That number will continue to climb as the naive consume the highlight reels, thinking this game is about working out & social media clout.
“The upcoming generation of fitness professionals are watching highlight reels on IG, thinking, ‘this looks easy & awesome!’
And that’s why the overwhelming majority fail.
It’s not ‘likes’.
It’s tens of thousands of hours working in the dark, with nobody clapping for you.”
-Ray Zingler on X
Long before “Zingler Strength” was an account on social media, I, Ray Zingler, a regular dude, from a regular town with no special talents or trust funds, was chiseling away in a dungy basement, trying to turn my passion into my profession.
In the early days, the alarm clock went off around 4am, and I usually wouldn’t wrap up a day until the PM hours had 2 digits.
9-5? Nah, I was working 5-10, and many times, much later than that.
I remember servicing clients and trying to set 5 minute windows in between appointments so that I could quickly guzzle down a protein shake or inhale cold chicken and rice, in the bathroom before moving on to my next client.
I always remembered to wipe my mustache, but many times, my clients would catch a grain of rice or 2 in my beard.
It was every hour on the hour, like this for 2 wee… 7 years.
For 7 years, I worked 80-100 hour weeks.
I was working hands on, in person with clients, no less than 350 calendar days per year.
Several of those years the days spent working in person, were over 360.
And of course, if I wasn’t working in the business, you bet your ass, I was working ON the business.
Sorry mom, I won’t make it to Thanksgiving.
And don’t you know, Jewish students are more than excited to train on Christmas.
While I don’t wear this “Grind Mode” I lived in for close to a decade as a badge of honor and I am fortunate to have been able to evolve from what would have inevitably led to my burn out on, I did learn a lot about what it takes.
I had your “10,000 hours” smoked in less than 3 years.
I put my time in.
I learned.
I evolved.
I bootstrapped and built the business.
And despite hating aspects of that excruciatingly tough part of my journey, it made me.
Over 80% of people who get into this space fail.
And it’s because they think it’s about “working out” and “social clout”.
Nope.
It’s about selflessness and service.
And you’d better lace up your boots tight because it’s not nearly as pretty as you’d think.
