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\u201cLet me tell you something you already know. The world ain\u2019t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain\u2019t how hard you hit; it\u2019s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That\u2019s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you\u2019re worth, then go out and get what you\u2019re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain\u2019t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain\u2019t you. You\u2019re better than that!\u201d <\/em>– Sylvester Stallone in his role as Rocky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Life is tough and there is no escaping from\nit: no matter how hard you run away from your problems, they will catch up\nsooner or later. In my opinion, facing your problems should not be a problem.\nYou need to find the strength to tackle whatever issue needs to be resolved but\nyou cannot \u201cjust do it\u201d. For many things the first step is the most difficult\none and there is a way to prepare for that step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every time I bring someone new in for a squat session, they become nervous, unsure if they can do it. \u201cBut I\u2019m not strong\u2026\u201d No worries, we all have to take the first step. No one was born being able to squat heavy without training. Slowly and steadily mastering the movement under supervision, we gradually increase the weight. There will be a moment where I will tell you: \u201cLet\u2019s see how strong you really are\u201d and then we prepare for that day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The point of no return\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What goes through your head when you are about\nto test your limit? The minutes before you get under that bar? Fear. Anxiety.\nDoubt. Whatever weight is on that bar it is more than you have ever lifted\nbefore. You know that the previous attempt a couple of minutes ago already felt\nlike carrying a car on your back then there is the point of no return.\nEspecially in a competition there is no going back, you stand in line and see\nyour fellow lifters barely making or even failing their lifts. The announcer\ntells the audience that it\u2019s your turn, your coach hits you on the back while\nhe screams into your ear. Not that you hear anything. You are sucked up in a\nmental void where you see your own feet moving forward and hear a voice in your\nhead asking you how the hell we got into this situation and why we didn\u2019t\nchoose something easier, like bowling. Directed by autopilot you grab the bar,\nbring your body underneath and lift the weight out of the rack. There is only\none thing going through your mind at that moment: \u201cF*ck, this is heavy\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s too late now, you cannot put it back\nbefore you attempt your lift. With wobbling legs, you step backwards and wait\nfor the signal of the referee. \u201cSquat!\u201d A big breath of air, your hands pulling\nthe bar as hard as you can into your back and the butt moving downwards as you\ngo. It is as if time stands still. The sounds of the audience fade away. Your\nvision becomes blurred. You wonder: \u201cam I deep enough already?\u201d When your body\nfeels like you cannot possibly go down further without tipping over, it pushes\nyour back into the bar again. On a good day you will end up upright with the\nbar on your shoulders. On a bad day you will lose the battle and bend through\nyour knees \u2013 no worries, the spotters are there to help you on your feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What squats taught me<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have made it this far you might\nwonder something along the lines of \u201cwhy the hell should I care about all of\nthis\u201d or \u201cso what\u2019s the reason now that I have to squat?\u201d Because this\nexperience, knowing that you gave everything you had, will make you stronger.\nNot just physically, but mentally. For months, if not years (trust me, I\u2019ve\nbeen there), you have worked day in and day out for this goal you had. A squat\nteaches you something in life that not a lot of things can teach you: you will\nonly be successful if you put in the thought and effort. A strong squat will\nsay something about you as a person. You cannot buy a good squat. You cannot\ninherit it from your family. You cannot borrow it. You cannot fake it. You can\nonly earn it. It will teach you work ethic. It will teach you resilience. It\nwill teach you to face your problems head on. It will teach you that you cannot\nclimb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets. Of course, my\nsquat does not have to be your squat, it is just a metaphor for life. Perhaps\nyour squat is running (ultra)marathons, climbing mountains or stepping into the\nring for a boxing match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every day you will go out there and take something that is heavy on your back. Something that does nothing but bring you down to your lowest point, and you will rise. Do it every day, and you know that no problem in life is too big for you to handle. Or as I have told my athletes so often that they can dream the words: \u201cSquat every day and one day you will be able to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Steven MGP Schoenmaker, Doctoral student at Hanken, Marketing deparment<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t escape the squat, use the squat to escape<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n