Gym Recon: Everyone’s Fitness Journey is Different

The most amazing thing happened at the gym today.

From across the room, I overheard a new client tell her trainer: “I want to look like her.”

She was looking at me.

It broke my heart in the best way, because I’ve been where she’s at. I feel like I’m still there most days; still not where I want to be, still not liking my size, still not as strong on the outside as I feel on the inside. But then I overhear this comment from a stranger just starting her fitness journey and it moved me so much.

I want to encourage this person and tell her not to give up. I want to cheer her on, push her on days she wants to quit, witness her small victories, and watch her reach her potential. I want to teach her the habits that have worked for me, the mistakes I’ve made so she can avoid them, and be there for her when she needs support.

When a woman in Kroger once asked me after my first figure competition, “What do I have to do to look like you?”, all the years of failed training programs, injuries, diet trial and error, and a nightmare of a prep attempt disaster ran through my head, and I wanted more than anything for her to understand that the journey is different for everyone.

I wanted to tell her to simply start, and to not give up. Keep going at all the points you want to stop at. Be too stubborn to quit; want something so bad you don’t give yourself the option to fail; believe in the perseverance of the human spirit.

When people tell me, “I could never do that; I’m not disciplined enough.” They assume it came easily for me; that I’m just naturally good at it, and always have been. The truth is, I can do it now because I was once the worst one at it! I just never gave up trying. The above picture was only a span of 10 months of my life — it doesn’t show the years of trial and error I went through prior, or the metabolic damage I underwent before arriving at the first “Before” shot you see after losing all of my fought-for muscle. Never make assumptions on someone based on what chapter of their life they’re on. They have chapters you know nothing about.

Success is not a destination; it’s a path we choose to continue on. It goes in every direction, all levels of elevation, and sometimes full circle. It is reflected in every decision we make.

Whatever goal you have; however big your dream is, give yourself permission to believe in it. Internalize it; manifest it; make it so real you can see it. What you think about, you bring about.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give others is the gift of Belief; the greatest gift we can give ourselves is permission to succeed.

-Julie

P.S.

Things Trainers Need to Say:

Never give up.
Never give up.
Never give up.
You got this.

Julie, gotgoals.org

#tandemll #liferecon #goalrecon #gymrecon #personalizedgoalcoaching #accountabilityservices #behaviorchange #habitcreation #consistency #goals #hardtokill #seeit #wantit #workforit #achieveit #barrierbreaker satoriseeker #slayin #worlddominationstrategies #uncensored #humanspirit #R8 #justbecause #nocreepersplease #really

1/28/16 (Pre-first show). Fitness Competitions: Is There a Divergent Class? Can We Fight MMA Style for the Win?

“Be the version of yourself you see in your mind. What you think about, you bring about.” -Tandem LLC

Sooo….I’m sitting here watching a physique show at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. It’s the 5th show I’ve been to. Still don’t have a clue how judges are supposed to rate perfection, but here I am, trying to figure it out.

Watching a physique competition is a love/hate experience. It’s a mixture of depressing, intimidating, awed, inspiring, motivating — in that order. At least for me. No idea what everyone else feels.

Apparently there are 3 categories for women:

Physique- badass muscle, no heels
Figure- athletic muscle, with heels
Bikini- a softer, feminine look, with heels.

Men, there seem to be these categories:

Big.
Bigger.
Beastmode in speedos.

As an outsider looking in, this is why I like this sport: Every show is someone’s night of their life. Every show someone is terrified, but they tackle their fear. Every one has a story. Every one has their own challenges. They’ve trained hard, sacrificed, and this is the 30 seconds they have to show off their hard work to friends, family, and people who believe in them.

I used to wonder why anyone would participate in a sport where judges choose winners based on their opinion of aesthetics. After spending a few shows talking to some competitors, and this one before being thrown out of backstage with my friend Sarah Pongratz, I’ve determined that competing means different things to every competitor.

Trainers always ask in some form or another: “Who do you want to look like?” I know what they mean, but I always thought it was a strange question. I want to look like me — the best version of me I can be. Even if it is a cop out answer, it’s the truth.

What if I don’t want to look like anyone else for a fitness competition? What if I want to redefine the sport, and create my own class? Is there a Divergent class? Is there a hybrid class for chicks that can run forever and go camping without hair product? Can we fight MMA style for the win? That’d at least draw more fans.

I don’t make the rules in this life; I only redefine them so they make sense to me. I say be the version of yourself you want to be, no matter what judges or anyone else thinks.

Whatever your goal is, if you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop working for it.

-Julie, gotgoals.org

#tandemll #goalrecon #liferecon #gymrecon #personalizedgoalcoaching #accountabilityservices #behaviorchange #habitcreation #consistency #goals #hardtokill #seeit #wantit #workforit #achieveit #barrierbreaker satoriseeker #slayin #worlddominationstrategies #uncensored #humanspirit #R8 #justbecause

P.S.

I am now training for my second show 😊. You can follow the process on Instagram @goalrecon. I would appreciate your support! Thank you ❤️🌎👑