by Koach Kris Germain

Since I own a gym, and I use this platform to talk about fitness, I want to frame the words “Win” and “Lose” from the perspective of health, freedom of movement, strength, and longevity.  In my twenty-plus years of coaching, those four things have risen above all other things surrounding the pursuit of physical fitness and sport.  I love perfectly chiseled physiques like everyone else, I love dominant athletes in sports, and I love CrossFit Games competitors, world record lifters, marathon runners, and spartan racers.  But all of those are temporal wins.  They are rare, and that’s why they are so valuable, and so celebrated, but no matter what, it all comes back to these things:

Health

Freedom of movement

Strength

Longevity

In my experience, having these four things makes people feel like they are winning. The loss of these things makes people feel like they are losing.

It’s almost March. That means that statistically most people are being haunted by their New Year's resolutions instead of being inspired by them.

From my perspective, this is my favorite time of year. This is the time when I get to start shouting the most incredible fitness message. It’s a message of hope, and it’s absolutely true.

I know where winning starts. I know how lasting change begins nearly every time. And I know the most likely way you will find yourself walking around healthy, free to move and play, strong, and maintaining those three things for longer than most people.

How do you know if you’re winning? Here’s how I break it down: three degrees of winning.

Third degree: You make a call

You have to call a gym, or book an appointment, or text a friend if you know they can help. Honestly, to go from losing to winning is that simple, but it’s not easy. There are thousands of people within a mile from our gym who know they need to workout, but they can’t bear to call, or book an appointment, or walk in for a visit.  

Three degrees away may seem simple, or trivial.  It may sound like a ra-ra coach move, but I give you my word, this is a real thing.  This is the beginning of true and lasting health and physical fitness. I absolutely tell people they are winning when they come in for even just a talk with us.  Without the initial call, without that talk, we could never progress to the stories of RADICAL transformation and health that we’ve seen over the years. If you could only see what we’ve seen.

Second degree: You’ve committed to something.

Yes! You are on your way.  It is uncomfortable to go to a new place and to consider adding something new to your routine. You either signed up at a gym, or hired a personal trainer, or joined a run club, or found a friend who will go to the gym with you.  You made a commitment.  You have accountability. If this is you, you are winning. Seriously.  Thousands of people within just a few miles of where you live can’t bring themselves to do what you’ve initiated.  Great job!  

First degree: You’ve found your spot and trust your people. You know how to move ahead.

Congratulations. If you have a gym that you like to go to and a plan to follow, or a group of friends who exercise regularly with or without you, or you have a personal trainer who you trust, you are in the most enviable and valuable position.  You are winning, and your proximity to health, freedom of movement, and strength is truly enviable.

But let’s be clear, you have not won the game. Each of these degrees describes the absolutely true and necessary steps to “winning” a healthy lifestyle, but the biggest step you have to navigate is showing up, continually. 

In my next article I’m going to describe the most necessary element to walking around strong, healthy and mobile seemingly all the time.  I’ve never heard one gym discuss it, let alone offer to teach it. It’s the most valuable thing I teach, and I’m in constant pursuit of it myself. 

And I’m going to tell you all about it, because it’s too important not to.