How do you measure progress?
I measure progress by results. I set myself yearly goals. If I have achieved those goals then I have progressed. Within training, if I PR a certain session, again that’s progression. I can progress every single day, but I can also progress massively within 6-8 months in setting goals that I want to achieve.
For me, if you have a goal that you set out to achieve and you achieve it, I’d class that as success. Just progressing every single day is also a success. If you’re working towards your goal, I’d class that as a success.
Who inspires you today?
My inspiration has always been my parents. I’ve always looked up to them as I’ve grown up and they’ve always been a huge inspiration to me in business, in mindset, in what they’ve achieved and I’m very fortunate to have such great parents that I look up to.
Having Sam, my partner, training alongside me every day was massive. The workouts I do are very painful physically and mentally. If any athlete tells you they’re 100% motivated to train on their own every single day I’d find that quite hard to believe. Having Sam there on the days where I don’t feel like pushing myself is great. She’s there giving me a kick up the bum saying “come on, let’s do this together.”
Tell us how it felt when you found out you wouldn’t be going to the games?
When I found out that I wasn’t competing at the games I was very disappointed. It’s been a seven year long, hard journey to qualify. When I finally did it, I felt ecstatic. It was a lifelong dream. For that to be taken away was very disappointing, but I quickly shifted my mindset. I thought “Ok, I’m not competing at the games, but there are a lot of people worse off in this pandemic, and I’m just going to destroy it [ at the games] next year.
When I found out that I wasn’t competing at the games I was very disappointed. It’s been a seven year long, hard journey to qualify. When I finally did it, I felt ecstatic. It was a lifelong dream. For that to be taken away was very disappointing, but I quickly shifted my mindset. I thought “Ok, I’m not competing at the games, but there are a lot of people worse off in this pandemic, and I’m just going to destroy it [ at the games] next year.
With gyms closing, I imagine there’s been a massive shift in your plans, how did you adapt your training?
I had to get the best training I could at home. I took as much kit to my house as possible. [I had] the mindset of “you can only control what you can control.” I couldn’t do gymnastics at home, so I focused on fitness and lifting and kept those aspects as strong as possible.
How did you maintain that level of inspiration to the people you help train while being distanced from everything?
Zoom became a big part of everyone’s life during lockdown. During the lockdown I couldn’t train with my usual training partners, so we all got on Zoom together and kept the same routine we did at the gym. Sticking to the same routine really helped everyone, including myself.
Zack wears Raw Training Hoodie and Joggers