The Power of Consistency
I've trained every single week since I was about 15 years old. Here's what almost three decades of showing up has taught me about consistency, seasons, and why the body...
Almost 30 Years Under the Iron
I've been training something, somewhere, every single week since I was about 15 years old. Honestly, I can't remember a week I missed.
It started with baseball. I played in high school, in college, and then professionally for a number of years. When my baseball career ended, my training career began. I just never stopped showing up.
Today I'm 44. I can still bench press over 400 pounds, squat 500, run a decent mile, and yes, there's still a six pack under this shirt. I'm not telling you this to brag. I'm telling you because I want you to see what almost three decades of showing up can build. There is real power in consistency.
Every Season Counts
Not every season of training was epic. Some years were heavy, intense, and a total blast. Other years were slow, boring, and tedious.
Some seasons looked like this:
- Rehabbing after an injury
- Recovering from surgery
- Just trying to move a little bit during a really hard stretch of life
Some years I made huge progress. Some years I went backwards. But stack almost 30 years of those seasons together, and movement has become one of my greatest sources of joy and fulfillment. I'd even call it a form of discipleship.
There are many seasons in life. Sometimes things get really hard. Sometimes the motivation disappears. Sometimes you catch yourself asking, "Why am I even doing this?" If that's you right now, keep reading.
When the Body Suffers, the Soul Flourishes
Here's my very simple answer to that question. Whatever was going on in my life, I was always a healthier, happier, more fulfilled person when my days were full of movement.
Whatever anxiety, pain, or frustration I was carrying, repping out some weight and getting my heart rate up made my outlook on life drastically better. Training became the one positive constant I could count on.
Got some bad news? Had a fight with the wife? Lost a close friend? Watched a big opportunity fall through? After a little time under the iron, peace and clarity would show up.
I think that's because when the body suffers, the soul flourishes. When your head is spinning with racing thoughts, the answer is to get out of your head and make life simple:
- One more breath
- One more step
- One more rep
And all of a sudden, you're completely present.
That's why I believe training matters so much. Yes, it builds a strong, healthy body. Yes, it's fun and deeply fulfilling. But most importantly, it brings you right here, right now, so you can enjoy life and all the blessings it has to offer.
Can you tell I like training? Maybe you feel the same way.
Training Hard as the Years Go By
That love for training is exactly why I find so much joy in helping athletes keep training hard, having fun, and seeing progress in the gym.
As I've gotten older, I've had to answer some complicated questions:
- How do I keep training hard without getting injured?
- How do I keep progressing when what worked before stops working?
- How do I keep training fun, interesting, and fulfilling?
Most of my answers live in the biggest body of work of my life: the Thundrbro training systems. Every program, book, and body transformation system has a story and a method behind it.
- 90 Day Get Huge: I had major back surgery and couldn't lift heavy, so I built this program to recover and keep growing.
- Muscle Anarchy: I loved functional fitness and conditioning, but I also wanted to build a lot of muscle mass and stay healthy doing it.
- 30 Day Shred Challenge: I wanted to compete in bodybuilding and explore the limits of my aesthetics, while still being an athlete who could perform.
The list goes on. Each one started with a real problem in my own training.
No Problems, Only Solutions
If there's one thing I'd love for you to take from my story, it's this: whatever obstacle you run into, there are no problems, only solutions waiting to be discovered.
An injury, a busy season, a body that's changing with age, a plateau that won't budge. Every one of them has a way through. Keep showing up, and you'll find it.
After almost 10 years and more than 30,000 athletes, I'm so grateful we're still here helping you bring joy and movement into your life.
One more breath. One more step. One more rep. Let's go.
Dave