Principles taught at the StrongFirst Courses, Certifications, Seminars and understanding the drills taught, practicing these drills and working on developing Skill in different movements, demonstrating the technical skills for different movements as well as demonstrating and meeting the Strength Standards required to pass these very tough Certifications. For example, meeting the Strength Endurance standard of 100 reps with a 24 kg Kettlebell (for bodyweight > 68 kg and < 100 kg) in a 5 minutes time frame with less than 3 mistakes for SFG 1. Meeting the Strength Standard requirements for one-arm one-leg Push-up as one of the tests for SFB.

These may look very daunting in the beginning but thanks to Great, Skilled and very experienced StrongFirst Master Instructors, a student like myself was able to achieve my SFG 1 and SFB titles and Certificates. Coming back to Gardening, I believe working with plants over a period of time has helped me develop positive qualities. Here are some of the qualities that you can build by practicing gardening:

• Patience: Gardening is a slow process, and it takes time and patience to see your plants grow and thrive. As you garden, you will learn to be patient with yourself and with the plants. Similarly, building Strength requires Patience as recovery of muscles, connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, skin of the hands after consistent practice of Kettlebell Snatches, all takes time.
• Principles: As plants require Sunlight, proper mixture of soil, manure so does Strength training is based on some key fundamental Principles which are covered in StrongFirst Certifications.
• Resilience: There will be times when your plants don’t do well, or when they are damaged by pests or diseases. When this happens, you will need to be resilient and not give up. You will learn to adapt to changing conditions and to find solutions to problems. In a similar way when it comes to Strength training, there are times when things may not go as you expected them. During those times, you can seek guidance of StrongFirst Master Instructors, help from StrongFirst Forums, website articles, StrongFirst Manuals etc.
• Observation: Gardening requires you to observe your plants closely. You will need to pay attention to their needs, such as how much water they need, how much sunlight they need, and what type of soil they prefer. As you observe your plants, you will develop a deeper understanding of nature and the world around you. In a similar way when it comes to Strength training, mindful practice, recording your practice videos from different angles for feedback is a very important aspect.
• Creativity: Gardening can be a creative outlet. You can express your creativity by choosing the plants you want to grow, by arranging them in a pleasing way, and by using different gardening techniques. Gardening can also help you to relax and de-stress. In a similar way when it comes to Strength training, it pays immensely by practicing your own designed complexes, ladders, chains. These can save you time, challenge you, increase your overall strength and conditioning.
• Self-reliance: Gardening can help you to become more self-reliant. When you garden, you are responsible for the care of your plants. You will learn how to identify and solve problems, and you will develop a sense of accomplishment as you watch your plants grow and thrive. In a similar way when it comes to Strength training, training consistently with kettlebells, Barbells, even Bodyweight cultivates discipline in you and when you track your sessions, record your reps, sets, weights used, you can see your improvement over a period of time, you can see this impact other areas of your life as well.

If you are looking for a hobby that can enrich your life in many ways, gardening is a great option and maybe it will impact your “Strength Practice” too, like it did mine.