Left of Blast

Being Ready Before Things Blow Up

Often it's not until the arrival of unwanted effects are we aware of the building risk of catastrophe. Focus then turns to the identification of the things that led to this unwanted event and how we can stop it from happening again.

Fundamentally this is what learning is all about regardless of time scale or domain. When it comes to health and performance we look to see what it is

Last year I attended the Navy SEAL Foundation's IMPACT Forum. I was invited as a keynote speaker but that's not what this post is about. In addition to my presentation I had the opportunity to mingle and collaborate with thought leaders in the space of special operations health and performance.

One question that was posed repeatedly by many who are or were in senior leadership positions was: how do we get left of blast?

Left of blast refers to everything that happens before a critical event — the “blast,” the ambush, the crisis point. Everything after is called right of blast — and by then, you’re reacting.

Over the years, this phrase has crept out of tactical planning rooms and into broader use. Now, it also stands as a powerful metaphor for getting ahead of problems before they become catastrophes — identifying threats early, adapting to changing conditions, and building systems that can flex before they break. At the IMPACT Forum it was referring to developing systems that prevent catastrophic injuries or health problems far ahead the moment.

While this thinking can be helpful it also can lead us astray. We can develop a delusional relationship with what is truly preventable and what is an embedded part of the choices we are making.

Let's take a closer look at how this metaphor can inform a better framework for how we think about things like injury prevention and even illness in the world of health and performance.

No Free Lunches

In the world of health and performance, the logic of left of blast holds strong. Training plans, recovery protocols, breathwork, stress monitoring — all of it is aimed at staying left of blast. It’s how we keep the body and mind out of emergency mode. It’s how we adapt before we're forced to react.

But here’s the hard truth:

Performance is expensive.

In high-stakes professions like special operations, elite sports, or big-wave surfing, that cost can be physical, mental — even existential. Regardless of the intensity of your chosen domain of performance there’s no version of reality where you can push the edge and avoid risk entirely. That’s just not how nature works.

I was talking with someone recently about injury risk in tactical settings — how do you really stay left of blast when the job is the blast? That conversation reminded me of a post about Kai Lenny’s 2024 wipeout at the Banzai Pipeline. The wipeout cracked his helmet and left him with a severe concussion.

So — could he have avoided it?

Only one way: don’t surf. But that’s not how it works.

Warriors go to war. Surfers surf. Fighters fight.

Being left of blast can and should mean searching out what behaviors are truly avoidable and add undue risk that doesn't elevate our ability to stay healthy or performa better. With that said, it's essential to admit to ourselves that some activities carry inherent risks with them and furthermore that what we are implementing is cost mitigation strategies and not wholesale prevention.

The most surefire way to keep all your money is to never spend it.

Get Left

Being left of blast doesn't mean everything we dislike or want to avoid is now preventable. Some challenges are baked into the fabric of nature. Even the most adaptable, specialist creature on Earth — us — can't outsmart everything. (Read: sarcasm.)

As I’ve said many times: there are no free lunches in this lifetime.

Being left of blast isn’t about making performance free of consequence — it’s about recognizing costs early and managing them wisely. With the right systems in place, we can avoid some moments of crisis altogether. And when we can’t? We’re better prepared to recover.

So what does left of blast mean when avoidance isn’t on the table?

It means cost mitigation.

It means building capacity — physically, mentally, emotionally — so you can push hard and still bounce back. It means making high performance more sustainable, less damaging, and more responsive to feedback.

It means designing systems that help you adapt before crisis, and recover faster if it comes. Like a tactical unit with multiple exit routes, you train for flexibility, not just force.

Left of blast isn’t just a strategy. It’s a relationship — to stress, to risk, and to the path you’ve chosen to walk.

Thanks for reading,

Rob

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Check out this amazing review for my book Check Engine Light (Out June 17!)

“In the relentless drive of high performance, it’s easy to overlook the warning signs until something breaks. Slowing down requires courage, especially when pushing through is second nature. As a client of Rob’s, I’ve experienced firsthand how his straightforward approach helps you recognize those critical moments. Check Engine Light is your guide to staying in the fight—and staying whole while doing it.”

– Britt Slabinski, Medal of Honor Recipient & Former Command Master Chief, USN SEAL Teams