Matthew Schaefer

Matthew Schaefer just finished his rookie season with the New York Islanders. First overall pick in the 2025 Draft, turned youngest Calder Trophy winner in NHL history. But when you ask him about strength, he doesn't talk about stats or awards. He talks about what he's carrying.

"Pressure is definitely a privilege," he says. "I've gone through a lot of things in life, obviously losing my mom, being the first overall draft pick and having high expectations. But it's fun — in a way — because I just love hockey. You're in the zone. You don't have to worry about anything outside the rink.”

And he means it. There's no drama around how Matthew carries things. He figured out early that noise on the outside doesn't decide what happens on the inside. His “flu game” against the Leafs was one example. Matthew woke up sick, wasn't feeling it, and ended up scoring an overtime winner anyway.

"The strength kinda comes out of nowhere," he says. "When I'm sick, I think that's the strongest I am. No excuses, no bullshit. Just being able to step out there and being like, ‘I don't feel good, but I have nothing to lose, so I'm just going to give it my all.’ And then this strength and energy comes out of nowhere."

It was only after he made it back to the locker room, where Matthew found his teammates pointing at the clock, frozen by his winning goal: 48 seconds left. Same as the back of his jersey.

"It was just meant to be or something. I think that's my mom helping me and lifting me up a little more when I'm not feeling at my best... that extra strength and energy, being able to step on that ice for my family."

Now, the season ahead is about building on all of it. More training, more intention, more closing the gap between where he is and where he wants to be. Matthew’s rookie year taught him, among many things, that the process is what matters. And he knows getting ahead of yourself is the fastest way to lose your footing.

"Take it day by day and just keep getting better," he says. "The more you get too far ahead of yourself, the more you start to lose momentum. You lose the groove. So, if you take it day by day and focus on what you can do to get better and better, you'll be set up for success."

Taylor Rooks

Taylor Rooks covers basketball and football for a living. Her schedule runs like an athlete's: a lot of planes, a lot of cities. Early call times and late games. Going live in front of millions. But through all of it, she's been building something else, too: a relationship with strength training that’s now central to her self-care.

She did Pilates for years. It worked, and she loved it. Then she started lifting. Now it's (almost) all she does.

Taylor was intimidated at first: "You get in the gym and there are like, these huge kettlebells and huge dumbbells, and you're seeing people bench press and squat, and they say, ‘one day, you're going to do that.’ And you're like, ‘me, are you sure?’ But you can," she says. "And it's really, really cool."

What changed wasn't a technique or a program. It was the question she started walking in with every session. "I go in there and I just say, ‘can I lift more today?’" Not worried about how she looks or feels. Not about numbers. Just about one step further than before. "Sometimes, as women, when we're thinking about our physiques or going to the gym, strength is not a word that we hear a lot," she says. "But for me it's the most important word. It's about feeling healthy and strong and solid."

She doesn't always talk about strength as something physical. "I think strength can be softer than we think. Sometimes, it's these quiet moments where you’re giving yourself that self-talk, making sure that you're in tune with who you are."

For Taylor Rooks, the gym has become absolutely essential. "My day is just better if I go work out," she says. "There’s something about the release. It just does something to your brain and shuts out the noise. But you also have this time that is so dedicated to you, that it really sets the tone for your day... whenever I don't work out, I very much feel it."

The Backyard Boston Crew

Backyard Boston started in a backyard. Literally. During Covid, Lauren Rich, Laura Witkowski, and Rob Velasquez were each training outside separately, at parks, on beaches, and in driveways, with their own communities forming around them. Then, they decided to put them all together.

Now you'll find them at the Backyard Boston gym, over in Fort Point. It’s paradise: squat racks, sleds, barbells, 5 a.m. classes. All in a room full of people who might not typically find each other in the same place, but who do: working hard, side-by-side, day after day.

The three owners lead more than half of the classes themselves. And they know everyone. "Not to sound like Cheers, but, like, this really is a place where you can come and literally everyone knows your name," says Laura.

What they've built, without forcing it, is a place where the idea of who belongs keeps getting wider. "Whatever gets you to show up," says Lauren, "that's strength."

The member stories are proof. Julia McDonald has trained through two pregnancies at Backyard, maintained her strength both times, and credits the structure and the trainers with keeping her grounded through everything she couldn't control.

Heather Cosgrove came in postpartum five years ago, hadn't really touched a weight before that, and now can't picture life without it. "I have never left here in a bad mood," she says. "It's just never happened."

And Daniel Carrizales showed up three and a half years ago. Mostly as a solo gym guy. But since then, he's run multiple marathons through the community. And on a recent birthday, he ran 40 miles, with 30 people from the gym joining throughout the day. "There's no words to describe the community that you feel here,” he says.

"When you show up to a place like this," says Laura, "you don't even realize it, but someone's watching you. And you set the tone for them on their bad days." That's what the community does. The owners keep showing up, the people keep showing up, and everyone gets stronger, together.

The NOBULL Bottom Line

Three stories. Three versions of what training looks like, what strength means, and where it can take you. One is 18 years old, already carrying more than most people ever do. One is a broadcaster who’s found discipline (and much more) through lifting. And one is a gym full of people who come in on good and bad days alike, building their own forms of strength, together.

All moving forward, all wearing Outwork Flex: grounded enough to carry the weight. Flexible enough for every session, every day. Built for all of them. And built for you, too.

Author Bio:

Sean Knight is a freelance senior copywriter from Los Angeles, CA, bringing a sharp, grounded voice to leading e-commerce, tech, and lifestyle brands around the world, with published works in Forbes, Outside, and Range Magazine, among others.