Just like the title says I take the CSCS exam tomorrow morning. CSCS stands for Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and it is the gold standard for fitness certifications. With this certification I would be able to apply for any strength and conditioning position in the country with full confidence that not only get an interview but take a strength and conditioning position. Just one catch, it's a really fucking hard test. The test is broken down into two sections: The Scientific foundations and practical/applied section. Within each section are breakdowns pertaining towards exercise science, nutrition, muscle knowledge, movement systems, energy systems, exercise technique, programming, testing and facility designs. On the NSCA website it says that only 38% of personal that take the test pass on the first time.....38%!! (I told you this test was hard!). Truthfully, that statistic shook me into not taking it. I almost chickened out. You know what drove me to take this test? PCS orders. There is an old line that pertains to writing but applies to testing as well, "I don't need more time. I need a deadline" Think back to an assignment that you had to turn in whether that is a paper, project or a work-related presentation. When you were up against a deadline you worked harder, when a deadline didn't exist the pressure to buckle down and do the work does not exist.
For the past six months I read and re-read the text, took notes, watched countless YouTube videos, and even started a blog as an academic exercise to prepare for the test. Tomorrow evening when I sit down to write a post I'll know if all these hours were in vain, or I was able to pass the exam. I should be nervous about taking it, but I'm not. I have an irrational confidence where I don't see failure at the end of the tunnel. That may have sounded egotistical but trust me its humble confidence. That in itself is irony, but it is what it is. Throughout the studying I have increased my fitness knowledge twin fold over the months studying. Enough material that I was able to publish a book, and monetize this blog. Whatever happens tomorrow I fell in love with the process again. The process of setting time in the evenings to studying, to maximize my time towards a goal. To paraphrase the Joker, habits are like gravity.... all it takes is a little push. Even if I fail tomorrow, good things have come from this experience. I plan to leverage this experience into more writing, more ways to build my ecosystem of fitness
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