How Strong is Strong Enough?

Last week we asked you guys to answer the question, "How strong is strong enough" and this response from Danielle really stood out to us: 

 

"I've experienced ‘strong enough’ all throughout this past year working a physically strenuous job, but I found myself still able to wake up, work on Homebodies, and do it all again. Working through the program (now for the second time) has helped me in my day to day life.

 Something as simple as lifting grocery bags, cleaning the house, etc. feels like nothing, knowing I have the groundwork completed and can properly use my body so as not to hurt it.

‘Strong enough’ is what I always envision myself to be, knowing I have the tools to properly use and train my muscles, soothe my muscles, and keep them engaged in day to day life.

We only get one body, so why not have your personal best version of it?

So grateful to have Homebodies every morning to ground myself and work on myself."

                                                                                                     - Danielle Wilson

 

So long as your strength training does not leave you fulfilled,

you're not strong enough..

So long as the strength you possess has no meaning,

you are not strong enough.

                                                   - Nathan Pontious

Danielle hit on EVERY...SINGLE aspect of what we perceive as STRONG ENOUGH…

 It boils down to fulfillment & meaning. 

Our only goal as it relates to strength training is to get you stronger so you move better, and build total confidence in your body, plain and simple.

That way, it doesn't matter whether you’re into martial arts, skiing & snowboarding, surfing, climbing, hiking with your dog, dancing or whatever other (non-workout related) active-type-stuff like chasin' your kids around, or if you’re just looking to get back in shape and fix some aches and pains so you can enjoy pain-free movement..

You can use our training to make your body more capable and less injury-prone for everything you do.

From FOUNDATIONS all the way to OLYMPICS, it does not matter the varieties of workouts that we do..

The underlying principles stay the same in that the skills and attributes obtained on your mat will help you get what you want and need from your body in all aspects of life.

I am not pretending to invent or create anything new or revolutionary in the fitness world- It is simply about WHY we move our body & HOW we are implementing that to improve the quality of our lives. 

The amount of time we spend exercising is meaningless until we actually put it to use.

As Danielle laid out perfectly, she is able to show up daily for a physically demanding job & still dedicate time to improving her strength with HōmeBodies.

That resilience makes it possible for her to take on all of life's other physically demanding nuanced tasks with ease.

 What do YOU want or NEED to be strong for? 

Answer that question and you have your answer...

Strength should be viewed as a means to an end, and that end is up to YOU.

Rather than forcing training for continued strength gains with no real end-point, use it as a vehicle and take it as far as YOU NEED, to get to the goals that you really want. 

Be clear on what’s really important to you and work toward that with all your fucking will...

Train for the things that really mean something to you, then apply that strength in the real world. You'll get a lot more fulfillment & joy out of it.

If you want to be able to run a marathon in honor of your friend who beat cancer? Train for that.

It will bring a sense of meaning to your training that will make you far stronger than mindlessly cranking out reps of something you hate “because it gets you ripped.” 

The fulfillment that will accompany the completion of the marathon proved you are strong enough.

One must NEED to be strong, otherwise they will never become strong.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

If you never NEED to be strong, you will never become strong.

You will remain weak because necessity does not demand strength of you.

If you don’t have the desire or the intention, then you will never embody your definition of strength.

Listen,

I also know that some people are just fine in the pursuit of adding more weight to their barbell or adding another rep to their bench press and that is totally fine.

In fact, I know many people who use strength training as their mental health outlet.

There is never a ‘strong enough’ for them because they are dedicated to the constant pursuit of more.

That extra weight or rep that they could not previously attain serves a purpose. It's an obstacle and a challenge to overcome.

 Never underestimate the incredibly powerful feeling that can come from simply proving to yourself that you are capable of MORE. 

If the goal is fulfillment & meaning, well, that passes the test for strong enough too.