Push and Pull
* Don’t forget to scroll all the way to the bottom for real-life examples of this concept in practice *
Raise your hand if you’ve ever craved balance in your life…
Balance, that elusive state of equilibrium, often feels like a distant and magical place. If you've experienced it, you know the magic it brings. The challenge, however, lies in the fact that balance is not a one-size-fits-all concept, especially when it intertwines with your life, fitness, and nutrition goals.
Unlocking the Mysteries of Balance:
Think about the word balance… It could be standing on two feet, on one foot, riding a bike, or even standing on a paddleboard. All these scenarios involve balance, yet they look vastly different. The first hurdle in achieving balance is its subjective nature – it can appear different to various people and in different life phases.
Balance, just like standing on sand versus a surfboard in the water, varies in your nutrition journey, whether you're maintaining or losing body fat.
The Continuous Effort of Balance:
Another significant barrier to achieving balance is the continual effort and maneuvering it demands. It's not a static state; it doesn't just happen, and it certainly doesn't stay. Achieving balance is akin to walking – a continuous adjustment to the environment, terrain, and obstacles in your path.
This applies equally to your fitness journey. If your goal is to get stronger, you're continually adapting to schedule changes, events, injuries, sickness, and other curveballs life throws your way.
Introducing Push and Pull:
Amidst the complexities of balance, let me introduce you to a concept that brings clarity and directness – the concept of Push and Pull.
The Push: Push is the driving force behind your goals and ambitions. It's that inner fire motivating you to take action, set targets, and work tirelessly towards achievement. Whether it's conquering a challenging workout, excelling in a work project, or focusing on personal development, the push propels you forward.
The Pull: On the flip side, the pull is about receptivity, allowing, and being present in the moment. It's recognizing when to ease off, take a breath, allow yourself space, and appreciate the journey. The pull is crucial for preventing burnout, fostering mindfulness, and embracing the beauty of uncertainty.
Finding Balance with Push and Pull:
Balance is the sweet spot where push and pull harmonize. It's not about choosing one over the other but understanding when each is necessary. Too much push without pull can lead to stress and exhaustion, while too much pull without push might result in complacency and stagnancy.
Your Unique Journey:
Your journey is unique, and mastering the skill of balance involves practice. As you build awareness, you'll learn when and what to push in and when and what to pull back in. It's about creating a sustainable approach that aligns with your goals while respecting your well-being.
Real-Life Examples of push and pull in action
(below are actual WIS client examples where they use this tool. Names have been changed for their privacy)
Judith was crushing it. She was working out, getting her water in, and crushing her nutrition goals. Then she got sick. Everything felt hard. She was worried that this would throw her off as she was losing fat, getting stronger, and feeling like she was on a roll. After a discussion, she realized she needed to pull back on going to the gym and the intensity of what she was doing while she wasn’t feeling well. She pulled back on full macro tracking and pushed in ensuring she hit her protein and fiber goals. She continued to push in drinking enough water and staying hydrated. She pulled her walks outside since it was cold AF out and pushed into aspects of gentle movement. This helped her recover and heal AND stay aligned.
Joe was building a very successful business, but his health was on the back burner. He realized that he wasn’t managing his time optimally and the lack of self-care wasn’t helping him feel in control. He pushed in time blocking and setting up systems to help manage his time with work,. He pulled back on adding MORE to his plate with work at that time because things were running well and he wanted to reprioritize his well-being. , as well as pushed to carve time out for his workouts and downtime. This helped him feel more in control, have less stress, and actually gain better direction for growth in business.
Veronica was feeling highly motivated, everything was going really well, and then her dog got really sick. Motivation went out the window; everything felt hard, she felt lots of big emotions, and stress was high. After a discussion, she decided to pull back on creating anything new for work and push into routine. She pushed into the aspects that she felt like she had control with AND supported her, like walking, training, journaling, meditating, and reading. She pushed into doing the basics well and pulled back with her expectations. She also pulled back on her want to dive into busy work and allowed herself to slow down. This helped her progress through that challenging time in a productive way.
Jamie had a goal of fat loss while maintaining strength and as much muscle as possible. He knew during this phase that he was going to have to strongly push in his training, consistently meet his intake & hydration goals, prioritzing sleep, and in his daily movement. He also knew he was going to have to pull back in many aspects to help manage his stress and pull back in the activities (like late nights and drinking) that didn’t align. This helped him have a successful fat loss phase where he actually PRed a few lifts and felt really freaking good.
Want guidance and individual support on how you need to push and pull in order to achieve what you want in the areas of your life that you feel are really lacking balance? email me- I’d love to help!