How to Train Smarter

Awareness

The reason people fail in their fitness goals is not due to a lack of willpower, nor is it due to a lack of discipline. The real reason is a lack of awareness around the goals and motivations behind them.

Awareness of your goals and the motivation behind those goals is the driving force of your success. If your goals are vague and messy, you will not succeed. Again, this is not due to a lack of willpower or a weak spirit, it is due to the nature of the goal.

Wanting to "look good" is not a measurable goal. This goal has an infinite ceiling and will keep you unsatisfied, forever. You will never be able to reach this goal because of the lack of specificity.

Your motivations are just as, if not more important than the training you decide to do. What are your reasons for training? Are you training to impress people? To get your revenge body? Or, are you training for you —your health, your function, and your journey? If your motivations are corrupt, you corrupt yourself and any progress you might make.

Function

Your function is whatever you are training for. Everyone's function is unique. To define your function, think about your motivations. What is your why? When you have your answer, you create a solid foundation, upon which, you can forge your how.

My why, my motivations—revolve around pushing myself to my absolute limits, and overcoming them. To do this, I signed up for a triathlon race. I suffered an intense meniscus tear a few months ago. In those months, being unable to run, unable to bike, barely able to walk, I did not think such a thing was possible. Now, through intense rehabilitation, hours and hours of research and implementation, and a lot of pain, I am stronger than I was before I suffered my injury. Come race day, not only will I complete this race, I will be competitive. I will show myself how far I can go. I will transcend every self imposed limit.

For someone starting out, their why might be something as simple as taking charge of their health and wellness. That is a solid why, and you can build a structured how program to sustain and support that goal. When your why and how are in sync and measurable, you invite unconscious competence. You develop faster and more intensely than if you train under the vague guise of something like "look better" or "be stronger". Your function is everything.

Measure

Having a system that measures your progress invites more progress. Having a visual representation of your progress advances the cycle of action and motivation. This creates a snowball effect, propelling you further towards your goals. Furthermore, you will be able to progressively overload your training each week, improving little by little.

Some people use pen and paper. I use a spreadsheet. The medium does not matter. What is important is that you have some sort of system in place to track your progress. Without a measurement tool, you are firing into the dark each time you train.

You might be able to remember what you did last week, but 12 weeks from now? Maybe, but probably not. Imagine if, instead of winging it for 12 weeks, you had a visual tracker and a goal to improve by 5% each week. Over the course of 12 weeks your functions would improve by 60%!

The Comparison Trap

Negative Comparison should be avoided. As human beings we have a natural inclination to compare ourselves to each other. This inclination is rooted in our DNA. Our ancestors needed this as a function for survival because we needed to fit in with the tribe. Fitting in with the tribe increased our odds of survival exponentially. Conversely, if we didn't fit in, our chances of death would skyrocket.

When you compare yourself to others, you outsource your sense of self worth. You selfishly feed your own ego in the worst way possible. Comparison traps you and your values. It restricts your ability to be content with yourself and the world. You create a breeding ground for insecurity and fear. These emotions can create a perpetual cycle that is very hard to break. Strike at the head and break the cycle before it has even begun.

Influencers and fitness moguls rely on our insecurities and fears to feed their machine. The more insecure you feel, the more you will want to change yourself in order to conform to their unrealistic standards, and the more likely you will be to give them what they want. Do not permit yourself to be controlled in this manner.

No End in Sight

Recognize that this is a journey with no end. Fitness is not static, it is dynamic and kinetic, changing alongside you all the time. There is no finish line or permanent end. Instead, what begins and ends are the goals we make and move towards. When you accomplish one, you must move to the next one. If you do not, your progress will halt, and the gains you made will go away. You must understand this.

With clear goals, measurement systems in place, and a defined function, you will be unstoppable. Armed with the ability to recognize the false highs of comparison, you empower yourself to transcend your limits. Go beyond what you thought was possible. Use your fears and insecurities to your advantage. Never give up, never give in. When you think you have done enough, do 5% more. Our limits are self imposed, meaning they don't exist. Trust yourself and your ability to overcome. Find your way.

REFERENCES:

Goggins, David. Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds. Lioncrest Publishing, 2018.

Manson, Mark. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life*. HarperOne, 2016.

Musashi, Miyamoto. The Book of Five Rings. Translated by Thomas Cleary, Shambhala Publications, 1993.