Want to crush your fitness goals in 2025? At Sand & Steel, we’ve seen firsthand what makes people succeed—and what holds them back. This isn’t just about showing up; it’s about embracing a transformation. Based on over a decade of coaching experience, here are the top six traits you’ll need to thrive in our gym: a positive mindset, a focus on overall health, coachability, a willingness to tackle weaknesses, unwavering consistency, and setting realistic goals. Ready to unlock your full potential? Keep reading to discover how these traits can help you achieve lasting results.
I’ve been coaching personal training and CrossFit for more than a decade. I’ve seen members be highly successful… many surpassing their own teacher. And, I’ve also seen many members be unsuccessful in their goal to improve their health and fitness. If you are considering joining Sand & Steel, these are six most important traits you’ll need to be successful in our gym.
1) You need a Positive Mindset
Every new Sand and Steel member needs a positive mindset and the internal desire to improve. External motivations (my husband or father wants me to get in shape) rarely works. Getting in shape requires commitment, consistency, preparation, and an overarching desire to improve oneself.
2) Improving your Overall Health and Fitness Should be your Primary Goal
Every new Sand and Steel member need to embrace the process without being singularly focused on a specific goal. Getting in shape is a dynamic process often involving setback and adjustments to goals as changes in life affects progress. A new member that is singularly focused on a goal like losing 20 pounds often gets discouraged when he or she encounters their first set back.
3) Be Coachable … Come to Sand and Steel with a Goal of Learning
For some people this is the hardest thing. Dawn and I are professional coaches with almost four decades of shared coaching experience. Our only interest is your safety and progress. If we tell you to come to a running based class, show up. If we tell you that you need to attend Nutrition Lab, signup. If we tell you that you need a weight belt, buy the weight belt. If we tell you that you need rehab training… you probably need it.
We have been coaches at Sand and Steel for over a decade. We have seen members that have vastly improved and those members who have not. Get out of your own damn way. You hired us to help to you… follow the advice we give you and your blow past those members trying forge their own path.
4) Focus on Making your Weaknesses Your Strengths
- Not a good runner? Neither was I, but I started a trail running class anyway.
- Have the flexibility of a tin man? So did I, but I started practicing yoga so I would improve.
- I know CrossFit is hard when you start, but embrace the suck, focus on your weaknesses, and give your body time to improve.
5) Consistency is King
For personal training, your goal should be to come 2-3 times per week. For classes, you need to come 3-5 times per week. You need to get 8 hours of sleep every night. You need to actively work on recovery and mobility on your “off days.” You need to prioritize making healthy food choices at least 90% of the time. You need to buy the right gear to protect yourself from injury. You need to buy the right supplements to help help you recover.
In short, you need to prioritize your own improvement. If you aren’t willing to do that, Sand and Steel probably is not a good fit for you.
6) Set Actionable, Reasonable Goals for Yourself.
Do you want 2025 to be the year you finally get in shape? Then you need to stand up and fight for it. Success takes more than than showing up. It takes commitment, it takes discipline, and it takes consistency. And when you put in the work and start to see the results, the whole experience might just become fun.
How to Set Goals for Yourself
Getting in shape requires commitment, but what does it take to be committed to something? In my experience, it requires setting reasonable, obtainable goals that to require sacrifice and discipline to achieve. You need develop a plan to execute the goals with tangible action points. I will help you do this in Nutrition Coaching and Nutrition Lab. I’ve coached thousands of people. I know what obtainable for you and what it will take for you to get there. In short, I’ll help set SMART and FAST goals.
Back in 2022, my Goals were:
✔ Run a half marathon. Two years ago, running a half marathon was a massive feat. Today, I can run a half marathon any given weekend. (I have run 12 half marathons to date).
✔ Complete every obstacle in a Spartan Race. I have done this twice.
✔ Master the double under. The double under was a difficult, seemingly impossible goal for me for many years. Today, I can sets of 50 without much difficulty.
✔ Chain toes to bar. This skill eluded me for years. Today, I can do about 30 linked toes 2 bar before I have to break them into singles.
✔ Link muscle-ups. Today I can link about 4 muscle-ups.
✔ 1100 pound combined deadlift, bench, and squat. Last time I tested this, I did 1270 total.
✔ Walk the length of the gym on my hands. I can walk on my hands as long as would like, until my shoulders get too tired.
Set Some New Goals for 2025! Here are mine!
✔ 275lb Pound Clean and Jerk. 235 is my highest recorded Clean and Jerk.
✔ Complete 20 muscle-ups in under 10 minutes. 15 is my personal best.
✔ Weigh less than 175 lbs by the start of the 2025 CrossFit Open… I’m 185.
✔ 100 Calories Echo Bike in under 7.0 minutes (my current record is 8:20)
Conclusion
In conclusion, I’d like to leave you with the Sand and Steel Creed which I believe nicely sums everything in this blog post.
A positive mindset gives us the courage to start.
But it’s the unbreakable spirit that empowers us to finish.
We are a Team. Pay it forward. Support others. And cherish the Community.
I am wishing you all an amazing 2025 … I cannot wait to see all the new faces in the gym. LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN, TOGETHER! – Coach Paul