Spartan up for fitness

This article looks into the qualities of Spartans. It is based on the book spartan up. After reading this article you will be inspired to grab the bull by he horns and do something about your fitness goals.

The force is mighty with a spartan

Why is the mindset of a spartan helpful for your fitness goals? The Spartans were very strong-willed, focused fighters. They disliked the feeble ways of the City of Athen. They were warriors who focused on strength and discipline from birth.

Resisting instant gratification is a big part of personal development. We live in an age where a lot of things are available immediately. No effort for getting your food at a Restaurant. Instant access to sex on tinder. Want some exotic fruit? Just go to the shop around the corner to get it. You have been trained and groomed to consume what others dell to you. Working hard to achieve something great is not the norm anymore.

Part of living an honest of love is also to follow through. When a Spartan said something it meant that they were held accountable for it. Nowadays people do not even show up when they said they would come to a wedding. For your fitness goals, this helps. Did you set the goal to run a marathon? Do it! Do you want to lift 200kg? Do it! You want to lose 15 kg? Do it! Make what you say count.

Being more disciplined important. Since 2000, the number of Americans who have diabetes or prediabetes has risen from nine to 23 percent. These diseases are directly linked to sugar consumption. You can control your health. Time to Spartan up.

Focus and Discipline

Epictetus, the Greek stoic philosopher, defined happiness as having few wants. Spartans were trained to get by with very little. This is also why the adjective spartanic describes living conditions without pomp.

When I focus on doing only one thing at a time I get the best results. In 2013 I ran my first marathon. That was my best time at 3:58. In this year I only ran. My successive marathons were worse because I had started lifting in parallel.

Same happened when I set my bench press record. It currently stands at 150 kg. When I was on Wendler 531 I injured my lower back. I went on Smolov Jr for a month only doing the bench press to recover. In the end, I set a new record and moved on to the full smolov program.

Focusing on the squat only for three months managed to improve from140kg to 170kg. Again focus delivered. You can read all about in my Smolov review.

You can achieve great things too with focus and discipline. Thinking like a Spartan will make this easier for you.

Back to basics

To live as a Spartan means to cut back on unnatural produce. Usual culprits are juice, sauces, sodas, and cakes. Sugar is like a drug. It gets on the same receptors in your brain like cocaine.

This also influences your brain neurotrophic factor. BDNF is the short name. BDNF makes your stress levels drop. The more sugar you consume the harder it is to control BDNF in a positive way. So keep sugar levels low in your body.

Lack of focus is another source of stress. Ever felt like you had too many things going on? This stems from a lack of focus. When you fail to focus things get not done. When things get not done they start piling up. All of a sudden you find yourself in a world of unfinished business. This creates a breeding ground for stress.

Procrastination is another enemy of the Spartan. Make use of the time you have to be as productive as you possibly can. Focus on one thing and get it done. Once it is done move on to the next level.

How to be a Spartan

So how to live like a Spartan? The good thing is it is simple. It's just hard to stick to.

Simplify your diet and work out routine. Endurance and strength are built on simple routines. You did not need a lot of complicated exercises to perform better. Same goes for diet. It should be simple and easy to follow. Stay away from fads of any kind.

The second tip is to build strong relationships. Find like-minded people who are already achieving your goals. Befriend them. Ask for advice. Emulate their habits. Talk about your challenges and progress.

Thirdly, acting gets results, thinking doesn't. If you overanalyze your life it will become stagnant. Movement and progress are created from acting. This enables to look at the results as you go along. Keep trying until you succeed. Most people quit at the sight of adversity. The Spartans faced down thousands of enemies when the odds were against st them. You can manage that meeting. You can face your parents. You can create a better life.

There are real limits and perceived limits in life. Realising them is the first step to breaking them down. The man who says he can and the man who says he can't are both usually right. Be the positive one.

Push your limits and remember: comfort is the enemy

Conclusion

Living like a spartan will sharpen your mind. It brings you to the very core of living. Take the best of their philosophy. Strip out the military motivations. The result will be a more focused, satisfied you.