Working out has been part of my life since my early twenties, and it always will be a major part of who I am. As I get older, the reasons for working out are shifting from vanity to vitality.

I’m facing a life transition that is fuzzy at the moment, but I know change is coming. When you’re in this season, it’s easy to stop and become discouraged because change is internal and happening behind the scenes.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has become my coach this year because I need to be pushed toward improvement again.  I need to listen to those who did what others thought was impossible.

I also like to learn from people who are a little bit off. I believe that to be great, one has to be a little bit off. Arnold is definitely a little bit off. Who in their right mind would think that Mr. Olympia, with a thick Austrian accent, would become a movie star and the governor of California?

I know that I am a little bit off, and I don’t fit with people who think there is one way to live life or who are limited by cultural narratives and expectations.

If you commit to working out even three days a week, you’re already well on your way to joining the rest of us and becoming a little bit off, because most people would rather watch Netflix, scroll on their phones, or do anything besides working out.

When Arnold wrote in the newsletter that training is the answer, I knew exactly what he meant: the workout is exactly what is needed to get unstuck.

“Training is the action that unsticks the rest of your life. You do not need to know how. You just need to show up and do it.”

 

Training is the answer

“If something in your life feels stuck right now — a relationship, a job, a project, a part of yourself you have not been able to move — I am not going to tell you to go fix that thing first.

I am going to tell you to train.

I know that sounds like I am dodging the question. I am not. The training is the answer. When everything feels stuck, do not sit with it and try to think your way out. Go put your hands on a barbell. Get into the pushup position. Go finish the workout. The session is not separate from the problem. The session is your first move on the problem.”

 

Last January, when I asked myself what I was doing when life worked best, the first thing I said was, “early morning workouts.”

That was where I started last year, and I am shocked by how it set off a snowball of events that have pushed me forward. Now I’m up for early morning workouts at least three mornings a week, sometimes before 5 AM.

No, my circumstances have not totally changed because of these workouts, but I have changed. I am remembering what it is like to sacrifice, be disciplined, and be committed to self-improvement.

I’ve even started following fitness people on YouTube that I admire, like Cyd Gillon (who was also on Survivor). Listening to how disciplined she is made me realize I can ask more of myself. I like watching her channel for tips and motivation.

Training is the best teacher

I believe that the next chapter of my life will involve discipline and structure, which training provides.

As Arnold says, that’s what the workout teaches us.

“I have said for years that all of my lessons started in the gym. The discipline. The patience. The vision. The willingness to do something hard today because of what it gives you tomorrow.

The barbell was a great teacher”.

Working out has been a great teacher for me as well

It’s taught me

  • I can do it. I can transform my body and my life
  • I can do what I thought I could not do
  • I can do hard things
  • I don’t have to stay stuck
  • I can form good habits like getting up before 5 to work out, which changes my day and allows me to stack on more good habits like meal planning, writing, and completing my tasks.

On the surface, this advice to show up and work out may seem simplistic and reductive if you’re facing major hardship.

Six days after my mother passed away, I did my first Peloton class. I didn’t think I would make it through, but as the workout went along, I sang and clapped along to Bon Jovi’s ”Livin’ on a Prayer”. It reminded me that I was still alive and that I could keep going.

Yes. I know I am training for September, but I don’t even know what I’m training for.

I just know that I need to be ready.

I have many questions, but as my coach, Arnold says

Training is the answer

Revisiting My Health and Wellness Goals for 2026

Personal Growth

  • No more Mayonnaise Lifestyle: chocolate, sparkles, a hint of spiciness, and a touch of leopard.
  • Prioritizing Healthy Relationships: Reconnecting with my favorite people and meeting new favorite people
  • Reconnecting with my body: Allowing myself to feel again.
  • Living my inner mantra: I am vibrant, and I radiate vitality

Nutrition

  • Continue menu planning. I now have a calendar on the refrigerator to write down what we’re having for dinner that week. It’s next to my meal ideas list
  • Fresh Fish once per week

Training

  • Squat 135 easy for 10 reps by my birthday
  • Lift at least 3 days per week
  • Pilates once per week to improve my core strength
  • Summer Goals
    • Strengthening my Core: 12 Core Workout Challenge
    • Increasing my Step Count to 8-10K daily