AMERICAN PARTISAN WORKOUT FUNDAMENTALS, PART 5

Partisan greetings, Brothers! Thanks for checking back in for my posts on American Partisan Workout Fundamentals. Hopefully, some of you have already been able to employ some of the concepts I’ve covered in detail in these posts; it does seem like some readers are already digging in, and that’s awesome!

Below is a list of American Partisan Workout Fundamentals we’ve already covered:


Now, onto the important concept of workout discipline.


Foreword: Physical Fitness as Religion

These posts on American Partisan Workout Fundamentals have been mostly technical, so far. I wanted to get the procedure-related information out first to provide a broad understanding of the technical and “how to” elements that make for a good American Partisan Operator (APO) workout.

Moving forward, the remaining posts of the American Partisan Workout Fundamentals series will cover the more abstract, non-technical aspects of a good workout. As you may imagine or already know from experience, working out isn’t just about the physical exercise! No. There is, in fact, an entire set of mental, spiritual, and emotional “intangibles” to a good workout that must be considered as well, such that the serious American Partisan Operator can take the simple mechanical process of exercise, and turn it into a super-productive, total mind-body effort.

Put another way, physical exercise in the strictest sense is merely the process of moving the body or part of the body in some intentional and energetic form. But when you add a generous helping of mindfulness, spirit, and aggression… well, that’s when you turn a simple mechanical process into a true religious experience! It is the view of “physical fitness as religion” (mentioned in my very first post) that will power the APO through tough workouts to thrive and achieve great results in physical fitness, even under difficult, less-than-favorable circumstances.

When I first started working out at the age of 19, I was just a chubby kid that knew I needed to get my act together (especially after suffering brutal mockery by my brother, who himself had just started working out at the time as well – a bit before me) if I wanted to get with the ladies – a very important concern to me at that time! When my only goal was to lose some weight and look more toned, I went through the workout process as a chore that I performed reluctantly. Some while after getting into exercise, things improved dramatically for me as I achieved improved success in hooking up with girls (cutting my very long headbanger hair was another big help LOL); for a while, looking attractive to the ladies was my main motivator – great for motivation for a young man for sure, but not a religion yet. However, after a few years and several difficult life incidents that changed my whole worldview, my view of working out was thus transformed from a somewhat annoying chore into a sacred obligation. This notion of the “sacred duty of exercise” was further intensified after I became attuned to the SHTF/Prepper lifestyle and worldview, around the age of 33. Especially since then, I have viewed physical fitness altogether as a religious and sacred obligation, and I partake in physical training to this day with all the vigor and diligence that comes with intense religious devotion.

I only bring up the notion of the “sacred duty of physical fitness” to emphasize that, for best results, the American Partisan Operator really must attend to physical fitness (and any kind of capability-boosting training) with the greatest of gusto and devotion, and give it the same respectful and careful treatment as a religious Christian gives their relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Obviously, a man is free to choose his own level of seriousness and involvement in his physical fitness efforts, but my take on it is: treat physical fitness as religion, because physical fitness is a vital investment in yourself, your well-being, your battle readiness, and your longevity. And in the current climate, physical fitness will likely SAVE YOUR LIFE (and the life/lives of your teammates and family) not too long from now, so it pays to “get religious” with physical fitness, period.

That all being said, let’s get into the next Workout Fundamental of Workout Discipline!

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AMERICAN PARTISAN WORKOUT FUNDAMENTALS, CONCEPT #8:

**** WORKOUT DISCIPLINE ****

Discipline as a Scarce Virtue

There’s that word, “discipline”. Discipline is a foundational behavior in pretty much any long, tedious, and/or difficult undertaking. In simple, non-dictionary terms, my own definition of discipline is: one’s ability to control themselves to effectively deal with hardship, inconvenience, and discomfort in order to obtain a desired outcome. In my 40+ years of life, I’ve (sadly) noted that discipline is a very rare trait in most people and, these days… just forget it. In today’s pleasure- and convenience-obsessed society, discipline as a virtue is all but dead, and it sho