Orlean Manufacturing: No Quick Fixes, No Fitness Challenges, No Bullsh*t
This is for those who are frustrated, who struggle, who don't know where to look or what to do next. Unfortunately, more people out there need this pep talk, and don't have the person who can do it with them — so please, share this with someone you know needs true, honest guidance. Let's dive in.
Real fitness transformation happens when you stick to one type of training over an extended period of time. As an athlete, I trained year-round for my sport. There was the off-season, pre-season, in-season, and peak season. I always knew where I was at, had specific, measurable protocols to follow, and I didn't constantly switch gears. I knew exactly what I was after.
But these so-called fitness challenges you see out there? They promise grand transformations, but the reality is they aren't sustainable. Why? Because your mind doesn't want to be in "challenge mode" forever. These programs prey on people who are out of shape, making them feel they have no choice but to sign up for something they don't truly understand. They sell you a dream, but they don't give you the real tools to succeed long-term. These gyms and illegitimate trainers aren't your friends — they're taking advantage of you, and they're counting on you being uneducated in fitness to keep you coming back for more.
I had a client once who came to me and admitted that she thought of herself as "lazy." A few months into the program, she still wasn’t stretching regularly and was starting to give up on what it meant to be truly engaged in her fitness. She is a mother of three kids, and I asked her, "If your house was burning down and everyone had to get out, are you lazy?" or "If your kids called you in the middle of the night because they needed help, are you lazy?" In that moment, she realized it wasn’t about being a lazy person — it was about the context of her actions. Context matters in everything, especially in fitness.
Too often, the marketing behind fitness is better than the coaching itself. The truth is, there are so few people who are genuinely equipped to walk the path with you — to help you not just get results but to make lasting change. Instead, they sell you the dream upfront and then let you down when the challenges end and you're left alone, forced to pay more to continue. I get that it’s a business, but in the end, context matters. It’s the same with medical care or education — it's not just the content, but how it's delivered, and the context it is delivered in.
These 30-day, 60-day, and 6-week challenges always end up going nowhere. No one can sustain fake positivity forever. Yes, you may lose a few pounds or feel better for a brief moment — but that’s not real transformation. You might even lie to the person who signed you up (if they’re even there at the end of the challenge), but that doesn’t change the fact that true fitness isn’t built on quick fixes.
What happens most often is that people try to apply "peak performance" training to an active lifestyle. It’s like driving your car as fast as it can go and expecting it to never need gas. Even athletes don’t train at full intensity year-round. Yet, these programs continue to push this unrealistic expectation, only to watch participants burn out. It's like a hamster wheel — and by the time you're done, they're already looking for their next victim.
These challenges are flawed because they don’t take into account seasonality, circumstances, or the psychology of why someone moves. Context matters. They ignore injuries, previous experiences, and basic knowledge of training principles. If you're not an athlete or a peak performance person, you're probably being fooled by people with a textbook understanding of fitness, rather than real-world, immersive experience. It's like the university professor teaching business, but who has never built a business themselves.
Fitness challenges are a quick fix — a band-aid on a deeper wound. They don’t provide a roadmap for sustainable success. And unfortunately, the people drawn to these challenges are often just uneducated — good people who get caught up in the great marketing. That’s the reality.
These programs often prey on your vulnerabilities, digging into motivation "porn" and feeding on your shame to make you believe they have the solution. The truth is, most people don’t have access to someone who really understands fitness and is willing to take the time to explain things in a clear and compassionate way. On some level, they know that most people don’t want to learn deeply, so they exploit short-term thinking, which is something social media companies have perfected.
Challenges create poor thinking patterns. No one wants to train like that forever. That’s the truth. And yet, gyms, influencers, and brands continue to push it for the sake of engagement. There’s so much desperation in the world today, and these companies care more about likes, followers, and vanity metrics than the actual well-being of people. The free tools available today — like social media and business platforms — have led to dishonest marketing campaigns that target your emotions.
A lot of gyms, influencers, and brands profit from this, but they don’t profit in credibility. They know that given how unhealthy our society is, they can always find someone new to exploit. It’s all about money, not care.
The difference between a challenge and a well-designed training plan with a clear, long-term objective is night and day. Imagine your best friend comes to you with a personal issue, and you give them your full attention and care. Now, imagine a stranger comes to you with the same issue, and you only address it based on what you think they need — not considering who they are, their context, or their specific needs. The way you approach these situations is different, right? Context matters. The "who" matters. We live in a cold world, and it’s rare to find someone truly qualified and truly invested in walking the path with you.
If you really want success with your training, fitness, and lifestyle, it starts with education. There are countless ways to stay active, but unfortunately, marketing and cold, impersonal trainers continue to take advantage of people. My best advice? Find someone you trust — and that’s not always easy to do. But trust me, if they’re not willing to walk the path with you, no amount of knowledge will create the right context for success.
If you find yourself constantly jumping from challenge to challenge, trying 30-day programs and feeling like you’re bouncing around without results, ask yourself: "How do I build a lifestyle?" A lifestyle isn’t something you do for a month or a season — it’s something you do for a lifetime. Change your time horizon, and focus on consistency, not just training methods. You’ll see a difference.
If you're looking for a long-term plan to be strong, lean, and healthy, start with the mindset that it’s a part of your everyday life. It’s like brushing your teeth. The key is showing up consistently — that’s the foundation. Don’t worry too much about what exercise or stretch to do. Focus on building the habit of being there, because that’s what will ultimately fix the real issues you need to address.
Building a sustainable lifestyle starts with consistency, education, and the right mindset. Get educated, find the right person to help you, and don’t fall for quick fixes. True transformation takes time, and the path you walk matters. To get clear on what to do next, read my article titled: Orlean Body: The No BS Lean, Fit Guide and dive right in - it will give you the foundational pieces you need to get going.
