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By
Phil Stevens |
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Fun Defined.
Fun
noun
1: what provides amusement or
enjoyment ; specifically : playful often boisterous action
or speech
4: violent or excited activity
or argument
Synonyms = SPORT, GAME, PLAY
mean action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter.
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FUN or recreation is the expenditure
of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one’s
body or mind
While leisure is more likely a food
for entertainment or rest, FUN or recreation is active for the participant
but in a refreshing and diverting manner.
Its not hard to see FUN had a direct
correlation to activity, sports, and recreation. Why then, have
we removed FUN from our vocabulary when we start thinking exercise
(training), and nutrition? They are inherently proactive endeavors,
yet we tend to lean towards making them SUCK.
If you had the joy of witnessing my
talk at the Annual Staley Training Summit you’d have noticed
that while the talk was on strongman training the largest underlying
message was have “FUN,” and more so, allowing yourself
to have fun.
If you take just a minute to actually
look its impossible not to notice the complete lack of fun in peoples
exercise (training) and nutrition programs. Somewhere along the
way the word “FUN” got discarded from the exercise (training)
and nutrition equation.
Somewhere it became common place
that exercise (training) and nutrition had to be focused around
a negative connotation as opposed to a positive one, like “FUN.”
They became focused on, and simply revolved around pain, deprivation,
and a concentration on putting oneself through hell to reach ones
goals.
Training and nutrition took a swing
and became focused on repetitively taking part in an activity that
you HATE, that sucks, that you dread the thought of.
Repeatedly visiting these loathed
actions day after day in the hope that you just might reach a point
that said activity is no longer god awful. You may reach a point
where the activity or nutrition protocol is not “fun”
per say, but that its slightly tolerable, its doesn’t quite
suck so bad anymore.
Where the hell did this line of thinking
come from? How did we get to this state? Where did we lose the sight
of the fact, and ability to allow ourselves to have fun and enjoy
our training and eating habits, To know that they can be progressive
and lead to outstanding goals and be enjoyable.
That we can make awesome progress,
arguably much better then when you hate what your doing, when what
your doing is actually something you look forward to. That you can
and will make progress when your not taking part in something you
“should” do that you hate, but when your taking part in
something you enjoy, possibly excel at, or at least find some sort
of personal satisfaction and “fun“ in.
Where did we lose
sight to the fact that there are endless forms of activity and eating
habits that can be progressive, healthful, and enjoyed?
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Why is fun largely
void from training and nutrition, and in many cases not allowed?
Why do people feel the need to deprive, torture, and despise
what they are doing to reach their physique, athletic and
health goals? Why do I have to preach and prod people into
accepting the fact they can have fun, and train? Why do I
have to tell people they can, that they can have fun, and
do anything they have the desire if they just ALLOW it?
Simply, where did
the “fun” go? Why is it gone from training and exercise,
and instead largely, and falsely relegated to sedentary forms
of entertainment, when in reality fun fit’s the bill
for exercise (training) and nutrition.
Get the picture
people? Let start having some FUN. Fun is active. Training
is FUN if you give yourself the ability. Now allow yourself
to enjoy what you do. The start and end are nothing but points
at either end of along trail, you better learn to enjoy the
ride.
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About The Author
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Coach Phil Stevens is an accomplished
strength athlete with considerable experience in both powerlifting
and strongman competition. Phil is the 2007 APA World Champion
in the 242-pound class (total). He currently holds the APF
275-pound class raw National bench, squat, deadlift, and total
records. Phil’s marquis lift was his 700-pound raw deadlift,
performed on February 14, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Phil has been ranked in the “Top 10” in the deadlift Nationally across all powerlifting federations, also serves as the Arizona State Chair for the North American Highlander Association, as well as the founder of Lift For Hope, an annual strength-competition
with proceeds donated to Charity (www.Lift4Hope.org).
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