Do you train or just workout?
This is a valid question for everyone and not just athletes because we live in a world where time is money and no one has any.
People who just workout exercise mindlessly. They have no clear goal or regimen. They might walk or run on the treadmill or elliptical for 30 minutes. Then lift weights for sets for another 30 minutes. Go home. Repeat 3-4x per week. They look the same 5 years later. Working out is built on the false idea that quantity equals quality. But who has time to spend 3-4 HOURS “working out” every single week and have nothing to show for it?
Not I nor my clients.
Training is about clear goals and tracking progress. Training is about results. Training is about quality. That’s why all of my clients keep a training log. So we can track, week by week, our progress towards their goals. Because if they aren’t making progress, I’m not doing my job and both of us know it immediately.
Because time is precious, we do not have time to waste on working out. Quality should trump quantity for better results in less time.
How You Can Begin Training Instead of Working Out
I’ve compiled a list of ways and references to ways that you can begin training instead of working out today because I want you to have more time to spend with your families while reaching your goals. Fitness is not supposed to be drudgery, but to enhance your life experience! Implement these and I guarantee you will be light years ahead of the general population who is clueless about how to get healthy.
- Set some fitness goals. I suggest that you triage your goals and only work on one or two things at a time. This gives you a clear focus. Switch focuses when competence is reached or every three months. Check out my Goal-Setting Guide here, here, here and here to begin today.
- Keep a training log. This doesn’t have to be fancy-schmancy. A notebook will suffice. When you train, write down every single thing you did with the weight you used and the duration of exercise. Keep notes of how you felt that day, what you found difficult, what you felt strong in, and your overall feeling of your training session.
- Measure your inches. Weight means nothing. Inches are everything. If you want an accurate measure of progress, get a $1 clothing tape measure and begin tracking your inches, either once a week or once a month. I recommend measuring in the A.M., right when you get out of bed and go pee and do it naked. I measure bicep circumference, chest, waist, belly button, hips and thigh. You can add neck, shoulders and calf if you wish.
- Get a coach. Hiring a coach is the easiest, quickest, safest, and most effective way to reach your training goals. I hire coaches. And a great coach will not only design a program to take you from point A to point B, but will educate you along the way so you can safely train on your own when needed. Yes, I am a coach, but there are lots of quality coaches out there, so you have lots of options. I will say that you usually “get what you pay for” in life so it pays to invest in quality coaching. When considering hiring a coach, do not be afraid to ask lots of questions and essentially interview him or her. You want a good fit and you definitely want someone who knows what they are doing. Read reviews and even talk to former or current clients for even more info. I will be offering online coaching soon, so look out for this exciting opportunity!
- Design a quality program. This is difficult to do without a coach and is much more involved than pulling the latest workout out of Men’s Health or Cosmopolitan. But here are a few pointers that will help you know how to increase the quality of your training – focus on compound, whole-body movements like squats, push-ups, pull-ups, and picking heavy stuff up off the ground properly. Burn fat with high quality cardio in less time, with kettlebells, sleds, and sprints. In general, less is more. Go up in weight, decrease reps. 3 to 4 sets of 4-8 reps is great for weighted exercises. Reps can increase for bodyweight exercises (in the 10-15 range) but do not skimp on technique for a higher quantity. (Download your free Full Body Blast One Month Program by clicking here)
- Track your progress. Progress takes time and sometimes gains are small but look at your training logs, the weight you use and how you feel. If you are not making slow steady progress week by week, all stress and life craziness aside, then something is not right and perhaps you should modify your program.
I encourage you really put these six steps into practice and not just read them and think, Good idea. You will either be closer to your desired body in the next 30 days or not. Which will you choose?
Do you workout or train? What is one thing you know would improve your life if you implemented it immediately? Share it in the Comments Section Below!
Take the guesswork out of what to do in the gym for results by downloading this free, done-for-you, one-month bodyweight program. No equipment necessary. Will you be stronger, fitter, and more confident in the next 30 days? Click here to download your free program now.
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Gerilyn Burnett helps women multiply their energy & appreciate their bodies so that they follow through on their goals and double their impact by implementing vibrantly healthy lifestyles they LOVE! She specializes in helping Christian women cultivate health to the glory of God. Her own journey from miserable, fat, stuck, and tired to fit, confident, vibrant, and delicious make her uniquely suited for this mission! She has a knack for creating contagious healthy experiences and providing the needed support and accountability that turn diets into lifestyles and dreams into realities. Get started on your journey to vibrant vitality for life here.