Train Your Edge: Resilience for the Modern Man

Resilience is the ability to adapt, recover, and grow stronger in the face of challenges, stress, or adversity. It’s about evolving ourselves in the spheres of mental toughness, emotional flexibility, and physical endurance. 

In a primal sense, resilience is what allows us to survive and thrive. Our ability and capability to overcome obstacles in life, pushing through a tough workout, or staying grounded in difficult times. 

Now what does building resilience look like in the current human experience? 

There are many trending modalities out there that can support us in building up our resilience in difficult circumstances. One that comes to mind is the rapidly growing arena of contrast therapy. That being cold plunging, saunas, and any other way to expose yourself to cold environments, cycled with exposure to high levels of heat. This in particular has many physiological, metabolic and psychological benefits to it, which I won’t at this time rabbit hole into. 

The question is, how does this help build resilience? I have a short and a long answer. The short one. It builds resilience because it's HARD. Its really hard to sit in a tub of ice water at 3-6 degrees for a prolonged period of time (2-3 minutes). It's really hard to sit in a hot sauna at 180-200 degrees for 20-30min. 

These are hard things to do, because they get really uncomfortable.

But that’s the point. Resilience is built in discomfort. It’s forged in those moments when every part  of your being is telling you  to get out of the ice bath, to leave the heat, to quit.

But you don’t. You breathe. You adapt. You push through. You survive. Each time you survive, you are extending the threshold of your capabilities. 

This practice extends far beyond the cold and the heat. Every time we willingly step into discomfort, whether it’s through contrast therapy, a grueling workout, a tough conversation, or life’s unpredictable struggles, we train ourselves to endure, to persist, and ultimately, shifting from surviving to thriving.

Resilience isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you cultivate. It’s the ability to face discomfort, to sit in the fire, and to come out the other side stronger. The more we engage in practices that test our limits, the more prepared we are for whatever challenges life throws our way.

Building resilience requires intentionally pushing your limits—mentally, physically, and emotionally. Here are some powerful ways to cultivate it and support yourself in building resilience:

Physical Resilience:

Cold Exposure & Heat Therapy – Cold plunges, ice baths, and saunas train your body to handle stress and discomfort.

Rucking & Endurance Training – Carrying weight over distance strengthens both body and mind.

Strength Training – Lifting heavy forces you to overcome physical and mental barriers.

Fasting – Controlled deprivation builds discipline and metabolic resilience.

Breathwork – Techniques like 9D Transformational breathwork, Holotropic breathing or box breathing train you to stay calm under pressure.

Mental Resilience:

Meditation & Mindfulness – Learning to sit with discomfort and silence helps regulate stress.

Deliberate Discomfort – Regularly do things that challenge you: take cold showers, wake up early, or train in the rain.

Backcountry Camping/Exploring- Unknown environments that are more rugged, raw and dangerous to live in for short or long periods of time.

Learn a New Skill – Pushing through frustration and failure builds grit.

Cognitive Reframing – Shift how you view obstacles; see them as opportunities rather than setbacks.

Reading & Study – Strengthening your mind with philosophy, psychology, and history gives you a mental edge.

Emotional Resilience:

Controlled Exposure to Stress – Face fears in a controlled setting (public speaking, sparring, improvisation).

Fireside Discussions & Brotherhood – Meaningful conversations with like-minded people build emotional strength.

Journaling – Processing thoughts and emotions in writing helps develop self-awareness.

Service & Giving Back – Helping others shifts focus away from self-pity and toward purpose.

Stoic Practices – Embrace voluntary hardship (fasting, discomfort, detachment) to strengthen your ability to endure.

True resilience is built in the depths of discomfort. The more you expose yourself to difficulty, discomfort and environments where you feel an immediate resistance, the stronger you become. 

The Growth Experience believes deeply in the intentional activation of resilience building and training. It's an important part of our programming and our team models it through the way we show up in the world.