Yesterday, I talked about how anger bottled up is dangerous to your health and the many ineffectual patterns people use misdirecting it. I showed how any form of fitness can be used to “blow off some steam” that metaphor actually being close to reality.
What’s another?
Specifically utilizing or even alchemizing the anger into power.
Anger is often labelled a negative emotion. But this judgement is wrong. Anger is a completely natural and helpful emotion…if you allow it to be.
It shows your boundaries have been violated in some way and is the motivating and driving force to do something about it.
Therefore, anger is a powerful emotion.
So let’s use it to help you become more powerful. Full of power. Specifically, tapping into that aggressive energy and utilizing it against some weight or object.
The iron and steel can take all your anger and then some.
To go astrological on you for a second, isn’t it interesting that iron is ruled by the red planet, Mars, corresponding to the god of war? Weapons of warfare are mostly made of steel which is iron, as are the warfare training implements of the gym.
Leave your culture at the door.
Tap into the barbarian inside. Into the warrior.
Summon your power to be dangerous. To kill. To destroy.
Summon those energies forth. Infuse your muscles and sinews with them. And allow it to explode directed at your aim.
How well can you summon your anger on demand?
How well can you direct it?
The amount of weight on the bar can be proof-positive of your ability in this.
Personally, I find that low rep, even singles, of big multi-joint group exercises work best for this. Deadlifts and squats. Get that first chakra concerned with survival involved!
Even better in my opinion are partial versions of deadlifts and squats. Bone-crunching weights for limited range of motions.
Now, there are some caveats with this. There is such a thing as over psyching yourself where your performance goes down. That’s part of the reason I like the partial movements. Even though the weights are heavy the movements are small, the technique or skill involved is virtually non-existent.
Doing it for a single there really isn’t over-psyching here. A single short range of motion is the ultimate expression of strength. There is nothing above it, therefore it can take everything you throw at it.
There is also the possibility of going too far, redlining into dangerous territory. A blind rage will also turn off the signals in your body that tell you you’re about to hurt yourself. But again, a limited range of motion helps cut the risk.
Or at least doing something you’ve done so many times that the body knows exactly what to do without thought. Where the technique is habitual.
I walk you through many of these details, including how music can act as a catalyst and more, inside of Berzerker: Psyching Up for Strength and Sports.
Since we have so few decent outlets for anger, that most people think of as bad, I wonder what would happen if more people appreciated their anger and directed it as such?
Before I leave you for today I want you to reflect on this.
Does this concept excite you? Is it something you want to do?
Or are you turned off by this? Do you say, that’s not for me.
I wouldn’t say it is exclusive because certainly there are other factors at play, but your response might tell you something about how well tapped into your aggression you are. More to come later…