If you’ve ever stepped into a gym, looked around, and feel paralyzed… you’re reading the right article.
It’s normal stop in your tracks and take pause when you are unsure what to do. You see people walking around the gym, doing various exercises, but you don’t want to stare and look weird or try it yourself and look foolish, so you decide not to do anything but what you know. (I’ve been there!).
If you are brave, maybe you try some of the machines, a dumbbell exercise, but the daunting thought of who might be watching and whether you are doing the moves correctly keeps you from really digging into your workout. Haven’t we all seen a “Gym Fails” video?
To move through that paralyzing spot, you need a place where you can mess up and it’s OK. You need a place where the risk of failure is so low so you can fail and fail again until you master that skill to a certain level.
That place is what I call the Sandbox: the place where kids go to make a sandcastle, dig in the dirt and build and destroy their creations, leaving the sandbox ready to be built upon again.
In the same way, you need a sandbox. A place where you can go and work on your fitness, fail at it, and then work on it again, without feeling like there’s a lot to lose (like your ego or reputation).
I spend a lot of time giving my clients permission to fail in the sandbox of fitness. You need to fail in order to make progress. It’s not a matter of if, but when.
Now, you could show up at your sandbox and just wing it. Pile some sand up, play around with different water levels to see how much you need to hold it in place but not get it too sticky, use your hands to mold it.
Or you can show up with some pre-made molds. Some tools that not only make the sandcastle much more interesting, but also elevate it to a higher level of skill and intricate design.
In the same way, you can show up to an empty gym and just wing it. Test the different dumbbell sizes, move your arms around and bend at the hips, trying different exercises. But it is much better to have a template, a coach to give you some instruction and show you how to move in a healthy and efficient way.
Being in front of a coach gives you the opportunity to attempt an exercise, get immediate feedback, try again, get feedback, try again… and make progress toward your skill. Just like being in a sandbox. Build the tower, knock it down, build a new tower, assess and decide to knock it down, each time refining and producing a better result.
Each day I work in my sandbox, my gym, meeting with clients to work on getting stronger, faster, and fitter. No one really sees their sweat, their food journal, or bad positioning in a movement. If we’re working in small groups, everyone if focused on their own form, their own performance. No one really cares about failing because the risk is low. Our gym is small and off the beaten path. Egos and reputations are left at the door. They are just adults trying to be and stay healthy.
And, when they fail, they have learned that you just try again, pick yourself up or pick up the weights again or jump back onto the bar- and the skill improves. They get faster. They get stronger. They get fitter and toned and lose weight.
So I ask you- do you have a sandbox? If not, seek out your sandbox and you will have opportunity to make real progress.
Find a coach for quick feedback and a template, and you will move from a stuck place to gain traction on your fitness in an effective way.
Keep moving!
Priscilla
p.s. Know what you want but not sure how to get there? That’s where we come in. We give you step by step instruction on what to do next. With all the ideas, diet advice and newest forms of exercise, it can be overwhelming. So let us help you determine your next step. Click here if you’d like to set up a free consultation.
[zenplanner_button url=”https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=12171180&appointmentType=8163389″ target=”blank” size=”13″ center=”yes”]Book a No Sweat Consultation [/zenplanner_button]
Recent Comments