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Rule #1 (Don’t Die)

By Andy Fossett

Martial art has its history in combat, so as a company founded by three martial artists, Rule #1 (Don’t Die) is fundamental to GMB.

If you die, you don’t get to do anything else. It’s over. That’s the end.

It might sound dramatic but self-preservation is key to making any kind of progress. While this seems like a fairly basic and obvious fact, it is one that often falls to the wayside when we start taking on new challenges.

In this episode, we talk about how everything comes with a trade-off and how to assess your training in order to not make irreversible decisions.

Basic Parameters

  • Topic: How to Not Die (today, anyway)
  • Rant Factor: ๐Ÿคฌ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿง 
  • Practicality: ๐Ÿ™…๐Ÿค•โš–๏ธ๐Ÿ’ช

Episode Hosts: Andy & Ryan

Tiny Ryan and Andy heads

What It’s About

Recognizing and avoiding high-risk activities with low reversibility so you can confidently and effectively push your limits.

๐Ÿ‘‡ Scroll down for the full show notes, links, and rants ๐Ÿ‘‡

“Fitness training is a negotiation with limits.”

You’re always trying to push and test and move your current limits. But there are also real limits that are either impossible or improbable for you to move without significant trade-offs in other areas.

Key Points: Rule #1

  • Don’t Die: It’s a metaphor, don’t do anything that has lasting or permanent negative implications
  • What to do Instead: Reassess what you’re doing, how you’re doing it and why
  • Challenge โ‰  Pain: Don’t conflate pain with progress, there are many ways to make gains that don’t require you to risk injury.
  • Our Advice: Examples of avoidable mistakes + two tips to use for any movement
  • Irreversible Decisions: High risk activities with irreversible consequences are pretty easy to avoid in exercise, and the potential gains tend to be minimal. Focus on high-leverage fundamentals and build resilience on purpose.
  • Resources: Links to everything mentioned in the podcast
  • The Future: Help us decide which episodes to record next

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Like links? Here’s a few things to click:

We mentioned past episodes and other resources, here they are:

  • 3 Steps to Autoregulation Training – How to not burn out
  • The GMB Method – A breakdown of how to Assess, Address, Apply to make progress on anything you’re working on
  • DOMS – They Suck! – Our episode on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
  • Breathing Exercises – Learn how to make your workouts better and help you recover faster
  • Transcript of this Episode
  • How Many Reps, Sets, Exercises, and Workouts You Should Be Doing – Our episode on how much is enough
  • Our Articles on Injury Prevention – Our best posts on recovery, prevention, and building resilience

Be sure to catch the next episode by subscribing to the GMB Show:

  • Subscribe to the iTunes podcast
  • Subscribe to our YouTube videos

The Future is in YOUR Hands!

Left to our own devices, weโ€™d soon be churning out episodes on the sorry state of Mexican cuisine in Osaka. Answer these questions and tell us what you want to hear:

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Andy Fossett

Hi, I'm Andy Fossett ๐Ÿ‘‹

A lifelong martial artist and former schoolteacher, Andyโ€™s deeply concerned with autonomy and fitness education. As CEO of GMB Fitness, heโ€™s dedicated to providing an open, accessible culture for both clients and staff to enjoy exploring more of what theyโ€™re truly capable of.

He's best known for his wildly off-topic rants on the GMB Podcast and spends the majority of his time eating burgers, sipping bourbon, and reading books.

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Posted on: June 30, 2021

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