Advise & Key Takeaways: The Athletes’ Journal | Drew #7
It’s almost the two year anniversary of my first session at the TB12™ Sports Therapy Center, so this feels like the perfect time to reflect on all of the progress I’ve made and lessons I’ve learned. I’ve talked about my initial experiences with TB12 in previous entries, and I don’t want to harp on them too much…but I think there are valuable lessons that can be learned from the challenges and successes I’ve experienced while integrating the TB12 Method into my daily life. What follows is my advice to you based on the lessons I’ve learned through TB12.
STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
I was very unsure of myself and what I was doing when I made my first appointment at the TB12 Sports Therapy Center. I had tended to play it safe, so the excitement I felt about having the opportunity to train with TB12 was masked by my fear of the unknown. I felt uneasy because the TB12 Method was so unique and foreign to me. I was optimistic that TB12 could provide me with the tools I needed to take my skills to the next level, but I was overwhelmed and intimidated by the thought of completely living the Method — for me, that’d be a major life change.
In the past, I had let this kind of fear overcome me and prevent me from allowing myself to experience new things. In this case, though, the opportunity TB12 presented was far too good to pass up, so I really challenged myself to conquer my fear of the unknown.
KEEP AN OPEN MIND
My venture into the TB12 Method came with a healthy dose of skepticism. I think it’s only natural to have questions and doubts when trying something completely new, but I wanted to learn as much as I could and ask informed questions before making any judgements. Looking back on my first few sessions, I’m so glad I approached it that way and kept an open mind about everything I learned.
I was a little overwhelmed by the idea of muscle pliability, which was a foreign concept to me when I started. All the talk about acidic vs alkaline diets, electrolytes, and body work, too… it can be a lot to take in! Trust me, I know there are both skeptics and advocates of the TB12 Method, which can give people strong first impressions of the brand and lifestyle — for better or worse.
With that in mind, I’d challenge you to withhold judgement and go out of your way to try something new. If you’ve never tried a TB12-aligned meal due to preconceived notions about plant-based eating, I’d encourage you to give the meals a shot for one week. If you’re reluctant to try a workout that uses only resistance bands because you’re familiar with weights, I’d encourage you to start with just one of the band workouts to see how you feel and how it challenges you differently than what you’re used to. Keep an open mind and let your experiences help you form opinions about the TB12 Method, no matter what you might have heard.
There’s absolutely no harm in trying the meals or exercises, and it’s okay if you don’t feel like they’re for you! I have a friend who used to laugh at me when I’d talk about pliability because he didn’t believe in it at all. For some reason, without ever trying it himself or listening to my explanation, he had dismissed it completely. I finally got so tired of his dismissiveness that I somehow convinced him to borrow my copy of The TB12 Method: How To Achieve A Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance and my TB12 Vibrating Roller and Vibrating Sphere. He agreed to try it for a few days, just to experience it for himself. This may not come as a shock to anyone, but he loved it! He was reluctant to admit it was helping him at first, but I pushed him to keep using it and he ended up noticing such a difference in the speed and quality of his recovery that he decided to buy his own Vibrating Roller.
I love telling that story because I think there’s a great lesson to be learned from being open-minded and trying new things. Far too often, people allow stigmas and preconceived ideas to prevent them from forming their own opinions about something like TB12, and I think that’s a real shame. I’m so thankful I was able to keep an open mind early in my TB12 experience. Now, the results speak for themselves — I wouldn’t be where I am today without the lifestyle changes I’ve made with TB12.
THANK YOU!
I’d like to wrap up the Athletes’ Journal by sincerely thanking anyone and everyone who has read about my journey with TB12 over the last few months. I’ve loved sharing my story with you all, and I really appreciate all the feedback and questions I’ve received from the TB12 community. I hope my story resonated with anyone who was skeptical about the TB12 Method or concerned that it couldn’t work for them. I’m almost two years into life as a TB12 Athlete, and I’m so much closer to my goals than I ever would have imagined before I came into my first session in Foxboro. For the first time in my life, I’m taking care of my body and training like an elite athlete in every area: pliability, workouts, hydration, nutrition, and cognitive. I’ve put myself in the best possible position to achieve my Olympic handball dream, and I owe it all to TB12.
The Athletes’ Journal will provide you with a first-person narrative on the TB12 Method, covering pliability exercises, workouts, hydration, nutrition, cognitive exercises, and rest. Our first TB12 Athlete, Drew, has been training at the TB12 Sports Therapy Center and living the Method for over a year as he pursues his goal of playing Olympic Team Handball. This is his second Athletes’ Journal, be on the lookout for more!
Read more Athletes’ Journals like this before anyone else on the TB12 Method mobile app!
