It's more than just showing up.....

I get it.  Showing up to the gym is an accomplishment for 90% of the population.  I pat the "below average" person on the back for being motivated enough to show up to the gym and do some form of activity.  In all honesty, that's not enough to accomplish anything meaningful, and average sucks- who want's to be
"below average"?

When I have a client tell me, "At least I'm here", I have to do my best as a fitness professional to motivate them to try to bring up their level of intensity to do something great while they are in the gym.

Not every training session is going to produce a PR.  Not every training session is "YOUTUBE" worthy.  You can however accomplish something great every time you set foot in the gym to train.  Improving your mobility during a dynamic warm up, performing a squat with better form, increasing the amount of push ups you can do, and holding a plank 10 seconds longer are all pretty darn good accomplishments during a training session.  In order to accomplish those things you need to focus on getting better, not just showing up....

Improving your mindset and pushing yourself physically and mentally to get through a strenuous training session will get you closer to achieving you fitness goals.  Sitting on a bench and complaining about everything in your life will get you NO where!

It's okay to vent about things that are stressing you out as long as you you them as motivation.  When that venting turns into story time, that's when improving yourself physically stops and your training session turns into a Dr. Phil show.

You'd be better off on this guy's show if all you want to do is complain.....

As a trainer, I'm all for letting my clients get some problems off their chest, but when the conversation turns into a counseling session or locker room talk it's time to shut it down.  My clients train with me to improve their physical condition and overall well being.  Luckily for me most of my clients realize that a heavy set of squats or pushing the prowler a few times is more beneficial for their mental state than a bitch and complain session.

When you walk into the gym use your problems, complaints, and stressors as ammunition to accomplish greatness during your training session.  It's about looking at those problems in the eye and kicking ass and taking names, it's about overcoming them mental aspect of life and dominating the physical part by throwing some weight around in a violent yet controlled manner.

It's more than just showing up, it's working to be better than you have ever been.  It's about looking in the mirror when you are done and realize that person staring back at you just dominated a training session and is ready to start living their life with a feeling of confidence and optimism.  Don't just show up, go into your training session prepared to dominate!