What if Money Was No Object: A Self Indulgent COVID-19 Blog

Hello there, this was originally going to be a newsletter about ways you can train on your own. However, I'll go ahead and throw in a little of my own "self-indulgent this sucks story." I guess I'll be another person filling up your Gmail inbox: What Would You Do If Money Was No Object? In 2013 I decided to take six months off from work to do nothing but train and fight in Thailand. I was 31, hit my current career goals, and figured now was the time to live the life that 15-year-old me wanted to. This trip started with raveling around Thailand for two months, trying different spots until I found the one I felt would be best for me. For me, this was Sitsongpeenong in the outskirts of Bangkok.

An artist rendering of all of us trying to stay positive around March 17th

What Would You Do If Money Was No Object?

In 2013 I decided to take six months off from work to do nothing but train and fight in Thailand. I was 31, hit my current career goals, and figured now was the time to live the life that 15-year-old me wanted to. This trip started with raveling around Thailand for two months, trying different spots until I found the one I felt would be best for me. For me, this was Sitsongpeenong in the outskirts of Bangkok. Traditionally in Muay Thai everyone does a long jog in the dark a.m. to kick off the training day. I remember one particular morning starting for the run and thinking to myself the usually hypothetical question, "if money was no object, what would you do?" I realized I had hit it. In Thailand I was fully immersed in the sport I loved since I was 14, training hard, surrounded by like-minded people, between workouts reading voraciously, going to fights and village markets, fun-filled communal meals in "the camp." Gyms are called camps in Thailand, in no small part because you eat, live, train in the same spot. Maybe if I were a millionaire, I'd have some extra fancy gear, but even then probably not. I'm not saying I wanted my life to be this forever or even for 5 years, but for this moment in time, "this was it."

Fast Forward

Leaving the situation I detailed above is also slightly melancholic because you ask yourself, sure things will be cool, and there will still be life's high points. But will I ever hit that "what if money was no object?" moment ever again? For most of 2013-2019 I was pretty content with the answer being "no," and consider myself to be a blessed to be the rare lucky person to attain that sort of consciousness congruency at least once. I felt that way until about mid 2019. The business is great, I feel younger at 38 than I did at 28. Right before all of this happened, I felt like I had created that ideal life again. Here's a secret, if I had all the money in the world, I would still train people, write programs, and make fitness content. All be it with Uber rides instead of ever getting on the F-train again, better videography, and possibly some custom steaks delivered to my door. I'm not special, nor are any of the hundreds of million of us. People have been having their ideal (and not so ideal) life disrupted by things out of their power since people have been people. I just wish if I had to deal with this, it would have happened when I was younger and didn't have my shit together anyway. I think there are two extremes to avoid in processing this disruption. The one extreme is the "why me, this is the worst thing ever to happen." And the other, "well, I didn't have my family murdered by Vikings, and my village burned down, so I shouldn't admit this sucks at all." There is probably a more happy medium.

So, Enough About Me

Many, if not most of take for granted how much walking in our commute adds a necessary dynamic stretch for our hips and lower back Here is a strategy you can try. Set an alarm for shortly after you wake up, mid-day, and the early afternoon when most of begin to reach for that second or third cup of coffee. For each of these alarms perform some workday resilience. Here is an example of one, knees-to-chest dynamic stretch:

Your Body Is A Son-Of-A-Bitch

So, I hope you enjoy this attention grabbing headline. That being said your body is an amazingly adaptive, resilient, complex, some might argue divinely inspired machine. However, when it comes to fat loss it is indeed a son-of-a-bitch. But for good reason. In a not-entirely scientific blog I’m going to talk about why. Also, why tons and tons of yoga and cardio is just going to make you “skinny-fat.”

If your genes didn’t at some level tell your body to store fat they would not have made it this far in evolution. In the rapidly developing nascent study of genetics, science is discovering evidence that are genes “remember” famines. Fat is an essential component for energy as well as hormone production. Your genes survived this long because your body is efficient at storing fat for times of famine and want. Also, it takes little to no energy for your body to keep this fat around. It’s not evolutionary costly. So, what about muscle? Your body sees muscle beyond what is immediately required as a luxury. 

A coach of numerous physique and bodybuilding competitors I asked had this to say: 

“When I’m programming for photo shoots or stage, the primary goal is looking good and part of that is retaining muscle mass. While I like to maintain some sort of heavy training elements within the programming (i.e. 1 -2 compound exercises per workout, I tend to lean more towards hypertrophy programming ranges for the majority of the exercise."

I’m currently in week ten of a twelve week cut. The various motivations for this cut will be revisited in a following www.sayerfit.com newsletters, but one reason why my cut has been successful from an aesthetics stand point is that my program has largely consisted of big volumes of hypertrophy work (think generally the 8-12 rep range). To demonstrate here is a pretty sweet video of me doing my 4th set of 8 rep rack pulls at 378lbs.

So, my point. Your body is supremely adaptable. But what messages are you sending it? If you are cutting calories but only lifting 3lbs weights, the message you are sending is “food is low, need for muscles (which burns calories just existing) is low as well.”  You must threaten your body into building and retaining muscle.

Me after having less than a great time crashing to 159lbs

I say fat is like a car that's paid off already, not pleasing to look at, it does a job sure but you don’t even have insurance for it because it’s so replaceable. Muscle is an awesome sports/luxury (whatever your’e into) car that the insurance is through the roof because hey frankly “it’s fun and badass.” If you had this car and it cost $300 a month in insurance and you never got to drive it, would you keep it around? That’s how your body feels about a shapely pair of glutes, sick biceps, or pecs.

Gradual Cut 9 Years Later, Much Happier This Go Around.

So, this is in no way meant to be an all inclusive guide to your fat loss journey. But next time someone tells you they are planning to lose weight by drastic calorie cuts and Pilates (which is actually WWI era physical therapy), Yoga, and tons of cardio think about what adaptive signals might be sent to their body & brain and suggest they throw in some squats. Or don’t, unless you really care about their results because sometimes the best way to make an enemy is to tell someone something they need to hear (whoa things just got dark for a second). Ok, in closing I hope you gained a new insight or were at least entertained. If you want help with your own journey, I offer detailed training and nutrition programs customized to your schedule, gym access, and life $250 a month with Interactive Coaching.

Toxic Positivity

TOXIC POSITIVITY VS VICTORY EXPERIENCES 

This was one of the more popular Instagram posts I put out in the last month, so I though I would expand a bit on it. One of the several reasons why, in large, the "fitness" industry is cancer. Let's pretend I don't know you. And although I don't know you, or anything about you, or your goals, I want you to believe in yourself and be confident. This type of false cheerleading is one of the reasons people DON'T believe in themselves. If I simply tell you to be confident, with no actions or reasoning, of course, you won't be. You have no reason to be. Then maybe you'll wonder, "what's wrong with me?" Nothing is wrong with you; you're just not an idiot because you do not believe in something you have been given ZERO reason to. 

Before I delve more into why I despise the talking heads of the fitness industry, I feel the need to clear something up. I do not believe in negative reinforcement. I will never tell anyone they're not good enough or that your goals aren't necessary. I don't think that type of coaching is productive. It can be productive in specific environments, but it doesn't last, it is like setting the living room furniture on fire to stay warm. Sure, you achieve your goal but at the cost of eventually burning the whole house down. 

So why are the yoga pant clad ladies and fake smile gents of the fitness industry so nauseating? Because they tell you to believe in yourself but give you no justification. You're not stupid, you know this, people fail at things all the time. You're smart enough to know that you might be one of these people who does. But hey, "believe in yourself."

What is a possible answer? I think it is in a coach who facilitates VICTORY EXPERIENCES. An alternative to Jillian Michaels talking head or even worse Tracy Anderson (she is to fitness what ISIS is to humanity) "believe in yourself" schtick is to begin to create victory experiences. These need to be large enough to mean something but achievable enough to where it's not easy to find an excuse not to back out. 

I suggest you, or you and your coach, start wit action goals. Outcome goals can be tricky. To say I will squat 400lbs and I will lose 10lbs this month are goals that have numerous factors that are out of your control. If you are starting and need to build confidence, begin with a goal like, "I will walk into the gym." Just do that. If you're having a hard time starting, just walk inside, then you can go home. YOU DID IT! Then a day later, walk inside and do 10 min on a piece of equipment, it might not seem like much. However, you are doing what you said you would and building these victory experiences. Also, you are enforcing the habit of following through with assigned tasks.

For a nutrition client, I might start them out with "you need to write down everything you eat today." The trainee does not even have to show me, they can throw the piece of paper away tomorrow, but they need to be 100% honest with themselves and write everything down. Just that action of being honest with yourself, consciously knowing what they are eating in a day, and being accountable is a huge step. Boom! "You did it," that's a victory experience, "now you're on your way." 

If you need help to determine a course of action, and how to best build these victory experiences, message me so we can discuss the benefits of Interactive Coaching or to set up a consult. START TRAINING TODAY! 

6 Week Cut Progress

NOTE: Below, is re-blogged from my newsletter 1st Feb 2019.

I’m currently in the middle point of a diet for aesthetics. I’ve cut weight for fighting numerous times, but I’ve never followed a program specifically for aesthetics before. I have several  reasons for doing this.

 I feel that as a fitness professional there is a huge difference between being in the game 10 years growing constantly, and doing the same year over ten times. If you don’t try running the programs yourself how can you confidently implement them?

Maybe most importantly, the idea of being restricted in food (for comfort or socialization) and alcohol made me a little scared, to be honest. The idea of working a thirteen-hour day and then coming home and not being able to have something delicious made me uncomfortable. So, I felt this was something I had to do, we all know growth happens outside the comfort zone. Lastly, I need six pack abs if I’m ever going to destroy my enemies in the fitness world (not hyperbole).

I posted this photo recently on Instagram and I received a lot of positive feedback, for which I am very grateful. Also, all this encouragement I see as another layer of accountability, but even so, I felt the immediate urge to qualify it posting thIs comparison photo.

Posting this comparison photo I felt the immediate urge to qualify it. I wanted to say “hey you can still sort of kinda see the top two abs, or mention my recent squat/deadlift PR.” I felt the need to qualify looking puffy. I don’t really like the photo. Don’t like how I look, bad lighting (#fitspo is 85% lighting) but I think it’s important to share how much change can happen in 5 weeks. Also, I think it’s important if I’m going to LEAD you in your journey you understand I’m not a robot. I feel vulnerable, weak, and unsatisfied at times also. If I didn’t I wouldn’t be able to help you.
 

I wanted to say “Hey, you can still sort-of kinda see the top two abs,” or mention my recent squat/deadlift PR.  I felt the need to looking looking what I saw as puffy. I don’t really like the photo. I don’t like how I look, there’s bad lighting (#fitspo is 85% lighting), but I think it’s important to share how much change can happen in 5 weeks. That was a photo after completing week one of my diet and program. Also, I think it’s important if I’m going to LEAD you in your journey you understand that I’m not a robot. I feel vulnerable, weak, and unsatisfied at times. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to help you.

 THE DIET

I received several inquires to what the diet I’m doing includes. My knee jerk reaction was to explain it’s complexity with: “well you train like a Viking and don’t eat like an asshole, repeat to desired effect.” In all seriousness, well actually in all seriousness, DO THAT! But, to be more specific I simply tracked all my food, kept protein consistent, and slowly dialed down the calories for the energy macronutrients (fat & carbs). To get slightly more detailed I try to time carbs around my workouts. No foods are off limits except alcohol (the 5th food group).

For the most part everyone already knows how to get leaner. If I showed you grilled chicken and broccoli and then a plate of pasta, you know which is better for weight loss! Eighty percent of results from a weight loss plan is hitting the appropriate number of macro nutrients and total calories. A widely excepted rule of thumb that predates the world wide web, blogger “experts,” and skinny jeans is that you should have roughly one gram per pound of bodyweight. I don’t want this to turn into a discussion of protein, if you want to delve deeper look into the material published by Renaissance Periodization.

Also, I’m not drinking. This goes back to my main point that unless you want to get bodybuilding competition shredded, you already know how to lose weight. I especially already know! So, why am I successful (at the moment)? I have layers of accountability, I know why I’m doing this, and I have confidence in the program.

THE GIGGLE TEST

 Does your diet pass the giggle test? What do I mean by that? Well, if you tell someone your new cockamamie diet plan and their first reaction is a giggle it’s probably not the best idea. “Jill I’m only eating foods in blue packaging on even numbers of the the clock.” That being said, this diet will work at least at first. Because any diet that reduces the number of calories in versus out will work (for a time). Keto, let’s just cut the shit please. You don’t actually believe it’s a good idea you just want to be able to eat bacon wrapped avocados all the time.

LAYERS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

I have a coach. Yes, coaches need coaches, especially good ones! I have a very supportive girlfriend Cara (@captainstarbuck). As far as not drinking I told my girlfriend I was going to cut out alcohol on our anniversary until the project is done. Then on Christmas numerous people gave me bottles of whiskey. Which I asked Cara what that means people think? To which she replied: “well it’s because you’re like a man’s man, or they think you’re a functioning alcoholic, or a little of both.” Also, I now have this post on IG now I’m for my half-way mark, so I need to show change once I’m at 12 weeks. Next and maybe most important I paid money for this diet, I suggest you do too. This is isn’t even a sales pitch because I can’t legally tell you specific guidelines but I’m going to let you in on a secret I learned the hard way: people don’t respect things that are unconditionally free! So, throw down some cash. Even better keep a tally of all the money you’re saving by making your own meals and not drinking. Especially if you live in New York you’ll see this add up. Then get yourself something nice.

Also, postscript for next December my brand is Talisker.

Easy Meal Prep Under 10 min and $20

Meal prep is one of the less glamorous elements of your fitness journey. Especially if you are new to taking control of your nutrition, making pounds of chicken, sautéing vegetables, while you burn rice to the bottom of the pot can seem like a kitchen destroying Sisyphean task. Instead of letting this take the spirit out of you I am going to provide some easy meal prep ideas in a series of blogs that will soon be a e-pamphlet.

First Question

“What level of coaching are you at?” Nutrition coaching is often divided into three levels of intensity and detail. Most people will never need to be at level 3, unless you plan to compete in bodybuilding or physique. Even then though most advanced athletes/dieters cannot realistically stay at level 3 without psychological and/or physical burnout. In this level everything is taken into account. You are even measuring asparagus spears, nothing is eaten that you do not measure or weigh first. Also, a level 3 trainee is most likely timing their meals around their workouts for optimized muscle growth or fat loss. An example of detail the majority of that day’s carbs would be eaten in a three hour window arounds workouts. Whey protein would be consumed following a workout because of its quick absorption rate and casein taken prior to bed because of its slow release. For most individuals you will never need to be at level 3.

Myself after about two months of level 2 intensity and one month at level 3.

Level 2, I will define as you are measuring calories but you are not striving for the same level of accuracy. Also, timing is not really an issue. A note on accuracy, most food labels are estimated to only be within the 20-30% accurate range to begin with. For a food item to be close to 100% accurate every item would need to be placed in a bomb calorimeter.

Level 1 is simply basic consciousness of what you are eating. At level 1 you simply use your fist to measure protein, palm for carbs & vegetables, and your thumb to estimate fat.

Three common items less than 20 dollars. Also, I recommend purchasing broccoli florets and not cuts.

Four Meals Under Ten Minutes

For the level 3 trainee: divide the chicken into white meat and dark since you will enter them separately into your tracking app. Even if you are trying to cut I would recommend keeping the skin on at least the dark meat because of the vitamins. Next weigh four equal portions of each. Microwave the pre-packaged rice, use a spatula to divide each two serving packs into individual portions. Microwave your vegetables in a glass container and then divide those up. For the level two trainee, simply find in My Fitness Pal, or your chosen app, an entire rotisserie chicken then enter the serving as 0.25 of the whole chicken. The rice and vegetable set up is the same. If you are a level 1 trainee simply rip, shred the chicken up and use your eyeballs.

Cost Effective

This approach is not a only a great way for you to track your nutrition, but you can save considerable money. Especially if like me you live in New York City. I purchased all these items for under twenty bucks. The chicken was $7.99, two pre-cooked rice packs for $2.50 a piece, and two bags of broccoli for $2.49 a piece. I made four filling meals which in NYC would easily run $10-15 a piece. I chose not use oil on the rice and to keep the skin on the chicken for my fat calories. That being said each meal was still around 500 calories total. If you liked this article and would value more similar content please leave a comment below. Best of luck on your journey whatever your goals are. It will not happen overnight but probably will not take as long you think either. Be patient. strive to find satisfaction in the challenge and process.

“Patience is not simply the ability to wait, but rather how we behave while we’re waiting. ”

— -Joyce Meyer

Note using the lids for each container to make it easier to measure and divide the portions, the finished product (far right).

FAQ's: When Is It Time To Switch Up My Routine

Knowing When it’s time to switch up your routine: the first two questions I have to ask are 1-“are you still experiencing gains/progress.” 2-“are you experiencing pain that is possible from an overuse injury.” The answer to the second question could be changing exercises. Exercises from different angles can hit the same muscles. But I like to think of the joints and angles of pressure put on them being like a drip of water on a stone, if the pressure and strain on the joints and bones is always at the same angle you might be wearing down that same spot over and over.

To the first question, “are you still experiencing gains?” If the answer is NO, Don’t immediately look to the workout itself, first think about other factors. Your workouts do not happen in a vacuum. You have all types of stress, and most likely inconsistencies in your recovery. I swear I can have an identical diet and training protocol from one week to another and let’s say one week I get 6 hours of sleep and the next I’m getting 8, I see significant differences. This example is highly subjective but I swear I see cuts and muscles more filled out with everything else identical but I’m just sleeping more l. In fact science supports this theory as well. So, don’t always look to just the workout, look at your whole human biological experience.

It might be time to mix it up if you’re not having fun anymore! If you’re not going to be a powerlifter you don’t necessarily have to straight bar bench press. Switch it up, depth jump push ups, TRX push ups, dumbbell work, and even the Jacobs Ladder hits the chest. If you aren’t going to be a powerlifter you don’t necessarily have to barbell squat. Everyone needs to do some sort of squat but the variation can change. My recommendation for general fitness is to cycle a different squat every 4 weeks unless someone has a specific goal of adding weight to a specific style. Personally I start a clients squat journey by teaching the front squat first. Reason being I feel this is the most intrinsically less risky and practical. Less risky because if form seriously breaks down the weight simply falls. More practical because many of my clients lift something up in front of them (heavy hag, object, or child) but rarely do they ever throw something on their back and squat it.

So to sum things up, it’s time to change things up in my opinion if you’re: hurting, not making progress, or bored. Other than that keep getting after it!

BOSU Shame

So rather than just saying a certain exercise or modality is stupid, which is easy (and fun), I have chosen to go into some depth as to why I feel the BOSU Ball Squat & deadlift should be viewed with scorn. English essayist and moralist Samuel Johnson said: “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” I would argue that saying a nonsense exercise challenges your core strength is the last refuge of an incompetent trainer. 

The Dirty Secret

A large portion of fitness “professionals” are “slash trainers,” meaning that they don’t really train themselves and aren’t passionate about the subject. They have okay-ish physiques (maybe), one of the easier to acquire certifications, and they have another passion that is the main focus of their lives. Or, hey, it might just be that the circus wasn’t hiring that day (my case) or that Burger King required too much math, so, “Let’s be a trainer.” These people can often be seen playing on their phones while their clients flail around doing something next to meaningless. The result is also that effective means of training, especially ones that are difficult to teach, are passed to the side for low risk and lower reward moves. If you don’t know how to effectively program or explain the efficacy of an exercise such as the barbell squat or deadlift you can always throw someone on a BOSU ball, make them feel entertained, and take your paycheck. 

Efficacy of Training Balance

In and of itself, this is the subject of numerous studies which are not less than conclusive. First off, I believe there is never a reason to squat or perform any exercise focused on muscular development on the rounded portion of the BOSU ball. This teaches faulty movement patterns, and nearly always forces the trainee to collapse their ankles.

There are more effective ways to train balance and prevent injury through challenging synergist muscles (ones that assist the main muscle acting). Also, these exercises I’m about to list are great at pointing out asymmetry that might exist in your musculature left versus right. These are exercises where the foot can still be active and stable and adapting the body to asymmetrical loads similar to how they might need to be handled in real life and sport. A few examples are exercises like rear foot elevated split squats (a.k.a Bulgarian split squats), off-set deadlifts, and suit case carries. An important distinction being that balance is found by reinforcing postural integrity, meaning keeping the ankle-knee-hip organized in line, against an outside force. Similar to how you would have to pick up a heavy weight with one arm but not allow that to collapse your posture. One of my favorite tests for this is to progress from one single leg touch, to single leg deadlifts, to single leg rotational throws.

“Like, Core Strength, Bro”

I’ve heard the argument that unstable surface training activates more core musculature, thus burning more calories. This, frankly, is bullshit, pretty good bullshit, but bullshit none-the-less. Weight loss is a product of work output being greater than calories in. More core musculature is used squatting your bodyweight on a barbell, or even more core challenging, front squatting. Properly taught strength moves provide much more core stimulus than completion of a balance problem. 

Performing a lift on a BOSU or Indo Board  might be challenging. But is it challenging because you are taxing the musculature you want to develop or is it just a coordination puzzle? Also, squats and deadlifts are effective because your body is challenged to generate force production. If you take away your ability to do so with an unstable surface you have now negated the purpose of the exercise.

If your goals are to lose weight or gain muscle figuring out how to use weights far-far beneath sub-maximal on an unstable surface is as relevant as your goals as devoting 30 minutes of your training session to juggling. Often performing exercises on an unstable surface is used in physical therapy. I personally know this from rehabbing a severe tear of ligaments in my ankle. Physical therapy exercises have never been intended to drive aesthetic or performance adaptations. Which is what 99% of personal training clients are looking for and largely skewed towards the first of those two stated goals.

The Fallacy of Functionality

The term functional has become a bit of meme in fitness circles. In order for something to be functional it must have a function.  Are you going to be playing your sport on a wobbly surface or fighting someone in a row boat? I’ve regrettably seen hang cleans performed on unstable surfaces by competitive athletes. What is the purpose of the hang clean? It is to teach force production through triple extension. But when this exercise is performed on an unstable surface the weights that must be used are now ones that the athlete could probably bicep curl. So not only are you are practicing force production on a surface that does not mimic the field of play, you are now using weights that won’t drive the desired adaptation. 

#Themoreyouknow

I would encourage you to be ruthless in your exercise selection, if you cannot immediately and without doubt identify the purpose of an exercise in your routine, cut it. For the majority of you out there, you are balancing the gym with the rest of your life and you cannot afford fluff or modalities of dubious value. For competitive athletes, every second wasted on something that doesn’t produce quantifiable results could be used in recovery or increasing skill.  Remember it’s intelligent intensity that gets you the results you deserve. 

Respect for the Beginner

It’s natural for us as humans to want to compare, rate and rank. Now, let’s say you’ve been boxing and training for about a year. You now crave a good training session. The next few days after class your body no longer feels like it was hit by a car and will revolt against you any moment. Another human tendency, and one of our less admirable ones, is to gain a feeling of superiority by comparing ourselves to those less skilled. Remember you will always be a beginner compared to someone else out there.

Thailand Lessons

In Thailand over the course of 4 months I lived in a room underneath the gym at Sitsongpeenong Muay Thai Camp. I showed up to Sitsonpeenong with a couple of decades of experience, in shape (but still fat by Thailand standards), and 20 fights under my belt. However, compared to many of the Thai 16 year olds there, who will already have close to 100 professional bouts at that age, I was a rank novice. Also, fighters in camps such as the one I was at are usually there because there is no other choice for them and their family. Despite sweating all over the place, being comparatively a beginner with motivations most likely perplexing to someone fighting for survival, I was never treated with anything but respect. I strive to, although not always successfully, to remember this lesson in humility and graciousness.  

Back to New York

So, back to New York and group boxing classes. Even though you are now finding a “groove” there will be times when your motivation begins to flag. You might know exactly what to do at this point. “Jab,” “cross,” “slip,” and “weave,” are now all part of your vocabulary. You have all the right gear, you have a gym community, your comfort level is higher, yet still sometimes you might find it difficult to make it to the gym. Take a moment and think how much more of a challenge it is for someone new. Someone who feels awkward, doesn’t know anyone, and isn’t speaking the language yet. 

It’s Takes a lot of Heart to Begin

There is a difference between knowing because you’ve experienced something and knowing because you have been told something. If you have been in shape before, or used to be an athlete, you have a tremendous advantage over a beginner. You truly know that the results can and will happen with work, fuel, rest. The true beginner is venturing into uncharted territory with their body. In many ways what they are do is the more than just difficult, it’s courageous. They deserve our respect.

The Bloody Toothbrush Analogy

Regular exercise should be a habit. I understand that’s in an ideal world. Here’s a quick question: If you had a %90 percent chance of dying tomorrow what habits would you still keep? You would probably still want clean teeth, I’m guessing at least. So, take this in mind: It is purported by the historian Herodotus that the 300 Spartans (those people Kayne thinks are the Romans) passed time before the battle of Thermopylae by doing calisthenics, even though they were confident of impending death the next day. I’m not saying that level of exercise habit is realistic for most of us. However, just maybe skipping a workout to wait for January 1st or because Christmas is two days away is bullshit (especially in comparison).    

I try to remember that I enjoy working out, I always have. More so than enjoying it I see it as a non-negotiable. Exercise, if not actual structured training, is in the category of brushing my teeth. Now I try to be objective and remember to many people physical fitness is less like that and say more like say my Spanish CDs that are sitting around and might get vigorous use right before the possibility of a trip but otherwise lay unused. I mean, I haven’t finished them, and I bought them when people actually bought CDs!

Now to the bloody toothbrush analogy, I’m sure that brings up a lovely mental image, but I’m using it to drive home a point: exercise is like brushing your teeth. Steady and consistent wins the day, NOT “Beast Mode,” “training INSANE,” or other such silliness. If you skipped brushing your teeth for 3-4 minutes a day for 10 days would you try and catch up with a 40 min session of vigorous brushing? Basically when an untrained person comes up to me and says “I just started exercising and I’m doing 2 sessions a day, I can hardly move, it’s great!” My initial reaction would be the same as someone coming up to me with a bloody smile saying “just brushed for 2 hours, no cavities for this guy!” Yes, because you’re not going to have teeth soon. 

It’s not glamorous to start with modest goals. Also, much like sleep, you cannot back log exercise. Regular exercise, even 3 times 15 minutes a week, is great. I understand It’s not always glamorous to start with modest and achievable goals. However, I always cringe someone who has not been running in years, and is usually overweight, tells me they will be running a full marathon in 2 months. But that sounds so much more alluring than just committing to adopting better habits and sustained improvement over a lifetime. Start small. Start smart. If you can’t access or afford a knowledgable coach use resources that are science backed. Also, as a general rule gravitate towards the advice of those who aren’t trying to sell you a machine or product (especially those that seem too good to be true). It’s not glamorous. However, it also shouldn’t be expensive or that complicated. Start with a routine that is above all sustainable for life and minimize your visits to the orthopedic surgeon. 

Measuring Progress Versus Constant Variation

In this blog post I’m going to specifically focus on strength exercises and providing a counter point to proponents of constantly changing them, i.e. the good ole “muscle confusion” crowd. Although I am going to discuss strength exercises what I’m saying holds true for conditioning and sports as well. I would assume Michael Phelps probably swims more than once a week. Do you think his muscles are “confused” when he’s in the pool? Whether it's Usain Bolt at the track, or Gennady Golovkin on a heavy bag, athletes strive to perfect similar movements day in and day out. The best of them also include some cross training to balance out their bodies and prevent repetitive motion injuries. If you want the body of a well conditioned athlete, you should probably train like one. 

YOUR SQUAT WILL NEVER BE PERFECT

Perfect is not attainable, excellence is - but we will never be truly perfect at anything worthwhile. You will never “outgrow” the barbell squat, deadlift, overhead press, pull-up, etc. There will always be tweaks to get more out of the core lifts and movements. You can always gain by having a coach look at your benchpress. Once you start doing these “simple” movements you realize how infinitely layered mastering them becomes.  The statement that you “never outgrow the basics” is universally excepted by athletes in sports. However, sometimes I see this being forgotten in the gym. What are the basics? Universally speaking the movements (notice I said movements NOT muscle) of the squat, hip-hinge, push, and pull. 

A REASON YOUR TRAINER MIGHT NOT HAVE YOU SQUATTING OR DEADLIFTING

Quick disclaimer, a trainee might not be ready for these movements. In this article I'm specifically speaking about in shape, uninjured, reasonably fit clientele. A good deadlift, loaded carries (the farmer’s walk for example), and a good squat are true fitness “game changers.” Silly things done on a BOSU ball are not, even if your goal is weight loss. Weight loss is a condition of more work being done than calories entering the body, and very few exercises cause the body to work more than these three for example. However, these exercises take focus to learn. To be honest, a lot of you (not “you” you but that collective “you”) have the attention span of a gold fish. It’s easier to keep a low-commitment client “entertained” if things are constantly changing. 

Also, squats and deadlifts in particular take an experienced coach to teach. Not just someone who is the “rep-counter/gym babysitter” type trainer. Also, like anything rewarding, there is risk involved. If a trainer is only concerned with just making sure you are there to keep paying for sessions, your workouts might primarily be comprised of only low-risk and lower reward “entertaining” exercises. I see the same thing being done with boxing training. Clients being taught choreographed pad-work routines before they are anywhere near fundamentally sound to keep them entertained.

WHEN TO USE VARIETY

Most well thought out training programs include a phase that is some sort of General Physical Preparedness(GPP). At the base of the training pyramid is a period of acclimation to training, the body should be challenged in different ranges of motions, differing energy systems and rep-ranges. Accessory work, ("what is accessory work?" is a discussion for another time), is a perfect time to include some variation to keep things fresh. Also, there can be variation with in the movement itself (goblet squat versus barbell back squat for example). Changing rep schemes and rest periods can also be manipulated to keep things fresh. 

IN CLOSING

Training needs some metric to gauge progress: how many punches you can throw in a minute, mile run time, bench/squat/pull/press numbers. There is a place for variety. However, if you are constantly changing exercises and don’t have quantifiable numbers measure progress you will always be just “exercising” and never training.