Don’t Back Off

Have you ever seen that man or woman jogging by the same place at the same lethargic pace every day? Or maybe you’ve seen the other one who is always at the gym doing the same exercises with the same weights for the same amount of repetitions. No matter who you’ve seen doing the same mundane routine (it could even be you) over and over again, I can almost guarantee you one thing: their bodies haven’t changed in a long time.

When I was first beginning my exercise habits, I practically started on a whim, knowing next to nothing. I was not consulting with anyone who knew what they were doing, nor was I actively seeking out information from written sources. I just figured that if I went for a run all the time and did some bicep curls here and there, that I would magically become fit sooner or later. By the following summer, I was waking  up every morning and doing 30 slow-motion push-ups, followed by a 45-minute jog later on in the day. Every day. I saw results at the beginning; my waistline was slimming slightly, and my arms and chest were a little more toned than they were in my sedentary days, but the way I looked and the way my body could perform were not reflecting the amount of time I put into working out every day. What was the issue? My body got used to it.

Back in the days of hunting and gathering, humans were always active and food was very sparse at times. Our bodies’ incredible efficiency at storing energy and adapting itself to specific physical tasks was an enormous benefit back then. After all, it was only nature’s way of helping us survive: storing fat to prevent starvation and “figuring out” the daily tasks the body had to perform. The problem these days is that most of us have no problem finding some form of “food.” Furthermore, most of us do not depend on our physical capabilities to survive on a day-to-day basis. So in the modern world, one might say that our bodies are actually too efficient and too adaptable for the lifestyles we live. The physical mechanism doesn’t know the difference between someone who has to hunt for food and someone who sits in an office all day. All the body knows is that it is human, and it will do what the human body was designed to do: survive. (For a more in-depth look at “primal” fitness and nutrition, visit Mark Sisson’s Blog.)

So how do we apply this concept to the way we exercise so that we are constantly building a stronger body and avoiding the dreaded “plateau?” The answer is quite simple, though it may be easier said than done: challenge yourself. If you want to progress, you have to work hard. There are no secrets, gimmicks, or shortcuts when it comes to true fitness; what you put into your exercise habits is what you get out of them. Don’t be that person who is frustrated at the lack of change when he/she is jogging lightly for 30 minutes every day. Step out of your comfort zone if you want to move forward. Granted, if you are just beginning to exercise, a light jog may be enough to do you in. But no matter who you are, your workout should undoubtedly reflect your fitness level. Remember that the quality of the workout is not always measured in the amount of time it takes or the amount of weight you lift, but how hard you’re working to finish it. In other words, if you’re bench pressing 250lbs, I’d call that impressive…unless it’s easy for you. As soon as you don’t have to work hard to complete a workout, it’s time to step it up. Here are a few tips to help you start sophisticating your workout time:

-Instead of going for a moderate jog, try interval training. The supreme ruler of all ineffective workouts is the classic jog that many people still seem to revere. To make the workout more challenging and effective, trying sprinting in intervals. For instance, warm up with a walk or a light jog. Stretch your legs and then warm up again, this time preparing to sprint. As your speed increases, keep pushing yourself for 20-30 seconds as hard as you can possibly go. Then walk it off for a minute to a minute and a half and repeat for a total of 5-8 times. This is called anaerobic exercise, which forces your body to burn more of that excess stored energy in order to rebuild itself after such intensity into a stronger-than-yesterday machine.

-Resistance training should be tough. Do not choose a weight or a number of repetitions arbitrarily. The only way your muscles are going to get to the point where they need to repair and strengthen themselves is if you push them there. A general rule for lifting weights (introduced to me by Tony Horton and his revolutionary P90X home workout system) is that, if you’re looking for more strengths and muscle growth, choose a weight that allows you to perform 8-10 repetitions of the exercise before being unable to complete any more. For a leaner, more endurance-oriented muscle group, choose a weight that allows you to perform 12-15 repetitions. As for bodyweight exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, etc.), you should be performing sets of maximum repetitions. That means doing those push-ups until you are stuck on the ground because you have no strength left to push yourself up another time. Too many people stop when they feel a burn, but that burn is what is going to stimulate those muscles to grow.

Minimize rest time between sets. During a resistance workout, you should still be involved in the workout as a whole and shouldn’t be taking your time between exercises. Not only does this force your muscles into the habit of being able to recover and act quickly, but it acts as a form of interval training for your heart and lungs. No matter the type of exercise, it requires oxygen, so keep the blood flowing!

Change it up. Just as your body adapts to the intensity of a given exercise, it will adapt to the exercise itself as well. In order to keep your muscles alert and challenged, change the exercises you’re doing every 2 or 3 weeks. For example, if your push-up workout consists of standard push-ups, wide push-ups, and military push-ups, change to other variations after doing it a few times.

Don’t forget to stretch. Too many people blow off their flexibility because it doesn’t yield immediate anabolic results, or because it doesn’t feel like it’ burning your belly off. Well those people are dismissing long-term health and vitality. I’m always saying that no matter how much weight you can lift or how fast you can run, your body will grow older faster if you neglect its joints and connective tissue. Stretching keeps your muscles prepared for progress instead of tight and timid. By stretching regularly, you become less prone to injury and more capable of performing even the most basic physical tasks more efficiently. Yoga is a wonderful way to combine flexibility with core strength and bodyweight resistance, while promoting proper breathing and mental clarity.

Last but not least: eat real food. Plain and simple: artificial, processed foods drain your energy, cloud your mind, and are slowly killing millions of Americans.

The bottom line here is that keeping your body in true shape takes effort. This does not have to be an effort that you can’t enjoy. If you eat real, whole foods that fuel your body, and if you think of every day’s workout as a new chance to make yourself healthier and more resilient (rather than as a chore), you’ll find that you’re more than willing to engage yourself and commit to what you’re doing.

Keep working hard, and stay well.

-Griffin

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