No one is perfect. We all know that. You’re not perfect, I’m not perfect, no one walking this planet is perfect. If there is, then the second coming has arrived and the end is nigh and all that jazz.
Frankly, I don’t think that’s the case, so I opt for no one being perfect.
Since we’re not perfect, that means there’s still room to improve. That means we have to work on our weaknesses.
But you know you’ve got them. Deep down, you know you do. Sometimes we’re blind to just what they are, but we know we’re flawed in various ways.
So what do we do about it? I mean, if humans are imperfect beings, should we do anything?
Of course we should. While we’re imperfect, that’s a pathetic excuse for not trying to be as close as we can manage. Using it as one is nothing but a cop-out, a way to justify not working on your faults.
In training, this is what you see when a guy works his chest and biceps all the time but ignores his legs. He doesn’t like leg day in part because they’re a weakness for him, so he skips it.
At the same time, though, he’s pushing that disparity into being even greater.
For me, it took understanding that while I have more flexibility with my time than most people enjoy, I don’t have as much free time as I like to believe. I’m a writer. I write here, at the site that represents my day job, and I write novels. That’s a lot of writing.
Yet I also have a lot of weak points to be addressed.
My strength has gone to crap. My conditioning is relatively nonexistent. I need greater mobility and flexibility as well.
Plus, despite my earlier delusions, I don’t really have all day to train. Besides, even if I did, my body would break down from that much training.
That’s part of why I picked the kettlebell back up. I can cover a lot of training ground pretty quickly. I can work in enough of a workout to create the meaningful changes I need without going on for too long and getting in the way of actually living life.
The kettlebell will help with all of those things. It’s kind of the jack of all trades when it comes to fitness implements, really. It can do just about anything.
But that shouldn’t be taken to mean it’s right for everyone or for everything.
For example, bodybuilders aren’t really big on kettlebells. Their goals and the results of kettlebell training aren’t exactly conducive to one another. If you’re wanting to be Mr. Olympia.
If you’re a powerlifter, kettlebells may be useful, but they’re not ideal for your goals of benching, squatting, and deadlifting heavier and heavier weight. Especially if you’re looking to build enough muscle to move up in weight class.
So no, this isn’t another kettlebell post.
Yet bodybuilders with weak arms need to do more arm exercises to build his biceps and triceps. Powerlifters whose bench press is slacking will focus on improving that bench. Strongman competitors who don’t do well with atlas stones will need to do more atlas stones.
Of course, this applies to more than just training. If you suck at something in life, especially if it’s a problem, it behooves you to see about fixing it. It may take work, but doesn’t that work make it all worthwhile?
