Fit pros have all heard of something called the 80/20 rule: take a random sample of 100 gym members; 20 of them use the gym; 80 sign up and never return. Actually, I dispute that 80 never come. They come for 3 weeks (January 2nd to about January 21st); use the ellipse for 25 minutes, do a few sets of curls, take a steam, see no results, get bored, and consequently stop coming. If only they knew what to do at the gym.
‘I’m just not a gym person,’ they think. I get it: doing something hard and seeing no results is depressing. So why bother?
Getting to the gym isn’t the problem
The problem, at any rate, is knowing what to do once you’re there.
Fitness isn’t rocket science. There are elegant, well thought out programs that will help you reach goals quickly but a novice can’t spot them. They don’t know the difference bw a back squat, a goblet squat or a zercher squat; These programs will sail right over head. The good news is simple programming works: 10 minutes, 2 to 5 moves, a few times a week. It’s all you need.
For instance, Super Trainer Pavel Tsatsouline’s Simple and Sinister workout is a general physical preparedness workout that is 2 moves. You read that correctly. You need one piece of equipment (a kettlebell). Moreover it’s brief: I’ve completed it in 10 minutes. If you’re starting out (and can safely swing a kettlebell) it’s enough.
I inadvertently created my own simple/sinister workout (The 5×5). It’s 5 moves and takes about 10 minutes.
Can you master 2 moves for 10 minutes? Can you master 5 moves for 10? It’s that simple.
You don’t need the perfect program.
You don’t need hours in the gym.
Show up, move, lift heavy things.
I hate to break it to you- you may just be a gym person.
80/20? More like 79/21!
Still need help getting to the gym and deciphering a simple (or complex) training plan? There’s always us Trainers.
