Have you noticed?
That most successful traders, engage in some type of regular physical exercise.
And on their social channels they are either talking on the treadmill or they’re talking about their supplements they’re taking before they hit the gym.
And it makes you wonder.
Is gymming a prerequisite to trade well and successfully?
I mean, do we have to gym to trade well?
Unfortunately, I do gym on a regular basis and do cardio many times a week.
But no. I don’t think I’ll attribute it to my trading success.
However, I think there are many merits to gymming well and trading well.
And it all starts with…
#1: Discipline – You Put in the Work
Training in the gym is about discipline, perseverance, and gradual improvement.
It’s about building strength, endurance, and resilience.
These are definitely all qualities required in a successful trader.
Traders, like athletes, understand that to achieve success, you must put in the work.
There are no shortcuts.
If you have the discipline to gym (not every day) every week, you will have what it takes to persevere as a trader.
If you’re a quitter and a give upper or a I’ll do it next Monday type a guy or gal, then trading probably won’t work for you.
The financial market doesn’t grant success to the lucky, but rather to the diligent and well-prepared.
#2. Pick up the Portfolio (Weights) as You Make More
In the same way that you wouldn’t expect to build muscle or increase your stamina overnight in the gym, you shouldn’t expect immediate trading success.
And in the same way you don’t just lift heavier weights after a short period in the gym, so to where you mustn’t trade more (with a small portfolio size).
Let’s dig deeper.
In the gym, you start lifting weights that match your strength level.
As you grow stronger, you gradually increase the weight to keep challenging your muscles.
And this leads you to further growth and strength.
This same principle applies to trading.
Beginners should start with a smaller, manageable portfolio that matches their level of knowledge, understanding and personality with the markets.
As their knowledge, skill, and confidence grow, they can start diversifying and increasing their portfolio.
They won’t risk more (relative) per trade, but they will deposit more money into their portfolios.
They’ll trade larger volumes.
But like I said, they won’t risk more in percentage terms.
Remember, it’s essential to increase the portfolio wisely, without skipping steps, just like in weight training.
Patience and progressive overload are key in both fields.
#3: Don’t Overtrain – Don’t Overtrade
If you overtrain in the gym – watch out.
It can lead to injuries, burnout, demotivation (is that a word?) and diminished returns.
Same works with overtrading.
It can lead to financial losses, emotional stress and a big punch to your confidence levels.
You need to know the importance of balance and recovery – like you do as a trainer.
You need to understand how to pace yourself the right way, and to:
NOT take trades for the sake of it.
NOT try to accelerate your portfolio performance.
NOT be impatient with the process
Got it?
#4: It’s a Forever Process
Fitness, strength, physical activity and maintaining your sexy figure is a lifelong endeavour.
You can’t just build muscle and then stop working out, expecting to stay fit forever.
You can’t just go on the treadmill once and lose those 20kg you packed on 10 years ago.
Same with trading.
You can’t just make a few successful trades and then rest on your laurels.
The markets are always changing, and traders need to keep learning and adapting their strategies to stay ahead.
This requires continuity
Trading requires perseverance
Trading requires repetition
Continuous education
Ongoing testing, tweaking and monitoring
And while we’re at it, gymming can help with your trading
I mean, I’m no doctor, but there are also very good mental benefits of regular exercise, such as:
Improved concentration
Better mood
Stress reduction
Help maintain the psychological equilibrium needed for long-term trading success
Also, it gets you to step away from the computer and screen after you’ve taken a trade.
It allows you to realign and escape from the real world and into your mind and creative self.
Even though you don’t necessarily need to gym to be a successful trader.
The parallels between gym training and trading are substantial.
The discipline, resilience, patience, and commitment to continual learning that the gym fosters translate directly into trading habits.
Do you gym or do any physical exercises?