Working Out vs. Training
- By Silviu Bona
- •
- 31 Dec, 2017
What's the difference?
With the end of 2017 like every year before it, people look to the new year as a fresh start. Not sure why, maybe the numbers play a psychological game and tell us, hey you get a fresh start on the 1st. Well, one of the trends is quitting bad habits and starting healthier ones. Among those healthy habits is working out. Most hit the gym in January and workout with all the good intentions. Most are not guided and stats show us a dismal drop in gym attendance as early as February.
My fitness goal for 2018 is simple, train a minimum of 4 x a week, and if there are opportunities, do some more. Let me explain what this means. Training is very different from working out and you can find the explanation in the essence of the words themselves. Training requires a plan, grit, commitment and a process that leads to an end result. Where as working out is just that, work. Each workout is performed for the purpose of producing a stress that satisfies the immediate needs of the exerciser: burning some calories, getting hot, sweaty, and out of breath, "pumping up the biceps", stretching — just punching the physical clock. Exercise is physical activity done for its own sake, either during the workout or immediately after it’s through. Exercise may well involve doing exactly the same thing every time you do it, as long as it accomplishes the task of making you feel like you to want to feel while you’re doing it.
Training on the other hand is intentional. For athletes and people with a definite performance objective in mind, Training is necessary. In this context, Training is physical activity performed for the purpose of satisfying a long-term performance goal, and is therefore about the process instead of the workouts themselves. And since the process must generate a definable result at a point in time removed from each workout, the process must be planned to produce this result. Training in my opinion is also the best way to achieve the goals you have that many try to achieve through exercise.
The big differentiating factor here is the process. When we Train we don't always do the things we love to do because if we did, it would not get us the results we desire. When you come to N6 we Train. Some of you may not have long term performance goals in mind, and that's ok. Our goal for every athlete "member" is to become the best version of themselves by reaching their full potential. Some are more motivated than others and as athletes mature they take different paths, such as taking care of themselves through mobility work, focusing on sleep and nutrition, and putting in extra work to work on weaknesses. Yes, crushing weaknesses is an integral part of Training. If you're just focusing on the the things you love to do you're really not training. It's ok to come in and work on your squat, or cleans because you're good at them. This will provide you with further motivation as you should be happy when you Train but we should never forget the things we loath. The accessory work, the mundane intervals that some of us abhor, like that darn Airdyne.
Now there's nothing wrong with working out as long as that's not your only way of getting healthy. Getting healthy goes beyond the gym and if we're not Training, we're ignoring huge areas that need to be addressed. So Training 4 x a week is quite a nice goal I think. I can always "workout" and be "active" in many other ways like hiking, riding a bike to the gym and go for a run. I can workout if i'm having a crappy day and just need to move and satisfy that need for a sweat or a pump. You all know I love the pump. So start 2018 with some training goals and enjoy the process because the process will guarantee results.
Love,
My fitness goal for 2018 is simple, train a minimum of 4 x a week, and if there are opportunities, do some more. Let me explain what this means. Training is very different from working out and you can find the explanation in the essence of the words themselves. Training requires a plan, grit, commitment and a process that leads to an end result. Where as working out is just that, work. Each workout is performed for the purpose of producing a stress that satisfies the immediate needs of the exerciser: burning some calories, getting hot, sweaty, and out of breath, "pumping up the biceps", stretching — just punching the physical clock. Exercise is physical activity done for its own sake, either during the workout or immediately after it’s through. Exercise may well involve doing exactly the same thing every time you do it, as long as it accomplishes the task of making you feel like you to want to feel while you’re doing it.
Training on the other hand is intentional. For athletes and people with a definite performance objective in mind, Training is necessary. In this context, Training is physical activity performed for the purpose of satisfying a long-term performance goal, and is therefore about the process instead of the workouts themselves. And since the process must generate a definable result at a point in time removed from each workout, the process must be planned to produce this result. Training in my opinion is also the best way to achieve the goals you have that many try to achieve through exercise.
The big differentiating factor here is the process. When we Train we don't always do the things we love to do because if we did, it would not get us the results we desire. When you come to N6 we Train. Some of you may not have long term performance goals in mind, and that's ok. Our goal for every athlete "member" is to become the best version of themselves by reaching their full potential. Some are more motivated than others and as athletes mature they take different paths, such as taking care of themselves through mobility work, focusing on sleep and nutrition, and putting in extra work to work on weaknesses. Yes, crushing weaknesses is an integral part of Training. If you're just focusing on the the things you love to do you're really not training. It's ok to come in and work on your squat, or cleans because you're good at them. This will provide you with further motivation as you should be happy when you Train but we should never forget the things we loath. The accessory work, the mundane intervals that some of us abhor, like that darn Airdyne.
Now there's nothing wrong with working out as long as that's not your only way of getting healthy. Getting healthy goes beyond the gym and if we're not Training, we're ignoring huge areas that need to be addressed. So Training 4 x a week is quite a nice goal I think. I can always "workout" and be "active" in many other ways like hiking, riding a bike to the gym and go for a run. I can workout if i'm having a crappy day and just need to move and satisfy that need for a sweat or a pump. You all know I love the pump. So start 2018 with some training goals and enjoy the process because the process will guarantee results.
Love,
Coach Sil
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