ANYONE can be mentally tough.

Summary #

The video outlines a mental toughness training regimen centered around daily planking. It explains how planking can lead to neurobiological changes in the brain that enhance mental stamina, energy, and neuroplasticity, while also building mental toughness and emotional resilience. The speaker shares personal experiences and provides a detailed, evidence-based routine, emphasizing the role of distraction, deliberate pain exposure, positive self-talk, goal setting, and mindfulness to improve mental fortitude.

The Plank as a Mental Toughness Tool #

• Beyond physical: Planking is presented as 90% mental exercise.
• BDNF benefits: Planking releases Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which:
  • Increases brain cell lifespan.
  • Promotes neurogenesis (new brain cell growth) in the hippocampus, crucial for memory and learning.
  • Boosts synaptic plasticity, making brain cells connect more easily.
  • Leads to stronger, more flexible brain networks, improving learning, stress management, and reducing anxiety/depression.
• Personal experience: The speaker planked for 15-30 minutes daily for 10 years, noting significant mental changes beyond physical gains.

Training Agency (Belief in Possibility) #

• "No real limits" mindset: Challenges self-imposed limits, referencing the 4-minute mile barrier.
• Personal mantra: "If it doesn't break the laws of physics, I can make it happen."
• Plank as proof: Uses the plank (a painful exercise) as proof of personal capability and expanded comfort zone.
• Self-talk: "Most people put limits on themselves, but not I."

Overcoming Consistency Challenges (Distraction and Pavlov's Two Rules) #

• Problem: Consistency is difficult for painful exercises.
• Solution: Distraction: Engaging the brain with sensory and emotional distractions.
• Optimal distraction: Video games, shown to increase pain tolerance, lower pain perception, reduce anxiety, and improve willingness to repeat painful tasks.
• Pavlov's Two Rules:
  1. Addictive game: Choose a highly engaging game.
  2. Plank-exclusive play: Only play the game while planking.
• Neurobiological impact: Planking (with BDNF) makes the brain highly neuroplastic, so associating planking with a rewarding game molds the brain to crave the plank.
• Outcome: Becoming "addicted" to planking, minimizing pain felt during the exercise.

Embracing Pain for Mental Calculus (Exposure Therapy & Stress Inoculation) #

• Beyond distraction: While distraction helps, the speaker also advocates for embracing the pain itself to train the mind.
• "Naked plank": The first half of the plank is done without distractions (no phone, no music).
• Mental calluses: Repeated exposure to difficult tasks builds "mental calluses," improving tolerance and desensitization.
• Scientific basis: Exposure therapy/stress inoculation training reduces fear response and improves resilience.

Specific Mental Training Exercises During Naked Plank #

• No negativity: Reframe all negative thoughts with positive self-talk.
  • "I don't know if I can do this" becomes "I can do this" becomes "I am doing this."
• Resilience priming ("Mental Cookie Jar"): Store evidence of past successes (like holding the plank) to fuel future challenges.
  • "I am doing this" becomes "Of course I can do this because I've already done it before."
• "Better than yesterday" rule: Always add a few seconds to the plank duration each day.
  • This builds confidence as it's a small, achievable increase based on past success.

Tracking and Gamification #

• Multi-timer app: Used to track planking time, switch between naked and reward planks, and record total planking time.
• Multiple boards: The app is also used for tracking study time (Pomodoros) and YouTube content creation.
• Data syncing: Syncs with Notion for real-time updates and accountability.
• Gamification: Transforms daily tasks into a game for increased motivation and progress tracking.

Emotional Resilience Through Mindfulness Training #

• Research support: Studies show mindfulness training improves mental resilience, endurance, cognitive, and executive functions in athletes.
• Training the autonomic nervous system: During the naked plank, the goal is to override the "fight or flight" response to pain.
• Calm and curiosity: Training oneself to stay calm, relax, and be curious about the pain instead of reacting negatively.
• Scanning the body: Noticing muscle tension and types of pain.
• Physical vs. emotional pain: Distinguishing between the temporary nature of physical pain and the lingering, more damaging emotional pain (fear, anxiety, insecurity, self-doubt).
• Amydala control: Mindfulness helps prevent emotional pain from taking over, which can lead to quitting.
• Thought awareness: Recognizing negative thoughts as just "voices in the head" and emotions as temporary.
• Cognitive Behavioral Training (CBT) in real-time: Self-editing thoughts, questioning self-limiting beliefs, and recognizing the physical pain as a privilege for growth.
• Celebrating difficulty: Enjoying the pain as a sign of brain and body change, belonging to an "extraordinary people" club, and a guaranteed life improvement.