Gym As Reset

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
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• 12:26 [Ad] Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
• 13:13 (Cont.) Gym As Reset

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to There is a Method to the Madness. My name is Rob Maxwell, and I'm an exercise physiologist and personal trainer. I am the owner of Maxwell's fitness programs, and I've been in business since 1994. The purpose of this podcast is to get to the real deal of what really works and most importantly why things work. Hence the name, There is a Method to the Madness. Before I get to today's show, I want to thank Jonathan and Lynn Gilden of the Gilden Group at Realty Pros. They are committed to providing the highest level of customer service in home sales. Why don't you give them a shout and figure out what your home is worth? 386-451-2412. Good afternoon, everybody. Rob here. It is uh what is it? It is Tuesday afternoon for me, October 21st, and um I'm logging on to talk to everybody about some fitness. Um I haven't made as many podcasts over the last couple weeks, and the reason is is because for some reason, and I'm certainly not complaining, the numbers have been off the charts good. So when they're really good and really high, you don't necessarily want to flood it with more because what it means is people are still downloading the podcast that you you've putting out there already. So you don't really want to add another one when they're still on the rise up, you know, at least how that's how we've looked at it for a long time. And for some reason, the monthly numbers and the weekly numbers have been really, really high, which is great. I mean, I like to think we put out, I put out good content. I love talking about fitness. Um, you know, it is one of my, if not my biggest, passions. And uh, you know, maybe more and more people are finding it and then hitting the automatic download buttons so all of the uh episodes get downloaded and so it makes the numbers look really good. But you know what? I'm not gonna complain because that's a good thing. And this is the reason why I haven't made as many. So I guess if you start seeing maybe two or three a week or even more, you start going, uh-oh, the podcasts must not be getting a lot of numbers. And that could be. Or I could just be bored and wanting to make more podcasts. So today I want to talk about some things that we often leave out when it comes to the gym, when it comes to working out, and that is the beauty of going there as a reset. Do you ever feel like you just need a reset? Like life has just gotten out of control, life is not going the way you want it to. Um, you got a lot of stress, you got a lot of stuff going on, and you just need to reset. Now, I don't think going to the gym is going to recalibrate a life out of control. That's not what I'm implying, but it can give you that reset in the day. It can maybe get that day started off right where you don't need the reset. But I really want to focus on the reset, really. So, you know, I've often said in my new book, I talk about it that going to the gym, having an accountability partner like a personal trainer, or if you met or are meeting your workout buddy at the gym, that's kind of the same thing, you know, that's an accountability partner. Like the actual physical act of going there is sort of like the old classic sitcom Friends. Not friends. Why did I say friends? Friends is a great show, but that irritates me because I had the show in my head that I was going to say, which is cheers, and I said, friends. Friends is a great show, no offense to any of them. But cheers. And you know that tagline with cheers that says where everybody knows your name. So to me, that's such a big part of going to the gym. Now you might say going to your run or going out to meet your friends to run or bike or swim or those things. But I mean, that that's great. That could be the same thing. But I'm really talking about that and going to the gym. I can remember when I was in college and uh I was either at my community college at the time or I was in my first couple years at UCF. You know, I've I've made this not a hidden secret about me in the past. I like to talk about it because I think it's important that we talk about things, but I drank too much. I drank way too much. And I had have, I should say, a lot of alcoholism in my family. So that probably wasn't the best of ideas. So I drank and I was kind of a uh binge drinker. Like it was never like a deli drinker. I was that guy in college that you could um basically say is Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde, you know, that the old saying that um and I was. It was funny. Well, not really, but it it was, it was, it fit that description so well. And don't worry, I'm not gonna go on a really long diatribe about this. I'm just trying to lay the foundation for why the gym was such a healing and a great reset for me. But um, you know, I could be, you know, Mr. Studious, and um, I made really good grades in college because I tried really hard. And uh so I was an A student, and uh, but like I could go out at night and I could be like not a good camper, like just not very well behaved at all. And uh, you know, drinking was not good for me. It ended up uh causing me some problems in my very early life, and I had to give it up. I had to put the plug in the jug, so to say, and I was 27 years old when I did, and I've been grateful ever since that I found a new way of life. Um, so I'll leave that part of the story at that. But let me say that during those times, and of course, after those times, it hasn't changed, but during those times when there was something about going to the gym that was so healing and cleansing for me. I mean, maybe because it was or is you literally are working on your physical fitness. You are going to make yourself better, you are sweating, you are getting your heart rate up, you're doing all these things. Like it literally is a cleanse in a way. And we know that so many people do cleanses, right? They talk about the the uh the purification of cleansing. Well, it it is. I mean, emotionally, you're getting like a lot of stuff out, right? I think anyway, if you're going to the gym and working pretty hard, you know, it brings stuff up to the emotional side, you kind of work it out and then you keep moving. But also you sweat, and sweating is so healing. And I know some people don't like to sweat. I don't get that. Like, I love to sweat. There's something so purifying about sweating to me. And uh, and also like the symbolic portion of sweating, too. I mean, it's literal and it's also symbolic, I believe. So in those days when I wasn't exactly doing what I should do the night before, which is what every good athletic, in-the-fitness college student should be doing, is, you know, eat a healthy dinner, study, and uh, you know, go to bed early or whatever, you know, do something harmless. Well, if I didn't choose that route and I went out and drank way too much, which I did on many occasions during my collegiate uh journey, you know, going to the gym the next day just seemed to reset me. And I can remember when I'm I had to have been at a community college at this point because it was at a gym in New Smyrna. And uh, you know, when I was over at UCF in Orlando, of course I was in Orlando, so I wouldn't have been working out over down in New Smyrna. So it was at New Smyrna. An old friend of mine from high school was working out, and I think he had also had his run-ins with uh, you know, partying a little too much when he went to school. And uh I can remember him, I I don't I don't want to say he smelled it because, you know, I don't think that was the case, but it was, you know, I don't know, maybe we ran into each other the night before or something, but I can remember him just saying something like, Man, you know, it really is good to get back in and you know get yourself right, you know. And I'm like, yeah, like he got it. And I and I don't really remember what precipitated that conversation other than the fact we had it, and it really stood out to me, obviously, because this is like what 40 years ago, maybe that I can remember this story. 40, yeah, probably about 40 years, geez. So anyway, just it was so nice to be able to go in, break a sweat, kind of like get everything back to where it belongs, you know, like you run into your friends there that are the healthy people you know. And I still remember some of those people to this day very well, not just the friend I was just recalling, because actually I never saw him that much at the gym. That was a rarity he was there. But many people, the guy at the front desk named Scott, always saying hello to Scott, you know, talking about the scores with him from Monday night football or whatever, um, you know, then seeing people I saw on a regular basis and chatting with them a little bit, and then going about my workout. And if I had a workout partner at the time, which I always seemed to, but I mean that particular day, you know, just getting on with the workout. And it was just like about midway through, I would really start feeling like myself again. You know, you start to sweat out all the impurities, the mood lifts because you're raising the endorphins and uh all the good hormones and all that, the serotonin's getting higher, like all that good stuff's happening. So the mood is lifted. Psychologically, you feel better because you're you you know you're doing a reset. And to me, it's just one of the best ways I've ever known to combat negative behavior. Um, I mean, I just I mean, we can view things all we want, and I'm not trying to shame anybody that has a couple glasses of wine at dinner. That's not what I'm talking about. Like, only you can view what you see as negative behavior as far as being consequential to your particular life and is it taking you in the right direction or or the wrong direction? So, like to me, working out has always been my reset better than anything. And uh, you know, philosophers throughout the course of time have been saying it forever. Like, you know, they they use walking oftentimes as an analogy, but you know, they could literally mean walking, but just moving, getting out and exercise. But but the sayings are like, there's no problems that can't be walked out, there's no problems that can't be worked out while you walk. I mean, it's been one of the big philosophical quotes, like out of all the quotes, so many people, Nietzsche, all the great Socrates, bring quotes back to walking and the beauty of physical movement to get you reset. I think I've never been a big yoga practitioner. I believe in it, like, and I know people that do it, that love it. I've just never really done it a whole lot. I mean, I've gone to a few yoga classes, but I think in a way that's why it's so popular, too, because yogis talk about the beauty of yoga bringing them kind of back when they've kind of drifted out a little bit, you know, kind of like re-centering everything. So to me, working out has always been that great reset. And I think there's more to it than sweating, than getting the endorphins up. Like I think there's a huge psychological component to it too, like seeing people, you know. The the uh a couple months ago, I was down on the Edgewater Trail, and uh buddy of mine from the past comes riding up behind me on his bike and he catches up to me and he uh he surprised me actually because I hadn't seen him in a while, but it was nice to see him. And of course, I said hello, and we chatted for a few minutes side by side as we're biking down the trail. And he said, Hey, I listened to your podcast the other day. And I said, Oh, which one? He said, The one about AI. And I go, Oh, oh, okay, yeah. And this guy's into bikes, like he uh works on bikes and he um he has a bike store. And he was saying, you know, I totally agree with you that people need people. Like we need people. We we we can't do all this by ourselves, like we need people, we are very, very social animals, and humanistic psychologists have pretty much proven that. You know, there's introverts and there's extroverts, so there's levels to how much we need people, but we need people. And he made a funny joke, and I think maybe I said it in the podcast and he just repeated it. But uh anyway, I don't remember. So let me just give him credit. He said, um, it's kind of funny. He goes, you know, when that AI, you know, comes back at you, whether it be voice, text, or in written form, and it says, That a boy, Rob, you crushed it today. You know, it just doesn't have the same feel, does it? And if any of you have ever used Chat GBT or any of those others, meta AI or Groke, I think it's called from X Twitter. I mean, if you've used those things, which I do, like I think AI has some really good possibilities to help us. Like as far as finding quick statistics, to me, it's great. As far as looking up how to fix something, to me, it's great. And it's gonna do all those things. So I'm by no means knocking AI. I think it's great. It can't replace, though, the personal element. It can't replace the people element. When ChatGBT says, and I ask, I'll ask questions about um, you know, pull me up a philosophical quote on this so I can use it in the email or something like that. It'll say something like, Way to great insight, Rob. Way to really think about your day today, you know, something like that, because you know, I've signed up for the account, so it knows my name and AI stores all your background and stuff, which I'm not paranoid about. I could care less. It actually makes it easier because it's so intelligent, it picks up on like what I'm talking about before I even fully asked ask the question sometimes. But that's neither here nor there. But the point is when it uses my name so eloquently and when it tells me I do a great job, that just doesn't cut it, right? I don't get that warm, fuzzy feeling inside that says, oh man, ChatGBT loves me, you know. I mean, do we do any of us? I mean, I wonder if it even moves the needle at all. I mean, it it's not bad that it does it, of course. I mean, it's polite, but does it really move the needle? And I think we know it does not, right? And you can crush a set. Like there are there are AI models where you can pull up workouts and it'll tell you what to do and how much load, and you know, all that's fine. Like, I don't mind any of that. Like I see that as some of the advertisement going on and it, you know, look, that's fine. I I don't think it can ever replace personal training. Like to me, I'm not worried about that whatsoever. Um, I think it could be a good supplement for people that don't necessarily like need that humanistic approach so much, and maybe they just need something to do when they go to the gym that day. So I don't, I don't think it ever is going to replace the human element at all, not to the level that maybe some people fear. But, you know, it like I said, it does have its points, but it's never going to be able to do that. So when we go to the gym, you know, and we see the people that we like to see, there is a certain buzz that you get when somebody that you know, or maybe doesn't know, but sees you there a lot, tells you you did a good job. Like it feels good. And and we need that. Like we are social beings. And when we go in and we've been kicked around a little bit by whatever is going on in life. Like, I just think I know so many people that when things start to get a little bit overwhelming for them, like they kind of dig back in with the physical, you know? And that's okay. Like some people are like, well, they should also be dealing with this or that. And it's like, okay, that's fine. It's easy to sit back and judge and make those estimations when you don't really know what's going on with somebody. But there's nothing wrong with somebody trying to take control of the area that they have the most control over. And typically that is the physical portion of ourselves, right? So I'm talking about wellness, the short version, body, mind, and spirit. It's a lot easier to say, well, I need to kind of like work on this physically because it can be extremely tangible. And it happens so often when somebody, you know, things aren't going well with whatever area in their life, they're like, all of a sudden you see this recommitment back to fitness. And I just think that it is a great way to reset. And even if it's not a major reset every day, you know, just going to the gym. I mean, you know, it's funny, like that the cheers jingle, you know, where everybody knows your name. Like it is so true. Like, you know, I've been doing this for over 31 years, and I get to know my clients really, really well. And a lot of the times, most of the times, my clients stick around for really, really a long time. We're talking decades. You know, I've had a client for over 25 years before, multiple clients for over 25 years. So during that time of them working out, I mean, naturally they work out around other people, you know, either with another trainer or whatever, but like they get to know the other people in the gym too. Now, you know, we're semi-private, so it's not like people are all over people. It's not that kind of a gym or anything, but you do get to know the people around and you make those friendly conversations. Like people who meet a particular client here that may never known that client in the past, they form a kind of a friendship. So the, you know, with everything going on right now in our country, and man, I'm looking at, I shouldn't, I mean, you talk about bad for your psyche, but watch the news. And just last night, I think it was last night or maybe the night before that, but there was this uh, you know, guy that was apprehended in the Atlanta airport with um, you know, I guess he was suspected of going to mass shoot a bunch of people because he had a gun and he had a motive, I guess, and all this kind of stuff. And and thankfully they were able to stop him. But I mean, this seems to be going on on a daily basis. And then you're reading and hearing of all these other mental health crises that are going on in our country right now. A lot of people kind of push some of the blame to COVID and how people were trapped inside and it kind of messed with people's heads a little bit, and people are still reeling from that, you know, or maybe there's the COVID class, you know, that era. My daughter is one of them that didn't get to go to high school their last two years. And so maybe that set with them weird, but um, there has definitely been an uptick of mental health issues in this country. And one of the ways I believe we can help with that, naturally, you need professional help if you need professional help. You know, your your doctor, your, your counselor, your psychologist, whatever, your psychiatrist, of course. But also having that place to go and work out and kind of like just get moving on your problem. Like it literally can be a meditation. And I know like I've talked so much about that before about mind to muscle, but like even that, like when you are contemplating something, when you've got stuff on your mind, if you can just go into the gym and you can like do sets and kind of take that problem and put it into the set and you know, really focus about your focus on your movements that you're doing, focus on your muscles. You know, you come out of the workout feeling so much better. I mean, there's a there's a guy I used to know, and he was in the uh I I believe he is passed on. I don't think he's around anymore, but I know he was a big 12-step guy. And uh, you know, he used to always say, if you can't move your mind, move your muscles. And this was no bodybuilder guy. This was no like fitness guy at all. And I don't think he meant, you know, go use the Nautilus machines or or go run on the treadmill, not based on me knowing this guy, but he did mean, you know, go move, go do some physical work. I mean, of course, working out can do that, can be that, but he meant you just got to get out and move because sitting around thinking about what is going on with you is never going to help. But going into the gym and working it out, working through it, will always be beneficial. It probably will not solve the problem, but I guarantee you it'll make the problem feel a lot lighter when you're done. And you do that enough days in a row, and then in a few days, maybe a few weeks, maybe a couple months, but the problem is now gone. And what you did is you kind of literally, not figuratively, but literally worked through it. All right. So physical fitness can absolutely be the great reset that I think we all need. If you're having like a bad day and you've already worked out, even, you know, like something happens at work that you're not exactly thrilled with. And we have a lot of people that have corporate jobs and they work out before work. And, you know, work happens. I mean, stress happens, whether you be a teacher or whatever, like stress happens. That doesn't mean you can't go home and go for another walk or even a 10-minute job. Like you don't have to kill yourself, or go into your gym or go into your living room and do a few push-ups. Like, you like it, don't feel like this has to be something that you should only do on your workout days. Like, literally, a physical reset, a couple sets of this, a couple sets of that, will do your mind so much good. You know, I do it, I don't want to say all the time because, you know, I couldn't eat enough to do that, but I do it often throughout the day. If um I'm feeling a little antsy or whatever, I'll I'll get up from the desk. If I'm sitting and I'll go over and I'll start doing a few pull-ups, I'll do some curls, I'll do something, I'll do push-ups, I'll do usually things I like. And uh it gives you that little mini pump. It kind of thank you for listening to today's program. I ask you to please follow the show wherever you get your podcast, and please select automatic download because that really helps the show. Now I want to thank Overhead Door of Daytona Beach, the area's premier garage door company. They have the best product, they have the best service. I personally vouch for Jeff and Zach Hawk, the owners. They are great people with a great company. If you have any garage door needs, please give them a shout at 386 222 3165.