The Stoics told us to not only practice detachment from our possessions and comforts in the meandering philosophical sense, but also a literal sense.
Literally practice living without the ‘advantages’ you’ve accrued, in rehearsal for the days you may be forced to go without.
In my opinion, even if you do have assured access to a well equipped gym, around the clock, a period of detachment from that luxury can not only be extremely informative, equip you with the tools, techniques and routines necessary should you ever find yourself unwillingly without and teach you to appreciate the comforts of your usual surroundings but also, give you an insight into what is truly necessary for your training to thrive.
The minimum effective dose.
Asides from the aforementioned benefits, for a lot people, reverting to a more basic, ‘low tech, dog work’ style regime may provide a much needed boost in intensity which has gradually trickled away in an environment filled with ergonomic machines designed to make the training experience a more comfortable one.
There are of course, upsides to executing such a regime. More likely than not, you’ll perform this challenge from your own home, or at least close. This provides you with something absolutely invaluable, something that (no matter how much you pay in monthly dues) you cannot purchase, time.
Time with your children, time with your spouse, time to be more productive, more time in bed, more time in front of Netflix.
You are in essence, trading one comfort for others, some offering much loftier spiritual ‘gains’ than even the most expensive leg press or plushest changing rooms could ever hope to provide.
So here we are, a thirty day ‘challenge’, stripping away equipment access to the absolute bare minimum for optimal progress whilst increasing intensity, focus, frequency and hoping to achieve an understanding of what is ‘necessary’ and an appreciation of what is available to us in contrast.
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