NP fitness

When it comes to exercise, there are fundamental differences between training and “working out”.  

The benefits of exercise are extensively listed, but in a nutshell, they improve health markers, body composition and performance measurements.  It really does come down to just those three categories.  While it’s true that “something is better than nothing”, having an exercise plan will always beat out just going for a run, or doing as many pushups as possible.

First, when someone states a clear goal that can be met by exercising, training for that goal becomes imperative.  An example would be someone who wants to run a 5k in 16 weeks and has never run more than a mile (1.6k) straight.  That person needs to add a little over 3.5k to their personal best.  The analogy would be someone who plans a road trip. You have a destination, you have a time frame, and you need a map.  If you just say, ‘Well I just have to drive south and I’ll get there at some point’ might work, but you will not get there in time.  It’s the same thing with exercise.  If you blindly put together a random selection of exercises with no regard for where you will be 4 months from now, you might see results, but I’d rather plan it out.  Let’s go back to the runner.  I tend to favor aerobic intervals.  Here is the map:

Month 1, Weeks 1-3: 1600-3200 meters of volume, heart rate recovery

Month 2, Weeks 1-3: 2000-4000 meters of volume, timed recovery

Month 3, Weeks 1-3: 2400-4800 meters of volume, timed recovery

Month 4, Weeks 1-3: 2800-5200 meters of volume, timed recovery

The fourth week of every month is a recovery week.

Second, training requires patience and acceptance of the fact that there will be highs and lows throughout the process.  Most people who just exercise to get their heart rate up, or to sweat are just chasing the effect and will most likely plateau after a few months.  If you look at a stock’s year to date chart you will notice a couple of things.  The price of the stock rises and lowers, but over the course of 4 months, there is a small increase that adds up a lot.  Take a look at McDonald’s:

Back in January the stock hovered around $76.  Now it’s up to $95 or so, and even though there were plenty of dips along the way, it’s still up about 25%.  It’s the equivalent of going from a 200 pound bench to a 250 pound bench.  Training is very similar to this chart in that there will be days, weeks, or even months where exercise intensity will lower to allow recovery from fatigue in order to see gains.  Just leaving exercise up to chance will lead to disappointment and few results.

The take home message is that exercise is a powerful tool to make a positive change in a person’s life, if approached smartly.  People have varying degrees of motivation and skill, and training towards a goal provides a way to build on those qualities.