On Community is something I never thought I’d need.
In fact, it’s something I’ve actively avoided for most of my life. The idea of ‘belonging’ never appealed to me, maybe due in part to my experiences of not really meshing with any particular social group while growing up. It might surprise people who know me as friendly and approachable — and I am those things, or at least try to be — but I’d ultimately describe myself as a loner. The word ‘community’ always made me feel…suspicious.
Naturally, I carried this mentality with me when I started working out. For years I was a member at one gym after another without getting to know the staff or other members. I’d keep my head down, be as unobtrusive (and therefore invisible) as possible, get my work done, and get out. I tended to avoid trainers and I never solicited advice. In those days I still felt like an impostor in the gym culture and feared being found out. If I didn’t reach out to anyone, no one would ever know.
No real sense of community was fostered at any of those gyms (none of which I’ll name), but because I never had it, I never knew what I was missing. It wasn’t until recently that I realized how helpful it would’ve been to me to have communal support.
Like most things in life, reshaping your nutritional habits and building a complementary exercise program is something you can do alone, but it’s much easier and more fun if you have help. I am lucky to be able to say I have a wonderful girlfriend who keeps me motivated and on track, friends who have given me encouragement and asked for advice, and a great nutrition and strength coach in Ron Dykstra, whom I can’t thank enough. But what I’ve also felt over the past two-and-a-half years since I started at Iron Lion Training, and particularly in the 15 months since beginning my first cycle of Precision Nutrition, is the tremendous support of the Iron Lion Pride.
They are a diverse and incredibly welcoming community, many of whom, before starting at Iron Lion, would not really have described themselves as ‘gym people’ — kind of like me! There is a feeling of camaraderie in the weight room that is not based on competitiveness. There is mutual encouragement without judgment. It’s awesome to be able to talk about nutrition with people who are not weight-loss obsessed and who don’t want to look like pro bodybuilders (although if you did, they’d support you 100%).
We all have different goals and are starting from different places, so talking about nutrition can mean sharing a recipe for some kind of chicken breast salad thing, or bragging about a pork shoulder you’re going to roast that evening, or simply paying verbal tribute to the glorious deliciousness of muffins. At the risk of waxing sentimental I’ll say this: the Pride is a fitness family.
Community is no longer a dirty word for me. Actually, it’s become synonymous with another word: help. Being part of a community is about giving and accepting help, and at ILT you certainly get a lot of it. If you’re like me, help may not be something you think you need, but I promise you it is something you want.The Pride has been instrumental in the successes I’ve had, and I keep feeling their support as I take this journey further. Next week I talk #strength and nutrition: building muscle, losing fat, and how to set goals without driving yourself crazy!
By: Spencer Schunk
