DUMB IT DOWN
One of the main reasons people would love to train with a personal trainer is because it takes away the stress of having to think about what they should be doing. What exercises, how to do those exercises, nutrition, home exercises and stretches to do are all taken care of for you when working with a trainer. The amount of mental energy and stress this relieves for the client is insurmountable. It allows for better follow through with an exercise and nutrition program.
That being said not everybody has a personal trainer. Or even sometimes those people with the personal trainer still can get overwhelmed. For these instances I like to dumb down not just a workout, but also the modality and equipment being used.
For me personally some of my best workouts are when I go in my garage gym and just do a single barbell movement. I’ll do 10 to 12 sets of a compound movements. I don’t have to think about a whole program and I could really just focus on the movement at hand and do it perfectly. There’s something to doing a movement over and over again perfecting it that really gives you a great workout . I’ll also do this with the kettlebell. I’ll pick up my 70 pound kettlebell and just do 100 swings. Again, these workouts are quick, hyper-focused, adding no stress to my already overworked mind, and it fits my personality type.
When working with clients and I see they had a stressed out day of work or have a busy day ahead of them and I could see their mind going a mile a minute I will do a similar workout. Whether I use a kettlebell, barbell, dumbbells, or a medicine ball I can get them a simple, focused workout that fits their life at that moment. Numerous times after that workout is completed they’ll mention “wow that was a great work out and it feels like we haven’t really done anything.” That’s exactly what I was going for. I got them sweating, moving, addressing imbalances and strength issues, but at the same time not stressing out their mind anymore.
In these times of crazy weightlifting machines, functional movement equipment, and trendy workouts, sometimes it’s best to dumb down your workout in order to get your best workout.
To Your Health
Mark Radio
Mark Radio - BA in Exercise Science, certified personal trainer, and certified nutritional counselor. Mark’s ability to connect, motivate, and educate has made him one of the most sought after health and fitness professionals in the industry.