Eight Seconds Of Intensity

I love helping people change their appearance through fitness. To help them get stronger, gain confidence, lose body fat and rebuild that which is lost. It’s hard when I am pushing them past their norm and asking them to give me 100 percent. I call it:

Eight Seconds of Intensity.

Usually when we see people in the gym they are just going through the motions. This is also carried over into their lives. They prepare for nothing and don’t give their all to the task at hand. They go through (the 8 seconds), then complain that they “did it” yet it yielded no results. They blame the process and give up.

What do I mean by 8 seconds of intensity?

A set while exercising in the gym lasts about 8 seconds. However, it only is beneficial if you bring the intensity. Notice I didn’t say lift heavy, but lift “with intensity”.

One who has ever watched bull riding understands the basic principles of the competition. A rider gets on the bull and tries to remain on it for 8 seconds. During the ride he cannot touch the bull with his free hand, but must hold on while the bull is trying to throw him off. Once the ride is completed the rider dismounts the animal and celebrates his accomplishments. What happens if there are several riders who ride for the 8 seconds? Who is declared the winner?

It is the rider who has the most difficult ride.

You see, most think the rider just jumps on the bull, holds on and goes. This is what they do in life, as to how they approach moments and situations. Things such as weight loss, work etc. They think if they just “ jump on” and hold for 8 seconds it will be sufficient. This couldn’t be further from the truth. One must take a deeper look at what the rider does. The rider doesn’t just jump on the back of the massive beast, there is preparation. The rider arrives with his gear. He has helmets and vests for protection if he is thrown. He also brings rope and resin. He places resin on the rope ahead of time to cause it to be sticky so it will be easier to grip. He has to mount the animal carefully while in the chute. Most injuries happen during this time, while the rider is trying to situate himself on the beast that does not want him on his back. This ritual can take a lot of time just for an 8 second ride. The chute opens when the rider signals and the ordeal starts. The clock starts ticking. But still what if several riders make the mandatory ride? Who wins the prize? Before all of the preparation for the ride takes place there is one critical thing that happens.

The lottery.

Before the event the riders arrive and so do the bulls. Bulls have different temperaments and bucking skills. Some bulls just buck easily while others are more powerful and jump while trying to toss the rider. Some bulls spin while bucking, elevating the level of difficulty for the rider to stay on. During the lottery the riders are hoping that they are joined with the bull who will give the most difficult ride. Because to win, one is not only judged if he can make the 8 seconds, but also awarded higher scores due to the rides level of difficulty.
We go through life with no preparation. Want to lose weight? Just going to a gym and picking up some fad diet and doing it for 8 seconds will not yield results. Giving 8 seconds without preparation or intensity will not yield a better quality of life, a better job, better marriage, a better parent. One must understand that the easy ride will not stress the body and cause change. It is the stress that brings the best out of us, yielding the higher score, a better quality of life from the difficult ride. If we live life as the Bull Rider, we will have the victory and like the winning rider, collect the winning purse.