Barrier: The Big Hang-Up
The first step is hard. Often times the hardest.
There’s always a reason that people want to get started with training and to put a greater emphasis on using nutrition to feel better.
But often times the reason is also the personal barrier to taking that first step
‘I can’t keep up’
‘My legs are a mess’
‘I can’t imagine someone watching me workout’.
These are all personal barriers.
We’ve all got them.
For me, it was my arms.
I wouldn’t go to the gym because I couldn’t curl 10lbs.
Before I started my own transformation, I wasn’t particularly strong on any level and always felt a little embarrassed by it. I would overcompensate for it by referring to myself as a ‘creative’ like that meant something or the classic response of making fun of something that I found intimidating; so basically anyone that spent time in a gym. Not a great look and all driven through envy and a bit of self loathing. Yikes.
But I’ve come to learn that is a pretty common and likely familiar scenario for lots of folks and therein lies the conundrum; how do we use our biggest hang-up as a spark for change?
The big truth is: I didn’t.
I had to find something else first.
Had I had focused on growing giant arms as a sole reason for working out I would have quit. Because growing giant anything takes time. I’m not even close.
I’ve always found success focusing on the mental. The immediate mental impact was the spark and bringing some mindfulness to the gym has always carried me through the times when physical progress felt impossible. (happens to everyone!).
It allowed me the freedom to explore the physical in the gym. It gave me time to get acquainted with my body without being driven by immediate physical transition which is so often a barrier to sticking with it. It bought me some valuable time when it came to my expectations.
It’s important to acknowledge your reason for getting started. It’ll help us find our way around it as a barrier.