A look Into the Start of Coach Pauls Fitness Journey: “The Blue Duffel Bag”
When I was 12 years old, I weighed almost 170 pounds. I struggled with asthma and had to do nebulizer treatments at least once a week. This made things like football practice extremely hard for me, as well as feeling good about myself as a kid. I wanted to look like my friends and not have to wear extra-large shirts everywhere I went. I wanted to be able to take my shirt off at pool parties or the beach and not worry about who was looking at me. The list goes on, and it’s what fuels my passion as a coach to this day.
It wasn’t until the day I chose to look at myself in my parents’ bedroom mirror that my life changed. I vividly remember taking my shirt off, grabbing my stomach, and beginning to cry as I sat back down alone, knowing I didn’t want to be like that anymore. I don’t share this for sympathy, but as a reflection of why I am a coach today.
We live in a world that constantly chases more—to be better, to do more. This is something I’ve found myself going in and out of in my own fitness journey. Often times what brings me back is too look back at where I started. There are a few important things that come to mind from the early part of my fitness journey as a kid. One of those is my dad. It’s been almost 15 years since this moment, but for some reason, the image I can’t get out of my head is of him coming home with a blue duffel bag, towel, water bottle, and various other fitness items inside. He came home with a smile on his face, vibrant, new energy, motivation, and passion—all things I never really knew I wanted for myself. It wasn’t even the weight he lost that I paid attention to at the time. He did this for a while, even becoming member of the month at the gym. You may wonder why this holds so much importance in my life, but that moment—when I remember him coming home with that blue duffel bag each day—is the moment I looked at myself in the mirror.
I think about it to this day, especially when it comes to clients and how truly hard it is to change your life. The amount of effort and willingness to change is something that’s not really talked about these days, mostly because people are attracted to the idea of what’s on the other side—the person they aspire to become—not the hard work it takes to get there. There is so much power in an environment. Just by being around those who are striving for better health and fitness, your mindset starts to change. Watching my dad leave for the gym and come home a different person (literally) almost subconsciously made me aware of the things I needed to do for myself—something I never even thought of at the time.
Another key moment was what happened after I decided I wanted to change my life. I didn’t wait until the next day. In fact, I put my shirt back on and started right away. I began with push-ups and sit-ups—three sets of five reps—and I gradually increased the reps each week. When that became easy, I started working toward my goal of being able to run in the neighborhood. My goal was to run a one-mile loop—something I could never have done before without those frequent stops. When I set this goal for myself, I walked the loop to see what it would feel like. I did what I could and most importantly I did not wait. I remember my mom starting to go for walks with my sister as I tried to run the block. After some time, I ran it—no idea how fast, how hard it was, I just I did it.
A little time passed, and I started going to Gold’s Gym with my mom early in the mornings to hop on the treadmill and do what I could. I showed up that football season 30 pounds lighter, faster, and much more capable of doing things I couldn’t before.
This is just a glimpse into the start of my fitness journey. We all start somewhere. The most important part is to start. Fitness can be complex, it can be simple, and it can be anything you need it to be for yourself. Do not compare yourself to others. Instead, fill your “duffel bag” with what you need to be successful for yourself in fact it is your Journey and nobody can take that away from you! NOBODY!
See You in Class,
Coach Paul
