How Building Muscle Nourishes The Spirit
Ellie McKenzie • June 9, 2025
How Building Muscle Nourishes the Spirit Part 4 of the Strength Series: Body, Mind, and Now Spirit
by Ellie Bishop McKenzie
We have talked a lot about building strength for the body, and explored how muscle supports the mind—enhancing cognition and protecting against decline.
But there’s a third pillar that often gets overlooked: spirit. I don’t mean spirit in a woo-woo way. I mean that deep well of resilience, purpose, and joy that fuels how we show up in life. And here’s the truth: building physical strength absolutely builds spiritual strength.
Strength Training Builds Grit and Resilience
Every time you step under a barbell, pick up a dumbbell, or tackle a challenging WOD, you’re not just training your body. You’re training your will power.
Strength training forces you to confront discomfort, doubt, and fear.
And when you push through those hard things—you build grit.
Grit isn’t about muscle mass. It’s about refusing to quit.
And that grit transfers to every part of life: difficult conversations, raising kids, coping with grief or uncertainty. Strength training gives you practice being uncomfortable and overcoming it.
In that way, it shapes your spirit as much as your quads.
My Experience with Grit
Back in 2013 I was in the middle of my first CrossFit Open and I had to do 150 Wall Balls.
I HATE Wall balls.
About halfway through I asked myself why I was doing this. What did I have to prove?
The answer is that I needed to prove to myself that I could handle anything and everything thrown my way. As I finished that workout I was filled with pride in my accomplishments, but more importantly I knew as I went home to care for my three kids, that I had this. We were going to be fine.
It Teaches You to Trust Yourself
There’s a special moment that happens in strength training when your brain says: No way. Too heavy. Too hard. I can’t do this.
And then—you do. You prove yourself wrong.
As this happens over and over, you begin to trust yourself in a deeper way. Not just in the gym, but in life.
You think: Maybe I CAN take that next step in my career.
Or: Maybe I CAN handle this big life change.
Muscle doesn’t just move the body. It moves the mind and spirit forward.
Ready to Build More Than Just Muscle?
If you’ve been following this series, you now know: strength training builds a stronger body, a sharper mind, and a more resilient spirit.
If that sounds like the kind of person you want to become—we can help.
At CrossFit Odyssey, we specialize in guiding people on the Journey to Extraordinary.
Come train with us. Build your spirit one lift at a time.
Register now for a FREE Fitness Assessment at crossfitodyssey.com
