Beyond the Easy Button: Building True Strength Through Struggle

“Increasing the state of our minds is the only way to reduce the difficulty of life.” – Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Thought of the Day

Mental toughness and grit seem to be missing these days. Many of us just want to hit the easy button with same-day deliveries, food, and media on demand. But there is beauty and fulfillment in knowing you can overcome difficulties. Many of my personal best moments have sprouted from tough times, not from the easy ones.

With both youth and adults, I hear things like, “I just can’t do it!” or “It’s too hard!” nearly every week. Yet, week after week, we also get to watch those same individuals, who once said they “can’t”, push through and gain a new skill. The skill itself isn’t the most important part; it’s merely the highlight or the icing on the cake. What truly matters is that the individual struggled and now sees themselves as more capable, with evidence to prove they have power in their life.

Today, rather than making things easy for your kids, and yourself, offer challenges they can overcome with effort. We often complain about the softness of this generation, but what are we doing to help change that? At Empower, we give our youth opportunities to challenge themselves in a safe, structured way leaving them better than we found them. On paper, they look like workouts, but they’re really opportunities to learn that they have the power to grow and develop new skills if they’re willing to be coachable and put in the work.

There’s no magic pill or hack for building grit and mental toughness in the next generation. It simply comes from putting down the easy button and doing the work. The skill, be it a first pull-up, rope climbs, a proper squat, or safe movement, is just a bonus. What’s priceless is; knowing you have the ability to push through and change your world and your circumstances.

Thursday

H: 03-10 Warm up (7 min)

Shoulder stretches with a band:

circles (clockwise and counterclockwise)

face to the side and stretch lats, triceps, chests

Stretch legs on a box:

Pigeon pose, hip flexor

knee hugs, curtsy squats

H: 10-30 Tech (20 min)

Row:

Leg drive; the same moving speed of shoulders and hip

1 min slow, then 30s sprint.

Handstand walk:

Bear crawl

Wall walk to shoulder tap

Kick up practice

Kick up further from the wall for handstand walk attempts

Find a pair of dumbbells/kettlebells

Practice 1-2 reps for the box step overs

H: 30(32)-42(44) WOD

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 12 minutes of:

200/250-meter row

25-foot handstand walk

10 dumbbell box step-overs

25-foot handstand walk

♀ 20-lb dumbbells and a 20-inch box

♂ 35-lb dumbbells and a 24-inch box

Scaled options for handstand walk:

20 shoulder taps in the pike position or 25-foot bear crawl

Weights and box heights options:

♀ 15-lb dumbbells and a 20-inch box

♂ 25-lb dumbbells and a 24-inch box

♀ 12-inch box

♂ 20-inch box

Notes from TW:

We will stagger the start with 2 min if more than 6 people in the class.

Aiming at at least 2 rounds in 12 min. Can mix the handstand walk progressions.

H: 45 Cool down (5 min)