Arthur Ashe Said It Best

I was explaining my strength training philosophy to a friend over lunch, as one does. (She was trapped in a booth with me for an hour, poor thing.) After I waxed ineloquent for a while between bites of steak salad, my friend said, “You sound like Arthur Ashe.” I had a passing familiarity with Ashe, but I didn’t know that he is known for this quote: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

It’s perfect . . . and far more succinct than I was.

Start where you are. You don’t have to lose weight first, or fix your mobility issues, or wait until your knee tweak resolves. In fact, strength training can help spur along other positive changes.

Use what you have. You don’t need special shoes, or fancy equipment, or even a gym membership. Bells and whistles may be nice, but they aren’t necessary.

Do what you can. You don’t need athletic ability, or perfectly functional joints, or hours of extra time. If you can move, you can get stronger.

What you do need to get started is these three things:

1. A minimum of 30 minutes, twice a week.

2. A willingness to push yourself slightly beyond your comfort zone.

3. A little basic knowledge (which you can get from me, of course, or plenty of other sources!).

That’s it. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. Another reason to admire Arthur Ashe.