Rif's latest comment made me remember: I've heard from you so many times that the RKC would bring me to "another level". I did believe you this, based on trust, but I couldn't really imagine what that new level would be like or how actually a weekend course would bring about such a change.
Then today I had my first session since the course that can be considered a workout.
Now I DO feel a big difference. I AM on another level. And it DID happen overnight (er... okay, over a couple of nights, to be exact, but I'm trying to sound pithy :)).
Sure, "another level" can mean a lot of things, depending on what aspect you pick. Like your own training methods, technique, maximal strength, power production, endurance, your teaching, spotting, correcting skills, your ability to design workouts/cycles for others, and so on, you name it. Some of these improve quickly, some of them require more time, it depends on the person, too.
But there's one area where it happens INSTANTLY.
It's like an evolutional jump.
In terms of CONSCIOUSNESS.
"You can't not know (or unknow) what you know."
You may choose to ignore or not to care, but deep in your bowels you'll still know it.
This 'upgraded' consciousness made me watch myself like a hawk today. I couldn't not be aware of whatever was going on in my body and in my mind. I couldn't not notice if, how and why a rep went awry. Not always did I know at once what to do about it, but I had the manual and all my notes scattered around my workout area and I KNEW when to stop to check. Not always could I get it right at once but I KNEW it was something to work on and had an idea as of how. And I'm confident I will KNOW when to go ask and what because I will KNOW I need to know something I don't know.
Knowledge makes you realize your lack of knowledge, which makes you ask questions, which brings you answers, which widens your knowledge and the circle closes. Or rather, it brings you to yet another level, and yet another, like a spiral. (There's another one coming to my mind regarding responsibility, but that's for another post.)
The RKC hasn't made me perfect. But it empowered me to (kick)START seeing, understanding, handling and working on my imperfection. By injecting this awareness into me on one hand, and by filling up my toolbox on the other.
Feels like a good setup.
EDIT
I originally posted this as a response to Franklin's comment, but I find it might round up the above a bit more:
I'm convinced you can't "overprepare". The Cert offers a really huge amount of knowledge, insights, models etc. in a lot of areas and on a lot of different levels at the same time. Human capacity to absorb is limited, and it goes step by step, so I think, somebody with preparation just enough for them to pass can only learn a fraction, the very basic information. The more prepared you go, the more you can concentrate on the subtleties beyond.
In this aspect, the fact you're training alone and designing your workouts by yourself actually puts you in advantage, too, because it forces you to pre-train observation and active, 'seeking' learning instead of just passively relying on others to teach you.
Then today I had my first session since the course that can be considered a workout.
Now I DO feel a big difference. I AM on another level. And it DID happen overnight (er... okay, over a couple of nights, to be exact, but I'm trying to sound pithy :)).
Sure, "another level" can mean a lot of things, depending on what aspect you pick. Like your own training methods, technique, maximal strength, power production, endurance, your teaching, spotting, correcting skills, your ability to design workouts/cycles for others, and so on, you name it. Some of these improve quickly, some of them require more time, it depends on the person, too.
But there's one area where it happens INSTANTLY.
It's like an evolutional jump.
In terms of CONSCIOUSNESS.
"You can't not know (or unknow) what you know."
You may choose to ignore or not to care, but deep in your bowels you'll still know it.
This 'upgraded' consciousness made me watch myself like a hawk today. I couldn't not be aware of whatever was going on in my body and in my mind. I couldn't not notice if, how and why a rep went awry. Not always did I know at once what to do about it, but I had the manual and all my notes scattered around my workout area and I KNEW when to stop to check. Not always could I get it right at once but I KNEW it was something to work on and had an idea as of how. And I'm confident I will KNOW when to go ask and what because I will KNOW I need to know something I don't know.
Knowledge makes you realize your lack of knowledge, which makes you ask questions, which brings you answers, which widens your knowledge and the circle closes. Or rather, it brings you to yet another level, and yet another, like a spiral. (There's another one coming to my mind regarding responsibility, but that's for another post.)
The RKC hasn't made me perfect. But it empowered me to (kick)START seeing, understanding, handling and working on my imperfection. By injecting this awareness into me on one hand, and by filling up my toolbox on the other.
Feels like a good setup.
EDIT
I originally posted this as a response to Franklin's comment, but I find it might round up the above a bit more:
I'm convinced you can't "overprepare". The Cert offers a really huge amount of knowledge, insights, models etc. in a lot of areas and on a lot of different levels at the same time. Human capacity to absorb is limited, and it goes step by step, so I think, somebody with preparation just enough for them to pass can only learn a fraction, the very basic information. The more prepared you go, the more you can concentrate on the subtleties beyond.
In this aspect, the fact you're training alone and designing your workouts by yourself actually puts you in advantage, too, because it forces you to pre-train observation and active, 'seeking' learning instead of just passively relying on others to teach you.
6 comments:
told ya, lol. Good job. It's hard to know how powerful this information is until you experience it.and you're right, it's mainly about one's conciousness about what and how you are training.Deep skill and the internal focus are so much more powerful then most realize.
Consciousness and focus - they're the very fundament everything builds up on. The weaker they are, the more one's delivered to chance and luck. Tracy would call it "control" :)
This is extremely pleasant to hear from you, as you were probably one of the most prepared if not the most prepared participant in your Cert.
Hearing this, really inspires me to continue to improve in all areas prior to my eventual Cert.
Gabi,
I know exactly what you mean. It was a little over a year ago I completed the RKC... it was truly life changing. I also experienced the "next level, over night".
With the RKC under my belt now I have the tools to continue to move up and and take my training to the next level.
Plus, all the wonderful people I met at my certification! I would have never met the Reifkinds outside of the RKC... now I feel very close to them both, even being a guest in their home. How lucky is that?
Great to see that it is general. Feels like becoming a member in a virtual RKC family :-)
I would not have believed it either, but... I like it :-)
Franklin,
that's really the best thing you can do to yourself!
I'm convinced you can't "overprepare". The Cert offers a really huge amount of knowledge, insights, models etc. in a lot of areas and on a lot of different levels at the same time. Human capacity to absorb is limited, and it goes step by step, so I think, somebody with preparation just enough for them to pass can only learn a fraction, the very basic information. The more prepared you go, the more you can concentrate on the subtleties beyond.
In this aspect, the fact you're training alone and designing your workouts by yourself actually puts you in advantage, too, because it forces you to pre-train observation and active, 'seeking' learning instead of just passively relying on others to teach you.
Fawn,
all the talk before my Cert about the "next level" made me so curious and excited to finally make this experience myself... Curiosity and excitement are good, they're the juice of life... And now you are talking about your first post-RKC year, making me curious and excited about how it is going to be in a year; what will I be looking back upon...? My, how lucky is that? :)
I'm green with envy you have the chance to meet all these great people in person! If you say you're going to the CK-FMS, too, I'll burst :)
Rita,
I don't know if it's general or not, I can only speak in my own name... :) A wonderful thing I do know about the virtual RKC family however is that admittance/rejection is not conditional on those three letters :)
Post a Comment