Why Simplicity and Grit Beat Fancy Gyms and Trainers
- Stella Beckmann
- Aug 8
- 5 min read
Introduction
I remember my first circuit class at the gym with Tom.
Well, technically, my second one—but that first real attempt where I made it through the full warm-up and thought I might actually die. I’d done my fair share of running, even dabbled in weight training, but five minutes into this class I was puffing like I’d never moved in my life. By the end of the 45 minutes, I was drenched, beet-red, and wrecked. I didn’t go back for a month. I didn’t like the pain.
But here’s the strange thing: I wanted to go back. Something about being challenged that hard felt… good. Like my body had been woken up. So I did muster the courage, returned, and got wrecked all over again.
At the end of that class, I asked Tom, the trainer, “Why does this feel so much harder than all the other exercise I’ve been doing?”
He smiled and said something simple but striking:
“Circuits are just efficient. Bang for your buck. They hit everything.”
Tom explained the science, saying how circuit training isn’t about just pounding cardio or pumping isolated muscles on machines. It’s about moving your whole body through real, functional exercises that build strength, flexibility, and endurance all at once. Instead of spending hours on a treadmill or sticking to bulky machines that only work one muscle at a time, circuits hit multiple muscle groups while keeping you moving. The key is working through full ranges of motion, so your joints stay healthy and your body learns to move well, not just get tired or bulky in one spot. It’s efficiency: you get cardio, strength, balance, and mobility in less time — all the stuff your body actually needs.
What stuck with me was the idea that it’s not about doing more, it’s about doing the right kind of movement, consistently.
And then I told him, “Okay. I’ll see you next week.”
And because I said it, I had to follow through.
It became a ritual. Every week, I showed up. I noticed it started to get easier—not easy, but manageable. The tomato-face exhaustion became strength. I even started to enjoy it.
One day, mid-squat, while Tom was shouting words of encouragement and forcing us to sink deeper and hold it longer, I realised something: he didn’t just teach exercise, he embodied a philosophy.
The No-Reliance Philosophy
Tom doesn’t like machines. Or squishy shoes. Or routines that make you dependent on things.
“If your feet are used to clouds, they forget how to grip the ground.”
His classes are full of balance-based, bodyweight movements—free weights, deep squats, asymmetrical stretches. Everything forces your body to stay alive, responsive, balanced. Even his stretches make you focus. It’s not just movement, it’s awareness.
And when I told him about some foot and knee pain, he didn’t overcomplicate it.
He said:
“Check your form. Check your shoes. Run on different terrain. Go to a place that watches your gait.”
Simple advice. Smart advice. Not overengineered.
Which brings me to the second big takeaway:
Keep. It. Simple.
He said:
“People like to overcomplicate it. They’ll go into the gym floor and start getting all fancy when they can’t even do a pushup.”
He gave me this simple formula for training on my own—like “gym for dummies”—to build strength without overcomplicating things:
Twice/thrice a week, just 20 minutes.
4 exercises:
TRX rows (or substitute pull movements)
Push-ups (if you can’t do pushups, start by doing push-ups with your hands on a sturdy box or elevated surface. As you get stronger, gradually lower the height of the box—move from a higher surface to a lower one—until you can do push-ups on the floor. This step-by-step approach builds strength safely and helps you master the full movement.)
Weighted squats (or progress to single-leg squats if no weights)
Hinge movements (e.g. hip thrusts, RDLs, good mornings)
No magic app. No fancy programming. Just get stronger at the basics, week by week. Adapt the moves as you progress. That’s it.
Then I asked Tom, “What should I do when I’m travelling and don’t have access to a gym?” He smiled and got a glimmer in his eye.
“The secret is bodyweight exercises. You can always make a bodyweight move harder,” he said. “For example, with a pushup you can go down slowly, then come up fast and trust me, you’ll get tired after those. Or you can even start putting one arm out at a time.”
He demonstrated it for me and I was impressed by how many unique movements there were I’d never thought about.
Later on, it also made me think: Why am I always mentally negotiating with myself?
“Should I do yoga or go for a run? Should I try dance again? Or gym? Which one’s more effective?” will circle around in my brain for minutes until I get exhausted and collapse onto the couch, deciding I can’t be bothered with any of them. Or I will go for that run but wonder if I should’ve done a strength day instead.
I waste so much bandwidth over-planning, over-optimizing, overthinking.
Tom also said:
“You can do three circuits a week and be so healthy and fit. It’s perfect for busy people who need efficient exercise. It’s not complex.”
Maybe it was that simple. And that comment gave me hope for when I start working a corporate job next year and have that busy lifestyle. There would be no excuses.
What I Really Learned: Grit > Gear
I realised I idolised a version of fitness that relied on external resources—gyms, trainers, ideal routines, food plans. I caught myself thinking things like, “If only I had a Selena Gomez-level team to snatch the chips from my hand and replace them with carrots.”
But Tom’s philosophy flipped that on its head.
He doesn’t want you relying on perfect conditions. No machines. No miracle gear. Not even him. And I realised, that’s actually the goal.
Because if I can build discipline without relying on anyone else, then I become resilient. I become strong, not just in body, but in every part of my life. If I can keep showing up without needing to be babysat, I’m building a skill that transcends fitness.
Discipline. Grit. Simplicity. Those are skills that can be applied to any goal in any area of your life.
Final Thoughts: Aesthetic ≠ Health
Tom also said something I think about all the time:
“Focus on how you feel. Be happy first. Looking fit isn’t the same as being healthy.”
He reminded me that the influencers with shredded abs might be on steroids, or living on a calorie deficit that tanks their hormones. That what we see online is often unsustainable, or worse, unhealthy.
That doesn’t mean we can’t have goals. Wanting to lean out or feel more toned isn’t wrong, but it should come with realism, with context, and with a deep sense of sustainability.
Sustainable energy and happiness > chasing extremes.
Key Takeaways:
Complexity is often procrastination in disguise. Keep your workouts simple.
You don’t need fancy equipment, the right gym, or perfect shoes to start. You just need to start.
Consistency trumps intensity.
Health is how you feel, not how you look.
The goal is to build your own system, rather than depending on someone else’s.
Conclusion
I appreciate that Tom was so willing and transparent to share advice from his twenty or thirty years-long fitness journey, and that knowledge is potential power. My goal now is to stop overthinking exercise and keep it simple, be consistent, and just continue showing up. I also want to be able to do a full, proper push-up again. The gym doesn’t only make me physically stronger, but mentally, too. Healthy body, healthy mind.
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