Throughout the past thirty plus years I have used exercise to build my self-esteem and confidence. Primarily it was through lifting weights. It was during adolescence when I was bitten by the bug, so to speak. I was a hot headed undersized teenager that wasn’t shy about mixing it up. Clearly, this wasn’t a healthy way to live.
Like most people of small stature, I felt I had something to prove. The way I found to curb this self-sabotaging behavior was to lift heavy weights and eventually through martial arts. However, it didn’t happen right away. Lifting weights made me much stronger and gave me even more bravado. Even as a young adult, I was still getting into scuffles because of some slight, (usually perceived) that would get me in trouble. Alcohol and testosterone have a way of doing this. Especially so, when you’re young and “invincible.”
Around this time, a mentor I often bounced ideas off of about life, woman advice, business, etc., said one day, “You know, if you can’t learn to control your temper, you’re either going to spend your life behind bars or found dead in an alley because you made the wrong guy angry. When one becomes furious, the IQ can drop as much as twenty points.” My IQ is fairly high, but I thought to myself, “If I’m in a brawl with a guy with an average or below IQ, then I’m dealing with, for lack of a better word, an animal.” This was a wake-up call.
He suggested I study one of the martial arts like karate, judo, boxing, etc., to work on my temper. When I met with a Golden Gloves champion and a number of black belts, something struck me. These were the nicest, most humble, low- key guys you would ever meet. Why? They have nothing to prove and able to work on any hostilities/internal struggles they have by using strenuous physical and mental exercise. This was more than a wake-up call; this was an epiphany.
Since then, intense exercise regimens like HIIT and Tabata involving jump rope, body weight calisthenics, and weightlifting have been a mainstay in my life. I also train in martial arts and kickboxing for good measure and to keep me humble.
So in closing, the obstacle I overcame was the big chip on my shoulder caused by anger.
Mitch Hall has over thirty years experience with resistance, flexibility, and cardio training. Every day he lives with voluntary discomfort and adheres to the tenets of Stoicism to have peace of mind. Strenuous exercise helps tremendously too!
- ACE Integrated Fitness Training Model (ACE IFT) Certification
- HIIT Certification-ACE (American Council on Exercise)
- CPR/AED Certification by American Heart Association
- Brown Belt 2nd Gup-Cha Yon Ryu/Kim Soo Karate
For more details on training tips for increasing strength, flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, weight loss, nutrition, individualized workouts, pricing, personal training, etc.; you can reach me on any of the social platforms on the floating icons to the upper right.
For more information on the 30 Day Challenge, go to 30 Day Fitness Challenge within this site.
Text STOIC to 41259 or going to this link offdaytrainer.com/t/32498 will start the first steps of the Challenge.
“We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” -Seneca
