Greatness Is Boring (And Why It Works In Fitness)

I saw a commercial the other day about Paul Skenes, a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It wasn’t your typical highlight reel. Instead, it focused on his daily routine — how he prepares, how he trains, and how his teammates talked about the consistency of it all. Same drills. Same warm-up. Same process. Day in and day out. The commercial ended with a simple but powerful line: “Greatness is boring.”

That line stuck with me because it’s true — not just in sports, but in health, fitness, and nutrition, too. So often, we’re on the lookout for the next exciting thing. The newest workout trend, the latest diet, the app that promises to change everything. But the truth is, the things that actually work aren’t flashy. They’re not always fun or new. They’re consistent. They’re grounded in time-tested principles. And yeah — sometimes, they’re boring.

That’s where I think many people struggle. We’re conditioned to chase novelty. If something feels repetitive, we assume it’s not working. But real results come from mastering the basics and applying them over and over again. The flashy stuff might catch your eye, but the fundamentals are what move you forward. There’s a phrase I love that sums it up perfectly: “The principles are few, but the methods are many.”

Alexis and Jenn celebrate their achievement at the Festivus Games, proudly wearing their medals after months of dedicated training.

When you think about your health journey, there are really just a few principles that matter, across three main pillars: fitness, nutrition, and recovery. 

Fitness

1. Train movements, not muscles – Squat, hinge, push, pull, carry. Train your body to do things, not just to look a certain way.

2. Train all facets – Strength, stability, and cardio are all pieces of the puzzle. Don’t neglect one just because it’s not your favorite.

3. Progressive overload – To grow, you need to do a little more over time. More weight, more reps, better form, faster speed. It’s not sexy, but it’s essential.

Nutrition

1. How you eat – Slow down. Eat mindfully. Pay attention to hunger and fullness.

2. What you eat – Prioritize real food. Protein, fiber, veggies, water, carbs.

3. How much you eat – Energy balance matters. You don’t have to count calories forever, but you do need awareness.

Recovery

1. Sleep – Your body can’t recover, grow, or perform without it. Period.

2. Daily stress relief – Walk, journal, breathe, disconnect. Make it part of your rhythm.

3. Monthly cycles – Check in with yourself. Are you on track? Do you need to adjust training, work, life to match your energy?

Now, just because greatness is boring doesn’t mean you have to do the exact same thing every day. There still needs to be growth — that’s what progressive overload is all about. You might do the same workout for two weeks, and then slightly increase the difficulty. You might eat similarly from day to day, but adjust your portions, your timing, or your food choices as your body adapts. The goal is to keep the principle the same, while gradually changing the method.

Take marathon training, for example. You don’t train for 26.2 miles by doing random workouts. You build a foundation — running 20 minutes every other day at the same pace — and then build on that. You increase your time. You add in hills. Maybe some intervals. You’re still running, but you’re changing the method in small, intentional ways. The principle stays rooted in consistent aerobic work. That’s where results come from.

John John proudly showing off his medal for the Urban Cow!

Too often, people fall into the trap of copying someone else’s method without understanding their journey. They see someone lifting heavy or running fast and think, “I should be doing that.” But they don’t see the months — or years — of slow, consistent work it took to get there. They try to skip steps and end up overwhelmed or injured. The real key is to honor the principle, start where you are, and choose methods that challenge you just enough to grow.

So yes — greatness can be boring. Because the principles don’t change. They’re not flashy. They don’t trend on social media. But they work. And the people who master them — who are willing to show up, repeat the basics, and trust the process — are the ones who make real, lasting progress.

If your workouts feel repetitive, your meals are starting to look familiar, and your routine is starting to settle in… that might not be a sign of failure. That might be a sign that you're finally doing what works.

The best part? Once you embrace the boring, life gets a whole lot more exciting — because you feel better, move better, and start to see the results you’ve been chasing. Greatness isn’t found in the extremes. It’s built in the boring.

And if you ever need help staying consistent with the “boring” stuff that actually works — we’re here for you.

Let’s get great — one simple, powerful habit at a time.