10 Reasons I Love and Admire My Fit Friends

This past weekend was the first time ever I traveled with only friends from the gym and it was awesome! I didn’t feel guilty not drinking, or feel the need to sneak away to go for a run or lift barbells in the hotel gym. We spend 2-4 hours together lifting and doing CrossFit workouts at least 5 days per week. We know each other’s’ diets, what volume and levels of activity we require, and what each other’s personal fitness goals are.

There are so many qualities I admire about my fit friends but here are the top ten:

1. They are so freaking funny! Seriously though, everyone can laugh and be laughed at. There are no hard feelings and we laugh so hard we cry.

2. They are planners. Knowing they would be gone two days and return to a heavy lifting cycle starting Monday, they hit it hard Friday working out, did active recovery on Saturday and rested on Sunday. On a group trip I don’t have to feel like a freak for planning for my goals.

3. They are determined. No matter what the goal, or the defeat, they get right back up and keep going.

4. They’re not whiny. No one laments about a goal they didn’t hit or a good night’s sleep they didn’t get.

If life’s emotions are too rough, they take a time out, a day off from the gym and replenish themselves.

5. They offer perspective. Is getting a 1 rep max on a lift the end all be all? No. Is it an important goal within our competitive world? Yes. However, I know I can always rely on them to put into perspective that fitness increases our quality of life and it should be a life that is lived in balance.

6. They are sympathetic. They offer support and understanding in the waves of stressors that life brings. They also sniff it out based on a less than stellar performance working out with them.

7. They share their struggles. They want the best for their friends and will always share their struggles if it will help their friends succeed. In this way they are incredible selfless and I learn a lot from them.

8. They are classy competitive. They are competitive with themselves and while working out together. However, a win is a win and the losers are never sore.

9. They celebrate each other’s differences and play to each other’s strengths. If one person knows more about hiking or event planning the others are happy to let her take the lead. Similarly, in the gym we all have strengths and weaknesses. When working out together we never can agree on one WOD we will all do so “lifters choice” was created to sub in movements the individual wants to improve upon.

10. They are doers. As soon as they put their mind to something, watch out because they will achieve and then some. They don’t make excuses and they definitely don’t sit on the sidelines of life. They tackle life in the same way they do their fitness. They are career driven, family oriented, and work hard to balance work & play, love & friendships while making to time for our common love of fitness.