#1 Self Development Tip

Bench Pressing, Pressure, and the storing of memory in the physical body

Your body stores memory, and by that, I mean that your body/brain keeps a "record" of every physically memorable event you've ever experienced, both pleasurable and painful.

Along with this, your body's internal bloodflow and neurological flow change depending on your mood. Your body/brain "remembers" this as well.

When you've gotten nervous and your ears get hot, when you have a sexual experience and you get a tingling in your sexual organs, when you are in a high pressure situation and you feel stress/tension in your upper back,

EVERY emotion you have has a physical component. Your brain is driven by hormones produced in across many parts of your body, the Endocrine system starts in your brain and goes all the way down to your testicles (or ovaries)

-Fun fact, the Endocrine system and its glads corresponds with the chakra system in Ayurvedic medicine. "Eastern Medicine" models of the body are far better form understanding the body as a holistic system

If you've been on this list awhile, this model of understanding is one I've talked about before. There is no way to differentiate body and brain and memory. What you "remember" is a phenomenon of the information your bodily senses capture.

Now, with this model prefaced, what does this mean for MOVEMENT?

Movements Memory and Experience

Have you ever felt pushed around, and wished you could "push back"?

Have you ever felt immense pressure on yourself, and you know you have to stand strong throughout these pressures?

Have you ever badly wanted to go after something, but the focus and strength required to go after it test you?

I just described bench pressing, squatting, and deadlifting. These are not simply "exercises", they are mental tests of fortitude

-Are you assertive?

-Can you bear your responsibilities?

-Can you hold on to what you want so badly?

I realized this years ago, paying attention to my clients.

The people that struggled in being assertive would always struggle with pressing movements. This was especially common with women. The aggression and the sheer physical act of having to PUSH BACK, it was foreign to many of them, especially the women who were more docile and had "Im a nice girl" personalities.

The people that struggled with the squat, they were always a mental MESS. The Squat is the unifying movement of the body, its uncomfortable and having weight pressing down on you can trigger panic in people. The squat reveals whole body weakness, lack of flexibility, and lack of sheer movement ability period.

People that loved to squat, they were more grounded. People who shook like a leaf and had to start with bodyweight, they'd always VASTLY neglected their health.

The way you do one thing is how you do everything.

The deadlift, its a pulling motion, the deadlift requires a strong spine and hips. It also requires a strong GRIP. Deadlifting is neurologically draining and harder on the spine more than any other lift. It reveals "back" weakness and core weakness.

Holding onto a weight with your hands requires FOCUS.

The act of having to PULL, with all your strength, against a static force that wont move unless you move it, thats a MINDSET. Do you dig in and force your will upon reality? Or do you exert yourself, encounter resistance, and give up?

What this means for Training

If you are in a position where your whole body is weak and EVERYTHING needs to be strengthened, get on a program like my foundations program and develop yourself in balance.

But if you are someone who is reasonably fit, then consider adjusting your training in context of your current STRUGGLES

-Do you want to improve your attitude towards handling adversity, handling negative people, pushing back against criticism?

Then do a 3 week pressing intensive training cycle.

-Do you need to improve your fortitude towards bearing your responsibilities and having people depend on you?

Get your legs stronger, train legs hard and heavy for 3-6 weeks, and I guarantee you'll feel more grounded

-Do you want to go after what you want and focus on goals that have previously felt out of reach?

PULL, get your deadlift up, get your back stronger, get used to wrapping your hands around a heavy weight and pulling it towards you

Does This Really Work?

If you think it does, it does people. The applied metaphor of strengthening your mind through the application of mindpower through the body has INFINITE benefits. There is no more effective way to change yourself and evolve yourself then training the physical form you inhabit

This is why my number 1 self development recommendation is always to start lifting weights.

It will change your life.