Do you sometimes feel like your workouts are boring ?
And possibly you need something “ invigorating?”
If so, that’s a usual problem and in this email, we’re going to tackle it .
In fact, I was just on a call with a personal client on Monday and we were talking about this same topic.
For him, it was about doing his restoration work vs. his kettlebell work.
His kettlebell work is way more exciting and because of that, he was having a hard time doing read more his rehab work because it was “ tedious ” in relation to the KB work.
So, let’s start where he and I started:
1- PURPOSE:
What is the “ intention” of your training?
Increase strength?
Lose fat ?
Get rid of aches and pains ?
Notice how each of these 3 things - along with any other outcome / goal is a objective .
In the case of those 3 destinations, once you reach them, you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something - because you have.
2- PROCESS:
Each goal… target … milestone … has a process…
Steps that you follow, like instructions to get from here to there - where you live, to the other side of your country…
From San Francisco to New York City for example.
There are various ways - all of them head from west to east.
The one you take is influenced by how fast you want to get there.
And of course the vehicle you want to use - your feet, bicycle, car, plane - walk, bike, drive, fly.
(And of course each vehicle has a fee associated - the faster you get there, the more it usually costs financially, and vice versa.)
Workouts - Training programs are no different .
3- PARADIGM:
A outlook is your view on something.
Now that we’ve been shown that workouts are for a distinct purpose - goal achievement…
We need to shift our paradigm - our view of them - our frame of reference.
If workouts are to be “ enjoyable ” - which is what we’re really saying when we’re saying “these workouts are boring …”
Then we’ve missed perspective of their purpose.
I told my client that if his workouts were unengaging, then he was missing the whole point of them.
This gets us back to the purpose.
Their purpose is to meet a goal.
I also told him what I’ve been telling people for the last twenty years:
If your workouts are boring , your life is likely lacking true entertainment and you need to go find that apart from your workouts.
Examples would be a hobby or a outdoor pursuit - stamp collecting, hiking… That sort of thing.
And this is why so many people stay stuck year after year …
They bounce from workout plan to workout plan - never finishing - and end up with nothing to show for it because they’ve missed of the purpose of that plan -
To reach their stated goal.
And to me, that’s the very definition of dull -
Doing the same darn thing and never having anything to show for it.
This making sense so far?
I hope so.
So, what’s the easiest way to “ lessen” boredom in your workouts (besides finding a hobby or sport or activity)?
Use targeted variation .
What’s that?
Simple .
It’s variations of the same exercise.
Let’s take the Press for illustration…
You have the -
Single KB Press
Double KB Press
Single KB Push Press
Double KB Push Press
Single KB Bottoms Up Press
Double KB Bottoms Up Press
Kneeling Single KB Press
Kneeling Double KB Press
Half Kneeling Single KB Press
Half Kneeling Double KB Press
Single KB V-Sit Press
Double KB V-Sit Press
Each one of those has its own advantages and downsides , but it’s all overhead work that stresses the upper body musculature in the vertical position.
Make sense?
Perfect.
Now, next time you feel unmotivated in your workouts, remember the intention of your program - to get you to your goal.
Worst case scenario, put on some better music.
Stay Strong,
Geoff Neupert.