​Are you the “Summoner of Strength”

We talk about strength being a skill, and how skills are BEST trained from a fresh & well-rested state…not something to be trained when fatigued…
Performing a 1RM Clean and Jerk, or “Explosivity” (**Think - Max height Box Jump), are examples of those types of skills.
Similarly Absolute strength like a 1RM deadlift, is optimally trained at the beginning of your session, when you’re fresh.
 
However, there’s another skill that is extremely important for Adventure Athletes, as well as Tactical Athletes, First responders, and anyone who needs to operate at their best, despite how fresh or fatigued they are.
This skill is the ability to ACCESS your strength, balance, explosivity, etc… when you ARE in a state of fatigue.
I call it, the ability to “Summon your Strength”.

When it’s the last mile descent of a 14’er you’ve been climbing for the last 8 hours, and need to make it back to the car safely, without rolling an ankle and taking a header into a boulder.Or your post-lunch ski runs, when your quads are heavy, knees weak, palms are sweaty…but you’re attempting an un-groomed mogul run anyway.
You need to be able to access that strength you built up in the preseason.
You need to have the discipline to keep your feet, knees, and ankles tracking under your center of gravity as you enter and exit each mogul, or high-speed turn, despite how tired you are.
If you aren’t able to keep it together, you risk yard sale-ing and looking like a “gaper”, or worse, suffering a season-ending ACL tear.
 
Over the last decade, I’ve been in the presence of dozens of athletes who are strong and skilled enough, but somehow aren’t able to perform at their potential when they need to.
“I didn’t eat enough carbs.”
“I only had 5 hours of sleep last night.”
“I’m not properly hydrated!”
I’ve been that athlete. It doesn’t feel good.
Although those factors can certainly hurt your performance, they shouldn’t be the reason you can’t perform…ESPECIALLY when you NEED to the most.
 
"The mountain doesn’t care what your sleep was like!"
 
When you have to respond to an emergency, it doesn’t matter if you haven’t eaten enough carbs, or that you aren’t wearing your weightlifting shoes.
When it matters most, can you reach inside and call forth your power, no matter the circumstance???
If you want to live an adventurous life, then it’s important to become a “Summoner of Strength”.
This is less of a physical capability, and more of a mental one.
If it’s so important, then how do we train this?
The same way we train other skills.
Practice.
Practice being able to perform while fatigued.
Put yourself into these situations, in a controlled environment. One where you aren’t halfway up a mountain and ABSOLUTELY need to get back down.It’s the reason we program long grinder-style fieldwork sessions.
Or, do the occasional Hero WOD.
However, a word of caution… like most skills, you need to respect it.
Do it smartly.
Just like you don’t 1RM deadlift everyday,
It’s not a good idea to train fatigued everyday.

"I say again, RESPECT it."

Use movements that don’t require high level skill (Pushups, burpees, air squats, pull-ups, SB Lateral hops, SBGU’s, and even kettlebell swings (considering you’ve practiced them to the point you can do them in your sleep).
Similarly, have a plan to recover.
Choose days when you can rest, hydrate, and eat well afterwards, and on the days that follow.
Or even, choose a day where life is going well and you’re in a state of constant stress. This isn’t something you want to do when you haven’t slept in a week, you have projects due at work, and you’re trying out a new diet.

If you have questions on whether or not it’s a good idea, please, please, please ask a coach.
That’s what we’re here for.
So, the next time you find yourself reaching for an excuse about why you can’t perform…take a moment to assess and ask yourself,
 
“Am I really not at my best?”
Or
“Have I not yet tapped into the power of the Summoner of Strength?”

Author

Dan Jimenez, Mindset & Lifestyle Coach
Axistence: Training for a Life of Adventure