They started to trickle into the gym a week or two ago, but now that the page has turned for the new year, the gym will ultimately become a cesspool of New Year Resolutioners.  Just like each and every other year before, most of them will fall off and disappear within the first 3 weeks, but we really won’t know who will stick with it and who will fade into obscurity for a few months. With all that being said, our personal survival depends on how WE react to the overwhelming noise and interruptions that plague our workout routine until the herd thins. 

Let’s start with the window from which we view the world. What tends to derail training this time of year isn’t the crowd itself—it’s how people react to it. Frustration creeps in. Sessions feel rushed. Small disruptions start to compound.

I don’t know about you, but my first reaction is always annoyance and irritation. As soon as I walk in the gym, my eyes start scanning the equipment that I’m going to need for my workout and every year, it’s the same thing. Every single piece has some kind of out-of-shape, new face sitting on it. I have to remind myself that there was a point when that was me sitting there. 

I was once that new face taking up equipment, staring into my phone between what I believed to be were hard working sets. I had no clue what I was doing outside of what I had seen from Arnold training videos, straight out of a Bodybuilding.com workout app. While I was that asshole, it was also a time when my life forever changed. I had finally found something special.  It wasn’t until a few, more experienced lifters decided to bring me into the fold that I really discovered how special it could be. 

So, when it come to your own workout, try to have a little patience but also make adjustments instead of waiting around. We have the knowledge and experience to overcome these interruptions. Consider it a challenge, rather than an obstacle. If your exact rack setup isn’t available, adjust the movement instead of waiting. If your usual training window is packed, shift the session slightly or simplify the plan. Chasing perfect conditions in January is a losing battle.

Bottom line; as you step into the gym and wade through the sea of fumbling idiots trying to “tone”, remember that there was a time when you were the new kid on the block, struggling to find your way onto the Iron throne. We all know that the majority of them will not survive the flood, but you may find some real potential and drive for lifting. Be the ambassador that you once needed and lead them through the gauntlet. Until the weaklings fall off the bandwagon, all we can do is survive.

— Robert Myrick, Iron After 40