or, where to continue to find inspiration....when i started SiB, i clearly was the one setting the bar. i had spent a solid year planning and running thru the workouts before i even considered opening the studio. so i had a leg up. i was already pretty conditioned, and i knew what the workouts would look like. and how much work they required.
i would say that first year, maybe even in to the second, i felt pretty darn confident in my fitness level. i was able to confidently coach and push the rest of the tribe because i was most always "in the lead". i have always subscribed to the sports movie idioms that my family quotes at each other ad nauseam. so bear with me, and welcome to the crazy world of the bayer family :)
"speed of the leader, speed of the gang"
ok, this isnt a movie quote, but it should be. and i believe it, wholeheartedly. if you are going to ask someone to do something, you better be willing to do it yourself. there is not a single workout in the gym that i have not done. have i hated some of them? you bet your ass. do i skimp on some movements when i program? sure. that's the benefit of running my own gym. but i try to keep in mind, that just because i dont like/am bad at something, doesnt mean everyone is. we ALL hate some of the things we are asked to do. but we do them anyway. me included. thats the only way this works. when my crew sees me struggle, or fail, it makes it ok for them to do the same. when i have to do movements that are difficult, it proves the point. we are ALL still working towards something. and we have to keep moving whether we want to or not.
"attitude reflect leadership, captain"
that doesnt mean i am always gracious about it. i try. honestly. but like everyone, i have good days and bad days. the one thing that i try to make sure we all do is CELEBRATE success. all the small ones. everyday. the gym is supposed to make us feel BETTER. motivate us. sometimes that motivation comes from failure, but it cant always. it mostly comes from continued successes. small successes build over time to really impressive accomplishments. and we need to keep that positive focus. when i start to skew negative, it reflects immediately in the gym. and it jerks me back. if the team is negative or unhappy, its because i have created the atmosphere. we are basically a big giant mirror of each other. if people are reacting negatively to you, you should probably check what vibes you are throwing out. i know for me, this has been one of the hardest things to accept, and regulate. but its making me a better person for acknowledging when i get to be too harsh.
"legs feed the wolves, gentlemen"
this is my "dig deep" philosophy. also known as, everyday is leg day in the studio. to me, this is the defining strategy behind my programming. it has come in many forms over the years, but the strong survive. doing the things you dont want to do when you dont want to do them, allows you to persevere and get the things you DO want. everyone has limitations. EVERYONE. some people use them as excuses or reasons why they cant. and that is ok. everyone lives their own lives according to what they think is best. but i can tell you this. the community of people i surround myself with absolutely does NOT buy into that. your limitations are things to be overcome. they are the challenges that motivate you to be better. there is always someone out there worse off than you that is doing MORE. challenges are fuel. pushing through IS the answer.
"pain heals. chicks dig scars. glory lasts forever"
i'm 47. i have had both my knees reconstructed. i have had 3 children, intermittent sciatica, and all the various aches and pains associated with a lifetime of basically being human. PAIN is just a fact of life. and clearly there are degrees of pain. we spend a lot (really A LOT) of time in the studio talking about the difference between discomfort and pain. at my age, discomfort if a given. i look like i'm 100 when i get out of bed. i limp downstairs every single morning, using both hands holding the wall and the railing. its ridiculous. in the last year or so in my latest competitive incarnation, i have given myself not 1, but 2 concussions. i have fallen off of bars, hit myself with bars, smashed my shins on numerous boxes and ripped copious amounts of skin off various body parts. its all a part of the process of pushing my boundaries. because every single one of these injuries pushes me to be better. its a stepping stone on the way to my next accomplishment. if i take off every time im hurt, i would literally never step foot in the gym again. and thats just not the answer for me."you know what we get to do, brooks? we get to play baseball"
this is the hardest for all of us aging athletes i think. definitely for me. i am no longer the strongest or most fit in the studio. not by a long shot. in just 3 short years, i have been completely surpassed by the amazing men and women i am lucky enough to work out with everyday. and it in some ways it is a hard pill to swallow. its hard to look around and know, that while i am still doing MY best, its no longer THE best. those damn comparisons again. but i've learned very recently that MY best is the only standard that should matter to me. and i have my crew to thank for that. i am LUCKY that i still get to play. that my body still allows me to do all the things i continue to push it to do. and i get to help other people reach for THEIR best. so as long as i still GET TO, i need to embrace it, and everyone who gets to do it with me.
thank you for that. thank all of you on the journey with me. i appreciate your motivation, whether you realize it or not. watching you all overcome and excel continues to push me to do better. you guys rock!
