Giacomo and Sawyer explore the complexities of personal growth in fitness, discussing the importance of coaching, navigating ambivalence, and the emotional investment required for success.
They reflect on their own experiences in competition and the challenges faced by clients in achieving their goals. The conversation emphasizes the need for self-discovery, setting realistic expectations, and the value of community support in the fitness journey.
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Welcome back to another episode of Vegan Proteins Muscles by Brussels Radio. My name is Giacomo. My name is Sawyer.
Welcome to the show. Thanks so much, everyone, for tuning in to another episode. You’re the reason why we get a chance to do this.
I hope everyone’s doing well out there. And we have been drumming up all sorts of ideas together, huddling up, thinking about fresh new ideas and things that you want us to talk about. But as always, please feel free to reach out anytime.
But I mean, there’s always more to talk about.
[Sawyer]Like, I’m excited. Well, I’ll tell you this. I’m very excited to come see you guys in a couple of weeks.
That’s been on my mind increasingly. One, because I know we’re just gonna have fun and we’re gonna have more inside jokes and stuff. But also because I know the food is always gonna be really good with you guys.
So I’m pumped for that. Maybe we can get a few training sessions in too. That’d be cool.
And I get to see Xander. There’s so many things. So many things I’m excited for being over there.
Definitely. How about you? What are you excited for?
[Giacomo]Well, I wasn’t thinking about that. But now I am. It seems like time has moved so fast this year.
Danny and I just realized that we did the math. Because we were like, how do we plan for 2026? And do what we do, but grow as usual and adapt to doing more.
And I was like, oh my gosh, we have traveled for 35% of the year. And then as Danny and I are figuring out the math, we’re getting some more requests to travel after. I’m like, that’s it.
No more travel. This is the last trip. Because we just got back from Atlantic City.
And we saw a day when the wellness division in the pro wellness division category, which is our first pro division win at Mr. America specifically. That’s so cool. Wow.
Yep. Yep. But after that, I’m like, no more.
Like, please give me a break. I need to be charged a battery. That’s coming for me.
And I do not turn down the opportunity to train, hang out with people.
[Sawyer]Yeah. Yeah, no, that’s trippy to think about. It’s already the Mr. America, or that already happened. Because I was getting updates on my phone about the last year we were there. And that was my first. Like, I had just joined Vegan Proteins at that point.
And it was like, I was just thrown into this whirlwind of like, awesomeness, but still a whirlwind. You know what I mean? And it was cool to be there.
And it was just a cool way to meet all the athletes and like, get to know everybody. And I’m a little bummed I missed it this year. But it’s so cool that we got that pro win.
And seeing everybody even just on social media, being happy to be together was cool.
[Giacomo]We had some more Tony Bolognese pizza. I was personally inspired by Dave’s story. She said something that I had tears welling up in my eyes.
And I had to hold it back for a quick second. Because, well, she was like, I want to prove that I’m not a loser, that I’m a winner. And I’m like, Dave, you’re placing top three in the world, in wellness, in the pro league.
And yet you feel this way. And she’s like, you know what that feels like, right? And I looked at her dead in the eyes.
And of course I know what that feels like. I’ve been competing for 20 years. It doesn’t matter how good you get.
When you can be better, it doesn’t matter how high up you’re placing. You feel that way if you don’t win. It’s absolutely inspiring, put it that way.
And it made me feel less alone.
[Sawyer]Yeah, that’s amazing. I was watching Alex Leonidas’ video the other day. He was talking about strength standards.
And how naturals kind of set their standards too low sometimes. And kind of black pill everything. And they think, oh, that guy’s on steroids.
That girl’s on steroids, whatever. And they don’t really try because of it. And he was like, I’m sick of it.
You’re capable of so much more. And I was listening to that. I totally am.
There’s certain lifts that I have not even really pushed myself on in years. You know what I mean? So I just got feeling more inspired, honestly.
And more like I want to hold myself to a higher standard. Because I think for a long time, I was thinking that I’m advanced in fitness. Simply because of the number attached to how long I’ve been training for.
But if I’m being honest, I think I’ve been more complacent than anything. And I think I have more capacity than I give myself credit for. Because like I said, there’s a whole lot of lifts that I haven’t really even really pushed myself on.
And lifts that I haven’t really experimented with enough. Different programming I haven’t experimented with enough. So I think if I’m being honest with myself.
And I was talking to Ben about this the other day. I think I’m more of an intermediate. Like a late-stage intermediate, maybe.
Or maybe in certain muscle groups, like an early intermediate, to be honest. So that sounds like defeating after training for like 15 plus years. But it actually is very exciting.
Because it means that I have a lot more potential than I was thinking I did. And so I’m getting very inspired by that, too. So I think, yeah.
Even though it can be really scary to set unreasonable standards. And people can do that. It sounds like Day was kind of on the border of that.
Because she’s winning. Or like almost winning shows. And like looks amazing.
And thinking she’s quote-unquote a loser. Which is unfathomable to me. She looks amazing.
And she’s pushed herself to this level. But she’s also incredibly motivated to keep going. And that’s, you know, admirable.
You know, to be that driven. So it’s a little bit hard to toe that line.
[Giacomo]Well, and imagine the predicament that someone is in. When they’re ready to hire a coach. And the similar predicament that the coach is in.
As they problem solve for the client. Because let’s face it. When you are ready to hire a coach.
Sometimes you’re frustrated. And you’re throwing your hands up in the air. And you’re like, you know what?
This isn’t something I should do on my own. Let me hire the help of the professional. But whether it’s that.
That’s the case. Or it’s the straight up. I’m pushing really hard.
I want to see what it’s like to have someone in my corner. And I want to take it to the next level. Once you take it there.
And you cross that line. And you hire a coach. You have all these expectations going in.
And you have a certain goal in mind. And let’s just say hypothetically. You are the type that’s willing to do everything.
You show up. You put in the effort. And you’re able.
You’re able to execute. You do it consistently. Say like you’re the perfect client.
You still have to consider what you hoped for. And expected. And what your reality is.
As far as the outcome is concerned. And I feel like that is something that evolves over time. And I think it’s the perfect way to start our conversation today.
Because we want to get into those periods of time. For you. The lifter.
The client. The athlete. We want to get into those periods of time where it’s uncertain.
Where you have mixed feelings about what you’re doing. And if you’re questioning what you’re doing. What do you do with all that?
[Sawyer]Yeah.
[Giacomo]That’s a big topic.
[Sawyer]And I think like I said. I think it’s very easy to get complacent in that ambivalence. Because you can start to think that the things that you’ve tried so far.
That have somewhat worked until now. Are the only tools available to you. Or the only ones that have worked for you so far.
And so they’re only. They’re the only things that you know are worth investing in. But they kind of can only get you so far.
And same thing with your mindset. Your perspective on things too. Like I recently hired Ben.
Who’s a good friend of mine. And fellow coach. To coach me.
Because I realized. You know what? I’m so limited in.
One. What I’m comfortable with at this point. But also two.
How I see myself. And what I feel like I’m capable of. So having him.
And just having given him the explicit instructions of like. Hey push me. Like hey try to get me to the point.
Where I didn’t feel like it was possible. And I don’t even know what I needed to work on. Until you pointed to it.
I think I’m trying to be as open as humanly possible right now. Because even though it is a hit to my ego. To be like.
Hey guess what? I’m not that good at certain things. And fitness even having done it this long.
It’s also really freaking exciting. To think. Wow I actually have a lot more growth potential.
So I think sometimes ambivalence is the result of. Getting a little bit demotivated. Because you have been using certain tools and methods.
That have worked for you to a certain point. But you can’t get beyond that. And so you think.
Well maybe this is the end of the road. What’s. Why would I invest more time and energy in this.
But I still want more. So you’re kind of feeling like. I don’t know if this is a good path for me.
Or what to do. At least that’s what it was like for me. But once I decided to go with Ben.
It was like. It’s I’ve already been like a fire is lit. Like I’ve been.
I was walking in the rain the other day. I was like. Who am I?
Am I 20 years old again? Like it was cool to feel like that. I went to the gym like late at night.
Like not that I’m trying to make those things. Like a habit obviously. But the fact that I was willing to do those things.
When just you know a few months ago. That was like. I’m not going to do that.
You know because it didn’t feel like. I was capable of as much as I feel like. I am right now.
So I do think ambivalence sometimes. Can stem from a feeling of. I don’t think there’s much.
I don’t have much more capacity left. Or you know kind of this. This natty limit type talk you know.
And I’m just. I’m just believing it less and less. The more that I really humble myself.
And realized you know. There’s a lot of areas of fitness. I haven’t explored a lot of things.
I haven’t tried. And I might just need somebody to help me. Get out of my comfort zone a little bit.
You know totally.
[Giacomo]I think of. Clients that come to us. And they have.
Either the stars in their eyes. Or high hopes and expectations. Or they don’t know exactly what their potential is.
And then they put in. Anywhere from 3 to 12 months worth of work. They’re like oh crap.
This standard that I’ve been holding myself to. What the fitness industry tells me. I should be capable of.
Or influencer that I am inspired by. Or this mythical superhero or whatever. That I see.
And I’m like you know what. I want to be like that. And then they put in the 3 to 12 months of work.
And they see what their outcome is. And it could be deflating. Or they could start to question like.
Am I capable? Am I worthy of this goal? Am I going to be satisfied with.
Where I’m landing. And then they. What I’ve seen is people get frustrated.
They blame themselves. They think they just got to push harder. They think that their goal isn’t worth it.
They start to doubt themselves. It’s very hard to accept reality. And still realize that you can do more.
And be better.
[Sawyer]Yeah. I think it all has to do with. Yeah.
What your expectations are. Because I think a lot of people think. That they’re going to get in the best shape of their lives.
In a few months. And they underestimate how much muscle. They actually need to have the look.
That they want to have. And when they realize. Oh I’m looking at you know.
Several years of consistent training. And nutrition. And mindset stuff.
And knowledge. But yeah. Depending on how high they’re shooting.
What their expectations are. For how easy it’s going to be. I feel like yeah.
They might have a couple of gut punches on the way. Where they’re just kind of like. Oh I didn’t know that was going to be that hard.
And you know. But I think. I think that’s good.
Because when you have those kind of checks to reality. You have to check in with yourself. And say why do I really want this?
What am I really doing this for? Am I doing it for me? Or am I doing it for the validation of others?
Like that stuff really starts to come out. The longer you do it. And you know.
Sometimes it transforms. Like when I first started lifting. I don’t know about you.
But it was. For me it was just because I was insecure. You know.
It was like I just. Yeah right. So that’s a big reason.
Let a lot of people start. Is they just feel like I’m small. I’m insecure about it.
I want to change. And somewhere along the line man. It became like a love for pursuing.
You know just something. Something that I could build in myself. Some kind of resilience.
And some kind of knowledge. And some kind of way that I could show the world who I am. And what I believe in.
Like veganism came along for the ride at some point. And like it just became. Somewhere along the way.
It became more of who I am. It’s just such an identity thing. And that can be tough.
Because then when you’re limited. Or you feel like you’re a little bit complacent. Or you feel like you don’t have much capacity left.
Where I was. Which is where I was at. It was like a little bit of an identity crisis.
So I was like. Well do I just maintain this for the rest of my life? And then it really forced me to think.
Oh am I at my peak? And I think the truth is no. I don’t think I’m anywhere near it.
To be honest. I was just kidding myself. Because I wasn’t willing to.
You know be a little uncomfortable. And humble myself. And learn more from other people.
Who had done different things. And tried new things. That I hadn’t done before.
You know. Push myself on lifts that I don’t really like. Is a big part of that.
So I think. Like I said. I think ambivalence can be a way of your body.
Or your mind telling you. That you are at a crossroads. And until you figure out.
What really needs to happen. Or what kind of question you need to answer. Before you can push ahead.
You’re going to be a little bit stuck. You’re going to feel a little bit. You know.
At an impasse. And that’s okay. Like you can’t just be making like gains.
And cruising your entire journey. And like have it be significant. You have to be held up at some points.
And be like. The adventure is not really an adventure. If there’s no like unpredictability.
Or downsides. Or slowdowns. And speed ups.
You want it to be. Kind of unpredictable. If it’s going to be exciting.
If it’s going to be meaningful.
[Giacomo]You know. Yeah. And I feel like.
One of the hardest things to do. When it comes to fitness. Because it’s such a strong part of your identity.
Because you’re so used to your routine. Because you are in this position. Where it’s like.
You put in the work. You get results. You just.
It’s hard to take a step back. And assess where you’re at. Before you just keep pushing harder.
And harder. And harder. And that can be difficult too.
[Sawyer]Yeah. Absolutely. I think.
The advice I would have for people. Who feel like they’ve been stuck. In this ambivalent phase.
For way too long. And they. They keep coming up with hypotheses.
And scenarios. And you know. Theories about why it is.
I think eventually. You just have to. Stop thinking that way.
And just pick a direction. Because for me. One that commonly happens is.
What body fat percentage. Do I want to be at? I don’t know.
There’s benefits to. You know what I mean. Bulking.
There’s benefits to cutting. I’m always kind of playing that in my mind. But recently I was like.
I’m sick of being hung up on this decision. I’m going to do this cut. Even though.
I don’t like the feel of it in some ways. And there’s going to be discomforts. On the way down.
And all this stuff. I was like. I’m going to finish this cut.
I’m going to see it through. I’m going to check that box. And then.
I’m going to see how I feel. Already. I’m only like.
A month and a half into the cut. Already I’m excited to bulk. And I think that’s.
Testament to the fact that. I think I have more capacity to grow. Right.
And I’m like. I think it’s all kind of lining up in that way. And it’s making me feel like.
I almost feel like I’m slingshotting right now. Like I’m pulling back the bow. Because I’m like.
I’m getting ready to bulk. And do it intelligently. And do it methodically.
And push myself really hard. In the gym especially. But I didn’t know that I wanted that.
Until I started the cut. You see what I’m saying. So I had to pick a direction.
To realize. But that’s not actually what I was excited about. I’m actually excited about this other thing.
But I needed to do this. To make sure. And I’m still going to go through with the cut.
I’m still going to push myself on that. I’m just becoming more and more aware. Like oh this is what I actually wanted.
So I think until you make a decision. You could go back and forth in your head forever. And say oh maybe this is a better thing.
Maybe that’s the better thing. You gotta make a decision. You gotta stick to it.
And then once you really. Because I think humans. As smart as we are.
We have to have an emotional. It has to be an emotional note. That gets hit.
Because otherwise. You will just change your mind left and right. Because it’s like.
You’re just seeking pleasure. At that point. If you don’t really have a real deep reason.
For doing something.
[Giacomo]You know what I’m saying? I do. I absolutely do.
It’s crazy. Because this world is getting more and more. AI based.
And technology based. And everything is just. Well we can just mimic emotion.
To help us not get stuck in our feelings. And approach everything logically. And to your point.
I don’t think that’s possible. And I think that’s a slippery slope. And a dangerous path.
Because it doesn’t really lead you to a place. Where you’re going to be making good decisions. For the right reasons.
Meaning the kinds of reasons. That will actually stick.
[Sawyer]I know.
[Giacomo]I can’t articulate. I can’t put a finger on it. But what I can tell you.
Is that. When that emotional reasoning. Starts to cycle through.
My process. When I start to feel it. And I’m like.
Oh. I’m doing this for an emotional reason. I don’t feel all over the place.
I feel like. I can keep going. You can push through hardship easier.
Because there’s a deeper reason. Behind what you’re doing. Yeah.
And I think of like. Being someone with purpose. And it pushes you through.
And you can push through some pretty. Terrible. Painful.
Traumatic. Life-changing things. When you have a purpose.
But even when you don’t have a purpose per se. If your feelings are attached to the outcome. And you’re driven by them.
You can still push. Even without a purpose. And sometimes you do lose your purpose.
I think back to two years ago. Where I started to question myself. I started to get a little philosophical with myself.
Man with a purpose. Like I can do this thing. Beyond all reason.
Right? Because I have. Something I want to do.
But then I thought to myself. Well. That’s not enough.
But again. To your point Sawyer. Once your feelings are involved.
And you’re emotionally invested in something. And it’s starting to click. And you have to dig for that.
Doesn’t just come naturally. But when it hits. Ride that wave for as long as you can.
Because that’s where the magic happens. At least that’s how I feel.
[Sawyer]Yeah. Yeah. And I think you have to get stuck.
At certain points. To figure out why it matters to you. To keep going.
Right? Like if you just. Like if you decided at age 12.
You were going to be a doctor. And whatever. And that was really important to you at one point.
At some point. You’re gonna. It’s gonna be a really different picture.
Or really reality. Of what you’re having to deal with. To become that doctor.
And you better hope. That your dream grew. And turned into something even more.
Than like. You know. I want to help people.
Or whatever. I mean I think that’s still going to be there. In some way.
But there’s probably going to be more nuance. As you grow. Right?
There’s going to be more like. Well I want to help people. With this particular type of cancer.
Or whatever. And so I think. As we grow.
In any kind of journey. You have to also develop your purpose. And your kind of mission statement.
Because if you don’t. It’s going to get outdated. And you’re going to be like.
Why am I still going through all this suffering. For no benefit. Or it doesn’t feel that tangible anymore.
It was based on so long ago version of me. So. I think what you’re describing is like.
You got a little bit stuck in like. You kind of had this mission statement for a long time. And then you kind of lost the plot for a minute.
Because you hadn’t kind of checked in with yourself. And so you’re like. Wait why am I doing all this hard stuff?
And you can kind of look around. And be like. Maybe I should just take it easy on myself.
You know. Granted if you change. If you have a major life event.
And you all of a sudden. Fitness and health are not your primary concern. Or something.
That’s you know. Nobody can tell you you’re wrong. But I think that there’s going to be.
You know if you. If you really closely identify. With somebody who wants to be an athlete.
And wants to have like great athletic. And physical fitness success. You’re probably going to need to.
Become someone who really identifies. With a certain kind of mission statement. And image that you’re trying to cultivate.
And you’re going to. It’s going to be challenged. Like quite frequently.
So you’re going to need to keep updating it. And keep like reinforcing it. And it’s going to need to stand the test of time.
In other words. You know. And so we need those moments of reflection.
What analogy we could use for that. Is like the cycles of nature. Right.
It’s like summer, fall, winter, spring. Like you’re going to have those kind of things. When it comes to ideas.
Or I guess you know your purpose. Where purpose is as a human. And they’re going to undergo.
Kind of death and like rebirth. And like you’re going to have to like rediscover. What it is that means.
It means something to you. And then if it doesn’t. If it just stays in winter for long enough.
You’ll probably move on to something else. Because it just doesn’t mean anything to you anymore. But yeah.
I don’t know. I think we’re talking very philosophically. But maybe we can bring it.
To like a real example of some clients. Like what do they deal with most often. And how do we help them in those situations.
[Giacomo]Yeah absolutely. That’s honestly a good place to pivot right here. Like thinking about individual clients.
And what they come here for. And boy where do we even begin. There’s just so many different examples.
I think once someone gets to where they want to be on paper. And you acknowledge that. Whether it’s we’ll use the easiest low-hanging fruit here.
They want to get leaner and more conditioned. And then they see what their shape looks like. And they see how lean they are.
And they’re like okay coach said I got here. What now? Nine times out of ten.
They’re not particularly happy. They’re also at that point in time. It’s uncertain what the path is to move forward.
And use that as a jumping off point. They have to accept what they were able to get. And I think the safest place to land with your client.
Or with yourself. Is being in a place where you can acknowledge the skills. That you now possess.
And the tools that you have been able to gather. And wield. And the routine and the process that got you there.
Is now familiar. And you are mentally and physically adaptable. And you can improve upon that outcome for the future.
Because you are now physically and mentally adaptable. To the whole routine and process that got you the outcome. But again that’s I feel like that’s where you begin.
And you also find a way to receive praise. Give yourself praise. Receive validation.
Ask for validation. And celebrate where you actually are. As opposed to immediately moving the goalpost.
And saying well now what. Or finding a way to criticize and nitpick yourself. Like I understand the value in all that.
[Sawyer]Right?
[Giacomo]Be a work in progress. Look ahead. But I feel like it’s really important to acknowledge what you’ve accomplished.
Be where you’re at. And honestly not attach too much of your identity to that outcome. Because that’s just a surefire recipe for disaster.
And disappointment usually ensues. And if you could detach yourself from the outcome. As far as your identity.
Who you are. You’re able to work through whatever growth you want to experience. From that jumping off point in the future.
And the next time you go around. And the next time that rolls around. When you try to do this again.
You may or may not be as good at it. Even though in theory you should be better at the process. In actuality your mood can be affected by whatever’s going on.
There could be a life event. You might not have the time for it. Or want to prioritize it.
And not be willing to accept it. Yet all kinds of reasons. But to me that’s like that is again like a good problem to have.
But nevertheless a problem. And so I’ll put it on you. And ask you like what do you do when you reach that point with your client.
It’s in my opinion the best case scenario. But it’s one of those things where as a coach. Or even for yourself.
Where you start to look ahead. And you say okay well how do I. How do I get this person to pivot.
And get more out of them for the future. And find a way for them to be like I want this. And this is why.
[Sawyer]Yeah I’m always trying to evoke that from people. Like what what’s next for them. But I always start with giving lots of praise.
For the things they’ve done well. And then also looking forward. At what they could do again if they ever wanted to.
Because I think for that specific instance. Like a client who’s who’s successfully completed a cut. You can say hey great job you did the cut.
But also you now have that knowledge. For how to do that in the future. And so you know maybe yeah.
There’s going to be different obstacles in the future. But you kind of know more or less how to do this for you. That works you know.
And you can build from there. So what you do is you can kind of give them a. I think I probe with like different scenarios.
I’ll give them like well what do you think would be fun to do. Do you think it’d be cool to build muscle. And and lean into that process a little bit more.
I think a lot of people at that stage. Realize that they want to build more muscle. Because they don’t have as much as they thought they did.
Underneath the fat. So that’s a common thing that people could be like. Yeah you know what that would be kind of fun.
And and then we can push it more in that direction. And then you know. And then they can rely on the knowledge.
That they’ve gained so far to say. Well if I ever gain a little bit too much. And I want to go back.
And which will probably happen with bulking. It’s never going to be 100% lean bulking. Once they get to the point of like.
Okay I’m a little bit uncomfortable. With this body fat percentage. I’m going to go back down.
They know they know how to do that now. So that’s that’s cool. It’s like you can keep building on your knowledge base.
And once you know how to do more things in fitness. Doing different things feels less scary. And so and so yeah.
When you feel less scared. You you’re not afraid to dream bigger right. And so I think I think a lot of what excites us.
Is kind of being on the edge of what we think is possible right. Like I think David Bowie had a really cool quote. Where he said like.
Make music where you’re like tippy toes. Or like you can touch the bottom of the water. Or you know the surface that you’re in the water.
But you’re kind of dabbling with the idea. Of going into the deeper water right. And so I think that’s what really excites us as human beings.
And I think what informed like you know. This kind of kind of conquest of the entire globe. Like there’s no there’s no landmass.
That we haven’t explored. Because I think our natural curiosity. Just kind of brings us there.
And so in that same way. With fitness or with you know. Self-actualization in general.
We’re always trying to look for like. Well what’s the what’s what’s the way that I could grow. Or be a little bit you know.
Push my limits on something. And so I think we always have to be keyed into like. What feels like a limit first of all.
Like do I feel like I can’t get bigger than this. Or I can’t build you know get leaner than that. Or I can’t compete with these people.
Or anything that feels like a harsh barrier. The more confidence you gain. The more likely you’re going to be able to take on that.
And say you know what. I think I can actually. I’m going to challenge that old belief.
And move in that direction. So I think you just have to palpate. As a coach or as a individual.
You have to palpate and see what are the sore spots. Like what are the things that. Usually it has something to do with how they grew up.
And you know formative years. And like what they what they really thought. They could never achieve right.
Growing up a chubby kid. Most of those kids want to get really lean right. Growing up a skinny kid like I did.
I want to get really big. And I have not been able to shake that feeling of like. I want to get big.
You know what I mean. And so I think when we have that kind of a north star. Or like you know we have that aspiration.
And then we think we have achieved some level of success. But also we’re not sure if we can take it farther. That’s usually where the the inspiration lies.
It’s like if you think that you can’t do it. You have to test that water. You have to try it.
And you have to try a bunch of different ways to do it. Gets harder the farther you go usually. It’s like learning to play an instrument is you know.
Learning how to play chords is a lot easier. Than learning how to play whole pieces. And things like that.
But it gets more rewarding as you go too. Because you’re more inspiring to other people. You come so far.
You document your journey. So there’s so many layers to it. But I think at the end of the day.
It’s all about finding where your limited mindset. And biggest desires to overcome that mindset. Or prove to yourself.
Or prove to others that you can do things in that direction. Really lie. Because yeah.
There’s nothing more exciting than breaking through something. That you thought was a limit for you at one point. And then you were able to get past it.
And you’re like wow. So proud of myself for that you know.
[Giacomo]Absolutely. And sometimes you do. Sometimes it’s important to consider.
Well aside from the goal. Not looking like what you expected it to look like. Sometimes it helps to just do a complete 180.
And try something different.
[Sawyer]Whatever.
[Giacomo]Lift it differently. Set a different goal. That’s not body composition related.
For example. Yeah. Work on something else that you weren’t working on.
Pivot the change of focus. Say training to nutrition for example. Or make the goal more lifestyle and mindset related.
[Sawyer]Right.
[Giacomo]Because you can’t do it all at once. But you can focus on plugging in the holes along the way. Because no one is perfect.
And you can’t do it all at once. You can see the writing on the wall. And know everything you need to work on.
But you can’t work on everything at once. So sometimes even when the goal is the same. And you know exactly what you want.
And you know how much time it’s going to take. And you’re still feeling like well. Can I do this?
Is this something that I feel compelled to do? Rather than just getting caught up in the dig everything. You can get a little more granular with it.
And focus on looking back and reflecting. And thinking about what you haven’t had a chance to work on yet. And work on that.
Whatever it is. It’s the same thing we do when we have our. How do I say?
Our member challenges. Every month as a team. We have a challenge.
Get in 10,000 steps. Eat vegetables three times a day. Whatever it is.
There’s a different challenge every month. And ideally all 12 of those things. Are things that you would do routinely all year long.
But we do these things. It’s a little bit of an audit. And a little bit of a cleanup.
So if you think about these 12 goals that you have. And we attack one goal per month right. And we challenge.
We do the challenge together as a team. Which we do over here at Vegan Proteins right. And if you’re not a member.
Consider joining. And you can do one of these challenges with us. And become a Muscles by Process member.
Or inquire about coaching. Just hit the contact button at Vegan Proteins. And we can have a conversation about that.
But my point is. I feel like over time. If you continue to work on one goal at a time.
Out of those 12 goals. Three to five years later. You should be able to routinely do.
80 to even 100 percent of those things.
[Sawyer]Year round. Yeah. Well that’s a really good point you bring up.
Is that I you know personally. And maybe people relate to this. Have always felt like a little bit stubborn.
When somebody tells me that I need to do something. Like I hated school. Not because school was all terrible all the time.
But because I had to be there. You know. So there’s this kind of rebellious part of me.
And I think of a lot of people. That when you don’t feel like you get a choice in the matter. Or you feel like people are telling you.
You have to work out. You have to do this. You have to do that.
There’s a part of you that just wants to be like. No I don’t. I don’t have to do it that way.
And a big part of my fitness journey. Was defined by like figuring out. How to do things my way.
And so now I’m figuring out. But it’s really good to get input from other people. And do some stuff you don’t like sometimes.
Because then you work on stuff you suck at. And it’s really good to work on stuff you suck at. Because otherwise you have these big glaring holes.
And for me it’s manifested physically. In like physique. Like I don’t have the most well-balanced physique.
Because I have lifts I don’t. I like. And muscles I like to train.
And muscles I don’t like to train. And muscles I haven’t developed as much. And while that is a punch in the gut.
I should have been working on that shit this whole time. It’s also very motivating. Because it’s like okay.
I really need to listen to some other people. And I really need to learn about some other things. Because I’ve been running this kind of software for a long time.
That was like my own design. My own comfort zone. But if I really really want to level up.
I need to be open to feedback. And I need to look at things from other people’s perspectives. And I need to see what’s worked for other people.
Because it’s not all about me. If I want to become the best version of me. I have to take lessons from other people.
And things that they have learned to enjoy. And excel at. And incorporate that into my psyche.
And my physique. Quite frankly. So that’s what’s got me fired up actually.
Is doing stuff I suck at. Trying to do more running. More cardio.
More walking. Trying to just get better at lifts that I don’t really like. And historically have not really liked.
Stuff like that is just seeming more exciting than ever. Whereas you know if you asked me 10 years ago. I’d be like I don’t want to do any of that stuff.
Get out of my face. You know. So now I’m more excited about the fact that there’s stuff to learn.
And stuff I haven’t really tapped into. You know at this point in my journey. And I feel like again like a new spring in my fitness journey.
I feel like I really have hit something where. There was a winter for a long time before it. And I was like this is frustrating.
I don’t know if I care about fitness anymore. I was still doing it. But I just wasn’t feeling inspired by it.
And then I hit this point where I was like. I think I actually have a lot more potential than I realize. If I just open myself to up to the fact that I don’t know everything.
And that I need to learn from other people. And that there’s a lot more to explore that I haven’t done. And that reminder was enough to just light the fire up under me.
And I’m very excited now. So I think yeah that’s you know. I keep going back to my story.
Because I’m in my feels about it. But I think at the end of the day. You need to follow your heart.
You need to follow your emotions. Because as much as we like to think we are logical creatures. And that’s what you know.
Brings about the best change and everything. And we have some capacity for that. At the end of the day.
You can’t really change what you where your heart is. Heart wants what it wants. And you got to follow that thing.
Even if you’re not sure where it’s headed. I think you got to go test those waters.
[Giacomo]Absolutely. Absolutely. Is there anything else you want to talk about?
Do you feel it? I feel like we’re kind of reaching the end of this conversation far. But I don’t know where your wheels are.
If they’re still spinning.
[Sawyer]Yeah no. I think I’ve talked about kind of what I want to talk about. I hope it’s relatable to people.
I know we didn’t give a lot of like solid rock solid examples. But I think this kind of episode would be good for somebody. Who is just feeling a little bit lost in the sauce.
They’re a little bit caught up in their feelings. And they’re not sure which to follow. Sometimes it feels like your heart and your head are at odds.
They’re a little bit at war. What’s that like a Native American proverb? There’s two wolves inside of everyone kind of thing.
And I guess my advice for those people is. Keep trying new things. Keep reflecting and you know.
Trying to understand where these feelings are coming from. But then at the end of the day. If you still can’t make up your mind.
Just pick a direction. And it’ll become clear soon enough. That you know.
Either you really wanted that direction all along. Or you actually want to go the other way. Because that’s what you’re excited about.
Another way of saying that is like. You know give somebody. If you give somebody the option of.
Hey let’s do A or B thing. You know activity. And that person that you gave the option to.
And you’re like I’m so indifferent. I could do either one right. You’re so convinced that you don’t care.
You give the option to some other person A or B. And they pick B. And you’re like snap.
I think I actually wanted A. Like once there’s a decision that’s been made. It’s a lot easier to reflect upon what you actually wanted.
Because the feelings will come immediately. But if you’re in that hypothetical space too long. You’re like I don’t really care.
It’s the same to me right. And I think in a lot of cases. We’re just kind of a little bit lost in the sauce there.
We need to just make a decision. And run with it. Totally.
Learn what’s important.
[Giacomo]I know this wasn’t like you said. The most concrete conversation. With very specific examples.
But I’m hoping that you as a listener. Got to enjoy being a fly on the wall for this one. Because I feel like this was.
This is a pretty important topic. And to me this is a lot of the mindset stuff. Where no kind of programming is going to get you.
The outcome you’re looking for. If you don’t put this work in. Every single one of us will hit this wall.
Again at some point. If you’re not already there right now. Get ask for support.
Use people as a sounding board. Especially professionals. Because no one goes through it alone.
You might think that you do. But you don’t. And I’ve seen some people crave that control.
And close themselves off to feedback. And other people’s perspective. Or just like straight up guidance.
To get them out of their own way. And to me it’s a limiting way. To get the outcome you’re looking for.
And it could arguably be a better way to get there.
[Sawyer]Yeah it’s an ego trap. You think I don’t want to humble myself. To the opinions of others.
Because I know so much you know. And whatever. And even though I wasn’t that like.
Conscious of that. That was at play. So it’s like oh I need to.
I need to get past my you know. A fear of being seen as not that good at things. And just work.
Put myself to work on things that I suck at. And like let people give me feedback on that. But yeah I think it’s funny.
Whenever we have an episode. I feel like you and I are both very much dreamers. And so we have a hard time staying like concrete with the examples.
But hopefully the people who need this message. And need it in more of a general you know. Apply their own life situation to it type of context.
Will get a lot out of this. I really do hope that. So you guys can know that for the future.
Anytime it’s me and Giacomo on a podcast. It’s probably going to meander quite a bit. It’s probably going to be pretty touchy feely.
Oh no no.
[Giacomo]I’m going to go punch something into the good old old school AI. And put it right in front of me like a script. And I’m going to stay on it line by line.
And I’m just going to talk about. We hit all the points. We’re going to do it like 2025.
This is the teleprompter style kind of report. No. No when you come here you get a real conversation.
And we don’t really know where it’s going to go. And this is usually the flow with you and I. But hopefully you’re enjoying this.
If you’re out there listening. Yeah. Or watching.
Yeah definitely. Anyways why don’t you take us home Sawyer.
[Sawyer]All right. Thank you guys for listening to Muscles by Brussels radio. Not even sure what episode this is at this point.
But I’m really. We’re all grateful for you guys tuning in. And check us out on social media at Vegan Proteins at Muscles by Brussels.
Check us out online at veganproteins.com. And apply for coaching if you want. That sounds like something that’s going to be helpful to you in your journey at this stage.
And just thanks for being here guys. I’m Coach Sawyer. And I’m Giacomo.
And we’ll see you guys next time. Later.
