Every soldier preparing for their try out/ Gibush/ Yom Sayarot etc. has heard that saying. It means that at the end your mind will determine whether you’ll quit or continue – which is absolutely true. BUT, is not quitting good enough to get into the elite units? Not even close.
The competition for the elite units has always been fierce. However, with combat fitness becoming mainstream among Israeli youth and information about the Gibush and Yom Sayarot being available on the internet, candidates arrive better prepared than ever. Less people quit as they are mentally and physically more prepared, yet the same limited number get a Gibush for the units. If “It’s all in the head” was true in the 90’s – it’s just a starting point today.
So, if it’s not all in the head? Where is it?
Its also in the head. But its in the lungs, in the legs, in the arms and every single aspect of your physical abilities. The mental part of the game starts when one reaches their physical limits. This means the fitter the person the shorter his mental game must be. What might be an extremely mental evolution for some, can be a walk in the park for others (who are much fitterof course).
Understanding this is the foundation to start your training for the IDF sorting process. Tzevet Lohamim builds its program to check all the boxes. Aerobic and anaerobic fitness, Physical and Mental strength, and injury management above all else.
Training to not quit is not enough. You must train to be the BEST – understand that every day that you are not training, someone else that wants it just as much as you do (if not more) is training hard. The real mental game is not on the day, its months before. Every morning, every session, every exercise must be executed as the one that will determine whether you’ll get into the unit of your choice.
Being in an elite unit is not what serving in the IDF is about – far from it. However, there is no shame in wanting to get to the top. For those who do, you cannot boil down what you need to one thing… But, if there is one most important thing a candidate must have to be in the 0.02% that end up in the elite units, it would be Work Ethic.
If you are willing to work harder and for longer than anyone else – YOU WILL TRIUMPH.
Written by - G.Aviram