Since Strength Consortium Cooperative made its debut on social media last week, we’ve had a growing number of people show interest in our movement. If you’re one of those people, thank you for your interest! While we’ve provided a little bit of insight into what we’re all about, you may still be curious. In order to explain our philosophy, let’s start by breaking down the component parts of our name.

STRENGTH. While the word “strength” seems fairly straightforward, it has many layers beyond the basic definition. Strength comes in many forms. In the physical sense, strength is how much force or pressure one can endure, but being “strong” is a matter of context. Can you lift heavy weight? Run an ultra marathon? Hold a plank for several minutes? You’re strong! Each of these types of physical strength is different, but impressive in its own way.

In addition to physical strength, mental strength is a quality that can be developed. Arguably, mental fortitude is even more important than physical strength in all aspects of life, and this includes consistency and perseverance in the gym. Think about what it takes to achieve your goals. Positive change can be agonizingly slow. There are times when you will be inclined to say to yourself, “Really, this is all I can lift!?” or “I’ve only increased my bench press by this much?! I might as well just quit!” [We admit we’ve been here too!] These feelings are amplified when your progress temporarily stagnates. However, that’s the nature of the human body; we are not machines. Our physical capabilities have ebbs and flows and that can be frustrating, but having the strength to grind through this adversity is what differentiates those who reach their goals from those who don’t.

At Strength Consortium Cooperative, we teach people how to realize their strength physically AND mentally. Training is about so much more than just occasionally showing up and going through the motions. It’s deciding each day that you want to do what’s best for you — even if that means making sacrifices or getting in a workout when it’s the last thing you want to do. It’s about developing all facets of your will and capacity to improve, through times of elation and turmoil.

CONSORTIUM. “Strength” is being physically strong, but what does it take to get there? We have yet to touch on strength beyond the individual — namely strength in numbers. Well, like the African proverb that says “It takes a village to raise a child,” we believe it takes a strong community to build a strong individual. This is where the term “consortium” comes in. The term refers to “an agreement, combination, or group formed to undertake an enterprise beyond the resources of any one member.” Strength Consortium Cooperative is a group of people brought together by the common pursuit of improving our physical and mental strength. Collectively, we are stronger than any one of us on our own.

COOPERATIVE. the final term in our name, “cooperative”, refers to the manner in which we organize this enterprise. A cooperative is a specific type of business which is “both owned and controlled by its members, who also happen to use the services and products of the cooperative.” There are many types of cooperative organizations, but ours is a worker cooperative, which means that the employees of our business are also its owners. We make decisions on a democratic basis — one worker, one vote. This allows our business to be empowering to its employees, who have a say over how it operates and a responsibility to work hard to ensure its success. This is one small step in fulfilling our greater mission of achieving fairness and equity in the world. In addition, as we mentioned in our previous article about our radically client-centered philosophy, we aim to make the Strength Consortium experience about the client and their needs and desires in a way most gyms can’t achieve. This radically empowering structure is the key to us helping you build the habit of fitness you may have been unable to achieve every January prior to this (also see our post about your New Year’s Revolution).

HELP US MAKE YOU STRONG. And here’s the best part: you can help us build this community! In the coming days we will be announcing a dinner get-together to hear your opinions about what you want Strength Consortium to offer. We will also be rolling out our official Crowdfunding campaign to raise money to get into a gym space. If you are interested in being involved, stay tuned for our next post! We are looking forward to hearing from you about how we can be of service.