I can remember when I used to enjoy going to the gym. I looked forward to it every time. I felt great doing it. I would go and work out, get pumped, get sweaty, and leave with more energy than when I went in. That left me ready to jump on the next workout.
Back then, things weren’t so hypercompetitive. Now it seems like you have to be obsessed with your Fran time, the number of clean and jerks you can do with double kettlebells, how much you’re deadlifting, how low your body fat is, etc.
In this hypercompetitive rush, we’ve lost the simple joy of going to the gym and enjoying a workout. Yes! It actually happens, believe it or not. Working out can feel good, not like you’re gonna die every time. But when you turn it into a mindless competition all the time, you get exhausted. Why? Because it’s never enough. No matter what you do today, your Fran time isn’t as good as Rich Froning’s, your deadlift is inadequate compared to Dave Tate’s, your kettlebell clean and jerks never compare to any Russian’s. You have 18% body fat? Good grief, what’s wrong with you?!?
Competition is good when it encourages you to reach higher and go further. It can really help with motivation. But it can also become a survival of the fittest really quickly. We want more people to work out and get the benefits of fitness. Turning fitness into something only the fit can do isn’t the answer.
So if you need to go into the gym and wear your headphones and do YOUR OWN THING then go do it. Cause in the end, you’re the only person you have to please.