Gym bros

I try going to the gym 3 times a week. Strength training is good for overall health and longevity.

Currently, I find it the most challenging aspect of my life. Earlier, academics and work used to have this distinction. But after diverging significantly from engineering and spending a considerable amount of time in corporate setups, my core doesn’t take me out of my comfort zone enough.

The gym is different, though. As someone with median strength and stamina, pushing myself to do better each day is a constant struggle. Finding the mental strength to get through sets is a challenge that I relish.

I usually listen to deep conversations on podcasts when I am in the gym–the likes of Huberman and Lex Fridman. Sometimes the podcast becomes white noise. This is when I am doing some meditative reflection. Being with myself–on a journey of self-improvement–is a meaningful pursuit. At other times, I listen intently to the conversation. A significant number of my mental models are results of insights from these. For some reason, I have good recall for podcasts listened to in the gym.

It is hard to be disciplined. Until I made it a priority, I would always look for reasons to not go to the gym. These ranged from ‘today I have already had junk food’ to ‘it is too cold outside’. And work always used to take precedence.

The key change that I have made is to assign health the number 1 priority in the auxiliary bucket. This ensures that I deliberately schedule my workouts. All other engagements revolve around it.

I removed all the possible causes of friction in the process. I didn’t renew my Cult.fit subscription. I now go to the gym in my society or in hotels when I am travelling. It is much easier to do this than sorting timing and conveyance for the Cult visit.

I also started tracking my workouts extensively. I set a simple adherence goal of spending 30 minutes in the gym. I feel that most people get this wrong. They set arduous goals and start spending an hour or more in the gym when starting this practice. It becomes unsustainable and they lose steam. I discovered that downstream metrics like calories burned and weights lifted are a natural consequence of consistency. If you solve for consistency, the growth will automatically take care of itself.

I see a lot of people in the gym. Some are infrequent visitors. Others are new faces that spring up every once in a while–the ones who show up one day and never return. And then there are the regulars–the gym bros.

Different gyms have different cultures regarding people talking to each other. In my society, people usually don’t talk much beyond a customary ‘Hi’. But this ‘Hi’ exchanged with the gym bros carries unspoken, visceral communication.

Seeing each other day in, day out comes with happiness. Anyone on the journey knows how hard it is. The happiness is a mark of appreciation for the conviction.

There is admiration for the physique that the consistent hard work has built.

And most importantly, there is a sense of mutual respect for the discipline–for showing up regardless of the weather or occasion.

I feel that getting recognition from the gym bros is the highest leverage motivator. Even when these are unsaid reactions, they have done the most for continuously lending high intent to my pursuit.