Why do we train?

Increased strength. Mental health. Bigger biceps. A rounder butt. To break a sweat. Athletic performance. Spend time with friends. Weight loss. There is a myriad of reasons that one would strength train, and to be honest, they are ALL valid reasons.

As a young trainer, I would often get frustrated at clients who didn’t want to get stronger, attain a ripped 6 pack, or leave the gym like they had just gone 3 rounds with Conor McGregor.

I lacked the emotional maturity, and ultimately, the empathy, to effectively give these clients what THEY wanted out of their experience in the gym. Who was I to determine WHY somebody was in the gym? What was the alternative for those folks…doing nothing?

ANYTHING is better than nothing, at the very least, when go through a metabolic workout, you can be rest assured that you will be hinging, squatting, pressing, pulling, and moving your body through a wide array of planes of movement. If all of that is true, then isn’t the rest kind of insignificant?

I am not saying that I do not LOVE it when clients try to gain strength, size, lose body-fat, etc, that will always be right in my “wheelhouse”. What I am saying is that if they do NOT want those things, I am ok with that, because I have seen people form relationships, make friends, change their lifestyle, and improve their energy levels, simply from going to the gym 3-6 days per week.

We all have our reason, as Lynsey Ciraulo (Metabolic Meltdown Head Trainer-Clifton Park) says, you need to “find your reason, find your purpose” and maximize your gym experience, fueled by the self realization and awareness that this type of discovery can provide. So the real question is, why do YOU train? Leave a comment below, I would love to hear!