Why Do I Love Fitness?
Because it has the power to completely transform lives. It’s one of the most powerful tools anyone can use for positive change. If you show up every day with commitment, dedication, work ethic, and perseverance to create a physical change in your body, what is stopping you from applying that same tenacity to achieving great things in every other part of your life?
There’s also the fact that physical strength produces a certain mental fortitude that wonderfully spills over into all other aspects of your life. Confidence rockets up, obstacles become opportunities, and all of sudden you’re doing amazing things with your life.
That, my friends, is the POWERFUL aspect of fitness.
But instead of me telling you all about powerful transformation, let me share a story of one of my experiences with a client of mine named Patrick. It’s a story of physical transformation, but more importantly, it’s more about a complete mental transformation. Patrick came to me interested in some “soccer training.” He wanted to improve his soccer skills after suffering a couple debilitating knee injuries.
6 months later he had stronger legs, more endurance, and quicker feet, but the real transformation was in his mind.
Sure Patrick dropped an impressive 11% body fat and over 20 lbs, but that physical change paled in comparison to the massive shift in his mindset.
Patrick is a very smart, successful business owner who makes 100’s of important decisions every day. But when it came to food and exercise, he was lost. I couldn’t blame him. He was a victim to his environment. And at the time, his environment wasn’t great.
Co-workers having junk food in the office chipped away at his finite willpower. And spontaneous morning client meetings made for challenging breakfast meals. And when he did have the time to think about the food choices, he was overwhelmed with all the options, and didn’t understand what foods would take him closer to his goals.
The Big Shift
BUT once he learned the basics of food, how certain macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat) affect hunger, satiety, muscles, energy levels AND once he experienced a different way to eat, it was as if he had been given a superpower.
He learned what worked for his own body, not what the new trending article on Men’s Health told him he SHOULD eat.
In the gym, we attacked the big muscles of the legs with tested, old school strength training exercises. We did a ton of squats and deadlifts. We also worked mobility into the hips to make sure that his new strength had the range of motion to be fully expressed as speed.
But the biggest transformation had nothing to do with what he ate in the kitchen or what exercises he performed in the gym. The shift occurred at the core of who Patrick was as a person.
He transformed his identity into a fit person. That was who he became.
Fit people move their bodies most days of the week. Fit people eat well, most of the time. Fit people have support systems to help them out in times of need. Fit people prioritize sleep.
Sure, some days were harder than others, but the motivation came from his identity. He was a fit person, that is who he was at his core, and therefore there was no questioning what he should do. It was just a matter of doing the work.
The short story is that Patrick’s physical transformation produced a dramatic shift in his mindset. He completely transformed his body, but more importantly, he approached every situation in his life from a completely different perspective. He regained power of his choices. He stepped into the person he wanted to be. This transformation certainly didn’t happen overnight, it took many months and there were plenty of setbacks. But in the end, the tenacity and perseverance that allowed Patrick to physically change his body gave him the confidence and skills to attack every other aspect of his life.
Seeing that switch and being part of such a incredible transformation is why I love fitness.
So I leave you with a question: Who do you want to be in 2018?
Why not make 2018 your year?
That’s what I say. Why the hell not?
But I’ll tell you this – starting is the hardest part and that that why we’re excited to help you jumpstart that journey! I created a free 5-day video training series that will get you started to feeling, looking, and feeling your best. You can get started right now by entering your info below..
