The Side Effect of Caring
It’s almost impressive, the amount of overthinking we can put into anything. I see it constantly – and with good reason. Overthinking tends to come as a side effect of caring. No one overthinks about something they’re apathetic about.
Overthinking Fitness and Nutrition
Yet, when it comes to our fitness & nutrition, thoughts abound as to what we should be doing, what we should be eating, how much lifting, how much rest time, how many fats, do I need a deload, are these the right shoes, are my hips shifting… and on and on and on.
The Trainer’s Perspective
And don’t get me wrong, I love the minutiae of exercise, myself, but it’s my job to think about those things. But if there’s one thing personal training has taught me: for the regular joe, a lot of it isn’t as important as we’d like to think.
What Really Matters
Sure, resting 30 seconds as opposed to a minute and a half when trying to work heavy-ish sets of squats is a factor. Sure, you want to move optimally when performing large compound movements to prevent injury and reap the benefits of mechanical efficiency, but let’s be honest, do you really think that a mother of four who simply enjoys the benefits of improved blood flow helping her fibromyalgia and the self-selected time set aside from all her other stresses really worries about whether or not she should be squatting two times a week or three?
Or do you think it’s important for the real estate agent who enjoys pushing himself to the limit and feeling like an athlete should be squatting in cross-training shoes or adipowers when he’s not going to compete, ever?
The Role of a Trainer
Now, I’m not saying as a trainer it’s not my job to keep these things in mind. I don’t just freeball workouts on the fly and make things up as I go along. That’s almost to the point of neglect for these people who trust me (and pay me) to help them get healthy. What I am saying, is that if you’re training for the love of it, or just to simply look better naked and be healthier, don’t fret over the details. Don’t take the fun out of your training by overthinking the small things. You’re not doing yourself any favors and to be frank, it’s more about the consistency in training than anything else. As long as you train two to four times a week and work large compound movements, you’re fine. Progress slowly, either through a bit more weight on the bar or a bit more reps in the workout, and eat food, sleep and you’re golden.
Enjoyment Over Minutiae
IF (big if on purpose there) you enjoy the minutiae, then awesome, etch the details away! But once it starts to detract from your enjoyment, take a step back and remember you don’t get paid for this. There’s no need to let your hobby give you stress. Don’t overthink the details, don’t focus on the little pebbles in the river, just take care of the big rocks and everything will flow fine from there.
The Importance of Enjoyment
Remember, for most of us, enjoyment and fun is the most important element of training – and we often forget that. Don’t miss the forest for the trees.