Self-Talk Matters: How Your Inner Dialogue Can Hijack You

Caitlyn Davey • July 8, 2025

How you speak to yourself, and your mindset can dramatically affect your training and health goals.Too often, we get caught up in the troubles of our training day, relative to others. We lose sight of how magnificent we are in our own right.You may have a sketchy or crunchy knee, or a back that doesn’t agree with conventional deadlifts, or zero rotational capacity in your hip joint, or a ‘fluid’ elbow issue, or have been born with a lazy pancreas, or have no idea how to breathe while push-jerking, or a funky heart that stopped on you one time, or a power clean that looks like a flailing salmon – but you are fitter than the version of yourself who isn’t training today.When you come to the gym, you spend time in a place full of special, fit, positive, welcoming people: It can be easy to feel unfit compared to the people around us in a place like Rebuild Health & Fitness, Wynnum West.But you must pay respect to your capacity: Your actual fitness, your ability to survive the trials of your day, week and life.Appreciate what you CAN do, rather than fixate on what your elbow/knee/back refuses to allow you to do today.Your beliefs about your level of fitness are unbelievably important.??An article by Zahrt and Crum demonstrated that your health beliefs predicted your health outcomes more accurately than your health behaviour. ??They showed that those who felt they were less fit than those around them, even if they were wrong, had much higher risk of early mortality (death). ??They showed that those who felt they were more fit than those around them, even if they were wrong, had a much lower risk of early mortality.Self-criticism and negative self-talk can also turn you into a miserable, stressed out person who walks into walls, makes poor decisions around food, training, work and relationships.You will never get any leaner or fitter from beating yourself up mentally.But here are two pieces of good news: Self-talk is a habit and habits can change.Our brains are highly plastic, which means that all we have to do is establish some new brain pathways.Self-talk can work both ways. Negative self-talk has negative effects. Positive self-talk has positive effects.Why not make your brain work for you instead of against you?Start noticing and naming any negative thoughts and self-talk you have.Stuff like: - This is hard. - I should quit. - I’m never going to succeed. - I don’t know why I thought I could do this. - I’m such a screw-up. I might as well just forget it. - I had a piece of chocolate, I've ruined everything.Acknowledge that you are having these thoughts and replace them when they come up. Rephrase them, allow yourself to be compassionate – you’d rarely speak to someone else the way you speak to yourself. When you have one of these thoughts, acknowledge that it's there, it's unhelpful and move on. Reframe the thought, remind yourself why you're doing what you're doing, and practice gratitude. Stuff like:- This is hard - but I am here.- When I do this, I feel great.- Success isn't instant - I am making progress.- I enjoy this.- Everyone started somewhere.- I had a piece of chocolate, so I'll account for that in my tracking.How you think and speak to yourself will have a big impact on your goals and training. Don't let it hijack you, let it motivate you.

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July 22, 2025
If you live in Wynnum or Capalaba , chances are you’ve seen a bootcamp in action — high-intensity sessions in parks, with lots of burpees, sprints, and shouting. While bootcamps can be a fun way to get sweaty, there’s a reason more people are choosing structured strength training instead. At Rebuild, we often meet people who’ve jumped from one bootcamp to another, chasing results they never quite achieve, or can’t maintain. Here’s why strength training, not bootcamp-style fitness, is the smarter long-term approach for your health and body. 1. Progress Over Punishment Bootcamps often focus on burning calories and pushing people to their limits every session. It feels intense — but it’s usually random. There’s no plan beyond “go hard”. Strength training is different. It’s measured, progressive, and adaptable . Whether you’re lifting a barbell or doing bodyweight movements, the goal is to build skill, strength, and confidence over time. You're not punished for where you're at — you're coached toward where you want to be. 2. Stronger Muscles = Better Results Cardio-heavy bootcamps might help you lose weight quickly, but they rarely help you build muscle, and muscle is the key to long-term fat loss, strength, and mobility . When you train with resistance (weights, bands, or bodyweight), your body becomes more efficient. You burn more calories at rest, move better, and feel more capable in everyday life. And unlike bootcamps, strength training actually preserves lean mass while you're in a calorie deficit — which matters if your goal is body composition, not just weight loss. 3. Individual Coaching Matters Most bootcamps have one instructor yelling instructions to a big group. There’s rarely time to check your technique, let alone adjust for injuries, experience, or confidence levels. At Rebuild, our group sessions are coach-led and purpose-built . We take time to teach proper form, scale movements to your ability, and track your progress. You're not just surviving a workout — you’re learning how to move better and train smarter. 4. It’s Not Just About Today’s Workout Bootcamps often lack structure. You show up, do something exhausting, and leave. There’s no continuity or long-term planning. Strength training follows a programmed approach , meaning each week builds on the last. You’ll have sessions designed to improve specific movements and outcomes — whether that’s lifting more weight, increasing core strength, or mastering your first pull-up. That structure keeps you consistent, motivated, and injury-free. 5. Sustainability Over Shock Tactics If you’re tired of the “go hard or go home” mentality, strength training is for you. It’s adaptable to all ages, bodies, and goals . You’ll get fitter, stronger, and more confident — without burning out or breaking down. Ready to train with purpose? If you're looking for something better than a bootcamp in Wynnum or Capalaba , join us at Rebuild. We coach real people — not fitness models — to get real results. 📍 Structured training 📍 Expert coaches 📍 Community that has your back You don’t need to be fit to start. You just need to start.
July 22, 2025
A lot of people have completed a marathon but how many people have collapsed at 40km?

Sometimes you do everything right, and shit still doesn’t go to plan.
 Last weekend I ran in the Gold Coast Marathon, my first ever marathon. I trained properly, my body felt relatively good (all things considered when preparing to run 42.2km), I carb-loaded, and my race day nutrition was dialled in.
 I was ready.
 We set off. Jess and the kids met me at different points on the course with signs, the atmosphere was great. I loved seeing the kids with their signs. Pacing felt on point. The first 21km? Easy. I felt great. Maybe I should’ve drunk more water, but I didn’t think too much of it at the time.
 At 25km, I felt slower, but pace wise I was still holding well. I’d kept telling myself throughout the day "The race starts at 30km." And let me tell you, it does.
 By 30km, the sun was out, and I was starting to struggle. My watch started glitching so I had no real idea of my splits. I thought I was slowing down a lot (turns out I wasn’t), but the effort to keep the same pace suddenly felt 10x harder.
 I hadn’t taken on enough water. Usually, I can get away with lower fluids. Not this time. Dehydration crept in. hard.
 At 35km I was in survival mode, one foot in front of the other, flicking between moments of pain and little short lived waves of “let’s go.” But by 39km I was delirious. I could see the finish line, I hit the 40km mark (where I thought enjoyment might return to finish), and I collapsed.
 I was gone. Scary stuff.
 The last few hundred metres were a complete blur. All I remember is the crowd, the medics, and about five paramedics suddenly around me. I was vomiting, shaking, confused, in and out of it. I had this overwhelming, indescribable feeling, and honestly, for a moment, I thought I could die.
 My memory went. I couldn’t recall the day, the year, where I lived, or how to spell. I only knew who Jess and the kids were, and that I didn’t want them to see me with wires in me. 
 My temperature had hit 40°C. Blood pressure crashed. Thankfully, the medics and paramedics were incredible, I had a drip running into me within 10 to 15 minutes.
 As I already knew, I’m stubborn. I wanted to run it all. Not walk. Not stop and breathe and In hindsight, I should have. 
 Seems like my mind was just a bit stronger than my body on the day. I never thought I could push myself there in all honesty. 

Am I gutted? Of course, I was only 2km away but I gave it everything I had on that day. Heat stroke, exhaustion, and dehydration got me. 

I am always reminded here of the quote ‘The man in the arena’ look it up if you need. 
 Will I run 42.2km again? Yes, I feel I need to. 

Would I do things differently, now I’ve run 40km under race conditions? You bet, lessons learnt. Always lessons. Never be scared to not succeed. Be scared to never try in the first place. 
 We go again.
By Caitlyn Davey July 8, 2025
You Need To Earn The Right To Be Good At Something
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