Are you getting the results you expect from your exercise routine? As a trainer I ask prospective clients this question all the time. Many of them respond “no”.
I’m not one of them. I get the results I want. My fitness level has soared over the last two plus years. In fact, I am nearly as fit now as I was when I was on the rowing team in college 22 years ago. And in many areas I blow that scrawny kid out of the water. How do I know? I measure my progress all the time (I even blogged about self-assessment).
My 2000 meter row is close to my college time and my squat, deadlift and overhead press are far better now then they were back in the day.
“But you’re a trainer, that’s why you’re fit.” I hear that all the time. The assumption is I hang out in a gym all day and do pushups. Actually, that’s not even close to the truth. I’m a small business owner so on the days when I can make time to workout it has to be short and sweet (I’ve also blogged about my workout routine).
So how did the 180 lbs college guy add 27 good pounds without the help of supplements, vitamins, or drugs (legal or illegal). I figured something out. Effort = Intensity = Results.
And I learned to get uncomfortable.
More than that, I determine that every workout must give me 4 distinct feelings; humbled, exhilarated, defeated and triumphant.
Why humbled? If you do not feel inferior in the face of your workout (even if it is just momentary) then you are not choosing a workout that is challenging enough to get results. At some point during every workout I say to myself “I’m not sure I can get through this.” That is not a sign of weakness. That needs to be a fact. You have to doubt your ability to finish. That’s when you know you’re working out hard.
Why exhilarated? In the face of feeling humbled I rise up and keep going. Do I take a short break, catch my breath, curse at my list of exercises? Yes. Do I continue to work until I am done? You bet. Sometimes the workout beats you up. That’s the humbling part. But when you beat up the workout you’ll get that overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and exhilaration.
Why defeated? I measure every workout. How long did it take? Was I faster than last time? How many circuits did I finish in 20 minutes? Was it more than last time? And just when I feel good about myself I make sure I find out how long it took the elite athletes and how many circuits they finished. I think I’ll never reach their numbers.
Why triumphant? In the face of a challenging workout that you are not sure you can finish, in comparison to elite athletes who crush your times and results, I am able to see steady progress. I completed the workout. I did it faster than I ever had before. I am stronger, faster, more agile and healthier than last year or last month or last week. And that feels AMAZING!!
Be well,
Paul
Paul Dziewisz
Active Personal Fitness
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
NASM - Certified Personal Trainer
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267.626.7478
"You give us the effort...we'll get you the results."
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