For Every 5 Workouts …
Sometimes you come across a writer that has such a special lens that they see the world through and can communicate that message so clearly and articulately. Dan John is that writer for me. I was lucky enough to be introduced to his book, Never Let Go, by my director when I started in the fitness industry back in 2014. While he has written what seems to be a never ending list of experiential nuggets that you can benefit from, there has always been one quote that is my biggest take away.
“In a group of five workouts, I tend to have one great workout, the kind of workout that makes me think in just a few weeks I could be an Olympic champion, plus maybe Mr. Olympia. Then, I have one workout that’s so awful the mere fact I continue to exist as a somewhat higher form of life is a miracle. Finally, the other three workouts are punch-the-clock workouts: I go in, work out, and walk out. Most people experience this.”
Dan John (Never Let Go)
In over 13,000 hours coached thus far in my career, I have been fortunate enough to be a part of many success stories related to fitness. I have had folks regain independence following injury, remove pre-diabetes and high blood pressure from their medical history forms, and feel confident in what they see and how they feel.
While no journey is identical to another, there are some constants that are always present in these stories. Consistency is, and always will be, the most important aspect in accomplishing any goals that you want to achieve. That’s why this quote has had the most impact in how I coach my clients.
Most everyone has had those workouts that you put your headphones in and everything just clicks. The weight feels light, you move from exercise to exercise like a well oiled machine, and you walk out the door feeling like you can take over the world.
Consequently, everyone has had workouts where you realize you forgot to eat lunch, your boss just sent an email as you’re walking in the door, and your headphones die before your first set. It seems like someone turned the gravity up, your joints hurt with every rep, and you wonder why you even do this to yourself.
Success is not accomplished from the workouts where everything feels right and failure is not defined by the workouts that you have to drag yourself through and end early. Those polarizing outcomes don’t represent the majority of your workouts and therefore do not represent the majority of your results.
Success comes from the workouts where you walk in the door feeling “meh,” move around and find a bit of a groove, and walk out the door feeling better than when you got there. You start stringing together week after week of these unsexy workouts and slowly start to realize that things that you struggled with before are a bit easier and your clothes are starting to fit a little differently.
Take advantage of the days where you feel like King Kong, be lenient and forgiving to yourself on the days you feel like trash, and put in the work to check the box on all the days in between. Being able to wrap your head around the idea that 80% of your workouts will likely be on a sliding scale of uninspiring isn’t something to be discouraged about.
Ideally, we are making your time in the gym as effective and efficient as possible, but it is equally important to not major in the minutia and let perfect be the enemy of done. Establish consistency first, set your expectations realistically, and understand that there are times where you will need to throttle back just as much as you need to hammer down.
