Know Any Runners?
They may find this article interesting.
People are naturally curious about this little workout group of ours. It's undeniable that people who work hard at our program and eat properly see significant results...not only in body composition, but in mobility, strength, endurance, and coordination. Working hard at our program alone (minus the nutrition guidance provided) will provide results, however, to a much lesser degree. So, what's my point?
Sum it up this way: If you want to change something...be it how you look, feel, or perform, eat the way you are told to eat. Quit beating your brains out in the gym and expecting things to change without first addressing your eating habits. Simple enough. If you don't want to change anything...GREAT. Keep doing what you are doing. But if you are serious about change...do what you are told for 90 days...then decide how well this program works.
Back to the runners: if running is all they want to do...then that's OK. But why would anyone want to be a specialist at something that is less likely to provide the results they are probably looking for? Most people "run" or "jog" in order to accomplish some goal other than being a better runner. The "other" goals might be "weight loss" or "better endurance". But the activity they see as a means to their end is not the best method for "losing weight" or "better endurance". In fact, a fitness program consisting of only running can be more damaging than beneficial. "Hitting the gym" for a quick lifting session is encouraged...but what does that mean? A few bicep curls and bent-over rows for "back and bi's day"? Weightlifting should include significantly heavy resistance exercises. The kind of resistance that can hurt you if you do it wrong. That's right...danger should be included in your workout. That doesn't mean you do things that are unsafe, but you should do things that require intense concentration on doing it right every time. If you want to take it easy, don't waste your time in the weight room.
As for putting "weight loss" into quotations...well, it's just plain dumb to use the typical bathroom scale to gauge your fitness. Quit fooling yourself. "Less weight" does not equal "more fit". "Rock hard abs" does not equal "more fit". "Celebrity weight loss" dramas do not equal "more fit". There's thousands of articles written every year by great coaches that explain why this is. Do the research and familiarize yourself with true fitness .
"Let's go for a walk to burn off a few calories"...is a statement you hear from people who think they are "fit". Working out is not designed just to burn calories...although at one time I believed this to be true. Working out should have a goal. For most people, that goal is to be functionally fit for the rest of their lives. That means picking up the grandkids, jumping a fence to avoid a rabid dog, or simply getting up off the toilet without help from another human being. For others, there are specific goals. Sport-specific training should be initiated after working on general physical preparedness. I often wonder why parents put their kids into every sport imaginable without first putting them on a consistent regimen of conditioning. A conditioning regimen that includes a focus on mindset, nutrition, mobility, strength, endurance and coordination. But I digress...
"That guy is in really good shape...he can run a marathon in under three hours" is another statement you might hear relating to one's fitness. Yeah, well how about his deadlift? Can she do 20 pull-ups?
OK, enough of the rants...my idea here was to encourage you to encourage your running friends to get off the cold, dark, icy streets this winter and join our merry band of fitness lunatics. I can guarantee they will be better runners if they don't do so much running. But they gotta drink the Kool-aid.
People are naturally curious about this little workout group of ours. It's undeniable that people who work hard at our program and eat properly see significant results...not only in body composition, but in mobility, strength, endurance, and coordination. Working hard at our program alone (minus the nutrition guidance provided) will provide results, however, to a much lesser degree. So, what's my point?
Sum it up this way: If you want to change something...be it how you look, feel, or perform, eat the way you are told to eat. Quit beating your brains out in the gym and expecting things to change without first addressing your eating habits. Simple enough. If you don't want to change anything...GREAT. Keep doing what you are doing. But if you are serious about change...do what you are told for 90 days...then decide how well this program works.
Back to the runners: if running is all they want to do...then that's OK. But why would anyone want to be a specialist at something that is less likely to provide the results they are probably looking for? Most people "run" or "jog" in order to accomplish some goal other than being a better runner. The "other" goals might be "weight loss" or "better endurance". But the activity they see as a means to their end is not the best method for "losing weight" or "better endurance". In fact, a fitness program consisting of only running can be more damaging than beneficial. "Hitting the gym" for a quick lifting session is encouraged...but what does that mean? A few bicep curls and bent-over rows for "back and bi's day"? Weightlifting should include significantly heavy resistance exercises. The kind of resistance that can hurt you if you do it wrong. That's right...danger should be included in your workout. That doesn't mean you do things that are unsafe, but you should do things that require intense concentration on doing it right every time. If you want to take it easy, don't waste your time in the weight room.
As for putting "weight loss" into quotations...well, it's just plain dumb to use the typical bathroom scale to gauge your fitness. Quit fooling yourself. "Less weight" does not equal "more fit". "Rock hard abs" does not equal "more fit". "Celebrity weight loss" dramas do not equal "more fit". There's thousands of articles written every year by great coaches that explain why this is. Do the research and familiarize yourself with true fitness .
"Let's go for a walk to burn off a few calories"...is a statement you hear from people who think they are "fit". Working out is not designed just to burn calories...although at one time I believed this to be true. Working out should have a goal. For most people, that goal is to be functionally fit for the rest of their lives. That means picking up the grandkids, jumping a fence to avoid a rabid dog, or simply getting up off the toilet without help from another human being. For others, there are specific goals. Sport-specific training should be initiated after working on general physical preparedness. I often wonder why parents put their kids into every sport imaginable without first putting them on a consistent regimen of conditioning. A conditioning regimen that includes a focus on mindset, nutrition, mobility, strength, endurance and coordination. But I digress...
"That guy is in really good shape...he can run a marathon in under three hours" is another statement you might hear relating to one's fitness. Yeah, well how about his deadlift? Can she do 20 pull-ups?
OK, enough of the rants...my idea here was to encourage you to encourage your running friends to get off the cold, dark, icy streets this winter and join our merry band of fitness lunatics. I can guarantee they will be better runners if they don't do so much running. But they gotta drink the Kool-aid.
Comments