Reps

One of the most gratifying moments for a coach is watching their members accomplish a fitness goal. Whether that goal be as simple as kicking up to a handstand, or turning over their first bar muscle-up, it brings a tremendous amount of happiness for myself, and for other fitness professionals. But, for myself, the best part about coaching is THE PROCESS of becoming a better coach, and the process of watching members develop into better versions of themselves. The process of watching them exercise during a metcon, work on their lifting, and stay after class to work on a skill is the most gratifying for me. I love watching members work hard for their progress, and for their fitness. As a former high level athlete, and as I’ve coached at many gyms I am aware of the end goal. The goal of finally successfully lifting that 155# snatch, or finally walking 50 ft. on our hands. As people, we have been programmed to focus on the end goal and not the process of accomplishing our end goal. We need reps. We need reps in fitness. We need reps in our careers. We need reps with our friends. We need reps in life. All of that is a process that needs to be valued more, and not sole focused on the end goal. When we focus on the end goal we focus on what’s next. What’s next after graduation? What’s next after that big job? What’s next after our marriage? We need to do a better job of living in the now, and getting our reps in for the macro. There is no such thing as perfect fitness. We can all be better at something that’s fitness related. Better jumpers, faster runners, and stronger lifters. Inversely, better coaches, better friends, better parents, and better people. All of these things involve reps. It takes time, patience, discipline, and work-ethic to be the best that we can be with the things that we do, the people that we associate with, and the children that we may raise.

If you feel like you are getting too caught up in the end goal, start focusing on the power of now. Start enjoying the process of becoming fitter. Relish the time you have with your friends and family, and get your reps in. Take the time to enjoy your parenthood and watch yourself become the best parent that you can be for your children. Stop focusing so much on what other people are doing, and focus on you. Focus on the things that you can control. Focus on how much time you are devoting to your fitness. Focus on the foods that you are consuming. Focus on how you are prioritizing your time, and how that time is affecting yourself, and the goals that you want to accomplish. The more you focus on what other people have, the fitness they have, the shoes they rock, the car they drive, and the trips they take, the more of a distraction it becomes in your life, and in your fitness.

Every day we are getting our reps in. In our jobs, with our friends, with our children, and with ourselves, enjoy it. It is a very powerful privilege to be alive and to be able to control the quantity and quality of our reps. Our reps go beyond fitness. Though fitness is a part of us, it is not who we truly are. Our reps demonstrate who we are, and allow us to be better versions of ourselves. Every once in a while we get no-repped. The best part about getting no-repped…is the process of learning and growing from it.