Force multiplication, A capability that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment
– Official definition of the United States Department of Defense term force multiplier.
Force Multipliers are tools that help you Amplify your effort to produce more output. A hammer is a force multiplier. Investing in Force Multipliers means that you’ll get more done with the same amount of effort. Generally, the only good use of debt or outside capital is when it gives you access to Force Multipliers that you wouldn’t be able to access any other way.
– Josh Kaufman “The Personal MBA”
So what does increasing the combat potential of soldiers and utilizing outside capital to stimulate business growth have to do with your fitness? Just like you can multiply efforts in those arenas you can dramatically improve your fitness efforts by finding simple force multipliers to include in your regiment. Here are three that have a great track record of success.
Sleep
Now, as a father of two young children I understand that getting good sleep is sometimes completely out of our control. However, if you have the luxury of full control of your sleep you should aim to get a minimum of 8 hours a night. Sleep amplifies all the “good” hormones that contribute to our ability to lose body fat, build muscles, optimize a nervous system for maximum strength, and just feel good and motivated in general. So while training and great nutrition are going to have the most direct impact on your fitness, sleep sets the stage for you to take full advantages of your efforts in those areas.
Daily dedication to mobility, stability, flexibility aka “movement quality”
I can’t count how many times I’ve seen people plateau or sustain a setback like an injury because they don’t move well. This can manifest itself in many forms (the reason I didn’t simply say mobility) and honestly, all of them are intertwined so it behooves some to get assessed by a professional to see where they need the most work. So many times the results are staggering, I’ve seen people improve snatch maxes by 20 lbs by improving core stability, shave minutes off their Fran time by improving the rack position, and actually be able to perform and overhead squat by improve ankle dorsiflexion. The take home message here is that it not only improves your performance, but hedges against the things that tank motivation or keep us out the gym.
Private Coaching
This is something that most people will overlook, or blow off as not worth the cost. However, having an objective professional to evaluate your fitness needs and help you create an efficient plan to achieve your true potential is invaluable. The reality is that no amount of internet searching can replace the experience, time, and money that a professional coach has invested in understanding fitness. Lucky for you guys we make it easy to get assessed by a professional coach, all you have to do is schedule one of your built in hybrid sessions.
In closing the important thing to take from this is to evaluate your efforts and think outside of the box. Conventional wisdom tells us we need to add or subtract when it comes to fitness. Add more volume, subtract food groups, etc. The reality is there’s plenty of habits we can implement to multiply the effort we already have in place.
Enjoy your holiday weekend and come join me on Monday for a great Memorial day hero WOD: DT!
-Coach Wes
