The Question I Wish More People Asked Me About Fitness

After years of coaching, people tend to ask me similar things.

“How much weight should I lift?”
“How many days a week should I train?”
“What’s the best fat-loss workout?”
“Should I cut carbs?”

All fair questions.

But there’s one question I wish I heard more often.

It’s not about calories.
It’s not about macros.
It’s not even about how many days per week.

It’s this:

“What would make this sustainable for me?”

Because that’s the real question.

Most People Are Playing the Short Game

When someone starts training, they’re usually thinking about:

• The next 30 days

• The next event

• The next 10 pounds

They want momentum. Results. Proof.

And I get it. That’s human.

But what I’ve learned — and what experience has shown me over and over — is that the body responds best when you stop chasing urgency and start building consistency.

The question isn’t:
“Can I do this for 6 weeks?”

It’s:
“Can I see myself doing this 6 months from now?”

Or even better:
“Can I see myself doing some version of this 5 years from now?”

The Truth About Long-Term Progress

The clients who stay strong into their 50s, 60s, and 70s aren’t the ones who trained the hardest.

They’re the ones who:

• Adjusted when life got busy

• Reduced intensity instead of quitting

• Focused on movement quality

• Prioritized recovery

• Accepted that progress ebbs and flows

They trained in a way that fit their real lives.

That’s why I’d rather someone train at 70% than swing between 0% and 100%.

That’s why I care more about your joints feeling good next month than you crushing a workout today.

That’s why I ask about your schedule before I ask about your goals.

The Better Question to Ask

Instead of asking:
“What’s the fastest way to get results?”

Try asking:
“What’s the smartest way to stay consistent?”

Instead of:
“What should I cut out?”

Try:
“What can I realistically commit to?”

Instead of:
“How hard should I push?”

Try:
“How well can I move?”

When the focus shifts from intensity to sustainability, something interesting happens.

Progress stops feeling fragile.

It becomes steady.

Fitness Should Add to Your Life — Not Compete With It

If your routine constantly feels like a battle, something needs adjusting.

Fitness shouldn’t feel like punishment.
It shouldn’t require perfection.
It shouldn’t demand that everything else in your life pause.

It should:

• Support your energy

• Improve how you move

• Make daily life easier

• Build resilience over time

And if it doesn’t?

That’s not a discipline problem.
That’s a programming problem.

What I Tell Clients All the Time

You don’t need the perfect routine.

You need a routine you’ll actually keep.

You don’t need to overhaul everything.

You need to build one or two habits you can repeat.

You don’t need motivation.

You need structure that works when motivation disappears.

If more people asked the sustainability question, they’d stop burning out — and start building something that lasts.

Final Thought

If you’re not sure what sustainable looks like for you, that’s okay.

That’s part of the process.

Fitness isn’t about finding the most intense plan.

It’s about finding the one that fits your life — and adjusting it as your life evolves.

The better you move, the further you go.

And the further you go, the more it needs to make sense long term.

Talk to us and get your free workout.