This is a motto I have chanted to clients for almost ten years, and I believe it is the best way to launch the new Training Department for Faith & Fitness Magazine. “Train to live, don’t live to train” simply means that your fitness program should have a gigantic impact on making your life or sport activities easier to perform. You train to live your life to its fullest. Don’t just “workout” so that you look good doing a bunch of exercises. That has no carry-over to how you live or what you want to accomplish.
When I hear from a client about how much better they feel and move after training, they never say, “I was practicing my Romanian Deadlifts the other day, and they are really getting easier.” No!
They say, “I was putting away the dishes and found it so much easier to get the pans in and out of the bottom cabinet.” This is an actual quote from a 42-year-old busy mom of two, who has been participating in my bootcamps for the last eight months and loves her newly discovered strength. The point of her training is not to become an expert at the squat, push-up or lunge. Those are just the best tools that we utilize to make a great impact on her body and improve her quality of life.
The first questions to ask with any training program are:
1. What do I want to accomplish?
2. How is training really going to affect my life?
If your answer for example is “I want to lose weight”, then your training program should consist of strength training, cardio intervals, and eliminating your worst eating habits. If your answer is “I need to get out of pain”, your training program should consist of joint mobility and light resistance work that focuses on full ranges of motion. Just because everyone is jogging, doesn’t mean it is right for you.
I have a friend who jogs several miles a week and also attends one of my bootcamps. She consistently shows up in pain with limited mobility. She was also very frustrated with not losing weight. I told her to stop running. Obviously, her training program was not producing the results she wanted and her body was breaking down. A bike accident forced this suggestion and she could not run for about 3 weeks. During this break, she lost 10 pounds! Often, the best training program is the exact opposite of what you have been doing.
There are two spiritual lessons here. First, notice how I use the word “train” instead of “workout”. Training refers to the idea of progression and being better at something over time than when you first started. Workout just sounds bad – I think of the idea that I am going to work until I am out of energy. Training means you have a purpose and a plan of action. I am training everyday to be a better Christian. My training program consists of:
1. Talking and listening to God
2. Studying the Bible
3. Fellowshipping with like-minded friends on similar paths
4. Engaging with others that are seeking a better path in life
Secondly, if “train to live, don’t live to train” means get out of the gym and see how your training program has affected your life, shouldn’t our spiritual training program mean the same thing? People should not wear the name “Christian” just to look good on Sunday morning for one hour in the pew. The carry-over to our regular lives should be evident in how we treat neighbors, coworkers, and family. In fact, church should just be part of the overall experience of living for Christ. Personally, I have been in my best “spiritual shape” during service opportunities around the world or doing #4 from above. Don’t just show up on Sundays for a one-hour “workout”…let your relationship with God flow into every part of who you are.
As you engage in a training program in 2010, let Faith & Fitness Magazine offer cutting-edge information in all areas of physical development. In addition to the types of training mentioned above, we will cover:
1. Flexibility/Mobility Training – The new revolution for this year can be summed up with this controversial statement, “Don’t stretch muscles; mobilize your joints.”
2. Sport-Specific Training – The key word is “specific”. The body only gets better at exactly what you are doing. This is a training principle known as SAID – Specific Adaptation to an Imposed Demand. For example, if a coach needs to get an athlete to jump higher, they need to know exactly what component of the jump the athlete is missing. For some it may be strength and force production. For others it may be speed and how quickly the athlete can “drop and explode”.
3. Conditioning and Body Composition Training – We will give you top tips from the experts of fat loss and answer that classic question, “How do I lose weight here (fill in your body part of choice)?”
4. Endurance Training – Maybe this is the year you engage in a distance race. How do you begin and how do you track your progress?
5. Strength Training – We have proven techniques to help you feel invincible!
6. Personal Training vs. Group (boot camp) Training – Which is right for you? There has been a shift in the fitness industry over the last few years to group training, but we will cover the pros and cons of both and what will help you meet your goals.
7. Core Training – “Core”…the buzzword of the decade for personal trainers. There are many myths about how to safely and effectively train the core. Also, the core is more than just the “six pack”. Stay tuned!
Our readers write us and tell us they are excited about engaging in a training program this year. We will match that excitement by providing you with the information you need to succeed. When we talk about training how does the concept “engage” apply? Maybe you feel like a rocket ship captain yelling, “Engage the turbo booster!” and you are jumping in with both feet to your training program. Maybe you view your engagement to fitness as a deep focus, honing in on the details and discipline it will take to get results. I hear “engage” and I think of the commitment I made to my wife a few years ago. I want you to consider three encouraging concepts: Engage your training program this year with all of your energy and enthusiasm, constant focus, and a commitment to accomplish your goals.
We are praying for you and look forward to hearing your ideas of what you would like to see from the Faith & Fitness Magazine Training Department.
Train To Live – Don’t Live To Train
Jason Rhymer, is the president of Rhymer Fitness. He is a Z-Health Level IV Trainer. Like all great fitness minds, Jason Rhymer has a degree in economics and has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe as a professional actor and director of a childrens’ theater. Drawing on science, faith, creativity and his personal fitness background, Jason meets the physical, spiritual and social needs of his clients. His methods and winning strategies empower athletes and all he trains to get started, stay motivated and balance working out with living the best life possible. For more training ideas read Jason’s Blog.
