When I look at the physical
fitness industry today it
is painfully obvious that
the industry is more concerned
with maximizing specific skills
than building better humans.
Basically, the fitness industry
has been divided into two
fields... muscle growth and
aerobic ability.
But make no mistake about
it, physical training is about
becoming an improved human,
better suited to meet the
challenges of sport, work
and life with excellence under
the greatest amount of circumstances.
Physical training is not about
maximizing muscle growth so
you look good in your t-shirt
or the ability to sustain
long, monotonous aerobic activity.
To become a better human,
you must use your physical
training for physical fitness
optimization... not physical
skill maximization.
Physical fitness optimization
is the acceptable and deliberate
compromise of competence and
ability to perform in ALL
the areas of cardiorespiratory
endurance, strength, flexibility,
power, speed, coordination,
agility, balance, accuracy
and toughness to produce optimum
performance results under
the greatest amount of circumstances
Yes... physical fitness optimization
is the understanding that
true physical fitness is a
compromise.
Your fitness level is comprised
of your ability to perform
using all the physical abilities
mentioned in a seamless and
coordinated fashion to complete
any task at any given point
in time.
Physical fitness is not, and
should not, be measured by
the physical skill maximization
of just one of these skills.
True physical fitness has
to do with your physical ability
to perform the widest variety
of tasks under the greatest
diversity of circumstances...
not maximizing one physical
ability to perform one task
under controlled circumstances.
Strangely, the trend seems
to be to use physical training
to maximize one physical ability
at the expense of all others...
actually making the person
less fit.
If you spend all your training
time improving only one facet
of fitness... your weaknesses
will greatly outnumber your
strength.
You will have become so specialized
that you are unfit for most
circumstances encountered
in sport, work and life...
and I am sure that was not
your goal when starting a
physical fitness training
program.
Let's get one thing straight...
I am not against muscle growth
and aerobic capacity... I
am against the fitness industry's
unbalanced focus on muscle
growth and aerobic capacity
at the expense of true physical
fitness.
Isolated muscle exercises
performed on limited motion
machines combined with extended
aerobic sessions is not the
path to strength, conditioning
and fitness excellence...
no matter what the fitness
industry's marketing machine
says.
Commit yourself to strength,
conditioning and fitness optimization
if your goal is to develop
performance improvements in
all the 10 physical skills
and produce a body that performs
as good as it looks.
If your current physical fitness
workout program is designed
more for physical skill maximization...
change it!
Because there is one thing
that I know for sure...
If you have functional strength,
superior conditioning and
fitness excellence there will
be times in sport, work and
life that you need them...
and if you don't, there will
be times when you wish you
did.
About the author:
Coach Lomax is a strength,
conditioning and fitness coach
dedicated to building better
humans for sport, work and
life. Learn more at Optimum Physical Training
or take his FREE Tabata Calisthenics
Workout Mini Course.
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