Now dig deeper:
- What are you worried will happen if you grab that heavier dumbbell?
- What do you think is at stake if you add just 2.5kg to the barbell?
- What catastrophic event will occur if you move the pin on your lat pulldown one stack heavier?
Is It This?
- Scared you won’t finish all your reps?
- Scared you’ll fail the set and someone will notice?
- Scared of failing in general?
- Scared you might hurt yourself—but have no actual proof or reason for this fear?
- Or… scared it will just be HARD?
Sis, I hate to break it to you but training is supposed to be HARD.
We always laugh when someone loads a barbell for a squat, let’s say 60kg and then they come out of the set and breathe “fk, that’s hard!”… Yeah. No shit. HAHA. You just loaded 60kg on your back – that’s a mini human and lifted them up and down with the grit strength in your legs!
IT IS MEANT TO BE HEAVY, IT IS HEAVY, IT WILL BE HARD.
Why Do The Hard Thing?
Imagine if we avoided everything hard in life. Where would we be? Training is such a tangible way to look at the hard thing, be scared as hell, and then go pick it up and defeat it. In life it’s not as obvious – hence why training is often a big catalyst for growth for people. They gain confidence doing hard things in the gym – it manifests into other areas of their lives.
Next Time You Hesitate…
Before you downplay the weight, leave it for “next session,” or shy away from the challenge, I want you to:
- Look at that bar, dumbbell, or machine and remind yourself:
You’ve done harder things before. - Recognise the fear for what it is:
A story you’re telling yourself. One you can choose to believe – or not. - Understand that fear won’t disappear on its own:
It grows until you face it.
Ask yourself: What do I actually have to lose?
The Reality
It’s not that complicated or confusing. Hard things will always feel hard – but you’ve already proven you can do hard things. So, pick it up. Add the weight. Move the pin. Do the hard thing. Go heavier.
