Third part of my series that covers some of my thoughts on the meaning of working out as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Moving onto a more specific level, another question I receive is how much should one workout in a week or how many hours when I’m there. Once again, the need for exact quantification. I guess because I’ve spent so much of my life doing engineering and mathematics, where exact quantifications are essential, I don’t feel this need. The need to measure, and the perception of control deriving from the application of an exact science, need to be satisfied. Some people can’t derive it from actual science, so they come up with their own perceived science, really over complicating things. This is how the supplement industry thrives, for example. Engineering is about making things simpler and more efficient, not about adding complexity.
So don’t ask how much should I go to the gym, but ask yourself, could I do more than I am doing? Ask yourself 10 times.
Secondly, how many hours. There is no prize for staying longer at the gym. It’s about the intensity. Usually, no one wins a race for taking longer. The gym for me is not a social moment, it is time I dedicate to myself. I don’t linger on; I don’t have my phone on me. I walk in, smash it, and walk out. Being quicker is not only beneficial to your timetable but to your fitness too clearly.
The other common question is about what do I do, which training regime to follow etc. Just like for nutrition, I’m not going to be that guy who tells you a specific plan you have to stick to, and that will surely work for you. Everyone of us is different. I have learned early in life that the most important thing in life is to know how to listen o your body; learn how it works. There is no quick fix, only lifetime commitment to your body, because your body is your life. As long as your body is alive and well, you’re alive and well. You and your body are not separate entities. Your body is for life and it is life, so don’t go looking for quick fixes, shortcuts or magic tricks. The miracle 4-week workout or a secret supplement. Give your body the attention and effort it deserves.
Learn as much as you can about your own body, and about the science behind the human body. This doesn’t mean reading something quickly on a blog or random website. There are medical libraries, online journals etc.
Commit to this. Commit to your body.
And this is precisely why I do not have a specific workout that will work for you. The best I can do is to pass on some of my knowledge, for you to begin trying, experimenting, investigating and then evolving from there. I will tell you some of the things that work for me. Over time, my way of training has evolved greatly, and the approach has changed massively, and it is ever changing. And this is important, the variety. I do not necessarily stick to a plan; I follow the feedback that by body gives. Sometimes I have an amazing legs workout and I need to do more, or do it again the day after. The approach can keep changing.
I work out every day, often twice a day. In this, remembering the power of the mind over the body is always important. Sometimes if I don’t have time to return to the gym a second time later in the day but still want to do two workouts, I do one, walk back to the changing room, sit for 5 minutes, pretend I just got there, and then start again. I even say hello to people again as I walk back in. The illusion of starting again refreshes your mind and your body.