ACTIVITY OR PRODUCTIVITY?

“It is difficult, therefore it must be good!”

Whenever someone asks me about a new boot camp/fitness regime that their friends are trying out (Insert latest fitness craze here), the previously mentioned logic is often what sparked their interest.

“Have you seen how much they sweat?”

One of the most common misconceptions in the fitness industry is that a good workout must be incredibly difficult and almost impossible to finish (Bonus points if it involves vomiting).

My friends, nothing could be further from the truth! If you can’t finish a workout without seeing stars or even worse, your lunch again, it is too hard and therefore offers zero benefits. Every workout must have a goal and a purpose. Do I want to train a certain muscle? Work on my endurance? Hypertrophy? If the answer is a mixed bag, you might as well stay home as it is impossible to cover all areas of performance within one workout session.

Bottom line: Never confuse activity with productivity.

The secret to achieving athletic excellence or your dream body has always been consistency. Not insane spurts of activity. You can’t ignore, let alone go against physics. It will take consistent work and dedicated time spent at the gym in order to achieve your fitness goals.

As for programs like CrossFit, here is my honest opinion: the concept of doing complicated lifts in a group setting makes about as much sense as buying Steinway pianos for 30 deaf people and expecting them to play Beethoven perfectly. Only difference?

The piano players will not get injured.

Until next time,
Maik Wiedenbach

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