The Big Commitment . . .

A young lady I am training came to me dispirited, disillusioned and discouraged. The source of her consternation was the nagging doubt that she would never have her svelte figure back. Although, I explained to her that unless she deviated from the plan I laid out, she would eventually achieve her body transformation goals, I realized another tact would be needed. 

I could see by the troubled look on her face, a pep talk, to motivate and improved her outlook would not suffice. I don’t believe in coddling the individuals I train. I needed her to understand that it took some time to reach her corpulent state, and it would take the same if not more, to shed those unsightly and unwanted pounds. 

Now before I continue with this story, I need to preface it by letting those unfamiliar with my articles, understand that I endeavor to make the fitness jargon easier to comprehend. As a CPT, I could expound on all the scientific methodology in building muscles and losing weight, but all that would do is confuse the reader, overload them with information and render them powerless to act.

What I needed to get across to this young lady was that her discouragement did not really stem from her doubts about reaching her fitness goals, but her inability to make the Big Commitment.

“When the goal is big enough,” I told her. “The facts don’t count.” 

Let’s see if I can explain this, so that it’s easy to understand. 

Commitment is the inner resolution to go forward, in spite of all obstacles and frightening situations. What commitment does is allow an individual to develop consistency over time. It is when the goal becomes a burning desire, which must be achieved at all cost. 

I wanted to drive home the point that she was bargaining with the price of obtaining what she wanted.

“I cannot do a particular exercise. I don’t want to run on the treadmill after resistance training. All of the intensity techniques, supersets, drop sets, rest pause sets, and partials you have me do are too difficult for me.”

These statements I told her showed a lack of commitment, which resulted in half-hearted efforts, which invariably led to unimpressive results. 

“When you don’t do cardio for the times I prescribed, when you sneak off to restroom, to take your own self-imposed break, as opposed to continuing to work. The only one you are fooling is yourself.”

The Big Commitment negates all of that.  

“It means that you come to the gym with the attitude that you’re going to kick ass, and preferably your own. You give maximum effort on every rep, on every set. When you rather stay in bed, but understand that the weights won’t lift themselves, and go train anyway. 

“When your friends beckon you, to hang out with them, and you tell them no, I have to go the gym. When your parents tried to dissuade you from going, and tell you missing one workout isn’t bad, and you respectfully state, no I have to go.  

“When your muscles are sore, and your entire body aches, crying out that you should take a break, and you shout no, I have to get my three workouts in for the week, then and only then can it be said that you have made the Big Commitment.”

“What if I am unable or incapable of making such a commitment?” 

B.Booth (NASM-CPT)