A New Year
Fitness & Consumerism
Figuring out your fitness regimen is a little like going shopping.
Clothes, electronics, a new car… it’s all about finding what works for you. And just like the shopping experience, we learn quite a bit in the process of landing the right exercise routine. We realize what we like, what we don’t like, what we need, and what we don’t need. Both experiences also notoriously spark a slew of emotions. Sometimes we find a product that works, we get results in a reasonable period of time, and we have fun with friends or family. Other times, fitness, like shopping, can leave us frustrated, disappointed, and with nothing to show but sweaty pits and a few new swear words.
In any consumer circumstance, a few things become clear: 1) one size does not fit all, 2) looks don’t always equate to function, and 3) it helps to take things for a test drive.
Fitness and consumerism; the comparisons are glaring.
Finding the Right Fit
Those who work in customer service might be familiar with the quote, “Cheap work isn’t good, and good work isn’t cheap.” The same may also be said for fitness programs. You can get the job done by yourself, sure, but how will it look? Will it actually work? Will things eventually just fall apart?
The inner critic would say you should’ve gone with an experienced professional all along.
Finding the right fit(ness) might take a few trials and errors. One size certainly does not fit all. A fitness program like CrossFit can be for everyone, with it’s near-universal scaleability, but that doesn’t mean it is for everyone.
Even different CrossFit affiliates will program unique micro- and macrocycles, with various weekly focus points and degrees of bias— strength, gymnastics, Olympic lifting, power lifting, cardio, etc. Finding a gym that serves your best interests may take a little shopping around, but realizing if the program gets results also depends on your dedication. If you are devoted and taking care of the 23 hours outside of the gym, find out if the program wears well and stands the test of time.
The great news is that if you’re here at Amplify, we take care of the programming for you. We just ask that you give it time to work.
Bouncing around can affect progress with personal fitness. Switching from one style of programming to another, then back again, never allows the body a chance to adapt and benefit. The same is true for inconsistent attendance.
The bottom line: Try the program on for size, but also give it a chance to settle in for a nice fit. Just like a laundry cycle can change the clothing you wear, see how things feel after a full 2-3 month fitness cycle within your chosen program.
Looks vs. Function
With all the trolls, bullies, and internet-shamers, it’s a wonder we do any exercise in this age of online degradation. On the other hand, with the CDC releasing new statistics each year on the obesity epidemic in America, it’s equally impressive we aren’t all unhealthy over-exercisers.
Life is a healthy balance, of course. Physical health is just one piece of the puzzle. And aesthetics— our body composition and outward appearance— is but a piece of that.
As 21st century consumers, we’ve seen an upshoot of advertising based on physical looks, with anything and everything being sold to us through the most attractive human influencers on the planet. In the meantime, we put more and more pressure on ourselves to conform to unrealistic expectations of physical perfection.
Consider shopping for the best looking electronics instead of the best performing ones. The most appealing phone or computer won’t necessarily perform the right tasks. The same is true in athleticism.
Form over function? Depends on fitness goals. But it’s counterintuitive to expect athletic output from a body that just looks the part. In more precise words, perfect muscle definition might not be in your DNA. Plus, there are plenty of benefits from exercise besides simply good looks.
Instead of comparing your physique to others, the healthier mental exercise is to compare your body to your previous self. People put a lot of worry into physical looks versus result-driven data like work completion (rounds, reps, weight, etc.) or overall positive feelings and self-affirming emotions.
The bottom line: Aesthetics are like extra perks on an electronic device. First things first, you want it to work. You want your body to multitask, handling the load you put on it without losing too much energy and performance. A body that’s easy on the eyes? Just a sweet little byproduct.
Test Your Limits
Finally, let’s not be afraid to exert ourselves. How can we know what's possible if we don’t test our physical threshold?
Obviously, in an actual test drive experience we don’t want the car to breakdown. But in this analogy, we are the machine. It is you, yourself, you are testing. You’re in the driver’s seat— what’s your potential?
In other words, periodically in your fitness regimen there will come a time to push yourself to your physical, mental, and even emotional limits. Max out on a lift, redline in a MetCon, or finish hard during a run.
Sometimes, however, we will fail. Sometimes more than just sometimes.
Failure means we've tested the upper limits of our capabilities. The overload principle causes breakdown of the muscle by placing it under load, and the body rebuilds to resist future stress. We just want to safely find that failing point, and correctly do so in programming, so we can approach our threshold again-- whether it be in power lifts, Olympic lifts, or gymnastics movements like pull-ups and handstand push-ups.
Embrace failure in order to succeed.
The bottom line: Forge through physical tests while learning from failure. Naturally, be safe in the meantime… no need to be fast and furious with every single workout. But every once in a while, it’s go time. Buckle up, rev up the engine, and get after it.
The Yearly Challenge
Each year we offer a motivational challenge to each and every reader, as prompted by our own love/hate relationship with CrossFit and the tough workouts we endure. The journey is fun, but the outcome is better.
See our six-part blog series, “Maximizing Your Amplify Experience.”
Check past posts regarding the fitness equation, dedication, progress, community, and many more topics in the Articles section of our website.
Ask questions. Seek out answers.
The challenge?
Step back and do some self-reflection. Think about what goals you have and how you will pursue those goals. Bigger than that? Think about what can be done to continue or set into motion your dedicated lifestyle.
What brought you in to the gym in the first place? Why did you step foot into Amplify?
What are you doing to take the next step, to make the next advancement in your fitness journey?
Where can the trainers help? Specifically, what can you communicate that would further benefit the time you put in the gym each and every week?
Whether you are an Amplify veteran or have just joined the ranks of our gym, we’re glad you’re with us in this journey. Here’s looking ahead at another year of fitness without boundaries.
Thanks for being here, and as always, thanks for reading!
– Scott, 1.1.2020