Chase Discomfort: The Key to Unlocking Your True Potential
By Jeff Moulton, Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Coach
Over the years, my coaching philosophy has evolved dramatically. I used to believe success as a coach was all about creating the perfect training and nutrition plans. But I’ve learned that true success lies in setting my clients up for victories, both big and small and ones that they can fully commit to. It's about behavior change, mental resilience, and empowering clients to believe they are capable of achieving their goals. This mindset shift has been transformative for both me and my clients. And it’s rooted in one simple, but powerful, idea: Chase discomfort.
The Psychology of Coaching
Coaching is more than just telling someone how to eat or exercise. It's about understanding the psychology behind behavior and creating strategies that help people thrive both physically and mentally. It's my job to not only set my clients up for success but also teach them how to embrace challenges. Pushing past limits builds mental toughness, resilience, discipline, and the ability to handle adversity.
I believe that the best way to learn who you truly are is through discomfort. When you push your physical boundaries, you also strengthen your mind. This approach has become the cornerstone of how I coach my clients and how I live my life.
My Journey of Chasing Discomfort
Growing up, I loved sports, especially baseball. I was good at it until high school, where things began to fall apart. Injuries played a role, but it was my lack of confidence that really held me back. I didn’t believe I was as good as the other players and didn’t push myself beyond the regular practices. I let my self-doubt win.
Then, at 19, I discovered weightlifting. For the first time, I had full control over my progress. If I put in the work and ate right, my body changed for the better. It built my confidence in a way nothing else had before. Eventually, I decided to compete in a men’s physique competition. I trained hard, dieted down, felt ready, but things didn’t go as planned. I placed dead last. It crushed me mentally, and I felt embarrassed to even talk about it.
But I didn’t quit. I learned from that experience, and after four years of hard work and rebuilding my confidence, I decided to step on stage again, this time as a natural bodybuilder. My goal wasn’t to win but to improve. And guess what? I won my class and came in second out of 27 competitors. A year later, I won the show and earned my pro card as a WNBF Pro Natural Bodybuilder.
This was a pivotal moment for me, both as an athlete and as a coach. I had faced adversity, overcome embarrassment, and rebuilt my confidence through hard work and persistence. That experience shaped how I coach my clients today, helping them push past their own setbacks to find success.
Moving Beyond the Gym: Spartan Races and Endurance Challenges
After my bodybuilding journey, I went through a tough period. Injuries kept me from training the way I wanted, and I felt lost without a clear goal. It was during this time that I earned my degrees and certifications, built my career, and started dating my now wife Bri. But I needed a new challenge, something that pushed me physically and mentally in a different way. That’s when I turned to running.
I’ve never been a runner, but I decided to sign up for a half marathon on just 11 weeks’ notice. The race was brutal. My body hated me, and mentally, I was wrecked. But just like with my first bodybuilding show, I didn’t quit. Four years later, I signed up for a Spartan Beast, a race that combined running with strength challenges. I loved it. I trained harder and smarter and returned the next year to beat my previous time.
From there, I set my sights on the Spartan Ultra, a 30-mile race with 60 obstacles. Despite setbacks, I trained relentlessly and finished the hardest race of my life. But I wasn’t done yet. Just four weeks after that, I competed in World’s Toughest Mudder, a 24-hour endurance race with obstacles. I finished 60 miles and placed in the top 10%. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but it cemented my belief in chasing discomfort.
Bringing It All Together: My Coaching Philosophy
This journey, both in bodybuilding and endurance racing has shaped my entire approach to coaching. I don’t just help my clients build muscle or lose fat. I teach them how to grow mentally by facing challenges and pushing past their perceived limits. I believe in helping people build confidence, resilience, and the mindset to take on any challenge that comes their way.
Fitness, to me, is a way to learn about yourself. When you push through discomfort, whether it’s lifting weights, running races, or just sticking to your goals when things get hard, you unlock your true potential. This is what I teach my clients every day. I want them to see that they are capable of achieving anything if they are willing to put in the work, embrace discomfort, and push through the tough moments.
And that’s what I’ll be doing as I prepare for my next challenge: competing again at World’s Toughest Mudder, with the goal of completing 80 miles. It won’t be easy, but I know that chasing discomfort is what will get me to the finish line and beyond.
