⏳ Why “Just Showing Up” Isn’t Enough Anymore

PLUS: Effort Beats Attendance

AuthorAuthor

Michael Pender & Ryan Engel
August 18, 2025

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TODAY’S LEVEL UP:

  • Coach’s Corner: Why “Just Showing Up” Isn’t Enough Anymore

  • Momentum Builder: Effort beats attendance

  • Question from Our Readers: How do I know if I’m training hard enough?

  • Fit Trivia: Which 90s action sequel showed the hero doing underwater dumbbell presses as part of his training montage?

Why “Just Showing Up” Isn’t Enough Anymore

When you first start training, simply showing up gets you results.

But after a few months? The “attendance” phase is over.

Now your body needs:

  • Progressive overload (more weight, reps, or intensity over time)

  • Intentional movement (not just going through the motions)

  • Better recovery strategies so you can push harder next time

Showing up is step one. Leveling up is step two.

If you want to keep changing your body, you can’t just check the box—you have to earn the checkmark.

FROM RYAN’S DESK

Comfort feels good now, but it steals from your future. Every time you choose the easy path, you trade strength for softness. Seek the challenge, not the couch. Pain builds power; comfort robs it.

Momentum Builder:

Effort Beats Attendance

Track your lifts. Beat last week’s numbers.

Make every set count.

If you’re in the gym for 45 minutes, be in it for 45 minutes.

Question from Our Readers:

“How do I know if I’m training hard enough?”

– Chris, 48, from Dallas

Ask yourself:

  • Do I feel challenged on the last 2–3 reps of each set?

  • Am I keeping good form while still pushing close to failure?

  • Do I leave the gym feeling like I trained, not just exercised?

If the answer is “no” to all three, you’ve got more in the tank.

Fit Trivia: Which 90s action sequel showed the hero doing underwater dumbbell presses as part of his training montage?

Answer: Rocky V (1990)! In one of the most creative training scenes of the franchise, Rocky adds underwater resistance work to improve endurance and explosive power—proof that even in the 90s, Stallone was mixing up the grind to stay fight-ready.

Ryan Engel, Intl. Fat Loss Coach

Ryan is a leading fitness coach and one of the most known professionals in the space.

He specializes in Body Recomposition and visual body aesthetics and has reached millions worldwide with his powerful messaging. He brings a unique, non-nonsense, yet sophisticated approach to body change.

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Publisher: Ryan Engel

Editor: Michael Pender

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