One More Rep

We all share a gym group chat where our instructor reveals the next day's workout in advance, giving us a chance to mentally prepare for the challenge ahead.

On a particular day, the WOD (Workout of the Day) was the annual benchmark workout named WOD Chelsea. This rigorous session only occurs once a year. Following warmups, the metabolic conditioning (METCON) segment commenced: 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats. The goal was to complete this sequence in under a minute, followed by rest for the remaining time, and then repeat the cycle.

Here's the twist - this workout was slated to last for a full hour. And believe it or not, I didn't even check the time beforehand!

As a lover of strength training, I was immediately drawn to this challenge. In a nutshell, upon reaching the gym, I discovered the hour-long duration. This workout was designed for pairs, and I partnered with the toughest guy that day(find out why here). Ten minutes into the session, I noticed a stinging sensation in my knee – I had accidentally skinned it. I tried using a mat, pain. Doing the rest of the push-ups toes up. Pain. From my knee up. Pain. I was so uncomfortable. Despite the discomfort and pain from the exposed area, I pressed on(it feels great to write this sentence today but it wasn't as easy)

The persistent thought echoing in my mind was that this was a benchmark workout – I had to complete it. I battled onward, even though using a mat didn't alleviate the pain and performing push-ups on my toes intensified it. The discomfort was widespread. No one warns you of the slow passage of time when you're working out. While I was tempted to give up, I kept repeating to myself, "Just one more rep. One more rep." Eventually, we completed the reps. Interestingly, out of the 11 who began the routine, only 6 managed to finish it.

At the onset of the workout, if you had asked me whether I believed I could finish, my response would have been a resounding no. This experience has taught me that our true capabilities often remain hidden until we dare to explore them. I like to believe this is the crux of Ed Mylett's Book: The Power of One More which he spoke of in this conversation with Jay Shetty. Your aspirations are valid, and your struggles are genuine, but the pivotal question is: Are you willing to relentlessly pursue your goals, even if it seems like the ultimate challenge?

Every day is a decision day. How far are you willing to go?