The other day while I was at the gym doing my own workout, it occurred to me that no one else around me was actually doing their own workouts. As I looked around the gym, almost everyone was glued to their phones, cruising through Instagram, watching YouTube, or perfecting their selfies in the gym mirrors.
Now it’s no secret that technology has had a significant impact on the gym culture within the past decade, and has changed the dynamics with regards to how most people train (or don’t train) these days.
However has anyone stopped to consider that perhaps some of this technology is also one of the main reasons to blame for their lack of results that they are achieving with both their physiques and their health?
The Resting Factor
Regardless if a client books a 30 minute or 60 minute workout with us, we ensure that we utilize every single one of those minutes to their advantage. We don’t stop in between sets to talk about our personal lives, and cellphones don’t even make an appearance on the floor during a session. The time our clients spend in the gym with us is used to WORKOUT. This means, no selfies, no texting, no tweeting, and no “Doing it for the Gram”.
Rest should be used to recover and get mentally prepared for the next set or upcoming circuit. Rest should NOT be used to stop and see who liked the last photo that you put up, or to go looking for the perfect song to play on your Spotify Playlist.
Time vs Intensity
Some people still use that old, lame excuse, that they don’t have enough time in their day to workout. Well, if these are the same people that I see spending over half their time on their phones for the times that they do make it to the gym, then I think I figured out where all this missed time has gone.
The same can be said for people that tell me they spend two hours in the gym everyday. I used to admire people who could do this, as I personally cannot last longer than 45-50 minutes during one of my own workouts before I have to tap out and call it quits. However once I saw as to what some of these people were actually doing in the gym for those two hours, I realized that there was really nothing to admire at all. In fact, I realized that I was doing almost double the workload in the gym in less than half the time as these people. I also realized that these people’s physiques never changed, where as mine did.
The lesson I learned here is that when it comes to transforming your physique for the better, training harder, will ALWAYS produce better results, then training longer.
It’s Time To Unplug
I’m not here to pass judgement, criticize, or shame anyone for the way that he or she chooses to workout. I just feel that whenever I have someone who tells me that no matter how hard they exercise, they don’t get results, it usually has something to do with either their diet, their training, or a combination of the two.
This is why I don’t sugarcoat this shit to my clients. If they want results, then they know they have to WORK for them. I don’t try to lure them in to work with me with ridiculously complex training programs and sexy diet plans. I’m brutally honest from Day 1 with my clients, and let them know that if they are committed to making a change with their health and their physique, then I am just as committed to helping them achieve this goal.
I’ve always believed is using a more simplistic approach when it comes to diet and training. This way, if and when something needs to be changed, we know exactly when and where to change it. And when it comes to the training component of a physique transformation, nothing could be more simpler then STAYING OFF YOUR DAMN PHONE WHILE YOU WORKOUT. I rarely guarantee anything to anyone, however I feel pretty confident guaranteeing that if you just incorporate this simple strategy into your training sessions for the next 2-3 months, YOU WILL see and feel the difference in both your physique and your overall health.
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance