How many workouts do you walk away from and think to yourself….”Shit, that was a hard session, I wasn’t sure if I could finish that!!!”? Chances are that if you’re a client of ours, then you’ve probably said it to yourself a few times……

However if most people who train and exercise regularly on their own were to be completely honest, I would bet that most if not all of them would agree that they don’t push themselves 100% in the gym all the time. In fact, I would go as far as to suggest that they don’t even push themselves 50%. From what I’ve seen in the gyms that I visit, the only pushing and pressing that most people are doing is on their cellphones while their texting and tweeting in between sets.

My Own Internal Struggle

For myself personally, I literally get knots in my stomach hours before my own training sessions begin. As my workout time nears, this feeling becomes even more intense. And this is simply due to the fact that each and every workout I do on my own is insanely intense and ridiculously brutal. I mean, I do drop sets, giant sets, super-sets. I throw in 3-count negatives followed my 4-count positives. Overtraining to me is a make believe word, and one used only by the lazy and incompetent. But enough of my macho bullshit. When it comes to working with the general population, I obviously don’t apply the exact same training methods to their workouts as I do to my own. And not because I think I’m better or more fit then the people I train, but strictly because our individual goals are different.

How Hard Do You Train?

I want to state for the record that I believe my clients’ workouts are actually more difficult to complete then my own. Why? Because I’m there to make sure that they push themselves above 100% each and every time they set foot in the gym. Regardless of how they are feeling, my job is to ensure that they get the most out of each and every training session that they complete. Therefore I give each and every workout that I take them though 110% of my own guidance, focus and enthusiasm. Whether I’m teaching a private session, partner session, or conducting a small group class, every single client that enters our training facility receives every ounce of energy that I can sum up into their workout.

Time – The Most Precious Commodity 

As I mentioned at the beginning of my blog, I don’t feel as if most people train hard enough in the gym. Whether they are resting too long in between sets, wondering around aimlessly trying to figure out which exercise to go to next, taking selfies in the squat rack or scrolling through their Instagram newsfeed, they are obviously not training to the utmost of their potential. And to me this is a complete waste of time. And time really is the most precious commodity out there and one that I don’t want to waste. Therefore whether I’m training myself or training my clients, I DON’T WASTE TIME. If our workout starts at 5am, then we are warming up at 4:58am. If I see a client choosing to lift too light in a circuit, then I call them on it and increase their weight during the next round. If I witness a client chatting too much with their neighbour in their group class in between sets, then I add in an intense cardio circuit to keep them gasping for air so that they don’t waste what little oxygen they have available, on a conversation that they can have AFTER their workout. Our clients are working with us to train not to socialize. They demand results and therefore we demand their effort.

Training Hard Isn’t For Everybody…..And That’s OKAY

8x Mr Olympia Ronnie Coleman had a famous saying in which he stated that “Everyone wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy ass weight!”. Now obviously not everyones’ goal in life is to be a bodybuilder, however for most of us that workout and exercise on a regular basis, our ultimate goal is to look and feel better about ourselves. Where theres truth in Coleman’s statement, is that people want the results but are not willing to put in the time and work needed to achieve them. And as delusional as these people might be, it’s okay if they don’t wish to train hard. Just like it’s okay if people don’t want to work hard. Sure, to many of us this might seem as a lazy and idle way to live one’s life. However who are we to pass judgement on how another person sets out to achieve or underachieve his or her goals?

Shaming the Shammers

I believe it’s so important not to ostracize and shame people who might not share the same work ethic or ambition as you or I may have. Sure, we can joke and make light of certain situations (seriously the damn gym selfies need to stop!!!). However for the most part, I think it’s important to just remain put in our own lanes and develop a sense of tunnel vision on our own goals and values so that we do not become distracted by others who surround us with their lackluster efforts and behaviour.

“You only have so much emotional energy each day. Don’t fight battles that don’t matter.”
Joel Osteen

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance