Purposeful Fitness

We often hear people say that achieving your goals is like a marathon, not a sprint. But while the meaning behind it is helpful, I believe that's NOT the way you want to look at it: it SHOULD BE A SPRINT. Every day spent working toward your goal is a day spent NOT where you want to be. Small improvements over time can help you be consistent but leave room for setbacks that will continuously push your end date farther out. If you could achieve your goals in 2 years, or in 2 months, which one would you choose?

When people say "it's never too late", they usually have good intentions, and the overall message of "it's better late than never" is a real one. But, sometimes, IT IS too late. Time doesn't turn backward, responsibilities change, opportunities pass by, some damage can be irreversible. The time to act might be NOW.

Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset

One of the most important attributes in Fitness, but as well as in life, is the idea of a Growth Mindset. Seeing challenges as a good thing, understanding that failure is the greatest teacher and believing your capacities can be improved are a few core values of a Growth Mindset.

While this is a part of the DIGESTION Pillar of Health, it's something that deserves its own episode. Sometimes, the changes around nutrition can be very difficult and expensive for some people. But what you put into your mouth is only part of the important process of breaking down food, absorbing it, transporting it, excreting it. The process in which that happens is also very important. The ritual around each meal is what's called Food Hygiene. These are often free and easy changes to make, but that can make a big impact in your overall DIGESTION.

The common argument: “Calories in, calories out is all that matters.” is often seen around social media, stating that 100 calories are the same wherever it comes from AND that as long as you eat less than what you burn, you’ll lose weight. Why this is misleading: It ignores how different foods affect metabolism, hormones, and hunger. So let’s understand the quality of calories beyond just the number.

Minimum Effective Dose vs Maximum Recoverable Volume are two concepts that dictate how much work we can do and still reap benefits. They denominate the edges of the "green area" of improvement. One is "how little work can I do and still improve?" while the other is "how much work can I do without overtraining and burning out?". Learn how to gauge them and where you should be in that spectrum.

"Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand". What does it mean? And why is it one of the most important concepts in Fitness?

"Playing" is something that we now see often in training modalities like CrossFit, Hyrox and Bootcamp. It involves some aspects of fun and athleticism. But is it the most effective way to train? Is it worth adding to your routine?

While there are many things you can do to contribute to the chances of your achieving your goals, this might be the MOST rewarding.

Shifting your focus from the end-goal to the process. Don't worry about losing weight, instead, focus on the habits of people who are in shape. Don't focus on being rich, focus on the practices of people who are able to make and save money. Don't chase a black belt, instead embody the values of the martial art your learning.

If you do that, the end goal will come.

Most people look to ADD things to their plan in order to reach their goals. "What other exercises can I do? Should I do ice baths? What other supplements should I take?". The same goes for other areas of their lives, like career and relationships.

But if I asked you this question: "Would you rather achieve your goals working 1 hour a week, or working 10 hours a week?", most people would choose the first one. So why are we trying to make our to-do list longer instead of shorter?

Learn how to be efficient, learn how to do LESS.