Our physical muscle tends to become stronger with repeated use and this is as you know is a “No brainer”. However when I talk of the change muscle, I tend to get people’s attention because this is something which not all possess but need to develop by working both at the physical & the Emotional level.
I have noticed over the years that that people do step up to make the shifts internally for change, be it their thought process, physical habits or sometimes even their deepest Emotional baggage. However many of them falter, to go back to where they began. Just like how building muscles or endurance for a sport requires a step by step approach, working on the change muscle calls for the same. I would venture to say that working out regularly in the gym, can in fact help you develop the muscle which you would want to change the most, the physical as well as the change muscle. Over the years working on my own muscles, both physical and the change muscle, has made me that much more convinced that there is lot more similarity in both and somehow, each one complements the other. The principles for growing your change muscle are similar to growing regular muscles and some of the ways which I could relate from the gym are –
Start small: Just like anything in life, it is prudent to start small and I am a big advocate of beginning small and ending big. just like how we lose out on form and injure ourselves in the gym, by trying to lift heavy and more than what we can handle, the same logic needs to be applied in developing the change muscle. I see many newbie’s in the gym who try to do more in exuberance, but run out of steam in no time. You will want to do more, but if you do more, you’re much more likely to fail in the long run.The key is to start small – say standing for ten minutes for every one hour of sitting or even drinking one glass of water for every hour.In this case it might be thinking more positive during the day.
Train regularly: I have been training for many years now and it has become a part of my life. I plan my schedule in and around my workouts which my friends & family understand. Just like regular workouts are imperative for being in top notch shape so does working on your own change muscle. Being regular and disciplined is the key. Some of my clients who were extremely irregular and undisciplined before they begin to work with me have over the weeks seen their own change muscle develop from strength to strength by just keeping at it. This is not Rocket science, but the art of developing set patterns @ the sub conscious level which is the key. In simple terms “you have to do it regularly and “train regularly” to see the progress”
Follow progressive loading: Just like in the gym, one needs to increase the weights gradually.Without increasing the weight, there will be no growth, because muscles grow or tone up only through resistance training. Work on developing your own change muscle through the simple strategy of progressive loading and you will be amazed with the results in no time.
Fuel is the key: Working out in the gym is just one of the factor for building muscles. Feeding your muscles, the right combination of Carbs, protein & fats is the key. The same can be applied to developing the change muscle. The only difference here is that you need to fuel the change process by working on its most important intake say like motivating yourself, overcoming negative thoughts and being persistent.Work on finding as many ways and means as possible to keep yourself motivated & self propelled. Try to make the whole process enjoyable. What I have over the years noticed in the gym as well as in life is that most of the people under fuel their muscles, be it the physical or the change. The trick is to work on ensuring you do keep the muscle fueled optimally and allow it never to run low on fuel.
You will be amazed at how much of progress you can make over time by working on your change muscle by incorporating the principles of the gym rat. In no time you can work on your past failures, lack of discipline or even years of under training by using these simple lessons I have learnt in the gym. I do hope that this has inspired some of you to work on your most important muscle in the human body which according to me is the change muscle. I would love to hear from each one of you in terms of how impactful this was on my Facebook Page or at my mail ID coach@satishrao.in