TIRED IS A LIE!

The Gym Culture is an interesting one. There are so many things marketed to those who want to make
their health a priority in the gym. There are so many gimmicks in the fitness industry, most of which
produce zero actual benefit to those spending their hard-earned money on the marketing of “experts.”
On the other end of the spectrum is the extremism that seems to be gaining in popularity in the fitness
industry.
“PUSH TIL YOU PUKE”
“IF YOU AINT DYIN, YOU AINT TRYIN”
“110% ALL DAY EVERY DAY”
These are all common mantras that the elitists are pushing people to embrace, some of which are
newcomers to exercise. This usually turns into injury or even a bad taste in the mouths of beginners.
One thing I witness is the Cardio Freaks that think they need insane amounts of cardio (or conditioning)
in order to see any change in their body composition. These are the type of people who will leave the
gym disappointed if they didn’t cheat death or lose 6 lbs. of sweat during their workout, yet they fail to
realize the damage that excessive cardio can do to their bodies via elevated cortisol. This is not an attack
on the people that actually enjoy running or other forms of SSC, just a head check for those that are
running to lose fat or look like their runner friend Suzy who went from a size 8 to a 2 and looks great in a
2-Piece. What they fail to realize is that Suzy also added weight training, quit drinking nightly, removed
garbage nutrition, and started getting better sleep.

At Fenix Strength & Conditioning, we want all who enter to create a change in their bodies and mindsets
through learning first how to move. Once people can move properly, then we can look at the possibility
of adding volume or intensity. The number one priority for beginners should be to focus on proper
movement before attempting to do what more advanced members are doing. If it is a members first
week in the gym, they probably shouldn’t be maxing out just because everybody else is maxing out.
Progression is the key to helping beginners adapt and then increase their capacity.
The biggest thing I try to help the beginners understand is that they must “Show Up” every session they
attend. What I mean by this is that they must actually do the work and reach 100% of their potential
every session. The body will not change if we are lifting the same weights we lifted 5 weeks ago, unless
the progression is in reps with the same weight. Progression is key. One cannot expect the change they
desire by doing the same thing day in and day out. We add Finishers to our lifting sessions, to help with
overcoming weak mindsets on what the body is capable of. We do not train to failure frequently,
however the Rest-Pause Method is one of many options utilized for our members to push past a physical
barrier and increase hypertrophy. These methods (among many others) are critical in helping beginners
and advanced members reach new levels of growth in muscle mass and decreasing bodyfat. There are
many methods that will help clients reach their goals, we as professionals must be willing to explore and
apply the tried and true principles we believe will help those who trust us with their health. We don’t
have to kill them daily just to keep our classes full, results and healthy clients tend to keep coming back.
Broken clients don’t. Tired is a lie!