At Shark Fitness Training, EVERY week is Shark Week. Since the world decided to jump in on recognizing the badassery of Sharks, we wanted to share with you some fitness lessons from Sharks.
- Eat Like a Shark! How much food do you think a Shark eats in the course of a week? Sharks consume about 1-10% of their body weight each week. So a male bull shark weighing 200lbs. consumes about 2-20lbs of food per week. I suspect that is far less than you guessed. They eat when they need fuel – not when they need to sooth emotions, reward themselves, overcome boredom, loneliness or stress. They don’t overeat. They eat for survival. Refocus your nutrition so that you are eating to fuel your body with the proper foods and beverages at the proper times. A simple rule of thumb is to eat for what you have planned in the next few hours. More activity = more carbohydrates and calories. Less activity = less carbohydrates and calories.
- Sharks Cannot Move Backwards. Sharks are always swimming forward. They don’t look backwards and bemoan the past, wish they had done things differently or try to revisit their glory days. They charge ahead and you should too. You are where you are in your fitness journey. You could be carrying post-partum weight. You could have COVID weight to lose. You could have a big event coming up and want to own the room when you walk in. You could have an unhealthy body fat percentage – high or low. You could have a great body fat percentage and want to improve your performance or endurance. Your decision now becomes whether or not you are going to let go of the baggage and press forward towards your goals or slip backwards into an un-Shark-like mentality.
- Shut Up and Put Up. Sharks do not have vocal cords, so they cannot make any sounds, and they sure as hell don’t need selfies, mirrors and social likes. They KNOW they are at the top of the food chain and dominate. They demonstrate their physical prowess by their ACTIONS. When you train, don’t spend your time and focus bitching about how hard it is, how wet or cold you are, socializing with those around you or recounting the tale of why you showed up late. Shut up and put up. Focus on the task at hand and get it done.
- Survive and Thrive. Did you know sharks have survived five massive extinction events including the one that killed off the dinosaurs. (poor bastards) Having a Shark mindset means that you do not quit. Being a Shark means that you have physical and mental stamina to see you through difficult situations. Whether it’s an unexpected change in your kid’s schedule that makes transportation difficult or your whole world getting upended by a global pandemic, you have the ability to adapt and overcome. You have put yourself in stressful and uncomfortable situations and built your ability to keep it together and come out the other end stronger.
- Get a Thick Skin. Shark skin is rather remarkable. It’s actually made up of “denticles” (tiny v-shaped tooth-like structures) that make it feel a bit like sandpaper. Typically their skin is very thick – up to 4″ thick in whale Sharks. Embrace the idea of having thick skin and being able to handle the truth and look at your health situation honestly. Know the difference between what you need to hear and what you want to hear. You waste time and squander progress if you are offended by your doctor telling you to drop some weight, a family member expressing concern about your health or your trainer telling you that you have more in the tank or can add weight or reps to a set of exercises. Commit to the pursuit of excellence and seek out professionals to help you reach your goals with candid feedback.
🦈 HAPPY SHARK WEEK!🦈