It’s Never Been About the ‘Perfect Workout’ – It’s About Showing Up

We got a new puppy last weekend. She’s seven weeks old, loud, and full of energy.

And she’s pooping all over my house.

I’m also taking an intensive writing course, enrolled in Seth Godin’s Podcast Fellowship program, coaching two kids programs through our community association, and trying to operate our business while being present for my wife and kids.

Trying to fit my workout in today was a challenge. As it always seems to be on days when I don’t have a scheduled group workout.

I was supposed to do some deadlifts. Nothing serious, just two easy sets of five reps. But even that felt like a monumental task this afternoon.

I told myself I’d just get changed and see what happened. So I did.

I got changed, then went out to the garage gym and grabbed my jump rope. After a few minutes of skipping I moved into some crawling and tumbling.

That in itself would have been good enough, but I figured I’d do a few rounds of Dan John’s “Bear Bear” – a combination of bear hug carries and bear crawls. After 150 meters of each, I decided to end with some easy kettlebell windmills and carries.

But by the time I was done all that, about 20 minutes’ worth of work, I felt energized and ready to go. The deadlifts were no longer something I “had” to do, but something I wanted to do.

I went downstairs to my office, grabbed the barbell and hit my two sets of five. Not the greatest workout mankind has ever seen. But a workout nonetheless.

I get what it’s like to be overwhelmed with work and kids and pets and school and all our other commitments.

I know what it’s like to have every excuse in the book not to workout. But I also know how, sometimes, you just need to get started. Promise yourself five minutes and see what happens.

Not every workout is going to be your best. But that’s fine.

It’s never been about having “the best workout”.

Progress in and out of the gym comes from showing up and doing the work on a consistent basis.

That’s it.

I’m not the biggest, strongest, or fastest person in the world. And I’ve never claimed to be.

But I promise you I’m the biggest, strongest, fastest version of myself because of my ability to show up consistently.