The Gym Is No Different

The world gives back what you give it.

Like the ocean. Throw trash in the water and guess what? That same bag of garbage is washing up on your shore. It might take a while, but it will happen. One morning, a putrid mess is swishing over your toes, and you're wondering how that came to be.

The gym is no different.

What you get out of your fitness experience is going to be directly related to what you put into it—physically and emotionally. So you might as well throw your heart into it and get some beautiful, clear water back. How do you do that? By not only working toward your own success, but by actively supporting the success of others.

Whether we like to admit it or not, it helps to have a cheering section in life. Did you ever watch the 2010 CrossFit Games? Who didn't want to be Jason Khalipa, with an entire section full of crazy guys waving signs, chanting his name, and spelling out "K-H-A-L-I-P-A" on their bare chests? There were maybe 300 people in the stadium and it seemed like at least 100 were Khalipa fans. They couldn't help Khalipa lift the bar, but they helped lift his spirit during some brutal workouts.

So, the next time you're wondering why life (or the gym) isn't giving you the results you so desperately want?

Think about what you're putting into the mix.

Think about the effort and enthusiasm you're bringing to the task in front of you—and the task in front of the others around you. Become a cheering section. You don't have to paint letters on your chest, but it helps to care about the other guys. It helps to hope desperately for successes other than your own. It helps to will the others to victory too. 

And the ocean will return what you give it ...