For this blog post I'm just gonna skip that preachy part where I say smart-alecky things like all of you should be working out at the gym regularly like I did today.
If you're anything like me, you just like to make the best of the gifts and talents that God has given you and you're probably not going to cry about what you're not doing. My whole training approach centers around the idea that in order to put on muscle you have to engage in what's called "progressive overload," by which is meant that you have to continually be adding either weight or reps or sets to your training routine if you are going to make significant gains. I'm currently in a pretty nice groove in my training and so from time to time I like to take you through what I'm doing and maybe you can get some ideas to tweak your own routine or maybe you're just curious and have absolutely no intention of ever picking up a dumbbell because you feel you are already getting enough exercise by lifting boxes of Doritos in bulk at Costco. Either way, I think you'll be interested in the idea of progressive overload.
If you're unfamiliar with this term, once again it simply means increasing the weight or the number of reps you do. The same goes for the number of sets you are doing. You might, for example, increase your bench press from 100 pounds to 110 pounds. But guess what? That's not the most significant kind of progressive overload you will experience. The most significant kind of progressive overload you will ever experience is when you progress from not going to the gym to going to the gym. Benching nothing to benching the bar is the largest incremental jump in progress you'll ever make in your entire life. Which begs the question: If you are not going to the gym, why not? The Y that I attend is cheap as all get out and they even offer financial assistance to people on limited incomes. I think so many more people could benefit from working out a couple days a week once the initial fear factor of weights and gyms is overcome. The best place to start is with the personal trainer at the gym who will show you how things work. Like most guys, when I joined the YMCA, I had no clue what I was doing. Thankfully, there are people there who will be happy to help you systematically achieve your true genetic potential and the best body you've ever had. It's not nearly as complicated as the fitness industry wants you to believe. And it doesn't matter if you're 21 or 71 or how "busy" you are. When I go to the gym, I go to work and to work hard. I get my stuff done and I get out. My point is: You don't have to spend your life at the gym to improve your health and physique.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to take that first step, to begin the process of progressive overload? If you answered "Yes," then you've taken a leap, not a step, toward your goal of becoming a leaner, healthier you.