Strengthen Your Ability To Enjoy Life

– Julian

If you watch our videos, read our blog, attempt our challenges, attend our class, or ever have a session with me, there are a few things you may notice us say, do, and ask of you, over and over and over again. Things like, moving everyday, training for the life you already live, consistency being the key to results, and balance being the key to consistency.

These things are stressed because our focus is not JUST about losing fat or building muscle, but on building the habits that allow you to maintain those results, and in doing so grow your ability to enjoy life. While enjoying life may seem highly vague, there are mechanisms that can help quantify your ability to do so…..at least physically. There are many factors that contribute to your ability to enjoy life that are going to be deeply personal, mental, emotional, or spiritual, and I’m not going to pretend I can quantify them for you.

But there is evidence that suggests some physical measurements can be correlated to your ability to enjoy life. And none of those measurements are your weight, your waist size, your thigh gap, the definition of your abs, or your ability to take a gym selfie.

One such piece of evidence is a study that I frequently reference and was initially pointed towards by Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor in the Center for Sport Performance at CSU Fullerton. The study found a correlation between quality of life and three physical traits:

Leg strength – The ability to stand, walk, and move for needed periods of time without pain, or falling.

VO2 Max – The maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise.

Lean Tissue – The amount of muscle on your body (and the ligaments, and tendons, and bones, and organs that connect them).

What does it mean though? This means it is not being overweight or being thin that dictates whether someone is healthy or not.

I am going to say that again.

Being overweight isn’t what makes someone unhealthy.

Being thin isn’t what makes someone healthy.

Regardless of your shape, if you can move comfortably within the needs of your life, not get winded from doing so, and have the structure to support your size, enjoying your life becomes a lot easier. That’s what makes you healthy.

I am not going to pretend that looking good in your birthday suit doesn’t play a factor. The desire to look good is what fuels most people to hit the gym, and feeling like you don’t look good, or even worse, don’t look good yet, is what destroys peoples confidence and self worth.

But here’s the thing:

No one is ever satisfied with how their body looks. You can ask the top bodybuilders, athletes, actors, and models, anyone that we hold up as an example of what to strive for, and they will all claim to be unhappy with many parts of their body.

It is during the pursuit of bettering ourselves that we look best in the mirror. It is our ability to enjoy life that makes us healthy. If you want to feel your best, look your best, and believe in yourself, you should focus on bettering your ability to enjoy life.

This is what we coach, teach, and program for. This is how we train. This is what makes us the health industry rather than the fitness industry.