Today we close our series on Upstream Strength Strategies. In this post, I'm going to show you, in 5 steps, how to boost your results (BEFORE exercise even starts). Particularly, how to build a stronger, leaner, and more capable body, using kettlebells, in ~90 minutes per week.

After 25 years of analysis interviewing 500 of the most successful men in the history of the world, at the time. Napoleon Hill (author of "Think and Grow Rich") came up with 30 common causes of failure. And of the 30, #2 on the list was... a lack of purpose. Second, only to an unfavorable hereditary background.

Here are 5 upstream decision to build a stronger, leaner, and more capable body in less time... so you can do more of what you enjoy.

1: Have a specific goal, a definite purpose

Aside from an unfavorable hereditary background, not having a goal (I.e., a purpose) is the leading cause of failure. Therefore... it makes sense to begin here.

Napoleon Hill calls this your "definiteness of purpose." This is where you get clear on what you want; it's your sense of direction. Without a goal you have nothing to aim for. It's pretty much impossible to hit a target you can’t see. This is why...

❌ Randomly workouts of the day.

❌ 10,000 kettlebell swing challenges.

 ❌ ... and "Kettlebell flows."

Will not help you build a strong and resilient body.

(... at least not from a repeatability standpoint.)

What's the end goal?

Lose 15 pounds?
Build 5 pounds of muscle?
Build a 1/2 body weight press?
Prepare for the Level 1 SFG kettlebell certification?
Improve mobility/flexibility so you can get injured less?

Whatever it is for you... have a goal (and know why it's important to you). But these are only "outcome-based" habits. For them to come to life, you need to pair them with "process-based" and "soul-powered-based" habits.

(I'll get into the "soul-based-habits" in a separate post.)

2: Build your systems and have a real strategy aligned to your lifestyle

Look.

I don’t know your schedule or the stresses of your daily life. But what I do know is…

... when our students have a simple, repeatable, and customizable strategy (rooted in a proven system), which they can run at their own pace… and is aligned to their busy lives, they are more consistent. And it’s CONSISTENCY which leads to long term progress.

Building your systems is upstream thinking. When you follow a system, and are organized, not only do you free up your thinking for other critical tasks. But you also no longer have to rely on "will power."

In the context of note-taking, and building an external system of thinking... 

Why you don't need "will power" to be consistent

You don't want to rely on your memory to complete the actions needed to attain your goal(s); you don't want to rely on "will power" either. Having a system to follow and being organized is a skill in and of themselves. And your skills become your default settings.

Skill-sets are important because… when adversity hits… we will default back to the level of skill we have developed.

One mantra in the Jiu-Jitsu space is "the way you train is the way you will compete." The same could be said for strength training, "the way you practice is the way you will train," essentially we default back to our level of training.

James Clear said something similar in his book Atomic Habits. "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

When you have systems and skills in place, "will power" is irrelevant. Goals set your aim, systems get you to your destination, and beyond.

3: Follow a less is more approach

This is a big one –– and hidden from the naked eye –– if repeatable results are what you're looking for.

(... which I hope you are?)

This is where you keep things simple.

Why?

Simplicity = Repeatable.

And repeatability leads to consistency as I mentioned above. A Less is more approach how to boost your results (BEFORE exercise even starts)... through these 4 "mechanisms"

Mechanism #1: Understanding the Concepts of Strength Training

This is the "why" before the "how."

Understanding why you're grabbing the bell a particular way; why you need to shift your weight in what we call the 'Strength Stack;' why eye position and breath are essential for a stronger upper body –– and as a result, a stronger press.

Etc, etc.

Mechanism #2: Practice vs. "working out."

Remember... strength is a skill... and skills are perishable. Which is why they need to be practiced on a regular –– if not daily –– basis.

(Kinda like martial arts and playing a musical instrument.)

Why you should care about this?

Simple.

So you recover faster instead getting beatdown with 500+ swings per day. The faster you can recover... the fresher you will be. Which means you can have the energy, and confidence, to do more of what you enjoy doing. And spend less time trying to be the best at exercise.

Mechanism #3: Professional Application of Tension.

This is knowing when and how much tension to apply to maximize your strength. Which also creates more opportunities for building muscle to help you manage your weight, look better, and feel better. With the right amount of tension, you explode your strength. Too much tension?

Well... you won't be able to complete your workout for one. Plus the unnecessary muscle damage leaves you so sore the following day(s)... you miss your next workout. And the last time I checked... missed workouts do not get you repeatable results.

Nor do they build you a capable body so you can do more of what you enjoy.

Mechanism #4: Mastering Leverage through posture and positioning.

I wrote about this in the post on the Perpetual Progress Pyramid.

The stronger your posture is... the better position you can get into when it comes to pressing, skwaating, etc.

Strong posture = better positions = maximum leverage = you becoming a more efficient lifting machine. And an "more efficient lifting machine" = you becoming a badass and more confident person in everything you do; in how you show up to life; in how you walk into a room.

We all know what one person who exudes confidence, because they know what they are capable of.

4: Track your progress

You saw this one coming –– if you didn't, you should have 😉

What gets tracked, gets managed. Period.

How do you know if you're making progress or not; what adjustments need to be made; and where to make them? How do you know any of this if... you're not keeping a log? The answer is, YOU CAN'T.

"Intuitive" eating and training are the new buzz words in the fitness space today. They claim to make your life "easier." But here's what they won't tell you... the whole TRUTH. And the WHOLE truth is... easy is EARNED.

"Intuitive" anything being pushed by coaches is only possible for them because they have TRACKED for YEARS. Because they have gathered the knowledge, and feedback, of what (and how) their body responds to what they are giving it.

You cannot eat or train intuitively until you have tracked for at least 3-4 months. Bold statement I know. It takes about that long to gather reliable data on how your body responds to what you're giving it.

But you can't know this... if you fail to track and gather data. Imagine trying to save money to buy a home, a car, or invest your money... without tracking the numbers.

What would the results look like?

*Rhetorical question.*

At Hardstyle we call this "Plan. Do. Review."

If you want to see progress; if you want to build a stronger, leaner, and more capable body in less time? Then tracking your progress is a non-negotiable.

5: Take a moment to LOOK BACK to see how far you’ve come

It’s easy to get caught up in chasing goals and tracking.

Goal-setting is essential (which is why it’s #1 on the list).

But if you fail to look back on how much progress you’ve made along your journey of strength... you’ll go stagnant. You’ll lose the luster and passion in WHY you’re doing what you’re doing.

Inky Johnson once said… "people don’t burn out because of what they do. People burn out because life makes them forget WHY they do it."

If you feel like you’re "burnt out" and need a "break." Take a moment to look back on WHY you got started in the first place; and reflect on how far you’ve come. After recollecting on why you got started... I recommend the following... 

5 actions steps before moving forward

1. Get clear on what you want and who you want to become: Then make a commitment to becoming the kind of person who attracts the type of results you want in your life.
2. Ask yourself:
   • Who do I want to be? (Definiteness of Purpose)
   • What do I want to stand for?
   • What do I stand against?
   • Which values do I want to represent? This is important because... your values lead to your results in life. Show me a man's results and I will show you what he values. Integrity governs all core values.
3. Identify the stories you're telling yourself: These lead to the belief you have about yourself (i.e., your natural identity); your world view.
   • If your actions conflict with your beliefs (and what you say you want); then you are, by definition, living in a state of cognitive dissonance: where your beliefs and behaviors disagree. I.e., your actions and values are out of alignment.
4. Make definite plans and align all actions, and decisions, to your definite purpose. Back your plans with persistence. And lastly, Plan. Do. Review.

There you have it: How to boost your results (BEFORE exercise even starts).

What next?

If you want to learn how to put the Upstream Strength Strategies we covered in this series into a repeatable system; so you can build a stronger, leaner, and more capable body?

Then we'd like you to take you through the exact––step-by-step––playbook we've been coaching our students through the last 14 years at Hardstyle; FOR FREE, for 10 days.

To get results like this, in 90 minutes per week.

Inside we teach you how to use kettlebells to build a stronger, leaner, and more capable body in less than ~ 2 hours per week. In order to accomplish this... you need a real strategy built on these 3 Pillars:

1. A Performance Progression Training System: A tailored strength training system based on your lifestyle which you can complete in 90 minutes per week.
2. Recover Accelerating Mechanisms: A system of recovery to keep you mobile, flexible, and resilient so you can see consistent progress; and train for the long haul. And how to get it done in 5 minutes per day.
3. Coaching: Knowledge, support, guidance, and expertise from our team and community to help you attain your goal(s) once and for all. No more "falling of the wagon."

Why our system works so well

Our system is effective for two reasons:

1. We guide you through the 4 phases of the Performance Progression Training system:
   • How, and when, to train for:
     • Strength/Strength Endurance.
     • Muscle Building.
     • Maximal Strength.
     • Power Endurance.
2. We build you a customizable framework so you can work at your own pace. And operate freely within the system to be more consistent towards your goals.

It’s the exact system we've been using the last 14 years to help over 1200+ students in our my gym.

Compared to... random workouts and challenges. Which serve no other purpose than to get you tired, and minimize recovery; making the results impossible to duplicate. Ultimately leaving you feeling defeated, drained, overworked, and spinning your wheels. Stuck in the same place you are likely in today.

Essentially, our program... will help you become the strongest, most elite, version of yourself; a person who attracts wild success in their life. Someone who exudes confidence when they walk into a room. A person who commands respect merely by they presence. This is who you are called to be and show up for others.

If this sounds like a result you'd be interested in?

Then... book a 10-day trial of our coaching services here. And we will 1.) help you get immediate results in 10 days and 2.) give you the coaching you need, and surround you with a like-minded community to solidify those results.

Hope to see you soon.

Appreciate you reading this series.

hec "the kettlebell coach" g.