AND LEADING YOU DOWN THE PATH TO INJURY
Why not change it to “mind and body” and let them work together for better results and a pain-free life?
I used to go to the gym every day.
I had a coach, a routine, and a meal plan.
And I had a goal.
My goal was to be the best version of myself.
Being young, hyped-up on caffeine and motivational videos, I thought nothing could stop me.
My motto was mind over body.
I believed that my effort was the only thing between me and the results I wanted.
I believed effort and results were directly proportional.
The more I give, the more I will receive.
This is how I thought it was going to be.
Boy, was I disappointed to find out the graph looked more like this.
Not only was I not getting any more progress, but I was also working harder than ever, my body was in pain, and my willpower was fading.
I ended up injuring myself and quitting.
I didn’t realize till much later in life that long-term results are possible only if your mind and body work together, not against each other.
Running on willpower alone and putting in the maximum effort is doing just that.
It’s you, using your mind to get as much out of your body as possible at this very moment.
Nothing more and nothing less.
And as you can imagine, that’s not how progress is made.
Progress is made by elevating your movement intelligence.
Movement intelligence is your capacity to recognize and utilize the sweet spots of optimal coordination,
fine-tuning the process that transforms intention into action.
Only when your movement intelligence is on par with the task at hand do you raise the bar higher, try to sprint faster, or put more weight on the bar.
In reality, the graph looks more like this.
How do you elevate movement intelligence?
By strengthening your ability to sense your body.
The better you sense your body, the better you can spot your “sweet spot of optimal coordination”.
And how do you strengthen your ability to feel your body?
By doing movements and focusing your attention on the feelings these movements make in your body.
Your body is the only one that can tell you where your sweet spot is.
The only problem:
You can only try to sprint if you know how to run.
In other words, you have to start out slow.
That is why AEQ exercises® are slow, controlled movements.
They will help you raise your movement intelligence, so you can catch up and eventually overtake what your willpower has been able to build.