The gumption test (or: why your 58-year-old should quit barbell squats)

Robert, 58, hates barbell back squats.

Always has. Three months into working with me, still hates them.

I kept programming them. "You just need more practice. Your body will adapt."

I was wrong.

Some things aren't worth the grit. Some things you should just quit.

The question is: how do you know which is which?

The Gumption Test

Performance coach Brad Stulberg offers a decision framework:

"Am I prolonging the inevitable, or am I genuinely curious to figure out what might happen next?"

Gumption = forward momentum + enthusiasm for what you're doing. It's the psychic gasoline that fuels progress.

When gumption runs low, you have two possibilities:

1. Normal fluctuation: Step away, rest, renew. The enthusiasm returns.

2. Consistent absence: You know deep down it's not working. You're just scared to admit it.

The Decision Question

When a 50+ client struggles with an exercise, ask:

"Are you prolonging the inevitable, or are you genuinely curious what happens if you keep trying?"

Prolonging the inevitable:

• They dread the movement

• They've tried for months, still hate it

• No curiosity about improvement

• Just grinding because "they should"

• Body never adapts, enthusiasm never comes

Genuinely curious:

• It's hard, but they want to figure it out

• Small improvements create interest

• "I wonder if I can..."

• Challenge feels worthwhile

• Gumption returns after rest

One requires quitting. One requires grit.

Robert and the Barbell Squat

Robert's pattern:

• Week 1: Struggled, uncomfortable

• Week 4: Still struggling, still uncomfortable

• Week 8: Same struggle, growing resentment

• Week 12: Hates training days with squats

The question: "Are you genuinely curious what happens if you keep working on this?"

His answer: "No. I just want it to be over."

That's prolonging the inevitable.

What I Should Have Done

Instead of: "You just need more practice"

I should have asked: "Do you hate this exercise, or do you hate that it's hard?"

If he hates that it's hard → Keep going, it'll adapt

If he hates the exercise → Quit, find alternatives

Robert hated the exercise. His body didn't want to barbell squat. Never would.

The Pivot

Dropped barbell back squats entirely.

Tried goblet squats. His body liked them immediately.

Added Bulgarian split squats. He found them challenging but interesting.

Leg press. Spanish squats. Step-ups.

Within 2 weeks: Enthusiasm returned. Training became something he looked forward to instead of dreaded.

Same outcome (stronger legs, better movement capacity).

Different path (movements his body actually wanted to do).

The Progression: Quit → Fit → Grit

Stulberg's framework:

Phase 1: Quit

• Try many things

• Quit what doesn't resonate

• This is exploration, not failure

Phase 2: Fit

• Find activities where there's natural draw despite difficulty

• Your body wants to do this, even though it's hard

• Curiosity about improvement

Phase 3: Grit

• Once you have fit, commit for the long haul

• Grind through adaptation periods

• Because the gumption is there

The mistake: Trying to grit through something that will never fit.

Stulberg's Personal Example

He spent 10 years trying to break a 3-hour marathon.

Got to 3:01. Constant injuries. Always felt like he was starving himself to maintain race weight.

Finally quit at age 30.

Tried strength training. His body adapted immediately. "This is what my body really wants to do."

He didn't fail at running. He explored it, found it wasn't his fit, and moved on to what was.

"I still grew a lot as a runner, I love runners, I'm still part of the running community—but then I quit and moved on to the next thing and found something I'm just much better at."

The 50+ Application

Your 50+ clients have decades of "no pain, no gain" messaging.

They've been taught that quitting = weakness. That grit = virtue.

Your job: Give them permission to quit things that don't fit.

A 52-year-old who hates running but forces herself through it three times a week because "cardio is important"?

That's prolonging the inevitable.

Ask: "Are you genuinely curious what happens if you keep running, or are you just grinding because you think you should?"

If it's grinding → Quit running. Try rowing. Swimming. Cycling. Hiking. Dancing.

Find the movement pattern her body actually wants.

The Coaching Application

When a client hates an exercise:

Step 1: The Gumption Test

"Are you prolonging the inevitable, or are you genuinely curious what happens if you keep trying?"

Step 2: If prolonging inevitable → Quit, find alternatives

• Hates barbell squats → Goblet squats, leg press, split squats, step-ups

• Hates deadlifts → Trap bar deadlifts, RDLs, kettlebell swings

• Hates running → Rowing, cycling, swimming, incline walking

Step 3: If genuinely curious → Grit through adaptation

• They're interested in improvement

• Small wins create momentum

• Challenge feels worthwhile

• Keep going, trust the process

The Examples

Linda, 61: Hated goblet squats initially. But she was curious. "I wonder if I can get lower." Kept trying. Week 6, something clicked. Now it's her favorite movement.

→ Genuinely curious = Grit through

Michael, 55: Hated burpees. Week 1, week 8, week 12—still hated them. No curiosity. Just suffering. Dropped them. Added kettlebell swings instead. Loves them.

→ Prolonging inevitable = Quit, pivot

Same principle. Different outcomes based on gumption.

The Permission

You don't have to make your 50+ clients do exercises they hate.

You're not their drill sergeant. You're their guide.

If they hate barbell squats, they can goblet squat.

If they hate running, they can row.

If they hate burpees, they literally never have to do another burpee in their life.

Same outcomes available through different paths.

Find the path their body wants to take.

The Question to Ask Yourself

Are you programming exercises because they're the "best" option?

Or because they're the best option for this specific body, at this specific age, with this specific movement history?

Barbell back squats might be optimal for a 25-year-old athlete.

For a 58-year-old who hates them and whose body rejects them?

Goblet squats are better. Because he'll actually do them. With enthusiasm. For years.

The Bottom Line

Quit → Fit → Grit

Try things. Quit what doesn't resonate. Find what creates natural curiosity despite difficulty. Then commit for the long haul.

The gumption test: "Am I prolonging the inevitable, or am I genuinely curious?"

If prolonging inevitable → Quit, find alternatives
If genuinely curious → Grit through adaptation

Your 50+ clients don't need to suffer through exercises their bodies hate.

They need to find the movements their bodies want to do.

That's not weakness. That's wisdom.

Paul

P.S. This decision framework, when to push through vs when to pivot, applies to business too. Coaches grinding through strategies that create no gumption should quit and find approaches that create genuine curiosity. If you're prolonging the inevitable in your business, The Legends Cohort might be the pivot you need. Next cohort TBD - reply "waitlist" if interested.