When it comes to training and exercise I have noticed something for a long time… and I don’t think it is going anywhere anytime soon.
I have noticed that people fall into one of two extremes, generally speaking.
On one end we have the people who constantly do different exercises and training. Monday they take a yoga class. Tuesday they go rock climbing. Wednesday they run 5 miles. Thursday they go to their Crossfit class. Friday they have an off day. Saturday they do a swim session with a friend that kicks their ass. Sunday is of course a heavy training day with the traditional barbell lifts.
The following week may be a completely different assortment of training modalities spread over 7 days.
So before we dig into my opinions on the first person let’s go to the other extreme.
This person goes to the gym 5 days a week every single week.
Monday they Bench Press (duh) and work up to the heaviest weight they can lift once then drop down and hit 10 reps at a lighter weight. Afterwards they do pushups and pullups followed by 30 minutes walking at an incline on the treadmill.
Tuesday they do Squats and work up to the heaviest weight they can lift once then drop down and hit 10 reps at a lighter weight. Afterwards they do some leg extensions and leg curls followed by 30 minutes walking at an incline on the treadmill.
Wednesday they do Overhead Press and work up to the heaviest weight they can lift once then drop down and 10 reps at a lighter weight. Afterwards they do some pushups and pullups followed by 30 minutes walking at an incline on the treadmill.
Thursday is Deadlift day. Its the exact same idea as the previous days.
Friday is Bench Day again. Its the exact same idea as the previous days.
The weekend is rest.
They do this week in and week out for a solid 5 years.
So I think we see the obvious downsides of each person right?
First, obviously, the “other extreme” would be the person that does little to no exercise. I’m not going to bother going over that example right now because we all know the answer for them is to get moving ANY WAY POSSIBLE.
So the first person let’s call ‘Energetic Emily’. Emily is skinny. Emily seems happy. A lot of people comment on how they wish they could look as good as Emily.
But let’s talk directly to Emily and hear what she has to say.
Emily feels tired all of the time. She does so much activity because she is terrified of getting fat. She doesn’t feel strong at all and knows that even though she is skinny she feels like it is all for nothing.
Emily eats tiny meals a few times per day and gets drunk off of one Miller Lite. She has tried eating more in the past but quickly gets scared off of it when she sees the scale go up a few pounds. Oh yeah… Emily checks her weight everyday.
Emily is redlining and doesn’t have the energy to explore relationships and feels lonely.
Now the second person let’s call ‘Buff Guy Bill’. Bill benches 315 pounds, squats and deadlifts 400 pounds, and never gets intimidated in public.
A lot of guys wishes they could be as strong as Bill. But let’s talk directly to Bill and hear what he has to say.
Bill is mind numbingly bored of his workout routine at this point. He hasn’t gotten stronger in at least 2 years. He has pain in his shoulders and back on a near daily basis.
Much like ‘Energetic Emily’ he doesn’t really have the energy to explore outside relationships and has found himself to be quite lonely.
Bill has tried to lose some weight in the past but always stops when he notices his strength diminishing at all.
Bill feels hopelessly stuck.
So what is the answer for Emily and Bill?
Well there isn’t a one sized fits all answer to people in these situations.
There are certainly general principles I would encourage them to adopt more in their lives. Things such as:
prioritizing more strength training for Emily
prioritizing more diverse movements for Bill
increasing protein and spend time getting stronger for Emily
eating more fruits and veggies and improving painful movements for Bill
What these two need to do more than anything is face their fears and shift the way they view health & fitness.
These two have lost the middle ground.
Emily thinks as long as she is skinny she will be happy…. even though she IS skinny and ISN’T happy.
Bill thinks as long as he is stronger than the average guy at the gym he’ll be happy… even though he IS strong and ISN’T happy.
Sometimes we stay glued to our belief systems despite overwhelming evidence to their ineffectiveness.
The hardest thing to do is changing minds.
It’s a part of what my job is as a gym owner and trainer.
My success rate at getting people to lose weight is very good.
My success rate at getting people to get stronger is very good.
My success rate at getting people to change the way they view health & fitness is barely breaking even.
That used to discourage me. But I understand that with enough time and patience people can find their ways to the right answer. I just need to guide them there when they are ready.
Emily and Bill might not be ready to face the truth. You might not be either.
But….
You might be ready. And if you’re ready to change… I’m ready to help.
p.s. I’ll leave you with one more meme of course
