It may sound strange coming from a guy who’s entire professional life revolves around fitness and martial arts, but I actually hate working out. Is this some sort of blasphemy against the almighty deity of fitness? Is it hypocrisy? Do as I say, but not as I do? Nope. Not even close.
I hate working out because I believe it serves no purpose. Yup. You read that correctly. The man who spends most of his life studying, training, and teaching various forms of physical culture from around the world just said working out is a waste of time. Oh dear. What’s next? Twinkies for breakfast are the latest diet craze? Hardly.
Okay. Enough of the build up. What’s really going on here?
Let me explain because I’m sure by now I’ve got some splainin’ to do.
In my philosophy of Warrior Fitness Training, I use the terms Working Out and Training is specific ways. I do not consider them synonymous at all. And since how well we define terms determines their usefulness to us, allow me to define them.
Working Out
Working Out, in Warrior Fitness vernacular, refers to exercise for exercise sake. No point. No goal. No destination. No training effect. A pointless run on a hamster wheel to nowhere done out of some misguided and nameless need to “have to” rather than a desire to “want to”.
Training
Training, on the other hand, has a specific purpose. It is a process. It is a transformation. Training is passionately applying carefully conceived principles to develop oneself physically, mentally, and spiritually. The goal of training is to inculcate a specific attribute, characteristic, skill, or set of attributes and skills to the one being trained. It is not a disjointed collection of exercises thrown together without a destination for the sake of working out. Since our muscles adapt specifically to movements and our bodies don’t really know generalized adaptation, then fitness must have a higher purpose.
What is the purpose of your fitness?
What are you fit for?
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3 Comments
CanoyFitness
July 26, 2012I think “working out” and “training” are interchangeable to most people, but I do agree with what you’re saying. Most people work out to either get stronger or look better, both which give you more confidence in yourself… and confidence is never a bad thing to have.
curvy gal
February 22, 2013I also think working out is a waste of time. I’d rather be fixing my car, going to the doctor, shopping, working or any other purposeful activity. Before modern inventions, us humans derived exercise naturally from common daily tasks. Because gadgets make our life so “easy”, now we are forced to walk on a treadmill like a sad caged in hamster. Then we are condemned if we don’t do so. Confidence is really an inward thing, it really has nothing to do with how you look, but rather how you perceive yourself. I’m a confident size 10 lady who eats healthy but doesn’t have hours to spare at the gym, yet I am confident and everyday I do my hair, makeup and have a killer sense of style. I have a small 28 inch waist and large 40 inch behind, and a stunning face, big boobs. I get hit on and looked at everywhere I go. I’m also healthy and my blood pressure is only 105. My cholesterol is great and I’m only 15 lbs overweight. Most of my fat is hip and thigh, which contains good fats for the heart. So what I can’t wear daisy dukes? I’m too old for that at 28. So what I’m not hard everywhere? How uncomfortable could that be for myself and my partner? I have confidence, and a gym membership cannot buy me that:):)
ben
April 7, 2016Working out is what cross fitters do. Training is what athletes do.
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