A while ago, Mike Judge, the creator of the moronic animated show Beavis and Butthead, was on The David Letterman Show. This has obviously been a while ago. They watched a short clip from the Beavis and Butthead show. Letterman was sort of disgusted. It was stupid and simple but still funny.
Letterman: “I could have done that.”
Mike Judge: “Yea, but you didn’t.”
This is the same with fitness.
Anyone could go to the gym and get a great workout. Exercise equipment has gotten highly sophisticated and amazingly easy to use. Just walk up to it. It will almost do it all for you. There is even a whole franchise of automated gyms – CocoFit. It thinks for you. “They have taken the Work out of the Workout.” (I call copyright on that one)
But, judging by the greater than 60% of the American population who is either overweight or obese, we could… but we don’t.
Why not? You would have to call in the psychologists, psychiatrists and fitness magazine editors to figure that out. Planet Fitness seems to think that there aren’t enough bagels and pizza in exercise. I disagree.
How do we close the gap between ‘could’ and ‘do’?
Fitness classes are good.
No thinking. Encouragement. Demonstration. Socialization. But, after about 12 session of watching Coach Zena gun through the exercises while keeping up the overly encouraging chatter, it gets old.
Zena: “C’mon guys! You can do it! You’ve Got This! You are Awesome!!”
Me: “Cram it, Fonda.”
Sports are a great option.
Competition. Fun. Accountability. Social. High levels of performance.
However, the injury and age relationship is alarming. Pick-up basketball claims the knees, ankles and egos of thousands of middle-aged men every year. And, as we age, our athletic prowess wanes with our vertical leap and hair line. And, no one wants to see a trusted colleague wiff the tee-off, airball the free throw or strike-out in slow-pitch softball.
Personal Trainers are the best mix.
Close personal accountability. We push you beyond your limits but not to the tendon-snapping level. Good trainers make it fun and even educational. The best trainers measure your performance so that you continuously challenge yourself. And it is just you in there. Personal attention. Great results. Low mental effort. Minimal threat of career changing embarrassment.
Are Personal Trainers Wizards of the Dark Arts of Fitness? No. We know stuff. We study exercise and fitness. But the most important thing we do is keep our clients accountable and safe. We know techniques to make your workout more effective and efficient but there isn’t some shocking secret we hide away in an underground vault guarded by enchanted trolls. The secret is that you continue to show up and do the work.
There you go.
Of course you could do the workout on your own. But will you?
Self Promotion: If you are ready to turn ‘could’ into ‘do’, give me a call.