The Real Benefit of Tough Workouts

While it could be argued that the physical benefits of exercise are about as widely known as possible, the fortunate side effects of taking on strenuous challenges go much deeper than just vanity and good doctor's reports. 

My experience as a workout novice speaks directly to this idea...

Aside from a few terrifying gym classes in high school, my first experience in a gym was with a buddy when I was in college. I was then about 60 lbs. heavier than a few years earlier—a surplus that wasn't the kind of "gains" you hear people boasting about on Instagram—and was so intimidated by working out that my mouth would dry up to the point I could barely mutter words every time I set foot in the weight room. I was able to piece together some semblance of a workout routine by mimicking what I saw other guys doing, but to say I was uncomfortable with my new endeavor just doesn't tell the tale.

While the physical changes I saw from my time in that gym were worth my initial discomfort, for sure, it was the realization that I could do something that truly scared me—and live to tell about it—that is the real fruit of my labor. 

So yes, you should take on hard workouts because it will improve your health, help you lose weight, and keep the doctor off your back, but the confidence that's to be gained from facing what scares us is what I hope you keep in mind if you're on the fence about diving in.

However subtle these wins may feel at the time, I promise you that the sense of accomplishment you store in your mind will make the next roadblock you face in life that much easier to dismantle.

One of my takeaways between being that intimidated, self conscious gym-goer in college and now (and what I'm constantly reminded of in this line of work), is that, despite how unique my insecurities felt at the time, my fears were not just my own. We tell ourselves that the nerves we face couldn't possibly be a burden bore by others because they seem so ludicrous when we stop and think about them, but I promise you that there are countless other people facing the exact same doubts you are.

The kicker, though, is that you have to start! No one is going to drag you, kicking and screaming, into the gym (I asked Brock, he said no), so the ball is in your court. Whether you talk to me, another coach at TwinTown, or someone else entirely, please, make the first move and get this ball rolling. The confidence you will walk away with from taking on what intimidates you is something that everyone deserves!