The CJ Fit Philosophy Part 1: Start With Why

I love doing pullups.

And when I say I love doing pullups, I don’t only mean I love the effect they have on my body.

I mean I love each and every rep — feeling every joint move exactly the way I want it to, noticing which muscles are firing, keeping my tempo locked in from start to finish.

I love bodyweight squats, too.

I do sets of 50 to 100. It burns — really bad. But I love the challenge of keeping my core braced, eyes up, going as deep as I can, making each rep as perfect as possible no matter how much it hurts.

I don’t say this to boast — I say it because I had a harsh reality check when I first became a personal trainer.

When I entered the business, I thought everybody in the gym was obsessed with moving their body. And sure, some people are… Some chase a 1,000-pound total, a freestanding handstand pushup, or a full lotus pose.

But I realized there’s a whole other group for whom movement isn’t art, it’s medicine. Their doctor told them their blood pressure’s high. They’re struggling to keep up with their kids. They’re tired, not sleeping well, and hoping exercise might help.

So we have to ask ourselves… Why are we training? What are we trying to accomplish?

More importantly, who are we trying to become? Who are we training for?

Ultimately, whether we’re a stay-at-home mom or elite powerlifter, fitness is an endeavor we must continue for our entire lives. Not only does our own quality of life depend on it, but our ability to be an active part of the lives of others depends on it, as well.

You want to be able to wrestle around on the ground with your kids and not be tight and sore the next morning.

You want to have the energy to handle your career and your family with ease.

You want to be muscular enough to intimidate any boy your daughter brings home when she’s a teenager (just me?).

The reality is, most people let responsibilities push their health and fitness to the back burner — and I completely understand why. It can feel selfish to take 30 minutes for a workout when meals need cooking, toys need picking up, laundry’s waiting, and you’ve got a Zoom meeting in an hour.

But if we zoom out, taking care of our bodies is one of the most selfless things we can do.

When we get stronger and lose weight, everyday activities like carrying laundry baskets, picking up the kids, and walking up and down stairs become immensely easier. When life becomes physically easier and we’re walking around with confidence, we have more energy, which allows us to do more. That energy also leads to better focus, which helps us manage stress — decreasing anxiety and freeing us to be more present and loving with the people around us.

You can see how good physical health can snowball.  But from the very beginning, we have to look beyond the superficial, aesthetic aspects of fitness.

We have to start with why.