Unleash Your Inner Wolverine
Fresh from seeing the
latest installment of the X-Men movie franchise, you may think this article is about
how to become so muscular and veiny that your skin resembles a leaf. It's not. This article is about maximizing your physical
experience to enrich your overall life.
What makes Wolverine so appealing isn't his claws, it's his healing factor. With a healing factor like his, you could rapidly become an expert in any physical pursuit. You could throw yourself into intense training and your muscles could recover immediately. You would be able to build muscle memory and progress to more advanced levels quickly.
I've been practicing Taekwondo consistently for 14 years. A few days ago I was attending a regular training session with the Singapore National Taekwondo Squad, the team I’ve been training with after moving to Singapore. During sparring rounds, my ankle connected with my opponent's elbow as he was blocking his kidney. After that round the pain in my ankle grew to such a level that I had to sit out the rest of the practice. I couldn't train the next day. With Wolverine's healing factor, I wouldn't have been hampered at all. I could fight and train at 100 percent intensity at all times. Imagine the progression of an athlete who never had to slow down because of any strain or injury!
What makes Wolverine so appealing isn't his claws, it's his healing factor. With a healing factor like his, you could rapidly become an expert in any physical pursuit. You could throw yourself into intense training and your muscles could recover immediately. You would be able to build muscle memory and progress to more advanced levels quickly.
I've been practicing Taekwondo consistently for 14 years. A few days ago I was attending a regular training session with the Singapore National Taekwondo Squad, the team I’ve been training with after moving to Singapore. During sparring rounds, my ankle connected with my opponent's elbow as he was blocking his kidney. After that round the pain in my ankle grew to such a level that I had to sit out the rest of the practice. I couldn't train the next day. With Wolverine's healing factor, I wouldn't have been hampered at all. I could fight and train at 100 percent intensity at all times. Imagine the progression of an athlete who never had to slow down because of any strain or injury!
Top athletes train on the
verge of injury and often push that boundary in order to maximize
improvements. Although normal humans
don’t have Wolverine’s healing factor, our bodies do heal well. It encourages me not to worry about injury
and to throw myself fully into my sport.
Whatever happens, I can bounce back reasonably quickly.
I'm not saying be reckless. Only the real Wolverine and a few others could face Magneto head on. You could end up in hospital or worse. I'm also not saying be reckless while being careful, because that's contradictory. My advice is that, along the continuum of carefulness and recklessness, to push yourself towards intensity.
Engaging intensely in physical pursuits will help with work-life balance and life satisfaction. While your hobby hours will likely never top work hours until retirement, the little time you have for hobbies can be more impactful and rewarding if you engage more intensely. If you are doing physical training, you will get the results you want faster, you will release more endorphins, and you will improve in skill faster. The gain in effectiveness will increase your satisfaction and sense of mastery, which is great for self-esteem. Tough training helps you destress and can help sharpen your focus and efficiency in your work hours. Finally, working out intensely is not just good for your body and mind. I find that when my muscles scream at me, it’s like a purifying acid bath for the soul.
Maybe over time this Wolverine approach will make you more superhero-like in your bravery, too!
I'm not saying be reckless. Only the real Wolverine and a few others could face Magneto head on. You could end up in hospital or worse. I'm also not saying be reckless while being careful, because that's contradictory. My advice is that, along the continuum of carefulness and recklessness, to push yourself towards intensity.
Engaging intensely in physical pursuits will help with work-life balance and life satisfaction. While your hobby hours will likely never top work hours until retirement, the little time you have for hobbies can be more impactful and rewarding if you engage more intensely. If you are doing physical training, you will get the results you want faster, you will release more endorphins, and you will improve in skill faster. The gain in effectiveness will increase your satisfaction and sense of mastery, which is great for self-esteem. Tough training helps you destress and can help sharpen your focus and efficiency in your work hours. Finally, working out intensely is not just good for your body and mind. I find that when my muscles scream at me, it’s like a purifying acid bath for the soul.
Maybe over time this Wolverine approach will make you more superhero-like in your bravery, too!