Strength Train To Resist Injustice
Guest Blog by Tilita Lutterloh
In my group membership course, the Financial Freedom for Creatives Club, one of the members mentioned how although she's making good money this year, because of inflation, it feels like she's doing the same things and never getting ahead or even above water.
Do you feel the same? Inflation is just cost of living -- and this year, we've seen gas prices soar to record highs (in most of our lifetimes, at least) and the cost of rent, groceries or any other household necessities go up...by a lot. (This member's landlord raised her rent recently.)
For those of us with some stocks, we're seeing portfolios dip an average of 20% this year, and all I've been hearing about in the news is that somewhat scary R word - Recession.
So, how do we manage this outside pressure? Especially since we don't have any control over it...
Well, I'm going to share how to shift all of this for ourselves, mentally, emotionally and practically in a FREE event at the end of August. However, you may be able to shift this physically. After all, our bodies carry stress. (Those knots in my shoulders are proof!)
So I invited my friend and strength & high performance training coach, Tilita Lutterloh, to share a recent email she sent out on withstanding economic and racial injustice and the forces and pressures of everyday life and business in a different way than we normally may think...
In June, I paused all my workouts (and some of my work ). And I started a new cycle of my strength program.
There’s nothing like being rested, feeling more grounded in my body, and getting stronger… like literally being able to lift, hold, or carry heavy objects, and it feeling easier each time– so dope!
It is my right to do with my body what I want -- it's your right too. And making it stronger and faster and more mobile and more agile and stable is exactly what I like to do with my body. Strength training centers me. Grounds me. And toughens me up. It keeps me conditioned, full of energy, and in good shape.
Whenever I work out, especially at the beginning of a new strength training cycle, I awaken dormant muscles, I engage my brain, I recruit more muscle fibers, I get faster on the track, I stimulate all systems in my body, I add another layer of courage and confidence to my being, I smile a little brighter, and my energy goes through the roof. I’m firing on all cylinders!
The times I made the biggest leap towards a goal–moving across the country, quitting a soul-sucking job, standing up to a patronizing & controlling boss, launching my business, qualifying for the Olympic trials–all happened during a very focused strength cycle and right after I reached a major milestone in my strength & conditioning training.
I know you or someone out there is rolling your eyes and griping, “Workouts, seriously? At a tumultuous time like this?”
Or maybe you’re whining, “Strength training? How can that be on your to-do list when there are much more pressing matters at hand than worrying about your fitness?”
First of all, it’s not on my to-do list. Training holds real estate on my calendar as a priority in my life. Big difference.
And yes, I’m fully aware of the systemic racism, bigotry, gun violence, police brutality, and oppressive policies put in place by old power-hungry white men who fear the actual magic and power of those who identify as women hold within our beings.
If you are someone who has been fighting or wants to fight these atrocities of humanity, then you dang sure better be taking care of yourself first.
Because such evil doesn’t stand a chance against a focused, well-rested human who is physically strong, feels good in their body, and is grounded in their values. Period. Full stop.
If you want to change society, transform your life, or achieve any ambitious, purpose-driven goal, you need ENERGY and STRENGTH. Not just for a day or a weekend -- for the long haul. You have to fuel that energy and build strength continuously -- for sustainable action.
Which means you cannot work around the clock.
You cannot skip meals.
You cannot say yes to everyone in your life except yourself.
You cannot rely on a few sit ups and a walk around the block to keep your body right & ready.
And you cannot exhaust yourself with anger and hate (even though this is an effed up country).
This is why you need to WORK OUT intentionally, and PAUSE on purpose.
Here’s your action plan…
Grab your calendar and block out 3 moments of Pause to Breathe time for every single day in the week -- one moment in the morning to start your day, one in the middle of the day, and one at night to end your day.
You’ll take 3 deep intentional breaths during each moment, which will take you 45-60 seconds… you can take 45-60 seconds. Wanna do it with me? Click here, and save this post to use daily.
Ok, keep that calendar out. Now, you’re gonna mark 3 days in the week that you’ll do some form of resistance training for strength.
Kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, bands, bodyweight, or some combo of all of the above is great.
Strength is the capacity to withstand great force or pressure. And things are being forced upon you all the time.
So when you strength train, you are training to build your capacity to withstand these forces and pressures. Weights are literally a form of resistance, and we use resistance to get even stronger.
You can take a stand for yourself and for the things you believe in by scheduling your priorities and choosing to strength train intentionally and pause on purpose -- as part of your lifestyle, as part of your high performance process, as part of your resistance against injustice.
Peace & Strength,
P.S. As a High Performance Coach, audiobook narrator, actor, and competitive track and field athlete, Tilita knows from experience that being strong and feeling good in one’s body aren’t simply nice to haves, they are the path to success in all areas of life… that combined with her life-long knowing that values matter. All creatives deserve to experience that.
There’s a free online event coming up at the end of August that will help purpose-driven high achievers bust through the myths of high-performance and learn Tilita’s tried and true game-changing method to work smarter, not harder, to achieve their high performance goals. Sign up below, and you'll get all of the details.