Building Muscle and Character

The other day I was putting on my shirt, and I noticed an "egg" where my biceps used to be.

Holy freaking cow! I've got an actual bulging bicep! Pretty freaking exciting when you consider I had virtually no upper body strength a year ago.

It was cool today to be able to do 5 deadhang pullups while newbie men could barely do one. It reminded me of being new and wondering if you'll ever "get there".

Amazing.

On another note, I'm really digging coaching. It is incredibly challenging to help people (especially women) overcome their lack of belief in themselves and what they are capable of and turn them into fierce warriors. It is quite a process that requires a great deal of patience, genuine caring, follow through and some serious toughness.

It is really pushing me forward as an individual.

People have so many reasons why they (or someone else, usually their doctor) have convinced them that they "can't". It is my job to disagree with these assessments and help them realize what they've been told is WRONG!

But I'll tell you what, watching the light come on when someone regains mobility in legs that hadn't run in years or watching someone do their first pushup from the toes or kipping pullup is quite an amazing reward.

Sometimes it's hard not to get frustrated when you're faced over and over again with the same considerations from folks--mainly that they're too old, overweight, fragile, weak, have this or that "bad" bone or muscle, et. al.

It sure is a character builder.

I only hope I can honor my clients with coaching that inspires them as I have been inspired. If my end of the first 6-week assessments are an indicator, I may be doing a thing or two right.

I think as long as I remember that that is what I am there for, I think I'll be fine.

It's hard to be a hard ass sometimes. However, it's a hell of a lot better to have a client be momentarily mad at me than it is to continue to allow them to be weak by not pushing them further than they think they can go.

And this is the tightrope I am learning to walk....