The gym is fair, life is not.
As children we’re told, “life isn’t fair.”
For a long time, this became my ethos. While at times this mantra helped, it also made me cynical. I started to believe a false dichotomy—that the outcomes in life are disconnected from our actions.
This cynicism peaked in the 9th grade. I was experiencing what poker players call a "shit hand."
I was a solid 5 feet tall… actually probably more like 4'11"
I was under 100 pounds
I discovered I was Celiac and I could never eat bread (or most delicious things) again
This is the best one – despite being smaller than some people’s dogs, I had comically large size 13 feet.
A picture is really worth a thousand words:
I was smaller than all the boys my age and most of the girls. While most of my friends were having their first dates, girls were saying I was "cute"—but not in a good way.
Not only did I look like the human equivalent to a capital L - I felt like one too.
But there was a turning point. At some point in my 1st year of High School I got fed up with the ‘life isn’t fair’ bullshit. My cynicism had mutated into a Napoleon-sized chip on my shoulder. This chip fuelled a desire to get bigger, stronger, faster, and more confident. I started working out and drinking these disgusting “hemp” protein shakes that I mixed with orange juice to cover up the taste (it was the only protein powder my dad could find at the grocery store lol).
The more I worked out, the more results I started to see. I then had a life-changing realization.
The gym is fair, life is not.
Unlike most relationships, the gym reciprocates the energy you give it. The gym became my perpetual happiness machine. To this day, the more I go = the happier I am.
This feedback loop has fuelled my workouts for the past 2 decades. Compounding habits have exponential returns:
Eventually, I adopted the identity of being a fit person. This is one of the leading reasons of how people maintain fitness.
For those who are at the start of their fitness journey, congratulations. Working out is the keystone to founder fitness. It leads to better sleep, more energy, improved long-term health, and positive habits.
Below is my story and how I continue to maintain founder fitness in my life.
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my fitness journey
Thankfully, I had a fitness junkie dad who taught me how to lift weights. I then took a certification class at a local rec center so I could work out as a 13-year-old without a parent.
I began devouring any information I could find online about working out (most of which was on bodybuilding.com forums). I started following early YouTubers in the fitness space and would get excited to put their teachings into practice at the gym.
In University I started building my own meal plans and programs for me and my friends. One of them, titled ‘Meat Birdz’ lol helped my friend and I gain 20 lbs of muscle over the Summer.
I am proud to share that I am even fitter today than I was when I was playing varsity rugby, despite being far busier as an entrepreneur.
Here’s how I did it:
breaking through your own BS
The biggest thing standing between you and founder fitness is yourself.
Most entrepreneurs are both:
Great at selling
Delusional - to the point of killing our own start-ups
As a result, we are great at selling ourselves to our own detriment - like saying we don’t have time to workout. I’ve been there and let me tell you - skipping workouts and sleep did not improve the success of my start-up. It just terminated my productivity.
The most successful founders recognize these excuses as what they are - fear and resistance to change. The counterintuitive reality is that your startup benefits when you ‘step away’ to build your mental and physical edge.
embrace the endorphin high for founder fitness
Let's talk about becoming an endorphin junkie (in the best way possible) as a busy entrepreneur. That amazing feeling after crushing a workout? It's your brain's natural reward system. For founders operating under constant pressure, this post-workout high isn't just nice—it's essential mental fuel.
Here's my entrepreneur hack: when you're buried in emails, your calendar packed with meetings, and that little voice says "skip the gym today," remember how good you'll feel afterward. Think of it as a high-ROI investment in your mental clarity. The 45 minutes you "sacrifice" will return hours of improved focus and decision-making. It's scheduling a productivity booster with your future self.
figure out what works for you
Here’s the thing - don’t get too stuck on the method of working out. The internet makes it sound like you need to adopt the daily lifestyle of an Olympian to get results, this is false.
Instead, focus on finding a medium of exercises that works best for you. For some this is traditional bodybuilding/lifting, others it’s pilates, or CrossFit, or Hyrox... the options are endless.
My challenge? Try mixing it up. If you love bodybuilding, mix in some cardio. If you love yoga, add weightlifting. Find the counter-balance to your preferred workout method.
creating systems for founder fitness
As entrepreneurs, we obsess over systems for our businesses. Why not apply the same thinking to fitness? I've found that reducing friction is essential for busy founders. This means gym clothes ready the night before, scheduling work-outs in the morning, and have a ‘cheat sheet’ of short 10 to 20 minute workouts you can do at home (here’s 6 of them).
Remember, consistency beats intensity. A 20-minute focused workout three times weekly will serve your founder journey better than an occasional two-hour gym marathon when you "find time."
Working out is a lot like compound interest—the magic is in its time value.
time to get started
Founder fitness is about progress, not perfection. Build your resilience daily, celebrating both intense workouts and quick sessions as wins. Remember: the gym remains fair while life stays unpredictable.
Over the years I’ve found the easiest way to get over a mind-numbing client, difficult employee, or lost deal is to blow off steam at the gym.
I’ve also learned that consistent effort compounds. This is true in both business and fitness.
Every second counts.