The Words Make It Real
A few years ago, I remember writing down “work harder” on a piece of paper.
I was going through a tough time, and I was trying to figure out what I needed to do to get to where I wanted to go. I didn't know it would turn into the gym name or the brand yet, but after I wrote that down I was thinking, “What does that mean to me? Like how would I describe that?”
And I wrote down “hardcore work ethic, no-quit mentality.”
I think those words are why this gym exists.
Write It Down
Putting words on paper or saying them out loud is important. When I put a lot of things out there ahead of time, things I want to do, things I’m going to do, plan to do, I do that for me. Because once you say something, then it matters.
Some people, you know, they say “Oh, one day I might do this, it would be cool.” For me, if I say, “One day, I'm going to do this,” it's going to happen. In my eyes, it’s going to happen. I don't care if it takes me til 50 years from now or if it happens tomorrow, I just want to prove myself right, that whatever I say, I can do.
We're Gonna Get Two
It happened at the two-year anniversary party. I was getting ready to squat. My goal was to hit 555, anything over 550 would be fine. And I knew I could hit it for one. But it was a two-year party, so why not hit it for two?
I wasn't going to say anything to anyone cuz you know, there is that chance of, you may hit it one time and not be able to get it again.
Well, I opened my mouth, and I told Justin McManus, “Hey, I'm going to try for two,” and he told me, “No, we’re gonna get two.”
So I told each one of the people spotting me, we're going to go for two. And that's what I did. And the second rep was every bit of everything I had to get, but I said it, and I said it in front of the entire gym. So I wanted to back that up.
Lead By Example
My goal is, if I'm going to lead people through this gym and what we're doing, and what we're trying to do, then I better stand for everything that I'm putting on the walls, everything that I'm posting. I have to be the example first.
So how can I say, I'm going to go hit 555 for two and I just get it for one? Some people may be fine with that and walk away, just say, “Eh, he was going for two but just got one,” But for me, that would have killed me. That would have eaten me up because I said two. And if I say it, I want to be able to do it. I want to back up what I say.
Just Don't Quit
"Hardcore work ethic, no-quit mentality." The day I wrote those on paper is when it all really started to feel real. I just tried to describe what I wanted to be, or how I wanted someone to see me. I wanted them to see the work ethic that I had, and know that's how I achieved my goals. And the mentality is simple, it’s just, you don't quit.
When you finally get going the direction you want to go, you can't let anything stop you.
Write down the words that guide you. Write down your goals, create a plan and send it. Forget about the rest.
Different for Everyone
There's a reason these words are the first thing you see once you walk in the door of my gym.
Here there are powerlifters prepping for a meet. People training for bodybuilding shows. People losing weight. People just lifting for their own mental health. They all belong here.
Missing the Point
A lot of people in the fitness community, especially on the internet, waste a lot of time arguing which way of lifting is better, who's natty and who's not, calling out people they don't even know for form, arguing about what lifts count, etc. This isn't what fitness is about.
What Fitness is for Me
I've competed in a powerlifting meet but, I don't consider myself a powerlifter. I like body building style training, but I probably won't ever step on a stage. I just like being strong. Ever since I was a kid and saw The Incredible Hulk on tv I wanted to get strong. I watched Christopher Reeves' training workouts so I could figure out how to be like Superman.
I've only ever worked in gyms, starting with mopping the floor, then managing a gym, then training, and now owning my own gym. I've been around every style of lifting and studied it for years. I can tell you all the benefits and weakness of every approach to fitness, but you'll never hear me say that one is better than any other, for everyone, because fitness is different for everyone.
Different Goals
My all-time favorite client had two goals with working out: to be able to get up off the floor on her own with no assistance, and to be strong enough to carry a bag of potting soil for gardening.
Everyone is different and has different goals. Instead of wasting time comparing, arguing, or just proclaiming your opinion without being open to discussion, you should encourage people in whatever they want to work towards. Not judge them or say they are wrong because they don't fit your opinion.
If you think powerlifting or bodybuilding is better, you can have that opinion. But if you discuss instead of argue, you'll learn more. Some people just want to argue. If you can't disagree and still be friends then it's probably best you don't surround yourself with those people.
Whatever You Do...
The bottom line is, if you want something work for it and quit worrying what others are doing different. Everyone has different goals and those goals deserve to be supported not downplayed by standards or rules that you have in place for yourself.
Be all in on your goals. Doesn't matter what your style of fitness is, your progress and achievement will be celebrated here.
Whatever you do, WorkHarder.
Bet On Yourself
I got asked last night what was a core memory for me and the gym. For me that moment was after the first “workout.”
You Don't Have Time
How close have you been to death? I died once. It'll really change how intensely you're pursing your goals.
Not Your Average Gym
You become a product of your environment. Choosing your environment means choosing how you want to be.
A commercial gym is an average environment.
You have to walk past the coffee club to get in the gym. You’ll be surrounded by people who are just hanging out, people who don’t really care whether they do a circuit on six machines and take up people’s space. It’s hard to be intense when someone’s sitting next to you on their phone for 10 minutes between sets. People leave a mess behind them, and nobody says anything. As long as people are paying for membership, the staff doesn’t care what you do or if they ever see you again. It’s not really about fitness.
Personally, I don’t want to be average. Average is easy. You just end up going with the flow, and you find yourself not really doing what you love. Everyone wants a sense of purpose and a sense of reward for who they are and what they did, and you don’t find that by following what everyone else is doing. And that’s why we do the exact opposite of every other gym in our area.
Name another gym with louder music, louder people, or where they have metal weights you can drop. We like the noise.
When you walk in here, you can feel that it’s serious from the moment you open the door. And it forces you to go. You’re not gonna stand around and be in people’s way. There’s limited space, limited equipment, and I think it pushes people to be better because of that. There’s no place to really hang out, be on your phone and be unaware of what’s going on.
Everybody here is pushing for a goal. Whether that’s to compete in a show, to powerlift, or just to overcome a mental challenge, these people are here for a reason. It’s not to hang out, it’s to get better at something. The community, the music, the whole feel of the gym, forces you to put in more work. You want to get better, and you feel like you don’t have a choice.
At a commercial gym, no one’s gonna hold you to any type of standard. Here, there’s a massive standard. You’re expected to put your stuff back, expected to wipe stuff down after you’re done. You can go to other gyms and not clean up and no one cares, but here, you can’t hide from it. You’re not gonna get out the door with that. There’s a level of basic work ethic and etiquette you have to have to be here, and that gets rid of complacent people. And you’re not gonna stand next to the other people who are here and half-ass something. Everyone is looking at you to put in work, too.
Because of all that, we just end up with people who want to be better, and when you put all those people together in a room, you’re going to bring out the best of anybody and everybody, whether it’s a bodybuilder four weeks out from a show or someone who’s just trying to overcome mental struggles and insecurities.
That’s what stronger together is on the wall for. It doesn’t matter what your personal end goal is. When you’re around people that are pushing towards something, it’s going to make you push towards something, or you’re going to fall off and not fit in. When you have people around you who actually want to be there, actually have a goal for why they’re working out, it pushes you to your next level.
If you have an environment with a high standard to get better, or an environment that doesn’t really care whether you show up as long as you pay your membership, which one are you going to get stronger, look better, or overcome your mental struggles in?
Choose the environment where everything pushes you out of your comfort zone.
The First Goal
Stronger together is probably the most important phrase we have on the wall at the gym. To me, this has always been the first goal: creating a place that I needed in my worst time in my life.
