Working out Or Working a Program
What Is The Difference Between Working Out and Training?
If you go to the gym or go for a jog, anything that gets the blood pumping and heart rate up, it is typically defined as a “work out”. That is both fair, and accurate. Training on the other hand is when you follow a program that has been carefully created for you with the intent of achieving specific results. Today, I want to focus on how one can maximize their time and effort when working out or training.
You Might Be Just Working Out If…
If you go to the gym without a plan, do the same exact exercises every week, try to “out work” your poor diet and work yourself to exhaustion—you might just be working out. This type of attitude or plan increases the risks of over-training certain muscles and ignoring or forgetting about others muscles. With this system, you cannot track your progress, and you cannot make substantial long-lasting results. You’re like a truck stuck in the mud, just spinning its tires and going nowhere. It’s just as bad as going to a gym where everyone in the group does the exact same workout. The group consists of youth athletes trying to excel, or a parent trying to stay active—but they are all following the same exercise plan—someone is getting the short end of the stick. You might lose weight because you’re exercising—but what if you could also address your lower back pain? What if you could also learn why you have these aches and pains and how to make them better? For the athletes of the group, you don’t need to be doing, and you shouldn’t be doing the same routine as your mom. It’s important to discover your strengths and weaknesses, and then attack them so you can be the best athlete possible!
Working A Program
Max showing off what happens when you work a program!
At Incontrera Strength and Conditioning (ISC), when we set up a training program, we take into account the specific goals of each individual and ask a series of questions so we are as effective as possible:
How often are they training?
What do they do when working out on their own?
What are their past injuries?
What exercises in the past did they like/dislike?
What is the main goal or lift of each day?
How can we best make each exercise flow together considering the time restraints?
This list is just a few of the important things we take into account for each training program. The main purpose of a training program is to be able to accomplish the individual’s goals, and then surpass them!
During our training programs, we attack the major movements; squat, lunge, hinge, push, pull and brace in different variations. During each three to four week phase, we progressively overload these movements by adding resistance, time under tension, extra reps or sets. Then we move onto the next phase where we will include similar exercises—but we incorporate different variations and add additional elements. There it is. The secret to writing a successful program. We can track your progress, we can see what your body is or isn’t responding to, and what we might need to work on more. You can do this even if you don’t come to ISC—but to get the best results, and feel good doing it, it helps to have someone holding you accountable every step of the way. It helps to have someone who you can monitor your aches and pains, suggest the best exercises for your body, and get you feeling your physical best. We also have access to qualified health experts if there are concerns that are out of our realm of expertise.
If you are ready to work a program and get your body working as well as it can then reach out for an assessment.
Hard Work Pays Off Client Spotlight
Cape Football Breakfast Club
Coach Z and The Boys after their Christmas Eve early morning session!
If you follow us on social media you know about this crew. These boys and Coach Zach are committed! They show up to the gym at 4:30AM, four days a week,and they bring the energy. They are phenomenal athletes who are working hard to play football in college. They are determined to grind until they are given the opportunity to shine. When I first met them, they told me they were going to wipe out the leaderboard and take it over—and they nearly did. Chance Johnson and Jaden Davis hold the overall gym records for the ten-yard sprint and push up test. Chance is tied for the fastest pro agility. I love this group’s dedication and hard work. If they miss a morning session, they come in later and get it done. There are zero excuses with this group. They are committed to the program, and they are getting stronger and faster by the day. I can’t wait to see all their hard work pay off this fall!!