Planking: strength through simplicity

I've been talking a lot about change lately, but sometimes it's really hard to just stay still. It takes strength to say no to a potential opportunity. The grass isn't always greener and sometimes the mental strength we need to develop is that which comes from holding our ground. 

Sometimes the same is often true in our physical strength. 

Back in 2020 I set some BHAG 10 year goals. One of my health goals is to achieve military-grade physical conditioning. Although this is a moving target depending on the branch of service, age, sex, and other factors, I feel it's a pretty well-respected target and I could feel good about achieving it. So, I set the goals and started working toward them. 

One area is completing pushups. No, I've always been the scrawny guy. Moving weights around has never been my strength (pun intended). Going to the gym I find myself channeling my inner Chandler Bing "the weights are just sooo heavy" attitude. But, being skinny has its advantages -- there's less weight to push when doing pushups!

Nonetheless, I still had a long way to go after spending the better part of the last 2+ decades neglecting my physical health. I did a routine, fell off the wagon, then got back on track. I repeated the cycle a few times. One thing about getting back on the horse is that I'd at least start the next time with a bit better baseline. 

I recently started to realize I'm not practicing what I preach in this particular area. I keep giving it a go, learning from failure, but not really leveraging the concepts of solidifying the habit. Thus, as James Clear says, when things get busy, I'm not rising to the level of my goals, I'm falling to the level of my systems. 

In The One Thing, Gary Keller teaches us that we must search for the lead domino by asking the focusing question: what's the one thing such that by doing it everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?

So, I started to think things through: 

Question: What's the measure of success with pushups?

Answer: Number of pushups completed in 2 minutes.

Question: So how many pushups can I currently do in 2 minutes?

Question: Wait, can I even hold a pushup position for 2 minutes?

Answer: Turns out, yes, but there was a time when I couldn't... and how could I expect to reach my best two minute pushup number if I couldn't even hold the position for two minutes?

So, holding a plank for two minutes actually becomes the lead domino to achieving my 2 minute pushup goal.

Benefits of Planking

The benefits of a plank a multiple and well documented. The most important thing I want to point out is that it's not just about core strength. A plank also strengthens the deltoids, lats, traps, chest, triceps, biceps, rhomboids, hamstrings, quads, calves, and even muscles in the feet. 

Check out this article and video for bit more about planks. 

Hitting the Goal

Using concepts I learned from Atomic Habits, I recently implemented a new plan that's working well. 

In the book, Clear suggests to create new habits (systems) need four elements to be set up for success:

1. Make it obvious

2. Make it attractive

3. Make it easy

4. Make it satisfying

Here's how this looks for me and my pushup goal:

1. Make it obvious: Linking the habit to something I do every day is important. It gets it top of mind by having a multi sensory cue. For me, I've linked this goal to my shower. Showering is part of my routine (and hopefully part of yours) so it's a good target here. 

2. Make it attractive: I like to check things off my list. It's satisfying. Thus, starting my day off checking something off my list that prioritizes my health is very attractive. Plus, I'm keenly aware of the downstream benefits of this particular habit.

3. Make it easy: I need no equipment and not much space to plank or even progress to doing pushups with the planking plan. I turn on the water, immediately set a timer for 2m5s (gives me a few seconds to get in position), then hold my plank and integrate pushups according to my growth plan. When the timer finishes, I've checked something off my list, my water is warm, and I'm off to a great start for the day. It added very little time to my routine because I have to wait for the water to get warm anyway (no cold shower nonsense here). 

4. Make it satisfying: I get to share my success with everyone as an example of the process working. But I also link tangible rewards to my goals. More on that separately. 

I think the biggest mistakes I've made when trying to live a healthier life is not taking the time to identify the lead domino. A close second is not focusing on the habits. 

I'll close with two fitting quotes/phrases:

"You can't optimize until you standardize"

"Consistency before intensity"