Is Your Workout "Working?"

Is your workout "working?"

A client came to me once saying that her workout didn't "work." She twisted her hair around her fingers, obviously nervous to say so.

"I love the feeling I'm getting during our sessions & in my own gym time," she said. "I feel stronger. I push myself harder, and I love feeling accomplished. I can lift more weight. I'm having fun. But it's just not...working."

Of course, because I am a fan of questions more than most other things, I asked what she meant.

(I'm sure you can guess the answer. I just like to hear people share their thoughts out loud.)

We put so much pressure on fitness programs to end in fat loss. That's a valid goal, as they all are, but is that the only answer? Does a lack of dramatic fat loss REALLY mean your program isn't working?

I'm not comfortable with the idea that fitness exists primarily to shrink our bodies. I mean, does Serena Williams play tennis because it makes her a size 2? I think the fuck not.

I'm also not in the business of telling you what to do with your body. If you want fat loss, by all means, I'll help you get there. But I'd prefer to do so in ways that are sane, in ways that are sustainable, and in ways that make you feel powerful.

Your body is capable of some incredible feats of strength, both in and out of the weight room.

Using the numeric results of a program (however you measure: weight on the scale, jean size, etc.) to gauge if a program is "working" diminishes your work, in my opinion.

Fitness can do so much more than shrink you:

Your fitness program can make you feel capable. You learn that you can complete a task: you can do what you set out to do.
Your fitness program can make you feel joy. You learn that you can surprise yourself; you can play.
Your fitness program can make you feel strong. You learn that you can listen to your body; you can trust yourself; you can do hard things.

Would that work for you?

xoxo,
Steph