"Pay attention to the vessel that you’re training. Biology can sometimes be working against you, and you might be doing all the “right things” and you might be really disciplined and consistent, but there might be something off."
Chase Chewning
EFR 589: Staying Motivated to Train and How Your Mental Health, Biology, and Environment May Be Working Against Your Fitness Goals
In this solo episode, Chase reflects on his seasons of training, unpacking the things that have kept him motivated—and continue to keep him motivated—in and out of the gym.
After over 17 years of purposefully and intentionally leading an active lifestyle, one of the most fundamental lessons Chase has learned is the cumulative power of consistency. You could say that just stepping foot in the gym when it’s the last thing you feel like doing, is already half the battle.
Many times, it really comes down to doing whatever it takes to simply show up, even if that means relying on external motivation to push you forward. Going through your personal seasons of fitness means that there will be weeks, months, or even a few years when that internal motivation that first got you going to the gym is no longer enough.
As you “mature” on your fitness journey, you will need to find ways to reinvigorate your passion for training. Chase finds more purpose and excitement in his training today in large part because he found an amazing community of like-minded athletes. He also recently began testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), an ongoing experience which he speaks about at length in this episode.
All that said, Chase reminds us to not neglect our mental and emotional health for the sake of our fitness goals. In his words, sometimes “motivation deserves a sit-down” so that we have the opportunity to check in with ourselves in a holistic sense.
Chase is also a staunch advocate for tracking your training, because if you can’t visually see your progress down to all of those minute wins that add up, it becomes so easy to lose motivation.
Finally, throughout your seasons of training, always remember to embrace radical honesty not just to ensure you’re really on the right path to growth, but also to assess whether you still have the same passion and excitement for the training modalities you’re currently engaged in.
Follow Chase @chase_chewning
Key Highlights
After over 17 years on his fitness journey, it’s gradually become more difficult for Chase to maintain that early, internal motivation to hit the gym. At the same time, what’s manifested in place of his initial drive is a newfound passion for fitness. He explains what he does differently today to keep him excited to go to the gym consistently.
No matter how disciplined and consistent you are, if you aren’t doing the best for your body, your progress will stall and, eventually, you’ll start to go backwards. Know your biology and make sure that your biology is working for you instead of against you.
Prioritizing your physical health at the expense of your mental and emotional health will only do more harm than good in the long run.
Track your training. Life gets busy and it’s human nature to fall behind every once in a while. But if you track your progress, you’ll be better able to troubleshoot your strategy and look for opportunities to fill those gaps.
Powerful Quotes by Chase
If you can get to the right place at the right time in the right uniform, then you’re pretty much done. That’s the majority of the battle. And I think that’s so true for training.
If you’re feeling unmotivated, if you’re feeling like the results aren’t quite there, pay attention to the vessel that you’re training. Biology can sometimes be working against you, and you might be doing all the “right things” and you might be really disciplined and consistent, but there might be something off.
Change is very important when it comes to resiliency and adherence, especially in training.