Exercise vs Training

Photo by Ronnie Overgoor on Unsplash

Why do you exercise? Some common reasons include weight loss, health, stress relief, and many others. Do you have a weekly plan or do you wing it? Depending on your goal sometimes just exercising is not enough.

To achieve a specific goal in the most efficient way possible you need to have a specific plan designed for that goal. A person wanting to lose weight will need a different plan than a person wanting to gain muscle. A marathon runner will need a different plan than a 5k runner. Hopefully, this makes you start to analyze your current exercise and nutrition strategy.

When we are talking about body composition goals, nutrition can play a bigger impact compared to the exercise plan. Weight loss involves a caloric deficit, toning or body recomposition involves eating at maintenance, and muscle gain involves a caloric surplus. You need a specific nutrition strategy if you want to achieve these goals in the quickest way. Most of us are impatient with wanting to see change so if you aren’t dialed in properly from the start it’s easy to get discouraged and quit.

Event or competition related goals involve both a specific dietary and workout plan. Runners need to train for their specific distance just as body builders need to train for their specific event. The nutrition needs for each of these athletes varies as well.

If you’re not sure where to start, hiring a coach can be a great investment. Utilize those of us that have worked with your specific goal to help you get started or partner with you in your entire journey. Don’t waste time just spinning your wheels and putting in hard work that may not be getting you closer to what you want to achieve!