Say It Out Loud

Chapters

• 0:00 A Member’s Unexpected Setback
• 0:34 Identity Shaken By Time Away
• 1:13 Social Pressure And Group Class Nerves
• 1:58 One-On-One As A Friction Remover
• 3:00 Why Speaking Problems Creates Clarity
• 3:43 Define It, Then Move Forward

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Train for a Great Life. I had a conversation recently with a member that I would like to share because I think there's some important pieces here. He's been away from the gym for about six weeks after an emergency surgery to deal with a blood clot. And if you knew him, that alone messes with the head a little bit. Because he's not the guy that you'd expect that to happen to. He's fit, he trains consistently, and honestly, part of the reason it went undiagnosed for a bit is because of how fit he is. So we were sitting down to talk about returning, which he asked me to come in and just have a chat about. It is the space between the ears. Being away from the gym and especially like how it's happened has messed with his identity a little bit. The routine, the version of himself that shows up, um, you know, gets that workout in first thing in the morning. And it and it's not something that we necessarily talk about enough. Um, you know, especially for people who have been consistent for years, five years, ten years, when you commit to something for that long, you're going to hit roadblocks. Um, you know, not because you're weak or unmotivated, but because life happens. Sometimes the thing that pulls you away is something from inside the gym, but more often it's something outside of the gym that forces you to reset your expectations. Um, he told me that he, you know, he wanted to come back to group classes. He was ready to do that, but also a little nervous. And um, that makes complete sense when people know who you are. There's this quiet pressure, sometimes self-imposed, you know, to look like you're actually doing better than you are on this return, you know, to hold a posture and not let the cracks show. Um, so the most obvious recommendation to me was this: let's start with a few one-on-one sessions. You don't need an audience, you don't need pressure, you don't need expectations, you just need to sort of be in your own little bubble for those first couple of days. Not because you can't handle the group, um, but because removing that friction matters, you know, especially when you're rebuilding confidence, not just the fitness. Um these these meetings, this is where I do some of my best work, and not because I'm special, um, but because I've seen this play out so many times, you know, I pay attention to people. I've I've been doing this for a long, long time. So, like, you know, seeing thousands of people, millions of workouts, people's expectations, you know, what they're carrying into the gym that day, stress, identity, fear, confidence, fatigue, life. Here's the part that really matters. When I have these conversations, I I don't, I'm not saying I deserve the credit. What actually helps this conversation is someone saying something out loud. When this stuff stays in your head, you don't really solve the problems. You kind of ruminate. You know, I I have this visual of this the same thought and idea just sort of bouncing around and and picking up speed and getting out of control, right? The same thoughts, they they don't they don't necessarily evolve, but the moment that you say it clearly to another person, you're forced to define it. Here's the problem, right? And once it's defined, then the solutions start to show themselves. And you know, what works, what doesn't, what's realistic right now, what can wait. That's the real takeaway, right? So if you're if you're working through something, whether it's fitness, health, stress, identity, life in general, um, don't do it alone. Use the resources around you, talk it out, um, you know, sit us sit across from somebody um that you trust and try to define the problem clearly. Um, you know, it's not weakness to show up that way, it's actually the fastest way forward. I will see you in the gym.