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The Fit Perception
The Fit Perception
The Best Version Of Yourself
How can we navigate the turbulent waters of our current political climate while prioritizing our personal well-being? This week on the Fit Perception Podcast, I take you on a heartfelt journey from my days in musical theater to a touching moment at church with my son that made me reflect deeply on our shared need for happiness. Join me as I ponder whether my career in fitness is just about improving health or something much more meaningful, and how we can all strive to feel genuinely good about ourselves beyond the noise of ideological battles.
We then switch gears and address the heart of effective fitness—creating spaces that foster personal growth and well-being rather than following fleeting trends. Drawing from my childhood in a hardworking family, I emphasize the importance of consistency and effort over quick fixes. We also bust fitness myths and debunk the glamorization of complex exercises, advocating instead for practical and effective methods that offer real benefits. This chapter is all about sustainable, hard work and creating an environment conducive to long-term fitness goals.
Finally, we delve into the dynamics of training solo versus group workouts. Discover how modern fitness tools can enhance your performance and prevent injury, and learn about the psychological and emotional advantages of group training. Feeling inspired by others' hard work can boost your consistency, motivation, and enjoyment of exercise. We wrap up with a powerful call to action—asking yourself, "How good can I be?" multiple times a day. This mindset not only pushes you to be your best but also fosters a life filled with purpose and fulfillment. Don't miss this episode packed with introspection, practical advice, and inspiration to unlock your full potential.
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What's up y'all? How are we? Welcome back to another episode of the Fit Perception Podcast. I'm your boy T, and I think today's going to be kind of short. I have a tendency to run my mouth for a while on these episodes, which I guess is okay, but there's not a ton of pertinent things I think to really talk about, so it'll probably be a little shorter. It's fine, it's all good. I do hope everyone is having a fantastic day, a great week. I hope that the last episode was helpful, the final takeaway at least, and I kind of like okay. So here's the thing.
Speaker 1:The reason that this could be very short is cause I've been kind of emotional, the last, probably about the last week, maybe a week and a half, um, where here's, here's the deal. So I was doing something right. So, going back to the Tarzan experience, I was doing something right. So, going back to the Tarzan experience, I was doing something that was so fun and so demanding and so exciting and something that required so much love from me which I know sounds weird, right, but so much enthusiasm, maybe, for bringing joy to other people that it was like a high. It was like being high where I was always constantly doing things that made me happy and and having people tell me me wow, you made me feel joy, or you made me feel loved, or you made whatever it was. I went from constantly hearing that every day and feeling that every day to well, I can't say I don't. I can't say I don't feel it every day here doing my career and my family, but it's different y'all. It's different. Musical theater is such an innocent beauty that when you're not around it, it's very difficult At least for me it's very difficult to find that same kind of innocent joy.
Speaker 1:And I was thinking about it yesterday at church with my son and we were singing a hymn. And if you don't know, if you didn't know this before, I'm a very deeply religious person. I don't generally talk about it on here just because it's very personal to me, but I am very religious. And so I was at church, I was singing this hymn with my son and I just started crying. Dude, I just started crying and it wasn't because of the song necessarily as much as like, I just wanted.
Speaker 1:I had this overwhelming feeling of I just wanted people to feel good. I just wanted people to feel good about themselves, to feel happy, to feel like they matter, to feel, um, important, to feel just genuinely good, um, it made me so sad that people don't feel that and people give in too much to this freaking. I'm a part of this tribe, and I'm a part of this tribe and this is what we think and this is what those people think, and we don't like those people because they think this way Dude, just be happy, though. Just be happy At the end of the day, that's all that matters, literally, that is all that matters is if you and the people that you love are happy period, end of story. And and you can say, yes, you know, and so I'm going to go fight for those people. Okay, no, no, let other people be happy too. There's way too much. Just if, if those people are happy and I I don't agree with them, then I have to impose my happiness upon those people, which is such an effed up way of thinking, um, and I guess, I guess a lot of this has to deal with the fact that we're in an insane political climate right now and all I see is just people hating other people, which is so insane, so insane to me, that you could be so into your politics that you would hate someone else on both sides. Neither party is innocent in that regard, um, which is makes me sick to my stomach. It makes me so sad, um, but I was.
Speaker 1:I was also thinking about not to be a downer this whole podcast but I was also thinking about the things that bring me joy and the things that make me happy. Um, and obviously musical theater is one of those things. Fitness is one of those things. Fitness actually is like 80% of those things. Um, and I was thinking about how, like you know, I, I do fitness as a career. Um, and I was.
Speaker 1:I was pondering again, I was, I was very emotional this weekend Like I. I was outside, working in the sun, having my, my mind just wandering thoughts, you know, and and uh, I do a career that I did not go to school in. I went to school in political science. Go to school in, I went to school in political science. That's where my whole love of debate and arguing and philosophy comes into play. But I was thinking about like, okay, I'm in this career that I really can't, really, if I switch careers, it would be rough, fam, it would be a hard transition because I have no idea how to do anything else.
Speaker 1:But I'm in this career of fitness and I was thinking about all the people in my life so far, throughout my career, that I've been in contact with, and and I was thinking like T, have you genuinely helped him be more fit or more athletic?
Speaker 1:Or like, what was your purpose in interacting with those people, those clients, the training them, did you help them become more fit? And was that the most important thing? And the answer is no. At the end of the day, I all of the clients that I've trained and that I've interacted with I'm sure they have received some sort of health benefit. I mean, you're going to be healthier if you work out, if, rather than if, you don't work out. Right, that's a pretty basic concept, but I don't think I don't personally think that any of that had to do with me. Like I did not get them healthier. They got healthier possibly just because they were working out, but it had nothing to do with me.
Speaker 1:But all of those interactions, I was thinking about them and I was like, oh, hopefully, I hope cross my fingers that they would agree that I made them happy and whether that was I made them laugh or maybe that was I took their mind off of something that was sad, or I let them de-stress, or they just unloaded on me. Whatever it was, they felt happiness and peace and comfortable when they were with me, and so I was thinking I was like, oh my gosh, that's why I'm in fitness, that's why I love fitness, and that's why I'm in fitness, that's why I love fitness. It has very little to do with the actual, with what that healthy and fit focus brings into my life. Oh, it makes me mentally happier. It makes me my, my, my stress and my anxiety and my depression. It helps curb those, um, you know it, it helps me focus on being confident and pushing myself and becoming stronger.
Speaker 1:And so when I think about the people that I'm in contact with and that I'm, you know, trying to help that's what I'm trying to do I realized, like I'm not trying to create the most insane athletic person you've ever seen, like I'm not trying to create the most unbelievable body of all time, like I, I genuinely just want people to feel happy in their skin and confident in who they are. Um, I, I have never professed to be the most knowledgeable about fitness or the most scientifically backed, thoughtful trainer, like, that's just not who I am. But I am thoughtful of the person and thoughtful of what they need, and not necessarily what they think they want, but to show them what can really bring them what they want and what they need. And not necessarily what they think they want, but to show them what, what can really bring them what they want and what they need. Um and so, like that being said, I was like, oh my gosh, um, again. This happened yesterday while I was crying with guys.
Speaker 1:I have got to build a gym, I have got to put together a space where people come to be the best versions of themselves. Forget about the trendy workouts, forget about the sexiness, forget about all of that stuff and just focus on feeling good about yourself, because that has no boundaries, that doesn't have a specific way of doing it. That has no. Oh, it's CrossFit is the best way. Oh, it's Pilates is the best way. Oh, it's running is the best thing. Oh, it's kettlebell, mobility work is the best way. It it's running is the best thing. Oh, it's um, you know, kettlebell, um, mobility work is the best way. It has. It has none of that. None of that matters. I don't care what the science is. Science doesn't matter with this. What matters is how you feel while you are doing it, and afterwards can you go back and feel that again. And so I was like man, I have got to create a gym or a space, a fitness studio center, whatever you will. That that that is the focus. The focus is literally being your best version of yourself.
Speaker 1:And and I grew up here's here's. Here's a little background on your boy. I grew up, obviously, in a very religious home, um, and I grew up in a very uh, looking back now, it actually wasn't that strict. Um, looking back now, it actually wasn't that strict. In the moment of youth it seemed very strict, but looking back, it wasn't really all. I didn't really a large family. I have five sisters and a brother and they're much older than I am. I grew up in a home that really prioritized hard work.
Speaker 1:Like I would hear all the time, like little phrases, little sayings, your brain and you will never, ever for the rest of your life, forget them and you're like, oh, this has literally shaped every choice I've ever made. You have those, yeah, me too, same um. Anyway, as I drink my diet dr pepper. It's fine, it's my comfort drink. I don't drink it very often, but whatever, um, I, uh. So there's little phrases like um, my mom would say this one all the time to me when I was getting really bored of like doing yard work, or like we'd go in the garden and pull weeds. You should say stick to a task, so it sticks. To you, beginners are many and finishers are few. Um, and she'd always say to you want to be a finisher, you want to be able to always finish your work. Um, you know, and and don't stop when you're tired, stop when you're finished. Things like that. That really just molded me into.
Speaker 1:I guess you could call it a workaholic, but not in an unhealthy way way, um, in a way that that you prioritize getting a job done and doing it to the best of your ability, regardless of how you feel about said job. Um, you know, and, and that just breeds from a very young age the importance of working really hard. And I think the the reason that a lot of people are not happy with who they are and not happy with their body, uh, going back to a fitness route is they're not willing to work hard enough. They're, they're not used to putting in hard work for hard work sake. Um, you know, they, they. What's the fastest way to get me to the ideal body? What is the easiest route to getting to where I want to be?
Speaker 1:You know, and and I have clients that come in all the time to say, like, okay, I need to lose X amount of weight by date, x date, you know, in four months or five months. I say, okay, like we can definitely do that, but you'll be miserable and it won't last. Like it definitely will not last. I can get you there, but do you want to have that forever or do you want to have it by December? Because if you want to have it forever, there's a different route.
Speaker 1:It's called really, really effing hard, sustainable, consistent effort. Effing hard, sustainable, consistent effort. You know, and, and most of my clients I've been training them for over a year. You know I have my longest client is coming up on. Well, we've had our fifth anniversary, so close to six years. Um, you know so long time clients, six years. Um, you know so long time clients.
Speaker 1:Um, and that is where, that is where you change, that is where you, you see the best version of yourself. Um, you know, and and to breed that into my clients is very important to me that this is not a week consistency, this is not a month consistency, this is not a year consistency. This is a lifelong consistency if you want to be the absolute best possible version of yourself. And so, bringing that back around, I have this insane, insatiable desire to open a gym that breeds that you come into this space to work unbelievably hard just because it needs to be done to be the best version of yourself, just because you'll be healthier mentally, you'll be healthier physically, you'll be healthier emotionally. If you come in and do work and I'm going to kind of there's a trend going on right now that drives me crazy, and so I'm going to kind of crap on it a little bit, but not in any disrespect, because any workout is better than no workout.
Speaker 1:So, at the end of the day, if that's your workout, that's fine, that's fine, um. But if you go to a gym and it's ungodly hot in there, there's absolutely no reason for that. You will not be able to give your best effort and you're, you're there like you. It's not healthy, number one, but it downplays your, your effort. I cannot go as hard as possible if, if the heat and the humidity is too high, I literally cannot do it. Um, because systematically in my body, I will not be allowed to work as hard as possible. Um, because it will be focusing. My body will be focusing on other things to find equilibrium.
Speaker 1:So, like those are spaces that are fine, that do that, that's fine. You can go there, like the hot yogas and like all those things. I'm not saying that they're bad to do, okay, don't get it twisted. I'm not saying they're bad to do. What I'm saying is there's a better way for you to work and to and to work on yourself and to be the best version of yourself. And so I am obsessed with this, this idea of opening my own space.
Speaker 1:And if you know me, you know that I've talked about this for a while, but just within the last week, last few days, honestly, it's become like, if you've listened to the show before, you know I have this fricking switch in my brain that goes off and it's insane. It's so frustrating sometimes because once it goes off, there's no, there's no shutting it down, there's no shutting it down. So when I say, like I want to open this gym now, there's not an option, I have to. It will happen. Um, and you know it's going to be a S, a space where the the whole idea and the whole energy of that space is going to be work effing hard work until you can't work anymore, like if you can go do another workout after this one, you didn't get your full potential, you didn't go hard enough and hopefully you know.
Speaker 1:You know businesses are meant to make money and it sounds really weird, but I don't care if this makes money or not, like the only reason I want it to make money is so that it can be sustainable At the end of the day. That's all I want is because I just want people to have a space, people that are like me. I understand that not everybody is that vibe. I totally understand that I am not everybody's cup of tea and that is not how the world works, and I'm totally understanding of that and accepting of that and realize that it's all good. I want the people that are like me in that space, right. So I'm not trying to get as many people as possible. I'm trying to get the select few that understand that absolute, unbelievable hard work is the only way for you to be your best self and your most confident self and your happiest self and your safest self.
Speaker 1:So that's my goal now, my obsession, my mindset is all about this gym. I literally have it on my computer over to the left right now of finding the best equipment and the best space, of finding the best equipment and the best space and what is going to be the most ideal place and circumstance and everything to make this gym, this center, this studio, the absolute greatest place for you to build yourself. And that's going to require a lot of focus and a lot of time and a lot of money, but I I think, at the end of the day, it can transform this idiotic fitness industry that is so obsessed with the speed in which you are able to reach your goals rather than the actual substance of the goal itself and the sustainability of that goal and the fact that, honestly, 90% of the people involved in the fitness industry don't really care about your health and your well-being. They care about money and you paying their bills, which I mean, in a capitalist society, more power to them. Not saying that's a bad thing Go make all the money, provide for yourself and your family. But I want to create a space that does not revolve around money, that revolves around the actual well-being and the care of the people that come in and the people that work there.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, the fitness industry is a is an industry that does not care about its employees. It just it doesn't. They don't really care about anybody. But that's neither here nor there, um, anyway, so what? There there's just like I've again, I've just been so emotional, which is weird. I'm not usually a super emotional person about most things. There's a few things that I get very emotional about, but I've just been in an emotional state, which is fine. It's good for me to have that happen, so I can kind of reevaluate important things. To have that happen, so I can kind of reevaluate important things.
Speaker 1:Um, but, um, I was also thinking about this concept of this gym and what you know, the the do's and the don'ts of what would be in there. And you know I'm not one to tell people that you can't do something in fitness just because, again, any, any workout is is better than no workout. Um, but there's a lot of myths and a lot of like just superfluous fluff. There's a word for you Uh, that doesn't add any value to what you're doing and where you're doing it. For example, there's a big trend right now in primal movements and primal exercise and getting in touch with the earth, which I'm all down for. Go in nature and live your best life, become one with the trees. But the primal workout, you know, is all about mobility and being able to move freely.
Speaker 1:And there's these things like the Turkish getup. If you know what that is, if you don't, go, look it up and have your mind blown with how idiotic it is. So the Turkish getup you lay down on the floor right and you have one weight kind of cradled into you and then you lift said weight up to the light or up to the ceiling up above you and then you push yourself up onto one arm and you push the weight above you and then you bring one knee under, you bring another knee under and you stand all the way up with this weight over your head and then you go all the way back down, um, until you're laying flat again. And it's for a long time. It's been like the king of mobility work, like that is the premier, the elite move for all mobility work. And it is so BS. It is such bull. If you can do that, congratulations. Well done, amazing work. Yay, you can do a Turkish getup.
Speaker 1:Woohoo, guess what? You are no more mobile than anyone who can take any exercise through a full range of motion. It's that simple Mobility, full range of motion. It's that simple Mobility is range of motion right. So if I can do a curl all the way down, all the way up, if I can do a squat all the way down, all the way up, I'm just as mobile as someone who can hold a weight up, lay down and stand up and lay back down again.
Speaker 1:Sure, you can get into the insane science of the little, tiny muscle fibers that are accentuated when you're holding hey, shut up, you're just bored at the gym, that's it. You're just bored and you need something else to do, and that's fine, that's totally fine. Admit it, though, that there's no actual benefit to doing something like a Turkish getup versus a deep squat. That's it, there's no benefit. So those type of myths of of like, oh, this is the king of the exercise, this is the best way for you, no, no, no, none of that will exist in the gym. None of that. If you want to do it, great, more power to you.
Speaker 1:But let's keep the bullshit out of working out and saying like, oh, this is the greatest way, the primal, we're going to go barefoot for our deadlifts and our squats and we're going to go barefoot running and we're going to, um, you know, uh, really work through the modalities of the mace work and the, the, the full, uh, body weight movement, calisthenics. It's like, hey man, you're just high, that's it. You're just tokenable and that's okay, that's fine. Live your best life. But let's not be stupid and say that the primal way of doing things, the barefoot way of doing things, is the best way. It's just not, it's just not. You know Now why? Oh, because technology advanced period. Do you want to go work out in a log cabin with no electricity either? Because that's more natural. Like, stop, you're dumb, you're stupid. Let's stop with that. If you want to do it, great, more power to you. But to say that it's the best way to do it, shut up. It's not more power to you, but to say that it's the best way to do it, shut up, it's not.
Speaker 1:If you want to, you know, like, for instance, like the, the, the people that that claim like, oh, no belts and no wrist grips are the best way, like it's the you, you're cheating if you use hey man, no, no, you're not, I use a belt all of the time. All of the time Because it helps me brace my core. It provides support for my lower back Because I have multiple injuries from years of gymnastics. I use grips because I'm able to hold more weight, so I'm able to pull more weight with my muscle group that I'm targeting. Also, I don't have fingers on this hand. My grip on this hand is not nearly as strong as my grip on this hand. I need to equal that out. Guess what does that Wrist straps?
Speaker 1:Guess what a primal fanatic would tell you that that is not the way to do things. Remember a couple episodes ago maybe it was last episode, I don't remember when I was talking about that that lady from the track that was like, oh, you have an imbalance. Like it's that type of idiotic thinking of like oh, I know more because of this trendy idea. Like, so, I'm going to go put that out in the universe. No, you're just bored. You're an idiot that's bored with doing basic movements and being okay with basic, consistent exercise. Like there's nothing that says, there's no science that says like, oh, the more natural way, the more. No belts and no grips and no shoes. No shirt, no shoes, no problem. Nonsense is better than lifting with wrist straps and belts and shoes and like all the other technological advancements that we've we've invented to help us be better. Yeah, use those things, cause they help you be better.
Speaker 1:Anyway, like it's just, it's like myths, like that you know, and like the whole um, the you can't have carbs nonsense, and the idea of of lifting heavy weights makes you a certain way versus lifting lighter weight. Like, there's been a studies that have come out recently, actually, um, that I've been very interested in, that I've I've kind of changed my, changed my training style a little bit. Um, that you know, for a long time, the the way to get big muscles was to use really heavy weight and to train to failure and to absolute failure, and even I've promoted that, um, but just to show you that I am not married to my opinions and my belief systems, because I think it's very unhealthy to to do that, I've changed the way that I view training to failure. You know, I was a massive proponent of, like, pushing until you physically can't push anymore, um, and that's the only way to improve. And now there's these studies that have been done that have shown that, like, you should train very, very hard and within you know, like five, six reps of failure.
Speaker 1:But if you train to failure too often, then you're you're, you're doing a, a detriment to yourself. Where the recovery time is longer, you're not able to recover as quickly, you're not able to recover as well, um, and so failure like ultimate failure is probably not the best option all of the time, like occasionally you should, just because it's it's good to test yourself, test yourself and to see where that failure lies, and I think it gives you a lot of training mentally. To challenge yourself, to push that hard is very difficult. It requires a lot of discipline and a lot of self-confidence and control to get to that level, which I don't think 99% of people have ever trained to actual failure, um, cause it is very hard to do, extremely difficult, and usually you can't do it on your own. You need to have somebody there to keep pushing you, because you will tap out way before you think you're capable, um, or or, of what you're actually capable of, rather. So it's like things like that being able to adjust your opinions on things and be able to be around people that are working that hard. That's the kind of space that you need to be in to improve and anyway, I just I'm obsessed now with opening my own space.
Speaker 1:So if you are in Houston, get ready. It's going to be. It's going to be a wild, a wild little while, cause your boy's going to go full throttle on this. Um, what else is happening? Not okay. So I haven't really put anything down as far as, like, what's happening in the fitness world, because I haven't really cared Honestly, I just have not cared at all about what's happening in sports, what's happening in the fitness world, because the the Olympics and CrossFit games kind of exhausted me mentally and emotionally, um, about how dumb it was and how lame it was, uh, and how sad it was, how politicized it was. So, um, I haven't really been in the greatest headspace for that. But that doesn't mean that we're not going to talk about, um, a couple things um, later. So, uh, I'm I'm going to stop the rambling for a little bit and we're going to get into more poignant parts of the show.
Speaker 1:Sorry, if this has been a lame episode, I understand that it hasn't been the most helpful, and if you've turned it off, I don't judge you. That's totally fine, totally acceptable, and it's kind of just been about me, which I apologize for that's never fun to listen to about me, which I apologize for that's never fun to listen to, but, um, we're kind of trying to have, we're going to try to have a little bit more, um, positive and helpful content from here on out. So, without saying much more, this is the devil's advocate. Okay, so your devil's advocate.
Speaker 1:Today, if this is your first time on the show, the devil's advocate is where I argue with myself or if I have a co-host, I argue with them and usually it's something that I've thought up or something that I've observed in an industry. That's been a debate going back and forth, but the overall point of the Devil's Advocate is so that people realize that you can have and agree with, to a certain extent, two sides of an opinion and in the, in the hopes that you and I do not stay married to our opinions or think that they are the end, all be all or that they are 100% correct, because that's insane to think that you are correct in all of your opinions. That's so narcissistic and crazy. So the devil's advocate is meant to provide that type of mindset to think about things from a different point of view, hopefully. But really just get in the habit of thinking about an opinion or a thought or an idea from multiple angles and being okay with all of those angles to a certain extent. And so your devil's advocate today is very chill, very laid back, nothing super important, but something that I've been talking to a lot of different people about, and that is what is the best way and most effective way for you to work out, by yourself or with a group of people? Um so, uh, what? What is, at the end of the day, what's the best and why, and what's the most like, effective and why? So everybody knows this. Well, okay, I can't say everybody. That was very arrogant of me to say.
Speaker 1:If you know me, you know that I never really work out with people. I always work out by myself, and that's not always a choice. It's because, like, I work out at one o'clock in the afternoon, when I'm done teaching classes and I'm done training people. That's just the time that I have to work out, and so I'm going to do it right then, and that's not a time that is very common for most people to work out, and so I work out by myself, but I also choose to work out by myself. I could wait for my buddy, to be done with work. We could go to the gym together in the evening, that'd be fine, or I could go with my wife in the evening, or we could go in the morning or whatever. And I choose to do it by myself because I like to have the time and the ability to be in 100% control of my effort.
Speaker 1:I enjoy pushing myself to a limit that is scary sometimes. To a limit that is scary sometimes. You know like I like running out in the Houston heat. It's, you know, a heat index of 110. The humidity is super high. You know there's a heat advisory and I'm like, yep, I'm going to go outside and pound some pavement, you know, just to test myself. And I enjoy that type of challenge. I enjoy pushing myself to the limit because I can look back and say nobody else did that for me, Nobody else. I wasn't reliant on anyone to to get done what I did and and I don't have anybody to blame for my success or my failure other than myself Did I get it done or did I not get it done? And if I did, congratulations to me. If I didn't get it done, shame on me.
Speaker 1:I really like the independence that comes with working out by yourself. I also think it's the most effective way because you're not reliant on somebody else's pace. I don't have to wait for you to finish your set before I want to do something else. I don't have to engage in a conversation that I don't care about. I don't have to be involved with another person involved with another person. It's my time to be absolutely alone by myself, which I think is very important for everybody to.
Speaker 1:If you want to be mentally and emotionally healthy, you have got to be able to be comfortable by yourself, no distractions. Otherwise, you will find very quickly that you are emotionally and mentally pretty unstable if you can't spend even an hour by yourself with your thoughts. Um, and so I think that that working out can help you and I be more and more comfortable and confident with who you are, because you are spending at least an hour with yourself doing something very difficult. And, yes, listen to music and yes, listen to podcasts or whatever you want to do, but at the end of the day, you're not engaging with other people unless you're like saying, hey, man, are you done with this bench or this machine, whatever, you're still reliant on just you and your thoughts to keep pushing you through this difficult situation, um, so I think that is very, very, very important and very healthy, and working out by yourself is one of the easiest ways for you to accomplish being by yourself and along with your thoughts and and relying on yourself to push yourself through something. Um, and so I I do think it is the best way to work out.
Speaker 1:If you're talking about just like what is good for you, I also think it's the most efficient. You can get done with a workout very, very quickly when you don't have to worry about the other person. Um, you know, and and it and it helps. Obviously, if you have a structured program to follow. Um, shameless plug. Go find them on my app. It's fine. Reach out, go get a program. Um, it does help. If you have a program to follow, you're very efficient. Bam bam, bam, bam bam. This is all I have to do. Okay, knocked it out in 40 minutes. I'm out of here. See ya, um, extremely efficient, very, uh, poignant, um, and effective. I think it is the most effective way.
Speaker 1:Now, a caveat to that, just because of what I do, right, I train people one-on-one and I also train group training. I think the one-on-one trainings are by far not even close, close by far more effective than group training. Just because group training, you have to um, you have to create something that is doable for all modalities and all levels, and so the workout will not be as effective for every individual people or every individual person as much as it will be effective as an overall whole for the group. So if you're looking to be the most effective and most efficient with your workout number one, do it by yourself on a program and with that get a trainer that will do one-on-one with you.
Speaker 1:I still count that as like working out by yourself, because you're not. I mean, minus the fact that you have to push yourself, minus that fact, it is the most effective thing that you can do is have somebody push you singularly to your limit. If you can't do that by yourself right, like, if you have the capability and the capacity to push yourself to being unbelievably uncomfortable and you're disciplined enough to push through it, then you don't really need a trainer. And you're disciplined enough to push through it, then you don't really need a trainer. But if you need that extra oomph and that extra push, I would still consider getting a trainer, a one-on-one kind of working out by yourself, because you're not. You don't have a partner, you don't have that. You just have somebody pushing you and you're not waiting for your trainer to work out with you and get your reps done, you're just getting stuff done.
Speaker 1:So I think that is the absolute most efficient and effective way to work out as far as getting the workout done but also benefiting yourself in confidence and mental strength and emotional strength. So, yeah, I think the by yourself way is the best way, um, but I've also. I am a group trainer, um, and I will tell you right now. I will tell you right now, that there is no energy Like. You cannot get this energy on a one-on-one session, as you have in a group setting.
Speaker 1:When you see people working out around you, it is inspiring to to level your game up. When you see somebody over here working their guts out and you're like, oh man, I've got to pick my pace up, dude, I got to keep up. You know, and it's not a comparison of like, oh, they're better than me, I'm worse than them it's like, oh man, that's so cool, I can do better too, um, and so I think that, as far as being effective, um, emotionally, mentally and and just overall, finding a feeling of joy, working out and being happy about working out. Group training has no competition.
Speaker 1:Group training is where people bond, where people become very, very good friends. When you are working through something together, there's a bond that happens and that sounds super cliche and super like silly Um, like you know, like, oh, like it sounds like I'm talking about war, like going to war with your brother. I'm not, I, you know, I don't play that game Um, but like when you are working out together, there's something that that happens to you on a physiological, psychological level, where you feel more grateful and you feel happier about the work that you've done, because you know that you didn't do it by yourself, you know that there were other people that experienced it as well, and you leave those group training sessions if you've done them correctly, if you've worked really hard and the trainer has done their job and pushed you really hard. You leave those sessions feeling really, really good about life, about yourself, about people, because you've been around other people that have shown you that you're not alone, that there are people out there that have the same mindset, that have the same focus, that have the same energy that you are vibing with, and so I think that, mentally and as far as like being consistent, it's a lot easier to be consistent in a group setting because you know that there will be other people there it's not just you, right? So I think that, as far as the ease of being consistent and and consistently energetic about the workout, group training and being around other people is the way to go, period, and and you may not get the most individually effective workout, and I have a caveat to that you might not get that, but you will probably do that workout more consistently than you would if you were alone, which, in the long run, is better to be more consistent, right?
Speaker 1:And if you are, once you start doing these group training sessions more consistently, what you'll start to have happen is you will be able to make the workout individual to you when, like when I go to a group workout, I have the capacity because I've done so much exercise and so much fitness and so many classes I have the capacity to make that workout as specific to me as I want to make it. I have that capacity, I have that ability to basically have a one-on-one session with myself there within that group energy, which is amazing. I can't get that energy by myself. It just does not exist. The energy of the group fitness is why it exists literally is why it exists. That's why people enjoy. It is because of that energy.
Speaker 1:And if you also have the ability to tweak that group session to yourself, tailor it to yourself, you're winning in both regards. You're getting the effectiveness of the workout as you would on an individual level and you're getting the added benefit of the group concept energy bonding. You know there is a lot of psychology to group bonding in those type of scenarios, and so I think that group training is probably, for the majority of people, the most effective and efficient route, because you will not only be in a better mood and the probability will be higher that you'll go, because you know that there will be other people there, um but you will also be able to do it more consistently. For those same reasons, you'll want that energy again. You'll want to be able to go back and be around those people and be around that energy more and more and more and more and more. So I think over time you'll have way more consistency if you do the group training route than you will if you were only reliant on yourself, because everybody has a bad day here and there, right? If I have a bad day by myself, probably won't go to the gym. If I have a bad day, that's okay. I'll probably be in a better mood by being around so-and-so in that room, because I know how it feels. So, yeah, let me know what you prefer and what your go-to is Do you like training as a group or do you like training on your own? And let me know why, what you think is the most effective and what is the most helpful to you. So that is your devil's advocate today. Let me know what you think, Let me know all the all the stuff about that.
Speaker 1:And before we get out of here, guys, I do want to leave you with a final takeaway. Your final takeaway today I will keep it short and sweet is kind of going off of things that we've talked about. This whole episode and it's something that I have held in my brain since I was about eight years old and sometimes it's annoying and sometimes it makes me very emotional, sometimes it makes me come down on myself. Um, ah, sorry, I didn't think that would make me make me emotional, um, but it is a question that I ask myself at least a dozen times a day. And so your final takeaway, if you will do this, it will change your life. I guarantee it, because it has definitely changed mine.
Speaker 1:And that is your question. That I want you to ask yourself on a daily basis and you can ask it multiple times a day is how good can I be? And that can take a lot of different forms. That can that can take a lot of different avenues. That can take a lot of different forms as far as like I'm not just saying good, as in like righteous or wicked, or I mean the best version of myself in any situation. And the more you ask that question, the more you will start to notice a couple things. Number one you'll notice that you are more concerned with the people around you than you are with yourself, because anytime that you are honestly the best version of yourself, it is including other people. When I'm the best version of myself as a husband, you know, I'm consciously aware of the needs of my wife. When I'm the best version of myself as a dad, I'm constantly thinking of what will make my child happy. What is the? What is going to bring them the most knowledge? What is going to bring them the most joy, uh, the most protection, um, you know, in in situations at work. What is the best version of myself as a trainer? What is the best version of myself as this, this person in my career and it always has to do with am I? Am I taking care of my clients? Are they being successful? Are they taken care of? Do they feel good? Am I treating my coworkers with respect?
Speaker 1:Anytime that you're focused on being the best version of yourself, you start to forget about your cares and you start to be concerned with the people around you, and not in a, in a selfish way of like, oh, I have to do this to make myself look good, but in a genuine type of, of thoughtful way, um, so that's the first thing that that you'll notice, or the first thing that I noticed. Let me say that um is that I that you'll notice, or the first thing that I noticed, let me say that um is that I. I kind of forgot about me, um in the best way and and started thinking about other people in the best way. Um, and number two, you will start to truly believe that you are a good person, that you are worthy of adulation, of love, of acceptance, of good and positive experiences in your life, because you'll be constantly thinking experiences in your life, because you'll be constantly thinking what is the best version of myself in this scenario? And then you start to see, oh, that is a good version of me, that is the best version of me. If there's a best version of me, that means there's good in me, there's a best in me, and when that realization starts to happen, your life will change forever. When you start to realize that what you bring to the table is good and what you bring to the table is valuable.
Speaker 1:But the only way to do that is if you are trying to be the best version of yourself and the, the, the. How good can I be? Not, what is the the least amount of effort that I can give to this situation? What is the most that I can give to this situation? That, that switch in in mindset is what will bring you the most confidence and the most belief in yourself. If you will constantly and consistently ask yourself, if you will constantly and consistently ask yourself what more can I do Not? What more can others do for me? What is owed me? Not the victim mentality. What do I get out of this situation? No, no, no. What can I give to this situation? What is the best version of myself in this situation? What is the best version of myself in this situation? Because if you have that mindset, there is no victim mentality. There is no. I need this, I want this. They have that, I don't. I want that. You don't have that. It just doesn't exist, because that's that will never be the best version of yourself.
Speaker 1:So what I want you to do is and I'm going to do this, I mean I do it all of the time, but I'm going to do it and act on it more consistently, because you have to act on it. And the more consistently you ask yourself that, the more natural it will come to act on the ideas that come into your mind of what's the best version I can be. You'll start to act on those and you'll start to have more confidence. You'll start to realize that your relationships with other people are way better than they used to be. You'll start to realize that other people don't make you as angry. You'll realize that other people, regardless of their, their religious standing, their sexual orientation, their political party, all of them are beautiful people and they all have value in this world and you'll start to truly believe that. Um, so that's what I, that's what I want you to try, um, is ask yourself more consistently and act on that question what is the best version of myself in this situation and how good can I be? Not, not? What is the easiest way? How good and how hard can I work in this situation? Um, that is your final takeaway.
Speaker 1:That is the episode. I hope to bring more value in the next episodes, but I do hope that something was important to you in this episode, something was valuable. If you loved it, please share the show, message the show. Let me know if you have ideas for the devil's advocate, final takeaways, any ideas or thoughts that you have that you'd like to have brought up on the show. Um, and if there's anybody you would like me to interview, I would be more than happy to sit down with people. I love talking to people. I'm curious about the way people think. Um, so, yeah, uh, thank you guys for tuning in. I love you. Thank you for the support. Uh, you're the best. I genuinely hope that you know that you are loved and that you are supported and that you are valuable. This is the Fit Perception Podcast. I'm your boy T and I am out. Thank you.