"I can lift Xxx kgs/lbs"
"I can cycle on the highest gear up a hill"
"I can run at Xxx km/h"
The ego is something we all have that can really pump us up and urge us to perform at a specific level in order to measure up to some sense of greatness. This behaviour shows itself in exercise with the best of us. I myself, until recently was limiting myself to the top 3 gears of my bike because that was the standard I was proud of. I just learnt how much time I can shave by swallowing that pride and actually using lower gears.
This is important to note, if you have a habit of ego anywhere in your exercise or workout routine, then you could be undermining your performance, your growth and development and in some cases you could even be doing yourself harm.
Here are a few examples where ego could be getting in your way:
In the gym:
Are you lifting heavier than is good for you? If you not careful you could be harming yourself. This is a classic example. It doesn't matter how heavy you can lift, if you are lifting with improper form, you are not only threatening the health of your posture and risking muscle tear, you are also missing out on the target muscle's optimal gain by employing what are called synergist muscles to compensate for the target muscle's inability to handle the load alone. When you do that, you are taking the emphasis out of the target muscle, compromising form and posture and learning unhealthy motor functions. Also, in order to honor that ego, you don't actually experience the best of your performance.
On a bike:
I've certainly learnt this well. All this time I've been attached to sticking with those top 3 gears(5, 6 and 7 with the largest cog on the front sprocket), even when taking hills. Now I know that moving off that large cog on hills gets me through it much more easily but are importantly much quicker. Even on the flats I've learnt the importance of getting maximum revolutions by dropping to the 5th and 6th gear occasionally rather than let my ego tell me that I can ride on 7th all the way through. I can ride flats on maximum gear but I get the best performance by actually dropping gear. I actually go faster.
Take that! ego!
Over training:
The desire to be able to put out our energy into our training with maximum intensity and great frequency is only natural, but our egos can undermine us again if we listen to its whisper by training when our body is telling us to rest and recover.
Rest and recovery is when our muscles rebuild themselves in response to the stress put on them during exercise, that rest leads to stronger muscles. This also applies to the recovery of energy that we need to perform physically at our best during an exercise, a sport, a workout or any physical activity.
If you let your ego convince you in proving how super you are, you will not get to be or develop your best.
Endurance:
"Look how hard I can run" I don't recommend thinking that if you are a marathon runner.
Endurance is not served well by ego. You really have to let go of how intense, hard or fast you can go now in order to make it to the end of the race, match, fight, session or any activity that requires a durationed wind.
However, don't get me wrong, I'm not discouraging applying yourself with intensity, I'm discouraging excess intensity that only comes from the urge to prove yourself something from the need to measure to a standard you wish you were at rather than paying attention on training at the best level in accordance to the level you are at now.
I'm sure there are so many more examples of the undermining effects of ego in exercise. There is one caveat, and that is, ego can also push you to be better. I know, sounds like a contradiction.
Ego is not an absolute thing. It can actually serve us in the right context. It is the thing that fuels our sense of identity, it is the quality that contributes to human beings striving to rise and achieve which leads to growth and evolution and it is a major trait behind the spirit of competition. The urge to be better than, faster than, stronger, smarter can really spur on dedication, commitment and drive to improve.
The key point here is, ego gets in our way when we let it narrow our view and limit our pride to just 1 or 2 insignificant detail that is only designed to create a false sense of superiority.
Ego can be used to your advantage when you adopt a broad and flexible view in your exercise regime by remembering that its not about feeling superior in meaningless abilities that have no impact on your overall performance. Its about benefiting that overall performance by looking at it as a whole and knowing how to integrate the totality of skills in your physical activity.
And lastly and probably most importantly, its not even about feeling superior, but rather more about striving to be better for the passion of your sport and striving to be better than you used to be instead of striving to be better than the other players, competitors or exercisers.
Use ego wisely.
Inspired by Fitness,
Clinton Boucheix
Certified Personal Trainer
Free Exercise Motivation Report
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