Bring out your warrior within!

Having a job in the fitness industry, not a day goes by that I don’t talk about strength.  We do strength workouts, we strengthen weak areas of our bodies, and we talk about having the strength to get through our workouts.  Strength is so important, from a baby learning to crawl and walk, to children and youth playing sports, to adults working and taking care of their homes and children, to the elderly staying strong enough to keep walking and moving.  We struggle to get to the gym and do our workouts, and sometimes it boils down to us just being scared.  If you are afraid or if you don’t think you have enough energy to show up and workout, I’m here to tell you that you are stronger than you realize.

           

I was listening to a story about someone who is having serious health issues.  The strength and positive attitude they have shown during this difficult time, made me think about the strength that we have all had to show at some point in our lives. There are many ways in life that people show incredible strength.  My wife and I have three children.  I watched the strength it took for her to carry those babies for nine months.  She was tired and sick during the majority of all three pregnancies, but she still worked full time, and during two of the pregnancies she was taking care of our other children also. Then you have the delivery of the babies, which is an entirely different level of strength that I can’t even begin to imagine.  Another example of strength would be my Dad.  He took care of my mom, who had cancer, for over a year before she passed way.  That was true, selfless strength.  Which leads me to my next example, my mom.  What she had to endure in the year that she battled cancer was a picture of brave and incredible strength.  I’m sure if you stop and think, you could name many other examples of strength being personified in every day life.  

Many times it is seen in someone that didn’t even realize they possessed that level of strength until it came shining through them; graduating from school, raising children, waking up everyday and going to work to provide for your family.  The list can go on and on, but what I can show you from these examples of strength is that going to the gym really isn’t that difficult.  If you are a woman and you’ve given birth, I’m pretty sure going to the gym is a lot less difficult and painless than childbirth (I asked my wife to be sure, and she confirmed that going to the gym is easier than having a baby).  For men, things like losing your job or worrying about the burden of not being able to provide for your family take incredible strength to get through, so working out pales in comparison.   On the flipside of this, I do realize that working out isn’t easy, I mean it has the word “work” in it.  I also know that there can be a lot of anxiety and fear in doing something you aren’t used to doing.  But let me tell you, it is so worth it in the end.  I truly believe that everyone has more strength than they realize.  I want to help you realize just how strong, mentally and physically, you are.  Training for Warriors (TFW) can affect all areas of your life and help to make you the best you can be inside and out.  At TFW we have a saying, “Bring out the Warrior Within”.  In short, this means that everyone has a warrior inside of him or her that’s just waiting to be released.  If you are interested in discovering your inner warrior, our next 8-week warrior challenge class starts this Monday, March 14th. I would love for you to be involved, and would love to help you overcome your fears and discover just how strong you truly are.

What makes you uncomfortable?

My second season as a track coach at our State Meet

As I've gotten older, I've realized that the things that make me the most uncomfortable are probably the things that will make me grow the most as a person.  Since I was a little boy I've always been quiet and reserved, especially in social situations, and wouldn't think of public speaking. So, if you told me when I was younger that I would volunteer to get up in front of a group of teenagers I didn't know and share about my career, I would have told you that you were crazy.  Well, it turns out you wouldn't be crazy after all, because I did just that. I was asked to speak at Laurel High School’s career day this past Tuesday, because some students had expressed interest in personal training.  I went and spoke in four, half hour sessions to the students, and even though it was uncomfortable, I gained so much from that experience. What I've realized though is that it hasn't been an overnight transformation, but a gradual one that has helped me be more comfortable in uncomfortable situations. I remember one of the first steps I took that made me uncomfortable was when I said yes to coaching a high school track team.  I didn't really want to do it, but I stepped out of my comfort zone and now I'm starting my sixth track season next week.  It's been a step by step process, and even though I still have times it's not comfortable, I look back and can't believe how far I've come and how rewarding it has been. 

Maybe you have an area of your life that makes you uncomfortable, and if you took that first step you would see big changes.  I think one area that makes people uncomfortable is starting a training program.  I see it all the time, people will call me about training but might not take action right away because of being uncomfortable.  It's awesome to see when they finally take that first step, granted sometimes a very difficult first step, and commit to training.  You see the growth that starts.  They go from being someone who is just getting through the workouts, to transforming to the person that can't miss a workout and is actually smiling at the end of it.  I think the great part about training that gets overlooked is the strength you gain from it to improve your life.  Most focus on getting that beach body or increasing their strength from lifting weights, but I think one of the best benefits you get is realizing that through sometimes uncomfortable workouts you gain the strength to get through difficult life circumstances.  If it makes you uncomfortable coming to a gym, but you really want to improve your health we have a great program to get you started. It is the Training for Warriors 8 week challenge. The program is set up for someone who is not comfortable going to the gym. You get to train with others who are just starting out or who haven't worked out in a while.  The program is all about starting slow and progressing in increments. We have new classes starting March 14^th.  They will meet Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 9:00am and 6:30pm, and we would love for you to join us.  As TFW founder Martin Rooney says, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable”.  I know I have, and I am better off for it.