By Michael Krueger
We’re going to move a little farther out toward the edge this time–into that space where dreams live or die, that place where only the strong survive. This place is home to the beast, that part of you that drives your training forward like nothing else can. The beast doesn’t listen to excuses; the beast doesn’t care if it is raining or snowing, hot or cold. The beast doesn’t care if you’re young, old, tired, or hungry.
The beast demands total discipline, focus, intensity, and the hardest work you can imagine; in return, you grow tougher and stronger. Then and only then are you allowed to rest so you can do it all over again–harder.
The Beast?
The beast is an allegory for the drive it takes to succeed when faced with extreme physical and mental challenges. The beast is the inner strength you must learn to cultivate to get into the gym when you would rather sleep in, eat quality food when a greasy cheeseburger is on everyone else’s plate, and bail on the party because you have a hard workout scheduled for the next day.
The beast must be sought out; he will not come looking for you. The beast is not to be trifled with; approach only if you are serious about your training. Channeling the beast pushes you to run hill repeats in the cold rain, sprint through intervals when your lungs are on fire, run another set of stairs when your legs beg for respite, or grind out that final rep in a set of 20 breathing squats when all you want to do is curl up in a ball on the floor. The beast will leave you in tears, sprawled in a pool of your own sweat wondering if you can even get up, only to come back stronger and tougher, filled with a passion you’ve never felt before. In the words of Oliver Twist, “Please, Sir, I want some more.”
Most trainees will never meet the beast. He isn’t easily found and even harder to rouse. Some think they know the beast because they listen to loud death metal rock when they workout. They yell, scream, curse, and massively tighten their back support belt around their bulging belly prior to doing shorted half squats. This isn’t the beast; this is a pretender who feeds on the admiration of the weak minded. He has no real strength since his power comes from without rather than from within. These posers spend too much time socializing and recounting stories they read in muscle magazines and claiming them as their own. They build themselves up by putting others down; they can’t walk the walk, much less respectfully approach the beast and humbly toil in the iron game, where true strength and character are built.
If you court the beast, be prepared to sacrifice, for he demands much treasure for the strength and knowledge he bestows. Of course, he doesn’t see it as sacrifice; he knows it to be the only path to an authentic life. For every workout, ever mile, every repetition, every early morning, every skipped dessert, every insult endured that is hurled by the jealous and the ignorant, he will give you more determination and drive to attain your goal.
Most importantly, the beast will never lie to you.
The Anti-Beast
The beast of muscle and might is very powerful, but there is a dark side as well. This anti-beast tells you lies and denies you your destiny to achieve your dreams. He will tell you that you aren’t good enough, strong enough, or fast enough. He tells you you’re too fat or too skinny. He thrives on weakness and insecurity.
This anti-beast grows bigger whenever you doubt yourself. Every time you begin to believe in yourself, he will dredge up tired old examples of the other times you wanted to change, only to fail in the pursuit. He insists that you’re no good and will fail again this time, so why even try? You hear the harsh, disparaging words you’ve heard and believed before, and you hang your head and believe them again … and the anti-beast grows bigger.
The anti-beast is like a virus that doesn’t care if it kills its host; all it cares about is killing your dreams.
Freedom
Before you can court the beast, you must break free from the anti-beast. That isn’t easy. You have been feeding him for a long time and he is big, very big. Many trainees grapple with him their whole life and therefore never get a chance to know and work with the beast. Unfortunately, if you try to court the beast before beating his dark side, you will ultimately fail. The beast demands that you begin your training with a clear mind. To do this, you must free yourself of the negative preconceived notions that have kept you from achieving everything that you’ve dreamed about.
The anti-beast will fight, but he can be defeated–and surprisingly easily. His power over you comes from his size, not his strength. His weakness is that he cannot grow or thrive unless you feed him. Believe in yourself and he shrinks; push yourself beyond your self-imposed limits and he becomes small and pathetic. Once you see him for the fraud he is, you will know for certain that you can beat him and he’ll melt like the Wicked Witch of the West.
You can begin this conquest right now. Simply set a goal–however small–and achieve it today. When you do this, his grip will begin to loosen. For every success toward your goals, he will become smaller and weaker. Soon, you will be free enough and believe in yourself enough to completely vanquish the anti-beast, and then you are ready to meet the beast.
Commitment
The beast isn’t cruel, but he is tough and demanding. He would never insult or demean you. He won’t ever expect more from you than you are able to give; but he will always expect from you everything that you have.
Every day you must ask yourself if you are more committed to achieving your goals and your dreams or to remaining comfortably, but sadly, where you are. The answer will be found in what you do today. Every day you need to prove yourself. If you want to train with the beast, you must wholeheartedly embrace this new paradigm or you are in danger of slipping back into the old limiting reality that held you fast for so long. If you can do just one thing every day that moves you forward toward your dream, then you will make it; you will be training with the beast and loving it.
Eventually you will understand that the beast is simply the better you–the part of you that knows you can work hard and consistently toward any goal you set. Once you accept the beast as a part of you, you will know no bounds. The limiting beliefs of the past will no longer hold sway. The anti-beast has been vanquished; the beast has been embraced, and you’ve won.
Then What?
So, you may be wondering, what comes next? The beast will always be with you. He will push you when it’s time to get up and the bed is warm. He will remind you that it’s time to run hills simply because it’s hill day; so what if it’s snowing?
The beast will be there in all aspects of your life. He will drive you when the fire rages, the heat is oppressive, yet the job must be done; and it must be done by you. He will be pushing you when every muscle in your body screams for you to stop. Of course, you’ll never quit because lives are depending on you, your strength, endurance, toughness, and above all your integrity.
Then, when the job is finally done you may rest…until it is time to begin again.
Michael Krueger is an NSCA-certified personal trainer. He got his start in fitness training while serving in the United States Coast Guard. He works with firefighters and others in and around Madison, Wisconsin. He is available to fire departments, civic organizations, and athletic teams for training, consulting, and speaking engagements. He has published numerous articles on fitness, health, and the mind-body connection and was a featured speaker at the IAFC’s FRI 2009 Health Day in Dallas, Texas. E-mail him at MKPTLLC@gmail.com.
