Are you "ready?"

read⋅yˈ re-dē

adjective, read⋅i⋅er,read⋅i⋅est,

verb, read⋅ied, read⋅y⋅ing,

noun, interjection

–adjective

• 1.completely prepared or in fit condition for immediate action or use: troops ready for battle; Dinner is ready.
• 2.duly equipped, completed, adjusted, or arranged, as for an occasion or purpose: The mechanic called to say that the car is ready.
• 3.willing: ready to forgive.
• 4.prompt or quick in perceiving, comprehending, speaking, writing, etc.
• 5.proceeding from or showing such quickness: a ready reply.
• 6.prompt or quick in action, performance, manifestation, etc.: a keen mind and ready wit.
• 7.inclined; disposed; apt: too ready to criticize others.
• 8.in such a condition as to be imminent; likely at any moment:a tree ready to fall.
• 9.immediately available for use: a ready source of cash.
• 10.pertaining to prompt payment.
• 11.present or convenient: to lie ready to one's hand.

–verb (used with object)

• 12.to make ready; prepare.

–noun

• 13.the state or condition of being ready.
• 14.Informal. ready money; cash.

–interjection

• 15.(used in calling the start of a race to indicate that racers should be prepared to start): Ready! Set! Go!

—Idioms

• 16.at the ready, in a condition of readiness, available for immediate use: shoppers with their umbrellas at the ready; soldiers keeping their weapons at the ready.
• 17.get ready! (in calling the start of a race) be prepared to start: Get ready! Get set! Go!
• 18.make ready,a.to bring to a state of readiness or completion; prepare.b.Printing. to ready a press for printing.
• 19.ready up,

British and Australian Slang. to swindle.Origin: 1150–1200; ME redy, early ME rædig, equiv. to OE rǣde prompt + -ig -y 1

Synonyms: 1. fit, set. 3. agreeable, glad, happy. 4. alert, acute, sharp, keen, adroit, facile, clever, skillful, nimble, adaptable.

Antonyms: 1. unfit. 3. unwilling.

The term "ready" is thrown around quite casually, frequently inappropriately. Sort of like the word "love." To be ready for something is quite a statement. It infers that the actor is prepared, willing, and able. Those words are also quite loaded.

I asked a woman today to describe her running training. She regularly runs for more than 60 minutes. She runs for enjoyment and general fitness, rather than for race prep. But I asked her how that pace of her running prepared her for a life-or-death sprint away from a violent pursuer. She said, "I'd give it all I had to get away." I don't doubt that. But my next question was, "Is 'all you have' good enough?"

I did more than hurt her feelings. I made her look at the ugly reality that she wasn't really all that better off by this slow, inefficient, ineffective approach to fitness training. Sure it is better than sitting on the couch, but how practical is running for 60 minutes when it comes to preparing for life's disasters and crises? Her training, while it makes her FEEL GOOD, doesn't really make her READY for anything.

Life is filled with opportunities to fail or succeed. Win or lose. Live or die. In the words of concealed pistol carry trainer John Farnam, "When you least expect it, you're elected." These opportunities arise with little or no warning. Sprinting for dear life. Lifting heavy objects up off trapped people. Pushing away would-be attackers. Fighting against a rapist's roll of duct tape. Swimming to safety. All these chance encounters with tragedy are filled with players from two opposing camps: those who are ready, and those who are not.

Which are you?

If you participate in a functional fitness model that stresses general physical preparation, chances are you are the type of person who takes readiness into his/her own hands. You probably see results, build confidence, and know your abilities much better than those who simply workout "because it makes them feel good." You lift heavy weights from ground to overhead. You run 400M sprints. You do pullups. You throw medicine balls. You punch heavy bags. You tackle and own as many skills and abilities as possible. YOU ARE READY.

Functional GPP programs force participants to take score. The workouts are repeated from time to time. And quantifiable "scores" show whether efforts are in vain, or produce real-life results. Not just "feel good" emotions. Are you getting fitter, or just think so? Simply put, the more real abilities one has, the more ready one is for the unknown. And only a score or a number can tell you what your physical skills are!

The statistics of interval and high-intensity training do not lie: these methods produce higher results in less time than other longer duration methods. You can pick how you spend your precious time and effort. Do you want to feel good? Or do you want to survive, win, and live?