Why Your Workouts Suck: 7 Points to Ponder
Hey, if your workouts DON’T suck, great! But even the most successful athletes and gym rats have bad workouts from time to time. Here’s why...
1. You Call It A “Workout.” The language you use affects how you view the World. Think for a moment about what images you conjure up when the word “exercise” is used as opposed to “training session.” Or “diet” versus “nutrition plan.” When you use the word “workout,” you’re at a disadvantage right from the start. Now you can call it whatever you want of course, but at Staley Training Systems, we use the term “training session.” The word “training” implies a purpose... above and beyond burning calories or looking buff at the beach. It implies the acquisition of skills. So have some respect for the words you use!
2. It’s No Fun. A lot of people have a hard time with the notion that going out of your comfort zone can be “fun,” but, I believe that human beings are essentially goal-seeking creatures. We enjoy stretching ourselves in pursuit of higher achievements. We are competitive at our core, especially when we have a strong reason behind what we’re doing (see point #4 below). Many people attempt to distract themselves at the gym by listening to music, scoping out the hot chick/dude on the treadmill, or talking on the phone. What I’d suggest however, is to learn to love the process...think of every rep as an athletic performance...make it a game...fake it till ‘ya make it! Also, learn to love the process as much as, if not more than, the result.
3. You’re A Sadist. Now although it’s true you’ll need to get out of your comfort zone to make progress in any area of your life, there’s no point in seeking pain! I call this principle “The Law of Sustainable Progression.” It simply means that small but sustainable changes will ultimately result in more progress than large but non-sustainable changes. Think of it this way: you can’t lose a significant amount of strength, muscle, or any other positive fitness attribute in one day, no matter how slothful you are for that 24 hour period. This being true, it also stands that you also can’t make noticeable gains in one day, or even one week, even if you push yourself mercilessly. Dr. Steven Covey, author of the best-selling Seven Habits book series calls it “the law of the farm.” Covey likes to say that “You might be able to cram for a final exam, but you can’t cram on the farm.” He’s simply referring to the fact that in natural systems, things take time; no matter how impatient you might feel. So be patient, and again, learn to enjoy the process as much as the result.
4. You Don’t Have A Plan. Quick: What’s your primary training objective for 2006? If it took you more than 5 seconds to answer, you don’t have a plan. My second question to you is “Why not?” Isn’t it worth the time and effort to develop a clear, compelling mission? After all, when you have a strong enough “why,” the “how’s” take care of themselves. I’ve written extensively about goal-orientation in the past, and most people understand the rudimentary mechanics of setting goals. However, many people fail to set goals that are compelling (which means “to pull.”) If have a goal, great! But do you have a goal that’s pulling at you, that’s just begging to be accomplished? If not, I’d suggest you get to work…if you’re TRULY serious that is.
5. You Have No Support. I think it was Einstein who said (and I’m paraphrasing) “The moment you have a unique idea, you become a minority of one.” And guess what? The moment you start getting serious about training, you also become a minority of sorts. Your friends and family will question the sanity of your new lifestyle. People will ask you why you want “all those muscles” anyway?! They’ll warn you about the dangers of creatine while they wolf down their third Crispy Crème. They’ll talk to you about how their doctor says weight training is unhealthy. Sound familiar? You need a training partner at a minumum, or I think I recently heard something about a Distance Coaching Group somewhere didn’t I? ;-)
6. Your System Is Bad. Having a sound methodology can spell the difference between miserable and remarkable. While there are endless varieties of bad systems, most of them fall into the category of what we call “The Terrible Triad:” single-joint exercises performed slowly on machines. The “wonderful triad” then, refers to multi-joint exercises performed at an accelerated pace using free weights. Here’s why: First, multi-joint movements (squats, presses, lunges, pull ups, and so on) not only train more muscle per exercise, they also make greater demands on the stabilization function of your smaller synergistic muscles. Second, faster movement speeds result in greater muscular tensions than slower movement speeds. I bet you are thinking; “But I insist on lifting weights under complete control!” To which I respond: did I ever say you shouldn’t use complete control? Why is it that people think speed and control are mutually-exclusive ideas? And finally, if you’re a beginner, machines are OK for now. But just like you eventually shed your training wheels, I’d urge you to shed your machines as well. It doesn’t have to happen overnight, but it should happen, because muscles are meant to control resistances, not just push against them!
7. You’re Soooo Confused. It’s remarkable to see how many people fail to take action because they think they don’t know enough yet. So allow me let you in on a little secret: you know all those big dudes in the gym...those really intimidating guys lifting gargantuan weights as they yell and scream to celebrate their own beastly dominion over the weights? A lot of those guys don’t know what they’re doing either. It’s just that they don’t realize that they don’t know what they’re doing. There’s really no way to shortcut the learning process— everyone starts out not knowing, and then over time, their knowledge grows. So by all means, read, ask questions, read this newsletter, hire a trainer (be careful though), and learn as you go. You’re going to make mistakes. Then you’ll learn from those mistakes. Eventually, you’ll know so much that you’ll have a whole new set of questions!
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