Voluntary Discomfort

exercise as a way of being

One thing I've reflected on recently is how athletics is a means of challenging the mind. I've participated and competed in a lot of sports over the years, but the one thread throughout all of them is falling in love with the process of becoming incrementally better at a certain thing each day. Not once have a started a sport and discovered I was unwittingly good at it. There are zero times this has happened. It's working, failing, two steps forward, a step back, until finally some rough skill is developed yet there is still more excellence to chase.

What this has taught me is that where there is a grind there is also a reward. I don't know how many difficult, irritating, or stupid tasks I've applied this to mentality but whether it is work or life, I stare at the thing and tell myself to "just do it." And that is what happens.

Tenacity in Our Family:

I feel very blessed that this work hard, play hard ethic is just what my family does. For example:

• My thirteen year old has been wrestling since about age four. I cannot describe how painful it was to sit through eight years of wrestling tournaments where he was pinned the vast majority of the time, and for most of those years losing by points was a win in my book. Then last year something clicked for him. And he started winning. Not all the time but most of the time. Coaches and parents would ask him how he got so strong and he'd say, "I lift weights." The past two years, he has placed at the middle school district tournaments. To say I'm proud of his willingness to work is an understatement.

• Eric competed in his first bodybuilding show on November 3rd. Now, Eric has always been athletic. Unlike me, he can look at a piece of sports equipment and become an expert. However, it should be noted that he didn't even begin dialing in his nutrition until about three years ago. After a 24-week prep, Eric placed high in all of his classes in both Men's Bodybuilding and Men's Classic Physique. Eric brought a really good look to the stage, and I'm not just saying that because I love him. It is incredibly difficult, especially your first show season, to bring in the type of conditioning that shows striations in your glutes and hamstrings. It takes extreme discipline to not only achieve the conditioning but practice the posing to present it well.

  

Studio News

Here are some updates.

Client Gym Access

I am currently coaching clients during the week before school and during school hours (including Friday). I do have openings throughout the week for new clients. With that in mind, I am now offering gym access to training and nutrition clients. The hours and pricing are:

Monday-Friday: 4pm-9pm

Saturday-Sunday: 6am-6pm

Price: $35/month

Moms Open Gym

I am still hosting this on Thursdays from 8:30am-10:30am. There will be NO Moms Open Gym Dec. 26th and Jan. 2nd. It will resume on Jan. 9th. Drop in is $5.

Teen Lifting and Kid Camps

Teaching young people to lift is near and dear to my heart. One of my best memories as a parent is taking our kids to a power lifting meet about three years ago and having them compete (our youngest was five at the time). I love watching them see themselves as strong and capable. I don't have any camps or classes scheduled at this time, but I am happy to work with local sports teams that are interested in conditioning either pre season or off season.

I am also available to homeschool kids who are interested in resistance training and conditioning work for their PE credits. Partners and small groups generally works great for motivation and healthy competition, but one-on-one works well too. With new lifters I take a foundations-first approach with fundamental movements (ex. squats) where I make sure the mechanics of the movement are sound at a bodyweight/PVC pipe level before moving on to the training bar and dumbbells and later the Olympic bar. Then we work in accessory work with the cable and plate loaded machines.

Promos:

I'm currently offering $50 off a nutrition plan or personal training package when you refer a friend. This offer is now through January 31st.