Push Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It
So I’m at the gym today and what do I see but three girls “working out” in the shortest shorts ever, talking and laughing like it’s the most fun they’ve had in their lives. Now, why did I just put “working out” in quotes? Because there’s a difference between actually working out and just hanging out in the gym and thinking you’re working out, and apparently a lot of people don’t realize this.
If you’re in the middle of a set and talking to the person next to you, you’re not working out. If you’re looking across the room and checking out some girl stretching, you’re not working out. And if you feel exactly the same at the end of a set as you did at the beginning, you damn sure aren’t working out.
Working out means training hard all the time. Not slacking off on leg days. It’s pushing yourself like your life depends on it. Imagine if you knew today was the last time you’d ever be able to workout for the rest of your life - would you be taking it easy? Hell no, you’d make sure you felt like you were about to die by the time you were finished. And that’s how you should train every day.
So if you have been taking it easy, now is the time to stop being a baby and start really working out.
tej fearless blog:
Enjoyed your post.
The saddest part about your observation is that many folks live “hanging out” rather than “working out” not just in the gym but in other areas of their lives. Unfortunately, the clock ticks away and not much is accomplished. I always say “Use Your Time Wisely” but some refuse to listen. Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods and Hishiro Suzuki did NOT get to the top by “hanging out” did they?
Posted on March 10th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Trail Running Blog:
I wonder where I used to fall in when I would workout with a buddy of mine, we would talk before and after sets but during, it was all business. I totally got that feeling at the end of workouts when I felt like death though, so I would know I had a good workout.
Posted on March 11th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Sonneillon:
“That’s how you should train every day”? Sorry, but that really isn’t necessary. There’s a fine line between “training hard” and “overdoing it”. Like hell you need to train “like your life depended on it” everyday. I understand your point about pushing yourself when you do train, but at least one full day in the week requires rest. Just wanted to shoot that one down, but thanks for that, because I’ve realised that working out with a friend or two at the gym can be VERY distracting; and annoying in some cases.
Posted on July 3rd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Justin:
Its so true! The gym has become a social hour for many, rather than a time to work out. However, each person will reap the rewards of his effort. If they don’t work out (really), they will know it.
Thanks
Justin
Posted on July 19th, 2008 at 10:53 am