Do this! Do that! Don’t do this! Don’t do that! Stop doing that exercise!
Fitness “influencers” and their ideas are popping up everywhere – if we could just get past their hundreds of selfies! No matter what your personal fitness goals may be, the world of health and fitness gets very confusing and complex in the swamp of mass information. Some influencers can be helpful, but others are more confusing and can provide detrimental information.
As a mid-aged male, I was born into a world of sports and fitness. Instead of “influencers” I learned from mentors and great coaches who focused on top conditioning and training. I also learned from fitness magazines from the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s that were extremely instructional and featured top professionals in the fitness world.
For example; how does Arnold Schwarzenegger train his biceps? How does Lee Haney train his legs? What’s Cory Everson’s diet? All three are multiple Mr. or Miss Olympia winners. They taught with clear cut instruction.
Today, with social media and the internet’s mind boggling amount of information, it can freeze us into confusion instead of helping us to exercise. The best way to combat this and get into a consistent exercise and fitness program: Keep It Simple!
Here are some ways to simplify and increase your chances of seeing real results:
Suit Up and Show Up
The biggest, heaviest weight/rep we will ever do is getting to the gym, court, field, etc. It all centers in the mind. Getting out the door and into the gym is the biggest obstacle we face. 80% of life is showing up. For me, I don’t want to work out most of the time, but when I enter the gym I am quickly motivated. I see like-minded individuals that suited up and showed up. I am then cemented in for a good workout.
Make Working Out a Lifestyle
A lifestyle is a way a person lives their life, encompassing their habits, values, choices, and overall manner of living. It’s a reflection of their interests and priorities – like exercise and eating habits. After enough suiting up and showing up to the gym, court or field, it will turn into a lifestyle.
Participate in a Culture
A lifestyle becomes a culture, which encompasses the shared beliefs, values, behaviors, and practices of a group of people. It’s the “Way of Life” of a particular group. Consistent work creates a progressive pattern. Suiting up and showing up to a lifestyle, to a culture, is a well proven formula to reach our number #1 priority – our health.
Focus On Three Key Components
- The Workout (In the gym, court, field etc.): This encompasses suiting up and showing up. I recommend 30 minutes to 2 hours maximum.
- Diet: There is a morass of opinion and debate, littered with fad diets designed to make some individuals rich, not to help us reach our #1 priority. Five world-renowned health organizations all agree on eating a well-balanced diet, drinking enough water, and exercise. It’s simple. Our bodies need the 3 macro nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats).
For example, fad diets can hammer on that carbs are the enemies. When in fact, our bodies need carbohydrates for energy. A basic guide is: 60% carbohydrates, 25% protein, 15% of good fats. Obviously, we can arrange/adjust these percentages for our fitness goals – but keep it simple and eat a well-balanced diet.
- Rest: Get 6-8 hours of good sleep nightly. Sleep is where the anabolic process occurs, which is the rebuilding of our muscles. Proper rest and recovery is vital to any fitness program.
Also, an important rest component is time/rest between workout sets. This is what intensity really means in working out – not the amount of weight lifted, or number of reps, or the duration of a workout.
20-30 second rest = 50% of recovery
40 second rest = 75% of recovery
60 second rest = 85%-90% of recovery
3 minute rest = 100% of recovery
For me, I use my cell phone to time 1 to 1½ minutes between sets.
Keep an open mind. There is a lot of beneficial information available – but don’t let the easy access to mass information paralyze you from taking action. I have learned personally and empirically, through 44 years of working out in a gym, to keep it simple and all else will follow.
Suit up and show up consistently. Make exercise a lifestyle, and that will lead you into being part of a supportive culture. Focus on the three key components: exercise, diet, and proper rest. The human body is the best machine and chemist on earth. Work with your body and wisely keep health as your #1 priority.
References:
- World Health Organization (WHO); https://www.who.int
- United Nations General Assembly HIgh-Level Meeting on Health: https://uhc2030.org
- World Health Summit: https://worldhealthsummit.org
- International Conference on Nutrition: https://pcrm.org
- American Public Health Association: https://apha.org
- Merriam-Webster: https://merriam-webster.com
- NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training- Sixth Edition page 355
