It’s probably not how you think.
Obviously, when you’re thinking about “results” in a fitness-context, consistency matters, how long you’ve been at it matters, what your training program looks like, what your nutrition looks like, what your sleep and stress management look like… all these things are important.
We’ve been in business for almost 11 years. And we’ve seen some staggering results with our members. Stuff that’s been life-changing. Stuff that turns heads. Stuff that makes people ask them for their secret. And the thing that ties all of those people together, the thing that all of the people with the most dramatic results at our gym share is this: they’re involved with the community.
- They make friends at the gym
- They come to social events like the holiday party
- They do extras like Memorial Day Murph and the Intramural Open
- They chat with people after class
- They build relationships
That’s stuff that’s tough to measure. And it’s hard to draw a direct line from making friends to losing fat, gaining muscle, and lowering blood pressure.
But the power of it comes from a phenomenon that’s well known in behavioral circles, and popularly identified by (among others) James Clear, writer of the book Atomic Habits. He says that if you want to make a change, “Join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior.”
If you are the only person in your family or your friend group who is trying to prioritize exercise, nutritious food, sleep, and mental health, you are going to encounter some serious friction points. By contrast, if all of your best friends work out 3-5 days per week, care about how much protein and fiber they’re eating, what their sleep quality is like, and how much joy they have day to day, you’re going to start caring about that stuff too.
All the nuts and bolts of exercise and nutrition and lifestyle are important. You can’t skip them. But a shortcut is to focus less on those things and more on being the kind of person who does those things.
When you find a great gym – one that’s great for you – you will be surrounded by the kinds of people who do the things you want to do. You will become part of a culture. And you will start doing these things that are objectively good for you, not because of your massive willpower or discipline, but because that’s what your friends do.
Willpower is good. Discipline is good. Absolutely. But joining a culture works really well too. And it’s a lot more fun.