From Flabby Copy to Fit Content: 6 Gym Lessons to Boost Your Writing
The more heavy reps I do, the more I see connection between gym and excellent writing.
We all know the struggle: You sit down to write, staring at a blank page like a mountain you must climb.
The words just won’t flow, and blank pages stare at you. If that ever happens to you, stop and go to the gym.
I love going to the gym. So, the other day, while I was trying to break my leg press record, a crazy idea came to my too-busy head: What if your next killer blog post might be hiding amongst the dumbbells?
While lifting weights, ideas often pop out of my head and spread like fire.
Writing ideas.
The more heavy reps I do, the more I see connection between gym and excellent writing.
Here’s how the lessons learned during a sweaty gym session can help you craft better content for your audience:
Lesson 1: Don’t skip basics
You have to put reps. And more reps.
There is no quick fix.
In fitness and writing.
You can’t lift 200 kg on leg press after three days. You wouldn’t expect to be Arnold Schwarzenegger after three gym sessions, wouldn’t you?
You can’t expect to be Steven King after ten medium stories as well.
Building muscle takes time and dedication. The same goes for writing.
Consistent content creation is crucial for
Improving your skills
Building an audience
Establishing yourself as an authority.
Aim for a regular writing schedule, even if it’s just a few minutes a day.
You don't have to publish each day. But I strongly recommend you write every day. You need to keep those creative muscles bulky and oversized.
Actionable tip: Block specific times for writing in your calendar and treat them like essential appointments. Keep writing, even if it’s just a few minutes here and there.
Lesson 2: Push Your Limits ( If you’re in your comfort zone, it’s not good)
We all have our comfort zones in the gym.
But sticking to the same routine for too long plateaus your progress.
And then, we wonder why our cut doesn’t work, or our muscles wouldn’t grow.
The same goes for writing.
Don’t be afraid to:
Experiment with topics and styles
Share your failures and struggles
Try different formats
Actionable Tips:
Break out of your usual content format.
Try to change your point of view (POV).
Try new hooks or templates.
Templatize your previous writing.
Lesson 3: Celebrate Small Wins
If you celebrate a few extra reps or 5 more kilos on the bench, why don’t you celebrate 1000 followers, 100 subscribers, or a spike in engagement?
Celebrate small victories in your writing journey. Capture your progress and keep yourself motivated.
Actionable tip: Reward yourself after completing a writing task or reaching a specific milestone.
Give yourself high-five, you have earned it!
Lesson 4: Refine Your Technique (Form Matters!)
Proper form in every move in the gym will help your progress and prevent nasty injuries.
Improving your writing technique will make your content more impactful.
Focus on:
Clear structure
Strong grammar
Concise wording
Extensive editing
Meticulous proofreading
Actionable tip: Use grammar tools. I’ve been using Grammarly, the Hemingway app, and occasionally QuillBot. Here are five tools that can supercharge your writing style.
Lesson 5: Track Your Progress (Those Gym Progress Pics!)
We all love before-after pictures and all these incredible transformations from flappy belly to six-pack.
But day to day progress might seem invisible.
As taking progress pictures at the gym helps you visualise your transformation, use key metrics to track your day-to-day progress in writing.
Analyse the data to see what’s working and what could be improved.
Actionable Tip: Use analytics tools to track your content performance. Analyse why some content thrived and some flopped. I recommend Neil Patel’s UbberSuggest.
Lesson 7: You need discipline, not motivation
You don’t wait to get inspired to exercise: you get there, warm up and do the heavy shit.
So, what stops you from having the same approach to writing?
Inspiration is overrated — discipline is everything.
“I only write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes at nine every morning.”
William Faulkner
How to keep discipline in writing?
* Write in small chunks
As a busy mum of three children, I’ve never had hours to write.
I don’t wait for the perfect moment to write — I seize every spare minute. Those stolen moments add up.
Actionable tip: Learn how to build a better discipline. A crucial skill for gym, writing and life.
* Create your writing hub
Creating your idea and writing hub will help you never start from scratch.
When an idea strikes, jot down a note. Keep it for later. Let your idea momentum build before you sit in front of the computer.
You don’t need to be motivated or overflowing with ideas. Just chip away at your draft throughout the day, bit by bit.
Once you build your idea bundle, you’ll never start with a blank screen. And that’s so liberating.
Actionable tip: You write down your ideas when you’re full of emotions. Then, when you’re uninspired and feel bland, you can do what it takes to finish the job: edit ruthlessly.
If you need help making your own writing hub, sign up for a waiting list for my Magic Write Hub!
Lesson 8: You can’t cheat
I’ve been living from writing since 2001 and exercising regularly since 2015. And the truth is—no matter what others say—you can’t have shortcuts.
You have to learn and apply what you’ve learned.
Go forward.
Reach a plateau.
Go backwards sometimes ( if you lose your consistency).
You can’t trick your body to build muscles.
You can’t trick your readers into loving your writing if it's not good.
But you can always go step by step, improving each day, enjoying the process, and celebrating your wins.
That progress will transform your body and your mind more than you think.
You’ll become a completely different person.
So, grab your metaphorical writing weights and get ready to create content that truly shines! Use my free advice to get from chaos to clarity.
____________
Hi, I am Angelina, a journalist turned content strategist. I share what I learned at the intersection of content marketing and productivity to help you create more “wallet-opening” content in less time.
Magic Content Hub
If you want to build a writing system, organise your content and build a powerful writing hub, make sure you're on my waitlist for Magic Write Hub, so you get an early bird price :)
Sign up here to hear when I launch my Magic Content hub.
Big hug,
Angelina
Whenever you are ready, I can help you with these things:
📈 Content Marketing Strategy. Schedule a free 30-minute discovery call.
Let's make it happen.
🖋 Hire me to write content for you.
Send email to angelina@marketingfairy.com.au
📘 Done-for-you email marketing - templates, sequences, automation.
Send email to angelina@marketingfairy.com.au