the gym is fair, life is not.

my perpetual happiness machine, the “park crusher” work-out, and breaking through our own BS.

Author

Morgan Tate
February 28, 2025

As children we’re told, “life isn’t fair.”

For a long time, this became my ethos. While at times this mantra helped, it also made me cynical. I started to believe a false dichotomy—that the outcomes in life are disconnected from our actions.

This cynicism peaked in the 9th grade. I was experiencing what poker players call a "shit hand."

  • I was a solid 5 feet tall… actually probably more like 4'11"

  • I was under 100 pounds

  • I discovered I was Celiac and I could never eat bread (or most delicious things) again

  • This is the best one – despite being smaller than some people’s dogs, I had comically large size 13 feet.

A picture is really worth a thousand words:

I was smaller than all the boys my age and most of the girls. While most of my friends were having their first dates, girls were saying I was "cute"—but not in a good way.

Not only did I look like the human equivalent to a capital L - I felt like one too.

But there was a turning point. At some point in my 1st year of High School I got fed up with the ‘life isn’t fair’ bullshit. My cynicism had mutated into a Napoleon-sized chip on my shoulder. This chip fuelled a desire to get bigger, stronger, faster, and more confident. I started working out and drinking these disgusting “hemp” protein shakes that I mixed with orange juice to cover up the taste (it was the only protein powder my dad could find at the grocery store lol).

The more I worked out, the more results I started to see. I then had a life-changing realization.

The gym is fair, life is not.

Unlike most relationships, the gym reciprocates the energy you give it. The gym became my perpetual happiness machine. To this day, the more I go = the happier I am.

This feedback loop has fuelled my workouts for the past 2 decades. Compounding habits have exponential returns:

Eventually, I adopted the identity of being a fit person. This is one of the leading reasons of how people maintain fitness.

Read the rest of my founder fitness journey on my site here.

idea of the week 💡

  • problem: consumers are increasingly concerned about microplastics in products but have no easy way to identify which items contain these harmful particles. Researching this is a pain in the ass - product labels are misleading (what the hell is Rayon).

  • idea: a mobile app that scans product barcodes or URLs and instantly provides a "Plastic Risk Score." The app would leverage AI to analyze ingredient lists, manufacturer data, and crowdsourced information to rate products based on their microplastic content and potential health impact.

  • how it makes money: freemium model with basic scans available to all users. Premium subscription offers unlimited scans, detailed reports, alternative product suggestions, and a personalized dashboard tracking your plastic exposure. Additional revenue from partnering with eco-friendly brands for sponsored placements of alternative products. This should work, as a similar business was built by allowing people to review the quality of their local water source, then suggesting water filters to help them fix the problem.

  • why it might fail: microplastics are not a ‘mass market’ problem yet - so you’re really betting on the trend of fearing microplastics continuing to grow. If this trend is overhyped your market is limited.

friday fitness

Try these workouts out this weekend.

at-home workout:

For time (12-minute cap):

  • 50 jumping jacks

  • 40 air squats

  • 30 mountain climbers (each leg)

  • 20 push-ups

  • 10 burpees

Rest 2 minutes, then repeat

gym workout

As Many Rounds as Possible (AMRAP) in 15 minutes:

  • 5 deadlifts (moderate weight)

  • 10 box jumps

  • 15 kettlebell swings

  • 40 jump rope single jumps

outdoor workout

"The Park Crusher":

  • Run 800m

  • 50 air squats

  • 30 push-ups

  • Run 400m

  • 25 walking lunges (each leg)

  • 15 burpees

  • Run 200m sprint to finish

tweet of the week

This one is going to trigger a few people but it’s 100% true 👀

Hear this type of stuff a lot - in my most recent article I talk about the importance of breaking through your own BS - just like Dan is pointing out here.

my plugs

every second counts