We can’t believe it’s been 5 years! Along the way, we’ve added a floor, lots of shiny equipment, and a coffee machine (that we grievously miss), but we’d like to think not a whole lot has actually changed. We still have that same thrill when one of you hits a PR, gets their first push up, or even just starts to love training. While Covid has ensured we can’t see as much of you as we’d like, we thought we’d use the opportunity to find more ways to stay in touch. Our newsletter is not like every other boring newsletter you signed up for but never actually read, because we will actually have interesting content that the community asks for.
More on that later, but for now, we thought we’d whet your appetite with what our coaches have been reflecting on these past few weeks!
Prashanti Ganesh - Co Founder and Senior Coach
Lesson: Fitness is only kinda important
I didn't start a gym because I like to workout, I started a gym so I can teach people how to lift weights and make fitness a part of their lives. How I define "part of their lives" has changed over the years and my biggest learning as a coach and fitness-enthusiast is that fitness honestly isn't THAT important. I absolutely hate it when people throw open push up challenges at parties. Don't be that person, don't let fitness consume you. Figuring out a moderate and sustainable approach that allows you to keep fitness a part of your life - without letting it takeover - is pretty much the only way for you to not only see progress, but also build a positive relationship with that process. Here's to many more years to some very moderate amounts of some very serious fitness!
Varun Srikanth - Partner and Senior Coach
Lesson: training is a lifelong investment
Goal-setting is great, but even our long-term goals tend to span a year at the most. My biggest learning from 5 years of coaching is the recognition that training is not about preparing for the next few weeks, months, or even years - it's about preparing for the rest of life. Fate can always deal you a bad hand, as the continued spread of covid makes aptly clear. Training gives you a physiological cushion that only gets more important the older you get. As my favourite crusty coach, Mark Rippetoe, said: "stronger people are harder to kill".
Nivedhan Suresh - Partner and Senior Coach
Lesson: The details matter, but not as much as we think they do
Over the past four years of coaching, I've realized that people who obsess over details see much less progress than those who take care of basics 80% of the time. Supplements, white rice vs brown rice, turmeric, finding the perfect program and other such details matter far less compared to the big rocks - training 3-4 days a week, keeping calories in check, eating sufficient protein and veggies, sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night and managing stress. Getting these right 80% of the time is going to give you most of your results. Keep it simple, you will reap the rewards at a much lower mental and actual cost.
Chirag Chordia - Partner and Senior Coach
Lesson - Think about 'why' you train
Everyone can and should train. The kind of training each person does might differ not just based on their goals and training/medical history, but also on their competing life demands. Sometimes you train to look good or improve your performance. Other times, you might train to have a good time or as a way to express yourself. It helps you feel good. Sometimes, training can become the only way you can ensure you lead a functional life.
Knowing what training means to you at a given point in your life can help you get the most out of it. It will also help understand where training falls on your priority list!