Public Speaking Is a Muscle: Why You Must Keep Practicing
Here's a confession: despite being someone who regularly advocates for the importance of public speaking practice, I recently went two months without attending a single Toastmasters meeting. Earlier in the year, I had a similar lapse — a month and a half away from the podium. When I finally returned, the experience was humbling, eye-opening, and ultimately the inspiration for everything you're about to read. Because here's the truth most people don't want to hear: public speaking is not a skill you master once and move on from. It's a muscle that atrophies without regular use.
You Don't "Finish" Public Speaking
It's funny how often people tell me, "Oh yeah, I did Toastmasters a few years ago," as if public speaking is a checkbox on a to-do list. In my mind, that's like saying, "I don't work out anymore — I went to the gym for a couple of months five years ago, so I've done it." We all know that's a ridiculous claim. The fitness benefits you earned years ago have no bearing on your physical or mental shape today. Exercise must be habitual to deliver lasting results.
The same principle applies to public speaking. You could have taken a full year of Toastmasters and absorbed some genuinely valuable concepts. But if you stop practicing, those skills begin to fade. The confidence erodes. The sharpness dulls. That well-trained muscle slowly weakens.
What Happens When You Stop Practicing
I learned this lesson the hard way. After my month-and-a-half break earlier this year, I walked back into my Toastmasters meeting and immediately noticed something alarming: my heart was racing. Just being in the room, knowing I'd eventually be called on, was enough to send my nerves into overdrive.
Sure enough, my name was called during Table Topics — the impromptu speaking portion of the meeting. I stood in front of the room, opened my mouth, and delivered what I can only describe honestly as a horrible performance. I fumbled through my words, barely scraped past the one-minute green light, and felt every second of rust that had accumulated during my absence.
At the end of the meeting, several fellow members approached me and said, "Wade, you just weren't yourself today." They were right. I wasn't myself — because I hadn't been putting in the reps. The routine was broken, and the skills had worn away.
How to Practice Public Speaking (Even Without Toastmasters)
While I'm a huge advocate for Toastmasters, I also recognize it isn't always a convenient option for everyone. Maybe the local club meets on a night when you're unavailable, or perhaps there isn't a club nearby at all. Here are several practical alternatives to keep your speaking skills sharp:
- Explore virtual Toastmasters clubs. One silver lining of the COVID era is that many clubs transitioned to virtual or hybrid meetings. If your local club's schedule doesn't work, search for clubs in other communities that offer Zoom meetings. You can participate in roles, give speeches, and even become a virtual member — all from your living room.
- Record yourself speaking. Pull out your phone, hit record, and deliver a speech to the camera. Then watch it back. You'll likely be surprised by how many crutch words — "uh," "um," "like" — slip into your speech without you realizing it. You may also catch distracting physical habits like fidgeting, swaying, or leaning on furniture. One gentleman in my Toastmasters club had no idea he was gripping a chair every time he spoke until evaluators pointed it out. Once he became aware of the habit, his speeches became noticeably more powerful and commanding.
- Ask a trusted friend or family member to watch you speak. The key word here is trusted — and honest. You need someone who will give you real, constructive feedback rather than simply saying, "That was amazing!" Choose someone willing to tell you the truth so you can actually improve.
Always Have a Speech in Your Back Pocket
One of the most valuable habits I've developed is always thinking about the next speech. That might sound strange if you don't have any events on the horizon, but life has a way of presenting public speaking opportunities when you least expect them:
- A friend's wedding where you might be asked to give a toast
- A work presentation on a new idea or company initiative
- A community event, volunteer organization, or team meeting
Even if no specific occasion is looming, challenge yourself to build a speech around something you're passionate about — a hobby, an interest, a cause you care about. By developing and refining this material over time, you accomplish two things: you always have content to practice with, and you'll be ready to deliver a polished, compelling speech the moment an opportunity arises.
When that moment comes, you won't just be coherent — you'll be commanding. You'll speak with conviction because you've already put in the work behind the scenes.
The Myth of the "Natural" Speaker
Here's something worth remembering: even the most polished public speakers — the ones who claim they "wing it" — almost certainly practice far more than they let on. Their effortless delivery isn't the absence of preparation; it's the result of extensive preparation. They've put in the time, the repetitions, and the effort to make it look easy.
Sure, there are rare unicorns who seem born to command a stage. But for the rest of us — myself very much included — becoming an effective, impactful speaker requires consistent, deliberate practice. There are no shortcuts.
The Bottom Line: Practice Is the Point
This isn't a listicle of clever hacks or advanced techniques. The entire message is simpler and more important than that: you must practice public speaking regularly. Whether you do it through Toastmasters, recording yourself on your phone, rehearsing in front of a friend, or simply thinking through your next potential speech while driving to work — the act of consistent practice is what separates nervous, stumbling speakers from confident, compelling ones.
I learned this lesson firsthand when I let my own practice lapse and felt the rust in real time. Don't make the same mistake. Treat public speaking like the muscle it is: train it regularly, challenge it progressively, and never assume you've done enough. The more you practice, the more effective, confident, and impactful a communicator you will become.