MAYBE THAT'S WHAT THE GYM IS FOR?

So far as a coach, I have travelled the world quite a bit over the last 17 years. Having worked in five different countries with professional football teams, a world kickboxing champion, the old, the young, and the in-betweens, I have seen commonalities in simply what makes a place a good environment to be in.

I grew up in a culture where a strong work ethic was always highly valued. As a wise man in my home country Austria once said: 'If you're bored, get undressed, and look after your clothes.'

This brings me to the point where I believe that fostering a gym culture built on the same ethos of a strong work ethic helps us to not just get stronger, but grow as human beings outside of it.

It is a shame to see when people go to the gym and don't even do half of what they're capable of doing that day. They either go through the motions, follow some 'expert's' program, or have simply succumbed to the notion that spending time on the phone is more important than actually working out.

I think we reap many rewards from understanding what it means to actually train - the main thing being that we learn things about ourselves which we perhaps cannot learn outside the gym: the importance of dedication, hard work, being present during the lifts and interacting with others, as well as gently pushing the perceived boundaries of our capabilities.

At Strong For Life, we invest a lot of energy into building a culture based on the said principles. And we are constantly hearing from our members how their commitment to getting stronger has shaped them not just from a physical perspective, but also a person.

Instead of just punching the ticket at your next workout, remember that the gym serves as an environment where you can get stronger inside of, so you can become a better person outside of it.

Maybe that's what the gym is for?

#strengthtraining #startingstrength #hamptonwick #teddington