The Why Behind My Fitness Journey
the art of doing something challenging
I was always “skinny” my whole life. But that doesn’t mean I’ve been fit, strong or healthy. Being a pilates instructor since 2020 off and on, it was challenging to admit to myself at the beginning of this year —
I’m not as strong as I want to be.
I actually avoided working out to my maximum capacity for a while for fear that if I tried and didn’t get to where I wanted; I would fail. My ego was so fragile that “failure” at something would mean that I was failing at other areas of my life as well.
This brings me to my next point:
Do something hard.
Doing something hard like conquering a fitness / body recompositioning / weight loss journey shows you that you can do way more than you thought you could. In the moments it’s hard. When you want to quit. When you think you couldn’t possibly do one more rep. When you thought you couldn’t lift any more. When you think your technique can’t possibly improve. You do. It does. You get better. You get stronger.
I thought I couldn’t lift weights, (or at least lift weights with correct form and technique which matters to me a lot as a pilates instructor) so I hired a personal trainer.
In comes Giorgio Merlino, Alo's founding trainer who has a personalized GMT method that he uses to train all the models I see have amazing core, shoulders and glutes on instagram. As much as I know about pilates, I didn’t know as much about weight training or the kind that would best suit my goals.
I wanted to lean out. Be stronger. I wanted to show myself I can do hard things. That I can let go of control. I can put my trust in the person I hired to help me get there.
I have been consuming an immense amount of “gym bro” content over the past year. From my favourite Youtubers like Will Tennyson and Browney to my favourite podcaster; Chris Williamson.
I believe in consuming the content and energy of the people/person you want to embody. I needed more masculine energy in my life to balance with the feminine. I was too soft, easy going, and fearful of pushing myself to my maximum capacity with mind and body.
I was afraid of trying.
In comes all the gym bros I mentioned above; they gave me the confidence to push through when things get hard. To hit the gym, stick to the diet and lose the fat even when I wanted to give up.
They inspired me to make a business with monetizable skills and content on the things I am truly passionate in: Pilates. Working out. Eating well. Learning. Self reflection. Mindfulness. Meditation.
Fitness is a good ‘hard thing’. It shows you what you are capable of. It shows you that you are the kind of person who won’t quit. You are the kind of person who does not give up on themselves.
This bleeds out into all areas of your life. You can work for yourself. Build that business. Make more money than you think you can. Stick to the healthy eating. Lose weight. Get as fit as possible. Etc
As of today I am the strongest I have ever been. Can lift more than before. And as a byproduct, have improved confidence and cognitive function.
More on how I got there next time
Love, Hanna