Remember the last time you got away for a week and came back with a new perspective?

That was me this morning.

I had a break in between clients, so I hit the gym.

My training was nothing spectacular.

I did some Benching and Close-grip Benching.

I reduced the load and focused on good technique.

What I want to talk about is not my own training, but what I observed in the gym.

Observations of a commercial gym after a week away

The average gym-goer:

-Doesn't work that hard

-Wastes a lot of time

-Spends too much time on machines

-Does the same stuff with little results to show for it

-Has ineffective exercise technique

-Thinks that just showing up is good enough

I've been training at this specific gym for about five years.

Many of the average gym-goers have been members as long as me, or longer.

These observations are general. They are the "average gym-goer"..

One thing I can't stand is to be average.

Mediocre.

Doing just enough to get by.

The idea of "good enough".

I haven't always been this way. There were years in my life that I was content to be average. Just do the minimum.. in school particularly..

So I get it.

I know how hard it is to go BEYOND.

TO force yourself to get BETTER.

It won't happen on its own, as you know.

We have to MAKE it happen. With our own WILL.

By FORCING the issue.

What bothers me is that I see people who show up consistently but don't work that hard.

Or they avoid the HARD SHIT.

Seeing a guy who comes to the gym consistently but never looks any different is disappointing.

BUT I'm not there to coach them. It's their life.

I AM HERE to help YOU.

YOU who have chosen to get BETTER.. Stronger. Bigger..

I'm not here to babysit or hold your hand.

My MISSION is to LIFT myself up so I can LIFT OTHERS UP and blaze our OWN trail.

This is in the gym BUT even MORE importantly in LIFE.

In EVERYTHING you DO.

That drive to do the hard shit.

To grow.

That hunger to go where people say you CAN'T go.. to break those bounds.. to be unstoppable in what you believe is POSSIBLE and ACCOMPLISH.

That's where my fire burns hot.

Not with people who think it's ok to just show up and do something because it's better than nothing..

That's not good enough.

You have MUCH MUCH MORE you are capable of.

I can tell you this all day but it's on YOU to believe it.

Once you do, and you start forcing the issue, you will start to create something truly unique.. something ONLY YOU can bring to the world.

Physical and mental training can help you with this.

Right now I have an unbroken string of days of writing and training (even while on vacation)..

Every time I don't feel like doing those ESSENTIALS, I don't let my mind talk me out of it.. I GO..ATTACK!

Now I've added the cold-shower challenge for thirty days.

Today is day 2. It sucks. But it feels great afterwards BECAUSE I OVERCOME that weakness.

I did it and got uncomfortable for a few minutes.

I've also added in another test this week.

Cutting down on coffee consumption.

I got up to three cups of day and I didn't like it.

Reducing it to 2 cups.

Then I'll drop it to 1.

Maybe I'll go down to zero, who knows.

The point is that you gotta take up new challenges.

Take them HEAD ON.

Fear is natural and something we ALL face daily.

SO what?

Do it anyway.

Laugh at the fear. Use it as a sign that you NEED to do the thing, BECAUSE you don't WANT to.

I want you to be ALL you can be.

And NEVER let anyone else's opinion of you, determine what you CAN or CAN'T do.

Think about this: are you pushing yourself to another level each and every day?

Have you tested the bounds of what is possible for you lately?

NOW is the time.

Tomorrow is never guaranteed.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to die knowing I didn't realize my potential.

Take that cold shower.

Do the extra reps.

DO something HARD and outside your comfort zone this week.

For the cold shower challenge post GO HERE