Michael: "The Heaviest Lift"

The Spark Plug | Episode 3: Michael: "The Heaviest Lift"When you think of a fitness coach, you think of someone who pushes people to move physical weight or crush high-intensity intervals. But what happens when the heaviest thing you have to lift all day is just your own head off the pillow in the morning?In this episode of The Spark Plug, we sit down with remote strength and functional movement coach Michael for an incredibly fun, fast-paced conversation that uncovers the unfiltered reality of the fitness industry. We skip the generic social media "grindset" talk to expose a universal truth: even the elite professionals don't always love the early mornings—they just know how to engineer a system to survive them.We laughed a lot in this session (and argued about who is the better liar), but we also dug deep into the unique psychology of being an instructor. We break down the massive responsibility of lifting others up, why knowledge without action is entirely powerless, and how to build a collaborative environment where you can always pivot to "find the yes."We dive deep into:The Pillow Protocol: Why the first five minutes of the day is a mental battleground, and how caffeine, anxiety, and bills are sometimes the ultimate baseline motivators.Lifting the Lifters: An honest look at the emotional output it takes to coach, the power of a "sticker chart" dopamine hit, and why a coach's job is to leave a positive imprint on the room.The Deload Strategy: How to intentionally scale back your execution without completely shutting down your momentum when life throws a wall in your way.Whether you are an instructor trying to pour into your community without running dry, or someone just struggling to throw off the covers and start your day, this episode is packed with the perfect blend of humor, science, and human perspective.Serious goals. Train Smarter.⚡ Connect with Michael:Follow Michael on Instagram: @ michaeledwardkeeney⚡ Connect with VitalSpark:Host Instagram: @VKNG_BradfordOfficial Instagram: @vitalsparkio