It's All About Intensity

Part I - Why People Fail to Work Hard Enough

I see WAY too many people who have been consistently going to the gym for months, years, and some DECADES, and they seem to look exactly the same. You have seen them too. You know them. They may be YOU!

Why? What’s the problem? You are doing everything you thought was the right thing to do.

You may come and do 3-5 aerobic or group fitness classes a week. You may go through the weight training circuit machines or your favorite free weight exercise and “feel the burn”. You may get on a treadmill, bike or elliptical trainer and get a sweat going. Sure you feel better, you know you are doing good things for your body; it clears your mind and makes your day go smoother. But, in the end, you don’t really look like you spend that much time in the gym.

Well, that may be where the answer lies. It’s entirely about how much time you put in at the gym but how much energy you put in. The secret to success is in the intensity.

You have to work HARD and consistently work hard to see results (in addition to a nutritional plan that is in line with your goals).

The vast majority of people I see training (notice how I use the word ‘train’, not exercise), just do not work hard enough.

Here a few of the key reasons for this, in my opinion:

1. Fear

This is a big one. People are afraid of looking dumb or having people look at them in the gym. They don’t want to grunt and groan or sweat and swear. That may attract attention. People may talk about them.

Reality Check…

"Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway." That is a very good book for people who let fear be an obstacle to attaining their goals and getting the most out of life. My husband and I tell each other that a lot and I tell my clients that a lot also. That feeling of fear is simply lack of self esteem and self confidence trying to bring you down. Defy it! Once you start doing things that are outside of your realm of comfort, you will really start accomplishing things you never thought possible.

"Talk is NOT Cheap" – If people are talking about what you are doing in the gym, good or bad, consider it a good thing. You are being a trend setter and generating conversation. You are getting them to think outside the box.

So they may be saying…

"Did you see what ______ what doing at the gym the other day. That looked so weird. What was that all about?"

OR

"_________ was making so much noise training at the gym yesterday. What’s up with that?"

But what they are really thinking is …

"I wish I could work that hard. Maybe I would be as strong, or fit, or look as good as _________ if I started putting that kind of effort or energy into my training."

OR

"I have been doing the same exercises forever. Maybe I should add something like that into my program."

Don’t let fear stand if your way of making true progess in the gym and in life.

2. Lack of Knowledge

As a personal trainer, I hear this one often. More often than not, people are more than willing to do whatever they are told to do once they are given the information and shown proper technique.

Reality Check…

Invest in You - This is where the expertise of a personal trainer is essential and a worthwhile investment.

I will often hear people say they cannot afford the services of a personal trainer. Although, these are many of the same people who will spend $100’s of dollars going out to dinner every weekend or on alcohol, cigarettes or daily caffeine fixes – all things that are not assisting them in achieving their goals. If you added up all the money that is spent on ‘extras’ in a month, you will find the extra funds needed to invest in your body, your health, your FUTURE.

3. Underestimate Ability

This one that I focus on with my clients. I strongly believe that by setting limits on what you think you are capable of, inside or outside of the gym, is very defeating. Once you start eliminating the caps that we mentally put on everything from how far you see ourselves going in our careers or how many pushup you believe you should be able to do, you will start seeing real progress.

Reality Check…

"If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It." – Break through barriers. Think outside the box. Shift your paradigms. Set bigger goals. Envision things you never would have thought possible. See yourself reaching that unattainable goal and you will be one step closer to making the dream a reality.

I will give you a personal example. I have many of them, but I have one that is on the forefront of my mind when this topic comes up.

The 200 lb squat

Start living a "no barriers" attitude and you will be blown away at what you can accomplish.

4. Apathy

It’s quite hard to rank these reasons. Each one I come to I think "This is a major one." Apathy could easily be ranked as #1. It often goes hand in hand with all the other reasons listed here. It could have been called "boredom", "Indifference", "routine", "Complacency"… you get the point. Basically, you go to the gym at pretty much the same time each day, the same days of the week and do the same thing. Day after day, week after week, year after year with some variation. But overall, you get bored and just get into a rut.

Reality Check…

Change it Up and Often! – Your body needs to constantly be stimulated and challenged in new and different ways. Change your training program every 4-6 weeks. Some highly trained people change it more often than that. Everyone is different. Some people respond and adapt to training very quickly. I am one of those people. I need to change my program in some way every 2-4 weeks. But everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, should change their program in some way by 8 weeks.

The body gets stronger, quicker, more powerful, leaner, bigger… by adapting to whatever stimuli it is given. Our bodies are amazing machines. They will adapt to that stimuli and set a new “normal”. This is why marathon runners can go out for a 10 km run and it would be like a walk in the park to them. Their bodies are used to that and have adapted. This is also why you can go to aerobics classes for years and look the same. Your body adapted after the initial few weeks of those “new” classes. After years of the same routine, your body tolerates the activity just like it does getting out of bed, walking down stairs, running for the bus or chasing your toddler around the house. It does not consider it a challenge.

You can see how fear, lack of knowledge and underestimating your abilities all fall into place here. You don’t change it up because you are afraid of the new exercises, the harder load or the faster pace. You don’t design a new program because you don’t know where to start, what formula to use, what exercises work what muscle group.

This is also where a personal trainer is a real asset. A good personal trainer will keep you on your toes – you and your body won’t know what to expect next. Just when you are starting to get used to an exercise or routine (you have adapted) it will be time for something new. (note: be leery of personal trainers who give you a 3-month program… you may need to question their experience / knowledge).

A training partner can also help overcome a rut. With two heads generating ideas and sharing exercises you have twice the training tools to pick from.

Even though I often question the information found in fitness magazines – from bad form to misleading labeling, they can be good motivation to get you to the gym or inspire you to try something new.

5. Lack of Energy

Not to be confused with apathy, lack of energy relates more to not properly fueling body for an intense training session. Those of you who do train with intensity, may recall days where you could not continue your training session because you felt like you were out of gas.

Signs may include:

  • Yawning
  • Lack of focus or concentration
  • Sudden Sweats or Overheating
  • Neasea
  • Light-headed
  • Headache
  • Muscle Cramping
  • Extreme Lethargy

Reality Check…

Fuel Your Body – You need to fuel your body before, during and after exercise. Without getting into an in-depth science lesson, research has shown that proper nutrient timing for training is to drink a fast absorbing mix of carbohydrates and protein. This combination is the best choice for fueling your body during training. And not just for weight lifters but also for endurance athletes such as runners. We have long known the benefits of liquid carbohydrates (i.e. Gatorade) but the information coming out on combining that with a fast absorbing protein (Casein and/or whey protein powder) is more recent.

This does not have to be an expensive or inconvenient supplement. This may mean a banana and milk or pineapple and yogurt.

Although, for the serious trainee or athlete, a liquid form is still the best choice as it is the quickest digesting. Proper supplementation for a competitive athlete or bodybuilder could make the difference of an extra a few seconds off the finish time, an extra few pounds on the bar or one percent less body fat.

Get Adequate Rest – Sleep, scheduled rest and relaxation and active rest are key to an energetic workout also. If training is a priority to you, proper sleep should be an equal priority. By simply, replacing the nighttime TV watching with a relaxing pre-sleep routine, getting your required 6-8 hours of sleep, taking a bit of time for you during the day and waking at the same time each day, you will notice almost immediately improvements in your energy levels.

DE Coaching Team

Krista Schaus PICP CPT
Ontario CANADA krista@definingedge.ca

Kate Kline PICP CFT
Arizona USA
kate@definingedge.ca

DE Client Services

info@definingedge.ca

 

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