Our Spartan Master Coaches not only believe in training tough, but thinking tough too. Trevor Franklin, for example, dropped out of college and moved to NYC with $6,000 to his name. He figured it out. Gabe Snow suffered a traumatic brain injury. He’s back at it. And Evan Betts? He battled through a fractured L5 vertebrae to finish something he started. What’s the common thread here? A tough mindset got them through and made them even better on the other side. 

Related: These 6 Master Coaches Will Get You Spartan FIT

At a recent shoot for the latest release of our 20% Tougher workouts on the Spartan FIT app, we chatted with them about how they developed this mindset. Here’s what they said:

Coach Trevor Franklin

Spartan Race: What's the toughest situation you've ever gotten yourself through? 

Trevor Franklin: My toughest life situation was dropping out of college and moving to New York City with less than $6,000 to my name. It was a true test for me to see if I had the ability to start over and find success. My toughest fitness challenge was a 50K Spartan Trail race that I did not train for. It was the furthest I had ever ran at once and was both the most mentally grueling and rewarding things I’ve done.

SR: What was the key to getting through it?

TF: For the NYC move, it was just about betting on myself and focusing on what I wanted to become. For the trail race, all I told myself was one step at a time, one obstacle at a time, just keep moving.

SR: What do you tell yourself when you're pushing through a tough workout?

TF: During anything tough, we have a chance to be average and do what others would normally do, or to level up and push the mental and physical boundaries we have.

Try Trevor's 20% More workout on the Spartan FIT app.

SR: What's your advice for people pushing through tough stuff in life? 

TF: All I think about is the quote, “this too shall pass.” I strive to never get too high on the highs or too low on the lows. My goal is to stay even keeled and try to stray from leading with emotion. 

Related: This Is the Key to Building a Winning Mindset

Coach Gabe Snow

SR: What's the toughest situation you've ever gotten yourself through? 

Gabe Snow: I was severely challenged about six years ago when I was attacked. I found myself in a fight with a group of guys in college that I didn't know I was in until I came to a few days later. I was punched, kicked, and knocked unconscious. My skull, jaw, and cheek bones were fractured on the left side of my face and I didn't remember my name or address. I was going into the most crucial semester of my junior year and was told I needed to take the year off for my injuries and brain to heal adequately.

SR: What was the key to getting through it? 

GS: Being patient and kind to myself. My brain was not at full capacity and made studying and retaining information difficult. The pain from surgery was tolerable, as all pain can be if you remind yourself it is temporary. By taking my time on my tasks and leaving myself notes to not stress and trust the process, I ended up with a 3.8 GPA in all my core neuroscience classes and graduated a year later as planned. 

SR: What do you tell yourself when you're pushing through a difficult workout?

GS: That I’m blessed with a brain and body that is capable of enduring such physical duress. We are lucky that we GET to — not HAVE to — use our bodies freely. 

Try Gabe's Under Control workout on the Spartan FIT app.

SR: What's your advice for people pushing through tough stuff in life?

GS: There is infinite knowledge to be gained about ourselves when the chips are down and the day turns dark. Find out what you are made of and show yourself that you are your own hero. You should always be looking for the silver lining. Every test life throws at you is not a chance to fail, but a chance for success. Whether you swing and miss, or you hit the home run, you show up and swing no matter what. What we learn after that is the true win. 

Related: Green Beret Kevin Flike on Purpose, Success, Failure & Never Quitting

Coach Evan Betts

SR: What's the toughest situation you've ever gotten yourself through? 

Evan Betts: I really hit my stride and peaked as a diver in college. I broke records, won countless meets, and was looked at as one of the top contenders in the nation. One day, just like any other, I went to practice and by the end, I realized something wasn't right. I fractured my L5 vertebrae from continuous impact. The pain was so debilitating I couldn't practice or even bend over to tie my shoes. After my team and I qualified for Nationals, I knew I’d need to push through. 

My back was in shambles. It felt like a knife was moving up and down from my back to the back of my knee. I was doing rehab, epsom salt baths, STIM, and even considered getting a cortisone shot for the pain. My dad was even massaging the painful areas nonstop. I dove through the pain and ultimately, moved up three places and finished in third. It was the highest finish by any Grand Valley State Laker in school history and I was officially an All-American.

SR: What was the key to getting through it?

EB: Grit, perseverance, and mental toughness. I wanted to stop, but I didn't want to let my team, parents, coach, or myself down. I knew I needed to figure out a way to keep going.

Related: Grit Is All About Persistence | Angela Duckworth

SR: What do you tell yourself when you're pushing through a difficult workout?

EB: You've been through worse! So many people stop right before the finish line, I never want to be one of those people.

Try Evan's Tougher to the Core workout on the Spartan FIT app.

SR: What's your advice for people pushing through tough stuff in life?

EB: You will hit adversity in every facet of your life. How you approach and push past (or not) that adversity is most likely how you will approach any problem you have, no matter how big or small. Remember, pressure makes diamonds and you won't have a chance to shine without it.