How to become a true badass in times of weak people? Paweł Kozak

Kozak's entire philosophy pivots around 'robienie' – doing without deliberation. He sometimes hates the training he scheduled, so he simply ties his shoes and walks out the door. Even if he only does 10 rounds of 1km run + 20 burpees instead of a 12km run, it's a win. This principle, he argues, is what separates high achievers from dreamers who over-optimize and wait for perfect conditions. The protocol is deceptively simple but demands that you act regardless of emotional state, which over time hardwires a response that neuters the 'I don't feel like it' voice. He learned this through years of being told he couldn't do things and deciding to just try anyway.

Kozak explains that when he set the Hard'suka as a 100kg non-mountaineer, people bet on when he would quit. That doubt fueled him. Similarly, the sub-10-hour Ironman was deemed impossible for his weight. He deliberately placed himself in positions where failure was the expected outcome, because that forced him to access mental reserves he didn't know he had. He contrasts this with people who only take up challenges 'for fun' – he says do it 'for serio'. He believes that the fear itself, when conquered, rewires your entire identity and makes the next impossible thing seem doable.

He used HR to cap his effort on the bike, staying below a threshold that he intuitively knew would leave gas for the marathon. Despite no aero equipment, no power data, and a last-minute storm delay, he averaged 38.9 km/h on the 185km bike leg and ran a 3:43 marathon. This approach mirrors his broader 'Kozak mentality' of stripping away excuses. He mocks cyclists with expensive setups who can't cope in poor conditions and argues that feeling the effort is a lost skill. He believes that the performance ultimately comes from the head, not the gear, and that if you know yourself well, you can execute regardless of external chaos.