All in vs all consume

I've been following hybrid athlete Nick Bare for several years.

Nick Bare runs marathons and does gym training to gain weight. Not the kind of thing you'd expect from a marathon runner.

But during one of his podcasts, he brought up the concept of All in versus All consume.

All in means being fully into a project without a plan B.

To be all-consuming is to be obsessed with your goal. Your entire existence is explained by the single goal you set for yourself.

My experience with All in vs All consume

For people who know me well know that I am an intense person in life.

I started CrossFit in mid-2016. I started with twice a week. (I couldn't do more, I was way too broke haha).

Then, slowly, not quickly, I went up to 3 times, 4 times a week, 5 times a week.

One day, I decided to go all in with CrossFit. The goal was to see if I left ANYTHING aside, how far I could go. I was a coach at the biggest CrossFit center and my day was spent at the gym from morning to night.

As my uncle Dada would say, I ate cereal at CrossFit in the morning.

Eventually, I ended up training 10 times a week. I was training an average of 20-24 hours per week.

Every decision I made during the day revolved around one question: Does this decision increase or decrease my performance?

Family outings, evenings with friends or any social activity are becoming increasingly rare.

The problem.

There came a time when training occupied 100% of my thoughts. Everything I did was to optimize my training.

The turning point where an obsession turns from the positive side to the dark side is when it becomes a stress.

We have our idea of ​​a perfect day. But life throws us a million unexpected events. If we're not at peace with the unexpected, and the day isn't optimal, we switch to all-consuming. That feeling of stress that nothing is going right, and we feel helpless in the face of the unexpected. As if a single bad day will affect your progress.

As a bonus, we become irritating. Those close to us sense our emotions. We're caught in a vicious cycle of bad family moods. We have to be careful; emotions are contagious.

“The more you're obsessed by something the better chance you have of achieving it.” Frank Zane

What would I do differently?

If I had to do it again, what would I do differently?

In fact, I apply this principle with my new passion for running.

All my energy is focused on enjoying the course. I do everything in my power to improve my race, that is to say:

• Eat well
• Run 5-6 times a week
• Taking care of my body
• 8-9 hours of sleep
• Learn about running

The big difference is that my standards are looser.

My youngest cries for an hour non-stop at night because someone took away her pacifier (like last night lol). It's not a big deal.

My brother-in-law offers me a beer at a party at their house, I accept (but I stop at two haha).

When my mother-in-law makes us lasagna, I eat it! I no longer calculate my macros for every meal. I don't "chase" the perfect macros.

I can't finish my workout because it's World War III at home. The girls are about to smash through every wall in the house. I stop my workout and accept the situation.

Now for the biggest one: I skip workouts when things really don't work out during the day. Personally, this is the biggest mental shift I've ever made.

With kids, getting sick frequently is part of the routine hahaha. So, it's essential that I adjust the intensity of my workouts according to the situation.

I slept badly, I lower the volume. If I'm sick, I either skip a day or lower the volume.

I honestly believe that following your training plan 100% and changing nothing based on your fitness level on the day is counterproductive and limits your progress.

5 steps to go ALL IN.

On the other hand, I understand that if your goal is to be the best in the world in your field.

It's impossible to have a balanced life and achieve excellence. It requires bursts of activity condensed into short periods of time to move forward faster.

Stress comes from pushing the machine without knowing when it's going to end. The mentally toughest races are the ones where you don't know the end. How do you adjust your effort?

Here are 4 steps to maximize your blitz periods

1. Establish your “why.”

• Your why is your foundation. A stronger "why" makes it easier to overcome obstacles.

2. Choose a specific period, e.g. 90 days.

• To better distribute your effort. It's hard to stay focused all year long. But anyone can do a 90-day blitz.

3. Notify those around you.

• Your loved ones will be able to support you better. They will know that there is an end to this period of intense focus.

4. Do the f*cking work.

• Work like a pro. Put all your heart and passion into it! Make it worth it!

5. After the blitz. RECOVER HARDER

• Prepare yourself a moment of relaxation.
• Decompress mentally and physically.
• Reflection on your blitz
  • Learning
  • The successes
• Make sure that before you go back, you're really tempted. Have a knife between your teeth.

Warning :
The advice presented in this content is provided for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice and may not be appropriate for your specific situation. For any questions or advice tailored to your needs, consult a qualified expert in the field.