It goes without saying that Einstein is a freakin’ genius, but his level of intellect goes far beyond theories of relativity and Nobel Prizes.
The man was creative, imaginative and a mathematical genius. He had not only a true understanding of physics, but of life too. I love just about any famous Einstein quote; here are some of my favorites that I have applied to my fitness.
1.) Don’t be insane
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
-Albert Einstein
Is this you? The same old… “I’m going to hit the weights for about 20 minutes, then I will hit the elliptical/treadmill for about 20 minutes and then I will hit up some abs for about 20 minutes.â€
The same old routine you have been doing for a decade…but…you aren’t getting any different results!!
Try something new, change your routine and see results!!
2.) Keep it simple
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.
-Albert Einstein
Fitness is rather simple. Move your body and move some weight and you will get in shape. Strength training is very simple; use big complex movements that involve a barbell…
When it comes to fitness and strength training it is best to stick to the basics….because they work.
The guy who has you doing 17 different exercises for the hamstring while timing exactly how many seconds it takes to complete a simple repetition is the fool who is over-complicating your fitness.
3.) Make, and learn from, mistakes
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
-Albert Einstein
Fitness is just like everything else in life, try new things and make mistakes!
Want to know the way I learned how to do handstands and walk on my hands?
I threw my body into the air over and over and landed flat on my back and hurt myself in more than one way – more than one time. I made a lot of mistakes and learned how not to do a handstand, but now I can walk on my hands quite a ways and hold a handstand for a long time.
4.) Never stop learning
Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.
-Albert Einstein
The act of fitness, actually doing something painful, requires the ability to shut off your brain and just go there.
However, mastering fitness, requires the ability to study, learn and grow. Always strive to learn new things and new techniques. Read a book about training or try applying some mathematics to your strength training (not too complicated now, remember #2). You won’t be disappointed and you will be ahead of 99% of everyone else who works out.
5.) Perseverance
It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.
-Albert Einstein
Fitness is a process, you have to stick with it. You may not see results or get where you want to quickly, but you have to keep trying. It is all about perseverance, stick with it!
This also leads me to another one of my favorite quotes be B.C. Forbes:
“How you start is important, very important, but in the end it is how you finish that counts. It is easier to be a self-starter than a self-finisher. The victor in the race is not the one who dashes off swiftest but the one who leads at the finish. In the race for success, speed is less important than stamina. The sticker outlasts the sprinter in life’s race. In America we breed many hares but not so many tortoises.”
6.) True understanding
If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.
-Albert Einstein
Be wary of the “fitness expert” who always answers your questions with “It depends…..”. Someone who understands something thoroughly will be able to explain it to you very easily and in a very simple format. If someone knows something inside and out, it is incredibly easy for them to put difficult concepts in terms of metaphor or analogy to help someone else better understand.
The person who gives you a 30 minute explanation on how to get stronger, doesn’t truly understand strength training. They are more than likely regurgitating information they have heard but do not comprehend.
Always strive to truly understand what you pursue.
7.) Be creative
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
-Albert Einstein
There are simple rules in fitness. Eat more calories than you burn = gain weight. Burn more calories than you eat = lose weight. A lot of fitness is of the same nature – logical. However, simply getting from A to B is not what fitness is all about. Also, it is why people so easily get burned out in a fitness routine. They know it works and that it is logical, but it isn’t any fun.
Always use your imagination in fitness! Pretend you are running from zombies, go to a playground and use everyday ordinary objects for extraordinary fitness. Challenge your brain just as much as you do your brawn. Have fun!
8.) Learn how to take it apart – Master it
You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
-Albert Einstein
This combines a lot of the above mentioned lessons. If you learn how to make something simple and you develop a true understanding of fitness, and all the rules and logic involved, you can start to create your own fitness.
Once you get to this level you have mastered your fitness. Few people can challenge your knowledge. You will be able to develop your own workout programs and never again will you need to be spoon fed by a DVD. You will even be able to master your fitness in a garage gym…if you are brave enough.
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Any good quotes to share? Einstein or not 🙂
-Jerred
