When Repetitions Become Boring

I tackle certain exercises such as Squats, Pull-Up, Push-ups and V-Ups and do my best to do as many repetitions as I can whether in a row or in total.....I have done 500-1000 Squats in a row on a few occasions, 600 total push-ups in a single workout, nearly 50 pull-ups in a workout and over 200 V-ups using a deck of cards. There comes a time where doing a lot of reps in a workout just becomes let's say so tedious & boring (more boring than anything) and you have had enough. It isn't because they're not good or that they don't produce results but are you really getting the most out of them mentally and emotionally invested; in other words, are you even having fun doing them?

Don't get me wrong, calisthenics are phenomenal and do a lot of good for the body but where are you truly? If you're having fun with them than that's amazing and it makes me happy you enjoy them but after doing something of 100 or more reps, it's time to find something new. This is where Animal Movements come into play and why I'm so passionate about them. They have opened my eyes to other possibilities than doing endless reps of calisthenics. I love to have the ability to move my body in awkward positions, stabilize my core different and walk or jump in ways that calisthenics can't even touch. Let's say you can do 500 Squats consistently, why not amp it up and do 500 Frog Jumps or take 500 Steps of a Bear Crawl or Crab Walk? Even the greatest athletes might need an oxygen mask after doing 500 steps or jumps of an animal exercise.

Instead of rep after rep, how about taking steps in different directions and see how long you can go. It's all about perspective and what you really get out of it. I get far more enjoyment and a challenge when I do animal movements than when I do high amounts of reps of a regular exercise. 500 Squats is awesome to do, but once you get the hang of it, it's not impressive anymore and it becomes a cycle of doing it day after day. I want to be invested in something that gives me that thrill of a challenge and keep coming back for more, I wasn't thrilled about doing 500 Hindu Squats anymore and knowing I can do them, loses my interest; not knowing how i'm going to do the animal moves or what the dice game comes up with that day makes me anxious but in a good and I look forward to either a day of playing or a day of ass kicking (it's 50/50 everyday for me).

The "Human" aspect of fitness when it comes to calisthenics is finding out how many reps in solid form can be done (except for crossfit, most of them wouldn't know form if it was written on their foreheads) and how often to keep doing them. For guys like Karl Gotch taught the idea of 500 Squats, 250 Hindu Push-ups and Bridging as the fundamentals for wrestling/MMA, Alvaro Romano taught Ginastica Natural which took aspects of Yoga, Flow Movement and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to combine elements that condition the body for fighting and health plus others and their ideas are awesome and have worked for many people but I tend to go my own route, learn what I can use and mold it as my own. Now the Animal aspect of fitness is where you learn to coordinate your body from awkward angles, crawl, jump and utilizing the fundamental elements of nature which is the original form of calisthenics.

I love being an animal and I'm far from boredom when I get in that zone. It's playing a game and learning how to use your brain and put in a different kind of effort to live healthy, strong and vibrant. You can never get bored with Animals, they don't take up much time to even start to feel bored cause you'll want to catch your breath. Go wild my friends.