During the last six months, I have had the unique opportunity to witness one of my members transform into a “gym” guy.

It was funny because I got to witness the moment it happened. It was Wednesday, after a particularly grueling team workout. Everyone was beat, lying dead on the floor. He was in one of those post-workout manic states where the dopamine was hitting extra hard. He was venting and talking fast after the workout, saying, “I get it! I get it!” The coach of the session asked, “You get what?” His response was great, “I get why you love this! I feel strong. I don’t feel bad anymore. I didn’t realize I was missing out on how good I could feel. I’m no longer afraid to hurt my back by picking my daughter up!”

She laughed and responded, “The waters are warm, welcome.”

So how did he get to this point? How did he get to a place where working out became not something he dreaded but had fun doing? In my 20-plus years of training, here are three steps I’ve found to take the work out of working out.

Step one: Accept the fact that working out is not fun. That’s what this man did. I will give him a name — we can call him “John.” John’s wife also works out at the gym. She joined, fell in love with the gym, and said, “I need to get my husband here.”

John and his wife are total opposites in the gym. She is a natural athlete, strong, and extremely coachable. Poor John wasn’t blessed with the “athletic” gene. What John did have going for him, and I’d argue it had the most significant impact on his success, was that he accepted that it would suck. I mean, he leaned into it big time.

Just six weeks ago, his wife came to me laughing, and I asked, “What’s so funny?” She responded, “Please don’t tell John I told you this!” She then told me how he came home after the morning workout complaining and angry that lunges were involved and he didn’t know how to do them. The next day, he came in, and I went right up to him and asked him to do a lunge for me. He failed miserably. I then proceeded for the next six minutes teaching him over and over how to lunge. Then he got it. When he was ready to leave, I made him lunge to his car to ingrain that movement into his brain.

I was proud of him that morning. I was proud of him because he didn’t give up, and as bad as the prior workout was for him, even though he failed miserably, he still showed up the next day for another workout.

Step two: Treat working out like a job. This was paramount for John. We have an app where people have to “clock in” for class. That was John’s punch card, and he clocked in every day at 5 a.m. and even said to me on occasion, “Reporting for duty, coach!” I laugh and tell him to drop and give me 20 every time he says that to me. John accounted for the time he’d spend in the gym and built it into his schedule. He treated it just like any other job. He didn’t always want to go in but knew he had to.

Step three: Who you work out with matters. When people say working out is “fun,” they usually mean that socializing in the warm-up and grabbing coffee with their friends afterward is “fun.” We like to call that part “community,” and being part of a community with like-minded individuals who work hard and treat working out like another job creates an environment for success.

To put a little “fun” into your workout routine, you must find a community of people you can vibe with. I’m not saying it’s impossible to do it alone, but more often than not, those who can make it alone are outliers. I have always believed in safety in numbers. The pack mentality has always been a guiding principle in my life. I constantly try to surround myself with people who hold me accountable, challenge me, and ultimately make me a better person.

There you have it. Follow the above, and you’ll find yourself (mostly) smiling on the way to the gym. Let’s recap. First, accept that it will not be fun and that you will endure the suffering to attain a sense of fulfillment from accomplishing a task, which results in a euphoric state of being. Second, make it your job; put the effort in. Third, my favorite, misery loves company; find a community to immerse yourself in.

And lastly, make it easy, don’t jump into the deep end. Start on the first step, and ease your way in. spt