Some coaches might tell you that they’ve designed a completely new and exclusive workout program filled with exercises they invented and only they know how to coach.
We’ve seen these Johnny Come Latelys for decades in the fitness industry, and we’ve seen it recently with Orange Theory’s and F45’s popping up all over … claiming to have found the secret sauce to burning fat and being fit.
Don’t fall for it.
When it comes to health and fitness, there’s no magic bullet … no secret sauce … no one exercise program that’s better than anybody else’s.
If I were starting a new exercise program today, here’s what it would include:
Be The Best At The Basics: Humans have evolved, but our bodies work the same way they always have. For optimal health and strength, we need to squat, lunge, hinge, push, pull and carry. Now there are a lot of variations of these movements we can do, but the best and safest way to the best and strongest version of yourself is to become really, really good at doing these basic exercises … and do them over and over again.
Personal Coaching: The days of cookie-cutter fitness are over. To maximize results and stay injury-free, it’s important to have a personalized program and a coach who knows you, your strengths and weaknesses and your limits.
Accountability: The best workout program on the planet is no good if you don’t do it consistently. A good coach will track your workouts and results and make sure you’re staying accountable so you achieve the goals you hired them to achieve.
Strength Over Cardio: There are plenty of benefits to cardiovascular training, but there’s also a point of diminishing returns. A fitness program that leaves you on the floor feeling crushed after every workout may diminish your results and may even be detrimental to your health. Look for a program that focuses on increasing your strength and mobility first, with proper doses of aerobic and anaerobic training sprinkled in. You’ll be much happier, will feel better and will get much better results.
To achieve your ideal body and health, you don’t need shiny objects or a trainer who thinks they reinvented the wheel. Master the basics, insist on personalized coaching and accountability and prioritize strength over cardio. A year from now, you’ll be glad you did.
Your friend and coach,
Paul F Sweatt CPT
Train Smart. Train Hard. Train Safe. Train to Sweatt