I’m a sucker for motivational videos. Whether they’re made up of messages or inspirational music and video clips, they fire me up and get me ready to train. Until the pain starts.
I don’t think any slogan, music, or perfect coaching cue can make you pick up that bar when you’re hurting or start that set of pull-ups when you’re gassed. At some point, this battle goes internal.
External motivation works great for getting us to the gym and priming us for the workout. But these tools disappear fast when you’re facing overhead squats after a brutal 400-meter run, or grinding through thrusters and pull-ups. We’ve all been there. “Never quit!” or “Pain is just weakness leaving the body” sounded powerful a few minutes ago. Once you’re deep in the workout, however, these words feel hollow and powerless. Even the music blasting through the gym can’t push you forward. As CrossFit legend Josh Everett said, “If you need music to motivate you, go find something else to do.”
The truth is, as we develop our skills and learn to truly push in workouts, external motivation can no longer carry us through the suffering. We enter what CrossFit athletes call “that dark place” — you’re nodding knowingly right now — where only internal guts, will, pride, courage, and confidence can drive us forward. George Patton famously said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” He was right. It takes tremendous mental effort and resolve to push through the physical pain of a CrossFit workout done at full intensity. This is one of CrossFit’s most precious gifts: the opportunity to experience and conquer these moments of internal struggle.
The Quiet Professional
The term “quiet professionals” originated in U.S. Special Forces communities to describe how elite operators conduct themselves. According to the definition, quiet professionals are:
“Individuals who demonstrate exceptional competence and dedication in their work, often in demanding or specialized fields, while prioritizing effectiveness and the mission over personal recognition or self-promotion. They are known for their humility, discretion, and focus on achieving results, often working behind the scenes without seeking fanfare.”
I understand that Special Forces operations and CrossFit training exist in radically different environments. But we can learn and develop, to some measure, the traits elite warriors possess through our workouts when we approach these physical tests properly.
The “quiet professional” is who I think of when I see CrossFit athletes prepare for a hard workout. They arrive with butterflies already in their stomachs, excited and nervous about the challenge ahead. They understand that today’s workout is an opportunity to grow in mind, body, and spirit, but there’s also a chance they may fail to meet their own expectations or lack the courage to push through the pain.
The Internal Battle
The workout hour follows a familiar pattern. After greeting friends and coaches and hearing the whiteboard brief, athletes settle in to prepare. Focus shifts to warm-up drills and the upcoming challenge. There’s no outward posturing or rah-rah bluster. Instead, the group goes about its business diligently, marching steadily toward the 3, 2, 1 … go! moment.
It’s difficult to describe how the moments before a workout feel to someone who has never put their heart, soul, and identity on the line in the gym. This is completely different from sitting on a machine, doing a set, then texting between efforts.
Showing up and overcoming the brain’s resistance to pain and challenge is ground won by inches. Sometimes we have it, sometimes we don’t. We learn to practice positive self-talk, summon emotions like pride and courage, develop laser-like focus on technique, and ultimately go on autopilot with our breathing rhythm and rep count propelling us forward.
There is no slogan, no cheer, no motivational video that will help us work harder in these moments. This is an internal battle with ourselves in our own world. The only thing we can rely on is our deep commitment to pouring ourselves into our fitness efforts, our willingness to give our best and let the chips fall where they may, confident that all our work will see us through.
This daily battle is for us, not for anyone else. We’re solely responsible for how it unfolds. That’s the mindset and path of a quiet professional.
About the Author
Stephane Rochet is a Senior Content Writer for CrossFit. He has worked as a Flowmaster on the CrossFit Seminar Staff and has over 15 years of experience as a collegiate/tactical strength and conditioning coach. He is a Certified CrossFit Trainer (CF-L3) and enjoys training athletes in his garage gym.