High agency in fitness isn’t just about physical strength; it’s about overcoming challenges and applying problem solving skills in every part of life, from the gym to the real world.
There’s been this essay floating around the internet lately, written by George Mack, called High Agency in 30 Minutes. You can read the full essay here.
In the essay, George sums up high agency in the form of this question:
You wake up in a third world jail cell. You get one call. Who do you call?
It’s a great question. You start thinking about who in your life is calm under pressure. Who actually gets things done. Who you’d trust to figure it out.
But what if we looked at it a bit differently?
What if you didn’t need to make the call? And how could you possibly turn yourself into the person others would want to call in that situation?
The essay does a great job of creating a framework for people to do just that. When I look at it from a fitness perspective, I believe the Gym Force network of gyms creates an environment where people can start to see their high agency potential manifest through certain physical activities.
When people start off doing something like CrossFit or Jiu Jitsu, there's often a lack of confidence just because of how physically difficult it is. Not only that, many people also struggle with how long it takes to reach certain levels of competence. Then you throw in personal limitations, and the whole thing can seem overwhelming.
But if we take the approach in the article, with the understanding that there are no problems that cannot be solved unless they break the laws of physics, we can now frame it differently and use it to our advantage.
Instead of thinking, How can I possibly get a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu? I’m too old and have bad knees, try instead to take the high agency approach. Know that, like everyone else on the path to blue belt, you’ll have challenges (problems) along the way and you’ll find a way to figure them out.
And when you do figure it out, it changes you. Not just in your skills in the gym, but in other areas both personal and professional. When you encounter overwhelming problems that we all endure at some point, you’ll be able to take the same approach and apply high agency to your personal situation. You’ll be able to do this because you’ll recognize the situation in real time and know how to act accordingly to make things happen.
As the article says, this is where you happen to life instead of life happening to you.
At Gym Force, we will use agency as well. We’ll use it to support our network of gyms and their communities. We’ll also use it to help our small business partners and their employees. The health benefits of regular exercise are obvious and at the heart of our mission. Arming people with the added capability of extreme problem solving gives them a superpower.