When it comes to Fitness and Nutrition, "First Learn stand, Then Learn Fly"

The Karate Kid is one of my favorite movies. (Not the new one with Jackie Chan... I guess I'm showing my age here) Not because the kid from New Jersey beats the California pretty boy for the championship but because of the awesome lessons I find it.

In one scene during training Daniel is berating Mr. Myogi about learning how to do the "Crane Technique. He's frustrated that all he has learned is some blocking techniques (Everyone knows "Wax on, Wax off") and is convinced that his training is going to slow and that he will never be ready for the tournament.

Myogi simply replies, "First learn stand, Then learn fly. Nuture rule, not mine."

Overly simplistic advice from an aging martial artist or a great life lesson that most take for granted?

I'll take the latter.

Every day in the gym, I state and restate the need for simplicity in training and in making changes outside the gym. As humans, we seem to want to make things complicated.

We are drawn to fitness programs that would require us to work out every day when we struggle to make it to the gym 2 days per week. We want to add more exercises when we haven't come close to mastering the basics.

We are drawn to super restrictive diets when we still struggle to eat enough fruits and vegetables and drink enough water.

Everyone reading this knows that they should work out 2-3 days per week and should eat more fruits and vegetables. Are you? (and I don't just mean today)

If you haven't, (most reading this haven't and if you are the huge exception to the rule, you have my congrats), focus on that! I know it's not exciting but it's where the payoff is.

And if you ask me for different advice, I might just say, "First learn stand, Then learn fly"

Thanks for reading and feel free to share if you found this helpful!