You see someone going hard at the gym.
​They're sweating, they're breathing heavy- "That person is intense." You think to yourself.
​
​And then I walk over to you- after reading your thoughts and say, "Yeah! They're going hard! But see how they're doing a bunch of exercises quickly and even though it's very intense it's not very heavy, and the range of motion isn't great?"
​
​You don't know who I am so you're a bit weirded out but still nod- slowly.
​
​I continue, "They never catch their breath from the last exercise so they can't give their best effort on the next exercise."
​
​"They're still in really good shape and working out is always good! (Unless overdone or done poorly) But working out isn't the same thing as training." I will finish with a smile.
​
​And before you can say anything I will disappear!
​
​"That was weird..." you think to yourself both in this imaginary scenario as well as real life because what an odd way to start a blog article... 😅
​
​But here we are, so let's go!

Just like learning the difference between a Cleric and Paladin is still learning- That doesn't mean it's useful for your college thesis about "Rain Shadows and Their Effect on Mountain Biomes".
​
The difference is in the specifics.

Learning is typically good!
But is it useful for the overall goal?
___

In terms of fitness- If you have a specific goal of...
- Deadlifting a certain number
- Running a certain distance
- Growing a certain muscle

Or anything specific.

Working out doesn't mean you will be getting any closer to that goal. (It's possible- but doesn't guarantee anything)

But training (if done properly) does!

Training is always working out - Working is not always training.
​
​I want to be clear- There is nothing wrong with just working out.

Just working out will still improve lots of things!

And if your goal is something like...
- Generally be in better shape
- Move more
- Get some energy or frustration out
- Etc.

Then don't worry about it so much!

But one of the reasons training is so useful is because it gives us...
​- A thing to be motivated for.
​- A sense of progression.
​
​Both in my own training and with my clients- I see such an uptick in effort and intensity when there is a more tangible goal.

Imagine the scenario of...

"I need to workout because it's good for me."
​VS
"I need to train- My hiking trip is coming up."
​
​Note: Replace "hiking trip" with anything active you want to do.
- Johnny wants me to play pick-up more often.
- My nieces / nephews / kids want me to toss them in the pool or jump on the trampoline.
- I want to get my first pull-up.
- I want to compete in the LARPing event this summer!

If you have something to train for your motivation increases and your workouts become more specific, intense, and effective.

Like I mentioned earlier- The difference is in the specifics.
​
​A workout can be pretty much anything physical.
​
​Let's be extra dramatic...

​The Goal: Get the biggest biceps in town.
​The Workout: 1000 burpees and sit-ups.
​
​1000 burpees and sit-ups would be a very hard workout!
​But it would get us nowhere near our goal.
​
​Specific goals require specific training.
​
​Now it doesn't have to be scientific.
​Working out is already hard- I don't want to make it feel harder!
​
​I just want you to get really good results from your workouts! AKA training.
​
​Unfortunately I don't know exactly what your goals are but to help you out I am going to go over a few principles that will help turn your workouts into training.
​
​Specificity: Targeting the actual thing we are trying to get / improve.
Looking at the example of getting big biceps- We need to actually train the biceps. Doing 1000 burpees is not specific to our goal.
​
​If we want to move better- We want to train various movement patterns.
​
​Progressive Overload: Making something harder over time.
​When we first start working out- doing 1 push-up might be real hard.
​
​After a while we might be able to do 10 no problem and our workout consists of 3 sets of 10 push-ups.
Well now that push-ups are easy- that isn't going to help us improve anything. We will just be maintaining what we currently can do.

​We need to "Progressively Overload" that exercise to continue getting gains from it.
​
​We can do this by...
​- Adding weight
​- Changing the pace of the exercise (Slow down, explosive, pulsing at the bottom)
​- Increasing sets and or reps
​Etc.
​
​Progressive overload is why my clients get mad at me.
​An exercise with a certain weight starts to feel easy for them- Which is awesome and feels so good for them!
​Until I get rid of the weight they're using and give them something heavier. 😈
​
​And those are really the most important principles for training!
​
​TLDR:
​Specificity- Train something that actually effects your overall goal.
​Progressive Overload- Make exercise harder over time to keep getting gains.
​___
​
​Now it's time to...

Your fitness quest this week is to define what you're training for.
​
​Do you want to accomplish a specific feat of strength, movement, or athleticism?
​
​That is what I train for.
​I train to accomplish something inside the gym that helps me outside the gym.
​
​The main reason I workout is to increase my capability to live life.
​
BUTT!
"I want to 'live life' better" is not very specific and doesn't really accomplish the goal of increasing motivation and intensity during my workouts.

​However, I know that if I level up certain things I can do in the gym- then my capability outside the gym has increased!
​
​So I can pick specific things to train for inside the gym and get my outside the gym benefit.

​What are you training for?
​I know the answer might be general- Something like "For better health."

That's great! And a worthy goal.

But...
It's Monday.
And it's raining outside.
It's early.
And you're kinda tired.

Are you gonna go to the gym to workout "For better health"?

Ideally yes. Because it's just a habit that you do. Right?

Hopefully working out is just a habit and you don't need to get motivated to go do it.

But just because it's a habit doesn't mean you will get a solid workout in.
Or- what if it's not a habit for you yet...

"Better health" is long term and non-specific. It's hard to get motivated for unless something recent has brought up the importance of improving your health.

What we need are "proxy goals".
Goals that are less long term and more specific that will lead us to our main goal but give us a reason to train here and now.

Proxy Goals For Health
​Better health can look like...
- Being able to do a pull-up
- Squatting heavier or through more range of motion
- Decreasing time on a mile jog
​- Getting bigger biceps!
​
​We want it to be something that you actually care about.
​
​If you workout to improve your health but pick the proxy goal of "Get bigger biceps" when you really don't care about how your biceps look...
​That won't get the effect we want.
​
​I'm a personal trainer- I get more clients and more effort from clients...
​- At the beginning of the year
​- A month or so before summer
​- At the end of summer
​- Before the holiday season
​- Before a big event for the individual (Like a wedding or special birthday)
​
​Those are the times of year people actually care about their goal.
​
​So pick a goal you actually care about- And start training for it!
​Note: That goal can (and should) change throughout the year!