June 2025 Edition

In this Topic

• Introduction: My Own Personal Struggles as an Athlete
• 5 Main Reasons Why Looks Don't Matter
• Shifting Gears: Your Action Plan
• Ready to Make the Shift?

From the moment I first started exercising, my main focus was on how I looked rather than how I felt. You may be surprised but before, I dreaded going to the gym because I was doing everything I could to work off the 'fat' I hated having on my body. My workouts started with zero warm-ups, cardio came before lifting weights, and I’d feel guilty about eating big meals after taxing workouts because I believed that eating less would help me lose fat quicker. Looking back now, it makes complete sense why I dreaded it—it was absolute torture.

Today as an athlete who values performance—whether it's for my next run, my next dance class, or to show up prepared for my clients—I train not for how I look, but for how well I can perform in each area.

In this week's newsletter, I wanted to share why looks truly don't matter, how to shift your perspective toward an athlete’s mindset, and the positive results that come with it.

5 Main Reasons Why Looks Don't Matter

Here's why performance is more crucial than your physique:

Performance creates motivation that lasts for a lifetime. Appearance goals are finite and frustrating. Ever heard of the 'morning skinny'? That shit's real because once you eat a meal, that morning skinny won't stay for very long. On the other hand, with performance goals being the main emphasis, there's always a faster time you can beat, a new personal record that you can lift, or a new dance style to master.

Your body becomes your temple. Seeing your body as something you have to tend to and care for rather than for looks, you develop appreciation instead of self-criticism. This shift from adversarial to collaborative transforms your entire relationship with fitness & self-image.

Relatable benefits that matter. Performance training translates directly to lifestyle improvement. Having this strength helps you with daily tasks such as taking the stairs effortlessly or carrying heavy things all on your own.

Mental resilience and confidence transfer. Achieving performance goals builds mental toughness that extends beyond the gym. When you accomplish something you once thought impossible, you develop confidence to overcome obstacles in all areas of life.

Sustainable health from the inside out. It's what's on the inside that counts. Performance-focused training naturally promotes holistic, comprehensive health—healthier heart, greater bone density, improved mobility. This creates vitality that enhances every aspect of your life, where eventually your appearance will be just a nice plus/cherry on the top!

Shifting Gears: Your Action Plan

The transition from physique to performance focus doesn't happen overnight, but these strategies can help speed up the process:

STEP 1 –– Set performance goals that excite you. Choose objectives that make you curious about showing your true potential rather than being super critical of your current state. Whether that's completing your first half or full marathon, attempting to master a new exercise for dance, or improving in a dance style, pick goals that propel you forward rather than goals that hinder you or make you feel like you're not good enough.

STEP 2 –– Track what matters. Replace appearance-focused metrics with performance indicators. Instead of looking at the numbers on the scale, track your running pace, lifting numbers, flexibility improvements, or energy levels throughout the day. Document achievements that showcase your body's growing capabilities and progress.

STEP 3 –– Celebrate functional victories. Notice & acknowledge when your training pays off in daily life. Being able to perform longer and well with little fatigue during dance class or practice, running long runs like they ain't nothing to you, or still having energy after work to be able to show up to the gym. These moments help reinforce that your fitness serves a greater purpose beyond your appearance.

STEP 4 –– Find your movement. Not everyone is meant to be a runner or a dancer. Experiment with different activities until you find something that you genuinely gravitate towards. Rock climbing, martial arts, swimming, cycling—the best performance goal is one that doesn't feel like a punishment.

By following these 4 actionable steps, you'll eventually see fitness in a completely different view but all in the hopes of seeing long lasting change from the inside out.

Ready to Make the Shift?

Shifting gears may be a major challenge and I believe that having someone, such as a coach, can support your transformation.

With that being said, I'm currently accepting ' 5 ' new clients for my 12-week 'Performance-First' Coaching Program, designed specifically for dancers and hybrid athletes ready to break free from appearance-focused fitness and discover what their bodies are truly capable of achieving.

What's Included:

• Personalized performance goal setting and planning
• Progressive training programs tailored to your objectives
• Weekly check-ins focused on capability rather than appearance
• Mindset coaching to support the mental shift
• Access to our supportive community of performance-focused athletes via Levels Training Community Channel

[Schedule your complimentary call here] - We'll discuss your goals, assess where you are now, and create a game plan for discovering what your body can accomplish when you approach it like it's a beautiful mechanism that it was designed to be.

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