Keep Fitness as Simple as Possible, but No Simpler

“Teaching people a large number of sword techniques is turning the way into a business of selling goods, making beginners believe that there is something profound in their training by impressing them with a variety of techniques (emphasis mine). This attitude toward strategy must be avoided, because thinking that there is a variety of ways of cutting a man down is evidence of a disturbed mind. In the world, different ways of cutting a man down do not exist.” - Musashi

I had an officer ask me for help with designing a training program. He was a pretty fit guy and worked out almost every day but needed help figuring out the best way to spend his training time. He was using all kinds of techniques and exercises that weren’t appropriate for him. He was just “working out” hard with tons of variety, which was great, but wasn’t really directed at a goal. It was just flashy, varied, and difficult.

We thrive on getting the latest and greatest. Especially with technology advancing as fast as it is, it seems like most things we own are obsolete the day after we buy them.

The fitness industry thrives on the latest and greatest. Think about how many products you’ve seen marketed on TV, how many programs you can find online. The list is endless, and every one claims to have some secret ingredient that’s better than everything else out there. “If you could just do this/buy this/eat this, then all your problems will be solved, and you’ll be fit and healthy.”

That’s a lie.

The fitness industry is just that, an industry. Cash rules. The more products, the more training methods, the more money spent. This confuses everyone and does nothing to promote real change in your life. You hop on the merry-go-round of fad diets and workouts and never get off.

We’ve learned a lot about training methods and nutrition over the last several decades, and there are more products on the market today than ever. Yet, people are still obese and as unhealthy. What gives?

You don’t need the fanciest program or fanciest supplements. Execution is the hard part. We have so much information at our fingertips, it feels impossible to know where or how to start. Some people just don’t start at all, while others pick something random, do it until they get bored, then move on to something else.

Make things as simple as possible, but no simpler. You already know the basics. Eat your vegetables, work out a few times a week, do some strength training and some cardio. It’s not complicated. If you don’t have the basics down, don’t worry about all the complicated stuff.

Having this attitude is incredibly freeing. You go from confused and overwhelmed to hyper-focused on one goal. Eat a vegetable with every meal. Bam. You did it! Now pick something else. Make it work for your life.

In the gym, master the basics before moving on. If you can’t do some kind of squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press, and pullup with some semblance of good form, start there. Sometimes, getting these down takes years. And that’s ok.

Start where you are, with what you’ve got, and do what you can. Forget everything else. You don’t need it.

However, once you’ve mastered the basics, progression requires more work. Don’t get stuck in a rut of doing the same thing over and over again for years and expecting to make progress. We all know that guy, the one in the gym that’s been doing the same workout for 15 years.

Don’t be that guy. Train intelligently and progressively. But make sure you’ve earned the right to train the way you do. The biggest house is built on the biggest foundation.

If you’re looking for a fitness trainer in the Mt Juliet/Hermitage/Nashville TN area, online fitness training, or just need some advice to get your fitness program started, contact me


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