It really wasn’t that long ago when fitness culture was defined by metrics that only told part of the story.
How many calories did you burn? How much fat did you lose? How long could you survive the next challenge you went on?
That version of fitness was loud, individualistic, and often lonely. I should know, it is where I came from.
And unfortunately, to some, this kind of fitness industry is still around, and they enjoy it.
However, it is essential to know that this is a culture of obsession with quick fixes, Instagram photos, and temporary motivation. If the last few years have shown us anything extraordinary, it is that, since 2008 and beyond, there has been a shift from image to connection.
People no longer want to “work out.” They want to belong!
And at the heart of that change lies one powerful truth. You are the average of the five people you hang around the most!
Social science has been telling us this for years. It is in all the self-help books you read, posts you see and information worth consuming around happiness that the company we keep shapes our habits, emotions, and sense of purpose.
Study after study has found that people with strong peer support are significantly more consistent in maintaining exercise habits than those who do it alone. These relationships, both inside and outside the gym, have the power not only to motivate us but also to protect us from burnout, anxiety, and self-doubt.
In the simplest human terms, when we’re surrounded by people who lift us up, hear our voices, and push us along, we rise to the occasion. In slang terms, we swim.
When we’re around people who quit, complain, or make excuses, we sink.
A lot of people try to do this fitness thing on their own.
Unfortunately, if you’re hanging out with just yourself (and the four personalities you carry around), or worse, people who drain your energy, make excuses, or keep you stuck where you are. In that case, it becomes tough to grow into the person you dream of being and are capable of becoming.
No one thrives in isolation; progress doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it happens in connection.
When we started VSC in 2018, our focus was simple! Build a world-class strength and conditioning facility for the South West that everyone, including us, would want to train in.
Back then, it was all about barbells, complex and intense programming, and performance. And while that foundation was solid, we learnt it is only part of the picture.
Over the years, and especially in the last twelve months, we’ve realised that what truly transforms people isn’t just the training itself… It’s the environment in which they train.
It’s the people beside you who cheer for your first pull-up.
It’s the coach who notices when you’re off your game and checks in.
It’s the conversations between sets, the high-fives after the workout, the shared struggle that make the sweat mean something.
It’s about giving back, rather than taking more!
That’s what community looks like.
And that’s what VSC has evolved into: a place where connection fuels consistency, and consistency fuels growth.
Because while fitness may start with you, it’s sustained by the power of us.
I wanted to write this blog because if I were to admit to myself that I have always been great at this, I would be lying! In fact, more than ever before, my confidence has decreased as my competence has increased as a coach, a leader and the person people rely on.
Especially over the last 12 months, VSC has evolved beyond being just a place to train. We’ve become a community that listens, understands, and supports each person’s journey, wherever they’re starting from.
It wasn’t always that way. Empathy has never been a strong point of mine. However, now we have a team that is so well-rounded in personalities, capabilities and their own strengths, it is hard not to make that the priority for our community and facility.
We’ve seen firsthand that fitness without empathy is empty. That a world-class barbell means nothing if the person holding it feels unseen.
In the Strength and Conditioning scene, this is not hard to do, and an easy trap to fall into, and we can safely say we have worked hard to get ourselves out of this hole and into the space where people feel the electricity of inclusion when they train at VSC.
As time has progressed, it isn’t hard to see that the gym floor used to be where workouts happened. Now, it’s where friendships are formed, lives are changed, and families are built. Members, athletes, they don’t just share equipment; they share life! Coffee catch-ups after class, cheering each other through events, checking in when someone’s missed a week.
This connection is no accident; it’s been built intentionally. Every event, every message, every team competition or workout, every early morning, and late arvo smile, they’re all bricks in the wall of something far greater than personal reps or results.
We have become empathetic, lovers, and community builders, learning that the environment we create shapes the people we become.
At VSC, we hope you will find people who believe in doing the work, not just physically, but personally.
People who aren’t afraid of hard conversations, self-improvement, or faith-driven purpose.
People who want more than average. They want extraordinary.
Let’s make sure we see change in our fitness environments, and that it’s not about fitting in; it’s about becoming more.
When you find the right people, fitness stops being a chore. It becomes a catalyst.
You start to:
- Train harder because others believe in you.
- Feel better because laughter lives between sets.
- Grow stronger because accountability is built into the culture.
The secret ingredient had become Community.
And it’s the reason so many people walk into VSC looking for fitness, but stay because they’ve found people who understand them.
So maybe the goal isn’t to lose 5kg or complete the next challenge.
Maybe the real measure of success is waking up excited to train.
To share a workout with people who push you, encourage you, and remind you of who you’re becoming?
Maybe it’s laughing through a tough set.
Or seeing a classmate hit a personal best.
Or realising that your mental health feels lighter, your energy brighter, your heart fuller, simply because you belong somewhere that brings out your best.
If you had told me this version of the VSC story seven years ago, especially the evolution we have made over the last twelve months, I wouldn’t have believed it.
However, it is real, and it proves one thing: Fitness is evolving.
It’s no longer just about the body. It’s about belonging.
That the future is not just about building stronger, leaner, faster athletes (although that is still part of it!), we are building stronger people.
We’re not chasing perfection! We’re cultivating extraordinary.
So if you’re reading this and still stuck on counting calories, focus on the scales and short-term challenges; it is time to see what this new era of fitness feels like.
Because at Vasse Strength & Conditioning, it’s not just about how much weight you lift… How fast you are at it… Or what you look like while you do it! It’s about who’s standing beside you when you execute.
And if you are already here nodding your head, screaming yes into your phone screen, I’m glad you are with us and have evolved to because the time has come.
Get up. Get after it. BECOME EXTRAORDINARY!