Training For Results Or Just Fitness Training For The Sake Of It?

I read a great book recently - it's called 'The Four Hour Work Week' by Timothy Ferris.

I'll get to how this relates to fitness training.

Instead of getting carried away with a number like only 4 hours of work - which i'm sure is possible depending on the type of business or working conditions you are prepared to create - it is worth applying the principles anyway.

Imagine how much of a better lifestyle you would have if you were able to go from 60 hours to 30 while getting just as much achieved!

One of the principles in the book is the now famous 80/20 rule for looking at what smaller percentage of your actions actually create the most results. Then you can trim out many unnecessary actions and focus on those that are most productive.

Also maintaining more focus and cutting out all those time wasting and distracting activities that reduce productivity is another big area.

Another is automating and delegating as much work as possible to free up your time and energy for what is really important.

These areas and others can be seen in the terrible condition of 'Work for works sake'! Having to look like you are busy. Being 'busy' but not being productive. Doing unimportant and distracting tasks etc.

This is where i want you to start to think fitness. How many people out there are simply training for the sake of training?

Spinning their wheels but being totally unproductive? Actually this is a very real description of what some people do in a spinning class - turning their legs too fast and achieving very little actual work!

Now i know physical activity is enjoyable to many people - addictive even. Therefore training for the sake of enjoying it is certainly a choice.

I think you only need to ask questions of what you are doing if you have certain goals in mind - then there is the issue of progress or not? Is more always better? Not Usually.

I remember reading about a Tae Kwon Do competitor years ago who was describing this training state in himself. He would train at every given opportunity, never really taking the time to rest much at all. Eventually he realised this and for the sake of health, injury avoidance, and improved performance had to choose a more intelligent approach.

This was the first time i remember realising for myself that more does not equal better when you are trying to improve at something specific - certain long endurance activities aside. Even many traditional endurance practices now emphasise a good amount of quality work not just more quantity.

Going back to the book, i would say that the 80/20 rule applies and that those times of higher intensity and harder work provide 80% of the results.

Personal Training, Bootcamps, and classes certainly help to cut out the time wasting and distraction and focus effort.

Surely you can't automate and delegate your training though - someone else can't do it for you!

You're right, but once again, those shorter more intense sessions will lift metabolism and burn more fat while you are not training.

Resistance training will stimulate lean muscle mass, which will again raise metabolism and burn more fat while you are not training.

Eating enough protein as part of your regular balanced meals will also up metabolism and burn more fat.

So while you still have to do the work, you can make intelligent choices that mean your body gets the absolute most out of that work.

Be an efficient Everyday Athlete!!

Cheers,

Steve Cork
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk
www.everydayathletes.co.uk