The other day I had a client in one of my group classes ask me how often I workout. My response surprised him as I think he was under the impression that I was a gym junkie who lived and breathed the weights. Come to think of it, most of my clients must assume that I’m obsessed with training as the only times they really ever hear or see me is when I’m in the gym either training them or training myself. The truth is, I can’t really blame them for thinking this way. If you follow me on Instagram the majority of my photos are of me working out. If you’re friends with me on Facebook the majority of my posts are about working out. So to the majority of people who know me or know of me, must think that I’m fairly one dimensional. And maybe I am. Or maybe I’m just that damn consistent with both my training and my business.

Believe it or not, I do have a life outside of the gym. I do occasionally go out and I do have other hobbies besides lifting weights. However I also run a small business that promotes health and fitness. I use the powers of social media as a platform to get our message across to the public of the importance of proper nutrition and regular exercise. As someone who teaches people how to train properly and eat efficiently I believe it’s my duty as a fitness professional to always lead by example and help motivate and inspire others to change their own lives for the better. Surely this message would get distorted if I started posting photos of me at the bar with my buddies or ranting and raving about politics or personal relationships in my news feed or in one of my blogs.

So anyways back to the original question – How often do I workout? The answer quite simply is as often as I like to. When it comes to my own training I do everything by instinct. I don’t have a set day off nor do I follow the generic workout rules of the gym. I rest when my body tells me to rest and I train when my body tells me to train. There have been times where I’ve trained for 20 days in a row without taking a break. Then there have been occasions (very rare occasions though) where I’ve taken 3 days off in a row from the gym. The fact of the matter is that I absolutely hate routine and therefore when it comes to a schedule for my workouts, I don’t really have one. I’ve been known to train at 5am and I sometimes like to train at 9pm. Hell, there have been times during my contest preps where I’ve trained at 2am! (one of  the many advantages to having a key to the gym I work at).

Life is already routine enough, so why should our workouts be? Now ofcourse if you have a scheduled appointment or workout session with your trainer then you should stick to it. However don’t be afraid to mix up your training routine every so often. I have clients that have been working with me for over a decade and we still find new ways to challenge their bodies by providing them with new exercises and constantly switching up their own workouts so they never know what to expect. I tell my clients to always focus and give each and every workout 110%. But I also tell them to have some fun with their training.

Being able to exercise should be considered to be a privalage rather than a choir. As much as you may hate training your legs or running on a treadmill just think how lucky you are to have the strength to be able to train your legs or have the physical stamina to be able to run on that treadmill.

They say that most people don’t realize how good they have something until they have lost it. I think the same can be said when it comes to exercise and our health. I never take any workout for granted or feel sorry for myself when I know I have an intense and gruelling training session ahead of me. Instead, I look at the positives and feel fortunate and lucky enough that I’m able to go to the gym and do something good for both my body and my mind. Nobody is forcing me to exercise. I do it because I want to, not because I have to. I do it because I only get this one life. And I like this life. And I want to be around for a long time in this life. And I know that by staying fit and healthy I have a good chance at doing just that.

So exercise or don’t exercise. Eat junk food and fast food everyday. Live your life how you want to. Just don’t come bitching to me when that quality of life starts to diminish because of your ailing health. Because by that point it might already be too late for me to help you.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove