How to upgrade your life

I get asked frequently what my favorite experiences have been in training. It’s somewhat of a leading question because people want to hear the inside scoop on movies or some of the projects we’ve been involved in with MLB or Redbull. But I take the question seriously, and the honest answer often surprises people. 

I met Tom 5 years ago. At the time I wasn’t taking clients, but Tom, who was our local camera expert along with his good friend Ken, were interested in training. They would always throw in a question or two about what we did as we browsed their shop looking at Leicas or the newest Zeiss lenses. We would share some of our publications and I think Mark’s technical knowledge of photography made them reconsider what they thought of us two gym rats that had an obsession with philosophy. 

They were two of the scrawniest and unathletic people you could find, not having a history with sport, but also, unapologetically curious. Mark convinced me to open up a few sessions for them and I did so thinking that they would quit after the first one. 

Shockingly, the opposite happened. 

It was after I gave them both a Death By Burpees and a dissertation on the paradox of quitting versus failing that they both surprised me. In their crushed state, laying in a puddle of their own sweat, and becoming aware of the intricacies of their inner dialogue, a lightbulb seemed to have gone off. Tom left that Friday and went home to complete that session not just Saturday, but did it again Sunday too just out of fascination. He came back hungry with more questions (and pretty sore). 

Tom had my attention and fitness had his. 

Yes, there is something special about watching a client achieve world-class performance, but the most satisfaction I have ever felt is watching a student fall in love with physical movement as the expression and exploration of their own mind and spirit. The oft-argued contentious topics in fitness fade to the back. No longer worried about “What’s the best exercise for x?” They are free to now just move and explore. 

Right at the peak of their interest, the pandemic happened, and I figured we would lose all momentum because of the lockdowns. But every single day on their lunch break from the camera shop just a few blocks away, I would watch Ken, Tom—and whomever else they could convince—run laps past our building. They put together their own sessions and tried their own ideas. They were hooked and they didn’t need me to continue their journey. 

Tom would eventually convince his wife Rachel to join the group after they eased restrictions. And ever since they have been key players on any given FYF, and a foundation to our local crew at The Space. They have joined us in our Space Race efforts, convinced their children to join in and explore their own physical capability, and I am proud to call them friends.

The reason working with them has been so gratifying doesn’t have anything to do with the physical training, although it helps that both Rachel and Tom will dig themselves a grave in order to prove they belong here, it’s that what they learned with us wasn’t just applied to their fitness. Tom has transformed his life, quitting his job of 27 years to help his friend Ken open his dream company (Essential Photo, a local camera shop specializing in film, and high-end camera equipment) to now, with his wife Rachel, starting their own business dedicated to improving human performance, Upgrade Labs in Riverton, UT. 

When I talk about capability I talk about the pursuit of potential, about using the edge of your own perception to increase your experience. Most often this has to do with becoming more autonomous. It is about identifying your place in life and seeing that there is further to go and that you are capable of doing so. The life you want is on the other side of hard conversations, but the hardest one will always be the dialogue with yourself, about what it is you want and what you are willing to sacrifice in order to get it. Our practice in the gym is just a role-play for this conversation that happens every day.  

It is the easiest thing in the world to quit. Complacency takes many forms. Like a devil, it shows up in the “security” of our employment and the comfort of our relationships. Everything in this world is pushing you to remain the same, safe and secure. To rebel against this natural pull to apathy and slavishness is one of the greatest journeys you can face and yet, very few of us will dare to take it on like Tom and Rachel have.

I have trained some noteworthy people. I was lucky, and I cherish those experiences. But I have never felt more proud than watching Tom, Rachel, and Ken carve out the life that they want. They are the reason I’m still drawn towards coaching. They make my investment of time and energy worth it. Watching and guiding others to upgrade their life through attention and awareness will never get old.

Upgrade Labs opens this week in Riverton, UT. This isn’t about just promoting another business, it’s about watching two of my very good friends reach for something special, a new experience, a better life. If you live in Utah, go check them out. If you aren’t local but want to support them, go check out their Instagram, leave a comment, or just wish them well. 

To Tom and Rachel, we love you guys, and we are so proud of you.