I’m a massive fan of reality and truth when it comes to my
industry. Mark Rippetoe is an American strength training coach and author who I’m
learning heaps from at the moment. He is also known for his particularly brash
teaching style and humour, prompting several online compilations of his
attributed quotations.
I’m taking a
subjective approach to this discussion as I wouldn't do this article any
justice by standing on one side of the fence. I create and write programs for
many needs including; athletic, aesthetic, building behavioural patterns by
providing programs that build good health efficacy and for those who are
limited for time or equipment. As for what information is available to you, it
is up to you to create order within this chaos of the fitness world and find
the patterns that will help you to understand what is true, what could be true,
and what is outright false. As an Exercise Physiologist and highly trained to
understand hundreds of exercises and where they are applicable to a client or
athlete and how to program, I am constantly in conflict with the ever growing
exercise world and its authorities (experienced and inexperienced) who are each
offering their opinions on the best methods for the holy grail body and super
human strength. One thing you need to know from my perspective is what is
training and what is exercising.
Firstly ask yourself this question. “Do you train for
performance or looks”?
Answer this question as distinctively as you can. Once you
have answered this question, you can then determine whether you are actually
training or exercising.
Understanding the difference between training and exercising
is fundamental to achieving the desired objective and benefiting either as an
athlete or everyday punter wanting to look good naked.
What’s the difference between a productive and succinct
trainer and a babysitter (overpaid ineffective beauty therapist PT)? What’s the
difference between someone who gets big, strong, and lean or a combination of
all these and the gym rat that is skinny, weak, wears training gloves while
he/she poses in the mirror week in week out? The latter is punching the ticket
each time they come in the gym door, they are getting all sweaty for others to
see and they talk between sets with their chests sticking out. What's the
difference between a successful strength athlete and a frustrated PT client,
group fitness participant or team sport weekend warrior?
In each of the above examples, the former structure their
training around primary exercises and program them for long-term progress,
using assistance exercises only when progress has slowed on the primary
exercises. Their coach knows this and so do they. The latter think that variety
is key to overcome the boredom associated with their ‘exercising’ and that
routine is the enemy. They think that being sweaty, feeling the burn, soreness
and pump are the objectives of an effective workout, not realising that these
physical responses are side-effects of what happened during their workout.
Training is
organized activity aimed at improving performance. If the objective is improved
performance, then the training needs to be geared directly towards the tip of
this mountain. Training is the process of direct physical stress which results
in adaptation. Effective training includes repetition to master the movement,
which improves anatomical adaptation and muscular endurance. Once the technique
has been mastered focus must be shifted on building strength. This is achieved
not by doing more (improves muscular endurance) but by increasing the load
(stimulus) which causes stress that causes an adaptation (if you can recover
from it), which builds strength.
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| Primary Exercise - Deadlifts works full kinetic chain |
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| Assistance Exercise - Pull-Up works Posterior chain |
Exercising ignores
this by doing exactly what you did last time (exercise type without changing
repetitions) or by doing any other randomised program dictated by either you,
the group fitness program you chose or the trainer you have chosen. I’m not
bagging these sports or your trainer but asking how you track your progress.
How can you know that you are benefiting from your training if you are not
tracking your numbers? If you’re not Training,
then you are almost entirely just Exercising.
If you are feeling punished every day, it’s not because you are getting
stronger, it’s because you aren't adapting to the work, so your body will
obviously sweat…but does it grow? Either way, they're really about what happens
today.
Take Home Message
(THM)
Strength is the most basic of athletic adaptations and how
your perception of these elite athletic bodies appears will help you conclude
what your needs are. Athletes who need to increase strength are wasting their
potential for strength improvement by performing anything but training. Novice
weekend warriors and those in the looks department can vary exercises
constantly and mix it up to keep their bodies guessing, but bear in mind that
you won’t get much stronger but you will shift receive the benefits from the
exercises done and get some conditioning effects.
If you want to perform, then take the training door. If you
want to look good, take the exercise door.
Tips for your door
Performance
- Choose a qualified trainer
E.g. If the goal is
performance, then chose a Certified Strength coach with runs on the board.
- Stick to primary exercises such as; Squats, presses, and
deadlifts
- Keep a log for progress
- Only use assistance exercises to improve primary strength
e.g. perform triceps push downs to increase triceps strength to improve bench
press.
Looks
- Master movement before increasing volume (repetitions)
- Regain power with your trainer by asking in advance what
your exercise session will involve.
- Target your weaknesses ahead of your strengths. For most
guys its legs.
- Chose a ‘goal’ within your exercise session or at the
completion of the program. It may be related to repetitions or distance.
