Friday, July 1, 2016

Train your weaknesses, not your strengths

Train your weaknesses, not your strengths
Tim Kennedy (UFC fighter, green beret, sniper)
Tim sent me this the other day.  We can use these same points in the spiritual world which is more important.  Create a journal identify your weaknesses and ask God for the grace.  Listen in now to the pointers to train your body.  Be good stewards of the body but know your limits.

It’s an all too common mindset…
As human beings we like to do what we are good at, what we excel at, what we dominate at. 
Strong guys love to lift heavy, fast guys love to run hard. 
But the logic behind this is flawed. It’s ego driven. It’s turning your back on something that needs to be addressed. It’s hiding from the fear of making a fool of yourself. It’s not facing the reality that you are not as capable as you really think you are. 
The true warrior seeks out the chink in his armor, then repairs it. He does not ignore it, nor does he pretend it doesn’t exist. 
As a soldier, or armed civilian, you need to be strong, you need to be fast. You need the physical ability to fight and win, and sometimes to run when the odds are stacked against you. 
The first step in this process is identifying where your weaknesses lie.
To do this we need an assessment, something that will measure our ability. 
The Sheepdog Assessment
Event 1: Lower Body Strength
  • Max Reps Front Squat at Bodyweight
  • Strong: 20+
  • Average: 10-19
  • Weak: 1-9
Event 2: Upper Body Strength
  • Max Reps Bench Press at Bodyweight
  • Strong: 18+
  • Average: 10-18
  • Weak: 1-9
Event 3: Work Capacity 
  • 300 meter Shuttle run (12x25 meter sprints)
  • Strong: < 65 seconds
  • Average: 65-75 seconds
  • Weak: 75+ seconds
Event 4: Endurance
  • 3 mile run for time
  • Strong: < 21:00
  • Average: 21:00-24:00
  • Weak: 24:00+
How to use this data
Each of the 4 tests measures a specific fitness attribute. Now this is only a basic assessment but it actually will tell you quite a bit about your current fitness and will not require fancy equipment or a high level of technical ability. 
  • Step 1: Take the test
  • Step 2: Identify which attributes are weak or average.
  • Step 3: Find a training program that addresses those training attributes
  • Step 4: Train.  This is actually the hard part. In case you didn’t know there are NO SHORTCUTS in this game, you have to earn it, you have to pay the IRON PRICE.

Tim Kennedy discusses knife fighting at SHOT Show 2016 


Now this may sound easy...but as professional coaches we've seen this very obvious concept ignored time and time again. Even among the world’s best warriors we find that the ego can get in the way of true performance. 
So check your ego, do an honest self assessment of your fitness, and start attacking your weaknesses. 
It doesn’t matter how many guns you have if you don’t have the fitness to actually carry them around when it matters. 
Today’s article was written by Coach Jake Saenz, former Special Operations Soldier, and Founder of Atomic Athlete Strength and Conditioning based out of Austin, Texas. For more information about training, specific programs, mental resilience, and preparing for the fight, visit www.Atomic-Athlete.com. 
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