Grit and Gumption: Strength That Shows Up Anyway

I had a meeting this week with the business manager of a local strength training gym. They are collaborating with The Black Polish Society on a line that will be releasing in early February. We were discussing how to write copy that “fits” their brand image without diluting BPS’s brand image. Think walking someone’s grandma into a heavy metal concert and wanting grandma to feel at home. The line was initially supposed to be called the “COMFY HARD.” Phrases like “LIFT HEAVY OR GO HOME” and “NO GUTS, NO GLORY” are displayed on t-shirts with fists and heavy barbells. The gym specializes in the health of women over 50 and individuals with injuries that require training and rehabilitation. Needless to say, not the people you thought of as I was telling you about this gym-bro line of apparel.

So we ran a little test. I sent out a survey to a portion of their members asking them to rank the shirt slogans for my upcoming campaign. The results were interesting to read. Two slogans outperformed the other 24 by a landslide.

You Never Lose If You Never Quit
Strength Over Motivation

Now I already knew what kind of baddies were working out at this gym, but I had questioned whether “You never lose if you never quit” would resonate with demographics beyond myself. The survey provided insight into the mindsets these folks carry through their days. These people show up when they’re tired, when they don’t feel like working out, when the bed is warm, the hour is early, and the outside is bitterly cold. The interesting part? If you showed up to a group class, you would never know some of them didn’t feel like being there. You would walk in, and everyone would be laughing, giggling, or catching up with a member they hadn’t seen in a few days. These women would then bust out a free weights class like they were tying their shoes. It’s the kind of place where you walk in for the services but stay for the people.

I will never forget walking into my first deadlift class and seeing Deb, with her perfectly styled hair, lifting belt adorned with flames and rhinestones, deadlifting without even breaking a sweat. I could barely get the minimum lift off the ground that night as she busted out sets of five, one after another, while chit-chatting. Then I met Rhonda. I don’t know Rhonda’s coefficient, but I know she can deadlift almost double her body weight. I know she has to be very ill to miss a practice. I felt like I had “arrived” at the practice when the coaches assigned me to work with Rhonda on her barbell.

Coefficient
In strength sports, a coefficient is a scoring calculation that compares the amount of weight lifted relative to a lifter’s body weight. It’s used to measure strength fairly across different body sizes.

I could go on and on about the inspirational people I’ve had the pleasure of working out with, but instead, I’m going to dedicate this next line to them.

In early February, The Black Polish Society will launch Grit and Gumption, an activewear line that showcases the people and attitudes I’m working to embody.