Monkey See, Monkey Do

I am a relatively new father.  My son is about two and a half years old now.  As a brief aside, I am on a bit of a crusade against the thought of describing a child’s age in months, past a certain timeframe.  I say after two years maximum, a child’s age should be referenced by years only or years and months together.  When a stranger asks how old your son or daughter is, no one wants to hear, “he is 43 months next week.”  Figuring a child’s age shouldn’t require a calculator.  Now where was I?  Oh yes, new father.  Like any good parents, my wife and I read to our son, we help him try to learn new words, learn new colors, etc.  Sometimes it works, most times not.  On the other hand, after a good fight with the flu this past winter, I had a long bout of laryngitis.  After watching me gargle with salt water one time, my son began incessantly gargling his milk and making his typical mess. 

I began to realize that a lot more is caught, than taught.  Adults aren’t much different in this sense.  We tend to mimic what we hang around or immerse ourselves in.  If you take a look at your friends, you will realize that you are have some of the same mannerisms, likes, dislikes, and often times have a similar demeanor as those closest to you.

Training and lifestyle are no different.  If your training partners are inconsistent, chances are good that you will be.  If your friends like to stay out all night chances are you will follow suit not get enough sleep to have an effective day of training the following day.  Your diets often follow the same paths as well.  Technique, programming, intensity, and overall approach to training all can fall prey, or enjoy the benefits of those you surround yourself with.

So with this being said, the following is a public service to all of you…

1.  Hang around with rich people

2.  Hang around strong people

3.  Hang around nice people

4.  Hang around smart people

5.  Hang around people you want to lift like

6.  Hang around people you want to train like