September 2, 2026
Begin Badly
Starting clumsily is still starting. The alternative is not starting at all.
Begin Badly
If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid with regard to external things.
— Epictetus, Enchiridion 13
Nobody's first air squat looks good. Nobody's first snatch looks like anything but a shrug and a prayer. Epictetus knew that looking competent and becoming competent pull in opposite directions early on, and you have to pick one.
The people who improve fastest in this gym are the ones who stopped protecting their dignity in month one. They ask the dumb question. They drop to the empty bar in front of everyone. That willingness is the whole skill.
Today's challenge: Do one movement today at a scale that feels embarrassingly easy, and do it perfectly.