The Intelligent Workout

4th of July weekend is nearly upon us so I figured I would impart a little bit of wisdom before the floodgates open to the beer and bratwursts. These are the best pieces of advice I can recall from my stint as a high school athlete. I received several suggestions back in those days but these are the gems have been able to stick with me throughout the last decade. I hope you find them inspiring enough to keep you perspiring & buff for the rest of the summer.

“There are a Lot of Smart People Pumping Gas” – Being intelligent is nice and gaining knowledge is great but it won’t add up to anything without the will to apply and persist. If ten people read about swimming for a year while another ten were thrown into the pool during that same time the latter group would be having a blast at the beach next summer while the former would be stuck wearing water wings. More often it’s the dumb oaf who takes action that gets things done.

“Don’t Be the Peabody” – Apparently the Peabody is the guy who walks behind an animal parade and gets to pick up all of their surprises. Our coach would designate this honor to the guy who was last out on the field for practice that day. Being the Peabody in one aspect of your fitness will most like spread those Peabody-like ethics into other facets. Don’t Be The Peabody.

“Do the Extra Ten Percent” – Our track coach wanted us to take our extra efforts into our own hands. He explained that regular practice was the standard and to be the best it was necessary to go the extra mile. Following a ten sprint workout the team would stay after the coaches had left and crank it up to eleven. Einstein is rumored to have said that the most powerful force in the universe is compound interest. That extra ten percent will definitely pay dividends.

“Don’t Blow Your Wad Too Soon” – On the bus to an away game my teammates energy levels were high, we were feeling amazing, and we were showing it. The crazy Metal lover had his boom box blasting and everyone was banging on the seat in front of them. Our coach looked back, smiled and said “Hey! I love the intensity guys but don’t blow your wad too soon!” We all took it down a notch and then let our intensity amplify out on the field where it actually mattered. Make sure to save your energy and excitement for the fitness activities that truly need it.

“Don’t Spend Your Vacation Eating Twinkies on the Beach” – Once the weather went slightly above frigid my track team put on their sweat pants and started going on road runs. We had seven weeks before spring break came along and the outdoor season began. Every member of the team saw much improvement over those weeks and our coach warned us not to spend our spring break eating hostess treats on the beach for a week. Enjoying an inevitable cheat day is great for staying on the fitness wagon but an entire week of inaction and sugary delights is a hefty setback for any program.

“You get out what you put into it.” – None of my coaches spoke these exact words but it was what I finally came to realize after all those months of training with them. If your eating habits and workout ethic are amazing then the results of that should be the same. If you choose to run on beer and brats this season your body is going to look like it has been running on beer and brats this season. While unwinding and relaxing your inhibitions this summer always remember to indulge intelligently.