Real confidence comes from competence, and when it comes to training, competence comes from putting in the reps. There is no getting around this. The idea of fitness without time and effort is a contradiction in terms.

 Yet, I still find that people just can’t help themselves. They want to believe in quick solutions—magic pills, secret elixirs, miracle diets, advanced treatments, and even surgical procedures. Impatient for results, they allow sensational marketing and absurd promises to seduce them.

We offer various fitness accessories and digital products at Bounce Pep, but we don’t make implausible claims about what they deliver to the customer. There is no long-winded gibberish or smoke and mirrors. Our course never downplays the importance of committed, consistent effort towards staying in shape. And while my coaching program helps the client be efficient regarding fitness, I don’t promise any shortcuts, and that’s on purpose.

A major benefit of putting in the reps is the satisfaction of knowing you do what other people don’t and won’t do. Putting in the reps is precisely what produces superior outcomes. Quick fixes and shortcuts rob you of that benefit and usually don’t even deliver what they claim to. There are no substitutes for commitment and time spent working at it, so be skeptical about purchasing a product that promises results with little or no effort on your part. And remember that supplements and gadgets can help you on the margins, but the bulk of your results come from plain old, sustained effort.

Speaking of supplements, many people start using them early on, without knowing whether they are harmful or ineffective, and believe that they’re a necessity. Instead, I encourage you to give simplicity a chance. At least in the beginning, forego the supplements and get a solid sense of what you can do with your own God-given faculties. Just eat nutritious food and drink plenty of water to power your workouts.

I want you to build real confidence in who you are and what you can do. You may still decide to take supplements or get a treatment later on, but you should know what you can do without any crutches first. That is part of discovering yourself.

Sayonara until next time.