After a class recently one of our coaches, John, was talking to me about how far so many of the members have come with their pull ups. He’s been a coach at the gym for the last 5+ years and so has the perspective of where many of them were to where they are now. It’s an important perspective to have.
I started bouldering semi-consistently over the last year or so. They have a grading system so that you know how challenging the climb you are attempting is. The place where I go grades from V0 (“easiest”) up to V10 (pretty sure this isn’t happening in my lifetime). After learning some basic technique (and trust me…I am not very good at this) I was able to move from V0 to V1 at a pretty quick pace. Then I found myself going up V2s pretty soon thereafter. I was feeling pretty good about the trajectory I was on (now, for perspective, remember at this particular gym they go up to V10 so V2 isn’t exactly Alex Honnold status).
It took a bit longer to make it up a V3 but soon enough I was able to make it up most of them. I’m coming V10. I’m coming. And then I attempted a V4. I would have thought that I was going up a 20 foot sheer rock face. In my mind the jump from V3 to V4 was exponential. And I got stuck. Over. And over. And over. 4 or 5 months later I finally made it up one. But then could only do that one. I could seem to make another one.
And then I did. But couldn’t make it up a V3 that I had…am I going backwards?!?!
I have seen an image similar to the one below in the fitness world.
Early on when our body experiences new things, namely exercise programs, it responds and adapts very quickly. We go from not being able to lift something at all, to being able to add weight in a short period of time. It seems personal bests happen weekly. We make huge strides towards what James Fitzgerald calls our maximum potential.
But then at some point, maybe it’s 3 months in, maybe it’s two years, we hit that part in the chart where exponential growth seems to level off. Maybe we even feel like we are “getting worse.” That elusive pull up seems farther away.
Then we get frustrated.
Sometimes we may even quit.
And, yes, hiring a knowledgable professional to help with those “sticking points” is smart. Perhaps there are new adaptations that need to be introduced or basics that need to be drilled (good chance, the latter is oftentimes the case).
But the point of today, right now for you, is to remember. To have John’s perspective. To look at that graph, especially if you have been coming for what feels like a long time (we all want instant results…they just don’t happen), and remember the time when zero was where you were. And if you don’t see the PRs as much, know that consistency will keep moving that needle slightly upwards or at least keeping it steady. For me, I don’t want to move back towards zero. I want that line to stay has high as it can for as long as it can – even if it’s not moving exponentially anymore. We need to look back and remember – whoa, I really have come a long way.
Just last night I was talking to a member and he said to me: “I went and ran 2.5 miles. Next up: 3.1. Remember when I couldn’t run 200m?”
I do.
Now he could have gotten caught up and even discouraged that he wasn’t running the 5K today. But his growth on his personal graph was moving him towards his maximum potential.
What can you celebrate?