Motivation is one of the hardest parts of training. Not because you don’t want the goal, but because your brain sometimes fights you on the process. You want to get stronger. You want to learn skills. But there’s this quiet mental resistance when things feel hard, slow, or uncomfortable. After coaching hundreds of athletes in hybrid calisthenics, parkour, gymnastics, and Ninja Warrior, I’ve seen a clear pattern in who sticks with it and who doesn’t. The difference is not talent. It’s how they build habits, momentum, and milestones. 🧠 Motivation vs Discipline (A Reframe) Motivation is desire. Discipline is doing the thing even when you don’t feel like it. But here’s the key reframe: Discipline isn’t a superpower. It’s just a habit. If you brush your teeth every night, you’re disciplined. Not because you’re motivated. Because it’s automatic. So the real first step is not “get more motivated.” It’s make training stupidly easy to show up for. 🧱 Step 1: Turn Training Into a Habit If you’re starting or restarting, don’t aim for the perfect program. Aim for: • Something you can do every day • Something small enough to never skip • Something tied to an existing habit Examples: • 2–5 minutes after you wake up • A short session after work • One movement before bed Once the habit exists, you can improve the plan. Without the habit, the plan doesn’t matter. ❄️ Step 2: Build Momentum (The Snowball Effect) Momentum is what makes your brain say: “Hey… this is working. Let’s keep going.” To build momentum, you need visible progress. That means: • Tracking what you do • Choosing goals you can measure • Noticing small improvements Beginner skills are powerful for this: • 1 second → 3 seconds → 5 seconds • 5 reps → 6 reps → 7 reps Those small wins matter more than big goals early on. 📈 Milestones Beat Motivation Skills feel unmotivating when they’re vague. “Get a handstand” is too abstract. “Hold a pike handstand for 30 seconds with ears covered” is clear. Good milestones are:

Core and abs are not the same thing. Abs are mostly a visual thing. Core is what your body can actually DO with those muscles. You can have visible abs without much “core strength” (low body fat, genetics, etc.). And you can have a brutally strong core without visible abs (powerlifters are the classic example). In calisthenics, we care about core strength because it feeds skills like: • L-sit • Dragon flag • Human flag • Better handstands and body control ✅ The Biggest Mistake Most people train core like it’s cardio. Planks for 2–3 minutes. Hundreds of crunches. A lot of burn, not a lot of skill carryover. If you want skills, you need strength, not just endurance. The 3 Core Patterns That Actually Matter If you keep it simple, you really only need 3 categories: 1) Straight-body tension (isometric) This is your “full body lock” for things like dragon flag, planche, clean lines. Examples: • Hollow hold variations • Dragon flag holds and negatives (progressions below) 2) Compression and lifting (L-sit family) This is your ability to lift the legs and keep the hips working with the abs. Examples: • Floor leg raises • Hanging knee raises • Toe-to-bar progressions • L-sit holds as a skill 3) Side core and obliques (human flag family) This is the piece most people ignore until they try to flag. Examples: • Side plank • Star plank • 45-degree flag progressions 🐉 Dragon Flag Progression (Simple Rule) Think: control all the way down. A good order: • Leg lifts with strong hip open at the top • Dragon flag negatives • Single-leg dragon flag • Full dragon flag Key cues: • Hips stay open, glutes tight • No “drop point” where you collapse • Feet touch first, not hips Progression rule: • If you can do about 6–8 clean reps, test the next level • If the next level is 1–2 reps, do those, then finish your sets with the easier version 🪑 L-Sit Progression (Do Reps First) The L-sit is awesome, but the strength comes from the raises. A clean path:

A few mins of the flow movements sunday, when I figured out what I'm supposed to be doing, :-) getting used to some movements. Same today. Added a couple. I'll have to watch the vid again to remember what they were called.

I've joined now but with all the choices of what to do for feb I'm confused. I can't see the animal flow thing anywhere.

Today I want to pull back the curtain a bit and share how this community is doing, financially and structurally, and why it’s set up the way it is. Not to sell anything. Just to be transparent. 💰 The Numbers (No Hype) Right now, this community makes about $101 USD per month. That’s it. To be clear: • The Skool platform costs about $99 USD per month • The training app and nutrition tools cost about $70 USD per month So yes, I’m currently paying out of pocket to keep this running. And I’m completely okay with that. The goal has always been simple: • Keep the community free • Make it valuable • Help as many people as possible 🎯 Why Keep It Free? Because this space works. We’ve seen people: • Build handstands through consistency • Hit their first crow pose or holds • Show up daily after long breaks or injuries That only happens when pressure is low and support is high. I want this to remain a place where: • You can train without obligation • You can ask questions without being sold to • You can progress at your own pace 🤝 About the 1-on-1 Calls Some of you have booked the free 1-on-1 clarity call. Important note: This is not a sales call. The goal is to: • Talk through your goals • Help you understand what you actually need • Give clarity on direction If coaching makes sense, we talk about it. If it doesn’t, that’s completely fine. I never want someone paying for coaching they don’t need. 🧭 Finding the Right People (Without Pushing) One challenge I’m always thinking about is this: How do I make sure: • People who need coaching can find it • People who just want community feel zero pressure Those are two different needs, and both are valid. That’s why options exist, but nothing is forced. Think of it like a restaurant: • Some people are here to dine in • Some people want the full experience • Both should feel welcome 🔁 Action Still Matters One thing that does matter, even in a free group, is action. Results come from: • Posting • Trying things