Issue #53

1) How to get the core strength of a gymnast.
2) 10 steps to a champion mindset.
3) What is body control?
4) Exercise of the week: Ring Rows.

Read time: 4 minutes

I want to welcome all the new joiners and take this moment to explain a little more about this newsletter and community.

Something you won’t find here is studies about the latest supplement, biohack, or whatever new theory a group of researchers came up with because they were paid to find stuff.

What I teach is practical. It’s been observed, tried, and proven to work over decades or more.

A study you read today will be contradicted by another one released next week. This is the reality of basing your training on experiments rather than experience.

Because the truth about sport medicine and nutrition is we have yet to discover and understand most of what there is to know.

This is why I’ve always preferred learning from real experts with hands-on experience. And I use the word expert for what it used to mean: someone with grey hair who’s been doing the same thing for 40 years.

I like learning from people who spend less time trying to explain what happens on a cellular level and more time trying to figure out what works in practice.

Not that I’m not interested in science, I really am.

But there is a time for curiosity and a time to get things done. Experience gets things done.

And I don’t want to be wasting your time, my friend. So here’s another issue of Discipline of Steel, where I only talk about what I’ve learned firsthand during my 32 years of training, as well as from coaches with even longer experience that that.

Enjoy!

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1. How to get the core strength of a gymnast.

nicosaar

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Here are 3 techniques from the gymnast playbook you can use to train your core at home.

1) Hollow body position. Practice with your hands in front of you at first, you’ll gradually extend your arms behind you as you get stronger. You should contract your muscles so hard that if someone pushes your feet down, your upper body will go up.

2) Leg raises on the floor. Resting on your elbows, raise your legs up at 80°, then lower them as low as possible without touching the floor. Do as many reps as you can with your legs perfectly straight.

3) Leg compressions. Do them with one leg at first, and try with both legs as you grow stronger. Lift your leg as high as you can while keeping it straight. Do not lean backward, as the whole point is to compress the upper body and legs together.
☝️ This is much harder than it looks.

These exercises are great because although they are used by athletes, their easier variation can be done by almost anyone.

Follow the links below for the videos with full instructions:
Hollow Body Position
Leg Raises On Floor
Leg Compressions

2. 10 Steps For A Champion Mindset.

What if your main fitness obstacle was yourself, and your own mental barriers?

If you’ve never really been in shape, it is hard to imagine yourself fit.

But I know you can do it. If you overcome those mental blocks and break out of that fixed mindset.

Here are 10 steps you can take to make your self-limitations vanish:

1. Set small goals that can be achieved soon.

2. Start with an activity you enjoy.

3. Create a routine to remove all thinking and decision-making.

4. Share your goals with people who support and believe in you.

5. Celebrate each small victory.

6. Try something you’re afraid of in the gym.

7. Focus on the process rather than the end.

8. Visualize your success and dream goals.

9. But realize it’s ok if you don’t reach them all.

10. Consider hiring a coach.

Mental barriers can’t just be broken at will, and it’s often the result of a long process of reshaping our self-image through our actions.

Following these tips will help you develop a growth mindset and believe in yourself.

3. What is body control?

Have you ever been impressed by someone who showed great “body control”?

Maybe you’re always fascinated by people who can hold an L-sit or do pull-ups without even shaking.

Or your yoga teacher who does everything with ease and makes it look like it’s innate.

And you think you could never achieve that.

What if I told you body control was not some kind of fancy skill but something actually very simple?

Body control is… Strength. And nothing else.

Moving slowly, staying straight, not shaking… These are all signs of strong muscles. There is really nothing else to it.

I'm not saying strength alone will make you move like a gymnast, but it will definitely give you control.

You don’t need talent; you don’t need to be built different. You just need to learn to build strength.

And you happen to be in the right place for that. If you don’t know where to start: ask me.

4. Exercise of the week: Ring Rows.

Rings rows can work both as the progression and the regression of inverted rows on a low bar, also known as Australian pull-ups.

They’re essentially the same exercise but with 2 important differences:

1) The nature of gymnastics rings provide instability.
I always recommend progressing to the unstable version of an exercise before moving on to a heavier load or a more advanced one. This is to make sure secondary muscles and connective tissue are properly conditioned to sustain heavier work.

2) They allow for a natural and smooth rotation of the shoulders.
This helps beginners find the most comfortable and safest angle their shoulders and elbows can endure. This is why it’s also a great prehab exercise when done at a high angle (body over 45°).

Ring rows will not only strengthen all the muscles in your back, but they will also help you develop shoulder mobility gradually, no matter your level.

This makes it overall a very healthy exercise.

Click this link for the full YouTube video and instructions.

I hope you found some useful tips and motivation in today's edition.

Please share your feedback and help me improve my content for everyone!

A great way to do this is by replying to this email with a personal question you have about fitness.

Thanks for reading and see you next week!

- Nico

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