Which Do You Prefer?

When most people start out on their fitness journey they want to lose weight, get toned, work on their arms and of course have those razor sharp abs. They want to look good; maybe they’re after a Hollywood starlet look or an athlete. While just the act of working out should get you a pat on the back, many of these types of goals are subjective and unobtainable. These goals often lead many people down a very deep rabbit hole in a constant calorie deficit, always comparing themselves to others, and a tough place to be mentally day in and day out.

Train For Function

Training for function is on the other side of the spectrum. While I have yet to come across someone who doesn’t want to look good, training for function will put you in an entirely different mindset while still getting a killer physique.

What Is Training For Function?

It’s your ability to do things like:

push
pull
lift
carry objects
play with your kids
do yard work
work on the house

It’s strength! Now you never have to wonder, "Can I move that table, couch or dresser without getting hurt?" Because you can!

How Does It Work?

Easy! First your workouts will consist of:

squats
deadlifts
shoulder presses
bench press
chin-ups
sprints
running hills
pushing a sled

The goal is get physically stronger, tougher, more resilient, and increase your ability to deal with being uncomfortable.

Food, Glorious Food

Here is the other great thing about training for function, instead of limiting your calorie intake you can eat! Food and sleep drive the entire process. Now this isn’t a hall pass to hit the local donut shop every day, but you certainly don’t have to count every single calorie that goes into your month. Food builds muscles.

Measuring Progress

So instead of using the damn mirror or scale for feedback, you can watch the numbers on your lifts get heavier. Let the barbell or dumbbell tell you that you are making progress. It’s objective, simple, and very satisfying seeing your strength grow.

Call today and I can help you train for function with 1-on-1 personal or online training. 310.251.7420

Image Credit: Molly Taylor

People love to post photos and videos of themselves crushing their workouts or lifting a crazy amount of weight. But it’s important to remember the truth - that did not happen a few short weeks or even a couple of months ago. Do not forget the day-to-day grind that these folks endured that resulted in the final product.

Hard work, sacrifice, and dedication need to be in your arsenal of tools to get the results you desire. But rarely do people share the photos of the journey they took to get to their Adonis state. They are not posting photos of themselves lifting puny weights, running slowly and wheezing to catch their breath, or showing off their bloated stomachs.

This gets back to what drives me crazy about social media…perception and reality are two separate and very different beasts entirely. So next time you look through your Facebook or Instagram feed, be cognizant that you are seeing someone’s highlight reel, not the bloopers and missteps they encountered along the way. STOP comparing yourself to what others are doing and just enjoy your own progress and who you are. Need some extra help with this? Read this article I wrote for myfitnesspal back in July, and pay particular attention to #2.

Image credit: Alia Wilhelm on Unsplash