A couple of weeks ago, I attended FitCon — a fitness Convention in Salt Lake City. My goals were varied: to make connections, check out new supplements, and see what was new or unique in the areas of health and fitness.
I returned home with a bag full of pre-workout drinks, protein bars, and printout of a body scan pointing out my body fat levels (more than I thought, but still below the norm).
I would say overall that my greatest takeaway was the connections I made. I’m not talking about trading business cards (though I did), but actually connecting with people. I met entrepreneurs, chefs, other attendees, and a pro bodybuilder (Kai Greene) whom I learned about from a documentary (Generation Iron). He was a super nice guy — all smiles — oh, and even though he stood an inch shorter than me, he still had 113 pounds of additional muscle over me. (Hmmm, time to eat two protein bars a day?)
The connections I made, however, were that of finding and communicating with like-minded individuals. We discussed similar goals, problems, questions, and more. It was… nice; reassuring and comforting. Though, genetically, I could never add 113 pounds of additional muscle to my frame, we still had much in common.
The same connection was there with the women who attended (bodybuilders, cross fitters, and others who combined genetics with hard work) — and most of them also had more muscle than yours truly.
I learned, ironically, it wasn’t about the muscle — the physical aspects. Rather, it was about the shared experiences, the mutual appreciation for our area(s) of interest, and the shared respect of everyone’s goals and efforts. Sure, there was bigger, stronger, and fitter (cue the military reps doing their pull-up challenges) in attendance, but no one came across as “better.” There was respect, iration, and connection.
I urge you to search for and cultivate that sense of connection in your health, fitness, and exercise goals. It truly can make a difference in your efforts; your motivation, and your sense of self-worth.
I left the convention feeling more than motivated, I felt energized and validated. I felt I was truly a part of something bigger (muscles not included!).
Exercise can be a lonely endeavor. You run alone, often in the early morning hours or with your earphones; you lift weights in the gym, surrounded by like-minded individuals, yet you’re laser-focused on your efforts; or you work out in in a group setting, but you’re mindful of how you look, comparing yourself to others.
What you’re doing — bettering yourself, working hard to achieve your goals, committing time and effort in your already busy day — is, actually, what others are doing, too. Find them, talk with them, ask them questions. You may find they have been comparing themselves to you as well.
But it’s not about who’s bigger, thinner, more muscular, faster, and so on. It’s about all of us heading in the same direction and we’ve all started at different times and locations — some ahead of us, some behind us.
Let’s look for what we have in common as opposed to competing against each other (without the “other” even being aware).
In a previous column I suggested keeping your eyes and ears open in the gym and to be open to asking questions and learning. I strongly recommend that and more. a group; run with a partner; make eye with others at the gym (just don’t make it creepy). Make connections — even if just a hello, a nod, or a “hey.”
I did, and I’m so glad I did — though, honestly, I’m still having trouble processing that additional 113 pounds of muscle (seriously… 113!).
If you enjoyed reading this, then please visit www.HarryKFitness.com where you can find more fitness information, my workout e-book, listen to my latest podcast on Spotify, and check out the Healthy Recipe page.
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