Gyms are an interesting place to work. Some people you see every day, others once in a blue moon. Sometimes people reach their goals; unfortunately most usually don’t. In those same gym goers I see the same tired look in people’s eyes as they train. It is a look of weak hope and quiet desperation. They are searching for purpose, for meaning. Vainly they seek inside the gym answers to their problems. Their physical failures might stem from poor exercise choices, redundant routines, and lack of direction, but these problems indicate a much larger issue. The real culprits, poor planning, inconsistency, lack of motivation and a host of others, are usually indicative of the way the person leads their life. Do people come to lose fat, to gain muscle? Or do they come to feel better about themselves, to become more comfortable with who they are, who they want to be? The physical goal might be to lose ten pounds of fat, but the real goal is often to eliminate the psychological baggage of not feeling good about one’s self.
Inside the gym you see people for who they really are; what really drives them. You can pick up a lot on a person’s personality just by the way they train. Are your visits to the gym inconsistent, lacking both focus and direction? If yes, then how are you performing in other areas of your life? Is there a direction; a five year plan? Or does your gym time represent the way you lead your life? Based on my experience with hundreds of clients, I think one correlates to the other.
I believe the way a person trains is a good indicator of who they are. Why is it that the most successful people I know also train the hardest, most consistent and see the most results? Could their drive for physical perfection stem from their internal drive for every other aspect of their lives? Even the phrases a person uses in the gym reveal what they view the gym as. The difference between saying that you “train” and you “sort of work-out” imply two different mindsets. Notice also how I use the phrase training instead of “working out”. Working out to me implies a lack of direction and meaning. With training there is purpose; an end goal. We are not only training our bodies in the gym but more importantly our minds.
The real reason people come into a gym is to transform themselves. Training is the vehicle for change; it is the way we build ourselves. It is how we get in touch with ourselves, with who we are as people. I’ve heard it said before, how can we ever know ourselves if we’ve never put ourselves to the test? Much like the process of muscle building (the destruction of the old structure and the rebuilding of a new more powerful unit), training is about personal transformation. We abandon our old personality and forge a new identity. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes we create our new identity from the old. Training is something positive we do; it is a temple of change.
I know from personal experience that the greatest benefits I’ve derived from gym have been the habits I’ve developed. Through training, I’ve learnt the benefits of hard work, goal setting and proper planning. I’ve become a more determined, focused, and happier individual as a result of my time at the gym. I look at it now as an investment in myself as a person. I’m reinforcing certain habits and working on eliminating others. This pursuit of perfection helps to clarify all the other areas of my life and enhances the quality of it. So the next time you are in the gym, ask yourself, what does it mean to you?
Please share your thoughts below
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If you work out at the gym where Omar works, would you like to think you are reading negative things about yourself in a blog post titled DEAD SOULS? probably not. At all. Actually you might find it kind of offensive even.
Lilly, thank you very much for your feedback, however this doesn’t apply to all gym goers just to a certain select type that I’ve seen at all gyms. So it is not at any particular gym, rather it is a particular type of person. I’d even argue to say we all go through periods like that where we lack a focus or direction, its not meant to be an insult but more an observation.
I “work out” at the gym where Omar works, and I am not at all offended by his observations, in fact, I think they are spot-on. Although it’s tough to swallow, I know that what he is saying is the truth. Sometimes when it stings, it’s what we need to hear…Omar, I love your blog, and I think you present your thoughts in an engaging and articulate manner. Keep being awesome!
Excellent post, Omar! What you say is totally true. I often ask myself why it is that I do “endurance sport”? And when I look at the rest of my life I know that it serves me in the life I live. There is a lot to “endure” some days!
Someone once described the “dead souls” idea to me as, “walking the procession of the living dead”. Same thing…just going through the motions. I agree that this happens a lot in the gym. People are there doing what they think they should be doing but there is no love or joy in it. Me? I say…let it be fun times!!