After seeing Captain America: Civil War, my love for superheroes has grown even more.
(Side note: Just so we’re clear I’m Team Cap from now until forever. If you’re interested, you can read these blogs and determine your stance: Team Cap vs. Team Iron Man.)
It isn’t even a nerd thing, okay it’s a little bit of a nerd thing, but it’s also a realization about all the attributes our world so desperately needs: honor, commitment, hard work, dedication to a cause, putting everything on the line for what’s right, and everything else we love about superheroes.
More than ever before, we need superhero virtues.
And yes, fitness plays a huge part in all of this.
Look, I understand this isn’t a “sexy” thing to talk about.
It’s easier to get some half-naked pictures and sell you on some superficial “magical” secret to get the abs you’ve always wanted.
Abs are great.
But an empty life is not.
I’ve seen the people who chase the bullshit, and I’ve seen the people who chase the real fulfillment.
The real deal is what this blog is for and what I’m going to talk about from now until forever.
There are a lot of people out there who think that fitness is a superficial endeavor. There are also quite a few people who think that fitness isn’t “deep” and it’s simply just exercise and nothing else.
However, after you’ve worked as a trainer and seen the joy in someone’s face when they realize they can walk up the stairs on their own after not being able to for years, you realize that health is so much deeper than just how you look.
Fitness is simply a tool for a better life.
Superheroes know they need to stay in shape so they can complete all their missions.
Of course, most of us aren’t out there doing daring missions every single day, but continuing to stay in shape for anything life throws at you is one decision you will not regret.
Stop being passive
I’ve met too many real-life villains and people that fell into what Hannah Ardent called The Banality of Evil. Basically, it means being passive in the face of evil and continuing to go along with the program. Actually, that’s an incredibly simplified version of it but roll with it.
I’ll bet you’ve met similar people. The kind of people who don’t care about anything but their own selfish gain. They pay no mind to their communities, families, the businesses they give their money to, or anything else.
Too many people are more invested in the Game of Thrones than in their own lives.
If you truly care about something, act like it.
The world already has enough people who don’t care about anything at all or only care about things at a superficial level.
You know what you care about. You know what matters to you. Stop pretending like it doesn’t matter.
Get your health in order
Few superheroes are out of shape. Of course, they are mostly perfected and enhanced versions of what humans look like, but that doesn’t matter.
Losers sit around and debate which superhero actors did or did not take steroids, but smart people realize those debates don’t matter.
What matters is the inspiration to reach for more.
To do better.
To be a better person.
To serve the world in a positive, helpful way.
Get in the gym, get on a program, don’t eat your way into an early grave, and stretch once in awhile (something I’m constantly working on).
Do it so you have the energy and vitality to accomplish all the goals you want in your life.
Find something to fight for
Although this was mentioned above, there is something to be said for not only acknowledging what matters to you, but also acting on it every single day.
I recently took some time off of work to really sit and think about what mattered to me.
During that time, I realized that the career I was working so hard toward didn’t matter to me any longer and that I wanted other things out of life now.
Once you know what matters, it’s essential to not only acknowledge it, but to work toward what matters every single day.
Every single superhero has a cause they believe in so hard that they’re willing to die for it at any moment.
I’m not saying you need to sacrifice your life for something, but you need to ignite that passion inside of you again.
That’s what I realized I lost over the last few years: that burning desire to continue to fight for the things I want day in and day out. Especially once you’re crystal clear on what those things are.
Embrace failure
Every superhero fails. You’ll also fail on any journey, but it’s worth every single second of failure because if you are relentlessly persistent, you’ll win.
There will be times that will test you, where it will all seem ridiculous and you’ll debate quitting, turning back, and never attempting this goal again. That’s when it is even more important to get back on the horse and get back to work.
Failure is a part of the struggle, and the sooner you embrace that the greater the chance of winning.
You’ll miss gym days, you’ll binge too hard on food, you’ll fail that test, you’ll get injured, you’ll feel like quitting… Every single champion has those moments, too.
It’s cheesy, I know, but it’s truly the getting back up that separates the winners and the whiners.
Suit up and get it done.
Writers Lift Too 