Written by Joseph Garcia
I Hate Working Out, But I love Fitness: My Love/Hate Relationship with Training
I have been a Personal Trainer for almost 11 years now and have been working out all my life. I was involved in organized sports at a very young age, had a very successful Track and Field career (thanks, West Valley Eagles!), and started working out when I was 15 years old. I have always thought of myself as an authority figure in the Fitness Industry among my peers and my loving and devoted clientele. Over the course of my own fitness journey I have come across huge barriers, challenging obstacles, gratifying achievements, emotionally involved workouts and, at times (no matter how many seminars I have been to), stale, boring, monotonous workouts. I am now 29 years old and I am proud to say that…
I HATE WORKING OUT!!!
(Sigh!), that feels nice. With that said…oh, wait, let me say it again: I HATE WORKING OUT!!! Ok, all done. With that said, I have recently taken a look back on why I continuously put myself through the grueling, relentless, painful, sweaty workouts that I always do. No matter how much I don’t want to workout somehow I have managed to always kick my own ass! Why do I do it to myself? Well, I know exactly why. Ready for it? The magical key to a successful long lasting fitness lifestyle? Well, here it is…
I LOVE FITNESS!!
True fitness for this Personal Trainer is achieving balance, strength, mental awareness and clarity, physical health, and above all happiness. I love everything fitness has to offer. I love the feeling you have after a great workout. I love the clarity of mind it can bring you after a grueling, stressful day. I love (if done with passion and true effort) how rewarding it can be. I love the lessons it has taught me over the years. That no matter what is going on in life, a good workout can ground you so that you can battle and defeat any struggle no matter how small or large it may be. Fitness is more than a step class or a simple hike. I have come to a new realization about my own Fitness journey and would like to take the time to share it with you. I have recently gotten myself a Mountain Bike and I am loving every minute of it. At first I went through a lot of falls, and when I say “falls” I mean very bloody, dangerous falls. One day out in the middle of nowhere I realized something. I realized for the first time in my life why I can never stop working out. Ready for this?
If I want to continue doing the things in life that I enjoy and that truly make me happy I have to embrace my own personal fitness.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I have always worked out, I just never liked doing it. I was the guy who fought 
tooth and nail with myself before a workout but still did it. What can I say? I’m a masochist, that’s why I’m a Personal Trainer (just kidding, clients! Maybe.) That day was an eye-opener for me as a person and as a Personal Trainer. I finally realized what it meant to be fit and find true fitness.
In my opinion, when we can let go of all the superficial reasons that manipulate us into making a New Year’s resolution that drives us to join the local big-box gym “meat market,” then we’ve connected with true fitness. When we can let go of what Hollywood tells us we should eat, feel, and look like, when we stop using anorexic fashion models as the ideal body image we connect with the real value of fitness. When we can let go of all of these things, I think we can experience true happiness in why we do what we do, but for ourselves, not for anyone else. So, the next time you think about how crappy it is that you have to workout, just repeat after me…
“I LOVE FITNESS!!”
Joseph Garcia is the owner of Arena Fitness and lives in Encino, California.
