Another year older, another year wiser.
Honolulu, Hawaii
In this post I want to shed some light on a few observations I’ve made that I hope you can find value in — spark change and reinforce positivity.
1. Can’t help everyone
In the past, I worked with anybody who came knocking on my door. Now that I’m much more educated with a ton of experience under my belt, I’m more selective with who I choose to work with… for good reason.
There’s a world of difference between someone who says they need help, and someone who actually wants help. Perhaps it was my optimistic nature, but that premise never really stuck with me up until last year.
Wanting to help everyone that crosses your path is well-intended… but, it’s wishful thinking. With personal training, or any type of professional instruction for that matter, it’s a two-way street.
The person in front of you or on the other side of the phone has got to meet you half way. No amount of pizza and ice cream facts spitting or knowledge bombs are going to help someone who doesn’t really want to be helped.
2. Best job in the world, but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows
Making a living empowering people, and educating them to be more self-sufficient with their training is a reward in and of itself. Saying I love what I do would be a huge understatement. But I’ll tell you what, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
You know how many trainers I’ve seen come n’ go since I started back in 2013?
Too many to frickin’ count.
It’s a harsh reality for folks who want to be revered in this industry, which they haven’t got a clue about.
Granted, any gym rat can become a trainer with a weekend course/certification, but to immerse yourself into the grind you need to put in — most aren’t willing to do that, and I’ve seen it up-close.
As a frame of reference, when I was still getting my feet wet, I woke up at 4:30am almost every day for my morning clients. When I had a break in between, I would read books on business or strength training. Did I mention I taught after school P.E.? Yup, that was every afternoon.
If there was enough time, I’d try to squeeze in a 30min nap before I headed back to the gym for my next wave of clients. Towards the evening I would continue to read or watch informative and applicable information on YouTube until I fell asleep.
What I’m trying to convey is that if this whole thingamajig is a hobby, you’re not going to get very far. You got to love what you do for what it’s about, not what it could potentially provide.
3. Training borderline crazy all the time doesn’t end well
It’s no surprise that the vast majority of lifters and athletes glorify ball-busting hardcore training. Even a lot of the everyday folks I work and correspond with love it. Don’t get it twisted. I’m a big believer in going ham or batshit crazy from time to time.
In fact, I think a lot of people out there need to suck it up and train their ass off. It builds mental toughness and resiliency.
Unfortunately, though, we have no disregard for our tolerance limit.
Even under the right circumstances where every nuance is proper — sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplementation — you can’t go all-out all the time. Knowing when to back off or dumbing it down is a tactic not many individuals take a liking to.
Trust me, I can totally relate. I want to hulk smash every chance I get. But, being able to know when to put your chips in rather than going all in every turn is a skill you should consider — especially if you intend on playing long.
Not every training session has to be a Battle Royale. Train smarter, not harder.
4. We’re always looking for shortcuts
As much as I want to be able to deadlift 450+lbs while still being jacked, I have to be realistic in terms of the rate of progress.
It’s not how much you can do in a single workout, it’s about how much you can do for a long period of time.
Yes — there are individuals who have a predisposition to gaining muscle much faster than others (lucky Sumbitch), but remember, they’re the exception, not the norm.
Those of us mere mortals have to take a more calculated approach — and refrain from getting caught up with how slow progress is.
Besides, adversity is an overlooked advantage. It allows us to continually work no matter what.
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Dre Delos Santos 