I’ve written blogs in the past in which I’ve stressed the importance of taking small steps when starting a fitness goal. I find it is important not to take too much on too soon as there is a risk of becoming overwhelmed leading to giving up altogether.
I stand by that advice. However, this blog is not aimed at those just starting out. Rather it’s for the fair weathered exercisers, directed to the those who work out regularly but don’t see the results they seek. And I include myself in this category.
During my twenties, I set out to transform my body. I was very slim but I had always dreamt of adding more muscle. When I started lifting weights, I worked out about 2 or 3 times a week. After a few months of this, I still wasn’t where I wanted to be and became frustrated with the whole process. I started to question what was going wrong. Maybe the equipment wasn’t of good quality, possibly the workout plans I’m following were wrong. Or maybe it was my genetics. I wondered whether or not it was possible for my body to change. It’s funny how we are so quick to blame others but ourselves.
There is a great saying that states when you point the finger of blame, there are three pointing back at you.
Somewhere along the line, I stopped blaming other components and looked at myself. I realised that it was my effort, or lack of, which was holding me back. Sure, I may have been working out regularly but I wasn’t applying as much effort as I could have. Truth be told, I had only been going through the motions. I would take too much rest between sets. I was easily distracted by my phone. And when the going got tough and my muscles started to tire, I simply gave up rather than push through those vital last few reps.
Some say 90% of success consists of just showing up. However, we can’t disregard that last 10% which is actually doing the work and doing it well.
One of the biggest fitness inspirations I have is Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor. In the lead up to his fights, he recently captioned his workout photos with the slogans: “Real Work” and “True Work”. When asked to elaborate on this he said:
“Everywhere I look I see fake work or pretend work or pose work. I put in real work, hard work”.
I realised that if I was to really achieve the results I really craved, then I needed to pretending I was giving it my best and actually work a lot harder. This meant looking myself in the mirror and analysing where I was tapping out. I was wrapped up in my own bias and had convinced myself I was doing everything I could, therefore, being really honest with myself was somewhat of a bitter pill to swallow.
The truth can hurt.
And the truth is that transforming our bodies is not easy.
From that moment, I really improved my effort when working out. I exercised at least four times a week. Each time I switched off from the distractions of the day and completely immersed myself in the moment. No social media. No texting. My only focus was on the task in hand. I upped the weights and pushed myself further not giving in to the temporary pain of the sets. Initially, not a lot changed physically, however, I was experiencing much better highs after exercising. I was sleeping better and felt real pride in my efforts. After months of this, I finally started to see the results I wanted. Transforming my physique was a challenging process but so rewarding and one of the things I’m most proud of in life. What came with it was an overriding confidence gained from creating something purely from my own hard work. Looking back on my transformation, it wasn’t the physical changes that was most rewarding. Rather it was how I had managed to overcome challenges during the process. I had found a new level to my efforts that I never knew existed. That is what exercising, and life in general, is all about. It is supposed to test us in order for us to grow even stronger. It is designed to reveal the true qualities we possess.
In order to achieve what we haven’t achieved before, we need to break down these mental barriers that hold us back. Trying to reach a fitness goal can be daunting. There is a fear that if we try and fail then then there is only ourselves to blame. Moreover, there is also a fear that even if we do succeed, we may not be able to sustain it and we’ll feel even more of a failure. Well, I am writing today to say that this is completely natural to feel this way. It’s okay to feel scared. These are natural emotions. More importantly, it’s also okay to fail. The fact is trying is much more noble than never attempting. Because when it’s all said and done the most valuable experience we gain is through effort, regardless if they are successful or not.
If we do attempt to reach our goal, my advice is to be all in. There is no point in putting in half-hearted effort. It will get us nowhere except feeling frustrated and disheartened. We’re better off not trying at all in that case. If you find yourself feeling frustrated with fitness, it’s time to get real. Being all in is about being totally focussed on the task in hand, pushing yourself to do your absolute best, and picking yourself up in challenging times. It’s not easy but it’s not supposed to be. It can gruelling process which requires sheer determination at times. So, it’s important that we don’t get hung up on our failures or limitations. In the long run, these are just speed bumps. Our goal is the destination, so keep going.
When he won his championship belt, Conor McGregor described his rise as going from nothing to something to everything.
We too can transform our lives.
But remember, real change requires real work, true work.
Fitness in Your 30s 