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On Mondays, we’ll lock in together: See below for a motivational tidbit to start your week, perspective on movement I’m focusing on, and music I’m enjoying I’d like to share with you 🙂
1/3. Motivation
It takes about 1-2 months of confusion, feeling lost, and being on the verge of giving up for the right amount of vision to form where you have absolute clarity and launch into a new way of life.
This quote resonated with me because it hones in on an uncomfortable feeling we all feel when navigating a period of uncertainty. You can find the entire reel posted by @thedankoe at the bottom of this section. Here are 3 key learnings I took away from it:
Embrace the Necessary Tilling of Uncertainty for Vision to Grow: Just as tilling the soil prepares it for new growth, initial phases of confusion are necessary to cultivate the ground for clarity and the emergence of a new path forward.
Maintain The Forest Map by Grounding Yourself Amidst the Trees: To navigate feeling lost, avoid getting caught up in the immediate confusion—the individual trees—by consciously taking stock of your surroundings and grounding yourself. This allows you to maintain a clear view of your overarching goal—embarking through the forest—and make necessary course corrections.
Actively Navigate Uncertainty to Avoid the Trap of Helpless Stagnation: Succumbing to the feeling of helplessness when lost can lead to remaining stuck in the same frustrating circumstances, akin to being trapped in the same part of the forest surrounded by the same trees. Instead of spiraling, actively engage with the uncertainty and seek a way forward.
This week, approach any initial confusion with a confident mindset, understanding it's the necessary first step toward mastery and enjoyment in any new endeavor, whether it's tackling a new task at work or exploring a new hobby. By staying grounded in your goals and actively working through uncertainty, you'll navigate challenges effectively and emerge with a stronger sense of purpose.
2/3. Movement
Drop Sets for Efficient but Powerful Bicep Development
Biceps sometimes feel like an afterthought in my workouts - I incorporate them into my back & bi days in my lifting split - and I love having a quick way to hit them that feels efficient. I've incorporated bicep curl drop sets into my routine and they’ve been a game-changer for me. This extended time under tension → signals more muscle fibers to join the party for recovery → leads to increased muscle cell size → greater development in mass and strength.
What is a bicep curl drop set?
Perform bicep curls with your heaviest chosen weight until you reach complete failure – that point where you can no longer execute a full repetition with proper form.
Immediately upon hitting failure, with virtually no rest, grab a lighter weight (typically reduce by 20-30%) and continue curling until you reach failure once more.
To maximize the set's intensity, pre-select 3-4 progressively lighter weights, allowing for seamless transitions as you fatigue.
What does this look like for me?
15 lb Dumbbells: To failure.
10 lb Dumbbells: Immediately transition and curl to failure again.
7.5 lb (or 5 lb) Dumbbells: Transition immediately and curl to failure one last time. (The final weight I choose often depends on the overall fatigue I'm feeling from the entire workout).
3/3. Music
Whenever I hop on my Peloton and choose an instructor-led ride over a "just ride," the first thing I do is filter for Alex Toussaint's classes. He's just so easy to listen to. He perfectly balances humor with authentic motivation that really gets me going, and it never feels forced. For me, I find he consistently finds a way to encourage some deeper introspection that leaves me feeling more uplifted than if I ride with a different instructor.
His energy is unmatched, and I’m close to having went through his entire library of rides. So I had to dig deep into the archives when I rode over the weekend, revisiting a ride of his that initially aired in 2020: "45 Min Lil Wayne Ride." Towards the end, he played "Mirror," and it reminded me just how good that song is, not to mention the entire "Tha Carter IV" album from 2011. So, this week, I'm tapping into some old Wayne.
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