In the gym, progress isn’t just measured in pounds lifted or inches lost. It’s also measured in perspective.
If you’ve been a part of Xceleration Fitness for any length of time, it won’t take long for you to see the kinds of members that make up our gym. It’s full of adults who are ready to reclaim their health, build strength, and feel confident in their bodies again.
But the truth is, none of that sticks without the right mindset and not everyone walked through those doors on day 1 with that kind of mindset.
As the old grandpa saying goes, “the strongest muscle you’ll ever build is the one between your ears.”
Hop on social media and in a matter of minutes you’ll hear the term, growth mindset, but what is it? Coined by psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck, a growth mindset is the belief that your abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed through effort, feedback, and persistence. In contrast, a fixed mindset assumes you’re either born with it—or you’re not.
Here’s how that plays out in the gym:
In a study published in Health Psychology Open, researchers found that individuals with a growth mindset were more likely to engage in physical activity and report greater satisfaction with their progress over time (Wang et al., 2021). That’s huge.
Where do you stand? How is this showing up in your workouts and ability to see progress?
A growth mindset isn’t just about being positive—it’s about being coachable, consistent, and resilient when things get hard (and they will).
Think about your last workout:
That's the mindset in motion. And it compounds over time.
In fact, we’ve seen this first-hand in our community with one of our members, Cindy.
We’d love to hear about your story next! But first it all starts with that thing between the ears!
3. Reframe failure. Missed a lift? Skipped a week? Good. That’s your opportunity to come back stronger. Progress isn’t linear—it’s layered.
Your mind will quit before your body does—unless you train it.
Every rep, every set, every tough session—those are bricks in the foundation of your mindset. The more you stack, the stronger it becomes.
And with tools like DEXA scans, you’re not just hoping you’re getting better—you know.
Stay tuned for next week’s article, where we’ll dive into how strength training sharpens your mental resilience and helps you show up stronger in life—not just in the gym.
Let’s track the things that actually matter.
