Are you working out, or are you training?

I like for my clients to have goals (and, whoever you are, if you’re reading this, I think you should have a goal, too!).  We all need mileposts to guide us along our journey, even if we change direction by the hour.

I’m just working out.

Working out is a great place to start, but as a personal trainer I’ve found that “working out” can also mean “scraping by”.  Just showing up is a great place to start, but after a few months have gone by and you’ve proven to yourself that you can show up, make progress, lift heavy things, and even eat something green every now and then, is it enough just to keep showing up?

I’m training.

Training, on the other hand, is working toward a goal, and looking at the big picture to see what steps make sense and what steps might just be clutter.  If you’re training, your fitness program has some kind of structure and progression to it, rest days are a part of your program, and nutrition has meaning because it’s giving you the energy to make it through your training session or recovery day. Training takes some commitment, sure, but consistency is what gets the most results!

Which one are you doing?

Are you working out? Do you do whatever strikes your fancy, even if that means 12 cardio sessions one week and no stretching, ever?

Or are you training? Are you working toward some sort of goal (preferably a tiny goal that’s only 2-6 weeks away), and doing the things that make sense to reach it?

Which one is best for the lifestyle that you have right now? Which one is best for what you want to achieve?

Just think it over…and choose your words accordingly.  Words are powerful. If you believe in your progress, it might be time to give “training” a try!  And if you’re my client, I’ve been training you this whole time…even if you’ve just been working out.