A LITTLE CLAY

My bro,

What can I say…

Sometimes you’ve just got to add A LITTLE CLAY!

Because this…

Is the best approach to functional fitness.

Yes…

When it comes to the athletic ability…

Of your BODY…

What I want you to see…

Is that there is a great analogy for taking care of its consistent progression.

And its impression was first imprinted upon me…

When I watched a really great documentary many years ago.

Its name my bro…

Is PUMPING IRON!

Now I can tell…

That you will already know it well…

Because any man who has ever lifted a weight…

Will surely have heard about the documentary that aligns with the bodybuilding fate of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The man that is the OG of the sport…

He used this bodybuilding documentary to support his claim…

To his rise in fame…

Which would make his name eventually…

In the lights of many a famous Hollywood movie.

But firstly…

His love was always the art of bodybuilding…

And there was a great quote in relation to building the BODY…

A great analogy…

That Arnold used in this documentary which I would like to pay homage to.

So that I will now do!

“The good bodybuilders have the same mind, that a sculptor has. If you analyse it, you look in the mirror and you say, okay, I need a bit more deltoids so that proportion’s right, and, you exercise and put those deltoids on, whereas an artist would just slap on some clay on each side.”

This is the quote…

The analogy that I would like today…

To relate to A LITTLE CLAY!

Because it is true to say that this school of thinking…

Is a mindset one should also use when tinkering with the functional capacity of the BODY.

Basically…

Seeing the BODY like a sculptor with A LITTLE CLAY…

An artist who is proportionally…

Trying to improve the aesthetics of physicality…

This analogy…

Can also be used to enhance functionality!

So rather than looking from an aesthetic’s perspective…

We apply the sculptor’s objective to what is required athletically…

Functionally…

In order to see consistent results.

And to do this it is imperative that you start…

With the mind set of art!

You must feel out this functional process…

Just like an artist!

Just like the sculptor moulding a clay BODY…

It is the feeling eye that you must visually…

Use to shape the athletic ability…

Of yourself physically.

So how would you do this functionally?

Essentially…

What you are going to do…

Is make all forms of exercise known to you!

Because to be a truly functional man…

You must plan to have an affinity…

For all types of athletic ability.

You should be able to run fast and far, so that you are never stuck where you are.

You should be able to swim in any water type, without being wiped out.

You should be able to lift big and heavy, and equally for reps if conditioning requires.

You should be able to strike, takedown and grapple as an artist man, with a martial plan.

You should be able to handle the cold and the heat, meaning that an ice bath or sauna would not defeat you.

You should be able to climb to a mountain top, without needing to stop.

You should be able to move with the type of agility, that you would see from a monkey, navigating a jungle canopy.

You should be able to stretch with the type of flexibility, that you would see from a yogi.

You should be able to carry a rock, log or fell a tree, to demonstrate true athletic ability.

Functionally…

You should be able to do any of these forms of training…

If you are to truly be maintaining a level of fitness…

That every man should witness from themselves.

You should be able to functionally go…

In any way…

And at any time my bro!

But the only way you can know that form of athletic ability…

Is if you regularly…

Consistently add A LITTLE CLAY.

What I am trying to say…

Is if you were lacking in a running speed perspective…

Then feeling some sprints would be your clay objective.

If you were lacking in the takedown part…

Of your martial art…

Then you would start adding more clay there.

Or if you were aware that you were lacking from a strength perspective…

Then carrying rocks might be your feeling directive when it comes to adding more clay.

Yes…

This is the way of the functional sculptor…

The training artist…

Who is working his hardest to maintain an affinity…

With true athletic ability.

Because wherever you are lacking…

What you have learned today…

Is that you just add A LITTLE CLAY!

Which is done by way of touching up artistically…

Through a feeling affinity…

With what is missing in your functional ability.

YOU must never stop sculpting my friend…

And what I recommend is to run when you feel you need to run…

Which is to add some running clay.

Apply heat when you need to feel heat…

Which is to add some sauna clay.

Bang the reps when you need to feel the reps…

Which is to add some conditioning clay.

Lift heavy when you need to feel a heavy lift…

Because feeling any form of training like this is a gift that will help you to know…

What it is to consistently grow as an athlete…

An artist…

Of functional fitness!

What I am saying is if you use the feeling…

When it comes to revealing what you need to gift to your training that day…

Then you will eventually learn the sculpting way…

Of adding A LITTLE CLAY! 👨‍🎨

Tane

P.S. We have taken the way, that Arnold saw bodybuilding as sculpting with clay and rather than aesthetically, adding its vision to the physicality, as a training artist you will now use it to improve the functionality, the athletic prowess of the BODY. This is to accept that as a man, you must plan to be functional in all forms of fitness. You must witness yourself improving in all forms of athletic skill that you can build upon, in order to move on this way of living. And you do so by giving A LITTLE CLAY, each day to wherever you internally feel, will reveal a better affinity, with the function of your athletic ability!