As I gain more experience with group training and instructing, I can tell my classes and bootcamps are getting harder. I am expecting more from my students. I am demanding more. Usually, most will respond, pushing hard, demanding more from themselves, fighting with great fervor to not be defeated by squat/deadlift combos and hill sprints. Some will lose the battle, but not without a honorable fight. And some, no matter how loud I shout to push to just get through it, will throw in the towel before the fight even began.

As a coach, I can expect all spectrum of the fight. It's my job to train and prepare my students properly, to set them up for success, to provide them modifications in order to at least enable them to say they were able to put up a good fight. I was exhausted after one particular day. I had nothing left inside of me. I fought hard to make my students fight hard. With some I succeeded, and some I lost the fight right along with them.

This bothered me! I didn't even want chocolate. Now you know there had to be a problem.
My father has always told me that when you coach your goal is to reach at least one person. I understand this, but I just can't settle to reach just one. I have always been a fighter! I have always been STUBBORN. I have always wanted all of my students and players to reach their potential, to fight for what they are working for, and to demand nothing less from themselves than what they are capable of.

I asked a fellow trainer of Pure for some advice, for this was eating me up inside. Was it me? Did they not want to fight because I was not motivating them? Obviously, I was taking this personal......because I care with everything I have inside of me. I want all to know that they have a fight inside of them.

My friend, the trainer, said to me one thing and right then I knew that was the answer, even for myself on those days that I don't feel like fighting. She said, "Tell them to be stubborn. They are stubborn in all other areas of their life, demand them to be stubborn in their workout."

Haha moment! There it is my friends. Be stubborn. When the workout is tough and it's beating you up, be stubborn. Fight hard. Yell, scream, and demand to finish. Don't give in. Even if you are not in a heroic fight, be stubborn when it comes to keeping up with your exercise. Push through the fatigue. It may be hard. If anyone knows this it is yours truly. Sometimes, working as much as I do, I don't want to exercise. There I admit it. However, and this is the truth, I know I always feel better after a great fight! I know I love myself more when I stay committed and stubborn to my exercise game plan.

I ask you this again, what are you working for? How hard are you willling to work and fight to see results? How stubborn can you be?

This week take a class that will challenge you past your comfort level. Run 10 minutes longer. Increase the weight in your workouts. Sign up for a 5k or a triathlon. Commit to putting up a good fight.

See you in the ring,