What Do You Train For?

December 4, 2014

Depending on how it’s asked, this question can either be flattering or insulting. Take away the spin or slighting, and you’re left with a very objective measure; a lone thought that can determine whether what you’re doing is what you should be doing:

What are you training for?

If you want to be a better athlete, are you building sport-specific skills?

photo credit: popfi.com

If you want to lose weight or prevent getting fat, is your training output matching up with your food intake?

photo credit: tumblr.com

If you want to be able to do a pull up, are you focusing on pull up pregressions?

photo credit: nicktumminello.com
progressions idea credit: david dellanave

If you are hurt, are you investing in getting back to normal with the same intensity you invested in becoming a champion?

photo credit: tmz.com

What we’re doing should align with what we want.

What we want is to continue.

The goal is to keep participating, with the intent to keep progressing. We pursuit moving better so that we can keep moving. Anything we do that stops us from moving puts us on the wrong side of the line. Adapt by bending, not breaking. We should feel better after training, not worse.

There’s a paradigm shift that’s happening. There is a standard set and a structure in place developing movement. People are becoming aware that developing strength or power on dysfunctional patterning is futile. It only leads to injury and suffering and longing for markers that will lead to more of the same. Which leads me to my second question:

What will you do with your training gains?

If you don’t have a plan, perhaps you’re chasing the wrong thing.

Being big and explosive might not be as great as you think it is. (Insert Derrick Rose or any NFL lineman here as proof.)

Learn your body. Find your weaknesses. Address them.

Intend to keep moving. It’s resiliency you’re after.