Don't waste your time with exercise

That's right, I said it.  And I'm not sorry.  But before you gather up the pitchforks and torches or make a call to "Shady Acres" to see if they have an opening for me, hear me out first.  

Recently, a friend shared this story with us:

He was at the gym, when an "older guy" came up and asked if he could work in.  The man was chatty, said he wished we could get some younger guys to do the lifting for us. Our friend told him that's why he was lifting, to be younger again.

The gentleman said, "I've been lifting for 50 years; started when I was 12. My mother said it would get easier. She lied. It just hurts more. It's not really possible to get in shape."

I hate to think how many hours of his life this man frittered away, all the while utterly missing the point.  Those are hours he will never get back.  And he'll never see the rewards that were right there for the taking either.  

Another conversation Michelle had with a young novice lifter:

The young woman was frustrated.  She hasn't been losing any weight and she hasn't seen any improvments in strength either.  Michelle looked into her workout log and saw that she has been doing the same weight for the same number of reps for as far as she cared to scroll back.  Except for one day.  On that day, she increased the weight a couple of pounds.  Her comments were, "this is definitely harder. Help!"  After that, she went right back down again.  

Michelle explained to her that she had to push herself.  That the only way she would grow or see improvment was to increase the weights.  The young woman said she couldn't do any heavier weights; she only "ended up gritting her teeth and pulling something". 

That conversation ended with Michelle just shaking her head.

By now, I'm sure you're seeing my point.  But I'll spell it out anyway.

If you don't have a goal, you're wasting time at the gym.

If you don't have a program that is designed to reach your goal, you're wasting time at the gym.

If you aren't pushing yourself when you're at the gym, making every day a little better than the last, you're wasting time at the gym. 

If you go home and throw it all away with poor nutrition, you're wasting time at the gym.  

You pay good money for your membership.  You put in good, valuable hours of your life when you go.  For most of us, this isn't spare time or spare change you couldn't find anything else to do with.  It's a squeeze.  So, why would you commit precious time and money to activity with no purpose and no results? 

"But I just want to be generally fit and healthy; what's wrong with that?"

Here's a secret: there is no such thing as a maintenance work out.  Let that sink in for a moment.  

There's your problem right there!

Your body adapts very quickly in response to exercise.  Your ability to perform - strength, endurance, power - are measurably improved after one session.  Go back a day or two later and you'll be able to do a little more than before.  It may not be much.  Hell, it may not feel like anything, but it's a fact.  

A "maintenance" routine is truly nothing more than getting stronger, faster, better, and then, without progression, deconditioning until the same routine becomes challenging again.  This is akin to having an oil leak in your car and never fixing it, just continually adding a quart.

Five things you can do to make your workouts count.

1.  Be present.  We've written before about the value of getting your head in the game, not just in the gym, but in anything that matters to you.  It seems obvious, but in our multitasking world, I think most of us are accustomed to dividing our attention out of habit. 

2.  Have a goal.  Again, it seems obvious, and it is written about regularly, but even within your individual workouts, you should have a goal.  "Today I'm going to do one more 'X'." or "Today, I'm going to increase my speed by .5mph for the first five minutes."  

3.  Don't sell yourself short.  You are capable of more than you think.  Don't you want to find out how much more? 

Now - HE - is done!

4. Compete with yourself and keep score!  This goes along with #3, but bears calling out.  If you are doing the same weight for the same reps, or hitting the same speed on the treadmill for the same distance, you are leaving your gains on the table.  Not to mention, as you condition, you burn fewer calories doing the same workout.  A five-rep set isn't over because you hit five.  It's over when you push up your last rep with good form.  (Michelle and I call this "the world's longest rep")

5. Don't be afraid to suck.  Okay, once again, let me explain before you hit the "close window" button.  We gravitate to things we are good at.  It feels good to be good at something.  But, in the gym (as with many places in life), the places where we feel least competent are the places we can grow the fastest.  And there's only one way to improve a weakness: challenge it.  Again and again.  Make your weakness your new strength.  

Wrapping up, I'd like to make sure we end on a positive note.  You've already committed your time and your money to getting to the gym.  That's a huge step.  Make those hours count.  Think about how you will remember those hours years from now.  You're welcome.