We all start lifting weights for a reason. For me, it began with the desire to look like I was in shape. That meant having a flat stomach, looking athletic, and projecting the image of someone who prioritized health above all else. I thought if I could achieve that look, I’d feel accomplished. So, I threw myself into it. I got in shape, ran a lot, and sometimes trained three times a day.
But then I learned that weight loss boiled down to calorie intake. This realization sent me spiraling. I believed that eating less and exercising more would get me closer to looking like the guy in the magazine. Yet, no matter how much I starved myself or how hard I trained, that goal was forever out of reach. My hair began falling out, and I started hoarding calories so I could drink alcohol without guilt. My priorities became skewed, and my physical and mental health suffered.
At the same time, I wanted to be a strongman. That pursuit required heavier training loads and different types of exercises. But without proper recovery, nutrition, or goal setting, my eagerness led to an immediate back injury. Chronic low-calorie intake and focusing on trying to lift the 200lb atlas stone certainly didn’t help. The heart of the issue was my impatience and obsession with progress.
I made progress in some areas. I lost weight and improved my barbell lifts. But no matter what I achieved, I was never satisfied. I wasn’t waking up under 165 pounds, and I wasn’t squatting 500lbs any day of the week. My pursuit of outcomes became a never-ending cycle of dissatisfaction.
There’s an old cliché: “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Strength training and nutritional goals follow the same principle. If you’re only focused on outcomes, you miss the bigger picture. It’s not the results that need improvement, it’s your systems you use to build and maintain your habits.
When you’re driven solely by outcomes, burnout becomes inevitable. You can end up creating psychological resistance, fostering beliefs that you’re entitled to achieving your goals. This mindset is a recipe for frustration and stagnation.
Instead, shift your focus. Change your goal from “I want to hit a 500lb squat” to “I will show up and put maximum intent into every session three times a week.” Streamline the process of committing to showing up, executing with intention and do this for years. When you focus on the process, you’ll be amazed at the progress you’ll make. It’s quite easy to leave a session saying “I gave it my all”. You are allowed to feel good about that and it is encouraged that you acknowledge it because those dopamine hits will allow you to keep that up for the rest of your life. On the other hand, it's much harder to walk away knowing you did try your hardest but the lack of praise for your efforts are overshadows by the thought, 'I still have a poverty squat.’ Don’t allow that to happen.
As James Clear puts it in Atomic Habits: “You don’t rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.” Build systems that prioritize consistent effort and smart habits, and the outcomes will take care of themselves.