5 Unexpected Lessons Potty Training Taught Me About Strength Training

Staying consistent with strength training isn’t always straightforward. Progress stalls, motivation dips, and life gets busy. Surprisingly, somehow potty training my toddler taught me lessons that helped me stay consistent with strength training.

1. Everything Is a Skill

Everything is a skill. Literally everything. Pushing down your pants is a skill. Recognizing the feeling of a full bladder is a skill. Deadlifting is a skill. Fitting a workout into your busy schedule is a skill. Not overeating on the weekends is a skill.

Just because you don’t know how to do something doesn’t mean you’re bad at it. It just means you haven’t learned it yet. It will take time and practice. Lots of practice. But you’ll get there.

2. Progress Isn’t Linear

Nothing is linear.

You are going to have great days. There will even be stretches where everything is humming right along. You’ll feel great. Then… disaster. It all comes crashing down. Accidents. Refusal to participate. And sometimes it hits all at once.

The same thing happens with strength training. You might be setting records every week, and then suddenly things slow down, or even reverse. But that doesn’t mean you’ve lost your progress. Don’t get discouraged. Consistency in strength training is built by just keeping going.

3. Quitting Is Tempting (But It Doesn’t Help)

Quitting is easy, but it doesn’t help anyone. It’s always the most enticing option.

I remember one particularly trying day when I called my mom, most likely in a state of desperation and distress. Her advice? “Just put a diaper on him.”

As much as I wanted that to be the right answer, I knew it wasn’t.

Sometimes there’s nothing harder than pushing through challenging moments. But these are the moments that matter most. They build something called self-efficacy, our ability to believe we are capable, and it compounds. Getting through hard times makes us stronger and gives us the confidence to continue down the road.

4. Set Yourself Up for Success

I’m almost a little embarrassed to admit that I didn’t learn this incredibly simple lesson until adulthood. Don’t start when your kid is exhausted. Don’t half-ass it. Take the time to complete a few basic steps that create an environment for success.

The same applies to strength training. If you want to stay consistent, you have to make it easier to succeed. Plan your workouts, give yourself enough time, and commit fully.

5. Words Matter More Than You Think

Words matter. This is one of those literal and figurative lessons.

Kids need clear, specific instructions. We talked a LOT about how poop and pee go in the potty. How we aren’t going to wear diapers anymore. Everything you say builds the framework.

But for me, this is where I really learned to quiet the negative self-talk.

The story you tell yourself about yourself is incredibly important. If you want to stay consistent with strength training, you can’t fill your head with thoughts that work against you.

Strength — whether in parenting or in the gym — is built the same way. It’s often messy (aren’t you glad I didn’t go into detail about some of the potty training messes?), it can be imperfect, but sticking with it makes it worthwhile in the end.

If you’re working on building consistency in your strength training, remember: progress isn’t linear — but it is worth it. And if you need support, we’re here to help.