Bubba Nicholson

While heavy lifting burns off the ego…Real connection can save your sanity!

Looking at the edits I post from the @epcburlington floor, you’d think it’s solely a place where we hone our focus, lift heavy things, and put them down.

That’s the surface. But on a much deeper level… something critical is happening for me on that gym floor…It’s my Third Space.

We all have home. We all have a workplace. But every single one of us needs that third pillar… a space built on human connection, zero pretense, and real conversation. A place to feel safe….and part of something bigger than ourselves.

Lifting heavy doesn’t just build muscle…It burns off our ego.

Under high physical exertion…Our Prefrontal Cortex…the seat of overthinking, status maintenance, and hyper-vigilance…begins to slow down.

As physical fatigue sets in…the brain simply lacks the cognitive bandwidth to maintain an unbreakable facade.

We don’t ask the mind to drop its guard…The heavy work forces it to.

When you’re physically gassed…you simply can’t hold up that fake armor anymore…

For me… Movement…side-by-side with other men…creates the ultimate safe harbour to drop the act… open up… and talk about the heavy stuff in my life.

I’m blessed to have many strong people in my life who aren’t afraid to let their guard down and have deeply emotional conversations… We work through the hard sh!t together, if you will.

I’ve surrounded myself with other Men who are able to be present in the moment and provide a safe space free of judgment for me to share. (Okay, maybe not totally free of judgment, lol).

When we step on that gym floor… You bet we’re exercising our bodies.

But more importantly… doing the hard $h!t together lowers our defences... It lets us speak honestly and openly about our feelings… navigate relationship struggles… and share the weight across all our shoulders.

If you don’t have a Third Space in your life right now, go build one. Find your people. It might just save your life.

If you have a Third Space…tell me what it is in the comments… I’m always looking for new ways to build community and connect.