The purpose of this week’s blog is not to shame people who don’t exercise regularly.
The purpose of this week’s blog is not to ridicule people who don’t train with weights consistently.
The purpose of this week’s blog is not to lecture people who don’t follow a clean diet plan religiously.
The purpose of this week’s blog is simply to bring awareness to all these people who are taking risks with their health, their livelihood and their quality of life both in the short term and in the long term by not taking better care of themselves.
Why Aren’t You Exercising Regularly?
It’s a simple question. Are you injured? Are you too busy? Are you not motivated?
It’s amazing how many people have difficulty answering this question truthfully and honestly. The reality is that in my 20+ years of working as a Personal Trainer/Coach, I have rarely if ever heard an acceptable reason as to why someone is not exercising regularly. Of course there are exceptions to this rule such as dealing with a chronic illness, long-term injury and/or lying in a hospital bed.
But truth be told, most people are not sick 24/7, 365 days a year and most injuries eventually heal. Therefore these reasons/excuses are mediocre at best.
Why Aren’t You Lifting Weights Consistently?
By now, most if not all people understand the numerous health benefits of resistance training. And if you don’t, a simple Google search will provide you with all the answers needed. And if we already know that weight lifting WILL NOT make us “look bulky”, stunt our growth, or cause our muscles to turn into fat once we become older (this is one of my favourites), then why the hell are most people still NOT doing it?
Common reasons/excuses I hear for not lifting weights are:
“I walk/run a lot” – Great! You must have exceptional cardiovascular conditioning. But what are you doing to help strengthen your muscles?
“I stretch a lot” – Good! You must have amazing mobility. But what are you doing to help strengthen your muscles?
“I do pilates and/or go to yoga every week” – Excellent! Your flexibility must be incredible. But what are you doing to help strengthen your muscles?
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, and I will probably continue to say it for years to come – The ONLY way to help build solid, dense, lean muscle is by using REAL Resistance. And by REAL Resistance I mean using moderately heavy WEIGHTS (not bands) that you can only perform 10-15 repetitions with. Running on a Treadmill and/or attending a Spin Cycle Class is NOT going to help you build muscle. Playing with 2lbs Dumbbells in some “Cardio Conditioning Class” is NOT going to help you build muscle. Stretching on a reformer in your pilates class will help strengthen your core, but it will NOT help you build muscle.
Unfortunately too many of these fitness classes being offered to the public state that their classes help build muscle. But I question how much solid, lean, dense muscle is being built when the resistance being used, is little to none.
Why Aren’t You Following a Clean Diet Religiously?
Okay, this I kinda understand. Without a doubt, following a clean and healthy dietary nutritional plan is one of the most challenging components when it comes to building muscle, losing fat and improving overall health and longevity. Between social obligations that revolve around food and drink, occasional to nonstop cravings for sweet and savoury, and constant contradictions on what we should be eating/not eating, it can become frustrating and exhausting to figure out what we should and should not be putting into our bodies.
With all the information and misinformation being pumped out online these days about dietary nutrition, it can be difficult to navigate through the grocery aisles or make the best choice on the lunch menu at your local restaurant. However, by either educating yourself on the foods you eat or enlisting in the services of a professional Coach, Dietician and/or Nutritionist that can help you create a healthy and balanced nutritional plan, you CAN become more successful with your diet.
No, your diet doesn’t need to be perfect. I’ve never met anyone (including myself) who has the “Perfect Diet”. And that’s because the “Perfect Diet” does not exist. However, if you’re able to follow a Diet Plan that contains little to no processed foods, fried foods or trans-fats and is relatively low in sugar, while at the same time is enjoyable and most importantly, sustainable, then you will be much closer to the “Perfect Diet” then you might think.
So Why Don’t More People Workout?
As much as this might piss off a lot of people, my theory as to why more people don’t workout is fairly blunt and direct:
1) Poor Time Management Skills
2) Intimidated by the Gym
3) Pure Laziness
“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance