Dec
3
Performance Improvement and Workouts
Filed Under Editorial, Exercise, Motivation
Last week I published my workout spreadsheet. I had a few questions about it which I plan on answering later this week, but one theme seemed to be repeated again and again. Specifically, I saw multiple questions about performance improvement.
One reader noted that the improvement tracking portion of the spreadsheet was not complete. It was only set up to track section of the workout and the graph was set up for only one exercise. This is because I added this section to my spreadsheet workout just to show everyone how I used to do it. I no longer track my performance improvement overtime, so I actually removed this portion of my spreadsheet months ago. I added it back in because I thought it would be useful for people who are just starting out.
Why Not Track Performance?
For me, performance tracking is no longer needed for a number of reasons. First of all, I’ve reached a point in my workout routine where performance increases in either number of reps or weight are coming very slowly. Perhaps once a month I will increase the weight I am doing in a specific exercise, but I don’t really need a spreadsheet to tell me when to do this, I just do it when things become too easy.
Second, and this might be more controversial, I’m just not that interested in increasing performance these days. I’ve reached a level of fitness that I’m very happy with. I’m far stronger, faster and have more endurance than I ever did. I have no intention of becoming a professional athlete, so why do I need to spend a considerable amount of time and effort for some marginal improvements that won’t make much of a difference?
Isn’t Improvement What It’s All About?
This is where I think some people lose their way. Once they start working out it becomes all about breaking through the next hurdle and getting better, faster and stronger. For me, it’s not about any of these things. Working out to me is a way of being healthy and fit. I don’t have to do a whole set of bench presses with my own body weight to be fit. I don’t have to run a mile in under 4 minutes to consider myself healthy. I’ve made incredible progress since that day 4 years ago when I barely made it up one flight of stairs and I’m quite happy with where I am. If I do continue to improve, that’s great, but that’s not my goal at this point. Right now, I just want to be healthy, stay fit and enjoy my life.
Is That True For Everyone?
Unfortunately, that’s not true for everyone. If you’re just starting out or in very bad shape, then yes, you will want to monitor your performance and try to improve it. That’s why I added that section to my spreadsheet, because I consider that very important when you first start working out. At that point you’re really not as fit as you should be and you need to improve.
Do As I Say and Not As I Do?
No, this isn’t quite a case of me telling you to do as I say but not as I do. This is me telling you to do as I say and as I did. I tracked my performance for around three years before I got to a point where I was comfortable saying “I’m in great shape, I no longer need to strain every day in an effort to improve.”
Which Isn’t an excuse to slack off by the way. I still workout just as often and just as hard. I still eat healthy and try to stay in shape and if I notice something getting too easy, I do increase the difficulty. I just don’t focus on performance improvement as my top goal right now. Perhaps when I start training for the Hawaii marathon I signed up for, performance improvement will become a more important goal again, but for now, I’m perfectly happy where I am.
Summary
Self improvement is a very worthwhile goal to pursue. However, there’s a point at which the returns you get on your time invested will get lower and lower. That’s the point where you need to decide, “is this the primary goal in my life?” If it is, then by all means, keep working at it. If it’s not, perhaps you should just look at how to best maintain your current level and start looking at other ways to improve yourself. As for me, I’m happy with my current level of fitness. I’m healthy, in shape and a whole lot happier than I used to be.
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I think this makes a lot of sense and it sounds like you’ve found a balance between maintaining your fitness and the rest of your life. It doesn’t have to be all about getting bigger and stronger all the time, just like there comes a time when you stop losing weight and you maintain the healthy weight that you’re at.