 | | In today's edition, Joe shares: - How to Beat Mediocre Thinking
- The Perfect Foundational Workout
- Spartan's Most Brutal Race
| | | | Spartans,
All my life, I've asked myself one question: How do I stand out? Whether it was to be the best in sports, land a job on Wall Street, or start my own business, I've always sought ways to be different.
At the start of my quest, I began to analyze every move of my competitors. I noticed their lifestyles, what they ate, if they worked out, and how they treated their clients.
It was clear that so many of them took the easy way out. They partied instead of going to bed early, took hot showers, and clocked out at five o'clock sharp.
Then I analyzed the outcomes.
I saw how the choices of average people led to poor health, less success at work, and less passion for their lives.
To be different, I had to ask myself, "What do average people do?"
…and did the opposite.
In a world that tells us to fit in, here's the hard truth: Fitting in is for the weak. Being average is not only easy, but it's also the quickest path to mediocrity.
If you live your life trying to blend in, then you've already lost. The world is full of invisible people who traded their potential for comfort, who sacrificed greatness for mediocrity.
What does it cost to be average? Everything. When you settle, you lose your drive, your ambition, and your ability to push your limits. You live in a box someone else built for you.
It makes sense why fitting in is the status quo. Friends and family won't understand why you wake up at 5 AM to train, why you clock in more hours than your boss, and why you say no to food that makes you feel bad. It can be lonely.
Look at the top 1%—the Spartans in life. Do they care about being liked or fitting in? No. They go against the grain, chase discomfort, and do what others won't.
This is my challenge for you (and myself). Ask yourself, "Am I really giving 110%, or am I just comfortable?"
If you want a life worth living, you need to challenge yourself every day to not be average.
Who's ready to take the hard path?
Here's to The Hard Way,
Joe | | | ARE THERE CRACKS IN YOUR FOUNDATION? | Think of foundational training as your exercise building blocks—it's the strength, flexibility, and endurance you use every day to walk, run, climb, and lift.
Instead of performing isolated exercises, foundational training lets your muscles work together in natural movement patterns to build full-body conditioning, keeping you capable, strong, and ready to tackle any challenge.
The six foundational strength movements are squat, hinge, lunge, push, pull, and carry.
Here's a quick kettlebell workout we call Hell's Bells to help you build a stronger foundation.
Complete the same circuit for 4 rounds with descending rep order. For the first round, perform 21 reps of each exercise. For rounds two, three and four, perform 15, 9 and 3 reps of each exercise respectively. 25-minute time cap. - American kettlebell swing
- Shoulder taps (rep count is per side)
- Devil press
- Butterfly sit-ups
| | | You Ask, Joe Answers | Q: Hey Joe, Having finished two Iron Man's in the past two years, I want to switch it up and try something new. Which Spartan distance/race do you think compares?
- Joerg H
A: Hey Joerg, Welcome to the Hard Way. For someone like you who craves mental and physical misery, there's no greater feat than the Spartan Ultra. Like an Iron Man, this 50K trail course will mentally tax you with endless hours of moving forward. But there's a twist: 60 brutal obstacles to conquer along the way. See you there.
Aroo!
Question for Joe? Want to tell him what you think of The Hard Way? Email him at thehardway@spartan.com. | | | | They Said It | | "Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm" | | – Winston Churchill | | | The Hard Way Podcast | | | "We haven't really done such a great job at prolonging life. The question really is, what is the quality of that life?" | | | | | | To keep receiving this newsletter, sign up here. | | | WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS NEWSLETTER? | | | | | |
